Field Work - The Terrain, the Lab, the Archive

In this seminar, Field Work, established scholars and emerging researchers will share their experiences of navigating various research terrains. Each guest will walk participants through their specific fieldwork journey, revealing the behind-the-scenes realities of how they gained access, built relationships, and adapted their methods in response to unexpected circumstances. Working groups of peer-to-peer discussion will allow for exchange and enriching conversations. Drawing on feminist science studies (Haraway's situated knowledge), we propose that the boundaries between "field", "lab", and "archive" are more porous than traditionally acknowledged. Each space involves distinct forms of embodiment and power relations that shape knowledge production.

 

This seminar will span two days, and explore these three fields:

 

-The Terrain: Focusing on traditional and contemporary approaches to ground-based fieldwork in built environment research, with particular attention to questions of positionality and situated knowledge, this session will examine how researchers' social positions, identities, and embodied experiences shape their understanding of field sites and communities. Guests will share experiences of conducting ethnographic observation, interviews, and participatory research while critically reflecting on their own positionality within power structures and knowledge production processes. We will discuss methodologies that acknowledge the partial, located nature of all knowledge claims, exploring how researchers can be accountable for their perspectives rather than claiming false objectivity. The session will address the ethics of community engagement, risks of social extraction, strategies for building reciprocal relationships with research participants, and approaches that center community knowledge and agency. 

 

-The Lab: Addressing controlled research environments and experimental methodologies in built environment studies - While the humanities have developed robust fieldwork practices, technical disciplines related to the built environment often operate within laboratory settings that require distinct methodological approaches. This session will explore how researchers navigate institutional lab spaces, manage equipment and protocols, and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries. Guests will discuss the politics and ethics of lab-based research, including questions of access, funding, and the translation of controlled experiments into real-world applications.

 

-The Archive: Investigating strategies for navigating institutional archives, personal collections, and digital repositories in built environment research. Often housed in architectural firms, municipal offices, historical societies, and private collections, the documentary evidence of built environment practices requires specialized access strategies and interpretive skills. This session will discuss how researchers locate relevant archives, negotiate access with gatekeepers, and develop systematic approaches to document analysis. Beyond physical archives, we will explore digital repositories, oral history collections, and emerging forms of documentation including social media and crowd-sourced platforms. 

 

Each of the three sessions will be organized as a roundtable discussion, including doctoral students, masters students, EPFL scholars and researchers, and external guests, providing a platform for critical reflection, dialogue, and collaboration on navigating the complexities of fieldwork across diverse research environments.

 

Attendees will gain insights into emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in contemporary field research, as well as practical strategies for conducting ethical, rigorous, and impactful research across terrain, lab, and archive.

The seminar will take place in November, in the context of the RIOT Lab project Material Strategies: Biobased Insulation and Reused Timber Towards a Decarbonized Construction Sector.