Evaluating research excellence in architecture: A view from German technical universities towards a European perspective

From the perspective of the architecture departments in nine German technical universities, this essay argues that the positioning of architecture as a research discipline requires adapted evaluation standards to fulfil its promise of generating new knowledge. Evaluation processes depend on and also influence their funding context, plus they are strongly linked to a categorisation of research practices and topics. The essay argues for widespread recognition of discipline-specific research methods, as well as specific outputs and publication practices. It provides empirical evidence of new European standards for peer-reviewed assessment of architectural research in line with subject-specific approaches. Suggestions are made for opening up excellence funding lines to design-oriented and practice-based research. The essay thus calls to work together to improve evaluation and funding frameworks. Its conclusions support the goal of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA) to maximise the excellence and impact of research by reforming assessment practices.