Abstract:
The idea of 'theory' ¿ whether in Thomas¿ `grand theory¿ sense or in the more informal `mental model¿ sense [1997: 86] ¿ is generally accepted within most disciplines, including architecture and design, as being indicative of an underlying set of premises, propositions or beliefs that represent the very foundations of our thoughts and actions. Inescapably informed by theory as we all are ¿ by a `knowing¿ commitment to particular and specific theories no less than by an often `unknowing¿ and unrecognized commitment to the `everydayness¿ of personal knowledge and assumptions, preferences and prejudices, expectations and desires ¿ there nevertheless appears to be a significant lack of attention paid to exploring just how theory `works¿ and what it `does¿.
