Let us suppose, like the Sufi Idries Shah before us, that we are discussing the art of weaving in its pre-development phase. Suppose people were at a stage where they could only tie knots in a string. If they regarded the knotting as the entire art, when and how would weaving itself come into being? The great Sufis in the Islamic tradition recognize that if our pot of knowledge is full with the obsession for making knots, imagining it to be the whole art, there will be no room for exploration and growth.

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"Theory" in general is the construction of cognitive systems that help us in comprehending and/or assigning value to perceived phenomenon. It can be a speculative activity, an analytical adventure or a combination of both. Speculative theory engages in reconciling observations with certain philosophical notions of humanity and nature. In architectural theory, a speculation can be [but does not have to be] prescriptive when it imposes such "extra-architectural" contentions to establish a norm or standard for "good" architecture. On the other hand, an analysis undertakes detailed study of several works of architecture in the attempt to synthesize a general system, or reference, against which the individuality of each work is perceived. Theory in architecture should be perceived as a cognitive system that helps us comprehend and assess the value of our discipline; theory is our pot of knowledge, which should always remain half-full / half-empty.

Keeping the pot of knowledge half-full / half-empty requires constant research. In architecture, research includes the observation and assessment of existing works, as well as the imaginary projection of new architecture. Both inductive and deductive reasoning form the basis of research. By observation of existing works (induction) and from principles already known (deductions), new hypotheses are formulated for architectural practice. The contents of the pot of knowledge are continually re-evaluated to determine what stays in, what goes out, and which new information is accommodated. To further the act of knot making, we must never imagine the contents of the pot to be the whole art.

Practice in architecture involves more than simple knot making; it includes the design and production of new buildings, of additions to existing buildings, the restoration/preservation/conservation of historically or culturally significant buildings, and the enhancement of the built, the human and the natural environments. Whether or not we are cognizant of this, as architects we partly base our understanding of and approaches to architecture, on our likes, dislikes, fascinations and perceptions. Our environments and cultural pre-dispositions have a significant impact on our thoughts and actions. We can certainly operate without a critical understanding of our bias but we cannot produce meaningful architecture with a pot full of imagined knowledge.

Teaching architects in university settings is a wonderful North American contribution to the field, even though most architecture schools do not yet feel fully at home in an academic context that fosters research and constant re-evaluation of knowledge. When architecture is taught within a university-system [as opposed to in a guild-system, in a "gentlemen's club", or in an atelier / workshop setting], educators and students alike must digest and evaluate their discipline's pot of knowledge. This is an appropriate prerequisite for making architectural contributions that will have an impact on the society at large.

The significance of architecture lies in its ability to ensure continuity with the built, the human, and the natural environments. The most important "detour" we need to make within the established tradition of architectural education is to obliterate the purely academic division between the "making" of new architecture and the "assessment" of existing architecture. Future architects must recognize and explore the critical role of precedence in the act of designing new meaningful works of architecture. The education of an architect must foster the investigation of theory in practice and the evaluation of practice in theory. We must tie a new knot that will bridge the gap between historical/theoretical studies of existing architecture and the "design" and production of new buildings.

Such a bridge can be supported on an inter-disciplinary approach to the study of "theory" and a cross-cultural and historical perspective on "practice". By learning the variations from hour to hour, discipline to discipline, and culture to culture of the collective human mind, we can keep assessing the pot of our discipline's knowledge. Developing a critical perspective in theory and practice means furthering one's perception of what lies beyond familiar consciousness. It involves knowing more through knowing oneself; knowing oneself through knowing how one thinks about others; and seeing yourself with eyes other than our own. This is the best way I know of to see beyond the act of knot making and to keep the pot of knowledge half-full / half-empty.