In disciplines regarding knowledge or understanding of subjects, systematic categorisation is widely adopted as a methodology to approach complex phenomena. This has influenced our architectural discourse in the form of typology. It involves collection, categorisation and analysis that concern a wide range of research directions. When researching cases of similar but different origins, classification into types has been profoundly adapted in the methodological thinking of architectural scholars. Typology: Similar but Different – PhD Symposium 2019 aims to open up discussions through the lens of typological studies to encompass diverse issues from urbanism and landscape to building systems and technology.

The symposium serves as an opportunity for pre-candidacy PhD students to present to peers and critics for comments and advice in preparation for their next stage of research. In order to facilitate meaningful and focused dialogue across disciplines, instead of presenting the full content of his/her on-going research, each presenter is asked to respond to the symposium topic in one of the following two streams: (i) Typology as Methodology, and (ii) Applied Typologies.