The Journal of Architecture

In 2026, as it marks thirty years of publication, The Journal of Architecture invites contributions to ‘This IS Architecture. Notes from the Field’: concise, rigorously framed reports and reflections that document how the field of practice and research in and on the built environment is negotiated across diverse contexts. We seek situated accounts that show why and how a given intervention or observation is timely, how it engages with the multiple crises shaping contemporary conditions, and how it sets trajectories in practice, research, pedagogy, policy, or related domains. The strand shifts the emphasis away from defining what is ‘architectural’, focusing instead on what matters for the ways space is inhabited, organised, and contested.

 

A ‘Note from the Field’ is short-form and accessible, yet grounded in close observation or direct participation. Contributions should foreground local actors and situated knowledges, while articulating stakes and implications with clarity. Relevant contexts include, but are not limited to, design processes, buildings, exhibitions, installations, field schools, research projects, public programmes, policy processes, activist initiatives, and sites where knowledge is produced, mobilised, or challenged, including beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries. We welcome submissions from a wide range of contributors, including researchers, practitioners, educators, collectives, curators, activists, policy workers, and community partners.

 

Prospective contributors might orient their notes through a small set of guiding questions: what is happening, where, and with whom; why this situation matters now; which actors and forms of knowledge are involved; how practices and processes unfold; what is at stake, and for whom; and what this suggests for the field and its possible trajectories. These questions are intended to support concise accounts that connect specific situations to broader conditions and emerging possibilities.

​

Submissions

Submissions should be between 1,000 and 1,800 words, with shorter pieces considered where appropriate, and may be accompanied by images or a short video link where relevant. Where images depict people or proprietary work, authors must ensure that permissions and credits are secured prior to submission. Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for all third-party material.

 

References may be included where useful but should be kept to a minimum.

​

We welcome co-authored contributions and notes that incorporate community or practitioner perspectives. If English is not the working language of the event or practice described, please indicate this. Where possible, the editorial team will support light language editing to ensure clarity and fair representation.

 

Submissions will be reviewed by the editorial team in line with The Journal of Architecture’s criteria of originality, significance, and rigour. Particular attention will be given to contributions that convey the specificity of a situation while making its broader stakes legible. Clarity, situated insight, and the capacity to shed light on emerging trajectories will guide editorial decisions.

​

Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis and published as they are ready. Please submit your proposed contribution by 15 August 2026 at the very latest to thejournalofarchitecture@gmail.com.