Beyond the Drawing: Ethnography and Architecture as Contested Narratives of the Human Experience of Dwelling

This study interrogates the interplay between architectural practice and ethnographic inquiry to elucidate human spatial experience across time and culture. Employing a mixed-methods design that integrates computational bibliometric analysis with thematic coding of international academic literature, the research identifies six thematic domains—memory, pedagogy, urban injustice, institutional care, domesticity, and vernacular epistemes. These domains reveal how ethnographic methods, though increasingly incorporated in architectural discourse, are frequently relegated to an instrumental role focused on design optimisation rather than the critical examination of cultural practices and power structures. The findings underscore that architecture functions as both a technical and cultural medium, simultaneously shaping and reflecting human behaviour and social relations. By foregrounding ethnography as a tool for capturing situated, embodied knowledge, the study advocates for a reconceptualisation of architectural practice that embraces reflexivity, inclusiveness, and contextual sensitivity. In doing so, it contributes to interdisciplinary debates central to anthropology, challenging established epistemological hierarchies and highlighting the potential for transformative, culturally informed spatial design.