Research in the School of Architecture is integrally connected to teaching and community service, and reflects the diverse perspectives and experience of faculty and students. Faculty engage a variety of research models in pursuing research on the built environment, including humanities models of critical analysis in architectural history and theory, social science models of demographic analysis in urban and environmental planning, and creative design as a form in inquiry in architecture and landscape architecture. As a result, research projects take many forms, including traditional scholarly publication; built or speculative design or other visual work; and multidisciplinary design-build projects that engage students, and faculty across the university, in partnership with non-profits and other outside agencies.

Much of the School's research activity is organized along research themes, which the faculty developed in 2009 by examining the ongoing research at the School and categorizing it according to broad ideas, rather than traditional departmental boundaries, recognizing that much of the work engaged multiple disciplines. The School also houses centers and institutes which support and organize research activity.