Invited to deliver the lecture at at Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (ARC409 – Architecture Research Method), I focused on the practice of research as a methodological framework for understanding contemporary housing. The lecture explored how systematic observation, mapping, and comparative analysis of housing plans can generate knowledge beyond design solutions, positioning morphology as an investigative tool rather than a purely compositional exercise. By examining a wide range of case studies, the work emphasized how research operates through iterative processes—collecting, classifying, and interpreting spatial data—to uncover underlying patterns and logics of habitation. Within this approach, theoretical insights emerge directly from empirical investigation, establishing a reciprocal relationship in which theory is not imposed but constructed through research. The lecture ultimately framed architectural inquiry as a rigorous and autonomous practice, capable of producing critical knowledge that informs, but is not limited to, design.