As new architectural research is conducted in universities, laboratories, and practices, and subsequently disseminated through publication, the discipline is gradually and continually building a record of inquiry and knowledge. When viewed through the lens of history, the range of questions addressed by researchers within a given discipline and the methodologies they employ can implicitly convey the priorities and biases of an era. There is value in considering which questions get asked and how they are studied, but also who asks the questions and why. With the “Histories” issue of TAD, the editors sought to engage researchers who study the manifold relationships between technology and the history of the built environment, which include both the history of technology and the technology of history. This issue aims to illuminate research on the evolution of architectural technologies as well as the ways that current technologies are transforming the study of architectural histories and the practice of historic preservation.
