“前例”一词一般被理解为最佳实践的先前示例。建筑先例通常是来自最近或遥远的过去的建筑模型。Castex等人，将建筑模型定义为基于特定规则、概念和技术的实际建筑项目。不同的项目可能共享相同的规则和技术，从而产生不同的建筑或城市规划模型。可以说，在每一个计划和设计中，形式和操作都被表达为构成它们的结构，它们引用了作为设计基础的一组概念、参考和特定技术。
建筑模型表明，发展的形式是没有直接关系的翻译一个社会目标，但在开发设计形式的中介使用特定于体系结构的尚未被写入历史。在这一特定的调解历史与更普遍的社会历史之间的距离，奠定了建筑学科的潜在投入，但也有其局限性。
这意味着对建筑或城市模型的研究不是建筑史研究，因为它们的出发点不是建立或重建历史，即在书面来源和档案材料的基础上建立因果关系。也不是建筑理论研究的连贯性和发展的各种设计理论和思想。基本上，它们形成了建筑学科的“集体记忆”，其中包含了建筑学科的知识和经验。它构成了工作的“材料”。
然而，研究建筑先例和建筑模型(比如原型和范例)的原因是假设我们不能在不回顾的情况下展望未来，不了解建筑模型及其过去的特性。或者换句话说，如果建筑师不知道他们的先例，他们就不能为未来做出令人满意的设计。这也意味着建筑模型，以及各种相关的类型学，被理解为建筑知识的载体和核心。此外，通过承载知识和调解的历史，它们并不是没有价值的。
ARCHITECTURAL PRECEDENTS & MODELS, DESIGN AND HISTORY
The word ‘precedent’ is generally understood to mean a prior example of best practice. Architectural precedents are usually architectural models, from a recent or distant past. Castex et al., define the architectural model as the actual architectural project, based on specific rules, concepts and techniques. Various projects may share the same rules and techniques resulting in distinguishable architectural or urban planning models. One could say, in each plan and design, forms and operations are expressed that structure their composition, which refer to a set of concepts, references and specific techniques that serve as the basis for the design.
The term ‘architectural model’ makes clear that the development of form is not directly related to the translation of a social aim, but that during the development of the design form mediations are used that are specific to architecture and whose history has yet to be written. In the distance between this specific history of mediation and the more general history of society lays the potential input of the discipline of architecture, but also its limits.
This implicates that studies of architectural or urban models are not architectural history studies, for they do not set out to construct or reconstruct history in the sense of establishing causal links on the basis of written sources and archive material. Nor are they architectural theory studies of the coherence and development of various design theories and ideas. Basically, they form the ‘collective memory’ of the discipline of architecture, which contains its body of knowledge and experiences. It forms ‘the stuff’ to work with.
However, the reason to study architectural precedents and architectural models, let say the prototypes and paradigms, is the assumption that we cannot look at the future without looking back, without knowing about the architectural models and their qualities of the past. Or to put in other words, architects cannot produce satisfactory designs for the future without knowing their precedents. This also implies that architectural models, together with the various associated typologies, are understood as the vehicles and the core of architectural knowledge. Additionally, by carrying knowledge and the history of mediation, they are not value-free.
Komossa, S., Gramsbergen, E., Schreurs, E., Spoormans, L., & Teerds, H. (Eds.) (2018). Delft Lecture on Architectural Design 2018/2019. (Academic year 2018/2019 ed.) TU Delft Open.
