In 1930, when the Zhongguo Yingzao Xueshe (Society for Research in Chinese Architecture) was founded, Zhu Qiqian developed several methods for research in the history of Chinese architecture and construction along the principle of “communicating with craftsmen and scholars, gaining practical and theoretical wisdom.” His goal was to approach the topic from multiple angles, by making use of the wisdom contained in the classics and the knowledge handed down by generations of craftsmen. In 1943, Liang Sicheng expanded on Zhu’s ideas: in his Zhongguo jianzhushi, Liang formulated a principle for doing systematic research called “structural technology + environmental thought”. However, because of the difficult sociopolitical situation of the time, Liang was unable to promote this idea properly. To complicate matters, after 1911, the study of the classics had been replaced by a more general education, and the academic tradition of a classical education had come to a sudden halt. The task of this article is to investigate if Liang’s and Zhu’s ideas of communicating with Confucian scholars is still valid today and how the modern study of the history of Chinese architecture and construction can benefit from these ideas.