Concepts of type and typology are not specific to architecture. Rather they represent an interdisciplinary approach to ordering knowledge and gaining insight. In the field of architecture, the study of types and typology offers a didactic perspective that allows us to see the complex network of inter-connections between theory and practice as an inseparable material and social construct. This publication is the result of a research project focused on dormitories as an architectural type, conducted at Laboratory EAST and produced in the frame of the teaching activities of the laboratory. Through a structured analysis, it unveils inherent knowledge of architectural solutions associated to the activity of sleeping collectively. The publication includes a theoretical framework with texts by Prof. Anja Fröhlich, Estelle Lépine, Arne Winkelmann, Tiago P. Borges and Vanessa Pointet.