The AIA Foundation, along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), has announced the establishment of the AIA Design & Health Research Consortium to help fund basic research into the growing influence design has on public health.
The consortium will be comprised of like-minded university teams consisting of experts in architecture and public health. AIA Foundation and its partners will work with consortium members to identify and develop opportunities for funded research, publication, and other resources in design and public health, with the idea that coordination and collaboration will benefit the consortium, its partners and the design and health professions.
The AIA Foundation has set a deadline of October 15, at 11:59 pm PDT for receiving qualification proposals from interested academic institutions. Selection of the schools will be made by late November.
“In the last ten years, we have accepted that healthy places are sustainable places; that the optimal building of this century will be one that minimizes its ecological footprint while promoting human health and well-being,” said AIA Foundation Executive Director Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop. “This consortium will help lay the foundation for making this vision a reality.”
“Good design can improve our well-being, whether in our homes, schools, workplaces, or where we play,” said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “By careful consideration of the human condition and its surroundings, architectural design promotes well-being, mental health and performance.”
The launch of the consortium is the latest effort by the AIA Foundation and its partners to expand the growing body of research into the design and health nexus. In April, the AIA Foundation, AIA, and ACSA held a design and health-focused summit attended by more than 100 design and public health officials. In June, the AIA and McGraw-Hill Construction announced a ground-breaking survey on the attitudes of architects, public health officials and human resource professionals on whether design techniques can make a difference in improving the health of the American public.
The AIA has organized its design and health initiative around six evidence-based approaches that architects can influence through design practices and policies at the building and urban scale. These six approaches—environmental quality, natural systems, physical activity, safety, sensory environments, and social connectedness—recognize that the physical environment creates health opportunities and facilitates positive health behaviors. The AIA’s Design & Health Leadership Group (DHLG) has convened a research working group to manage the review of qualifications submitted by member candidates. Following an open request for qualifications, the working group will recommend up to ten members working across these six research areas.
Over a three year period, the AIA Foundation and its partners will provide institutional support and capacity building for inaugural consortium members to promote collaboration through local and national partnerships; enable the sharing of knowledge through private listserv activity, conference calls, and face-to-face events; and provide a new portal on AIA.org for Members to share research activity. Whenever appropriate, the AIA Foundation and its partners will promote the activities of the consortium with potential funders.
The full Request for Qualifications, application form, and other resources are available here.
Related Stories
| Apr 16, 2012
Altoon + Porter Architects renamed Altoon Partners
The global practice, with offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Shanghai, specializes in retail, residential and mixed-use developments.
| Apr 16, 2012
Drake joins EYP as science and technology project executive
Drake’s more than 30 years of diversified design and project delivery experience spans a broad range of complex building types.
| Apr 16, 2012
$80 million in export financing for solar project in India
The project, “Rajasthan Sun Technique Energy Private Limited,” is a subsidiary of Reliance Power and is being co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and FMO, the Dutch development bank.
| Apr 13, 2012
Arcadis merges with Davis Langon & Seah
Merger will help company expand business in Asia.
| Apr 13, 2012
Goettsch Partners designs new music building for Northwestern
The showcase facility is the recital hall, an intimate, two-level space with undulating walls of wood that provide optimal acoustics and lead to the stage, as well as a 50-foot-high wall of cable-supported, double-skin glass
| Apr 13, 2012
Best Commercial Modular Buildings Recognized
Judges scored building entries on a number of criteria including architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and calendar days to complete, while marketing pieces were judged on strategy, implementation, and quantifiable results. Read More
| Apr 12, 2012
Solar PV carport, electrical charging stations unveiled in California
Project contractor Oltman Construction noted that the carport provides shaded area for 940 car stalls and generates 2 MW DC of electric power.
| Apr 11, 2012
Shawmut appoints Tripp as business development director
Tripp joined Shawmut in 1998 and previously held the positions of assistant superintendent, superintendent, and national construction manager.
| Apr 11, 2012
Corgan & SOM awarded contract to design SSA National Support Center
The new SSA campus is expected to meet all Federal energy and water conservation goals while achieving LEED Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council.
