flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

The doctor is in: New consortium to fund research of design's influence on public health

The doctor is in: New consortium to fund research of design's influence on public health

The AIA Design & Health Research Consortium has organized its design and health initiative around six evidence-based approaches.


By AIA | September 17, 2014

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.

Tags

Related Stories

| Feb 15, 2012

Code allowance offers retailers and commercial building owners increased energy savings and reduced construction costs

Specifying air curtains as energy-saving, cost-cutting alternatives to vestibules in 3,000-square-foot buildings and larger has been a recent trend among consulting engineers and architects.

| Feb 15, 2012

Englewood Construction announces new projects with Destination Maternity, American Girl

Englewood’s newest project for Wisconsin-based doll retailer American Girl, the company will combine four vacant storefronts into one large 15,000 square-foot retail space for American Girl.

| Feb 14, 2012

Angelo State University opens doors to new recreation center expansion

  Designed by SmithGroup, the JJR_Center for Human Performance offers enhanced fitness options, dynamic gathering space.

| Feb 14, 2012

SAIC selected for architectural and engineering design services at Lajes Field, Azores

SAIC’s services will include a broad variety of new construction projects and maintenance and repair projects

| Feb 14, 2012

Skanska promotes Aparicio and hires Leintz in Southern California

Aparicio and Leintz are both based in Skanska’s Los Angeles office.

| Feb 14, 2012

The Jackson Laboratory announces Gilbane Building Co. as program manager for Connecticut facility

Gilbane to manage program for new genomic medicine facility that will create 300 jobs in Connecticut.

| Feb 14, 2012

Thornton Tomasetti names Al Hashimi vice president for its Middle East Operations

Al Hashimi is joining the company to help expand Thornton Tomasetti’s business in the region and support clients locally.

| Feb 13, 2012

WHR Architects renovation of Morristown Memorial Hospital Simon Level 5 awarded LEED Gold

Located in the Simon Building, which serves as the main entrance leading into the Morristown Memorial Hospital campus, the project comprises three patient room wings connected by a centralized nursing station and elevator lobby.

| Feb 13, 2012

Center for Sustainable Building Research launches CommercialWindows.org

Resource aims at reducing commercial operating costs and energy consumption.

| Feb 13, 2012

New medical city unveiled in Abu Dhabi

SOM’s design for the 838-bed, three-million-square foot complex creates a new standard for medical care in the region.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021