Perkins&Will recently launched a free digital resource that allows architects and designers to access key public health data to inform design decisions.
The “Public Repository to Engage Community and Enhance Design Equity,” or PRECEDE, centralizes demographic, environmental, and health data from across the U.S. into a geospatial database. The online dashboard makes it easier for designers to gain insights to create a healthier built environment.
The tool can help interior designers, architects, and urban planners answer questions like:
How does our built environment contribute to asthma and obesity?
What is the median income, proximity to traffic, or prevalence of cancer at a state, county, or census tract level in a selected location?
What strategies can design teams use to mitigate relevant public health factors?
PRECEDE underwent two years of testing and development prior to its launch. The development of the tool was funded by a Transform Grant from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation. The research team is pursuing partnerships with individuals and organizations for future support and funding to expand the tool’s depth, rigor, and accessibility.
Related Stories
| Jun 7, 2013
Must see: Building façade made of massive concrete drain pipes
Looking to create a unique atmosphere using natural materials for the Prahran Hotel pub near Melbourne, local architect Techné Architects cleverly incorporated a series of concrete sewer pipes into the building's main façade.
| Jun 7, 2013
40 Under 40 retrospective: Where are they now?
Every month we’ll be catching up with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what they’ve been up to since winning the award. This month we focus on a construction manager and a healthcare designer.
| Jun 7, 2013
First look: University of Utah's ‘teaching hospital for law’
The University of Utah broke ground on its cutting-edge College of Law building, which will facilitate new approaches to legal education based on more hands-on learning and skills training.
| Jun 7, 2013
First look: Austin breaks ground on 'light-filled' Central Library
The design scheme by Lake|Flato and Shepley Bulfinch incorporates reading "porches" and a light-filled, six-story atrium.
| Jun 5, 2013
Survey of AE firms shows profits, hiring on the rise
A recent survey of more than 40 Boston-area architecture and engineering companies by consulting firm DiCicco, Gulman & Company confirms continued growth in business volume.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 4, 2013
SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper
In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.
| Jun 4, 2013
Notification reinvented: SimplexGrinnell introduces revolutionary family of intelligent notification appliances
Simplex TrueAlert ES uses addressable technology to improve protection, simplify installation and reduce operating costs.
| Jun 3, 2013
6 residential projects named 'best in housing design' by AIA
The Via Verde mixed-use development in Bronx, N.Y., and a student housing complex in Seattle are among the winners of AIA's 2013 Housing Awards.
| Jun 3, 2013
Trifecta of awards recognize Vision/Rubenstein campus, Bayer Healthcare HQ
When Vision Equities, LLC and Rubenstein Partners purchased the 200-acre former Alcatel-Lucent campus in Whippany a little more than two years ago, the partnership recognized the property’s potential to serve as a benchmark infill revitalization for the State of New Jersey.
