When I began my one year resiliency fellowship, I expected to explore how innovative technologies could support a resilient future in coastal zones. Perhaps unavoidably, I approached my work initially with certain preconceived notions about how static structures, infrastructure, and…
By making strategic design investments that focus on the health and welfare of their people, employers can expect a happier, higher performing workforce, and ultimately a more successful company culture. This marks a critical shift in the design paradigm. w…
As its name indicates, the “Combustion Chamber” is a vehicle to fuel experimentation and discovery within the professional realm of architectural design. Led by Albert McDonald, AIA, the chamber seeks to propagate curiosity in the interest of sustained professional growth,…
In the conversation around school safety, active shooter scenarios still garner the most attention – but there is a valid argument to shift our focus to a more holistic, preventive approach by creating healthier school environments that encompass safety on…
In an age during which stories of bullying, school shootings, and mental health concerns are all too common, designers have a critical role to play in crafting K-12 schools that simultaneously promote engaged learning and student safety.
The value of a strong corporate culture is well-documented – it drives productivity, engagement, and satisfaction among employees – and all of that translates to better business metrics. Exploring the role of design in reinforcing, promoting, and even changing workplace…
With the explosion of the craft beer industry across the United States, cities and towns of all sizes are benefitting socially and economically from the establishment of local breweries. Ocmulgee Brewpub makes its mark in Macon, GA, a city known…
Academic environments in higher education are changing rapidly, reflecting the advent of new technology and shifting educational models that demand new space typologies. As both educators and designers, Chris Brasier, Dennis Stallings, Don Kranbuehl, and Paul Battaglia are immersed in…
Laboratories around the world provide the high-tech environments researchers need to uncover groundbreaking medical therapies, make agricultural advancements, and develop innovative approaches to the world’s greatest challenges. Successful laboratories are the result of extensive planning, collaboration, and coordination between the…
Design is changed forever when you can be transported to another environment without leaving your desk or conference room. It opens the door to endless possibilities – VR inherently expands the boundaries of creativity.Virtual reality first touched my life as…
Energy modeling is at the forefront of sustainability and high performance building design. A critical tool in the design process, the information it provides has the potential to help designers transform energy performance – but the assumptions that are inherently…
Navy SEAL history began in 1942 in Virginia Beach when volunteers for World War II special missions came together to train, later distinguishing themselves in combat during Operation TORCH in North Africa. Despite their long and storied past in Virginia…