Design Research on Environmental Assessment, Educational Spaces and Learning Outcomes

My colleagues at Drexel in the Department of Architecture, Design, & Urbanism focus on doing design research around such topics as environmental assessment, educational spaces and learning outcomes, or spatial configuration, wayfinding, and equity. We partner with communities, non-profits, and firms to assist them with thorny questions, community participation, and evidence-based design research that might be difficult to undertake in a conventional built environment design practice. Groups that work with us learn to see what Design Research can bring to their facilities and process. 

D.S. Nicholas AIA, NCIDQ, LEED GA, ASID is an Associate Professor, the Founding Director of the MS in Design Research, and also the Design + Care 4 Health Design Research Lab 

At Drexel University. 

Several recent publications on faculty design research can be found below:  

Altenmüller-Lewis, Ulrike. “Designing Schools for Students on the Spectrum.” The Design Journal 20, no. sup1 (2017): S2215–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1352738. 

Jen Jack Gieseking, Cindi Katz, Susan Saegert, William Mangold, and Setha Low. The People, Place, and Space Reader. Taylor and Francis, 2014. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315816852. 

Nicholas, D. Slow Engagement & Widening the Frame – Emerging Models of Social Innovation and Design Culture (2021). Roma 2021: Cumulus Design Cultures. https://cumulusroma2020. Org 

Niemiec, Jacklynn. "Documenting Intent: A Survey of Spatial Models for Indoor Navigation." In Conference Proceedings ARCC-EAAE 2018: Architectural Research for a Global Community: Shaping the Quality of Life, Vol. 2, pp. 263-268. Philadelphia, PA, 2018 

Martinez-Molina, A; Williamson, K.; Dupont, W. “Thermal Comfort Assessment of Stone Historic Religious Buildings in a Hot and Humid Climate during Cooling Season.” Energy and Buildings, Elsevier (2022). 10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.111997 

Photos:

Images from a recent Community Charrette with Community Members, Drexel Students, Researchers, and Community Providers participants included Ewing Cole, St. Christophers, Second Story Collective, and Penn Medicine and invited guest Elizabeth Sanders, PhD 

Full booklet of this event can be found here: https://designcare4health.com/current/2023/3/23/rankin-event-2020