Goals Net Zero Site Energy Design and Incentives (NZSEDI) is a design performance modeling process for achieving net zero site energy projects using photovoltaic and solar thermal water heating systems with financial incentives. The system serves to inspire interest in early net-zero building design for architects. NZSEDI will collect data for renewables in the United States for federal... Read more »
Perkins&Will supports small, focused explorations proposed by staff members with micro-grants of money and time through the Innovation Incubator program. The Innovation Incubator promotes the exploration and development of ideas that improve our work, open new areas of business and stretch our collective creativity. The results of these explorations further our design work, improve our design process and contribute to the knowledge base of our industry.
The program was launched in 2010 and was an immediate success. With more than 700 entries over 20 cycles, sustained interest in the Innovation Incubator at all levels of the firm is testament to its relevance in our ever-growing culture of innovation.
Browse some of the Innovation Incubator projects that have helped grow the profession’s intelligence over the years. Explore more at: innovation.perkinswill.com.
This article focuses on the design of the University Crossing atrium at University of Massachusetts (UMASS) in Lowell, where an innovative way to bring daylight deep into the building’s north facing, four story atrium was the primary objective of the study. Using a number of physical and digital tools including Diva-for-Rhino, the design team has explored the invention... Read more »
Epidural analgesia is the most popular method of controlling pain in labor in the United States today, but it has serious side effects and risks for both mothers and babies. Though most laboring American women choose epidural analgesia, it is important not to confuse a hospital’s failure to provide options with patient preference. Few large... Read more »
As the Earth’s climate changes and sea waters rise, the world’s many coastal cities must get creative to stay afloat. Levees, floodwalls, and other man-made infrastructure are enormous cost burdens that continue to be overpowered by super storms and severe flooding. Planners and designers around the country are exploring methods to make coastal cities more resilient to these... Read more »
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital is a current client of the Boston office of Perkins+Will. In collaboration with the Chicago office we designed a new replacement facility scheduled which opened December 2012. Our firm is committed to helping clients find ways to be innovative and forward thinking, better positioning them for the future while maintaining focus on sustainable and Best Practice design... Read more »
Nature has been recycling water within the Earth’s closed ecosystem since the very beginning of time. Humans, although a part of the ecosystem, have misappropriated this precious reserve, severely imperiling the availability of freshwater for future use for all life on Earth. Civilizations have thrived or collapsed because of water. The restructuring of our established... Read more »
In late 2009, the University of Virginia Foundation consulted with Perkins+Will to help develop a program brief for a different kind of research facility: a hybrid of laboratory and factory that would offer a new model of collaboration between universities and industry that would be called the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or CCAM. The... Read more »
According to an R&D Magazine study forecasting research trends for 2014, collaborative research partnerships with academia today are among the most common form of partnerships in the world. This trend is expected to continue to increase over the coming years as federal funding remains in question and universities and industry partners continue to see the... Read more »
Earth’s atmosphere reached a significant threshold of 400 ppm atmospheric carbon last year, swiftly moving upward, away from the historically more environmentally stable 350 ppm that many scientists believe is sustainable. Perkins+Will is working to address these issues nationally as a participant in the AIA 2030 Commitment and, locally here in Seattle, as member of the Seattle 2030... Read more »
This research focused on the use of lighting control systems in an office environment by studying the role of smart lighting strategies and their effects on the office. By sequentially testing these strategies for twelve consecutive weeks, this study worked to determine the ability of each approach to reduce the overall energy consumption, while incurring minimal consequences on... Read more »
Will online education render the traditional university campus irrelevant? Is there a “there” there when it comes to online education? What makes the flesh and blood, bricks and mortar material realm still relevant – even essential – to education? While online education has brought with it radical transformations to higher education, bringing people together in... Read more »