Established in 2009, the Perkins&Will Research Journal is a twice-a-year, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to documenting and presenting practice-related research associated with buildings and their environments.
We currently face a third wave of a COVID-19 Pandemic that threatens to incur more devastating losses than the previous two. The need for an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that is planned for response to an infectious pandemic surge in a manner that is financially and operationally practical to implement is urgent at present. The... Read more »
Urban areas are often times subject to elevated levels of noise pollution. Urban noise levels exceeding 55 decibels (dB) can result in negative public health outcomes through chronic/long-term exposure. The design of urban open spaces and parks has been shown to help decrease noise pollution. What remains unclear is to what extent parks attenuate noise pollution and what... Read more »
In the U.S., the average rate of escalator incidents per year equals 0.221 accidents per escalator; 0.442 accidents per escalator pairing. Campus wide, a large medical center in the southern United States has reported 19 separate escalator incidents between July 2018 to July 2019—with 9 of those incidents occurring within an on-campus outpatient care clinic. At almost... Read more »
This article questions the direct connections between geometry and material behavior of plywood and latex composite, and its structural performance relevance employing an architectural solution. Biology makes use of only remarkably few materials; thus, this investigation works with simple morphological fibers differentiation, density and arrangement to create form with performance, just as successfully observed in nature. The CNC... Read more »
What is the future of the net-zero building? It is not a super-tall tower predicated on technology that does not exist but instead a more thoughtful integration into the existing urban fabric that considers people, communities, and density. This new building typology will be prevalent where governments are encouraging resilient zoning overlays, developers are creating new neighborhoods... Read more »
With the increasing number of international students in academic institutions, there is a new emphasis for academic facilities to accommodate this population’s needs. Many international students face cultural, financial, social and academic challenges. It takes time to adjust to a new environment, navigate a new city, and find a home. Loneliness, disorientation and detachment are common. While... Read more »
The most common approach for calculating thermal resistance (R-value) of building facades is based on the additive method, where material components of the facade in sectional view, their relative thickness and thermal conductivity are considered. However, in order to account for thermal bridging caused by framing, area-weighted approach should be used to determine more accurate R-value. This... Read more »
This article investigates bedroom as a typology that occurs across different building types: student residential life, private dwellings, hospitality and healthcare. The article also explores synergies between design strategies. We questioned whether these synergies could translate into innovative bedroom design ideas in unexpected ways. Research methods included literature review, qualitative and quantitative assessments, and design explorations.... Read more »
The goal of this research is to explore the link between the built environment and occupant well-being using completed pre- and post-occupancy evaluations in conjunction with literature review on the topic. We hypothesized that investing in strategies that enhance whole person well-being in the workplace can positively impact business performance metrics. The methodology was to combine an... Read more »
Shadow boxes are commonly used in curtain wall construction, but can be problematic if not designed and detailed correctly and appropriately for the climate. Much has been written about shadow box design, both successes and failures, but there is no consensus about how, or if, the cavity should be vented. This article presents a literature review about... Read more »
We are experiencing a technologically-driven shift in the transportation industry, which is transforming the way we move and live in cities. While new mobility options have the potential to profoundly change the way that we plan, design, and build transportation infrastructure, the impacts of these technologies on livability and urban design are not well understood This study aimed... Read more »
