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.
This article explores how a responsive, acuity adaptable emergency room design can actively contribute to patient well-being along the continuum of care without sacrificing operational efficiencies. Increasing medical knowledge, prevalence, and social awareness of behavioral health issues have made it imperative to design therapeutic spaces that respond to the whole person, in addition to medical... Read more »
This is a practice-based research investigation, not a scientific enquiry, intended to consider how wellness can be first and foremost in the design of our healthcare environments. In this investigation, designing with wellness means going beyond hospitality design meant to soften institutional care, aiming instead on designs that acknowledge illness with the intent of uncovering the support... Read more »
Building in harmony with nature allows for the comfort and well-being of inhabitants of a home, building, neighborhood, or even a district. In this research, we studied the ways in which harmony is achieved in nature, and the ways in which it is achieved in existing building science. We propose a novel bridge between active and passive mechanical... Read more »
The facade is one of the most significant contributors to the energy budget and the comfort parameters of any building. Control of environmental factors must be considered during the design process. High-performance facades need to block adverse external environmental effects and maintain internal comfort conditions with minimum energy consumption. The purpose of this research was... Read more »
This article discusses the importance of perception of spaces, and involvement with spaces during the design process. Over the last decade, mapping the relationship of architectural spaces to human experience has become popular as a successful design methodology. The beginning phase of the design process is characterized by perceptual integrity; unfortunately, this integrity often fades... Read more »
Driven by a bottom-up architectural approach to integrate phase changing materials and digital fabrication tools, such as industrial robotic arms, this article presents a novel materially generated fabrication process. The process 3D prints and stretches plastics, where the extruding and freezing temperatures, pulling speeds and angles are controlled through highly customized heads mounted on robots.... Read more »
The U.S. healthcare industry is changing and shifting its focus toward prevention and community health. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and interactive mapping can help healthcare clients visualize problem areas in their communities and help answer questions about how best to improve community health with limited financial resources. This research project reviewed existing literature to determine... Read more »
“Sky garden” is the term given for vertically stacked, three-story tall landscaped interaction hubs, flanked by formal and informal conference spaces. The design intent of the sky garden is to create an environment that serves as a tool for increasing business performance. A literature review was conducted to determine if that premise is supported by... Read more »
The conservation of water across the globe is not a concern for the future, but a pressing issue for us to face today. This issue is of even more importance with regard to the healthcare sector, where the values of health and sustainability are intrinsically linked. This paper explores the application of water throughout the... Read more »
This research focuses on investigation of context based design for double skin facades, particularly focusing on climatic considerations during the design process. Double skin envelopes are gaining popularity as a successful methodology for controlling thermal building performance and energy loads. However, their performance in different climates is an important design consideration. If properly designed, they... Read more »
This report accesses the potential carbon emissions of harvesting dead lodgepole pine as a result of an outbreak of mountain pine beetles. The report reviews the potential benefits (pros) and the many concerns (cons) about the harvesting practices and strategies utilized to mitigate the socio-economic and carbon emission impacts of mountain pine beetle outbreak. The... Read more »
