‘The Meanwhile’ is an engagement toolkit for temporary interventions on sites undergoing development. The toolkit is a conversation starter to prompt stakeholders with tactical urbanism ideas that can activate the site prior to the project construction phase. This is done through a suite of cards which are categorized based on parameters such as: size, cost,... Read more »
The first step to understanding the regenerative potential of mass timber involves assessing the lumber supply chain and forestry best management practices. This paper explores these topics, beginning with an overview of the carbon cycle of wood products and the role designers play in protecting the earth’s resources through material selection. While sourcing sustainable mass... Read more »
For years, the lab bench has be considered the ‘rockstar’ of the laboratory. But are scientists using it as much as they have in the past? Is the type of science, flow within the lab, or reliance on specialized laboratory spaces and equipment making the lab bench in need of a makeover? We targeted interviews... Read more »
Increased opportunities and the ability to work from home supported by unbroken technological connectivity have allowed the stressors and anxiety of the workplace to creep deeper into our personal lives. Hence, it is essential to reset the brain while increasing separation between work and personal life. TRANSITion is a passenger-focused solution that helps regain control... Read more »
In collaboration with nonprofit research organization Healthy Building Network, we released two pioneering reports aimed at transforming the way architects and designers select sustainable, low-carbon gypsum drywall, flooring, and insulation. To learn how to optimize for both embodied carbon reduction and material health in these product categories, access the reports here.
The expanding world of mass timber projects provides stunning examples of built work and offers fertile ground for design innovation. Our clients and partners are eager to work with us on exploring what mass timber can offer. Getting from the initial excitement of a mass timber project proposal to the completed project requires many decisions... Read more »
“Confronting the Sexist City” is a study that helps reimagine our cities and understand how we can create better opportunities for women, girls, and other gender-diverse individuals in the public realm. This first exploration involved a group of participants traveling along a 2.2km stretch of Queen Street in Toronto, documenting their range of emotions and... Read more »
The post-acute care space is in dire need of innovation. Post-acute care facilities provide rehabilitation and long-term support for patients’ continued recovery and management of chronic illness or disability. With the increasing need to improve patient care and demographic shifts, healthcare systems have been focusing on quality improvement. However, there are several instances where patients... Read more »
The architectural model is both a tool for communication and a vehicle of exploration; not only does it reflect a formal design idea, but also ethics in material selection. Just as the building industry can generate enormous amounts of waste, so too can the ideation process. Copious amounts of single use materials are used and... Read more »
This Innovation Incubator “Design Object Morphologies” examines model building within Perkins&Will Architects. The first part of this research explored model building knowledge bases across our studios to understand how we fabricate models, what they look like, the resources they require, how we pay for them and why out clients love to see them. The second... Read more »
Many transportation projects require developing street segment geometries for the aggregation of related data at a level useful to local clients and policy makers. A system of bus routes may share some street segments and not others, and we want to precisely understand the extent of shared street segments – this requires a systematic segmentation... Read more »
