The pandemic revealed that the challenges facing K-12 schools are examples of what are referred to as ‘wicked problems’. What is a wicked problem? Problems that are complex and difficult to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements. As 2020 revealed, these crises come in a variety of forms and are often hard to... Read more »
Designers are storytellers. From the procession to a building’s entrance to the interior, the real experience of architecture is defined by a journey of visual cues, spatial implications, and curated thoughts. Yet too often when presenting design ideas, we are limited by two-dimensional tools of screens and slides. Real Presentations in Virtual Rooms proposes spatializing... Read more »
We investigated the resiliency of two commonly used wall types with current and projected future weather. We modified existing weather files using linear regression to predict future increases in rainfall in Houston TX. We found these weather files unreliable and ended up purchasing project files. We utilized the increased rainfall data and varying permeability of... Read more »
The threat of wildfires in California has significantly altered quality of life in the region. Adaptation will require fundamental corrections in land stewardship, development patterns, and building practices. Design professionals must make sense of an overwhelming array of information. This report summarizes design relevant information including the role of wildfire in California’s ecosystem and the... Read more »
Passive House design requires users to create a complete building model to determine the energy performance of both the whole building and its individual elements. It makes traditional PHPP modeling a dilemma at the initial design stage when design decision making through optimization is necessary, without feeding too much design details. This research explores an... Read more »
With the support of the AIA College of Fellows and its 2015-2017 Latrobe Research Prize, the Arid Lands Institute assembled a multidisciplinary team which included researchers at Perkins&Will to accelerate the design of climate adaptation in water-stressed cities. Specifically, the Drylands Resilience Initiative set out to make it fast, easy, and affordable to capitalize on... Read more »
The construction of zero energy buildings has been an impactful response to global warming and energy crises. Despite numerous approaches to model net-zero-energy buildings, it is still a challenge for building designers to evaluate the possibility of achieving this goal during the architectural design phases. This article, therefore, aims to offer a systematic framework for... Read more »
Tasked by our client to identify a local wood cladding product that met their institutional and budget goals, we researched several products for a new natural history museum in Minnesota. Ultimately, the Minneapolis Perkins&Will team designed and specified an environmentally responsible building façade assembly that aligns with the client’s budget, values, and aspirations – while... Read more »
Given the ongoing climate of fear surrounding gun violence in K-12 schools, safety and security for school facilities have come to the forefront as a top priority for architects and designers. Unfortunately, very little scientific research exists to recommend design approaches that measurably impact school violence rates. This article seeks to provide a brief overview... Read more »
Do wellness certifications make the differences that they claim? Implementing design strategies that only focus on a singular certification, or without factoring sustainability metrics inclusive of occupant wellbeing and comfort, can result in suboptimal and regressive design qualities, and compromise several decades of diligent, high-performing work. Meanwhile, combining multiple rating systems can yield to wholistic... Read more »
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 »
