recipients of its Upjohn Research Initiative funding for research projects that "will advance the future of architectural design and practice," according to the Institute's press release. Now in its 11th year, the Upjohn Research Initiative provides up to six research grants $15,000 to $30,000 each year for projects to be completed within an 18-month period.
This year's four winners cover a range of topics focused on technology and innovation: a study on the impact of biophilic learning environments on stress levels and academic performance; a microalgae façade prototype; an engineered living-wall panel prototype for ecological resilience; and the development of 3D concrete printing technologies to produce prefabricated concrete panels. An overview of each project follows below.
Project: The Impact of Biophilic Learning Spaces on Student Success
Principal Investigators: James Determan, FAIA, principal at Hord Coplan Macht, and Mary Anne Akers, dean and professor at Morgan State University's School of Architecture and Planning
Description from the AIA: The researchers will study how biophilic learning environments correlate with stress reduction and enhanced cognitive performance toward improved learning outcomes for urban middle school students. A traditional classroom and an enriched classroom will be compared. Advised by the Salk Institute for Biological Study and Terrapin Bright Green, the researchers will enhance the biophilic classroom with a visual connection to nature, dynamic and diffused light, and biomorphic forms and patterns. This study aims to provide evidence of the link between biophilic classroom design and student success.
Project: Biophilic Architecture: Sustainable Materialization of Microalgae Facades
Principal Investigator: Kyoung-Hee Kim, associate professor of architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Description from the AIA: The project will prototype and study a microalgae façade, which is a sustainable building system based on the synthesis of biophilic, bioclimatic, and biomimicry design approaches. Results will provide alternatives to sustainable building materials and broaden the knowledge base for integrated microalgae façades toward carbon-neutral building practices.
Project: Biodiverse Built Environments: High-Performance Passive Systems for Ecologic Resilience
Principal Investigator: Keith Van de Riet, Assoc. AIA, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design & Planning
Description from the AIA: Passive architectural systems capitalize on natural bioclimatic factors without the need for operational energy input. This project will study expanding the category of high-performance passive systems to include biodiversity as design criteria in architectural and landscape structures. The objectives of the study include the design and production of a full-scale prototype of an engineered-living wall panel derived from mangrove trees to be installed over an existing seawall in a tidal estuary. This process of integrating living systems within urban environments will be a collaboration among design and scientific communities.
Project: Tilt Print Lift—Concrete 3D Printing for Precast Assemblies
Principal Investigators: Tsz Yan Ng and Wesley McGee, both assistant professors of architecture at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Description from the AIA: The research seeks to develop 3D concrete printing technologies to produce prefabricated concrete panels for complex wall assemblies. The primary goal is to develop a prototypical panelized wall system that takes advantage of the geometric variability possible through additive manufacturing. Developing techniques for detailing and panel connections, this project will highlight new construction systems that are specific to 3D printing technology to address design-oriented goals. Focusing on the advancement of the manufacturing process, construction logistics, and performance criteria in relation to precast assemblies, the investigation will explore unique and novel designs for architectural production.
