Design x Technology: Ajla Akšamija

INNOVATIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Research and Advanced Technologies

Join Lawrence Technological University College of Architecture and Design for an important Design x Technology lecture featuring Professor and Distinguished Chair for Resilient Places at School of Architecture, University of Utah, Ajla Akšamija.

Architectural designers are currently faced with many challenges—technological changes, environmental and economic impacts, necessity to innovate and raise the bar in building performance, and the paradigm shift in architecture with the wider adoption of advanced computational design and digital fabrication techniques. There are a number of reasons why progressive practices must continuously invest in research and implementation of advanced technologies, but the need to improve design processes and services is typically the overarching drive. Thus, research is becoming an essential component of contemporary practice and will be redefining the future of the architectural profession.

This lecture focuses on innovations in architecture, relationships between scientific research and design, and the role of building performance research. It will discuss why it is necessary to embrace technological changes to improve design processes, products and services, as well as the recent developments in building technologies, materials, computational design and integration of scientific research with innovative design. Case studies from practice will be presented that illustrate how research can inform innovative design techniques. Several research projects will also be discussed to illustrate relationships between design, technology and applications of architectural research, including the use of virtual and augmented reality for design, smart facade systems for generating heating/cooling and electricity, and regenerative buildings with improved performance.

This lecture will provide practical takeaways to help students tackle real-world challenges in design and tech. I will focus some of the topics on how to save time by applying iterative design processes that bring teams together and shorten timelines, finding ways to collaborate effectively across disciplines to break silos and unlock innovation, navigating uncertainty and ambiguity by learning to bridge the gap between strategy and tactical execution and finally how to position yourself for success in a multidisciplinary career by mastering skills that align with emerging industry trends in an ever-changing environment.

Participants of this lecture will learn about innovations in architectural design, how to integrate research with the design process, and they will learn about advanced building technologies

Learning objectives:

• Understand innovations in architecture and how they impact design practices and services.
• Evaluate specific design methods and technologies, and how to stimulate innovation in design practice.
• Understand relationships between research and design process, as well as implementation of advanced building technologies.
• Compare innovative design practices and approaches through case studies.

About:

Ajla Aksamija, PhD, LEED AP BD+C, CDT, FTI Fellow is a Professor and Distinguished Chair for Resilient Places at the School of Architecture, University of Utah. She directs the Transforming Places, Practices, and Pedagogies Collaborative (TP3C), a research unit within the School of Architecture. Her research expertise includes building science and sustainability, emerging technologies, digital design and representations, and innovations in architecture. Dr. Aksamija also served as the Chair of the School of Architecture at the University of Utah. Prior to joining University of Utah, she was a Professor at the Department of Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also directed Perkins&Will Building Technology Laboratory ("Tech Lab"), one of the first practice-driven research laboratories focusing on advanced building technologies, high-performance buildings, computational design, and building facades. She has taught architectural design studios, advanced environmental building design, comprehensive studios and seminars. She has worked on developing building analysis and modeling applications, implementation of novel materials in architectural design, development of computational models, and has collaborated with researchers from material science, civil and environmental engineering and computational design.

Her recent book, "Research Methods for the Architectural Profession", was published by Routledge in 2021. She has authored two previously published books, "Integrating Innovation in Architecture, Design, Methods and Technology for Progressive Practice and Research" (John Wiley & Sons, 2016) and "Sustainable Facades: Design Methods for High-Performance Building Envelopes" (John Wiley & Sons, 2013). Dr. Aksamija has contributed to several other books, and has published over ninety research articles and invited papers. She has presented at various national and international conferences, and is a frequent speaker at industry-based, scientific and academic conferences. She is the founder of the Perkins and Will Research Journal, and served as editor of this first peer-reviewed research journal from architectural practice for fourteen years. She served as the President of the Facade Tectonics Institute.