IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2011 - 32

rESEArCh AT yoUr FInGErTIPS
There is a growing list of organizations and companies that are collecting and sharing design research; providing tools, resources, and case studies. Topics touch on energy efficiency, workplace productivity, health, comfort, and much more. This list of organizations is by no means exhaustive but is starting place to dig into some ongoing research and data.

Architectural research Centers Consortium, Inc (ArCC) www.arccweb.org BetterBricks www.betterbricks.com Center for Advanced Design research & Evaluation (CADrE) www.cadreresearch.org/ Center for the Built Environment (CBE) www.cbe.berkeley.edu/ Design research network www.designresearchnetwork.org Environmental Design research Association www.edra.org IIDA Knowledge Center www.knowledgecenter.iida.org U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) research Program www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1718

Part of the Service

s research-based design takes greater hold in the interior design and architecture industry, it will eventually become an expected part of the service, perhaps even mandated by public agencies. Clients will require quantified design solutions. Firms will face increased competition within specialty building types. HKS Architects, a 25-office firm headquartered in Irvine, California, recognizes the competitive edge that research provides. “It makes Interior Design more about intellectual knowledge than just about aesthetics,” says Maria Martinico, IIDA, LEED AP. As associate principal and managing director of HKS’s orange County office, Martinico expresses that HKS is “not just designing spaces but helping clients meet their business objectives,” meaning that they’re digging into user behavior and building technologies, and using data in ways that will positively affect a client’s bottom line, whether that be in worker productivity, energy use, or branding. The value of HKS’s research comes from its 70-year history and extensive portfolio of work. “We look at our past designs and put information into a

database for benchmarking,” she says. “It spits out statistical averages and trends so that our clients can gauge what their competitors’ buildings are doing.” Benchmarking is only as good as the quantity of input, and because HKS has so much data, the results are more comprehensive and valid than what most firms can offer. HKS put itself another step ahead with its 2010 launch of the nonprofit research organization, the Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE). Martinico explains that CADRE has primarily been used for healthcare work but has just recently been dabbling in commercial, aviation, sports, and workplace design research. This kind of entity enables firms to more freely collaborate with external interdisciplinary groups of experts in the pursuit of scientific research and knowledge. Directly and indirectly, research and development activities such as this benefit a firm’s clients and augment its reputation, as well as contribute to advances in the industry. The future of research as an integral part of the design process is around the corner. Many large firms are already on board. Both they and the buildings they design are profiting

from this service. Small firms have opportunities to learn from the data made public by the big A-Es, and may even be able to partner with them on relevant research projects. Barnes believes research helps the entire profession excel. “If we’re successful as designers, then everyone will be pushing the train in the same direction.”

perspective

http://www.arccweb.org http://www.betterbricks.com http://www.cadreresearch.org/ http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/ http://www.designresearchnetwork.org http://www.edra.org http://knowledgecenter.iida.org http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1718

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2011