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Stefani Danes, FAIA, Carnegie Mellon - Everyday Research: Learning from Practice

Thursday, May 18, 2023
5:30 PM 7:00 PM

GBBN 332 East 8th Street Cincinnati, OH, 45202 United States (map)

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CEUs

1 LU/HSW

Cost

Free

Full-time students

Associate AIA Members

$10

Members of AIA, 2030 District, ACI, AFC, APA, ASCE, ASHRE, ASID, ASLA, ASPE, Boyer Guild, CNU, CSI, Green Umbrella, IIDA, NAIOP, NAWIC, NOMA, SEGD, SMPS, ULI, or USGBC

$25

Non-Members

Location

GBBN

Program Overview

Stefani Danes, FAIA, will discuss academia and practice, neighborhood revitalization, and design for aging and special populations. Lecture starts promptly at 6.

We know that architects’ decisions affect people’s lives, and that our responsibility extends beyond pleasing our clients. Formal architectural research into its effects on humans has been conducted for over fifty years. Despite this, the gap between research and practice has not been bridged.

Practitioners today often find themselves working in unprecedented situations and are in need of reliable guidance for decisions. Every new project presents its own unfamiliarities, and the pressures of budget and schedule make it infeasible to conduct an investigation into any new problem.

There’s been a lot of focus on bridging the gap with better communication or engaging researchers on design teams to facilitate mutual understanding. However, this is more than a problem of knowledge transfer between researchers and practitioners. I suggest that part of the problem lies in our model of research and that architectural practice could benefit from an alternative approach that might be described as “everyday research.”

Presented by the AIA Cincinnati VISION program.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to recognize and differentiate among the various types of design research aimed at improving the well-being of building and site occupants.
Participants will be able to articulate the difficulties of integrating research into practice for the benefit of building and site occupants.
Participants will be able to point out learning opportunities in their practice in order to better address the needs of building and site occupants.
Participants will be able to identify ways in which architects can make a unique contribution to knowledge through practice so as to design buildings that meet the needs of their occupants.

Keynote Speaker

Stefani Danes

Stefani Danes, FAIA, designs places that connect people with each other and their environment. Her socially responsive design arises out of a creative bridging of research, practice, and teaching. As a principal in the firm of Perkins Eastman, she focused on housing for special populations, as well as more broadly on neighborhood revitalization.

Prior to joining Perkins Eastman, she was a founding partner of an architectural office that specialized in designing for non-profit groups. She was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Pittsburgh for six years. In addition to her professional work, she teaches at Carnegie Mellon University and practices as a Research Fellow of the Remaking Cities Institute. She is currently leading the development of Rachel Carson EcoVillage in Pittsburgh. Stefani received her master’s degree in architecture at Yale University and her bachelor’s degree at Princeton, summa cum laude.

Continuing Education Details

Course Number: VL2023.d

Instructional Delivery Method: live

AIA CES Program Approval Expiration Date: 4.25.26

Prerequisites: none

Program Level: beginner

Advance Learner Preparation: none

AIA CES Provider Statement

AIA Cincinnati is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number 088. All registered AIA CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider or this learning program may be sent to AIA CES (cessupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).

This learning program is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.