Keynote Panel: PROJECT WHY

Moderator: Upali Nanda, PhD, Assoc. AIA, EDAC, ACHE, Global Sector Director of Innovation and Executive Vice President at HKS

Panelists:

• Roger Norman - Director of Programs at the Pedersen Foundation
• Chad Porter - AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Global Practice Director of LINE at HKS
• Nethra Ram Mohan - AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Director of Immersive Experiences at HKS
• James Rounds - Graduate Student Worker at HKS
• Ryan Mason - AIA, Design Innovation Studio Lead at Bedrock

Why do some places feel safe while others don’t? Why do some spark a sense of awe or unlock creativity, while others leave us drained? Places shape us in ways we often can’t explain. Project WHY seeks to uncover why — bringing together designers, scientists, and everyday people to better understand the connection between the human brain and the built environment. Project WHY positions architecture as a modifiable determinant of public health and economic health and a tool for wellbeing, creativity, and social cohesion.

A major feature within Project WHY is a study that has been designed to test the neurophysiological response to various building facades within one of Detroit’s most recognizable historic districts. The project brings together a full suite of 21st century design practice; from a progressive form making exercise, that examined characteristics of awe, belonging, and creativity from a crowdsourced image survey resulted in a rigorous set of parametric façade models; to an immersive virtual reality environment that enabled the necessary experimental conditions for research participants to explore and respond to each facade design. With oversight from our Neuroscientist Advisory, the HKS Research team collected and analyzed EEG, gaze tracking, heart rate variability, and self-reported data. This conversation looks to reflect on the study and expand the discussion into what the findings might mean for the future of how architects design buildings and what buildings actually end up getting built.

This is a global research effort, funded by The Pedersen Foundation and led by HKS in partnership with Bedrock.

PROJECT WHY panel starts at 4:30pm on Friday, 10/23 at Hudson’s Detroit and you can register here.

Keynote: John Cerone, Principal, SHoP Architects

John Cerone is a principal at SHoP Architects, where he directs dedicated initiatives for model-based delivery and offsite manufacturing. He is internationally recognized as an innovator in the application of emerging technologies for design and construction, and his work in Design for Manufacturing & Assembly processes, CAD/CAM integration and automation, has defined the success of many SHoP projects, including the Barclays Center, Nassau Coliseum, and the Botswana Innovation Hub.
John was instrumental in the creation and launch of Assembly OSM, applying automotive and aerospace manufacturing processes to transform capabilities in the practice of architecture, engineering and construction. He is a key contributor to transdisciplinary consortia that include key companies from the automotive, aerospace and marine industries. John received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Miami University.

John’s keynote lecture starts at 4:30pm Saturday, 10/24 at Hudson’s Detroit.

It’s open to public and you can register here