April 4, 2024
Gundula Proksch awarded ARCC Mid-Career Research Impact Award
Associate Professor of Architecture Gundula Proksch has been awarded the ARCC Mid-Career Research Impact Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and substantive impact in architectural research. Awardees are selected by the ARCC Board. Associate Professor Proksch’s NSF project CITYFOOD is mentioned in her recognition, as well as her book “Creating Urban Agricultural Systems: An Integrated Approach…
April 1, 2024
2024 CBE Inspire Fund Awardees Announced
The CBE Inspire Fund Awardees for the 2024 cycle have been selected! Their project names and team members are outlined below. Title: Mycelium Grow Lab for Student-led Research Team: Gundula Proksch (Associate Professor, Architecture), Tyler Sprague (Associate Professor, Architecture) Title: Exhibition of the works of OUR: Office of (Un)certainty Research Team: Vikram Prakash (Professor, Architecture)…
WCRER releases report and white paper – March 2024
The Washington Center for Real Estate Research (WCRER) has released a white paper entitled “Increasing Washington State’s Residential Development Capacity”, co-authored by WCRER Director Steven Bourassa (also the H. Jon and Judith M. Runstad Endowed Professor and Chair of the Runstad Department of Real Estate) and WCRER Associate Director Mason Virant. WCRER also recently released…
March 26, 2024
Final day of Change Stories Residential Knowledge Exchange
On Thursday, March 21st, the Change Stories team gathered for the final day of shared learning sessions. The first session was focused on developing a theory of change for the project. Small group discussions returned to topics from previous days, including how to effectively apply the decolonial research approach that is at the core of…
Gregg Colburn cited in the Council of Economic Advisors 2024 Economic Report of the President
Associate Professor Gregg Colburn in the Runstad Department of Real Estate was cited in the Council of Economic Advisors 2024 Economic Report of the President. Chapter 4 of the report, “Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing: Economic Insights and Federal Policy Solutions” cites a book from Aldren and Colburn, 2022, entitled “Homelessness Is a Housing…
March 21, 2024
Day 3 of the Change Stories Residential Knowledge Exchange
On Wednesday, March 20th, the Change Stories team began the day with a site visit to the Manzana del Cuidado de Cuidad Bolivar (Block of Care in Bolivar). The bus dropped off the group at the TransMiCable cable car, which connects the people on a steep hillside to transportation and other resources. The TransMiCable costs…
Day 2 of Change Stories Residential Knowledge Exchange
Tuesday, March 19th, the Change Stories residential knowledge exchange group experienced a full day of shared learning sessions. Morning sessions included full discussions from the US community based organization team members, followed by a discussion about decolonializing research. The discussions were full and many perspectives, methods, and expertises’ were shared from different teams and institutions….
Day one of Change Stories residential knowledge exchange event
Monday, March 18th at 8am, individuals gathered in the hotel lobby; many people were meeting for the first time, some were long-term colleagues or past co-workers. Some participates were able to explore the city for a day or two before official activities began. Travel experiences were shared, first experiences in Bogotá were highlighted; on Sunday,…
March 19, 2024
Change Stories project begins 4-day residential event in Bogotá, Colombia
The Change Stories project is an research project with collaboration from academics and their community-based partners in Belfast (Queen’s University), Northern Ireland, Belo Horizonte (Federal University of Minas Gerais Brazil and Observatory for Urban Health), Brazil, and Bogotá (Universidad de los Andes), Colombia. Additional collaborators include USA and Internationally-based advisory group members, who work within…
March 7, 2024
Assistant Professor Karen Chen awarded NASA early career investigator award
Assistant Professor Karen Chen is awarded the NASA early career investigator award for the program in earth science. Chen’s project will explore heat impacts on health in urban settings in the Mediterranean. Chen is also affiliated with the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, and CSDE at UW. Read more here.
January 29, 2024
Elizabeth Golden wins ASCA course development prize
The ASCA Course Development Prize was awarded for the course “Climate | Material | Shelter” developed by Elizabeth Golden, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, and Marc Neveu (Arizona State University). “The course will advance the University of Washington and Arizona State University’s mission to leverage place, enable student success, and transform society through use-inspired research.”…
UW researchers issue state-level policy recommendations for transit-oriented development
CBE Researchers developed a report “Finding Common Ground: Best Practices for Policies Supporting Transit-Oriented Development,” with the Mobility Innovation Center and led by the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. Project Team: Mason Virant, Associate Director, Washington Center for Real Estate Research Christian Phillips, Urban Design and Planning PhD Program Steven C. Bourassa, PhD Director,…
January 22, 2024
Catherine De Almeida selected for Community Engagement Lead Role
Catherine De Almeida, Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture was selected as one of twelve faculty and staff across the University of Washington Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses to focus on topics related to community engaged research and learning. “The initial priorities for community engagement infrastructure to be addressed through this funding include:…
January 10, 2024
Three CBE Researchers Awarded UW Royalty Research Funds
Three CBE researchers were awarded Royalty Research Funds. This cycle, 93 proposals were submitted to the University of Washington Office of Research. 25 were selected for funding, a success rate of 27%. Vince Wang, Assistant Professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate and Dylan Stevenson, Assistant Professor in Urban Design and Planning were awarded…
December 6, 2023
Charging Forward: reaching a zero-emission transit fleet with a public-private partnership project
UW researchers explore using public-private partnerships to convert bus bases for electric-powered vehicle charging. Conversion of bus base facilities, the heart of transit operations, for electric vehicle charging is a large-scale project with many players and complex needs. One option for transit agencies working to shift to a zero-emission fleet is a public-private partnership model…
Architecture for youth program
The UW Continuum College Youth & Teen Program has an Architecture course, to introduce high school students to the profession and give them the opportunity to learn more about a field they may not have been exposed to previously. The course was designed to mirror a first year studio class. Read the full story here.
December 4, 2023
Reducing Fatal Bird Collisions on UW Campus
College of Built Environments Ph.D. researcher Judy Bowes has been featured in a story, entitled “New research aims to reduce fatal bird collisions on campus” on UW News highlighting her project work. The video below dives into her work. KOMO News also published a related story. Read the full story on UW News here.
Carrie Sturts Dossick featured on Freakonomics Radio episode
Associate Dean for Research and P.D. Koon Professor of Construction Management Carrie Sturts Dossick was interviewed and featured in a NPR Freakonomics Radio episode entitled “566. Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?” View the College of Built Environments LinkedIn post about this podcast feature. Episode description: “Most industries have…
November 30, 2023
Interdisciplinary team awarded an early-stage pilot grant from Population Health Initiative
Population Health Initiative gave 12 early-stage pilot grants to interdisciplinary teams. One team included Rebecca Walter, an associate professor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate. Project title: “Housing affordability and chronic stress in the US: Does affordability modify the effect of neighborhoods on health?” Project team: Amy J. Youngbloom, Department of Epidemiology Stephen J….
November 28, 2023
Progress Update on CBE researchers selected for inaugural cohort of Urban@UW Research to Action Collaboratory
At the end of October, Urban@UW hosted the first ½-day Research to Action Collaboratory workshop session for more learning, sharing and productivity. The Just Circular Communities team attended and focused on solidifying and growing their network of community partners. The team is also working to build a broader definition of “circular economy.” Read more about…
November 13, 2023
Steven Bourassa quoted in Washington State Standard article on Rent Prices Stabilizing
Steven Bourassa is an H. Jon and Judith M. Runstad Endowed Professor and Chair in the Runstad Department of Real Estate, and is Director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. Professor Bourassa was quoted in a Washington State Standard story entitled “Rents in Washington show signs of stabilizing,” as an expert in the…
Gregg Colburn gave a talk at Harvard University: “Homelessness is a Housing Problem”
Gregg Colburn gave a talk to the Joint Center for Housing Studies, Initiative on Health and Homelessness, Government Performance Lab at Harvard University on November 3, 2023. The talk was recorded and is available on Youtube here.
November 7, 2023
Vince Wang a Panelist with Federal Reserve Board of Governors to Discuss Rental Affordability
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors hosts the ongoing “Keys to Opportunity in the Housing Market” seminar series, and in September 2023 featured 2 panel discussions. CBE’s Vince Wang (Real Estate) participated in the panel discussion entitled “Regulatory and Programmatic Strategies to Increase the Supply of Lower-Cost Rental Units.” The other panel topic was “Challenges…
November 6, 2023
Population Health Initiative awards 2 Climate Change Pilot Grants to CBE Researchers
Population Health Initiative awarded a Climate Change Pilot Grant to two teams that includes CBE researchers. Projects will begin January 2024, and were awarded $50,000. Read the full story here. Project title: “Sustainable metamaterials for insulation applications.” Project team: Eleftheria Roumeli, Materials Science & Engineering Tomás Méndez Echenagucia, Architecture Project abstract: Amidst an urgent global…
October 26, 2023
Associate Professor Manish Chalana Embarking on Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship March 2024
Historic preservation (or “heritage conservation” in India) is the practice of identifying, managing, and interpreting the historical record in the built environment. For many people, the resulting presence of these tangible reminders in their day-to-day world plays a major role in shaping their perceptions of who has contributed what to their nation’s development. The magnitude…
October 24, 2023
CBE Researchers and Staff attend Climate Change Connections Event
CBE Researchers and Staff attended an event hosted by Population Health Initiative and EarthLab, fostering connections and discussions surrounding climate change. The topics of discussion included adaptation to climate extremes in the Pacific Northwest, carbon sequestration, carbon offsets, coastal adaptation, behavior change and the centering of community in research. The event allowed individuals from different…
CBE Dean Renée Cheng featured in Madame Architect
College of Built Environments Dean Renée Cheng was featured on Madame Architect, with a conversation on “Sources of Energy, Research, and Making Equitable Spaces.” Read the full story here.
October 20, 2023
Celina Balderas Guzmán New Faculty Spotlight on the UW Research website
CBE Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Celina Balderas Guzmán was featured in a New Faculty Spotlight story on the UW Research website highlighting her work. “Dr. Balderas Guzmán’s research spans environmental planning, design, and science and focuses on climate adaptation to sea level rise on the coast and urban stormwater inland.” Read the full story…
October 19, 2023
Dan Abramson working with Westport, WA community to create a tsunami response plan
Dan Abramson is one of the researchers working with costal town Westport, WA to develop a tsunami response plan. Abramson is an Associate Professor in the Urban Design and Planning department. “When the ‘big one’ hits — a magnitude 9.0 or higher Cascadia subduction zone earthquake — researchers and officials predict that within minutes of…
October 18, 2023
Judy Bowes’ Research Featured in The Daily
Judy Bowes was featured on The Daily with a story about her Bird Friendly UW project. An excerpt is below. “UW researchers estimate that buildings on campus are responsible for 10,000 to 15,000 bird deaths, with up to 1 billion deaths occurring from bird-building collisions each year. Judy Bowes’ research will provide insight into what…
October 11, 2023
Industry-Faculty-Student collaboration through the Applied Research Consortium
Owner of RDF Consulting Services and consultant for Turner Construction, Renzo di Furia, is working with Associate Dean for Research Carrie Sturts Dossick in supporting student-industry collaboration. “Applied Research Consortium brings together an interdisciplinary group of built environment firms with faculty experts and graduate student researchers at the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments…
October 10, 2023
Office of Research Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023
The College of Built Environments Office of Research has completed the fiscal year 2023 Annual Report. This report highlights outcomes, accomplishments, and steps for future development related to research at CBE. The report features metrics on grants and contracts funding, along with other types of funding including internal UW support. Additionally, the report highlights spotlight…
September 26, 2023
Global Collaboration Studying Untold Narratives About Sustainable and Equitable Urban Change
A new international research partnership aims to spark dialogue and learning through storytelling about sustainable and equitable urban development. Collaborators from five global cities have partnered to shift common practices of how stories of successful urban change are told and who tells them. The study involves three case study cities that are exemplars of sustainable…
September 19, 2023
Jeff Hou elected to American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows
Dr. Jeff Hou has been elected to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows. Professor Hou, Landscape Architecture, is also the Director of the Urban Commons Lab. He has previously served as the Landscape Architecture department chair, and graduate program coordinator. An investiture ceremony for the ASLA Fellows is planned for the 2023 Conference…
September 13, 2023
Awardees of 2021 Population Health Institute Pilot Research Grants Final Project Outcomes
In March 2021, Population Health Initiative awarded 8 pilot grants. The team below includes CBE researcher Andrew Dannenberg, read more about their final project outcomes. A Collaboratory to Support Equitable and Just Climate Action Investigators Jeremy Hess, Departments of Emergency Medicine, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, and Global Health Jason Vogel, Climate Impacts Group Julian…
September 11, 2023
Carb talk: CBE’s Climate Solutions Community of Practice sparks interdisciplinary collaborations
The CBE Climate Solutions Community of Practice was featured in a story on the CBE website. See the excerpt below. “Through the materials we use and the ecosystems we alter, arguably more than 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to the built environment,” says Kate Simonen, a professor of architecture at UW’s College…
September 5, 2023
Dylan Stevenson named to the Population Health Initiative Executive Council
Dylan Stevenson was selected by University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce to serve on the Population Health Initiative executive council beginning Autumn 2023. Assistant Professor Stevenson brings expertise to the team, including his research interests surrounding how culture informs planning strategies and influences land relationships. More specifically, he investigates how tribal epistemologies structure notions…
August 29, 2023
[Re]Visioning the Ave
[Re]Visioning the Ave: Students Devise Real-World Strategies for a Thriving, Accessible Neighborhood Hub was published on the College of Built Environments website, discussing the future of “The Ave.” The U-District Partnership (UDP)—a nonprofit organization worked with Teaching Affiliate David Blum and a diverse team of 16 urban planning graduate students through the process of assessing potential improvement…
August 24, 2023
New Tool Created by CBE Researchers in partnership with Charles Pankow Foundation
CBE researchers worked with the Charles Pankow Foundation to develop a new Building Owner Assessment Tool (BOAT). Team members included CBE Dean Renée Cheng, FAIA; Associate Dean for Research Carrie Sturts Dossick, Ph.D, P.E.; and Laura Osburn, Ph.D. Other team members included Lingzi Wu, Ph.D. Daniel Dimitrov, and Xianxiang Sean Zhao. The tool was developed…
August 15, 2023
February 2022 Inspire Fund Awardees: Progress and Products
Five projects were awarded Inspire Fund awards in February 2022. They have completed various stages of work and have provided a report on their progress and products. Below, excerpts from these reports are highlighted to showcase the work that has been “Inspired” in 2022-23. Rick Mohler: “One Seattle: Leveraging Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update to advance…
July 17, 2023
Building a more just and beautiful future: CBE’s new faculty cohort makes strides on campus
The new cohort of faculty have made a big impact in their initial time on campus. Please see the full story here. The cohort includes: Dr. Narjes Abbasabadi, an assistant professor in the Department of Architecture and affiliate data science faculty UW eScience Institute, studies computation and decarbonization of the built environment. Dr. Amos Darko,…
July 10, 2023
CBE Research Restart Funding: Progress and Updates
The College of Built Environments awarded Research Restart funding to multiple project teams in 2022. Below are descriptions of their progress and project status to-date. July 2022 Cohort: Arthur Acolin received funding for their project entitled “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations.” A no-cost extension was approved in May 2023…
July 6, 2023
Publication of the Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs
The Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs was recently completed. In partnership with the University of Toronto, Grounded Solutions Network has completed the largest and most comprehensive national census on community land trusts (CLTs) and nonprofits with shared equity homeownership programs (SEH) to date. The report was…
July 5, 2023
Jan Whittington featured on The Whole U
Jan Whittington was featured in the UW Insider newsletter, with a story on “The Whole U” website. The story is entitled “Creating eco-friendly infrastructure design: Meet Jan Whittington” and discusses Jan’s experience and path to working at the University of Washington, along with the Urban Infrastructure Lab and her other current work. Read the story…
June 28, 2023
Faculty and Staff Recognized for Dedication and Service
The University of Washington College of Built Environments (CBE) recognized faculty and staff at the 2023 CBE Graduation Celebration. These awards celebrate CBE faculty and staff for their dedication, service, and many contributions to our community. Congratulations to all our awardees! Lionel Pries Award for Excellence in Teaching: Catherine De Almeida Outstanding Faculty Award: Jeffrey…
June 22, 2023
Johnston-Hastings Endowment 2023 Travel Awardee
Robert Hutchison, an affiliate associate professor in the Architecture department, is selected to receive the Johnston-Hastings Travel Award for 2023. The Johnston-Hastings endowment supports travel-related expenses to further research goals. Professor Hutchison’s work will take place in late summer and early fall 2023, and will involve travel and research throughout Washington and Oregon. Dissemination of…
June 15, 2023
Architecture 231: Making and Meaning featured in UW Today News
Architecture 231: Making and Meaning was featured in a UW Today news story. The benches from this class can be seen around Gould and Architecture Hall. See the full story here.
June 13, 2023
Urban Infrastructure Lab Report on High-Speed Rail
The Urban Infrastructure Lab researchers have released a report on a Cascadia region high-speed rail project. College of Built Environments faculty Jan Whittington and Qing Shen were authors on the report, along with 3 Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Urban Design and Planning students (Siman Ning, Haoyu Yue, and Chin-Wei Chen), and a Master of Urban Planning…
Gould Gallery is featured in UW Magazine
Gould Gallery was featured in the June issue of the University of Washington Magazine. Read the full story here.
June 12, 2023
Finding Your Place: How unaffordable housing drives homelessness
Professor Gregg Colburn was interviewed for Marketplace Morning Report, discussing homelessness rates in cities like Seattle and San Francisco. Explore the project website here. Read the story here.
May 23, 2023
Urban Design & Planning student selected for 2023 applied research fellow cohort
The Population Health Initiative announced the summer 2023 cohort of applied research fellows. Among the group of 5 students (3 graduate and 2 undergraduate) is Pamela Lim from the College of Built Environments Urban Design & Planning department. These students will spend 10 weeks over the summer working collaboratively with King County’s demographer and Public…
May 22, 2023
EarthLab 2023-2024 Innovation Grant awardees
EarthLab selected the 2023-2024 Innovation Grant Awardees in April 2023. One of the projects chosen includes College of Built Environments researchers on the interdisciplinary team. The project description and research team is detailed below. “Cultivating Transdisciplinary Support for Equitable and Resilient Floodplain Solutions” Project Description: In 2021 a massive flood on the Nooksack River left…
May 18, 2023
Population Health Initiative awards multiple College of Built Environments teams planning grants
The Population Health Initiative announced 12 climate change planning grant awardees. Of those 12 teams, 4 include College of Built Environments researchers. Descriptions of their projects are below. Read the CBE News story here. Linking Climate Adaptation and Public Health Outcomes in Yavatmal, Maharashtra Investigators Sameer H. Shah, Environmental and Forest Sciences Celina Balderas…
Campus Sustainability Fund selects College of Built Environments researchers for 2022-2023 work
The Campus Sustainability Fund selected College of Built Environments PhD student Daniel Dimitrov, along with Associate Dean for Research Carrie Sturts Dossick, to receive funding for the project described below. Energy, Information, and the New Work of Building Operations in the Digital Age Amount Awarded: $19,833 Funding Received: 2022-2023 Project Summary: The built environment industry…
CBE researchers selected for inaugural cohort of Urban@UW Research to Action Collaboratory
College of Built Environments researchers are selected for inaugural cohort of the Urban@UW Research to Action Collaboratory (RAC). Throughout the next 18 months, Urban@UW will work with these teams and provide seed funds, dedicated time to build team cohesion and collaboration skills, and foster opportunities for peer support and shared resources and learning. The project…
May 17, 2023
Population Health Initiative awards College of Built Environments researchers a spring quarter 2023 Tier 1 pilot grant
The Population Health Initiative announced the award of nine Tier 1 pilot grants to interdisciplinary research teams representing 10 of the University of Washington’s schools and colleges. The total award value of these grants is nearly $210,000, which includes school, department and unit matching funds. Read more in the CBE Story here. “We were extremely pleased with…
College of Built Environments Faculty and Student receive Husky Sustainability Awards 2023
The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 14th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee. The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and…
May 5, 2023
Architecture and Democracy: Unitarian Churches
Intertwined throughout Borys’ exploration of this architectural tradition in America are the ever-present fundamental values of Unitarianism, leading her research and analysis across the Atlantic and back to the 16th-century Italian Renaissance.
April 21, 2023
Don’t take concrete for granite: the secret research life of CBE Department of Construction Management Assistant Professor and concrete materials researcher Fred Aguayo
Concrete can sequester carbon, and the cement that glues its components together has been used since antiquity. Now, CBE professor Fred Aguayo is introducing students to the complex world of concrete research.
April 7, 2023
College of Built Environments Announces 2023 Inspire Fund Awards
In 2021, the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund to “inspire” CBE research activities that are often underfunded, but for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The Inspire Fund aims to support research where arts and humanities disciplines are centered, and community partners are engaged in substantive ways….
April 3, 2023
$2 Million Award from National Science Foundation Will Support Team to Develop 3D-printed Microorganisms for Sustainable Construction Materials
An interdisciplinary research team led by University of Washington Chemistry Professor Alshakim Nelson received $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program. The funding will be used to combine engineered microorganisms with 3D printing to create materials for sustainable built environments. This grant will provide funding…
February 6, 2023
UW Urban Design and Planning lead study on post-pandemic commuting in downtown Seattle
The COVID-19 pandemic changed how people connected to work. Some were able to telework, others had to be at a jobsite. While remote and hybrid work have emerged as common practice, it’s unclear what these trends mean for downtown Seattle commuting. To help businesses and transportation agencies understand the “new normal,” academic expertise from Urban…
Plywood on steroids: CBE experiments with building materials for a sustainable future
Complex structures jointed like origami. Office walls and ceilings that swoop and bend over enormous open spaces. Experimental pavilions made with robotic fabrication techniques. This is a world of architecture made possible by mass-timber framing. And, it’s a world that’s becoming more environmentally and acoustically sound through the work of UW College of Built Environments,…
January 10, 2023
Acolin Awarded NIH R21 Grant to Study Gentrification, Mobility, and Health
Arthur Acolin, Associate Professor and Bob Filley Endowed Chair in the Runstad Department of Real Estate, was recently awarded an NIH R21 grant for his project entitled ‘Gentrification, Mobility, and Exposure to Contextual Determinants of Health.’ The project will examine how gentrification affects mobility patterns at the neighborhood levels and changes exposure to contextual determinants…
January 3, 2023
College of Built Environments’ Research Restart Fund Awards Four Grants in Second Cycle
The College of Built Environments launched a funding opportunity for those whose research has been affected by the ongoing pandemic. The Research Restart Fund, with awards up to $5,000, has awarded 4 grants in the second of its two cycles. A grant was awarded to Manish Chalana, faculty member with Urban Design and Planning to…
December 8, 2022
Rachel Berney and Jeff Hou contribute to new book on social justice in urban design
“Just Urban Design: The Struggle for a Public City” (MIT Press 2022) features a collection of chapters and case studies that apply a social justice lens to the design of urban environments. Sixteen contributors, including Rachel Berney of Urban Design & Planning and Jeff Hou of Landscape Architecture, examine topics ranging from single-family zoning and…
October 17, 2022
AIA publishes “Equity in Architectural Education” co-authored by Dean Renée Cheng and Laura Osburn
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently published a supplement to the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice titled “Equity in Architectural Education.” Renée Cheng, dean of the College of Built Environments, served as the project lead for the research and writing team, which included Laura Osburn, research scientist in construction management. The supplement argues that…
August 9, 2022
Qing Shen awarded funding for commute research survey
The Mobility Innovation Center announced that Qing Shen, professor of Urban Design & Planning and an expert in transportation planning and policy, has received a $100,000 award to study commuting patterns and develop a model to understand the effect of telework and flexible scheduling. The project will build off the existing Commute Trip Reduction (CTR)…
July 18, 2022
College of Built Environments’ Research Restart Fund Awards Four Grants in First of Two Cycles
The College of Built Environments launched a funding opportunity for those whose research has been affected by the ongoing pandemic. The Research Restart Fund, with awards up to $5,000, has awarded 4 grants in its first of two cycles. A grant was awarded to Real Estate faculty member Arthur Acolin, who is partnering with the…
June 17, 2022
Jan Whittington and Qing Shen funded for project examining lessons learned from high-speed rail innovation
This year, the Washington State Legislature allocated $4 million to continue work on a Cascadia Corridor high-speed rail and another $150 million to use as matching funds over the next six years to leverage federal funds available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Now that there is a significant funding commitment, how can…
June 8, 2022
Elizabeth Golden and team at united4design shortlisted for Aga Khan Award in architecture
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) recently announced 20 shortlisted projects for the 2022 Award cycle. The projects will compete for a share of the US$ 1 million prize, one of the largest in architecture. The 20 shortlisted projects were selected by an independent Master Jury from a pool of 463 projects nominated for…
College of Built Environments’ unique Inspire Fund aims to foster research momentum in underfunded pursuits college-wide. And it’s working.
Launching the Inspire Fund: An early step for CBE’s Office of Research “For a small college, CBE has a broad range of research paradigms, from history and arts, to social science and engineering.” — Carrie Sturts Dossick, Associate Dean of Research Upon taking on the role of Associate Dean of Research, Carrie Sturts Dossick, professor…
June 2, 2022
Daniel Abramson and collaborators awarded EarthLab Innovation grant for community-based research project on climate change & social justice
The EarthLab Innovations Grant Program was launched in 2019 to fund actionable environmental research. The 2022-23 EarthLab Innovation Grants program received 33 high-quality proposals for research at the intersection of climate change and social justice. One awarded project titled, “Centering Place and Community to Address Climate Change and Social Justice” was led by P.I. Daniel…
May 24, 2022
Rebecca Walter and collaborators awarded pilot grant for a project on the health impacts of residential segregation
The Population Health Initiative has announced the award of 11 Tier 1 pilot grants for the spring quarter of 2022. The grants are intended to encourage the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations among investigators – and with community-based partners – for projects that address critical challenges to population health. One of the funded projects, “Residential…
April 7, 2022
Rebecca Walter and collaborators awarded pilot grant for their work on PHAs and disaster preparedness
The Population Health Initiative has announced the award of eight Tier 2 pilot grants, which are intended to encourage the development of new interdisciplinary collaborations among investigators – and with community-based partners – for projects that address critical challenges to population health. One of the funded projects, “Assessing National Public Housing Authority Disaster Preparedness, Response…
Jeff Hou and co-editors publish book on emerging civic urbanisms in Asia
In Emerging Civic Urbanisms in Asia: Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, and Taipei beyond Developmental Urbanization, Jeff Hou, Professor of Landscape Architecture, and co-editors Im Sik Cho and Blaz Kriznik, explore the ways that citizens are increasingly involved in shaping their neighbourhoods and cities, representing a significant departure from earlier state-led or market-driven urban development. These emerging…
April 6, 2022
Andy Dannenberg and co-editors publish an updated & expanded book on making healthy places
In Making Healthy Places, Second Edition: Designing and Building for Well-Being, Equity, and Sustainability, planning and public health experts, Andy L. Dannenberg, Affiliate Professor of Urban Design & Planning, along with co-authors Nisha D. Botchwey and Howard Frumkin bring together scholars and practitioners from across the globe in fields ranging from public health, planning, and urban…
March 31, 2022
Carbon Leadership Forum awarded ARPA-E grant to develop life cycle assessment tools for carbon negative buildings
ARPA-E announced $5 million in funding to two universities—the University of Washington and University of California, Davis—working to develop life cycle assessment tools and frameworks associated with transforming buildings into net carbon storage structures. The funding is part of the Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) Exploratory Topic. Parametric Open Data for Life…
March 17, 2022
UW team including Rebecca Bachman, MLA awarded Population Health Grant
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative announced the award of 11 Tier 1 pilot grants to teams representing researchers from nine different UW schools and colleges as well as UW Tacoma and numerous community-based partners. The collective value of these 11 awards was nearly $480,000, which included approximately $270,000 in funding from the initiative plus…
Gregg Colburn’s new book presents opportunity to ‘rethink housing’
Gregg Colburn, Assistant Professor of Real Estate, co-authored a new book titled Homelessness is a Housing Problem, alongside journalist Clayton Aldern. The new book explores the factors that drive homelessness, and the cultural and economic shift that can ultimately benefit all — housed and unhoused. Colburn believes housing market conditions — specifically, high housing and…
Ann Marie Borys publishes book on American Unitarian churches
Ann Marie Borys, Associate Professor in Architecture recently published a book titled American Unitarian Churches: Architecture of a Democratic Religion. The Unitarian religious tradition was a product of the same eighteenth-century democratic ideals that fueled the American Revolution and informed the founding of the United States. Its liberal humanistic principles influenced institutions such as Harvard…
February 28, 2022
2022 CBE Inspire Fund awardees announced
In 2021 the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund, designed to support CBE research activities for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The second year of awards have just been announced, supporting five projects across 4 departments within the college as they address topics such as food sovereignty,…
February 24, 2022
Daniel Winterbottom selected for Landscape Architecture Foundation Fellowship for Innovation & Leadership
Professor of Landscape Architecture, Daniel Winterbottom, RLA, FASLA has been selected for the 2022-2023 Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership. He will be investigating how landscape architecture can play a role in reducing the negative effects of incarceration. Each year, LAF selects 3-4 Fellows and 2-3 Olmsted Scholars for the LAF Fellowship…
February 23, 2022
Ken Tadashi Oshima named a Society of Architectural Historians Fellow
Ken Tadashi Oshima is Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he teaches trans-national architectural history, theory and design. He has also been a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and UCLA, and has taught at Columbia University and the University of British Columbia. He earned…
February 10, 2022
The need for more equitable fare enforcement: An examination by Isis Moon Gamble, recent graduate of CBE’s Master of Urban Planning program
Though Transit Equity Day is just one day, the issue of equity on Seattle’s public transit is an ongoing and important conversation to Seattle and King County residents. Neighborhoods across the county have unequal access to transit lines; bus stops are often located in inconvenient or dangerous places due to oncoming traffic and lack of…
January 31, 2022
Entombed in the Landscape: Waste with Assistant Professor Catherine De Almeida
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Catherine De Almeida remembers picking up trash on the playground, seeing people throw trash out their car window, and noticing trash flying around while she played outside as a child. The presence of litter in landscapes upset her so much that she would spend her elementary school recesses picking up…
December 2, 2021
Hyun Woo “Chris” Lee and Laura Osburn publish design guide for worker safety
Previous studies on construction hazard prevention have shown that almost 50% of construction fatalities and accidents can be linked to decisions made during the design process. To address the influence of upstream design decisions on worker safety, researchers have developed the Prevention through Design (PtD) concept to proactively eliminate safety hazards in the workplace. In…
November 4, 2021
UDP scholars among UW team receiving $2M from National Science Foundation to design an ‘adaptable society’
A team led by the University of Washington has received a nearly $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to further research into how urban societal systems can be organized to be both efficient and resilient. The Leading Engineering for America’s Prosperity, Health and Infrastructure (LEAP-HI) project, based in the UW College of Engineering, supports fundamental research to…
October 29, 2021
Julie Kriegh and collaborators launch studio booklet based on their work with Google
Julie Kriegh, researcher with the Carbon Leadership Forum and other CBE research centers, and owner of Kriegh Architecture Studios, collaborated with other CBE faculty and external partners to lead a UW CBE studio course in collaboration with Google that developed and delivered a design proposal for a sustainable data center. CBE collaborators included Hyun Woo…
June 17, 2021
2019 UW Resilience and Compassion Initiatives Seed Grant Summary Reports
The 2019 UW Resilience and Compassion Initiatives Seed Grant supported a project called “Raising Resilience: Connecting Compassion + Well-Being with Pedagogy in the College of Built Environments”. This grant allowed a group of CBE faculty to collaboratively explore their pedagogy and support for students through the lenses of resilience and well-being, systems thinking, and biophilic…
June 7, 2021
Jeff Hou awarded CBE Johnston-Hastings Endowment for Publication Support
Congratulations to Jeff Hou, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Urban Commons Lab, for being awarded the CBE Johnston-Hastings Endowment for Publication Support for his book. This award was established by Emeritus Professor Norman J. Johnston and his wife, L. Jane Hastings, to provide money for publication activities of faculty and students in…
May 19, 2021
Arthur Acolin awarded Tier 2 Seed Grant
Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Real Estate and CSDE Affiliate Arthur Acolin for being awarded a $10,000 Tier 2 seed grant for his project, “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations”. This grant is part of CSDE’s quarterly call for seed grant applications and is intended to help faculty initiate new…
May 5, 2021
Living Landscapes Incubator receives research funding
Living Landscapes Incubator is a recently awarded project led by School of Environmental and Forest Sciences‘ Joshua Lawler along with Co-Principal Investigators Dan Brown (Director, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences), Jen Davison (Director, Urban@UW, Assistant Dean of Research, College of Built Environments), Ken Yocom (Chair, Landscape Architecture; Interim Faculty Director, Urban@UW), and Mike Yost…
April 15, 2021
Urban@UW Publishes Report on the Lessons and Levers for University Collaborations with Governmental and Community Partners
Jennifer Davison, Director of Urban@UW & Assistant Dean for Research of the College of Built Environments here at UW, and Thaïsa Way, Founding Director of Urban@UW, current Director of Garden & Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections, Harvard University, and Professor in UW’s Department of Landscape Architecture, have published a report titled,…
March 11, 2021
From Crisis to Community: Homeownership Access with Assistant Professor Arthur Acolin
College is a time of exploration and discovery for all students. It is a time that often shapes how we view the world. Going through this transition during a moment of turbulence in the world can shape that experience significantly, which is exactly what happened for Assistant Professor of Real Estate, Arthur Acolin. As an…
March 8, 2021
Brian McLaren awarded Ailsa Mellon Bruce Visiting Senior Fellowship
Brian McLaren, Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture, has been awarded an Ailsa Mellon Bruce Visiting Senior Fellowship. The Visiting Senior Fellowship Program takes place during March and April of 2021 and is awarded through the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA), at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C….
Publication of Modern Architecture, Empire, and Race in Fascist Italy
Brian McLaren, Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture, has just announced the publication of his book–Modern Architecture, Empire, and Race in Fascist Italy. His work relating to this publication has been presented at the Annual Conference of the College Art Association in New York, and the Society of Architectural Historians in Chicago, and has…
Qing Shen’s proposal among those selected for funding by PacTrans
The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) announced in January 2021 the project proposals selected for funding. Qing Shen, Professor of Urban Design and Planning and Chair of the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Urban Design and Planning is among those selected for project funding. Shen is working alongside Co-Principal Investigator Catherine (Casey) Gifford–Innovative Mobility Senior Planner–on…
February 26, 2021
Sensol Systems to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program
Sensol Systems, a startup founded in 2020 by Janie Bube–a recent UW Masters of Landscape Architecture graduate–along with other students at University of Washington, was recently awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) award to participate in the I-Corps program. This NSF program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a…
February 22, 2021
Inaugural CBE Inspire Fund awardees announced
This winter quarter the College of Built Environments launched its new CBE Inspire Fund. Designed to support CBE research activities for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative, in mid-February the college awarded the first 6 grants. Projects supported by the CBE Inspire Fund hail from 4 departments within the college and…
February 16, 2021
SHARE Lab produces ergonomics best practice booklet and training videos
The SHARE Lab (Safety and Health Advancement through Research and Education) has produced two ergonomics best practice booklets and two training videos on the use of 4-wheel carts in the roofing trade. Housed in the Department of Construction Management, the mission of the SHARE Lab is to promote construction safety and health through evidence-based innovative…
February 10, 2021
Carbon Leadership Forum among Finalists Selected for $10 Million 2030 Climate Challenge
On February 9, Lever for Change announced that the College of Built Environment’s Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) and four other finalist teams will advance to the next stage of the 2030 Climate Challenge, a $10 million award launched last year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 2030. The Challenge, sponsored by an…
January 15, 2021
The Environmental Psychology of COVID-19 with Professor Lynne Manzo
We are living through a new reality, adjusting to life during a global pandemic. We are all changing our routines, our travel plans, our holiday traditions. For those of us who have been able to keep our jobs through this economic crash, we have had to adapt to a new working environment, working from our…
December 28, 2020
Building Knowledge: The Architect and the Builder with Professor Ann Huppert
Throughout history, we’ve seen shifts in how people communicate regarding design. The question of how communication happens between architect and builder is as fundamental today as it was hundreds of years ago. While the dynamics of these communication processes are nuanced, our understanding of them has been colored by a narrative of the past. One…
October 6, 2020
CBE Office of Research Updates
On September 5, Dean Renée Cheng shared exciting updates about the College of Built Environments’ Office of Research. Read below for more from Dean Cheng: The College of Built Environments’ newly revamped Office of Research aims to elevate CBE research expertise in community engagement, climate action, housing, humanities, and technology and to increase capacity for…
October 1, 2020
Renée Cheng: Change Agency, Value Change
Collisions are violent. The greater the mass or velocity of objects, the greater the energy released. The crises of the pandemic, economic crash, and social justice outcries are massive and still accelerating. In the wake of their collision, they will reveal new questions for our profession—and newfound energy to address them. Previously, architects pondering…
CBE Spotlight: Rachel Berney
Rachel Berney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture, an Urban@UW Fellow, and author of Learning from Bogotá: Pedagogical Urbanism and the Reshaping of Public Space. Her primary interests include community sustainable design, public space, and international development in the Americas, as well as urban design and…
April 26, 2019
Urban@UW helps BE labs collaborate
The Urban@UW initiative brings together labs that study urban issues from across the University of Washington. Urban@UW works with scholars, policymakers, and community stakeholders in order to strengthen the connection between research and solutions to urban issues through cross-disciplinary and cross-sector collaborative research. Key functions of Urban@UW include amplifying public awareness of ongoing projects, connecting…
New UW Data Collaborative connects BE researchers with restricted data
The University of Washington Data Collaborative (UWDC) is now offering services to researchers across campus, including BE researchers Gregg Colburn at the Runstad Department of Real Estate and the Urban Form Lab. Housed at the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology, UWDC provides infrastructure to access restricted data in a secure and sophisticated computing…
April 19, 2019
Podcast: Leveraging the Life Cycle Assessment for Useful Carbon Accounting
Kate Simonen joins the NORI podcast to share the ins and outs of life cycle assessments, or LCAs. Kate Simonen is a carbon accounting expert and professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington. As a licensed architect and structural engineer, she has an extensive background in high-performance building systems, seismic design and…
April 15, 2019
Storytelling in the Podcast Age
The spoken word has much in common with the built environment. Both pervade our lives without asking us to interrogate their origins or intentions—but, generously, they reward us if we make the time to do so. Vikram Prakash‘s podcast, ArchitectureTalk, leaves us looking at the everyday space around us with greater curiosity, piqued by the weirdest…
April 19, 2018
CBE Spotlight: Heather Burpee
Heather Burpee is a Research Assistant Professor in University of Washington’s Department of Architecture and a director of the Integrated Design Lab in the Center for Integrated Design, located in the Bullitt Center. We sat down with her to discuss her work and research on high-performance buildings. What are your current research interests at the University of Washington? I am a research…
