Design & Building Archives - Page 32 of 42

Fred Aguayo

Assistant Professor, Department of Construction Management

Fred is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Construction Management (CM) at the University of Washington (UW). Prior to joining UW in September 2021, he was an Assistant Professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX where he taught and performed research in the areas of concrete materials, durability, and sustainable infrastructure construction. He received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016.

Dr. Aguayo is interested in research application that contribute to facilitating the implementation of sustainable and novel cement-based systems in infrastructure and building applications such as alternative cement binders, supplementary cementing materials (SCMs), recycled aggregates, and high performing concretes. His research group focuses on evaluating and characterizing deterioration processes in new and existing cementitious materials, while also developing test methods to predict and enhance their performance and durability in the field. He primarily examines durability-related issues in cement-based materials such as corrosion, carbonation, ASR, sulfate attack, and early-age volume changes.

Dr. Aguayo is a well-established researcher with over 13 years of experience and over $1.2M in funded research projects as either PI or Co-PI since 2016. His work has been supported by both private industry and public agencies including LarfargeHolcim, Texas DOT, Minnesota DOT, New Mexico DOT, National Research Road Alliance (NRRA), and the Portland Cement Association (PCA). He is an active member of the American Concrete Institute and ASTM International, and participates in several committees related to concrete durability (ACI 201) and material science of cementitious systems (ACI 236).

Rebecca Habtour

Research Interests: Designing built environments to enhance human happiness, and related principles: Justice, Nature Integration, Access, Identity, Well-Being, Resiliency.

Mohammed G. Saad

My research interests are in lean construction principles with a focus on lean project delivery systems, offsite and prefabrication construction, construction supply chain networks, and target value design. In addition to that my interests include life cycle project economics and modeling, building economic and quantitative risk analysis, a public-private partnership for projects, value engineering and management, and new technologies in construction.

Lucky Pratama

I am interested in research related to emerging technology in the AEC industry, and looking for opportunities to conduct experiment-based research whenever possible, particularly research related to virtual construction or construction safety. I have additional interests in public-private partnerships, lean construction, and project delivery.

Kristin Potterton

I am interested in exploring the development of historic structural systems. I plan on researching a historic development in structural engineering and construction, exploring the history, including the introduction and implementation of the system, balancing a historic narrative with a technical engineering exploration, as well as considerations for modern construction – in both new and preservation contexts. I am particularly interested in focusing my research on the development of the West Coast and Pacific Northwest. I am a structural engineer and am also interested in structural engineering topics, including teaching and the history of the structural engineering field, as well as broader topics related to the history of construction and building technologies, historic preservation, and sustainable design.

Christopher Monson

My research interests focus on the contemporary problems of integrated architecture, engineering, and construction practices, particularly the communication processes and team workflows that support them. This work is at the intersection of AEC and the sociological and organizational theories that help identify and analyze the activities within professional practice collaboration. I am using qualitative studies to build theory and practice models for Lean Construction, sustainable design and construction, and integration across design, construction, and facility management. I am also working with technological constructs like BIM and COBie that form foundations for new kinds of collaboration.

I am a licensed architect, and have been a long-time educator in architecture and construction. I have taught design and construction studios, building detailing and assemblages, and architectural theory, and have been recognized institutionally and nationally for teaching excellence. My instructional research is focused on studio-based learning and design thinking.

Babita Joy

I plan to examine the intersections of architectural practice and theory, specifically, the interweaving of structural and material compositions with theoretical frameworks. My research focuses on the architecture of modern/contemporary cultural spaces being shaped by influences of technology, interdisciplinary dialogue, culture, and urbanism. I have additional interests in materiality, complexity theory, minimalism, construction history, and transnational and global architects/architecture.

Kirk Hochstatter

In addition to working in the construction industry, I plan to research reliability in supply chains and its impact on economic stability in prefabricated materials. I will further explore how human behaviors, such as communication, impact project reliability. I have helped design and teach the newly launched undergraduate digital tools course at UW and am an active member and leader of the Cascadia-Seattle LCI community of practice.

Daniel Dimitrov

My personal research interests include emerging building technologies, such as BIM, and their integration into the field, augmented reality within construction, sustainability within the construction management industry, net-zero or net-positive energy buildings, and emerging building technologies as a whole. I am also interested in building energy performance for new construction and retrofits, decarbonization of buildings, passive sustainable design for buildings, and building to grid optimization.

Judy Bowes

My primary research interest focuses on preventing avian fatalities resulting from collisions with buildings and structures through effective glass, lighting, and landscape design strategies. My broader objective is to demonstrate how these design strategies are integral to sustainable building objectives and avian conservation goals throughout the built environment. I also plan to explore how providing habitat space for birds and protecting wildlife supports visual biodiversity, positively impacting human well-being and the local ecology.

My additional interests include discovering the intersection between biophilic design elements in early Middle Eastern Architecture and sustainable architecture in the contemporary Middle East.

Judy’s project “Evaluating Campus Bird Building Collisions” has been funded by multiple Campus Sustainability Fund awards.

Project summary:

Every day the campus community actively engages with the buildings where we learn, work, play or live. However, most are unaware of the over 100 species of birds found on campus or that they collide with the buildings’ surfaces. Birds cannot detect transparent glass surfaces, like windows or glass walkways, and fly towards vegetation, open spaces, or perches beyond the glass, hitting it head-on. Reflective glass is also dangerous for birds as it can reflect habitat space or the sky, confusing birds as they fly towards the reflection resulting in collisions. And night collisions occur when birds fly towards lit windows or surfaces, particularly during fall and spring migration. A study from the University of British Columbia estimates that college campuses can kill up to 10,000 birds yearly due to collisions. However, there are design solutions available to prevent bird building collisions.

This project aims to understand where collision “hot spots” are on our campus and develop a plan to treat them. By monitoring 20 campus buildings over six quarters, we will increase our understanding of which species are affected by collisions and identify the deadliest design features. The project will also bring awareness to the issue of bird building collisions by engaging campus and local communities through campus tours, a course taught by the project lead, an app allowing anyone to record collisions across campus, and recruiting volunteers for collision monitoring.

Gathering data about the collision victims, birds, and deadly architectural features on campus provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in the study of birds and buildings. This convenient central location eliminates extra travel time or field trip fees, allowing more students to join the project. Further, this project will engage underrepresented communities, particularly in the environmental sciences and architecture and the LGBTQIA community, first-generation students, and women in the sciences through volunteer opportunities, the project’s course, and research assistant positions.