Built Environment experts gather at Clemson for symposium on Human-Centered Building Design

Dozens of leading experts in the fields of architecture and construction science gathered at Clemson for the College of Architecture, Art and Construction’s (CAAC) Human-Centered Building Design Research Symposium & Workshop on December 5, 2024.

College of Architecture, Art and Construction Founding Dean Ece Erdogmus initiated the symposium to highlight Clemson’s increasing emphasis on research and particularly, evidence-based design of buildings centered on occupants’ needs.

“I learned from every one of you, and the discussions have been amazing,” Erdogmus said at the conclusion of the symposium. “It’s a testament to our organizing committee that we all pitched in and brought some of the brightest members of this emerging field together.”

The event was organized by an interdisciplinary steering committee composed of Dean Erdogmus, School of Architecture Director Jim Stevens, Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing Director Anjali Joseph, Architecture + Health Graduate Studies Director David J. Allison, Endowed Professor of Construction Science and Management Ehsan Mousavi, and Associate Professor Eunhwa Yang of the Georgia Tech School of Building Construction.

For Clemson to organize and host this symposium on human-centered building design through research clearly shows the University’s interest and commitment to being a leading-edge institution of design and construction for the 21^st century.

Thompson E. Penney (’72, M ’74), FAIA Emeritus

The day began with welcome remarks from Erdogmus, Stevens, Clemson Design and the Built Environment Ph.D. student Sara Kennedy, and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Robert H. Jones.

“It’s exciting to see Clemson attract this dynamic group of experts, and I commend Dean Erdogmus for having the vision to put an event like this together,” Jones said. “These meetings of minds are essential to our strategic goal of doubling research by 2035.”

During the day’s five sessions, panelists and students explored topics ranging from use of technology such as virtual reality, eye tracking, and others in the design process to the specific relationships between certain building systems and occupant health, wellbeing, and productivity. Each discussion centered on using a data-driven approach to ensuring that buildings meet the needs and aesthetic expectations of their occupants.

The symposium was inspired by Clemson alumni Thom and Gretchen Penney, whose gift established the Thompson E. Penney and Gretchen M. Penney Distinguished Professorship in Architecture in Evidence-Based Design. Clemson is currently accepting applications for this prestigious position.

“For Clemson to organize and host this symposium on human-centered building design through research clearly shows the University’s interest and commitment to being a leading-edge institution of design and construction for the 21^st century,” Thom Penney said. “I call this passion ‘Design Matters: ‘Poetry + Proof.’”

Graduate students from the doctoral programs in the College of Architecture, Art and Construction also attended and were impressed with what they were able to learn.

“I think this was so far the best symposium that most of us have attended,” said Mina Ardekani, a doctoral candidate for the Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment, who noted that the one-day format and the input from industry practitioners were keys to making the symposium fruitful for students.

At the end of the event, presenters were invited to submit articles for submission in a special edition of the Buildings Journal. Erdogmus and attendees expressed interest in making the symposium an annual event.

“To see Clemson and the work it’s doing to become a major research University is so exciting, and Thom and I are really excited to be a part of that,” Gretchen Penney said.