February 22, 2024
Proposed ARC projects for 2024-2025
ARC member firms have submitted the following project proposals for academic year 2024-2025. The ARC program will be matching students who have been nominated for an ARC Fellowship in Spring 2024. Questions can be directed to ARC Program Manager Teri Thomson Randall, terir@uw.edu.
An Inclusive History of the Joel M. Pritchard Building on the Washington State Capitol Campus
Enhance the holistic understanding of the historic significance of the Joel M. Pritchard building by supplementing the history of the site with more information on pre-white settlement inhabitants. The task would involve taking a deeper look into available records to build a more site-specific picture of indigenous tribes around the capitol campus area, specifically at the location of the Pritchard building and tying them to the time period of the campus development. The deliverable would be a graphic and narrative report for internal audiences, with the opportunity to share information externally to inform public art development or other historical acknowledgements.
Aging with Dignity in the Urban Realm
The number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050 (a 47% increase).1 Given this rapidly growing demographic: How can we design for aging in community, in a way that does not ‘other’ or isolate those with limited abilities or who require assisted care? How can the building stock necessary to accommodate aging communities be shaped to best accommodate intergenerational interactions, and facilitate a transition to other uses as future need for senior living spaces declines?
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series.
Parametrically Designed Complex Formwork
Continuing Turner’s success with semi-standardized digitally fabricated formwork, this ARC topic will explore parametric workflows for designing complex concrete formwork parts. This project aims to further the results from the 2023-2024 ARC research, along with Turner’s Virtual Design and Construction Departments (VDC) modeling and fabrication experience on concrete formwork for the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion. The current modeling workflow uses semi-parametric scripts to design the formwork, but these scripts were tailored to unique concrete shapes.
Our future ARC research will build upon the existing workflow, with the goal of automating the process using parametric scripting applicable to any complex concrete shape. This will allow for the generation of formwork assemblies without the need to rework the scripting parameters. Currently the workflow uses Rhino 3d and Grasshopper software applications.
A potential additional scope of the research may be the integration of structural analysis to validate the structural integrity of the design.
The formwork design will be produced using CNC fabrication and physical structural testing may also be applied to validate strength assumptions within Turner’s digital fabrication shop and warehouse space.
Social Justice in Building Materials, Part 2 (continuation of 2023-2024 ARC study)
Many building products can seem benign in use but actually have a wide variety of social injustices built into their supply chains. In the Year One phase of this project with UW ARC (2023-2024), fundamental supply chain issues were explored and mapped for aluminum and vinyl building products. Year Two would further develop clear processes and tools for building design and construction professionals to understand and assess the greater embodied social impacts of building materials.
Social Determinants of Health Design Resources
Through design, we strive to create places that enable diverse and equitable communities. Leveraging the framework established by The US Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health (Domestic Policy Council & Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2023), this project would seek to empower building design and urban planning teams with resources to identify the social circumstances and related environmental hazards and exposures of the communities surrounding our project sites, and establish potential pathways for meaningful community engagement and generation of positive impact.
