DEA faculty are involved in a number of departmental research programs. Their common characteristic is that they act as an umbrella framework for a variety of research projects carried out over time. In many cases, graduate students' theses are done under the auspices of these research programs.
The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, initiated in 1997 at Cornell, creates a typology of contemporary interior design practices that are derived from reiterative historical designs that span time and style and cross cultural boundaries. An argument for the significance of a typology of historic and contemporary interior design practices is based on ten years of experiments resulting from the project. Approximately 100 archetypes have been developed by the principal investigator, graduate students and associated educators. Interior Archetypes name contemporary design practices that have not been named, thereby providing designers with an interior-specific, history-specific, and contemporary design-specific vocabulary. The project also offers an innovative approach to further design criticism and design sustainability. The Interior Archetypes Project will disseminate a new knowledge base for the creative dimension of design?the productions of practitioners. It is the first project of its kind to assemble contemporary design theory in an interactive and searchable database using primary source imagery. The key deliverable of Interior Archetypes is its web site (a new site is under construction).
Cornell University's Department of Design & Environmental Analysis offers a Human Factors and Ergonomics Program that focuses on ways to improve comfort, performance, and health through the ergonomic design of products and environments. Recent research focuses on the role of ambient physical characteristics in human well-being. Among the settings examined in recent years are schools, day care, homes, blue-collar work, and health care facilities. Human environment processes of interest include psychophysiological stress, psychological distress, learning and motivation, interpersonal relationships, mastery and control, emotional affect--including preference and satisfaction--and human development over the lifespan.
Ecotecture design is grounded on natural dynamics, healthy materials, biological principles, human ergonomics, cultural respect, and compassionate understanding for the planet and all living creatures. This is a new research program intended to push the boundaries of thinking on what constitutes sustainable or "green" design.
The International Workplace Studies Program (IWSP) at Cornell University conducts research on the ecology of new ways of working and innovative workplace strategies. The intent of the research is to help organizations gain a competitive advantage by better understanding how innovative workplace strategies ranging from decision tools to workplace designs contribute to the effectiveness of individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole. IWSP research has examined alternative officing concepts such as hoteling, team and collaborative spaces, and telework; the management of workplace change processes; the nature of innovative workplace strategies to help organizations better manage uncertainty. Current work is exploring the ecology of knowledge networks and how these are influenced and affected by workplace design; and the development of corporate real estate decision tools that can help organizations make more informed decisions about their real estate portfolio and how they allocate and use space.
