SAT-B04: Trickle-Up Research: Inquiry and Curiosity in Design Practice

Saturday, October 28, 2023

2:00pm – 3:15pm CT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, FL, NY/non-HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

Allyson Mendenhall, FASLA, LEED Green Associate

Director of Professional Practice
Sasaki
Denver, Colorado

Speaker(s)

Anya Domlesky, ASLA

Director of Research
SWA Group
Chicago, Illinois
Rebecca S. Popowsky, ASLA, SITES AP (she/her/hers)

Research Associate
OLIN
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As more design firms establish internal research groups, some have eschewed top-down research agendas, investing instead in organizational infrastructure that supports the bottom-up emergence of research priorities. Hear from three firms with well-established research infrastructure about programs that encourage staff engagement, collaboration, and leadership while supporting disciplinary transformation.

Learning Outcomes:

Learn how staff-driven research is encouraged, supported, funded, and integrated into projects at three leading design firms.
Learn how trickle-up research programs can be flexibly adapted and scaled to firms with a range of sizes, disciplines, operating budgets, portfolios, and practice types.
Learn how formal research programs can foster collaboration and innovation in design practice, while also supporting retention and recruitment.
Understand how staff-driven research is selected and funded at a variety of firms and discover a range of practice-based research examples, methods, findings, and outcomes.