Prof. Allen Sayegh gives Keynote at UW’s DUB Community Day!

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Great news! Our own Professor Allen Sayegh was the keynote speaker at the University of Washington’s DUB Community Day for 2023-24. The event was hosted by the DUB partners, including the University of Washington Information School, University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering, UW – School of Art + Art History + Design, and University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering.

His talk “Bridging Realms: Architecture and HCI,” explored the dynamic interplay between architecture and HCI, unveiling the transformative power at the convergence of the digital and physical worlds. The talk sparked discussions and gave everyone some food for thought about where architecture and digital tech might go in the future.

Big thanks to the University of Washington for hosting & Allen for the wonderful keynote!

Thank You to All Participants of the Future of Mobility Workshop & Symposium!

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We are thrilled to announce the success of the “Future of Mobility Workshop & Symposium,” a two-day event that brought together graduate students from the Graduate School of Design (GSD) at Harvard University and the University of Bergamo (UNIBG) in Italy. The Symposium, which took place on April 13 and 14, was part of a multi-year academic collaboration research and teaching initiative to put the human being at the center of urban design and planning. This year’s theme focused on the relationship between the individual and the urban environment through the experience of Light Mobility. 

The two-day event was packed with insightful presentations and engaging discussions. We had the privilege of hosting Brad Weed, Carole Turley Voulgaris (GSD), and Bryan Boyer, who offered valuable insights into the ways in which technology, human behavior, and the built environment intersect. They helped us broaden our perspectives and understand the numerous connections between these elements. Participants had the opportunity to learn from each other, share their research, and exchange ideas on how to enhance the relationship between people and their surroundings. 

Thank you to all participants for making this year’s Symposium a success. Your enthusiasm, dedication, and contributions to the discussion were truly inspiring. 

We are excited to see what new insights and ideas will emerge from this year’s Symposium and look forward to the next event in this ongoing collaboration.

Thank you again to everyone who participated! And thanks to the REAL Lab team for making this happen: Allen Sayegh (PI), Stefano Andreani, Isa He, Indrajeet Haldar, Kenny Kim, Ibrahim Ibrahim, and Vivianna Urra!

*For questions, please contact Isa He ([email protected]).

Join Us at the Future of Mobility Workshop & Symposium!

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The REAL Lab is hosting a Future of Mobility Workshop & Symposium! This two-day event is part of a  multi-tier, multi-year academic collaboration research and teaching initiative. Putting the human being at the center and forefront, this year, researchers at REAL and UniBG investigate how the experience of Light Mobility can enhance the relationship between the individual and the urban environment. Participants include faculty and researchers from both schools and graduate students in business, engineering, tourism, sustainability, architecture, and urban planning.

We invite you to join us for two days of insightful presentations and engaging discussions. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain new perspectives and insights into the future of urban design and planning.

Mark your calendar for the “Future of Mobility Workshop Symposium” on April 13 and 14. We can’t wait to see you there!

*For any inquiries or further information about the event schedule, please feel free to contact Isa He ([email protected]).

REAL team receives Research Innovation Award.

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Research Innovation Award

During the SiGraDi 2022 Critical Appropriations Conference, a team of REAL researchers including Isa He, Humbi Song, Zach Seibold, Ibrahim Ibrahim, and PI Allen Sayegh received the SiGraDi Research Innovation Award for its innovative methods in quantifying the human experience in built environments.

The SiGraDi Research Innovation Award aims to recognize the research shortlisted for its highest score in the peer review process and that were selected by an evaluation committee led by the Chairs of the Scientific and Editorial Areas of SIGraDi.

Stay tuned for the full paper!

Join us at SiGraDi!

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REAL Researchers, Isa He, Humbi Song, Zach Seibold, Ibrahim Ibrahim, and PI Allen Sayegh will bill be presenting at the XXVI SiGraDi Conference Critical Appropriations 2022.

Register here to join us at the Interdisciplinary Design and Codesign session (D2.S2.B) on Thursday Nov 10, 2022 at 13:00.

LDT Industry Advisors Meeting 2022

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The Laboratory for Design Technologies (LDT) is a collaborative platform that brings together Harvard University’s research units with a select group of industry advisors to engage in forward-looking, speculative, and imaginative research. Discussions with industry advisors took place on June 2022, with REAL Lab members Allen Sayegh (PI), Humbi Song, and Isa He participating and presenting.

Research on biometric method for spatial experience accepted to ECADE 2022 Conference.

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We are excited to have been selected to present our research, “A Biometric Method for Spatial Experience Analysis: A Case Study of Airport Design and Traveler Stress” at The European Conference on Arts, Design & Education 2022!

Join us if you can! 

A Biometric Method for Spatial Experience Analysis: A Case Study of Airport Design and Traveler Stress

Abstract

Why do certain built environments and events induce stress? How does the design of our spatial environment affect our mental state? What can we do to measure and understand these interactions? Interdisciplinary collaborations between architecture and psychology have given rise to a new frontier of architectural research, and emerging biometric sensor technologies lead to innovative research methods that can provide a unique insight into human spatial experiences. This research uses the passenger experience of air travel as a case study for prototyping methods of quantifying and understanding individual spatial experience. The airport presents a potent case study environment; though significant energy has gone into engineering the passenger experience, the prevailing cultural perception of air travel remains tinged with unease and anxiety. The presented research outlines a methodology for quantitatively measuring the passenger experience of the airport design: equipping passengers with biometric electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors – a biomarker significantly correlated to emotional stress response, analyzing first-person video footage worn by participants to map contextual information, and conducting interviews to assess the participant’s perception of the air travel experience. A dashboard was then developed to facilitate visual cross- referencing and analysis of aspects of airport design and social stressors at airports with the biometric data of the passengers and their self-reported perceptions. The overall aim of this research is to identify key elements to help rethink and redesign airport architecture and experience. Future research can utilize this methodology to facilitate speculations on alternative scenarios for designing not only airport architecture but also other analogous public spaces.

Author Information:

Humbi Song*, Isa He*, Zach Seibold, Allen Sayegh.

* Co-first authors

Read the full paper here!