In early March, it was announced that five College of Design faculty members at Iowa State University received the inaugural BNIM Regenerative Design Challenge grant. The Design Challenge was sponsored by BNIM in collaboration with the College of Design to support multidisciplinary faculty research in the areas of sustainability and regenerative design. Regenerative design utilizes a systems-based approach that seeks to restore and provide net positive impacts to the environment, economy, and humanity.

Faculty members on the selected multi-disciplinary team include assistant professors Julie Irish, interior design; Daniel Kuhlmann, community and regional planning; and Andrea Wheeler, architecture; and associate professors Diane Al Shihabi, interior design, and Mikesch Muecke, architecture. The team’s project, “Building a Community: Homes for Transitioning Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),” will look at adaptive reuse of buildings into housing for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and will incorporate high performance building principles referencing tools including the Living Building Challenge, Living Community Challenge, and WELL Building Standard.

Five multidisciplinary faculty research teams within the College of Design submitted proposals for consideration as part of the inaugural BNIM Challenge. Additional information can be found here.