The Future of Our Built Environment

According to the Center for Built Environment Research in the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast:

“Modern built environment research combines innovations in materials, interaction of people with the built environment, meeting social needs of housing, simulation studies for energy efficiency in the built environment, and the use of space, light, energy and acoustics.”

It strikes me that we are now entering a decidedly modern era in the creation of the built environment. In many ways repetitive, yet wholly new, today’s obsession with efficiency has the potential to machine out the very humanity that has traditionally been inherent in the formation of the built environment. Like a ouija board’s planchette, man seems to only see that which is in view, remembering and at time salivating over where we’ve been, obsesses with anticipating where we are going, and always not quite getting it right.

A few of the Center’s 2008 research topics:

  • Inclusive design
  • People-oriented Interaction
  • Innovative materials and their use
  • Building performance and evaluation
  • Sustainable housing studies
  • History and theory of architecture
  • Digital media of architecture
  • Architecture technology

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