Learning Resources

Abstract: How did Villanova University and their project partners leverage the collaboration inherent in all capital projects to strengthen the design of an important new campus development along a bustling regional thoroughfare? Through planning, patience, and perseverance during a decade-long process that actively engaged university leadership, community members, and state and municipal authorities. Come learn how the project team turned challenges into opportunities by incorporating different perspectives to develop new and better solutions—especially during the rigorous approvals process—all while retaining a strong sense of character and place in the design response.

Abstract: To gain a broader understanding of how educational equity is linked to campus design, architects and planners must critically examine community engagement practices. Using critical race theory (CRT) as a framework has exposed racial exclusion and colorblind practices in traditional planning processes. While outreach strategies have received greater scrutiny, less examined are the questions that direct those activities. If the prevailing understanding of a design problem is informed by colorblind inquiry, then design solutions hold little promise to improve social impact on communities most affected by educational inequity. Socio-spatial inquiry offers an equity approach to inclusive outreach and authentic engagement.

Abstract: A collaborative approach allows building projects to open faster, reduces redesign, increases staff satisfaction, and produces a higher utilization rate than the traditional design process. This session details the collaborative Lean process involving over 100 people that allowed the Lauritzen Outpatient Center on the Nebraska Medical Campus to be completed 1.5 years early with few design changes. Come learn from our unique approach in which actual users participate in designing the facility, allowing implementation of new processes and efficiencies known only to medical center staff.