September 2, 2022 — 

What do ergonomics, equity, mycelium, the école des Beaux-Arts, e-holographies and esthetic ultrasonics have in common?

The answer: Faculty of Architecture researchers! – and Environmental Design students, whose work over the summer intersected this remarkable range of practical, playful and poetic topics as part of the University of Manitoba’s Undergraduate Research Awards program.

Eleven Faculty of Architecture students earned Undergraduate Research Awards this summer. Valued at $7,000 each, these awards enable students to work with researchers of their choice on projects that develop skills, drive discovery, and inspire future studies and career trajectories.

Involving students from all disciplinary streams across the Faculty’s Bachelor of Environmental Design Program, URA projects this summer encompassed diverse research areas, including: ergonomic kitchens design for aging populations; archival research on early women architects in Manitoba; site-specific multi-media arts installations; institutional history; digital technologies; biomaterials; and equity in architectural education and practice.

This research is advancing knowledge and impacting more accessible and sustainable design and construction; more inclusive and innovative modes of representation; and more nuanced and provocative ways to apprehend relationships between the built and natural world.

Short interviews with each student winner reflecting on their…