WSU Spokane Interdisciplinary Design Institute News and Events

Faculty, Students Explore Living Conditions in Tibet
Led by Nancy Blossom, professor of interior design and director of the Interdisciplinary Design Institute, and David Wang, professor of architecture, the team of faculty, graduate students and undergraduates recently spent three weeks in May working with their counterparts from Xian University in China and Tibet to promote research that crosses academic disciplines as well as national boundaries.

The group focused on understanding how the local population uses local materials and customs in its architecture, landscaping and home interiors to respond to the natural environment. Check out the latest entries from our STUDENT BLOG.

VIDEO NEWS LINK Matt Melcher, assistant professor of interior design, highlights the partnership between the Interdisciplinary Design Institute and Habitat for Humanity, and how it is helping students gain practical experience in the Spokane community.

GIS and Simulation Lab Tackles Barriers to Accessibility
Kerry Brooks, associate professor of landscape architecture and director of the GIS and simulation lab, assisted by graduate students Mike Wilhelm and Lynne Gearhart have been mapping pedestrian networks throughout Spokane Transit's service area, identifying barriers such as the absence of sidewalks and curb ramps, and non-ADA compliant variations of the surface condition, height, width, and slope of pedestrian facilities.

Referred to as LIFTS (Lifeplan Improvement through Feasible Transportation Services), the project is Spokane’s implementation of the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program, a grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration. LIFTS is being designed and implemented by a local consortium led by Spokane Transit, which provides the matching funds for the JARC grant that makes this project possible. Other current consortium members include Washington State University and Spokane County.