Washington State University Spokane

Interdisciplinary Design Institute

Research and Service

With faculty actively engaged in research and a host of opportunities to learn and to serve at home and abroad, the Interdisciplinary Design Institute offers students a rich experience.

Learning at Home . . .

Our students learn through real-life, service-oriented projects within local communities. In recent studios, students have designed green housing for Habitat for Humanity and developed plans for a University District in Spokane.

Through the Institute's annual charrette, students have created doghouses for SpokAnimal, designed a Spokane Gateway, and explored ideas for the Great Spokane River Gorge Park.

. . . And Abroad

Our faculty have connections around the world—Oslo, Beijing, London—that translate into valuable opportunities for students. In Spring 2007, for instance, a team of faculty and students traveled to China and Tibet to observe housing styles, mixed-use dwellings, solar housing, and more.

The research interests of our faculty research include:

  • Environment–behavior relationships
  • Land use and environmental planning
  • Urban space as interior design
  • Lighting design
  • Observation-based research methodologies
  • Art and architectural aesthetics
  • Urban material culture
  • Aging and the environment
  • Social basis of design
  • Design–build collaboration
  • Design criticism and theory
 
Interdisciplinary Design Institute, PO Box 1495, WSU Spokane, Spokane, WA, 99210-1495, 509.358.7945, Contact Us