Northeastern University design research proposal wins AIA's $100,000 Latrobe Prize

The College of Fellows at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has named a quartet of faculty members from Northeastern University as the winners of the 2022 Latrobe Prize.

Titled “CommonSENSES: Standards for ENacting Sensor networks for an Equitable Society,” the proposal will use the prize’s $100,000 grant to explore the potential of sensor networks in their application to environmental quality challenges faced in urban areas such as Chelsea, Massachusetts, the group’s beta subject.

Per the AIA: “The research will also explore the potential for green infrastructure to produce more equitable health outcomes. Before-and-after project data and models about factors affecting neighborhood climate, resilience, health, and equity will generate insights on how smarter green infrastructure can support a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive design process. The resulting CommonSENSES Architectural Playbook and film, and the collaborative modeling platform (Fora.ai) adapted for this project will empower current and future architects, planners, and educators to advance the role of design in urban equity.”

The cross-disciplinary research team is composed of faculty members taken from Northeastern’s Environmental Sensors Lab, School of Architecture, College of Social Sciences & Humanities, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Engineering departments. The win marks the second time a group from NEU has taken the 11-year-old prize following a previous entry in 2017.

“The winning team impressed the jury by emphasizing how designers can understand outcomes for people,” the AIA jury comment reads finally. “Their community-first research proposal promises to contribute insight into design strategies promoting planetary and human health across the building, landscape, and city scale."