An interdisciplinary team of faculty from the College of DCP and College of Public Health and Health Professions has been selected by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to be a part of the first AIA Design & Health Research Consortium. The consortium will help fund basic research on how design affects public health through collaboration with local and national partnerships. The collaborative UF team will develop building performance metrics and measuring instruments for assessing health risks and benefits of occupants of residential buildings and environments, specifically targeting key health conditions associated with aging populations.
The team is one of 11 teams that are charter members and is planning on holding a state and regional forum that will provide the opportunities for more collaboration among UF, industries and public health agencies. The UF team consists of: Sherry Ahrentzen of the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies; Ruth Steiner of Department of Urban and Regional Planning; Ron Shorr of Department of Epidemiology and of the GREC Center of the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center; Jason Alread of the School of Architecture; Robert Ries of the Rinker School of Construction Management; Nichole Campbel of the Department of Interior Design; and Ferdinand Lewis of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning. Interested alumni and faculty should contact Dr. Sherry Ahrentzen at ahrentzen@ufl.edu for more information.