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Mission

The Building Wellness Lab (BWL) is a design practice at the intersection of art, architecture and public health. Emerging research shows that design can affect our well-being by strengthening our connection to nature, to our communities, and to our own physical and psychological needs. The BWL translates these lessons beyond the walls of medical institutions to the design of every day spaces. Our tools are technological innovation, material research and evidence-based design practices; our aim is a more sustaining and sustainable built environment.

Human-Centered Design

  • Uniting time-tested principles with emerging practices

  • Designing for the senses (considering the visual, tactile, auditory, thermal, and aesthetic needs of users)

Radical Sustainability

  • Strengthening the ties between the built and natural environment

  • Doing more with less

The Power of Place

  • Focusing on value added to the built environment

  • Designing for community impact

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Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noah Ives holds Master’s Degrees in Architecture from Cornell University  and in Population Health Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Before founding the Building Wellness Lab, Noah worked at diverse firms including Coop Himmelb(l)au, the Shenzen Institue for Building Research (SzIBR), and SERA architects.He is former architecture faculty at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and has lectured across the country and abroad. 

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BWL NEWS

MARCH 13, 2019

Noah Ives presents at American University of Beirut: "The Building Wellness Lab: Lessons from the Forest"

MARCH 4, 2019

Building Wellness Lab selected for Bellingham, WA public art commission

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Building Wellness Lab named a finalist for Bellingham, WA public art commission

OCTOBER 27, 2018

Noah Ives presents at University of Oregon Conference on Migration, Refugees and Patterns

PUARL

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Seedling Sukkah named Hello Mazel's "Sukkah of the Year"

Hello Mazel

SEPTEMBER 23, 2018

Seedling Sukkah installed in Capitol Park, Downtown Detroit​

Curbed Detroit

Detroit Free Press

Detroit News

Hyper Allergic

Archpaper

The Jewish News​

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

Noah Ives presents on designer panel at Detroit Downtown Synogogue

AUGUST 2, 2018

Building Wellness Lab wins international competition to build a temporary structure for Detroit "Month of Design"

Downtown Synogogue

Arch Daily

Architectural Review

JANUARY 2018

PlyPAD​ installed in Kenton Women's Village

https://hackaday.com/2018/01/06/the-plypad-cnc-machine-yourself-a-tiny-house/

https://www.dwell.com/article/led-by-the-local-architecture-community-portland-builds-tiny-houses-for-the-houseless-287e4935

https://www.maslowcnc.com/plypad/

http://maslowcommunitygarden.org/PlyPad-Module-2-Bed-.html

MAY 13, 2017

PlyPAD​ displayed at Portland Art Museum in conjunction with John Yeon "Quest for Beauty" Exhibit

https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/quest-for-beauty/

https://portlandartmuseum.org/portland-company-makes-plywood-construction-good-design-accessible/

https://portlandartmuseum.org/it-takes-village-to-address-houselessness/

http://djcoregon.com/news/2017/08/18/next-generation/

MARCH 2017

PlyPAD construction begins

DECEMBER 2016​

PlyPAD wins Portland design competition; selected for construction and display at Portland Art Musuem

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