Brian Phillips, AIA, principal of ISA, shares the firm's work across a series of project types and scales including high performance multi-family housing, mixed-use urban infill, and tactical installations. The body of thinking is presented as an outgrowth of its Philadelphia context, and weaves parallel narratives around design, practice and urban culture.
Learning Objectives:
1- How local context – history, regulation, economics, infrastructure – create strategic opportunities for design innovation.
2- Discussion of unit size and program related to new lifestyles and family structures as well as how building edges can animate and engage with the city at large.
3- Discussion of methods for achieving energy efficiency in urban housing balancing budget, envelope performance, windows and cladding choices. The pros and cons of each will be analyzed.
4- Discussion around what constitutes high quality urban buildings in areas of cities that don't support high construction budgets and therefore higher rents. This issue will address element of housing access and equity as well as gentrification.