Orem, Utah — March 25, 2024

Utah Valley University's fourth-year architecture students showcased their exceptional research at the 2024 Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters annual conference hosted by the University of Utah on March 23rd. Their innovative projects were presented as research posters this year. They explored a wide array of topics from the impact of architectural composition on physical health and well-being to explorations of astro-architectural orientation, ritual, and patterns of sacred spaces in Israel, Palestine, Spain, Iran, and the United States

The students’ research projects were produced this spring semester in ARC 4530: Culture and Behavior in Architecture under the mentorship of Professor Brandon Ro. Each student demonstrated their ability to push the boundaries of creativity and inspire innovation within the field of architecture.

"Having a mentor that led the research was helpful because it gets another set of eyes on the project and helps to point out ways to improve or do things differently," said architecture student Colton Korpi. "Presenting research in regards to architecture helped and allowed me to dive deeper into the meaning of architecture and its possible effects on us as humans."

Jared Bradshaw, another fourth year student, shared his experience: "I enjoyed this conference to see what students at our neighboring universities are interested in studying. As architecture students, we are tasked to not only learn how a building is built, but we also follow the Vitruvian principle of being well-knowledged in all the arts and sciences. It is near impossible for us to learn medicine, biology, music, dance, etc. during our architecture schooling, but by presenting research and attending these types of conferences, we are exposed to the concepts being explored."

Join us in celebrating our students' achievements and their contributions to the field of architecture!

 

List of Student Projects:

• Jared Bradshaw: “Designing for Well-being: An Investigation of Architectural Composition on Physical Health.”
• Yah-ho Ng & Kent Miller: “Discovering Ancient Sacredness: Exploring the Astro-Architectural Orientation of Christian Churches in Israel and Palestine.”
• Hailey Packard: “Exploring and Mapping Ritual onto the Byzantine Church Complex at Horvat Beit Loya.”
• Kevin Hart: “Contextual Synergy: Exploring Architectural Compatibility within Context.”
• Desiree Ritchie & Jake Wendt: “Turning Towards the Lord: Latter-Day Saint Temple Astro-Architectural Orientation.”
• Sean Donner & Nathaniel Stucki: “Psychitecture: How Light, Life, and Water in Our Built Environment Affects Mental Well-Being.”
• Barrett Blake: “Contemplating Islamic Geometric Patterns: Using Eye-Tracking Tools to Facilitate a Higher Worship Experience.”
• Eric Burton: “Exploring the Impact of the Divine – A Case Study on Sagrada Familia.”

 

For more information about the conference, visit: Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters Annual Conference.

Photos courtesy of Brandon Ro