Dr. Kyounghee Kim, associate professor of architecture, was awarded a 2017 AIA Upjohn Research Initiative Grant ($30,000) for Biophilic Architecture: Sustainable Materialization of Microalgae Facades – in support of her research on high-performance building envelope design. This is her second AIA Upjohn Award; she was awarded a 2013 AIA Upjohn Research Grant ($27,000) for Sustainable Transparency: Kinetic Building Facades.
Richard Upjohn (1802-1878) was a founding member and the first president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA Upjohn grant provides base funds for applied research projects that advance the value of design and professional practice knowledge. The AIA awards up to four projects annually in the amount of $10,000-$30,000.
Dr. Kim was trained as both architect and engineer, holding degrees from Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, Korea, and the University of Michigan. Her expertise lies in performance-based design, innovative building systems integration and high-performance façades, including microalgae facades, micro-oculus facades, and passive kinetic facades, as a way to improve the sustainability of the built environment.