EDRA CORE - 2026
EDRA CORE - Certificate of Research Excellence 2026
2026 EDRA CORE: CERTIFICATE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) is pleased to announce the Certificate of Research Excellence (CORE) recipients for 2026. CORE recognizes rigorous and impactful practice-based research that sparks innovation and promotes best practices in environmental design. The credibility of academic research is typically judged based on well-established protocols and peer-review processes, but what constitutes research quality in the context of the practice of environmental design? The tools used to assess academic research do not easily translate to practice-based research – a challenge for researchers and practitioners alike. In response, EDRA developed CORE to assess the value of research beyond rigor alone.
EDRA CORE’s unique evaluation framework identifies practice-based environmental design research that is not only rigorous but also meets industry challenges, pushes the boundaries of practice, recognizes the importance of research in practice, and builds on EDRA’s tradition of inquiry, reflection, and collaboration.
2026 EDRA CORE Awards Committee
- Shan Jiang, Co-Chair
Director of Research,
GBBN Architects
DLR Group - Dongying Li, Co-Chair
Associate Professor
Associate Department Head
Texas A&M University - Elizabeth Cooper, Committee Member
Director of Undergraduate Architecture Programs
Associate Professor
Wentworth Institute of Technology - Claudia Berenice Muciño García, Committee Member
Director of the architecture department
School of architecture, art, and, Design
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Puebla
2026 EDRA CORE Awards Jurors
-
Jiahe Bian
Assistant Professor,
College of Environment + Design,
University of Georgia - Kelly Hutzell
Associate Dean,
School of Architecture & Design,
Wentworth Institute of Technology - Lingyi Qiu
Assistant Professor,
College of Architecture,
Texas Tech University - Ma. Luisa Melgoza-Del Ángel
Adjunct researcher,
Campus Guadalajara,
School of Architecture, Art and Design,
Tecnológico de Monterrey -
Ayça Kinik
Adjunct researcher,
Campus Querétaro,
School of Architecture, Art and Design
Tecnológico de Monterrey -
Chia-Ching Wu
Lecturer,
College of Architecture,
Texas A&M University -
Dustin Saalman
Director,
NAC Architecture -
Haoyue Yang
Assistant Professor,
School of Planning, Design, and Construction,
Michigan State University
2026 EDRA CORE RECIPIENTS
The following practice-based design research projects met the CORE criteria. They were selected for recognition based on a review by a cross-disciplinary panel of reviewers consisting of academic researchers, practice-based researchers, designers, and industry thought leaders. The CORE recipients were been recognized at EDRA57 in Amherst, May 27th – 30th, 2026.
Merit
“Through Children's Eyes: Rethinking the Design of Pediatric Healthcare Arrival Spaces”
Submitted by:
Shan Jiang
GBBN Architects
Study team: Shan Jiang
Hui Cai
Jason Luthy
Zahra Daneshvar
Sean Cottengim
“Small but Mighty: How Personal Workspace Views and Lighting Relate to Organizational Networks”
Submitted by:
Felix Kabo
CannonDesign
Study team: Felix Kabo
Cameron Contreras
Michael DeLuca
Jeremy Dwyer
Certified
Submitted by:Rutali Joshi
HKS Inc.
Study team: Rutali Joshi
Sophia Hami
Deborah Wingler
Jane Ho
Danya Hakky
HGA Architects & Engineers
Study team: Danya Hakky
Renae Rich
Ariane Laxo
Debra Lilley
Peter Smerud
Nathan Engstrom
“Embodied Carbon in U.S. Industrial Real Estate”
Marcel Harmon
BranchPattern
Study team: Marcel Harmon
Julia Wattick
Kristy Walson
Stuart Shell
Thomas Vite
“Froedtert Thedacare Health Emergency Department Expansion Predesign Study”
Renae Rich
HGA
Study team: Renae Rich
Tanya Chadha
Annette Roehl
Paul Widlarz
Brent Peterson
Wesley Churchill
“Designing for Focus: Workplace Design for Inattentive-Type ADHD”
Melissa Hoelting
Corgan
Study team: Melissa Hoelting
Jinoh Park
Michelle Boyoung Huh
Marjan Miri
Yashaswini Karagaiah
Samantha Sanders Flores
Mahdi Afkhamiaghda
Suining Ding
Purdue University Fort Wayne
“Beyond the Build: Post-Occupancy Evaluation of a Student Union Transformation”
Mahshid Jalalian
HGA Architects & Engineers
Study team: Rutali Joshi
Sophia Hami
Mahshid Jalalian
Adaheid Mestad
Bryanna Benicia
2025 EDRA CORE RECIPIENTS
The following practice-based design research projects met the CORE criteria. They were selected for recognition based on a review by a cross-disciplinary panel of reviewers consisting of academic researchers, practice-based researchers, designers, and industry thought leaders. The CORE recipients were announced at the EDRA56 in Halifax, May 27th – 30th, 2025.
Merit
“Health Effect Assessment of Landscape (HEAL) Design Using Machine Learning: Predicting Health Outcomes from Landscape Master Plans”
Submitted by:
Huaqing Wang
Utah State University
Study team: Louis Tassinary
Galen Newman
“Evaluation of a Reimagined Workplace Designed to Meet Post-Pandemic Needs”
Submitted by:
Mahshid Jalalian
HGA Architects & Engineers
Study team: Mahshid Jalalian
Renae Rich
Bryanna Benicia
Hande Burcu Deniz
Lou Ann Bunker-Hellmich
Oshana Reich
Paul Stefanski
Paula Storsteen
Mark Spencer
“Residency Reshaped: The Future of Multi-Family Development”
Submitted by:
Melissa Hoelting
Corgan
Study team: Melissa Hoelting
Weijia Wang
Junling Zhuang
Mahdi Afkhamiaghda
Stephen Lohr
Submitted by:
Elyssa Bakker
HKS
Study team: Elyssa Bakker
Deborah Wingler
Certified
2025 EDRA CORE RECIPIENTS
“A Randomized Controlled Trial of Golden Ratio, Feng Shui, and Evidence Based Design in Healthcare”
Submitted by:
Hanze Sciences
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Study team: Bart van der Zwaag
Sabine Kullak
Ab Rogers
Dean Walker
Sjoukje van Dellen
Mark Mobach
Emma Zijlstra
“POE Insights Inform Iterative Design for Interdisciplinary Research at Lehigh University”
Submitted by:
Renae Rich
HGA
Study team: Renae Rich
Oshana Reich
Mahshid Jalalian
Chun-Ling Hsu
Je Puleo
Samir Srouji
Iova Dineva
Joe Klocek
Julie Shriver
Tara Spagnoletti
Emily Diaz-Kempf
“Enriched Environments to Support Social and Emotional Learning: A Visual Design Guide”
Submitted by:
Renae Mantooth
HKS
Study team: Renae Mantooth
“Green for Green: Developing the IRA Incentive Calculator for Equitable Climate Action”
Submitted by:
GBBN Architects
CMTA, Inc.
Study team: Shan Jiang
Tiany Broyles Yost
Stephen Mrdjenovich
Zahra Daneshvar
Stefan Cornelis
Doug Hundley
Wyatt Ross
“Orthopedic Clinic Environments: A Comparative Study of Workow Eciency and Satisfactions”
Submitted by:
Mahshid Jalalian
HGA Architects & Engineers
Study team: Mahshid Jalalian
Tanya Chadha
Danya Hakky
Oshana Reich
Lou Ann Bunker-Hellmich
Andrew Zimmer
Jennifer Macdonald
“Transforming Hospital Design Informed By Phased Post-Occupancy Findings”
Submitted by: Kara Freihoefer
Flad Architects
Study team: Lauren Lazarescu
Steve Jackson
Jeerty Wesner
Sharon Roush
Kathryn Palmer
Lindsay Baumgartner
Andy Park
Submitted by:
Mahdi Afkhamiaghda
Corgan
Study team: Melissa Hoelting
Samantha Flores
Kevin Sloan
Joe Haver
Varun Kohli
Andrew Loke
Past CORE Certification Recipients
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