The Bartlett Research Conversations

Interdisciplinary Interactions 

Lena Asai

Supervisor: Brenda Parker and Stephen Gage

While scientific interdisciplinarity is becoming a commonplace practice, integration between ‘far’ disciplines (including design) still pose enormous challenges. One would expect in this context that there would be a considerable body of research that investigates the nature of and setting for interdisciplinary interaction. However, this is not the case.

Over the course of her research, Lena will evaluate performances in the context of face-to-face interdisciplinary interactions when placed in differently designed environments. She will use physiological measurement to establish participant mood changes and surveys to evaluate the outcomes. 

Lena will carry out her experiments at The Bartlett’s bio-design lab at UCL at Here East where there is extensive design and engineering interdisciplinary work. Original contributions to Lena’s research are anticipated in what might become a new field of situated interdisciplinary dynamics.   

About The Bartlett Research Conversations

The Bartlett School of Architecture’s Research Conversations seminars comprise work-in-progress and upgrade presentations by students undertaking the MPhil/PhD Architectural Design and MPhil/PhD Architectural and Urban History and Theory. All current UCL staff and students are welcome to attend.

Held regularly throughout the academic year, the seminars are attended by the programme directors, Professor Jonathan Hill and Professor Sophie Psarra, PhD Coordinators, Dr. Nina Vollenbröker and Dr Sophie Read, and other PhD supervisors.

Image: Co-lab Bioremediation Workshop. Portela-Torres, Paloma. 2016. London.