Azadeh Omidfar Sawyer
MMCH 415 - IW
asawyer@andrew.cmu.edu
Azadeh Omidfar Sawyer
PH.D., LEED AP
Assistant Professor in Building Technology
Azadeh Omidfar Sawyer was appointed Assistant Professor in Building Technology in the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture in 2019. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate building envelope, its effect on lighting, and occupants’ comfort and visual impressions. One goal is to address how “green” design can result in comfortable and aesthetically pleasant design. Sawyer focuses on evaluating and minimizing the discrepancies between the design of an envelope compared to the actual experience of it. This can be achieved by bridging the gap between building technology, design quality, and by humanizing data though the use of immersive visualizations such as VR.
In her doctoral research, Sawyer introduced new methods to measure users’ perceptions of the spatial distribution of light, as well as a system that allows measured data to be traced back to the façade for further design optimization and adjustment. To evaluate the qualitative aspects of façade design, she conducted an experimental study in virtual reality (VR) using Oculus. Additionally, she measured the effects of color, the use of furniture, and rendering mode on the subjective evaluation of participants in the immersive Oculus headset. The overarching aim of this research was to determine the relationship between the data measured through simulation software and the subjective visual impressions of users in virtual reality. Results show that participants’ perception and overall preference for a space is associated less to actual measured values and more to the design of the façade, its complexity, and its dynamics. This is important in the realm of design, especially in designing “green” buildings, as post-occupancy surveys on occupants’ satisfaction with lighting may be less related to the actual levels and more to the overall light quality and ambiance of the building.
This research contributes a new way to create and evaluate building envelopes and allows designers to understand the effect of façade design on natural light propagation, so such designs can be adjusted for improved performance. The research pushes boundaries and engages in dynamic new debates regarding qualitative assessment of architectural environment in immersive VR by creating three-dimensional, physically-based scenes rendered in Radiance and used in VR for user preference studies. Based on this work, Sawyer was awarded the Dow Doctoral Fellowship, the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, and the Jonathan Speirs Scholarship and medal, and research awards from the Building Technology department at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan.
Going forward, Sawyer plans to extend her current research to close the disconnect between measured environmental values, and the users’ sensory and perceptual experience. Additionally, she would like to investigate the effect of kinetic systems and smart materials on occupants’ health, comfort, and circadian rhythm.
At Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Sawyer focused on integrating ornamental and complex design with lighting and energy performance criteria and fabrication to highlight the possibilities and challenges of making complex design perform better than standard recommended benchmarks. Her research was published and presented at the International Building Performance Simulation Association conference in Sydney, Australia and awarded the Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability at Harvard University. Her studies for the Master of Science degree in Architecture focused on the integration of architecture, building technology, survey methodology, and psychology to stress the importance of integrating various fields in the creation of a design to maximize its performance relating to aesthetics, function, physical, and psychological comfort.
Sawyer earned a PhD as a Rackham Predoctoral Fellow in the Building Technology department at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan in 2019. She has a Master of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Design Studies from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and is the 2011 recipient of the Harvard Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability. Her research focuses on building skin design, performance, and evaluation. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from California College of the Arts in San Francisco with distinction in 2008, where she received the Technology Book award. Sawyer has been a LEED accredited professional since 2008.