Initiate. Provide design and construction work to clients and community-based organizations who cannot afford the traditional rates of design firms
Discover. Issue media and research publications on social and environmental design interventions to advance the academic and industry knowledge base
Connect. Unite and empower a new generation of designers using interdisciplinary thinking to improve the built environment
A systematic problem has shaped the built environment we all partake in. Designers and architects solely see their responsibility as creating designs, without understanding them. By ending the design process at the delivery of a set of drawings, designers miss the most crucial part of a building: its occupancy.
Our design framework reverses the paradigm for traditional design practice. Instead of starting with design ideation, we start by defining outcomes through a calibration meeting with our client. Once we understand the goal outcomes, we utilize a diverse portfolio of disciplines to identify possible paths to achieve desired outcomes. This evidence-based and outcome-driven research sets the foundation for our design.
Below, scroll over the bubbles to learn more about each step of our process.
ACTIVATION PLAN
ECOSYSTEM MAP
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
TARGETED OUTCOMES
TIMELINE
STAKEHOLDER MAP
USER INTERFACE
5 MATRIX REPORT
VALIDITY ANALYSIS
ACTIVATION MAP
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
ECOSYSTEM MAP
OUR TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mitch received education in architecture and economics to pursue new approaches for promoting a one health definition. His career is founded on approaching societal issues with an intersectional approach and tackling disciplinary divisions. No greater tool exists for promoting positive impacts than the design process for the built environment. Mitch synthesizes and translates the information from post-occupancy analyses from IDC’s projects for future design interventions.
Research Director
Mitch Mead
Ayako received degrees in Economics and Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan to pursue work in inclusive business. She believes that traditional industries have the opportunity to address societal challenges by inviting communities to collaborate on designing their own solutions. With background in environmental consulting, diversity & inclusion, and health admin, Ayako supports IDC in their business functions.
Business Director
Ayako Tischler
Anna studies architecture as a means to impact the physical world by addressing issues holistically and with a systems approach. Architecture for her is both the problem and solution, and she finds interest in how societal behaviors affect the built environment. She strives to reinvigorate the built environment through sustainable practices. Anna acts as the bridge between those who can benefit from architecture and design interventions and the
mission of IDC.
Development Director
Anna Carl
Maansi Dalmia
Partnerships Director
Nick received a degree in Apparel Product Development and Journalism from Central Michigan University with experience in digital content creation, social media management, promotional marketing and product design. Realizing the value of real-world situational learning, he co-founded a lifestyle apparel brand with a focus on environmental protection. He orchestrates IDC’s social media channels with the goal of further driving community engagement and showcasing the work of IDC.
Media Manager
Nick Poli
Maansi studies business at the University of Michigan with a focus on marketing and consumer behavior. She believes human connection and collaboration are the keys to solving complex problems. She has experience in consulting, research, and leadership and hopes to use these skills to support IDC’s mission. Maansi acts as the external contact point in engaging the community with IDC.
Outreach Manager
Maansi Dalmia
Paige studies Environmental Science and Business Sustainability at the University of Michigan to pursue a career in social impact and sustainability consulting, beginning as a Teach For America 2021 Corps member. She believes that the intersection of business and sustainability provides an opportunity to solve some of the greatest world problems. She has a background in strategy consulting, public health, and science education. She support IDC through community outreach.
Outreach Manager
Paige Dotson
Camilla is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning candidate at the University of Michigan with a focus on land use, transportation, and community engagement. She is interested in climate change adaptation and redesigning spaces to be more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. With a background in research, ecology, social justice, and green building, she understands the importance of fostering a symbiotic relationship between people and the built environment.
Project Manager
Camilla Lizundia
Liyah is pursuing her master’s degree in Architecture at the University of Michigan. In the broad domain of urban design, her research interests lie in design principles grounded to context and culture, and in understanding the relationship between sustainability and architecture through material detail and urban scale regimes. She has worked on housing research projects focused on themes of cultural revival, contested urban spaces, and public spaces in marginalized neighborhoods.
Project Manager
Liyah George
Vinusha is a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Information pursuing a Masters in Health Informatics. She is especially interested in the intersection of health and UX Research and Design. She believes in a community centric approach to implement lasting change and with a background in health science and biological sciences she hopes to bring a new perspective to support IDC’s mission.
Project Manager
Vinusha Devarakonda
Natalie is studying architecture as an investigation on improving the human and communal experience. She believes that design is best thought of as the interaction of the body with the space around it, and that good design is an impactful tool at both the individual and global scale. With a background in graphic design, recreational architecture, and community building, she is excited to see how IDC integrates community involvement into the formal design process.
Design Researcher
Natalie Fox
Brandon studies architecture as a means of understanding how the built environment represents social differences and how design can impact disadvantaged groups. He has experience in psychological research, energy management services, and construction and believes that these intersections provide an excellent basis for making sustainable, equitable, and accessible designs. He believes that beneficial change can occur that unites and benefits everyone equally.
Design Researcher
Brandon Meinders
Mytreyi understands architecture as a medium that generates impulses in the social fabric. Her approach involves intensive research into architectural history, theory, urbanism, and sustainability, which extends into questioning new configurations and culminates in the structuring of space. She is a dedicated professional interested in architectural theory, typology and editorial design.
Design Researcher
Mytreyi Metta
Pilar is currently pursuing a degree in architecture to understand the relationships between social behavior and changing urban and natural environments. She is motivated to question the role academia and industry play in engaging socially and environmentally driven designers. Pilar is excited to participate in socially-engaged and evidence-based design through IDC.
Design Researcher
Pilar O'Hara
Maria sees the need for taking a holistic approach to design and planning. She has a particular interest in groups disproportionately affected by the current systems in place and is looking to create environments that incorporate different identities. She is seeking to explore ways in which spaces are affected by social justice and urban planning as a whole and hopes to achieve this through her education in architecture and experience in research at the University of Michigan.
Design Researcher
Maria Garcia Reyna
Pursuing a BS in Architecture, James looks to innovate at the intersection of the social and built environments. He often draws inspiration from his background in kinesiology and his experience in construction and property maintenance. Drawn to the material processes of the industry, James is particularly interested in fabrication and interface design. He is currently involved in creating sensorially-responsive, textile-based prototypes for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Design Researcher
James Sotiroff
Jake approaches design from a maker's perspective. As a relentless tinkerer and researcher he is concerned with the relationship between art and traditional craft and advanced fabrication/digital technology. He is also concerned with the ethical application of digital making. He has experience in traditional architectural and large scale heavy industrial metal fabrication, 3D art, technological research at the academic level, woodworking, and digital formfinding and fabrication.
Design Researcher
Jake Croop
Jordan studies user experience research and design at the School of Information at the University of Michigan. With a focus on the intersection of people, technology and healthcare, she is passionate about gathering information to design beneficial products and systems. Technology has the ability to transform society, and she enjoys collaborating with others to solve complex problems and finding new opportunities to better our community.
Design Researcher
Jordan Briney
As a South-Asian American, Irene uses her life experience to drive her work. She attended the University of Michigan for her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Women’s Studies. There, Irene researched activism and equal opportunity for women of color. Currently, Irene is completing her graduate degree in Social Work at New York University.
Design Researcher
Irene E. Syriac
Arin is pursuing her Master's in Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Michigan, where she also studied sustainable urbanism and food systems. She seeks solutions at the intersections between social and environmental issues that advance wellbeing in both through smart, equitable design. Her background in nonprofit work and consulting has enhanced her ability to market sustainable strategies in marine tourism, renewable energy, and urban planning.
Design Researcher
Arin Yu
Eli's areas of interest are environmental politics and sustainable consumption, especially relating to how environmental issues are represented in politics. He has experience working with environmental policy, where he conducted research and data analysis on a variety of environmental issues. He is joining IDC as a Design Researcher.
Design Researcher
Eli Schulman
Janie is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying International Studies and Environment. With a particular interest in real estate and property development, Janie is seeking to explore the complex relationship between community development and our natural environment.
Design Researcher
Janie Harshe
Bingyi is a master student studying User Experience design and research at the University of Michigan, School of Information @ UMSI, graduating in May 2021. She enjoys solving complex problems by observing and building. She is joining IDC as a Design Researcher.
Design Researcher
Bingyi Liu
Chai is a BSI undergraduate pursuing UX Design and a minor in dance at the University of Michigan. She is currently working with the VA to test and develop a knowledge-sharing platform for more accessible data storage methods, and is particularly keen in building transformative experiences through UX and visual design. She is joining IDC as a Design Researcher.
Design Researcher
Chairul Karim