Research Expertise and Interest

architecture, high-performance buildings, energy use, indoor environmental quality, post-occupancy evaluation, comfort and adaptation in buildings, natural ventilation and mixed mode

Research Description

Prof. Brager serves as the Director of the Center for Environmental Design Research, and Associate Director of the Center for the Built Environment, a research collaboration between the University and over 40 industry partners focused on improving the energy performance and environmental quality in buildings, with a focus on the workplace.  This collaboration is important for making connections between research and the design and manufacturing industries.  Her areas of research include thermal comfort and adaptation in naturally ventilated and mixed-mode buildings, energy use and indoor environmental quality in office buildings, the role of air movement in enhancing comfort in warm climates, personal comfort systems, and the performance of climate-responsive buildings in India.  She is currently working on a book to develop architectural design patterns that are based on multi-sensory experiential qualities of the indoor environment, with the aim of improving the health and well-being of building occupants.  The approach integrates research and design, situated at the intersection of the fields of architecture, building science, and human perception.