
Chris Ford
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering, admitted Autumn 2013
Ph.D. Minor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Bio
Chris is a design professional, design educator, and design researcher in the fields of Architecture and Infrastructure design. He engages our imminently urban future through design-actionable research of the built environment from a user-centered perspective.
As a design professional, Chris has worked in the offices of Richard Meier & Partners (New York), Rick Joy Architects (Tucson) and Rob Paulus Architects (Tucson). Projects assisted or managed include residential (single and multi-family), commercial and infrastructural typologies. Chris is a licensed architect in the State of North Carolina.
As a design educator, Chris is a former lecturer in the Architecture program at the University of Arizona, and is a former Associate Professor of Architecture (with tenure) in the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska. He regularly taught undergraduate and graduate design studios including the NAAB Comprehensive Project, elective courses in Design Methodology and Modern Craft, and advised Design Thesis. In Spring 2013, Chris coordinated the "London | 2013" Program where his funded research prompted coursework titled Hybridized Urban Infrastructures.
Chris is a PhD Candidate in the Mechanical Engineering Design Group at Stanford University. During this time, he was also the 2016-2019 Hamamoto Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow. He is advised by the founding Director of the Center for Design Research, Professor Larry Leifer, PhD. As a research coordinator for the Urban Futures initiative, Chris applies Design Thinking to demonstrated problems in the built environment including housing, lifeline systems, and urban resilience.
Chris is a co-founding Editorial Board member for Technology | Architecture + Design (TAD Journal), a new peer-review scholarly journal published by the ACSA and printed by Taylor & Francis. He has served as Associate Editor for the issues "Viral," "Simulations," "Open," and "Measured." He has also served as Issue Editor for both "Urbanizing," and "Engineering."
To guarantee exposure to the practices of multiple design disciplines, Chris maintains memberships with SPUR, ACSA, AIA, ASME, and the ASCE, where he additionally serves on the national Infrastructure Resilience Division - Emerging Technology Committee.
Honors & Awards
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Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Stanford University (June 2016 - June 2019)
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Steward Professorship in Sustainable Design, College of Architecture, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (Oct 2008 - Oct 2010)
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Monster of Design Award: "Renewable Energy Infrastructures", AIA Kansas City, Young Architects Forum (Oct 2009)
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Monster of Design Award: "TAIMEN", AIA Kansas City, Young Architects Forum (Oct 2008)
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Honorary Faculty Member, Tau Delta Sigma Honor Society, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (2009)
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Larry Hawthorne Faculty Award, College of Architecture, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (2006)
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Darryl B. Dobras Award for Excellence, CAPLA, University of Arizona (2004)
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AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit, College of Design, North Carolina State University (1998)
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Student Inductee, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, North Carolina State University (1998)
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Student Inductee, Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society, North Carolina State University (1998)
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PDA Traveling Fellowship, College of Design, North Carolina State University (1997)
Professional Affiliations and Activities
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Member, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) (2017 - Present)
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Student Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2014 - Present)
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Student Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2014 - Present)
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Member, SPUR (2013 - Present)
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Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA) (2012 - Present)
Education & Certifications
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Master of Architecture, North Carolina State University, Architecture (1998)
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B.A. in Architecture, UNC-Charlotte, Architecture, Minor in English (1995)
Stanford Advisors
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Martin Fischer, Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
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Larry Leifer, Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)
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Michael Shanks, Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
Service, Volunteer and Community Work
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Founding Editorial Board member; Inaugural Associate Editor, Technology | Architecture + Design (TAD Journal) (6/1/2016)
Location
Washington DC
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Member, Emerging Technologies Committee, Infrastructure Resilience Division, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (6/2015)
Location
Reston VA
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Board of Directors, Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (1/2008 - 6/2012)
Location
Lincoln NE
All Publications
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Processing [Editorial]
Technology | Architecture + Design
2019; 3 (1)
View details for DOI 10.1080/24751448.2019.1571789
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Nürburgring-ing [Editorial]
Technology | Architecture + Design
2018; 2 (2)
View details for DOI 10.1080/24751448.2018.1497378
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Searching [Editorial]
Technology | Architecture + Design
2018; 2 (1)
View details for DOI 10.1080/24751448.2018.1420969
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Begetting [Editorial]
Technology | Architecture + Design
2017; 1 (1)
View details for DOI 10.1080/24751448.2017.1292799
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Actualizing [Editorial]
Technology | Architecture + Design
2017; 1 (2)
View details for DOI 10.1080/24751448.2017.1354627
- REIs: Renewable Energy Infrastructures Edinburgh Architecture Research 2013
- The Found Object in Design Forward 2012
- REIs: Renewable Energy Infrastructures 2012 ACSA Annual Meeting 2012
- The Composite Drawing in Architectural Education Design Communication Association 2012
- The Design Studio as Public Provocateur ConnectED 2010: International Conference on Design Education 2010
- The Found Object in Design Creating | Making Forum 2010
- Design Probes: Three-Dimensional Tools for Ideological Programming 2008 ACSA Annual Meeting 2008
- Barrio Metalico: A Modern Alternative for Tucson AZ 2005 ACSA Southeast Regional Conference 2005
- The Gap and Its Effect on Architectural Education 2003 ACSA Southeast Regional Conference 2003