Chris Ford

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, and currently serves as Issue Editor for Urbanizing.

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

• Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Stanford University (June 2016 - June 2019)
• Steward Professorship in Sustainable Design, College of Architecture, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (Oct 2008 - Oct 2010)
• Monster of Design Award: "Renewable Energy Infrastructures", AIA Kansas City, Young Architects Forum (Oct 2009)
• Monster of Design Award: "TAIMEN", AIA Kansas City, Young Architects Forum (Oct 2008)
• Honorary Faculty Member, Tau Delta Sigma Honor Society, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (2009)
• Larry Hawthorne Faculty Award, College of Architecture, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (2006)
• Darryl B. Dobras Award for Excellence, CAPLA, University of Arizona (2004)
• AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit, College of Design, North Carolina State University (1998)
• Student Inductee, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, North Carolina State University (1998)
• Student Inductee, Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society, North Carolina State University (1998)
• PDA Traveling Fellowship, College of Design, North Carolina State University (1997)

Professional Affiliations and Activities

• Member, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) (2017 - Present)
• Student Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2014 - Present)
• Student Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2014 - Present)
• Member, SPUR (2013 - Present)
• Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA) (2012 - Present)

Education & Certifications

• Master of Architecture, North Carolina State University, Architecture (1998)
• B.A. in Architecture, UNC-Charlotte, Architecture, Minor in English (1995)

Stanford Advisors

• Michael Shanks, Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
• Martin Fischer, Doctoral Dissertation Reader (AC)
• Larry Leifer, Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)

Service, Volunteer and Community Work

• Founding Editorial Board member; Inaugural Associate Editor, Technology | Architecture + Design (TAD Journal) (6/1/2016)

  Location

  Washington DC

• Member, Emerging Technologies Committee, Infrastructure Resilience Division, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (6/2015)

  Location

  Reston VA

• Board of Directors, Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (1/2008 - 6/2012)

  Location

  Lincoln NE