Research
Research at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts is driven by interdisciplinary collaboration across architecture, art, and design. Faculty and students engage in innovative projects that address critical issues such as urban equity, sustainability, climate resilience, and emerging technologies in digital fabrication and visualization.
Public exhibitions and installations serve as platforms for sharing research with broader audiences. Partnerships with local and global organizations expand the real-world impact of faculty and student work. Scholars explore material innovation, digital fabrication, and emerging technologies that shape the built environment. The school’s research also addresses equity and social justice, engaging communities in participatory design processes.
Director of Research & Innovation
Dowd Illustration Research Archive
A division of Special Collections, the Dowd Illustration Research Archive is a preeminent site for studying the history and culture of American illustration.
Health Communication Design Studio
The Health Communication Design Studio (HCDS) is an academic initiative seeking to work closely with community and academic partners to investigate, gain insights and better understand specific health and social challenges faced by underserved populations, develop and implement strategic health communication design solutions, and evaluate their impact. The Studio’s research areas include health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the distribution of public health resources, community-based participatory design, the role of design in effective science communication, and building trust in community.
Island Press is a research-based printmaking workshop that is committed to creating and publishing innovative prints and multiples, educating students and the broader community about print media, and advancing the printmaking field. In the context of intensive visiting artist residencies, Island Press explores the expansive theoretical and material terrain of the print. Visiting artists work in collaboration with the master printer, faculty, and students to create a reciprocal environment for education and research.
Sensory and Ambient Interfaces Lab
The Sensory and Ambient Interfaces Lab (SAIL) in the Sam Fox School is a research lab led by Associate Professor Jonathan Hanahan that gathers designers, engineers, and researchers from across Washington University in St. Louis to explore data interaction, integration, and feedback methods.
James Harrison Steedman Fellowship in Architecture
Governed by the College of Architecture and AIA St. Louis, the Steedman grants $75,000 biannually to an emerging architect to conduct research abroad.
Research News
Faculty and students are advancing interdisciplinary research that addresses urgent social, environmental, and technological challenges, while prestigious fellowships, public lectures, and exhibitions continue to position the school as a leader in creative scholarship. Through innovative partnerships and practice-based inquiry, the Sam Fox School remains at the forefront of research-driven design education.
