Kent Spreckelmeyer earns Career Award from Environmental Design Research Association

LAWRENCE — The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) has honored Kent Spreckelmeyer, professor of architecture at the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, with the 2022 EDRA Career Award in recognition of his sustained and significant contributions to environmental design research, practice and teaching.

The Career Award is presented to EDRA members who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to promoting the organization’s mission, which is to generate knowledge for the informed creation of environments that are responsive to diverse human needs. A member since 1979, Spreckelmeyer was announced as recipient of this year’s award during EDRA’s annual conference, which took place June 1-4 in Greenville, South Carolina.

In addition to promoting the group’s mission over the course of his membership, Spreckelmeyer served as the co-chair of the organizational committee of EDRA’s 2009 conference in Kansas City, Missouri, and as a member of the editorial board of its proceedings. To further support the mission of EDRA, he has actively participated on the boards of Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) and the Kansas City chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He has also served on the editorial boards of academic journals that focus on environment-behavior studies and health care facility design, including Health Environments Research and Design Journal, Journal of Architectural Education, Environment and Behavior, and Journal of Architectural and Planning Research.

Since 1981, Spreckelmeyer has taught courses in design, architectural programming, building evaluation and research methods. His primary research focus has been on the relationship between human well-being and the built environment.

Within his career, he has pioneered evidence-based design and environment-behavior research, investigating design approaches to improve human health in such spaces as health care facilities, workplaces and educational buildings. This work has been published in numerous books, journals and presentations.

Many of his contributions to health care design are now American Hospital Association standards. His work has received numerous AIA and health care industry awards. He was also awarded a 2009 W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching for recognition of his work in the classroom, studio and graduate seminars.

At KU, Spreckelmeyer was instrumental in developing the school’s professional Master of Architecture program in the late 1990s and the Doctor of Philosophy program in 2007. During his tenure, he has helped make KU a leader in health care design education. He co-founded the KU Institute of Health + Wellness Design and the Health & Wellness internship program. Since 2009, over 200 graduates of this program have gone on to become industry leaders in health care design.