To: National Architectural Accrediting Board
NAAB: Inclusion of Human Factors Criteria is Critical in 2014 Accreditation Conditions
The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) on behalf of its collective community of more than 4,000 architects, designers, and educators, expresses grave concern and outrage about the 2014 Conditions for Accreditation First Reading (Feb 2014) and seeks your prompt action in response. We call upon NAAB to show a strong futuristic vision and thoughtfulness by reinstating the Student Performance Criteria and educational realms as specifically noted in our response found here: http://bit.ly/edra_response
Why is this important?
Ensuring that current and future architects have the capability and expertise to design human-centered environments is critical for the future of the profession. The proposed changes are not adequate to protect the health, life, safety, and welfare of the public, nor are they consistent with the standards of engaged and responsible practice or global citizenship. It is essential that Accredited Architectural programs ensure students understand how to integrate research evidence into design decision-making, the critical relationships between humans and designed environments, the changing dynamics of people and environments, and are able to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.