Iowa State University and the University of Concepcion, Chile, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to begin exchange and collaboration. In this presentation, Andrea Martinez Arias and Maria Isabel Rivera, University of Concepcion faculty members in architecture, urban design and geography, will share the results of current research projects they lead through the Vital Signs Lab, which supports research centered on human well-being, comfort, indoor air quality, and energy use in new and existing buildings in the built environment.

Projects include “REVEAL: Research Environmental Effects on Academic Learning” and “Classrooms Retrofit: Evaluating the Potential of Transitioning Existing Schools Towards Healthy and High-Performance Environments as an Urgent Response to a Changing Climate,” made possible through Chile’s National Agency of Research and Development.

Martinez Arias and Rivera will describe how they integrate their research into their building technology and design teaching. They will also talk about opportunities for Iowa State students and faculty to visit University of Concepcion.