02/08/21

AMES, Iowa — Award-winning designer Behnaz Farahi, assistant professor of design at California State University, Long Beach, will discuss the intersection between architectural design and fashion in a virtual lecture hosted by the Design Studies 102 studios and Wearables Design Team in the Iowa State University College of Design.

Event details and registration

Farahi will present “Emotive Design from Architecture to Fashion” from 5–6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, as a part of the College of Design Spring 2021 Lecture Series. Register in advance to participate in this free online event over Zoom.

Her presentation will address new ways in which materials can be imbued with artificial intelligence (AI) and life-like behavior in order to interface with human emotion, augment human intelligence and sensory experience and influence social interactions.

Farahi will share a series of interdisciplinary projects that “address provocative research questions through design and critical making, fueled by the latest advances in the world of neuroscience, cognitive philosophy, computational design and AI,” she says.

From wearables to architecture, these projects demonstrate an application of techniques, such as brain activity imaging and facial and gaze tracking, as well as novel actuator systems, including smart materials and pneumatics systems. A question and answer session will follow the lecture.

About the speaker

Trained as an architect, Farahi aims to strengthen interactions between humans and the built environment, addressing issues of emotion, bodily perception and social interaction. She specializes in computational design, interactive and digital fabrication technologies, additive manufacturing and user experience.

Farahi’s work integrates fashion, architecture and interactive design from her experiences with brands and firms including Adidas, Autodesk, Fuksas Studio and 3Dsystems. She contributed to two NASA-funded research projects developing robotic fabrication technology for missions to the moon and Mars. She has been an artist-in-residence at Autodesk Pier 9.

Among her many honors, Farahi has received the Fast Compnay Innovation By Design Linda Tichler Award, World Technology Award, Rock Hudson Fellowship and Business and Arts South Africa and Madworkshop grants. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and has been exhibited and published internationally.

She holds a master of architecture from Shahid Behesht University of Iran, a postprofessional master of architecture from the University of Southern California and a PhD in interdisciplinary media arts and practice from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Contacts

Patience Lueth, Architecture, popiyo@iastate.edu
Rachel Moylan, Design Administration, rmoylan@iastate.edu
Meg Grice, Design Communications, mgrice@iastate.edu
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, hsauer@iastate.edu

-30-