Corey Griffin

Assistant Professor

Master of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, 2005
Master of Science (Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials) University of California, Berkeley, 2005
B.S.E. (Architectural Engineering), Stanford University, 2000

Contact: cgriffin@pdx.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Current Classes
Arch 281 Design Fundamentals Studio 2
Arch 467 Advanced Architectural Structures
Arch 561 Detail Design
Arch 567 Advanced Architectural Structures
Arch 581 Architectural Design Studio 8

Biography
Corey Griffin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Portland State University, teaching design, structures and building technology courses. He studies the potential of integrating architectural design with engineering and construction to create more sustainable built environments. His structures courses focus on decisions architects make that can reduce the environmental impact of a building. In his research, Griffin focuses on building longevity and the role of structure in integrated design as critical components of sustainable architecture.

Before joining the faculty at Portland State University, Griffin taught at the University of Oregon and Montana State University in Bozeman. At Place Architecture in Bozeman, he was a project manager who oversaw the design and construction of a mixed-use development and collaborated on the design of residential, commercial and civic projects including a cultural center and a border station.

During graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Griffin was awarded the Konheim Memorial Fellowship to conduct research at Rocky Mountain Institute into the occupant health and productivity benefits associated with connecting the built and natural environments. His research appeared in the RMI publication Solutions as "An Introduction to Biophilia and the Built Environment." The recipient of the UC Berkeley Branner Traveling Fellowship, Griffin received funding for a year of travel to study and document the relationship between permanence, culture, structure and sustainability.

Research
There are a number of factors that typically influence the selection of a structural system including code, cost, construction schedule and site constraints. As sustainability increasingly becomes an important goal, the role of structure in the overall performance of a building will need to be considered in terms of embodied energy, operational energy, building longevity, reuse and deconstruction. The structure of a typical office building contributes one-fourth to one-third of the total embodied energy; double the amount contributed by interior finishes. Consequently, the structure of a building should be a primary target for reducing the environmental footprint of a building. While there has been much research on the embodied energy and environmental impact of structural materials, there has been little research into comparing the sustainability of normative and laternative structural systems.

To improve sustainability outcomes, the structure of a building must do more than simply hold it up. Depending on the spans and fire-separations needed, a structural system is chosen rather quickly based on the lowest cost per square foot without much consideration to other ways the structure could contribute to the project overall. If structural systems could be left exposed without additional finshes as well as be configured to provide thermal comfort, more daylight and acoustic isolation, this could significantly reduce the initial materials required for new construction and the operational energy. Multi-performance structural systems ofer considerable and largely untapped opportunities to improve new and existing buildings while lowering construction costs.

Consequently, my research focuses on the following areas:

• Creating tools for comparing a range of sustainable criteria for structural alternatives that architects and engineers can use early and potentially throughout the design process.
• In-situ documentation, monitoring and measuring of multi-performance structures to assess which strategies work.
• Testing the structural, thermal, acoustic performance of new multi-performance structural assemblies and systems.
• Exploring the potential of seismic retrofits of existing buildings to act as a multi-performance retrofit (improving thermal, acoustic, lighting performance). Schools could be a major target for this type of research.
• Designing structural systems to increasing the life-cycle of buildings through incremental change and adaptive reuse.