Workshop: Design Methods for Sustainability, held in Montreal, Canada; August 15-18, 2010

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this grant is to conduct a workshop that will bring together experts to address fundamental researchs issues in sustainability in engineering design. These experts will include: researchers in design theory and methodology; researchers in sustainability; and practitioners in sustainable design. This workshop will focus on the theory of engineering design that addresses issues of sustainability, as well as the methods and tools to facilitate sustainability. The goal of this workshop is to identify a research agenda to facilitate the formulation of a theoretical basis for the sustainable design. The deliverables for this workshop include a summary report of findings, publication of workshop recommendations in leading design journals, and briefings to the sponsors. If successful, this workshop will lead to a rigorous normative theory underlying the design of products for sustainability. Design for Sustainability addresses issues from decrease of waste in the process to design for dissassembly for optimal reuse, recycling or remanufacturing. The potential impact across a broad spectrum of products and industries is substantial and critical.