SIAT professor Rob Woodbury recipient of 2008 ACADIA and Sasada Awards

posted: october 3. 2008

ACADIA award:

SIAT professor Rob Woodbury is the recipient of the 2008 ACADIA Award for Innovative Research, an award granted by the Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA). This award is conferred to research work that advances the discipline of architecture through the development and use of digital media. Inaugurated in 1998, the ACADIA Award of Excellence is the highest award that can be achieved in the field of architectural computing. It represents recognition, by colleagues and peers worldwide, of consistent contributions and cumulative impact on the field over the course of a career. At most one award is presented each year in each category, to an individual whose work, in the eyes of the awards review committee, provides “evidence of exceptional and innovative achievement.”

The awards committee concluded that Woodbury has been widely recognized for his innovative and pioneering research into design computing. Woodbury's work has become an important reference in the design and computing community. His contributions will be recognized at a ceremony during the ACADIA conference in Minneapolis from October 16-19, 2008.

Sasada Award:

Woodbury was also awarded the Sasada Award earlier this year - the committee for the award of the Sasada Award identified SIAT professor Rob Woodbury as the recipient for 2008 in March.

The award was established in memory of Professor Tsuyoshi Sasada, known to all his friends as Tee. The Sasada Award is given to an individual whose sustained record of contributions demonstrates or promises significant impact on the field of computer aided design. In keeping with Tee's spirit, the award recipient has contributed to the next generation of researchers and academics, to the wider profession and practice in computer aided design and research, and earned recognition in peer community. For these reasons, the award was bestowed this year on Rob Woodbury in recognition of the successes he has had over many years and in different continents fostering a community of research and practice in computer aided design.


Short Bio:

Professor Robert Woodbury holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University where he was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal in Architecture in 1981. He earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He was a faculty member in Architecture and the Engineering Design Research Center at Carnegie Mellon University from 1982 to 1993, at Adelaide University in South Australia from 1993 to 2001, at the Technical University of British Columbia from 2001 to 2002 and is now at Simon Fraser University. He was founding Chair of the Graduate Program in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at SFU and a founding member of the Master of Digital Media program jointly offered by four Vancouver institutions. From 2005-2008 he was Scientific Director of the Canadian Design Research Network, the national association of design researchers in Canada.

Dr Woodbury’s research is in computational design, particularly parametric and generative design. He actively fosters the transfer of research concepts and results to graduate studies and architectural practice. Recent technology transfer projects include work with the SmartGeometry group; A•VI•RE, an online architecture gallery; the GeometryWare system for teaching the mathematics of computer graphics; Learning Object for Design, a collection of multimedia resources for design learning; and Design Patterns for parametric modeling.

Dr. Woodbury has been awarded numerous national competitive and private foundation grants for both research and teaching. He has over 150 technical publications. In 2008 he was awarded the Tee Sasada Award from the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia. In 2000 he won the Stephen Cole the Elder Prize as one of two top teachers at Adelaide University. In 1999 he was awarded a national citation for curriculum development from the Association of Australasian Schools of Architecture. In 1980 he was a member of the Canadian Olympic Sailing Team.

View Online Profile:
www.siat.sfu.ca/faculty/Rob-Woodbury/

Congratulations Rob!