A primary focus in this area is the simulation of terrestrial, atmospheric, and marine environments and processes. Projects include the Chattooga River Ecosystem Management Project, the North Carolina Groundwater Mapping Project, the Blue Ridge Parkway Visual Sensitivity Study, and the Huachuca Mountains Predictive Vegetation Mapping Project. The primary focus is on the use of new interactive interfaces without compromising the information s integrity. Ongoing projects include the North Carolina Museum of Art s Web Site, On-line Cartography Course, and a North Carolina Watershed Map. Community Design and Outreach Community Planning, Participatory Design, and Project Facilitation are topics of work in this area.
Projects scope ranges from regional planning to community planning to site programming.
The development of qualitative and quantitative resource evaluation methods help to provide a framework for understanding and communication about issues and their relative importance to the community. In some projects a participatory design process is facilitated through the use of community workshops and digital images of future design opportunities. The application of design methods to real world problems and opportunity creates an interaction between faculty and students and industry partners here in North Carolina and beyond. The development of industrial partnerships with the faculty and students of the School of Design is an important role for the Design Research Laboratory.