Emily Chmielewski

Emily Chmielewski

EDAC

Senior Associate
Director of Design Research

"Perkins Eastman believes that design can have a direct, positive impact on people’s lives. I support this belief by leading design research studies that can be used to enhance the built environment, elevate the human experience, and advance the design industry."

Emily’s career is built on her belief that research has an important role in the design process, and that creating a culture of inquiry is essential to practicing good design. As a founding member and Director of Perkins Eastman’s Design Research department, an industry-forerunner of practice-based environment-behavior research, Emily helps create better built environments by pushing the boundaries of professional knowledge and improving environmental design. Emily has been with Perkins Eastman since 2004, leading research studies that have ranged from concise environmental audits that gather major lessons learned to more in-depth research that evaluates multiple aspects of a facility’s physical environment and building occupants’ satisfaction and use patterns. Emily is a passionate advocate for research in practice, sharing her expertise industry-wide through mentorship, professional discourse, and building networks for like-minded peers.

Our Perkins Eastman

Emily is an advocate for practice-based research, both within Perkins Eastman as well as in the industry at-large. This approach, she says, leads to better-informed decision-making that can result in improved stakeholder outcomes and experiences.

Contact

  • Phone:

  • +1 (412) 894-8366
  • Email:

  • Linkedin:

  • Education

  • Cornell University; M.S. Applied Research in Human-Environment Relations
  • University of Michigan; B.S. Architecture
  • Associations

  • Environmental Design Research Association:

    o Board Member (2016-2017)

    o Certificate of Research Excellence (CORE) Committee Chair (2016-2019) and Committee Member (2019-2020)

    o Researchers in Professional Practice Knowledge Network Chair (2020-current)