Aki Ishida

glass transparency, glass architecture, impermanence in architecture, health and built environment, hybrid reality

ARCH 4515/16: Architecture V Undergraduate Thesis
ARCH 3015/16, Architecture III
ARCH 4984/5984: Health and Built Environment
ARCH 2984/4984: Streets, Buildings, and Gardens, Japan study abroad

BOOK

Ishida, Aki. Blurred Transparencies in Contemporary Architecture: Material, Culture, and Technology. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2020. 

BOOK CHAPTERS

Ishida, Aki. “(Un)finished architecture and their adaptation.” In Finishing in Architecture: Polishing, Completing, Ending. Edited by P. Emmons, M. Feuerstein, N. Goljan. Book proposal accepted by Routledge. Expected publication in 2025.

Ishida, Aki. “Toyo Ito’s wood architecture reimagined: a critique of modernist ideology.” In Building Technology and Culture in the Asia-Pacific Region: Materials, Construction, Encounters. Edited by G. Botti, E. Mangi, and H. Shinohara. Currently in production by Springer. Expected publication in 2024.

Ishida, Aki. “Wind Blowing Grass: Mutable brushstrokes of Yukimasa Ida.” In Yukimasa Ida. Chicago: Mariane Ibrahim Publications, 2022. Essay in monograph of emerging Japanese painter. Invited by Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Expected publication in 2024.

Ishida, Aki. “Outside In, Inside Out: Pandemics’ Reconfiguration of Spaces and Practices.” The Future of Architecture and Urbanism in the Post-COVID Age. Edited by Celen Pasalar, George Hallowell. Expected publication in 2024 by Routledge, Health and Built Environment series. 

Ishida, Aki. “Glass Ceilings, Glass Cliffs: Transparent glass and its illusions.” Reflections on Reflections: Cultural History of Glass in Architecture. Edited by Sol Camacho. Expected publication in 2024.

Ishida, Aki. “Postpandemic Transparency.” In The Pandemic Effect. Edited by Blaine Brownell. Princeton Architectural Press, 2023.

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Ishida, A. “Architecture for Fluids and Electrons.” HUBE, 1 (2023): 64-78.

Ishida, Aki. “Encapsulated Masculine Dreams: The Cultural and Material Impermanence of the Nakagin Capsule Tower,” sITA Studies History in Theory of Architecture (2023): 199-212.

Ishida, Aki. “Blurring Transparent Glass.” Architect’s Newspaper (July/August 2022): 40.

Ishida, Aki. “An Obsolescent Masculine Dream.” Architect’s Newspaper. (June 2022): 36.

Ishida, Aki. “Obsolescent Masculinity.” Disegno, 32 (2022): 64-76.

Ishida Aki. “Imprints of Invisible Virus: How Airborne Diseases Change Cities,” THE PLAN Journal Healthy Urbanism 5, no. 2 (2020): 311-330.

Ishida Aki. “Transparent Ambiguity: SANAA's Glass Pavilion in Toledo,” arq: Architectural Research Quarterly. Peer reviewed and accepted for publication in 2018 but withdrew in order to include in my book Blurred Transparencies published by Routledge. 

Liu M; Lin R; Zhou S; Yu Y; Ishida A; McGrath M; Kennedy B; Hajj M; Zuo L.. “Design, simulation and experiment of a novel high efficiency energy harvesting paver.” Applied Energy, 212 (2018): 966-975.

Ishida, Aki. “Metabolic Impermanence: The Nakagin Capsule Tower.” Inflection: Journal of the Melbourne School of Design 4 (2017): 32-43.

Ishida, Aki. “Paradox of a Landmark That is Not.” CLOG: Landmark (2015 September): 44-45.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Ishida, Aki. “Air, light, and liquid in motion: blurred transparency of the Glass Pavilion in Toledo.” Antifragile Glass Conf. Proceedings. Ed. M. A. Barucco, E. Cattaruzza, & R. Chiesa (Conegliano, Venito, Italy: Anteferma, 2022): 130-139.

Ishida, Aki. “Materials that connect and separate us: COVID-19 and protective barriers.” In Cities in a Changing World: Questions of Culture, Climate and Design conference AMPS Proceedings 24, no. 1 (2021): 299-310.

Ishida, Aki. “Projection Mapped Architectural Models: Experiencing multiple of times and places at once.” 2022 Design Communication Association (DCA) International Conference Proceedings. Ed. Rebecca O’Neal & Kevin Moore.

Ishida, Aki, et al. “Reimagining medical workspaces through on site observations and bodystorming.” Proceedings for Proceedings for Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) 110th Annual Meeting | EMPOWER (2021).

Ishida, Aki. “Contextualizing Study Abroad: Teaching Cultural Empathy through Architectural Ethnography.” Proceedings for Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Less Talk More Action: Conscious Shifts in Architectural Education Fall Conference (2019): 228-236.

Ishida, Aki. “Soulful Light in Smart Cities.” AMPS Conference Publication Series 10. Cities, Communities and Homes: Is the Urban Future Livable? University of Derby, Derby, 22-23 June (2017).

Ishida, Aki. “Light in Smart Cities: from soulful to transgressive.” 2017 UIA (International Union of Architects) Seoul, South Korea conference proceedings (2017): 1-6. Reference Number O-0829 in section PS2-22

Ishida, Aki. “Sanatorium Zonnestraal and a case for a nuanced approach to light exposure.” Proceedings for Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Fall Conference 2016 Building for Health & Well-being. Honolulu, Hawaii (2017): 139-144.

Ishida, Aki. “Tactility at 1:1: Media and Contexts in Learning Building Materials.” National Conference on Beginning Design Student 32 1:1 (2016): 99-102.

Ishida, Aki. “Paradox of a Landmark That is Not: Preservation Debate over the Nakagin Capsule Tower.” Proceeding of the International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, Gwangju, Korea 2015 (2015): 105-11

Ishida, Aki and Lynnette Widder. “Spatial Story in Northern Manhattan.” ACSA 102: GLOBALIZING ARCHITECTURE / Flows and Disruptions (2014): 237-245.

Ishida, Aki. “24/7 Lifestyle and Chronobiology of New Open Cities.” Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) 2014 International Proceedings (2015):  456-467.

Ishida, Aki. “Lantern Field: attention and deceleration through communal making and interaction.” Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) 2014 International Projects Proceedings (2015): 4-5.

Bortz, Brennon, Ishida, Aki, Bukvic, Ivica Ico, and Knapp, R. Benjamin. “Lantern Field: Exploring Participatory Design of a Communal, Spatially Responsive Installation.” Full paper published on Conference Proceedings of 13th International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) on May 27-30, 2013 in Daejeon and Seoul, South Korea.

Ishida, Aki. “Luminous Kite Lanterns: Spatially responsive audio-visual field”. ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture) 101: New Constellations New Ecologies: Research and Design Projects Catalog. Ed. Ila Berman and Edward Mitchell. (2013): 88-89.

Ishida, Aki. “Role of the Ephemeral in Recovery and Renewal.” EPIC 2102: Renewal. Conference Proceedings from Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference. 14-17 Oct. 2012. (2012).

SELECTED PROJECTS

Hokie Circles Blacksburg, VA
Student initiated COVID-19 rapid response grant proposal to install social distancing graphic signage around campus and downtown Blacksburg. The team’s winning proposal was selected from a pool of 75 applications. Team members are Joonyoung Kang, Kirat Pandher, and Aki Ishida.
In progress, Fall 2020.

Medical Workspace: Information Ecosystem of Future Nurse Stations
Design research sponsored by Steelcase furniture company. Collaboration between ICAT, Carilion, and Steelcase to conduct ethnographic studies on clinician workflow and propose spatial design solutions. PI’s: Tom Martin and Ben Knapp; Co-PI’s: Sarah Parker, Aki Ishida, Denis Gracanin.
Completed Phase 1 in 2019, Phase 2 in 2020.

smART field Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA
Competitively selected from an open-call from faculty of Virginia Tech. Co-PI’s Muhammad Hajj, Brook Kennedy, Margarita McGrath, and Lei Zuo.
Design completed in 2016 to 2018.

Cloud Ballston, VA
Public art project commissioned by Ballston Business Improvement District, Ballston, VA 
Co-PI with Ivia Ico Bukvic of Music Technology dept. at VA Tech
Installed at Welburn Square and Virginia Tech Research Center in Ballston, VA, October 2014  

‘Making the Giraffe Path’ project with desigNYC New York, NY
Design of public workshops, resource binder, and hiking trail map for Northern Manhattan. Collaboration with Prof. Lynnette Widder of Columbia University.
Completed 2013

Lantern Field at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art Washington, DC
PI on installation of an interactive audio-visual Lantern Field at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC
Completed, April 5-7, 2013. 

Luminous Kite Lanterns Blacksburg, VA
PI on installation of Luminous Kite Lanterns for American Institute of Architects Blue Ridge Chapter Biennial Award Exhibit at Blacksburg Farmers Market
Completed, September 14 to 17, 2012

2023 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Creative Achievement Award for “Reenvisioning Everyday Architecture: Experiments in Visual Mapping and Hybrid Media,” for application of research methodologies and hybrid media design tools in a thesis studio and a multi-media public exhibit.

J. Stoeckel Design Studio Teaching Excellence Award 2022.Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design 

CORE77 Design Awards 2021
2nd place in Professional Strategy and Research Category, 2021 for “Reimagining Medical Workspaces: Information Ecosystems for Future Nurse stations” 

The Plan Journal 2020 Best Paper Award, 2nd place 
“Imprints of an Invisible Virus: How Airborne Diseases Change Cities” Selected by the Advisory Editorial Board as 2nd best paper of 2020. 

Virginia Tech Center for Excellence Teaching and Learning Instructional Innovation Grant 
Grant to support “Bodystorming: Full-scale prototyping to study people’s interactions with their immediate physical environment."" 2020. 

3M Company In-kind donation of 3M Graphic film Scotchcal and 3M Connected Roads All Weather Elements for the Hokie Circles social distancing graphic signage project. 2020. 

Steelcase Sponsorship for Medical Workspace: Information Ecosystem of Future Nurse Stations. PI’s: Tom Martin and Ben Knapp; Co-PI’s: Sarah Parker, Aki Ishida, Denis Gracanin. 2019-2020. 

University Certificate of Teaching Excellence 2018, Virginia Tech 

Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) 2016-2017 New Faculty Teaching Award

3M Company In-kind donation of ESR (Enhanced Specular reflective) films for smART field and Luminoire stage set design collaboration with international dance troupe Diavolo, 2017.

DesignIntelligence Most Admired Educators 2016
Recognized nationally as one of 25 Most Admired Educators for 2016 by DesignIntelligence report. 

Arup Pro-bono service in lighting consulting for smART field, 2016. 

Science, Engineering, Art and Design Major Grant from Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology, for smART field, 2016. 

BIG Contribution Grant from Virginia Tech Student Engineers' Council (SEC) 
For design and prototyping of smART field, 2016. 

Virginia Tech Vice President for Administration and Virginia Tech Vice President for Research
Grants for design and prototyping of smART field, 2016.

Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS)
Grant for design and prototyping of smART field, 2016.

CORE77 Design Awards 2014, Runner-Up award in Professional Strategy and Research Category.
For “Making the Giraffe Path.” With co-recipient Lynnette Widder.

Excellence in Creative Achievement Award, Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design 
Awarded for the Lantern Field, 2014

Ballston Business Improvement District Competitive commission of interactive installation Cloud, 2014. 

Science, Engineering, Art and Design Mini Grant from Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology, for The Cloud, 2014.

A|L Architectural Lighting Award for the Lantern Field, 2013

Philips Color Kinetics 
In-kind donation of LED light fixtures, cables, and controllers for the Lantern Field installation, 2013

Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler Galleries 
Financial sponsorship for the Lantern Field installation, 2013

National Cherry Blossom Festival
Financial sponsorship for the Lantern Field installation, 2013

Arts and Culture Grant from The Japan Foundation New York, for the Lantern Field, 2013 

Science, Engineering, Art and Design Mini Grant from Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology, for the Lantern Field, 2013. 

Residency at Baer Arts Center
One-month residency for international artist in June, 2013 in Hofsos, Iceland. 

Education Grant from The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, 2012

Science, Engineering, Art and Design Mini Grant from Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology, 2012 for Kite Lanterns 

Education Grant from The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, 2011 

Stewardson Keefe LeBrun Traveling Fellowship American Institute of Architects New York Chapter for “Integration of Design in Business Strategy: Design Culture of Olivetti in Ivrea, Italy,” 2002.

The MacDowell, Peterborough, NH. 
Resident Fellow in Architecture, Fall 2002.