PRACTICE
Delivering innovation needed to meet contemporary demands in the built environment.
The building professions are moving beyond traditional models of practice, with new entrepreneurial possibilities for startups, innovation incubators, and integrated practices. Since its founding, CASE has been translating climate and building-related innovations into real-world applications, and building professional partnerships to contribute to impactful projects through built project and community-focused design and development.
We deliver building innovation that combines traditional practice, scientific methods, and tech entrepreneurship. Training and experience in practice innovation is provided at CASE as part of the architectural undergraduate and graduate programs at Rensselaer, internships with CASE partners, and professional certificates for working professionals and startup founders.
Entrepreneurship
CASE is a leading center in built environment and cleantech entrepreneurship. Building and climate focused entrepreneurship is a top area for startups and an expanding focus of interest by venture capital. CASE provides student and faculty entrepreneurs with resources to develop and expand their research-based practices into impactful applications and ventures. Our programs produce active built environment technology startups both in New York City and upstate.
Professional Partnerships
CASE benefits from its close proximity to- and relationships with- New York City’s globally prominent built environment professional, construction and real estate communities. The building industries are undertaking ongoing disruption through new technologies and socioeconomic conditions in ways that continue to provide an ongoing context for innovation and translation. Our established partnerships create a symbiotic relationship where practicing professionals can mentor our students and support research that in turn contributes to the success and impact of their work.
Community Engagement
Community based research, development and engagement a major channel for CASE’s impact and scaling. Our built environment research, technical expertise and built projects can be applied directly into communities to impact the lives of community citizens and their physical environments. This work is mutually beneficial both for CASE and community partners. Over the past three years CASE has significantly expanded its work on community based projects such as the Guild House Revitalization, NYCHA Community Center, The HIVE Park in Albany, and the FOCUS Lab. For these notable projects CASE contributed research and design for, cost-effective retrofits, historic preservation, public housing improvements, development and programming for public spaces and more.
