← Back to Index
IDNE 702 Introduction to Neuroengineering

Neuroengineering Research Center
Design Project Timeline

A 13-week journey from discovery to proposal, designing a neuroscience-informed research facility

Discovery (1-3)
Programming (4-6)
Concept (7-9)
Design (10-11)
Delivery (12-13)
Week 1 · Jan 14 Project Launch & Team Formation
▼
Student Tasks
Instructor Actions
  • Deliver opening class on project scope and expectations
  • Provide reading list on neuroscience-informed architecture (see links in week 5)
  • Invite stakeholder (Nicole Bentley) for guest lecture
  • Conduct team formation exercise and help class choose their project focus
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
40%
40%
20%
Team formation Literature research Project scoping
Week 2 · Jan 21 Stakeholder Analysis & Site Research
▼
Student Tasks
  • Identify all stakeholder groups (PIs, postdocs, grad students, technicians, clinicians, patients, admin)
  • Create stakeholder personas with needs and pain points (use worksheet & rubric)
  • Research specific building/site constraints
  • Develop interview questions for real stakeholders
Instructor Actions
  • Arrange access to actual building plans/specs if available (Alex can provide?)
  • Connect students with 2-3 real PIs or researchers to interview.
  • Provide rubric for stakeholder analysis
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
30%
40%
30%
Stakeholder mapping Site research Interview prep
Week 3 · Jan 28 Benchmarking & Case Studies Milestone
▼
Student Tasks
  • Complete deep-dive case studies of 3-4 existing centers
  • Analyze what works and what doesn't in each
  • Conduct stakeholder interviews
  • Synthesize findings into initial insights document
Instructor Actions
Events
  • Meet with Nicole Bently, Director of the CNBCI
Time Division
40%
30%
30%
Case studies Interviews Synthesis
Week 4 · Feb 4 Space Programming
▼
Student Tasks
  • Define space types: wet labs, dry labs, computational, clinical areas
  • Include shared equipment rooms (MRI, EEG, surgery suites)
  • Estimate square footage requirements for each space
  • Create adjacency diagrams (what needs to be near what?)
  • Begin equipment inventory
Instructor Actions
  • Invite a lab manager or facilities director as guest speaker
  • Provide templates for space programming documents
  • Discuss safety/regulatory requirements (BSL levels, clinical compliance)
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
50%
30%
20%
Space definition Adjacency analysis Equipment inventory
Week 5 · Feb 11 Neuroscience-Informed Design Principles
▼
Student Tasks
Instructor Actions
  • Lecture on environmental neuroscience research
  • Invite an architect with healthcare/research experience
  • Facilitate cross-team sharing of insights
Events
  • Meet at solar house
  • Kent Anderson will be our guest
Time Division
50%
30%
20%
Research & principles Application to program Team synthesis
Week 6 · Feb 18 Constraints & Requirements Synthesis Major Milestone
▼
Student Tasks
  • Compile all requirements into formal Program of Requirements (POR)
  • Identify tensions and tradeoffs (open collaboration vs. quiet focus)
  • Create preliminary budget framework
  • Define success metrics for the design
Instructor Actions
  • Review Program of Requirements in detail
  • Provide feedback before design phase begins
  • Discuss feasibility and scope adjustments if needed
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
40%
30%
30%
Documentation Tradeoff analysis Budget & metrics
Week 7 · Feb 25 Concept Generation
▼
Student Tasks
  • Generate 3-4 distinct floor plan concepts
  • Use bubble diagrams before detailed layouts
  • Each concept emphasizes different priorities (collaboration vs. flexibility vs. clinical)
  • Focus on ideas, not polish—sketch-level work is fine
Instructor Actions
  • Provide floor plan templates or base drawings
  • Facilitate a "pin-up" critique session with team
  • Encourage wild ideas—this is divergent thinking time
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
60%
20%
20%
Concept generation Internal critique Documentation
Week 8 · Mar 4 Concept Evaluation
▼
Student Tasks
  • Develop evaluation criteria based on design principles and requirements
  • Score each concept against criteria
  • Get feedback from peers and stakeholders
  • Select 1-2 concepts to develop further
Instructor Actions
  • Teach decision matrices and evaluation frameworks
  • Arrange for real stakeholder feedback session (PIs, clinicians)
  • Guide teams through difficult tradeoffs
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
30%
40%
30%
Criteria development Evaluation & scoring Stakeholder feedback
Week 9 · Mar 11 Hybrid Development Mid-Project Review
▼
Student Tasks
  • Combine best elements from evaluated concepts
  • Develop more detailed floor plans (to scale)
  • Begin specifying key systems: HVAC, electrical, data infrastructure
  • Specify specialty equipment placement
  • Consider phasing and flexibility for future growth
Instructor Actions
  • Conduct mid-project review and provide detailed feedback
  • Invite an MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineer if possible
  • Discuss realistic constraints and course corrections
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
50%
30%
20%
Floor plan refinement Systems specification Phasing planning
Week 10 · Mar 18 Detailed Design
▼
Student Tasks
  • Finalize floor plans with furniture layouts
  • Develop 3D visualizations or renderings (SketchUp, etc.)
  • Detail 2-3 "signature" spaces (collaboration hub, flagship lab, clinical suite)
  • Specify materials, finishes, and key equipment
Instructor Actions
  • Provide visualization tools/resources
  • Offer individual team consultations
  • Connect with architecture students if available for rendering help
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
50%
30%
20%
Floor plan finalization Visualization Signature spaces
Week 11 · Mar 25 Budget & Implementation Planning
▼
Student Tasks
  • Develop rough cost estimates ($/SF for different space types)
  • Create implementation timeline
  • Identify risks and mitigation strategies
  • Develop operational considerations (staffing, governance)
Instructor Actions
  • Provide cost benchmarks for research space
  • Discuss real-world implementation challenges
  • Review budget assumptions with each team
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
40%
30%
30%
Budget development Timeline & phasing Risk & operations
Week 12 · Apr 1 Proposal Document
▼
Student Tasks
  • Compile all work into professional proposal document
  • Include: Executive Summary, Vision, Space Program, Floor Plans, Budget, Timeline
  • Peer review within team
  • Refine based on feedback
Instructor Actions
  • Provide proposal template/structure
  • Facilitate peer review process
  • Office hours for final questions
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
60%
20%
20%
Document compilation Peer review Revision
Week 13 · Apr 8 Final Presentations Final Milestone
▼
Student Tasks
  • Prepare 15-20 minute presentation
  • Practice and refine delivery
  • Present to panel (stakeholders, administrators, external reviewers)
  • Revise proposal based on feedback
Instructor Actions
  • Assemble review panel (Dean, PIs, facilities staff, external architects)
  • Coordinate logistics for presentation day
  • Lead reflection/debrief discussion
  • Celebrate accomplishments! 🎉
Events
  • No events scheduled
Time Division
60%
40%
Presentation prep Presentations & feedback

Attention Networks

Design quiet zones and manage visual complexity to support focused work and reduce cognitive load.

Default Mode Network

Create informal spaces that allow for incubation, mind-wandering, and creative insights.

Social Cognition

Design collision spaces with visual transparency to foster serendipitous collaboration.

Circadian Rhythms

Maximize daylight access and use tunable artificial lighting to support healthy sleep-wake cycles.

Stress Response

Incorporate biophilic design elements and balance prospect (open views) with refuge (protected spaces).

Spatial Navigation

Create intuitive wayfinding with clear landmarks and reduce cognitive load in circulation.