Flavia Grey, Ph.D., has been hired to lead the firmwide data and research and development group at ZGF. Based in the Seattle, Washington office, Grey will partner with clients and project teams to incorporate data-driven decision making into all phases of design.
As a Stanford University researcher, Grey has authored a variety of peer-reviewed studies examining the connection between building design, sustainability, well-
being and productivity. At ZGF, she will help strengthen designs with occupancy evaluations, space utilization studies and other project-specific and firmwide research initiatives.
Grey is deploying machine-learning algorithms to spot trends in the data being collected by project teams. She is also implementing pre-occupancy evaluations for longtime client Seattle Children’s Hospital. Like many hospitals in constrained urban environments, Seattle Children’s is moving administrative functions off its main campus to make space for critical clinical functions. With the relocation of key departments, the hospital has embarked on a long-range plan to address its rapid growth. ZGF’s plan engages staff in the process of change and collects the data needed to ensure the design of spaces is aligned with established ways of working.
