Establishment of Initial Exploratory Research for the Mycelium Research Group
Principal Investigator. Research focusing on establishing a foundation of initial experimental work for the Mycelium Research Group (MRG). The MRG will conduct interdisciplinary mycelium-based research across a range of exploratory applications with commercialization potential. In collaboration with Jeongmin Ahn, Zhao Qin, and Nina Sharifi.

Professor Park’s current research focuses on developing advanced building envelope systems for thermal and structural performance. The key research projects for the 2017 Faculty Fellows include: 1) the design and optimization of the building envelope air channels and cavities for adaptive thermal control; 2) the highly-customizable and ultra-lightweight joints for building envelope structures using topology optimization and 3d printed composites; and 3) the thermal design of masonry blocks (e.g. ceramic, concrete, gypsum) for thermal performance augmentation.

Professor Park is currently working on a project to develop a compact modular habitat prototype using retired shipping containers. The key strategies that will be utilized are flexible planning (for both modules and assembly) to overcome the limited module size; and high-performance envelope and services design for minimum environmental footprint and maximum indoor environmental quality. This research can potentially serve as a platform for integrating the wide range of research conducted at SyracuseCoE for creating affordable, pleasant, and compact habitats with low environmental footprint.