Davis van Bakergem

Davis van Bakergem is a Research Fellow in the Center for Health Research and Design and is currently undertaking research related to the Loft Building of the Future. The essential question is: What form, qualities, and technology would a residential community have if it projected itself into the next decade and utilized features that anticipated the emergence of sophisticated AI in everyday life, the adoption of mobile robotics, and always-on, ubiquitous personal digital assistants and health-related sensors? Urban and building form may evolve; interior performance and feedback may be more integrated; equipment and appliances may join the Internet of Things.

Recently, as a Research Fellow in CHRD, van Bakergem assisted with the “Innovations in the Design of the Workplace: A Study of Workplace Design Strategies and Outcomes at BJC,” which involved surveys, observations, and focus groups to determine the performance of a new, innovative back office space for BJC’s operations.

In the mid-2000s, van Bakergem was a Senior Research Fellow at University of Missouri St. Louis’ History Department where he developed the Virtual City Project funded by NEH and IMLS ($1.2M). The Virtual City enabled users to travel back in virtual time and stroll the CBD streets in St. Louis from 1850 to 1950.

In the early 2000s, van Bakergem was Senior Campus Planner at the School of Medicine, Washington University. He planned and developed the schematic design for the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center on the campus of WUSM. The FLTC was completed in 2005 and provides a spatial link between the clinical and basic science department on either side of Euclid Avenue.

For two decades up to 2000, van Bakergem was the Director of the Urban Research and Design Center in the School of Architecture, Washington University. During that time, he completed numerous campus planning projects including the School for Design and Visual Arts, the School of Business, Sports and Recreation, as well as many campus landscaping and building projects. Moreover, he completed several outside funded projects related to urban design, historic preservation, and interactive digital media funded by NSF, NEA, City of St. Louis, and the Greensfelder Foundation.

In addition, van Bakergem was Acting Director of the Master of Architecture and Design program from 1979 to 1999 and taught studios and seminars courses for both the MUD and MArch programs.