Vivid red, pale blue, and deep teal paints were being carefully brushed onto a central wall as more than 500 members of the Pratt community and beyond walked through this year’s Research Open House 2025 at the Research Yard, Pratt’s dedicated space for applied creative research in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The live work, “Fractal Jungles” by Leo Santangelo, BFA Communications Design (Illustration) ’28, and Adam Arredouani, BID ’28, symbolized the imaginative unfolding of ideas occurring throughout the public event on April 24 as students, faculty, and staff displayed and discussed nearly 60 innovative projects in research, advocacy, scholarship, and community.
Pratt’s Research Open House has been organized by the Office of Research and Strategic Partnerships in the Provost’s Office since 2018 to showcase the breadth and variety of research taking place at Pratt, including the work of Pratt’s Provost’s Centers and IDC Research Accelerators.
This year’s event included four major themes, all with an emphasis on the merger of art and applied discovery—Experiential Health and Technology, Urban Community Design, Innovation in Industry, and Artificial Intelligence in Creative Practice—and featured projects spanning topics such as alternative construction materials, interactive learning environments, and sound altering installations meant to moderate stimuli. Exhibits from community and industry partners such as Design Works High School and DeAndra Craigman Studios and Base Ceramics for Made in NYC, as well as university peers including The New School, Syracuse University, and Lehigh University, demonstrated the growing reach and impact of the Research Yard. Four projects were awarded honors for excellence in the categories of Community Engagement, Innovation and Design, Industry Impact, and Excellence in Research.
“This year the Research Open House welcomed University, Industry, and Community exhibitors, serving as a venue for the critical bridge between research and commercialization further supporting discovery and development in design scholarship,” said Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Partnerships Eliana Abu-Hamdi. “The Research Yard, host to the event, is a facility that allows for prototyping, production, conventional making, and convenings, as well as applied research. The Research Open House is an impressive representation of the breadth of discovery and scholarship at Pratt.”
Excellence in Community Engagement Award
The Excellence in Community Engagement Award went to Climate Stories by Swati Piparsania, assistant professor of Industrial Design. This “mobile educational platform is designed to foster environmental awareness and responsibility through play-based learning and interactive storytelling for students aged 6-10 in NYC public schools.” Piparsania designed a colorful cart that can go from class to class, introducing students to fun games and props that break down complex climate concepts such as environmental stewardship, climate migration, and carbon footprints. These props “bring stories to life, fostering hands-on learning and interactive engagement.
Excellence in Innovation and Design Award
The Excellence in Innovation and Design Award went to COSMOS by Peter Sim, AICAD post-graduate teaching fellow in Industrial Design. COSMOS is an elegant, ornate wooden and bejeweled chair that includes more than 400 parts “assembled together, blending different styles from different times, and combining digital and analog craftsmanship.” Sim was inspired by the Brooklyn micro-manufacturing movement and employed woodworking, custom CNC, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence throughout the design and construction process.
Excellence in Industry Impact Award
The Excellence in Industry Impact went to Insulative Felted Lint Textiles by Lily Allen, BID ’25, who transformed dryer lint collected from New York City laundromats into a versatile textile that can be used for fashion, outdoor gear, and home goods. Allen employed felting, quilting, and encapsulation techniques to hold lint scraps together to function as insulation. The sheer nature of the prototype garment means the various and multicolored pieces of lint can be seen within. In this way, the project both serves as a reminder of the ongoing waste crisis and points to sustainable solutions.
Excellence in Research Award
The Excellence in Research Award went to the Pratt Center for Community Development for its multifaceted work improving the affordability and sustainability of NYC’s small homes alongside their community partners Cypress Hills LDC and IMPACCT. The Pratt Center team presented their recent report Flipping Out, which documents the impacts of home-flipping in New York City from 2019-2023, and their long-term EnergyFit program, which helps low-income family buildings in NYC transition to clean energy and reduce their overall energy consumption.
Explore some of the projects that were on display at Research Open House 2025, and learn more about research at Pratt.