WHO

The RIAD (Research Institute for Advanced Design) was founded by SPIRACLE DESIGN ARCHITECTS INC. as a vehicle to mobilize the competency of design professionals and channel this competency through different project types. The objective of this initiative is to create a platform of cross- and interdisciplinary interaction between specialty consultants, industry suppliers, design professionals and internationally trained professionals. By having this atmosphere of collaboration the professionalism of each is raised and channels of communication are established to advance the experience and disseminate the available knowledge to achieve state-of-art cutting edge expertise in each field.

WHY

Very few professionals get the opportunity to work on specialized projects and therefore their experience is mostly limited to commercial and residential work. In order to have well-rounded experience in different project types, the RIAD institute provides the opportunity for professionals to team up and work on specialized project types that would not be otherwise readily available. In doing so, RIAD catalyzes the interaction of project team members and promotes career development for both locally and internationally trained professionals to surpass the limited project scopes that they were used to be limited to. This platform of collaboration reflects the real life situation to which project team members are exposed during the execution of design projects. In this way, RIAD’s focus on the practical application of design criteria uniquely distinguishes itself from traditional educational institutions which rely solely on academic curricula.

HOW

RIAD follows a rigorous mechanism that stems from the belief that the best way to swim is to start inside deep waters. The design professional is immersed deeply into specialized project design parameters and is supported by interaction with team members, peers, consultants, industry specialists, local authorities and advocate organizations. The learning process is exponential and there is a continuous feedback loop that informs and educates in a timely purposeful manner in order to complete the project within the desired schedule, budget and technical quality.

WHERE

By working on the project design remotely through a networking platform the design professional (trainee) can develop project experience through the RIAD program without sacrificing day-time working hours to provide for family needs. The design professional (trainee) meets occasionally at pre-determined project milestones to coordinate and document project progress through a constructive collaborative process.