The Multi-Skilled Designer: A Cognitive Foundation for Inclusive Architectural Thinking

The Multi-Skilled Designer presents and analyzes different approaches to contemporary architectural design and interprets them through the theory of multiple intelligences. The book establishes a systematic framework that uses the lens of cognitive psychology and developments in psychometric and brain research to analyze the unique cognitive thought processes of architectural designers and compiles design projects that could serve as a pedagogical companion for the reader. The book is aimed at design practitioners and students interested in examining their own thinking styles as well as those involved in design cognition research.

Newton D’souza is Associate Professor and Chair at the Department of Interior Architecture, Florida International University, Miami. He has previously served as Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of Architectural Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia. He has published extensively in the areas of design cognition, environment-behavior studies, and emerging media environments for design. Over the past 20 years, he has practiced as a professional architect, interior designer, and educator and was a recipient of 2014 Ernest L. Boyer International Award for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology.