Associate Professor Julio Bermudez joined the CUA School of Architecture and Planning in Fall 2010 to direct the Cultural Studies and Sacred Space graduate concentration program. He holds a Master's in Architecture and a Ph.D. in Education degrees from the University of Minnesota. He has been teaching architectural design, theory and representation for over 25 years.
Dr. Bermudez’s teaching and research are focused in architectural phenomenology, the development of voluntary architectural simplicity (VAS), and the relationship between architecture, culture and spirituality. He has lectured, led symposia, and published articles in these areas nationally and internationally. Current projects include a fMRI study of architecturally induced contemplative states at the Utah Brain Institute, the continuous analysis of results from a massive survey on profound phenomenologies of place, and work on a book manuscript on the architectural extraordinary. His edited volume "Transcending Architecture. Contemporary Views on Sacred Space” published by CUA Press is scheduled for release in Fall 2014. Bermudez co-founded the Forum for Architecture, Culture and Spirituality in 2007
Prior to this work, professor Bermudez efforts unfolded around two areas: (1) the pedagogic investigation of design process and digital media, and (2) the application of architectural concepts and methods to the interdisciplinary design of data environments. The result of this work included the analog-digital design method and theory (influencing many teachers and researchers worldwide), a successful information visualization research across multiple domains (attracting nearly $5M in funding), and a very extensive number of lectures, workshops, and publications both in the U.S. and abroad.
Bermudez has received several national and international recognitions including the 1998 AIA Education Honors Award, the 2004-05 ACSA Creative Achievement Award, the 2005 Arturo Montagu Creative Career Prize bestowed by SiGraDi (Latin American organization), the 2006 ACADIA Award for Teaching Excellence, and the 2010 Sasada Award for his sustained and significant international record of scholarship and service (conferred by CAADRIA, Asia).