Research Labs
Design research for social and environmental justice.
Systems change cannot happen without cultural change. MASS is bringing design to bear on the most pressing issues of social and environmental justice. We're developing the research, partnerships, and ideas that catalyze this change.
Labs focus on challenges to which MASS can be a unique contributor, often in topic areas where design is not commonly considered a potent agent of change. The most successful projects we have supported are those that facilitate cross-sector collaboration and build domain expertise beyond the building.
Public Memory and Memorials Lab
How can spatializing memory support healing and inspire collective action for generations to come?
Fringe Cities Design Lab
How can design catalyze investment in small American cities on the fringe between urban and rural?
Food Systems Design Lab
How can our food systems be redesigned to value social, economic, and environmental justice?
Restorative Justice Design Lab
Designing decarceration and investing in restorative justice.
Sustainable Native Communities Design Lab
Closing the wealth gap in Indian Country.
Deaf Space and Disability Justice Design Lab
How can design advance Deaf Spaces, uphold disability justice, and uplift cultural memory?