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Lisa Tucker

Lisa Tucker, Department Head

Julia Beamish
Lisa Tucker, Department Head

Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management
240 Wallace Hall
Blacksburg, VA
540-231-8881 | ltucker@vt.edu

Lisa M. Tucker, PhD is a licensed architect, NCIDQ and Virginia Certified Interior Designer, and holds both LEED BD + C and WELL professional accreditations. She is a professor at Virginia Tech and teaches courses on biophilic and sustainable design and upper level design studios. She holds degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from the University of Virginia and a PhD from the University of Missouri—Columbia in Architectural Studies. Dr. Tucker was honored as the 2016 IIDA Educator of the Year as well as by Design Intelligence as one of the Most Admired Design Educators in 2010 and 2017.

  1. Green Building and Sustainability
  2. Historic Preservation
  3. Biophilic Design
  4. Interior Design for Wellness
  5. Architectural History
  • B.S. Architecture, University of Virginia
  • M.Arch. History, University of Virginia
  • Certificate of Historic Preservation, University of Virginia
  • Ph.D., Architectural Studies, University of Missouri
  • Head, Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, Virginia Tech
  • Professor, School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech 
  • Program Chair, School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech
  • Associate Professor, School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech
  • Graduate Program Coordinator, Interior Design Program, Virginia Tech
  • 2021 | William E. Wine Award for Teaching Excellence, Virginia Tech (University wide award)
  • 2020 | MOST ADMIRED DESIGN EDUCATOR, Design Intelligence (in 2019)
  • 2019 | MOST ADMIRED DESIGN EDUCATOR (1 of 25), Design Intelligence (in 2018)
  • 2018 | MOST ADMIRED DESIGN EDUCATOR (1 of 25), Design Intelligence (in 2017)
  • 2018 | CAREER ADVISING AWARD, Virginia Tech Office of Advising (only one given-student nominated) 
  • 2016 | IIDA Educator of the Year, National Teaching Award
  • 2016 | NOMINATED by Virginia Tech for the Cherry Award for Great Teaching (National) 
  • 2016| FAVORITE FACULTY AWARD, Virginia Tech
  • 2015 | POLSKY PRIZE RECIPIENT, nominated by Fairchild Books for Sustainable Building Systems and Construction for Designers (2nd edition)
  • 2014 | NOMINATED by Virginia Tech for the Cherry Award for Great Teaching (National) 
  • 2013 | INDUCTED INTO THE ACADEMY OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE, Virginia Tech
  • 2013 | ALUMNI AWARD OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE, Virginia Tech
  • 2011| FAVORITE FACULTY AWARD, Virginia Tech
  • 2011| UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE, College of Architecture and Urban Studies 
  • 2010 | POLSKY PRIZE NOMINATION, nominated by Fairchild Books for Sustainable Building Systems and Construction for Designers
  • 2010 | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Tech
  • 2010 | MOST ADMIRED DESIGN EDUCATOR (1 of 25), Design Intelligence
  • 2009 | TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD Virginia Tech, College of Architecture and Urban Studies 
  • 2009 | VSAIA PRIZE FOR DESIGN RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP, Virginia Society American Institute of Architects 2009 | SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech
  • 2008 | BEST PAPER PRESENTATION, “Privacy and Competition in the Interior Design Studio: The Hidden Curriculum,” Interior Design Educators Council, South Regional Meeting, October 22-25, 2008.
  • 2008 |NEW FACULTY TEACHING AWARD Virginia Tech, School of Architecture + Design
  • 2007 |BEST PAPER PRESENTATION, “The Legacy of the Ecole des Beaux Arts: Interior Design Education,” Interior Design Educator’s Council, South Region.
  • 2007 |GOLDEN KEY INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTEE, University of Missouri-Columbia Chapter for outstanding academic achievement.
  • 2005 | RUNNER-UP BEST PAPER PRESENTATION “The Design Model as an Instructional Tool,” Interior Design Educator’s Council South Regional Conference, Tallahassee, Florida,
  • 2004 | BEST PAPER PRESENTATION Sketching to Learn Teaching Forum presented at the Interior Design Educator’s Council South Regional Conference, High Point, NC.
  • 2003 |TEACHING EXCELLENCE Virginia Tech, Pan-Hellenic Council

Books

Tucker, L.M., 2010, 2014, 2021. Sustainable Building Systems and Construction for Designers. New York: Fairchild Books. (444 pages); 2nd expanded edition 2014 (3000+ copies sold; adopted at 34 Universities); 3rd Edition in press

Tucker, LM, 2019. [Arabic Translation] Sustainable Building Systems and Construction for Designers. New York: Bloomsbury Publishers with King Abdulaziz University Press. (352 pages); 2nd edition. 1000 copies.

Tucker, L.M., 2018. International Building Codes and Guidelines for Interior Designers. New York: Fairchild Books. (368 pages)

Tucker, L.M., 2015. American Architects and the Single Family House: Lessons Learned from the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau. New York and Oxford: Routledge, an imprint of Taylor Francis. (210 pages)

Tucker, L.M. 2014. Designing Commercial Interiors: Applying Sustainable Concepts and Practices. New York: Fairchild Books. (330 pages)

Marshall-Baker, A. and Tucker, L.M., 2012. Cradle to Cradle Home Design: Process and Experience. New York: Fairchild Books. (152 pages)

Journal Articles

Tucker, L.M., 2014. “The Labor Saving Kitchen: Sources of the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau,” Enquiry:

Architectural Research Center Consortium Journal. Vol. 11, No. 1, 52-63 http://www.arcc-journal.org/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/208

Tucker, L.M., 2012. “Transitional Spaces: Blurring the lines Between the Interior and Exterior,” Enquiry: Architectural Research Center Consortium Journal. Vol. 9: 1, 15-23

http://www.arcc-journal.org/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/63/63

Tucker, L.M., 2012. “Net Zero Housing: The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau and Contemporary Sustainable Single-Family Housing in the United States,” Journal of Interior Design, Vol. 37: 1, 1-15. (acceptance rate 33%) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joid.2012.37.issue-1/issuetoc

Tucker, L.M., 2009. “The Architects Small House Service Bureau and the American Institute of Architects” Enquiry: Architectural Research Center Consortium Journal, Vol 6, No. 2.

Book Chapters

Tucker, L. M., Vaux, D., & Wang, D. (2020). Historic Preservation: Case Studies in Interiority. In D. Vaux, & D. Wang (Eds.), Research Methods for Interior Design: Applying Interiority (pp. 67-86). New York and London: Routledge.

Tucker, L.M. 2014. “The Relationship Between Historic Preservation and Sustainability in Interior Design,” in Asher- Thompson, JoAnn and Blossom, Nancy (eds.) A Handbook for Interior Design. Oxford: John Wiley and Sons. (In Press)—7807 words

Tucker, L.M., 2013. “Living our World” in Poldma, Tiiu (ed.) Meanings of Design-Spaces. New York: Fairchild Books, pp. 431-433.

Tucker, L.M., 2013. “The Value of the Historic Perspective on Approaches to Development of Interior Space” in Poldma, Tiiu (ed.) Meanings of Design-Spaces. New York: Fairchild Books, pp. 185-189.

Tucker, L.M., 2010. “Environmental Responsibility and Interior Design Education” in Guerin, D. and Martin, C. (ed.s)

The State of the Interior Design Profession. New York: Fairchild Books, pp. 42-47.

Tucker, L.M. 2009. “Recent Environmental Perspectives on Interior Textiles” for Interior textiles: Design and Developments by Trevor Rowe (ed). Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing Limited, pp. 169-179.

Tucker, L.M., 2009. “Sustainability and Information Gathering” in Marsden, J. and Dickinson, J. (ed.s) Informed Design. New York: Fairchild Books, pp. 79-106.

Tucker, L.M., 2008. “Importance of sustainable design” for Interior Design: Practical; Strategies for Teaching and Learning Pable, J. and Ankerson, K. (eds.) New York: Fairchild Books. (Distributed to all Interior Design Educators Council Members at the 2008 IDEC International Conference in Montreal)

  • 2022 | Community Design Assistance Center, Campbell County Rosenwald School, ($10,000)
  • 2021 | Community Design Assistance Center, Critz VA Historic Buildings, ($10,000)
  • 2021 | Community Design Assistance Center, Saint Paul Ice House and Whiskey distillery Building co-PI ($10,000)
  • 2020 | Community Design Assistance Center, Grayson County HS/Visitor Center co-PI ($10,000)
  • 2019-2024 | Spencer Foundation $50,000 PI [under review]—IRB #19-1019
  • 2019 | | Community Design Assistance Center, Dante Steam Building, Dante VA, co-PI ($10,000)
  • 2018 | Community Design Assistance Center Grant Octagon House Marion, VA—co PI ($19,166) 2018 | Community Design Assistance Center Grant Mendota, VA—co PI ($29,200)
  • 2017 | Community Design Assistance Center Grant Dante, VA—co PI ($19,166)
  • 2017| ASID Transform Grant, ASID Foundation ($30,000) Technologies for Aging in Place with Elif Tural, Helene Renard, and Nancy Brossie
  • 2013 | Provost Online Course Development Grant, Virginia Tech, ($3911) 2010 | SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN, Research Grant ($1500)
  • 2009 | VIRGINIA TECH ICTAS “Sustainable Building Design Initiative” Grant ($186,000); $93K per year Co-Principal Investigator with Greg Tew (Interior Design); Dushan Boroyevich (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Fred Lee (Electrical and Computer Engineering)—2 years
  • 2009 | SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN, Research Grant ($1500)
  • 2008 | NUCKOLLS FUND Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant ($20,000): Awarded to create an introductory lighting program within interior design at Virginia Tech—4 years
  • 2008 | INTERIOR DESIGN EDUCATORS COUNCIL, Strategic Initiatives Grant ($2500): Awarded to create a sustainability manual for IDEC, completed summer 2008
  • 2008 | SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN, Research Grant ($1500)
  • 2008 | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN STUDIES, Equipment Grant ($2500): Awarded to purchase a piece of lighting equipment for use with design students.