Marcel Harmon

About Marcel Harmon

Placing people first with a little help from anthropology, engineering, building science,…

Experience

1. Research and Development Lead, Associate Principal

   BranchPattern

   Aug 2007 — Present

   I lead the Research and Development team of BranchPattern, a high performance building consultancy firm. I believe that truly effective and sustainable commissioning, O&M, design and construction require a thorough understanding of the human element – the highly contextual mix of needs, behaviors and relationships that influence building operations and performance. As an anthropologist and engineer I\'m excited to see and be a part of the industry’s increasing recognition that building and occupant performance, as well as occupant health, suffer when human factors aren’t adequately addressed. R&D Team Mission: BranchPattern R&D team supports the firm in achieving its 2030 Vision through Bridging Research with Practice. We leverage evidence to shift the focus of our industry to place people first, both direct and indirectly via environmental stewardship. We conduct, synthesize, and streamline access to research about buildings and their inhabitants, and support the firm’s human centered design process. And at BranchPattern, people are at the core of everything we think, create and do. We are a building consultancy dedicated to creating better built environments through our many interwoven specialisms. Our beliefs are rooted in nature which has taught us that true sustainability sits at the intersection of human experience and environmental stewardship. We remain committed to our roots in sustainability and are excited to shift the focus to people with our unique Human-Centered Design approach. Everything we do and why we do it is guided by our longstanding purpose of Improving Life through Better Built Environments. Our name is inspired by the natural environment that lives all around us. Humanity is innately drawn to these elegant and efficient fractals. This deep connection is represented throughout mankind’s history of science, art, engineering and architecture. Upon closer look, the buildings and infrastructure we help create are full of BranchPatterns.

Education

• The University of New Mexico

  M.A.; Ph.D., Anthropology

  1996 — 2005

• Kansas State University

  Bachelors of Science, Anthropology

  1986 — 1991

• Kansas State University

  Bachelors of Science, Architectural Engineering

Skills

• Energy Efficiency
• Ethnography
• Interdisciplinary Research
• Cultural Transmission
• Post Occupancy Evaluations
• Writing
• Leed Ap
• Cultural Anthropology
• Applied Anthropology
• Statistics
• Sustainability
• Leed
• Research
• Engineering
• Occupant / Building Interactions
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed)
• Data Analysis
• Energy Audits
• Green Building
• Anthropology
• Proposal Writing
• Lighting Design
• Sustainable Design