Design refers to something intentionally created by a thinking agent, and the term is also often used to describe the inherent character or nature of an object or space. Transformed Environments: Paper Informing Design examines the many ways paper shapes—and is shaped by—our built environment. The built environment encompasses all human-made or modified structures and surroundings that support daily life, offering places to live, work, and connect. The design of these indoor and outdoor spaces plays a vital role in public health by influencing movement, social engagement, and the quality of the environments we inhabit. 

This exhibition asks: 

• How does paper shape the way we think about design and communicate design concepts?
• How does paper inform the solutions we imagine for design challenges?
• How has paper influenced the public’s understanding and expectations of the built environment?
• Where does paper physically appear within the materials we use to construct the world around us?

As visitors move through the galleries, these questions unfold through four themes: paper as a representational tool, paper as symbolic form, paper as building material, and paper as a source of current research at GA Tech. This exhibition focuses on paper as it shapes the spaces we live and work in.