Research · 300 projects
The research matrix, layer by layer
Five systems, each analyzed with the same methods so that findings can be compared across domains instead of read in isolation.
The framework
One spine, five systems
Methods, models and metrics form the vertical spine of the matrix. The five systems form the horizontal one. Every project sits at an intersection of the two.
Existing state
- Energy
- Mobility
- Cities
- Food
- Water
Enhanced state
Sustainable Systems
Research mission
The CSS research team — faculty, research staff and students — works through four linked activities. Select one to see what it produces.
Develop dynamic models and sustainability metrics.
Transformation mechanisms
- Technology
- Design
- Behavior
- Markets
- Policy
Applied with stakeholders and collaborators across business, government, NGOs, the public and academia.
01 · Energy
Energy Systems
Energy sits underneath every other system on the matrix. Center research applies life cycle assessment and systems modeling to generation, storage and end-use technologies so that decisions about the grid, buildings and vehicles can be compared on consistent terms rather than in isolation.
- Life cycle assessment of generation and storage technologies
- Grid and end-use interactions
- Energy demand in buildings and transportation
02 · Mobility
Mobility Systems
Mobility research at the Center connects vehicle design and materials with fuels, infrastructure and the way people actually travel. Electrification is examined together with the upstream materials and downstream end-of-life questions it creates, so trade-offs surface early instead of after deployment.
- Vehicle and battery life cycle analysis
- Materials and lightweighting trade-offs
- Fuels, infrastructure and travel demand
03 · Cities
Urban Systems & Built Environment
Buildings and infrastructure lock in decades of energy and material flows. Center research looks at the built environment as a system of stocks and flows — construction materials, building operation, retrofits and urban form — to identify where interventions produce the largest and most durable improvements.
- Building materials and construction life cycle
- Retrofit and operational energy strategies
- Urban form, infrastructure and material stocks
04 · Food
Food Systems
Food connects agriculture to water, energy and waste. Center research follows food from production through distribution, consumption and loss, making the environmental consequences of dietary and supply-chain choices visible alongside the resource systems they depend on.
- Life cycle analysis of food production and supply chains
- Diet, consumption and food loss
- Food, energy and water interdependencies
05 · Water
Water Systems
Water systems carry both resource and risk. Center research examines supply, treatment and reuse alongside stormwater and flooding, connecting infrastructure decisions to energy use, climate exposure and the communities that depend on the network.
- Water supply, treatment and reuse
- Stormwater, flooding and climate risk
- Water–energy interdependencies
