Professor Bermudez’s teaching and research are focused in architectural phenomenology, the development of voluntary architectural simplicity (VAS), and the relationship between architecture, culture and spirituality. He has lectured, led symposia, and published articles in these areas nationally and internationally. Current projects include a fMRI study of architecturally induced contemplative states at the Utah Brain Institute, the continuous analysis of results from a massive survey on profound phenomenologies of place, work on a book manuscript on the architectural extraordinary, and a campus-wide initiative on Spirituality in scholarship teaching, and service. Bermudez co-founded the Forum for Architecture, Culture and Spirituality in 2007.

Prior to this work and until 2005, Dr. Bermudez efforts unfolded around two areas: (1) the pedagogic investigation of design process and digital media, and (2) the application of architectural concepts and methods to the interdisciplinary design of data environments. The result of this work included the analog-digital design method and theory (influencing many teachers and researchers worldwide), a successful information visualization research across multiple domains (attracting over $4.5M in funding), and a very extensive number of lectures, workshops, and publications both in the U.S. and abroad.

Professor Bermudez has received several national and international recognitions including the 1998 AIA Education Honors Award, the 2004-05 ACSA Creative Achievement Award, the 2005 Premio Trayectoria Creativa Arturo Montagu (SiGraDi), and the 2006 ACADIA Award for Teaching Excellence.