DIRECTED RESEARCH

LANGUAGE + ARCHITECTURE + EDUCATION + URBANISM

I like to think that I was introduced to architecture through language. I have always loved to read, and in another life I might have possibly been a reclusive writer or a hostess of a literary salon. My first serious dive into language was an independent study in high school about the beat generation of poetry. I was taken with this idea that each generation has their own language. In my undergraduate studies I conducted a thesis on a later generation of poets, the graffiti writers of 1970s New York. I questioned the authenticity of its continuation in the present day in the form of murals, beautification, and community involvement. Painted walls are ultimately a communication; between public and private space, the voices of citizens to the voices of architects, urban planners and politicians that shape their city. The layering and ephemerality of art on the street is a testament to the ever nascent identity of a city.

I took the opportunity to continue my research into language and its relationship to architecture during my graduate studies at Pratt. Language and cities are generally thought of and written about as two great achievements of humankind. What do we destroy when we reconstruct the Tower of Babel? Is the consequence of this privilege and power ultimately loneliness? In the words of Jorge Luis Borges’ steward of the unending Library of Babel: “if an eternal traveler were to cross it in any direction, after centuries he would see that the same volumes were repeated in the same disorder (which, thus repeated, would be an order: the Order). My solitude is gladdened by this elegant hope” (1964, 59). If the richness of biodiversity disappears, if the richness of languages fades into a singular global one, what happens to their architectures?

The biology and evolution of language, the trouble we have in thinking about it philosophically and the ease we have with using it as an analogy: all are aspects of language that play with each other and affect my way of understanding the role it plays in architecture and design. How do the implicit ways we think about language and ecosystems affect how we think about the possibilities of our city? Too often, our designs as architects are put out with a fair amount of research and a hope to serve a community, but without any real engagement with that community (without actually speak- ing to them, asking them what they want). The result is architecture that is presumptuous and bound to get something wrong. It is imperative to try again.

Recognizing that architecture is ultimately a language and that language means communication. Communication is the key to all relationships and I believe that all design should start with an open and honest conversation. It is important to understand what drives a client, as well as being in touch with my own motivations. I am motivated by curiosity and creativity. I want to see a world that is more balanced, peaceful, and flexible. Architecture has an important role in the steps towards a more just and equitable society and it is my goal to always be taking steps in the right direction. I am dedicated to serving my communities not just through design but by giving time and resources to other lifelines: green spaces, youthful spaces, and spaces where democratic dialogue occurs.

I am interested in the intersections of language, architecture, urbanism and education. Education is the key to freedom, and as bell hooks said, “to educate is the practice of freedom.” I have been so fortunate in my life to have received a great education, and I began in graduate school to research inequalities in education, especially in the public education system in New York City. Through experiences working as a teaching assistant at the Consortium for Research and Robotics and an elective study at Pratt on the public school system I was able to learn more about students’ experiences and provide resources to technology and introduce relationships between the students and mentors.

I think a lot about what makes a good teacher and student. Autonomy, collaboration and critical thinking, but above all communication is key to creating engaging and inspiring relationships. How to have uncomfortable conversations, how to speak to someone different from yourself, these are important lessons often learned in school. Not to mention everything we learn in languages unspoken.