Kendall College of Art and Design
(800) 676-2787
17 Fountain St. NW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Master of Architecture
Statement
Graduating from the Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program, my practice of architecture
centers on non-normative locales that are physical, social, and theoretically constructed.
After earning my Bachelor of Science in Art History in 2021, my love for social theory
and the visual arts serves as the foundation for how I approach and consider space.
I believe identity is at the forefront of design. My focus has largely been on queer
and fundamentally oppressed spaces, which has broadened the relevance of architectural
histories and design culture. This work aims to create narratives around how space
has impacted the construction of identity.
The greatest power in the work we create lies in the stories we tell, both verbally and physically. Continual and ever-evolving learning has allowed me to consider inclusive practices of space-making. My work investigates themes of belonging and the intersection of personal and collective histories. In 2023, I created an exhibition titled HOME, engaging with local West Michigan communities to uncover aspects of personal discovery, privacy, and comfort within LGBTQIA2S+ home environments. In 2024, I spent time in Los Angeles interviewing, collecting personal stories, and exploring the complexity of the home environment for those experiencing homelessness and housing cost burdening, furthering my insight into how space is navigated and that a home is not always defined by a white picket fence.
My thesis, HOUSE, HUMAN, HOME, focuses on three diverse populations of people who exist outside of Western dominant culture to rethink housing futures and find new meaning in the construct of 'home.' In reconceptualizing the future of housing based on individual and collective perspectives, HOUSE, HUMAN, HOME diverts from the social and cultural currency that housing carries, focusing instead on a utopian way of exploring housing through community-developed goals. The work I have started at Kendall College of Art and Design will continue into the next chapter of my life.
The greatest power in the work we create lies in the stories we tell, both verbally and physically. Continual and ever-evolving learning has allowed me to consider inclusive practices of space-making. My work investigates themes of belonging and the intersection of personal and collective histories. In 2023, I created an exhibition titled HOME, engaging with local West Michigan communities to uncover aspects of personal discovery, privacy, and comfort within LGBTQIA2S+ home environments. In 2024, I spent time in Los Angeles interviewing, collecting personal stories, and exploring the complexity of the home environment for those experiencing homelessness and housing cost burdening, furthering my insight into how space is navigated and that a home is not always defined by a white picket fence.
My thesis, HOUSE, HUMAN, HOME, focuses on three diverse populations of people who exist outside of Western dominant culture to rethink housing futures and find new meaning in the construct of 'home.' In reconceptualizing the future of housing based on individual and collective perspectives, HOUSE, HUMAN, HOME diverts from the social and cultural currency that housing carries, focusing instead on a utopian way of exploring housing through community-developed goals. The work I have started at Kendall College of Art and Design will continue into the next chapter of my life.
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 1
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 2
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 3
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 4
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 5
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 6
"Home" Exhibition Excerpt 7
The Hatfield Rendering 1
The Hatfield Rendering 2
The Hatfield Rendering 3
The Hatfield Rendering 4
The Hatfield Rendering 5
Presentation to Maryland SeaGrant, City of Cambridge
What my time at KCAD meant to me
I started my journey at Kendall College of Art and Design in 2004. Unsure of what
the future would hold, I have been able to explore and acquire a body of knowledge
that will forever shape how I see the world around me. Integrating social theory and
identity has enriched my perspectives on space-making. A deepening of intellectual
foundations, a commitment to social impact, the ability to explore identity and self
through space, and an engagement with the community have activated a new version of
myself that will continue to create impact.
It's not about who you meet along the journey, but how those interactions impact your future self. My time at Kendall College of Art and Design has largely been focused on community— a community that I have been a part of for some time and learning from experiences with others. Experiences from various backgrounds that have enriched how I learn and how I see the world around me.
In the moments when you feel the weight of a project or experience uncertainty, it is this very community that has uplifted and reaffirmed the reason we are all here: to learn, to grow, to be curious, and to explore new possibilities.
It's not about who you meet along the journey, but how those interactions impact your future self. My time at Kendall College of Art and Design has largely been focused on community— a community that I have been a part of for some time and learning from experiences with others. Experiences from various backgrounds that have enriched how I learn and how I see the world around me.
In the moments when you feel the weight of a project or experience uncertainty, it is this very community that has uplifted and reaffirmed the reason we are all here: to learn, to grow, to be curious, and to explore new possibilities.