atelier aL Research Statement:

My interests focus on the interconnectivity of architecture, public space, cultural identity, and diverse social interactions. My built work explores how underutilized urban space can be reclaimed through performative and interactive design interventions that facilitate a social need. My speculative work examines questions of future urban and community development based on research, collaborations, and observations. Questions of how architecture and public space can combine to affect cultural, ritualistic, group, and individual norms are regularly addressed in the work I produce.

In my practice in Oklahoma City I focus on highly crafted, speculative and/or realized, public space, art, and design projects. Through my work and teaching I have a developed a broad range of expertise in public space design, entrepreneurial practice models, alternative project financing, community engagement strategies, and multi-disciplinary design collaborations. My projects utilize large numbers of community volunteers, have raised over $200k from crowd source and grant funding, engaged with multiple schools and non-profits in the development of public placemaking projects, and have received state AIA awards and design publication recognition. My studio fills a unique role in contemporary practice and my projects are consistently expanding into larger scale opportunities. Through interactions with arts commissions, planning departments, city councils, and a diverse range of public interest groups I have gained valuable insight into projects in the public sphere.

       
This work has ignited my curiosity about how disparate groups and individuals understand, utilize, and view public space. I am specifically interested in the relationship between architecture and human empathy. How can our design vocabulary help us understand and publicly share with one another our feelings and perceptions about each other and the places we live? Through projects and design process I attempt to redefine what constitutes public space and why these places are important for communities, activists, and social movements. This is a multi-faceted process that is both practical and a way to critically investigate the possibility of architecture for everyone. Whether it be collaborating with local 501c3 organizations to develop and design a tiny home community serving mothers of minor children who are facing non-violent felony charges in Oklahoma County, working with a team of real estate developers to conceptualize a multi-million dollar live/work and entertainment district next to Oklahoma City’s new Scissortail Park, or partnering with Creative Oklahoma to develop and implement the Creative Communities Initiative that engaged nine municipalities and provided the resources, training, and education to make their communities more livable, the basis of this work is a process of investigation and analysis followed by the application of relevant and effective design strategies.

Through teaching, research, projects, and direct collaboration with communities on public art initiatives my curiosity about what public space is and how we envision our future communities has consistently expanded into new territory.