I have been passionately working in affordable housing for many years - I started my career working on affordable housing in the Bay Area and then designing infill, scattered-site housing in New Haven. The Yale School of Architecture MArch I degree requires a semester-long program where student teams compete to...
Last year, right around the holidays, I heard the news of Richard Rogers' passing. A few days later, I woke to an incredibly vivid memory from thirty years ago when I was traveling through Europe between high school and college. We were visiting Paris, and it was my first time...
Earlier this year, Spitboy, one of the bands I played in during my college days, released our complete catalog in a double LP. We were an influential all-female, early 90's punk rock group, united by our righteous indignation at sexism, racism, and exploitation. I joined as the second bass...
An important consideration in what has been dubbed "The Great Resignation" is that one in four women has left the workforce largely due to the stresses of balancing home and work life during Covid. "The Atlantic" recently published this data with the estimation that this year has set the...
There are six applications of four strategies that we can apply to a new or existing building to achieve net-zero carbon. When combined with a lens toward Total Cost of Ownership, they can provide a cost-effective roadmap for building owners. Avoidance Operational Carbon avoidance. Embodied Carbon avoidance. Reduction Carbon...
As an architect and community member/advocate, I’ve been studying the issue of climate change for over two decades. These are three key steps that I believe would greatly benefit Kansas City on the path toward carbon neutrality and equity. 1. Climate change is impacting rainfall rates and frequency most in...
Yesterday I walked across the Crossroads, from our office at Central to my favorite shop, Christopher Elbow Chocolates. The walk is a brisk ten minutes each way, and because it was a beautiful, sunny, and warm day, I stayed on the shadier sides of the streets to avoid overheating....
"Millions of Americans remain out of work and unable to pay their financial obligations, so it’s no surprise that our nation is on the brink of an eviction calamity. In order to bring relief to renters across the country, Congress included a moratorium on evictions when we passed the...
During this very difficult time, we at DRAW are bearing painful witness to the racial inequities of our American systems, whether justice, healthcare, or economic. As the managing principal, and as a member of our community, Personally, I’ve been reflecting and sharing conversations with friends and colleagues, of many...
During this difficult and stressful time, I’m blessed to both be surrounded by an amazing family and to be part of an ecosystem of entrepreneurs and designers who are, more often than not, optimists. On our Zoom happy hour calls, conversations often circle to how we’re finding the positive...
