This experimental project examines Buffalo as a site of cultural, spatial, and architectural significance. The installation centers buildings, spaces, and communities that exist in the everyday, often overlooked, under-documented, or erased, yet hold deep histories and narratives, particularly those shaped by minority and marginalized communities across the city. It is co-designed with students and faculty across the two departments within the School of Architecture and Planning and is a testament to the school's collaborative spirit in theory and practice.
2022-23: Big Idea Fund & People Publicized Proposal
The goal of the Big Idea Fund was to advance inclusive excellence by engaging the school directly through the creative use of our spaces and resources. Examples: social events, performances, installations in or around our school buildings, publications, workshops, etc.
2024: Net-Works Design Thinking & Research
Purpose: To celebrate and amplify voices of designers that have been underrepresented and engages with issues of representation, inclusivity, community building, and equitable futures.
Installation
- Display practices/projects through a series of panels
- Incorporate seating component that encourages pause and conversation
- Modular design for ease of assembly and disassembly
- Display practices/projects through a series of panels
- Incorporate seating component that encourages pause and conversation
- Modular design for ease of assembly and disassembly
Values
- Empower student-driven design and leadership
- Facilitate and model co-authorship
- Research and understand intersectionality between architecture, urban planning, community engagement, and advocacy and activism
- Empower student-driven design and leadership
- Facilitate and model co-authorship
- Research and understand intersectionality between architecture, urban planning, community engagement, and advocacy and activism
2025: Hidden Figures Showcase & DMU Workshops
The Hidden Figures exhibition was curated by the Rudy Bruner Center for Urban Excellence in support of the larger ongoing net-works research. Similarly, in-person workshops were conducted throughout the 2025 academic year in collaboration with Dark Matter University.
Both exercises were aimed to engage with students and faculty on the process of choosing projects and "designers" (architects, urban planners, community organizers, historians, preservationists, academics, and more), while exploring more deeply the intersectional social, political, and economic relationships within the built environment.
2025-26: Full Scale Build & Black History Month Exhibition
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Big Idea Fund: Daniela Sandler, RESJ Committee, with special thanks to Samina Raja and Meredith
Net-Works: Albert Chao, Samendy Brice, Natalie Zhao, Bryana Andreu, Jiayin Wu, Jasper Ma, Zach Izzo, Ryan Osborne, Cassidy Van Ness, Sarra Kourachi, Petreen Thomas, with contributions from Fall 2025 undergraduate architectural media class
People Publicized: Beth Tauke, Joyce Hwang, Gregory Delaney, Lauren Turner, Micaela Lipman, Christal Knight, Insha Akram, Kielee Clement
Hidden Figures Showcase: Camden Miller, Joey Amirato, Sid Clarke