Philosophy

Learning Through Making

My teaching philosophy centers on the idea that architecture is best understood through the act of making. Making connects thought to action and transforms abstraction into understanding. Whether through analog craft, digital fabrication, or construction, I approach teaching as an inquiry-driven process where knowledge emerges from the interplay between experimentation, reflection, and collaboration.

Craft, Material, and Process

I view design as a conversation between material and idea. In every course I teach, students engage directly with materials, technologies, and tools—not to simply execute a design, but to test, adapt, and learn from the process. Making allows students to move fluidly between thinking and doing, where iteration and discovery are inseparable. This approach emphasizes that architecture is not about form alone but about relationships: between structure and space, between drawing and construction, and between the individual and the collective.

Collaboration and Civic Engagement

Collaboration is central to my pedagogy. I cultivate studio environments where students learn to work across differences—between disciplines, between individual and collective authorship, and between ideas and implementation. I teach students to communicate clearly, listen critically, and translate complex concepts into actionable design decisions. Through design-build and community-engaged projects, students learn that architecture is a public act, one that requires empathy, teamwork, and a deep sense of responsibility to the people and places it serves.

Reflection and Critical Thinking

Reflection is equally essential to my teaching. I encourage students to think critically about their design decisions, to analyze how process shapes outcome, and to document their work as a form of self-evaluation. Through discussions, peer reviews, and iterative critique, students learn to articulate intent, assess performance, and refine their approach. This recursive process strengthens their independence and fosters a lifelong capacity for learning through practice.

Teaching Across Scales and Mediums

I teach across scales, mediums, and disciplines, from foundational courses in representation and systems to advanced design-build studios and immersive media seminars. In each context, I connect conceptual inquiry to material practice, helping students understand how spatial ideas evolve through process, technology, and fabrication. By linking early lessons in drawing and modeling to advanced studies in computation and construction, students learn that architectural thinking is adaptable and continually evolving.

Empowering Students as Designers and Citizens

I believe that architectural education should empower students to become reflective makers and engaged citizens. My teaching seeks to balance creative ambition with social and environmental awareness, helping students understand that architecture is both an art and an act of service. By grounding design in making, I aim to foster in each student a sense of agency—the confidence to test ideas, the humility to learn from materials and people, and the insight to build work that endures through care and intention.