Working toward a more diverse, equitable, and creative future takes collective action, and that’s precisely why we’ve partnered with the Architects Foundation since 2021 to create Diversity Advancement Scholarships aimed to support the progress of aspiring Black women architects–a historically underrepresented group in the field. Through these scholarships, we’re not only investing in individual futures but also working to narrow racial disparities in the design industry.
We’re thrilled to introduce you to one of the individual futures that your contributions are supporting: the recipient of our 2023 Diversity Advancement Scholarship fund, Gabriella Doe!
Gabriella, who hails from Fort Worth, TX, will receive $4,000 per year towards tuition for up to five years to attend the University of Notre Dame. Along with the scholarship funds, she’ll also have access to perks and support from the Architects Foundation, including mentors, exclusive network opportunities, travel grants, and more.
At Fireclay, we've always believed in the power of design to transform spaces and lives–a conviction that Gabriella shares. After discovering architecture as a connection to her Panamanian and African American heritage, Gabriella became determined to use the power of design to address socioeconomic issues. Read about her experience and aspirations in her personal scholarship application essay, interwoven with beautiful, vibrant illustrations from her portfolio.
Gabriella in Her Own Words
I believe that architecture, when designed with intention, is a medium to serve society. Architecture can achieve this in various ways; I am particularly interested in community and residential architecture (e.g., libraries, schools, community centers). In studying history and socioeconomic issues, I have learned that community architecture has the potential to represent a community’s history and cultural identity while residential architecture has the power to uplift the quality of life for marginalized community members. However, when the target audience is not placed at the center of these designs, the power of architecture can fall short. With an appropriate focus on people, architecture can reflect a community’s identity as well as improve affordability and living standards.
As a Panamanian and African American growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas, I often felt emotionally and physically isolated from my cultures. This separation caused me to earnestly search for outlets to connect with my heritage. Architecture became that bridge. Over the course of several family visits to Panama and the state of Georgia, my fascination with different residential styles, community developments, and building materials grew. Through the varied architectural styles, I discovered how architecture transcends linguistic and geographical barriers, providing me a medium to connect with my own cultures. This realization drew me into the world of architecture; I desired to understand how buildings adorn themselves in cultural and historical matters.
With terracotta-clay roofs and pastel-colored stucco buildings lining the streets, the architecture in Casco Viejo, a historic district in Panama City, Panama, highlights the complex history of colonialism in Panama and its influence on contemporary Panamanian culture. However, for decades, the Spanish colonial architecture of Casco Viejo was left to deteriorate, leading to poor living standards for the local community and the neglect of colonial history in Panama. Since the early 1990’s, Casco Viejo has undergone a series of renovation projects. The restoration of the historic structures in Casco Viejo has uplifted the local economy through the increased tourism and arrival of businesses. By reviving colonial structures and public squares, Casco Viejo not only boasts of beautiful architecture, but presents an environment that places Panama’s colonial history at the center.
The restoration of Casco Viejo enabled me to connect with my Panamanian culture. Strolling through the red brick-paved streets in December of 2020, I reflected on the rich legacy of Casco Viejo and how colonialism indirectly influenced part of my identity. Despite a history of slavery, piracy, and devastating fire, the community of Casco Viejo endured. Through the restoration of the built environment, such as the Catedral Basilica Santa Maria la Angua, the architecture in Casco Viejo displays the community’s resilience to inhumanity and natural disasters, creating an atmosphere that promotes perseverance and pride. I wear this resolve and pride!
Unfortunately, such renovations enabled gentrification in Casco Viejo, displacing the financially vulnerable, and failed to recognize the history of Caribbean immigration for many former Casco Viejo community members. Although architecture has the power to elevate a community, architecture also has the ability to silence the voices and needs of marginalized groups. Since the built environment has the potential to reflect a community’s culture and needs, I aspire to utilize architecture to address socioeconomic issues troubling communities while also maintaining a representation of the diversity living in communities. I want to design and renovate public buildings and spaces, such as Casco Viejo, that are a sense of pride for local and national communities while not displacing the economically vulnerable.
My experiences with the architecture of Savannah, Georgia exposed me to a slightly more ideal relationship between the built environment and local community. The historic architecture in downtown Savannah reflects the city’s colonial, American Southern, and slavery history. During the mid-1950s, suburban sprawl resulted in a decline of economic activity and abandonment of buildings in downtown Savannah. The local government planned to revive the city by modernizing the architecture, which would have erased the history of the cultural and physical contributions African Americans made to Savannah society. Fortunately, Savannah community members successfully opposed these efforts by creating a movement of preserving and restoring residential and community architecture throughout the city. Through the preservation and restoration of historic architecture, the struggles, achievements, and history of the African American community in Savannah are illuminated. Moreover, the preservation of historic architecture has attracted millions of tourists to Savannah, boosting the economy.
Architectural sites such as the First African Baptist Church and Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters reflect the strength and resilience of the Savannah community. Standing on the cobblestone walkways in Savannah’s Forsyth Park, I am reminded of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s quote, “Architecture belongs to culture, not civilization.” The residential and community architecture of Savannah connects me greatly to my African American heritage, and I am empowered by the preservation of cultural values in the face of adversity. Challenges remain, however, as in recent years, the increased tourism has displaced original community members and generated concerns over gentrification in Savannah.
In addition to my goal of designing culturally and historically relevant community architecture, I am also interested in working on affordable housing. Upon exploring residential architecture, I have developed a deep passion for tiny homes and their potential for improving affordability as well as quality of life. There are a variety of tiny homes, from shipping containers to minivans. In urban centers, tiny homes are typically micro apartments. Contrastingly, in places with excess land, they are generally shipping containers or trailers. Tiny home designers often draw inspiration from their cultural and physical environments. Regardless of location, their small size and consequently reduced construction costs, allow tiny homes to be economical.
Throughout high school, I deepened and put into practice my knowledge of tiny homes by working on a team project to convert an old school bus into a Skoolie (mobile home). As the lead architect of the project, I researched affordable and sustainable materials to utilize. Additionally, I tested various designs to make the space functional and “homey”. Through the project, I was introduced to human-centered design. It provided a glimpse of the role architecture plays in socioeconomic issues. Moreover, I learned how to efficiently utilize materials and maximize space. I am interested in further discovering how tiny homes, specifically micro apartments, can be a solution for raising the quality of life, while mitigating the effects of gentrification for underserved communities. With tiny homes integrating themselves into existing cultural environments and enabling an affordable lifestyle, I have noticed the potential for tiny homes to protect marginalized groups in communities that are undergoing restoration projects, such as those in Casco Viejo and Savannah.
Through my diverse experiences with Casco Viejo, Savannah, and the Skoolie project, I have begun to understand the importance of the union between the built and cultural environments in community and residential architecture. When humans are removed from the center, architecture has the potential of gentrifying communities and dismissing the cultural significance of an environment. Whether it is through tiny homes or other architectural avenues, I aim to use human-centered architecture, alongside the knowledge and resources I gain from my studies at the University of Notre Dame, to improve the lifestyle and representation of marginalized communities.
Thank You, Gabriella!
To support burgeoning architects like Gabriella, we invite you to donate and learn more about our scholarship fund here (it’s open year-round!).
