Designing experiences, shaping futures
From undergraduate interests to graduate school internships
Written by Jennifer Wilson
M.Arch student class of 2023, Northeastern University
This semester, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of working with School of Architecture professor and Center of Design faculty member, Ang Li, on one of her most recent public art projects. Titled “Place of Assembly,’’ the installation reflects on the material history and fabric that built Boston’s Chinatown community. Looking back to the prevalent row house typology of the neighborhood — and thus, the step or “stoop life” that once so vibrantly defined community culture for the residents — the project attempts to recreate a contemporary version of this beloved public landscape. The vacancy of the site today is a consequence of the destruction and demolition of streets, homes, businesses — and thus, intergenerational communities — amidst the Urban Renewal and Highway Construction period of the 1950s-1960s. In response, the exhibit invites the Chinatown community back into a space that perhaps once represented desolation and disappointment — both physically and emotionally — and hopes to serve as a source of new life and memories.
With my undergraduate degree in Art History and Architectural Studies from Connecticut College, I am incredibly passionate about preservation and adaptive architecture — as a means of community and material remembrance. Using reclaimed bricks from demolition sites across the city, this project has allowed me to further both the theory and practice of progressive reuse architecture and design in a critically hands-on process. As much of Professor Li’s own architecture practice investigates the life cycle of materials, having the chance to work and learn from Ang on this project has not only solidified my studies, passions, and goals; but has proven both the potential and importance of compelling reuse art and design. “Place of Assembly” is not only a testament to the power which design possesses as a creator and source of good, but also, represents the ability to reclaim space, material, and time as a means of beautiful resistance.
Whether it was assisting with shop drawings to be sent to the fabrication team of wood framers and masonry unions we worked with or gaining familiarity and experience woodworking and laser cutting through the creation of project items — working with Professor Li has not only taught me technical industry skills, but perhaps more than that has instilled in me critical life and professional proficiencies. Just to name a few — the attention to detail, the balance between concept and practice, the relationships formed with the entirety of the design team — are experiences I’ll take with me moving forward in my own future design journey. As I am in my second year of the three-year Master of Architecture track here at Northeastern, I am truly excited to apply these skills and concepts not only to my upcoming curriculum, but also one day in my pursuit of professional preservation work. I hope to center my own thesis research around the potentials of reuse art, architecture, and design as a powerful tactic of progressive sustainability, fabric preservation, and community acknowledgment.
Like what you’ve read? Join us for our final CfD Conversation of 2021 to learn more!
This story is part of the #DesigningExperiencesShapingFutures series at the Center for Design @ Northeastern University. It showcases one of many different pathways in which students and/or designers may get involved with the Center for Design.
Here are some ideas for current students interested in connecting and growing with the center:
- Join our mailing list here
- Check out upcoming events & lectures on our website and social media
- Check out our new space on campus (opening soon)
- Be on the lookout for an installation in our new space coming soon!
