Reframing Architecture from Creating to Collaborating

I’m a recent MARCLA graduate and a Red River Métis artist and designer born in Manitoba. I have been living in Vancouver since moving here for school in 2021. Before my masters, I worked in the cultural sector and went to art school for my undergrad. Being an artist has really shaped my identity and how I approach architecture. I am also very passionate about Indigenous land-based knowledge. I love making things with my hands, from intricate floral beadwork to architecture models and 3D environments.

I am interested in slow, community-based work and research with tactile land-based knowledge practices. Even while working in software like Unreal Engine where I have been making a video game called Kinship Table, I’m designing while art making and integrating hand-made work into digital space.

What did you learn that you didn't expect to learn as part of your degree?

I learned to value my voice, my cultural teachings and my perspective as an artist and Indigenous designer. Architecture programs are incredibly rigorous and demanding, and it’s easy to lose your voice when navigating fast-paced environments with intense deadlines if you don’t know your values. 

In my last year as a student, I started my own landscape design company. Through the support from mentorship opportunities, and student research positions I was able to soft launch into the career world. Since then, I designed my first garden at Trout Lake Park and designed landscape signage at the UBC Gateway Building highlighting native plants with hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ plant names identified by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). 

What advice would you give a student entering SALA? 

I had to spend the early part of my degree learning the language of architecture (the different software, terminology, best practices), but once I started to grasp it, it was very important for me to keep my voice, my values and culture at the forefront of my process and work especially when the work being taught is from a Western colonial lens.

Also – eat well, sleep well, go for daily walks in nature. Don’t do more than one late night per project. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and get connected to campus resources right away. 

What is next for you?

I’ve been interning at the Museum of Anthropology, learning more about museums from the inside, and the stories and ways in which cultural belongings are housed. My plan is to work at an architecture firm designing museums, while still honouring my art practice – continuing to develop my video game, and create more urban gardens!