Hello to all AIA and AIA AAJ members out there!
I am so excited to be a 2015 AIA Knowledge Scholar for the
AIA AAJ conference this coming November. Criminal Justice impacts our lives on
a regular basis - we have all experienced criminal justice buildings as a
member of society, but as professionals we have the opportunity to not only
experience this type of architecture through study, design, and construction
but the obligation to challenge the status quo by providing the best
environments through solution, design, and reform that reduces crime,
incarceration, that rebuilds and protects the occupants' mental and physical
health. Our work and vision impact communities, families, and the future of our
country - what an exciting field and time to be in!
I look forward to engaging
with you on this journey as together we challenge the status quo during this
conference through speaker sessions, through available research and resources,
and through truly coming together to research and improve the built environment where society lives and works.
Bio:
In the last 7 years at Dewberry, I have worked on a wide
variety of projects ranging from K-12 to Higher Ed, museums to criminal
justice, and mass-transit to airport terminals. Most recently, I worked on the Dulles Silver Line
Metro Project, Phase 2 in Washington DC. I was part of Criminal
Justice Projects such as the Rockford (IL) Federal Courthouse, Baltimore (MD)
Youth Detention Center, and Calaveras County (CA) Adult Detention Center and
Sherriff Administration - projects that span various communities and regions of
the country.
I am currently going back to school for my Master of
Architecture at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale while continuing to work
full-time. I am focusing my thesis on architecture’s social impact, not just
function or art and form – true solutions impact society for the better.
Criminal Justice architecture has a huge social impact on its users/occupants,
environment, locations, and society’s view and opinion. It is very important to
challenge the status quo in architectural design and function, as well as, within the
justice system. This experience benefits me with further insight and
connections for my thesis research studies.
Carefully marrying Criminal Justice Architecture with Urban Planning
cannot solve all criminal justice issues on their own, but if researched and
designed carefully, they can provide the best foundation for seeing and
implementing change. Architecture has a huge influence over urban/rural
environments, paths of travel, connections and disconnects to its
environment/users/occupants, building functions, users’ and occupants’
mental/physical health and productivity, as well as, environmental
sustainability. All of these influence our social fabric – the very framework
in which we live and act and relate.
What if prisons were designed in such a way that better supported
families meeting and having family time? Helped re-habilitate offenders
mentally and physically through the built environment? Were places of hope
rather than despair? As technology, innovation, and knowledge increase –
criminal justice architecture should continually reevaluate process and design to provide successful
outcomes, less cost, and less return offenders.
Stay tuned for blog releases from each scholar focusing on three
speaker sessions, giving you a better idea of the exciting topics this
conference will be covering.
#Conferences #AcademyonArchitectureforJustice