Community Engagement Through Design | 10/7, 12:00-1:30PM EST
Yoonjee Koh, BAC faculty (moderator)
Yoonjee Koh is Director of Intermediate Architecture Studios and full time faculty member at The Boston Architectural College (BAC). At the BAC, Yoonjee teaches Architecture design studios and electives in Architectural theory and visual representation. She has founded discursive efforts like the Conversation Series, PostLoft, as well as the BAC's first institutional student journal. Yoonjee is dedicated to enriching intellectual dialogue and collegiate culture within and beyond the classroom.
Yoonjee received Masters in Design Studies in History and Philosophy and Masters in Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She also holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University with concentration in Architectural Theory.
Maya Bird-Murphy, BAC alum/Chicago Mobile Makers (panelist)
Maya Bird-Murphy is an architectural designer, educator, and maker from Oak Park, Illinois. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Chicago Mobile Makers, an award-winning nonprofit organization bringing design-focused skill-building workshops to underrepresented communities. Maya believes that architecture should not be a privilege and must expand to accommodate more people through teaching and community engagement. She loves Chicago and hopes to make her mark by making it a more equitable place to live. In her free time, she can be found outside by the Chicago River with her two dogs.
Junko Yamamoto, BAC faculty (panelist)
Growing up in Japan, Junko began her architectural education at the Kyoto Architectural College (KAC) in Kyoto, Japan. After obtaining her Architectural Diploma from the KAC and her course certificate from the Kyoto Renewable Energy School, she moved to the US to continue her education with several scholarships. She received her Bachelor of Architecture degree with distinction from Boston Architectural College (BAC), where she was awarded Henry Adams Medal and AIA Certificate, Architecture Degree Project Studio Commendations, and Greene Architecture Degree Project Studio Award. She obtained a Master of Architecture II degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Junko is a licensed architect in Japan and the United States and a LEED Accredited Professional. She has been practicing in the field of architecture since 2005, playing a key role in the design and construction of a number of projects, including projects for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as commercial and residential projects. In addition, she undertook multiple independent commissions for buildings, interiors, and custom-design furniture projects both in the US and in Japan. In parallel with her professional design practice and academic activities, Junko tirelessly works as an artist. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally in various juried exhibitions and has been awarded and featured in multiple publications. Expanding her practice in art and architecture, she has assisted a course at Harvard University GSD and continues to teach at BAC. She is a Principal at iVY Design Associates in Rhode Island and serves as a Chair for the Global Practice Network Committee at Boston Society for Architects.
Alexis Griffin, University of Oregon faculty/Cameron McCarthy (panelist)
Alexis graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Degree and a minor in Geography in 2018. During her tenure at the University of Oregon Alexis pursued an education that emphasized the systems, forces, and networks at play in our landscapes and around our built environments by seeking a better understanding of what plants composed the surrounding vernacular, and what sociocultural systems were at play.
In her career, Alexis has been largely involved in the community engagement components of her firm’s work, specifically in the heart of Eugene where she lived for 7 years. Community-centered design has emerged as an important element in her civic work, academic work, and local residential designs. She is engaged in the Willamette Valley Chapter of ASLA as Co-Chair where she is designing local Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion talks with her local members, she volunteers for the Association for Community Design, and she’s interested in creating local programs for gardening design with pollinators for local youths.
Alexis is passionate, nerdy about very specific things, and driven by nature. Watercolors, charcoals, and pens can always be found nearby. She reads too much, hikes often, and dreams of building a tiny home surrounded by an edible landscape and miniature animals.