CARMEN CHEE

Bachelor of Science in Architecture - Georgia Institute of Technology | Master of Architecture – Washington University – St. Louis | Architectural Designer

Carmen is an architectural designer interested in equitable practices and the role of the built environment in perpetuating and ameliorating systems of power and inequality. She graduated in May with her Master’s in Architecture from Washington University- St. Louis. Following graduation, she has continued her time in St. Louis working for a mid-sized firm whose portfolio includes housing, civic, and adaptive reuse projects. In her free time, she works with Design as Protest, a collective of BIPOC designers organizing for design justice in the architectural profession and built environment.

Bridging the Gap – from Academia to Practice

What inspired you to pursue architecture?

Unlike many architects, I didn’t know at an early age that I wanted to pursue architecture. In high school, I had an English class that focused on distilling themes and lessons from literary works. One day in class, my teacher had an easel displaying a picture of the Chrysler Building and she asked us to analyze it for symbolic meaning. After comparing our answers, she read us a description of how various elements in its construction represented optimism for industry and technology and values the Chrysler brand wished to represent. My classmates and I were dumbfounded at how you could ascertain so much meaning and symbolism from a building. This inspired my desire to learn how to analyze the built environment and understand the intent behind the spaces that we inhabit. My interest in art also led me to pursue architecture as a creative field. In my first year of architecture school, it was a liberating shift for me to be assessed not on how much information I could retain but on the merit of my ideas and the things that I created. Architecture was so much more expansive and theoretical than I anticipated before entering the field. My priorities have shifted a lot – from initially being interested in phenomenological aspects of space to its social and political implications. Now that I’ve made the transition from academia to practice, my priorities and understanding will change as well. I constantly feel challenged and understand that there is so much more to know and learn.

Carmen commemorating her graduation from Washington University St. Louis with her Masters of Architecture. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

Carmen and a classmate outside of Georgia Tech’s College of Design where she received her undergraduate degree in architecture. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

What is the most important thing that you learned in the past year?

Recently I’ve been thinking heavily about the value of my labor. My labor is my effort and my time and these are limited resources. I often ask myself if I am proud of the goals I am working towards or who I am working for. I think about who the project benefits or potentially disservices. Every building is a political act, either perpetuating or against an existing system. I hope that I will always be able to say that the projects I work on are of positive consequence. A question that I often think about is how much agency architects have and how much they could have. As a designer that has recently made the switch from academia to practice, I am beginning to become fully cognizant of the process and massive coordination required to design, construct, and successfully complete a project. I learn something new every single day whether it be technical skills regarding construction, drawing standards, or the process of working with clients and consultants.

A sectional perspective of Carmen’s design for an Office of Public Accountability for the city of St. Louis. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

What are some architectural organizations (or specific person/role model) that helped you learn to overcome an obstacle? How did they?

The Design as Protest Collective constantly realigns me with my values and gives me hope for the positive social impact that can come from architecture and design. I am currently working with a group on the Anti-Racist Design Justice Index, a document which outlines actions that firms, organizations, academic institutions, and local governments can take to foster more liberatory practices. As my first experience in sustained collective organizing, I am inspired by the impact created by this community of designers. Individually, there are so many members that inspire me with their effort, knowledge, commitment, and the conversations had in imagining a more ideal future.

Another experience that has impacted me as a designer was my participation in Fundamental Design-Build, an initiative by the NY-Guatemala based firm Taller Ken. Through Fundamental, I worked with an international team of 10 designers to improve space in a public park in San Jose, Costa Rica. This experience helped me realize the potential difficulty and sensitivity required in community engagement work and reaffirmed my belief in the importance of public space.

Screen capture from Design as Protest’s August National Call. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

Parqueo2, a public space intervention by Fundamental Design Build 2019, on opening day. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

Carmen and Fundamental Design-Build teammates painting a mural on a transit infrastructure wall. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

If you were given the opportunity to repeat the year, what is one thing you’d do differently?

If I was given the opportunity, I would shift the topic of my graduate thesis project. I wanted to design an industrial building as a hearkening to St. Louis’s industrial history and because in visiting these buildings I was fascinated by their scale. Through the design process, my program became a waste to energy plant with an upcycling center. The project centered on issues of waste management, environmental sustainability, and how architecture can influence public perception for a misunderstood form of energy generation. If I could go back, I would take a different approach and focus on direct engagement with a community or neighborhood organization to define my thesis. A transformational studio for me was one that centered on engagement with a neighborhood in St. Louis. The studio began by talking to a community development corporation and other residents to understand the neighborhood’s history and future aspirations. At the end of the semester, we held an open house in the community and presented our designs. Out of the ten previous studios I’ve had in my architecture education, this was the first that was not dictated by square footages or hypothetical people that I imagined would inhabit my design. Since that experience, I have centered the importance of participatory design practices and hope to integrate community engagement in my future work.

Carmen’s thesis project “Waste[d] Potential,” a proposal for a waste to energy and upcycling center. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

Carmen presenting her proposal for a community theater and mixed income housing in the Fox Park neighborhood of St. Louis. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

As you reflect on the past year, what did you discover as your biggest strengths?

My biggest strength is my perseverance. It goes without saying that success in architecture school and the profession require an inordinate amount of dedication and time. The amount of effort that I contribute to accomplish deadlines and fulfill my own ambitions continues to surprise me. A particular instance of this was finishing my thesis semester amidst coronavirus. At my university, I had my mid-review not knowing it would be the last in-person review of my education. Over spring break, we were told that we would not be able to return to campus. At first, I couldn’t imagine not being able to sit with my instructor and have them draw over my work and have a conversation. It felt more difficult to be motivated to stay up late working without other people around or classmates to discuss with -essentially, to have studio without studio culture. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t have the commencement ceremony I was looking forward to or celebrate this milestone with my classmates. However, I know that moving to remote learning was necessary and I’m grateful to be healthy and to have pursued a degree. There will be many more deadlines in the future to work through and I have confidence that I’ll be able to accomplish the tasks I’ve committed myself to. I hope that I’ll continually challenge and surprise myself and feel fulfilled in the tasks and projects I complete.

Carmen presenting her thesis project at mid-review, her last in-person academic review before switching to remote learning. - Photo courtesy of Carmen Chee

In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wished would happen and it did not? This can be in an educational or work atmosphere. 

While I am positively encouraged by actions like AIA NY’s statement condemning the design of criminal justice facilities and the increased advocacy for more equitable practices, I still believe the architecture profession has a long way to go in challenging oppressive systems. Many statements have been issued and black squares posted, but without taking concrete steps for a more just practice, these actions are only performative.