JESSICA HANZELKOVA
Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova
Jessica Hanzelkova is an Intern Architect and performance artist that dabbles in mask making, digital interfaces, and sensory design. Through the lenses of her own racialized and gendered identity as a biracial cis-woman, her past thesis research and current artistic practice poke at the performativity of- and the expectations placed on- her body in public space.
She is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, teaching in a first-year studio course. She is also employed by the Toronto-based firm Works Office of Brian O’Brian Architect, after having completed her Master of Architecture at the University of Waterloo in 2020 and her Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Laurentian University in 2017.
Moving Forward through Action
What inspired you to study architecture?
My mom studied to be an architectural technologist in college back in the late 80’s but she graduated into the middle of a recession and at a time when most firms were switching from hand drafting to CAD software. She ended up not pursuing this career as a result, and after having children mostly worked to get by. Despite this, she carried her interest in buildings, hand drawing, and design with her as she raised me. During my childhood, we would often do things like see open houses on Saturdays to check out the floor plans and subdivision plans of new developments nearby. We would also switch around the interior design of our house really frequently and she gave me room as a kid to make my own design decisions. I learned to paint walls and cabinets, build decks, move furniture, and arrange fake flowers in these little boxes she had at the front of our house. She never pressured me to pursue architecture in particular but looking back now I can see what an influence my upbringing had on me; especially when I talk to friends and realize not everyone gets hauled to open houses as a kid.
Jessica and her mom, Petra, at her graduation in 2017. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
When I was applying to programs after high school, she did mention to me that I shouldn’t make the same mistake she did. This mistake being that she went to school for architectural technology instead of architecture. To her, being an architect meant that you were the one that held power in the profession. You had the license, you ran the office, and you had the design freedom to test out ideas and push back against traditional ways of thinking. Yet in the field today I think a lot of architects are discouraged by how little power the profession as a whole holds. But if we don’t hold power then who does?
Jessica presenting her preliminary thesis work. Photo credits to Shabaan Khokhar. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
Name a woman architect who most influenced you as an emerging professional? How?
In all honesty, I had a really hard time thinking of a satisfying single answer to this question. There are countless people that have been influential to my development, many of which are women in academia both mentors and peers who are not licensed architects but all of whom I deeply admire. There are also countless influences I have had outside of the profession as well, other artists, writers, poets who have often done more to spark my imagination than any singular architect. Virginia Woolf, Lucy McRae, Emma Portner, Ocean Vuong, Dr. Tammy Gaber, Dr. Anne Bordeleau, Audre Lorde, Rosi Braidotti.
I think there is a subliminal question here about the existence of the “singular genius” archetype that I have found myself beginning to push back against. On the other hand, I also hold the opinion that it is a problem that the most well-known woman architects and designers in history are consistently lumped together with their spouse or partner as if a woman could never produce meaningful work on her own. In the heteropatriarchy, it seems that a woman is damned either way, particularly in the architectural profession which has long glamorized a sort of toxic work culture fueled by the singular genius archetype. If a woman finds herself in a position of power in the architectural profession it is highly likely that she has in some way benefited from a system that continues to oppress and silence her peers, but to give up recognition is to become the invisible woman which the patriarchy wants us all to be. All this to say, I can’t think of a singular woman architect that has solely inspired me, but I will continue to be influenced by a multitude of people in and outside of the profession that pushes back against the harm our current systems inflict on the most vulnerable in society.
Name a favorite project completed by a woman Architect. Why is it your favorite?
My reply here will be along a similar thread to my previous answer because there is a part of me that is against the idea of sole authorship. There are of course spaces that have truly moved me, the Dongdaemun Plaza by Zaha Hadid Architects as an example is quite breathtaking. Though I wouldn’t count this building as space I admire it because a woman had a hand in designing it; especially considering the dialogue surrounding Patrick Schumacher in recent years. But there are other movements that do give me a degree of hope for the future. The Floating University in Berlin and work by Rosario Talevi is one, and the movement towards community organizing in establishing Community Land Trusts for ethnic enclaves in metropolitan centres is another. The latter, as seen in Boston with the Chinatown Community Land Trust, and another in Tkaronto/Toronto by Friends of Chinatown who are currently looking to establish a CLT, give a brighter future to our cities than most singular well-intentioned buildings designed by architects. I am not directly involved in this work currently, but FOCT and a group of graduate planning students from the University of Toronto have put together a report which can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/ChinatownCommunityPowerReport that examines the feasibility of a CLT in Toronto’s Chinatown with other analysis and interviews that are insightful.
Feeling the space of Dongdaemun Plaza in Seoul as part of her thesis work titled “The Artifacts of No-Place.” Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
Throughout your architectural journey, you’ve produced amazing and beautiful physical models and installations. How do you use physical models as a tool to explore different design qualities and its impact on the building user?
I believe physical models are an excellent tool to relate the human body to the potentials of space and design. By making physical models that can be picked up and engaged with, relationships can be formed with designs that goes beyond seeing. Going beyond seeing, which is going beyond the optical, is something special that very few professions can do directly. Cultivating this association with an object using your body, not just your eyes, is the first step in understanding the potential good and the potential harm space or design can have. It allows us to jump between the abstract and the real and as a result gives us a means of thinking through space in real-time.
Building prototype 8.0 as part of her thesis work, a large enclosure for group sessions. Photo Credits to Vincent Min. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
What is the importance of model-making while designing a space? How do you use craft to display design qualities such as light?
I have actually always struggled with thinking about buildings through models. I much preferred to use plans, sections, and vignettes in my design process during school, while the models I made were usually produced at the end for presentation. This inclination immediately flipped when I began to do my masters thesis work. During my thesis, I was afforded the space and time to explore architectural ideas without the end-goal of designing a building. This meant I had to re-evaluate the ways I could communicate notions of space and power dynamics embedded in space without using the drawing conventions I had learned to represent my thoughts. This led me to develop prototypes and interfaces whose siting was the human body (typically my own) and whose construction methods were 1:1 engagements I had with material and form. I typically employed light to animate the interfaces I was designing because light has this wonderful unifying quality to it that allows you to manipulate and illuminate things typically left unsaid or unseen.
Soldering PCBs for prototype 8.0. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
Prototype 8.0 in action. Groups of three entered the enclosure for a fifteen-minute session which experimented with spoken word, pulse sensors, and digital interfaces. Illuminated by one another’s heartbeats the image above captures a fleeting moment for the participants, suspended in motion and light in the void space of the enclosure. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
Are there any organizations that helped you grow in architecture? How did they help you grow?
When I arrived at the Waterloo School of Architecture for my master’s degree there was a student initiative titled “Treaty Lands, Global Stories” which I joined in my first year at the school. Paniz Moayeri, Amina Lalor, and Samuel Ganton were the co-founders of the initiative and their critical perspectives on their undergraduate experience at Waterloo in some ways shattered the pedestal I had placed the Waterloo undergraduate program on (after having been rejected from the same undergraduate program and going to a different school for my own education). Through this initiative, my peers and I sought to critically question the canon and education at the school. I was able to develop a voice, educate myself, and begin the process of unlearning and deconstructing my own biases and privileges, this was an important first step in my education and in radicalizing my thoughts on society and the systems we uphold as a whole.
Also, money talks because we live in a capitalist society. Throughout my education, I had been fortunate enough to receive scholarships from a couple of different organizations, some of which were government-funded. I also completed my schooling in Canada to be able to access OSAP (government grants and loans). Both funding routes allowed me to pursue higher education which would have likely been inaccessible as the child of a single mom and the eldest of four. Access to education should be a priority and eliminating student debt as much as possible, if not completely, is top of mind for me.
As you reflect on the past year, what did you discover as your biggest strengths?
This past year has been difficult for everyone. I think one of the biggest strengths that I see in myself on occasion and in those that I admire is empathy and patience. Taking care and caring about others is at the crux of staying safe amidst the pandemic. I wouldn’t say that this is something I’ve been consistent within my life, but it is definitely something I aspire to, particularly now.
If you were able to talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Start reading feminist literature, it will give you words for your experiences. Follow more artists and writers especially WOC, it will open your eyes to other creative fields that are questioning and dismantling the same system from different angles. Verbalize your appreciation especially for the women around you, no one does things on their own and everyone has a community of people that influence them and are influenced by them. Do not let yourself be mistreated. If you are able, confront things directly; if not, remove yourself from the situation entirely.
Younger Jessica around seven years old. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
What would you want to say to the next generation of aspiring women architects?
Taking action is the way forward. Architecture as a profession was conceived of and continues to be a profession under the whims of the wealthy. There must be a better world than this and we have the means, the intelligence, and the know-how to create it. I am not entirely sure how to do this, and I am certain I will spend the rest of my life trying.
Feeling the space of Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, as part of her thesis work. Image courtesy of Jessica Hanzelkova.
In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wish saw would happen and it did not?
We as a profession need to be better communicators and organizers. Communicating our expertise to the public and organizing behind movements that tackle issues like housing affordability, climate justice, and racial inequity is no longer a choice, it has become necessary.
