How Architecture Can Foster Inclusion - with Maya Bird-Murphy

In this episode, Maya and I explore how the built environment can foster justice, equity, diversity and inclusion – how often it’s purposefully designed to exclude and how we can change that. Maya’s journey to create Chicago Mobile Makers started off with two questions - 1. How can we diversity the design profession? 2. How can we improve disinvested communities? And, can those two things happen simultaneously?

Maya believes that architecture should not be a privilege and must expand to accommodate more people through teaching and community engagement. While working full time and completing her master's, she founded Chicago Mobile Makers, a nonprofit bringing design focused skill-building workshops to marginalized Chicago communities. Her journey  - from growing up in the Historic Oak Park with Frank Lloyd Wright tours down the road, to architecture school at Ball State and a Master's degree at Boston Architectural College while working full time, to where she is today - is a roadmap for those looking to chart their own path and be the change they want to see in the world. Her story is an inspiration for anyone thinking about going into a design field, or really any field, and doesn’t see themselves represented. In many ways she let pain be her guide and created something uniquely special and life giving. 

As her and her colleagues at Chicago Mobile Makers look to this next school semester in the face of COVID-19, the mobile maker has some very special things in store that are uniquely positioned to benefit Chicago area youth. If you want to learn more about here or her work please check out the links below to her website, Chicago Mobile Maker’s Website and their recent feature in Dwell Magazine.

Links: Maya Bird-Murphy: Website / @mayabirdmurphy  Chicago Mobile Makers: @chicagomobilemakers / https://www.chicagomobilemakers.org/  Dwell feature of Chicago Mobile Makers