2017 Rapson Traveling Study Fellowship | Intersectional Empowerment
The 2017 Ralph Rapson Traveling Study Fellowship required participants in a five days competition to design a corner Grocery Store, Maker Space, and Community Design Collaborative for the corner of Glenwood and Penn in the Harrison Neighborhood of Minneapolis. Elizabeth was a named a finalist in a field of 47 entrants. View the full submission at this link.
Elizabeth saw the opportunity this location and program could provide to increase diversity in the Minnesota architecture community, and added two additional components to the project to further support the success of architecture students and young professionals: providing community-based housing for current architecture students working in the Community Design Collaborative, and increasing the support services provided in the Wellness Hub in collaboration with nearby non-profits. She believes that true equitable design will only happen when the diversity in our profession reflects the diversity and richness of the communities in which we design.
The chart below suggests that supporting students already in school is not enough to bridge the race and gender gap in the architecture profession in Minnesota, particularly for Black design professionals. Shown at far right, the Harrison Neighborhood is an ideal location for recruiting future architects to meet these goals. The collaborative, supportive community design supported in this project is also the type of effort needed to recruit, support, and mentor female architects.
