028: Shannon Dowling: Research and Inclusivity in Education Space Design
On today’s episode of Architectette we welcome Shannon Dowling.
Shannon is an architect, educator, and higher education strategist. She is a Principal at Ayers Saint Gross, working from Richmond, VA. She recently completed a yearlong fellowship with the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), during which she studied the role physical campus space plays in facilitating belonging for college students. Shannon was recognized with AIA Virginia’s 2023 Award for Distinguished Achievement in recognition of her work, research, and service.
We talk about:
- Shannon's background as an educator and her roles as architect and space analyst.
- Collegiate DEI goals and the importance of designing spaces that enhance a sense of belonging.
- The economic benefits of retaining students through inclusive design and talk about some of the tradeoffs.
- A University of Washington Precedent: how Shannon and her team measured belonging in residential and social spaces and identified successes and potentials for improvements.
- Shannon’s top design trends to embrace and those we should abandon.
Links:
Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn
Architectette Podcast Website: www.architectette.com
Connect with the pod on LinkedIn, Instagram (@architectette), and TikTok (@architectette)
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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay.