SPACES OF BELONGING: A Public Conversation on Inclusive Campus Spaces

Presentation by Andy Chen ’09 and Waqas Jawaid ’10 Partners, Isometric Studio 

In conversation with Ronald McCoy, GS ’80 University Architect, FAIA

If college campuses are a microcosm for what the country is and an incubator for what the global community can be, then our hope would be to discover a new discourse that is grounded in sound conceptual frameworks and that begins to address the ways in which these ideas make their way into the narratives and spaces we design.

Our shared spaces—dormitories, classrooms, lecture halls, and gathering spaces—communicate explicit and implicit signals. This public conversation would explore how college campus can ensure equity in representation and equal dignity in campus spaces. 

Andy Chen ’09 studied sociology at Princeton University, where he was awarded the Pyne Honor Prize, the university’s highest general undergraduate distinction. He then studied graphic design at RISD, where he received his MFA as a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow. Waqas Jawaid ’10 received his undergraduate degree with highest honors from Princeton University and a Masters in Architecture with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. They are the founding partners of Isometric Studio and have designed many public spaces on campus including the Women’s Center, LGBT Center and Carl Fields Center.