Grant work experience
My architectural education was progressive and trans-disciplinary, integrating the arts, sciences, and humanities through analytical thinking, craftsmanship, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. It also influenced my passion for architecture, art and design discourse and scholarship in a globally diverse society.
As an academic I have always been interested in the extreme social and environmental conditions in which to debate the nature of design and architecture, the future of cities, and the changing role of architects and designers. I strongly believe architecture and design is bound to a situation; it is a construction – intertwined within the phenomenon of ‘place’.
I try to be active in the community, encouraging my students to participate in community outreach projects. I believe my commitment to students inspires them, develops them, and enables their growth. I strongly believe design education should meet the challenges and opportunities of the new millennium; nurturing students in exploring how the physical and social elements join to create spaces infused with aesthetic, social and cultural relevance.
Similar to design activism, under my direct supervision, students who show interest, participate in outreach projects that gives students real-world design experience, an experience not available in the classroom. These projects are designed allowing participating students to develop new skill sets and build strong relationships with one another, creating and fostering a sense of professional ethics that can often extend far beyond the classroom.
- Rouben