Three projects, led by several School of Architecture faculty, have recently been awarded 2024 Independent Projects grants from the Architectural League of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), to explore a design topic through creation or research.
The competitive grant program, open to New York State-based individuals and teams who work in any of the design fields, helps to fund self-generated projects that seek to answer the question: Where can design go next? Recognizing design as an art form that can enhance our quality of life, the Independent Projects program seeks proposals that emphasize artistry and design excellence that may contribute to a broader understanding of design, and/or that advance a design discipline. Grants are made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
As part of the 2024 cycle, a panel of 10 designers and educators active in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, fashion, materials research and fabrication, history and preservation, graphic design, and community-centered design, selected 25 creative and research proposals to receive Independent Projects grants of $10,000 each.
Representing an array of locales, disciplines, formats and modes of practice, the selected projects demonstrate the potential for creative innovation and exemplify the program’s goal of making design accessible to the communities of New York state.
“Congratulations to our Syracuse Architecture faculty on their selection for an Independent Projects grant by the Architectural League of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts,” says Michael Speaks, dean of the School of Architecture. “These prestigious grants will fund their forward-thinking design projects and research, reflecting the innovative mindset and strong commitment to social engagement that distinguishes our school.”
Syracuse is fractured by the presence of the I-81 viaduct. As its demolition looms imminent, the interdisciplinary team of School of Architecture faculty Omar Ali and Nimet Anwar; Thomas Hogge, assistant professor in the department of landscape architecture at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; and Yuting Fang and Gianna Rullo, School of Architecture student research interns, will work to design scenarios to assess the present condition of the freeway and to identify catalytic solutions for creating a sustainable and livable post-freeway future for the greater Syracuse community. This process will culminate in an exhibition and strategic plan that will be disseminated to community collaborators.
“We are excited to be selected by the Architectural League of New York and the New York State Council on the Arts to take on this very important research for the Central New York region,” says Ali. “Although this grant will support the initial research, the ambition is to grow the work into a body of knowledge on systems thinking and strategies for approaching post-infrastructural sites through landscape remediation and civic-minded architecture.”
Featuring the work of School of Architecture Distinguished Professor Lori A. Brown, “Birthing in Alabama” is a research and design project about the historical, social and political dimensions of birthing, and engages the inherently political practice of architecture through this study. Consisting of an installation and a mockup of a wall section for the Alabama Birthing Center site, the project makes visible numerous structural inequities creating immense challenges to birthing healthcare across Alabama and brings the voices of those fighting to improve access into the conversation. The project is one of 25 site-specific, newly commissioned installations currently on view in the exhibition, “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial” at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in New York City.
“Being selected to receive a NYSCA grant is always an immense honor,” says Brown. “The award was instrumental in helping support my installation, Birthing in Alabama: Designing Spaces for Reproduction, for the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.”
In-Process is an upcoming exhibition in the historic GereBlock building, a 150-year-old former warehouse in Syracuse, New York, located along the Erie Canal. Designed by a collaborative team of seven architects— School of Architecture faculty Ayesha Ghosh, Edgar Rodríguez, Lauren Scott and Magdalena Valdevenito; Rocio Crosetto, MIT Belluschi Fellow; Laura Salazar-Altobelli, assistant professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture; and Pablo Sequero, School of Architecture visiting critic—the exhibit highlights adaptive reuse and the cultural significance of underutilized industrial structures in post-industrial cities, inviting visitors to engage with strategies of continual adaptation and collective narratives in their own built environments.
Designed as an immersive experience, the project showcases innovative methods of documentation, analysis, and public engagement to transform perceptions of historic building stock, inspire similar preservation efforts in Central New York’s underserved communities, and to establish a framework for adaptive reuse that balances historical integrity with contemporary needs.
“As a collective of designers, educators, researchers, and practitioners committed to socially impactful projects, receiving this grant provides a platform to showcase our recent efforts in Syracuse,” says Rodríguez. “The exhibition will serve as a valuable opportunity to deepen and expand conversations with community stakeholders, creatives, students, and policymakers, highlighting the importance of reimagining adaptive reuse in post-industrial cities across the United States.”
To view all of the 2024 Independent Projects grant recipients, visit archleague.org. Continuing a successful collaboration since 2022, the League and NYSCA are pleased to once again partner to administer the Independent Projects program again in 2025.
