ESMERALDA DIANA

Bio:

Born and raised in Grand Rapids Michigan from a Latino household where Spanish was spoken as a first and only language in the home. English came after, during Kindergarden and onward outside of the home, but the mother-tongue was a must to be spoken in the home to never be forgotten. As a first-generation graduate, without previous background or knowledge in the architecture field, art and music have always been a part of life and with digital tools used in architecture it becomes a great combo.

How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

I first learned about architecture towards the end of my highschool career through my student counselor, although I had heard the term much earlier than that as a middle-schooler regarding drawing buildings and designing places to make a living of it

What do you do?

I dream

What excites you in the work you do?

Having a blank slate and brainstorming ideas and concepts into "life" using drawing as a tool to express it with the world. I love seeing my hand drawings turn into architectural designs using the digital tools to make an idea flourish into potential

Who or what inspires you professionally?

Santiago Calatrava and Antoni Gaudi inspire me professional. These are admirable creative thinkers and designers, engineers, and structurally inspiring. Their work evokes inspiration and just a beautiful feeling of love in my soul from their work.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

Making my mother proud, by graduating with a Master of Architecture degree as I always dreamt of, fulfilling my dream of a 7th-grader, and being a First-Generation University and College attendant and graduate. Making my family proud of me.

Featured Project Name:

Storytelling Sound Pavilion

Featured Project Location:

Riverside Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Featured Project Completion Date:

2020

Role in Featured Project:

Architectural Designer

Featured Project Description:

The project is a storytelling design pavilion where users (the community) can walk to and through or sit on top of it. This pavilion tells the story of itself through sounds, communicating to the user and engaging their senses to ground themselves at the moment and place of now, being present. Presented for the community of Riverside Park and local residents to visit and experience to take a moment out of their hectic schedule to just be and help declutter the mind and focus on the present.