MARIE ARRINGTON
TowerPinkster
SAY IT LOUD - MICHIGAN Exhibitor
Michigan Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
What inspires me is being able to encourage students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in architecture. Advocating for education through mentorship and outreach is my passion. I live to invite new voices to join the conversation.
MARIE ARRINGTON
Bio:
I began my journey in architecture at Andrews University earning a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies. Working on residential and commercial projects throughout SW Michigan gave me many opportunities for community engagement. My work on religious institutions and affordable housing complexes sparked a renewed interest in designing better solutions for families experiencing poverty. I returned to academia receiving a Master of Architecture and a desire to make these solutions a reality.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
I began engaging my community through volunteerism with senior organizations and the Michigan Migrant Head Start program. Through fellowship with these communities I witnessed the impact the built environment could have on the lives of its citizens.
What do you do?
In my current role as an Architectural Project Coordinator I continue to expand my perspective on the community of architecture. As the Associates Director of AIA GR I work to further the discussion and focus on designing for equitable communities.
What excites you in the work you do?
What excites me about the work I do is the opportunity to create design solutions that positively impact communities that have been historically underrepresented and to engage young minds that have never thought of architecture as a path for them.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
What inspires me is being able to encourage students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in architecture. Advocating for education through mentorship and outreach is my passion. I live to invite new voices to join the conversation.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
I am proudest that I'm able to partner with community organizations to further the work I began in my thesis. Working with Hope for Single Moms GR to develop affordable housing solutions for single mothers experiencing poverty gives me purpose.
Featured Project Name:
LaDonna Casa/DuSable Visitor Center
Featured Project Location:
Thesis/Unbuilt
Featured Project Completion Date:
May 2019
Role in Featured Project:
Designer
Featured Project Description:
LaDonna Casa seeks to reduce the burdens that too often force single mothers and children into homelessness by providing a low-cost, prefabricated housing prototype, with community-based childcare structured into each new development. As a modular prototype, it can be easily modified in size and form and sited in various conditions. Within this prototype there will be facilities for free childcare, staffed and in use by residents, including secondary education and training spaces for residents.
