Team
Alejandra was born and raised in northern Mexico. She currently advises international agencies, local governments, and community-led organizations in urban policy matters. She previously worked as the Deputy Director at UCLA’s cityLAB, assistant national manager of urban regeneration at Mexico’s leading housing authority, INFONAVIT, as a community engagement and design fellow in LA-Más, and as a lecturer of sociology, urban planning, and architecture at the University of Monterrey and Carolina University.
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Alejandra holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Monterrey, a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, a master’s in Architecture of Urban Design from University College London, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford researching the institutionalization of self-help housing policies in Mexico.
Elizabeth is a third generation architect born in Texas and raised in Los Angeles. Elizabeth has been named an Emerging Voice by the Architecture League, Women of the Year by Los Angeles Magazine, Curbedʼs Young Gun of the Year, Next City Vanguard 2019 (recipient of the Vanguard Big Idea Challenge,) and Exhibit Columbus Washington Street Civic Leader. She is currently an adjunct teacher at Cal Poly Pomona and has taught at Woodbury and Harvard Universities.
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When not on juries or teaching Elizabeth writes in journals and publications like Manifest Journal, Log 48, and Tablula Plena. Previously, Elizabeth co-founded and co-directed LA-Más, a community development non-profit, where she led numerous projects and initiatives. She holds a bachelor degree in Architecture from the University of Southern California and a master’s in Architecture from Harvard University.
Drew is a registered architect, educator, and Los Angeles native. He is an Adjunct Professor at Cal Poly Pomona where he teaches design studios. Drew’s professional work includes significant experience with adaptive reuse of historic and other existing buildings, while his educational concentration is in urban design and housing strategies. His current academic research centers around architectures of alternative housing tenure arrangements, a topic he explored as the ’21 recipient of the Cavin Family Traveling Fellowship.
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Drew holds a bachelors in Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s in Housing and Urbanism from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Olivia experienced the vibrancy and chaos of a sprawling, diverse, car-centric, humid city. After studying urban studies at the University of Texas at Austin, she grew interested in comparative urban research, specifically looking at place-based interventions to address social and economic injustices. Olivia brings this expertise in community engagement, policy research, and urban planning to her work at the local level.
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She received her master’s in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Design & Development from the University of California, Los Angeles. There, she conducted research on approaches to increasing affordable housing production in California through analysis of Certified 6th Cycle Housing Elements, social housing opportunities in Los Angeles, and housing stability policies critical for equitable green space development along the LA River. She is interested in public space, social imaginaries, equitable development, community-driven planning and design, and housing justice.
Daniela is a graduate from Cal Poly Pomona, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. During her time there, she developed a strong interest in residential design and policy and community-engaged design practices. Previously, she gained valuable experience as a design fellow at LA Más where she focused on visualizing housing projects and community engagement initiatives. She works across projects identifying the social and spatial implications of housing design, policy, and programming.
Fellows
Kiana is a 4th year UCLA undergraduate student pursuing Bachelors of Arts in Architectural Studies and Psychology, as well as a minor in Entrepreneurship. At UCLA, Kiana has fostered her passion for serving Black and Latinx communities. She has done so in her roles as Project Director of the Afrikan Education Project, Community Service Coordinator of the Afrikan Student Union, and volunteer at SOS Initiative, to name a few. She was also recently awarded the 2024-2025 cityLAB Undergraduate Fellowship.
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Kiana has ambitions of combining her areas of study to create sustainable structures that improve people’s quality of life, using architecture to address poverty and inequality in underserved communities.
Program Areas
We research, design, and implement alternative systems, and challenge traditional urban processes in housing, public space, transportation, and economic development.
