Roberta M. Feldman is an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

, recognized for her contributions to architectural education and her focus on community-oriented design. She is Professor Emerita at the

University of Illinois Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...

School of Architecture, where she has collaborated with Chicago housing and community organizations to address challenges in low-income neighborhoods.

Education

Feldman received her PhD from the

Graduate Center of the City University of New York The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Formed in 1961 as Division of Graduate Studies at City University ...

Career

Feldman studied at the School of Architecture,

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...

. In 1994, she co-founded the City Design Center at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, an

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

initiative that encompasses research, design, and community engagement. Her works are based on communities methodological approach of

participatory design Participatory design (originally co-operative design, now often co-design and also co-creation ) is an approach to design attempting to actively involve all stakeholders (e.g. employees, partners, customers, citizens, end users) in the design pro ...

and action research. During her time at the university, she served as Director of Architecture Graduate Studies and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Feldman, along with her colleagues Bryan Bell, Sergio Palleroni, and David Perkes, received a grant from the 2011 Fellows of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

' Latrobe Prize to study public interest strategies in architecture in the U.S. and internationally. Their report, "Wisdom From the Field: Public Interest Architecture in Practice", describes the work of 100 public interest design and research practitioners and 50 of their community and governmental partners, particularly focusing on 'how to' engage in this type of work. Feldman's research has focused on affordable and public housing design. She has served on the boards of the

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit that "fosters the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. The Graham realize ...

, the

Environmental Design Research Association The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) is an international, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1968 by design professionals, social scientists, students, educators, and facility managers. Purpose The purpose of EDRA is the adv ...

(EDRA), and the National Public Housing Museum.

Awards

In addition to the awards she has won, Feldman also has an award named after her: the Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award, established in 2020 and awarded by AIA Chicago. *Association for Community Design Award for Excellence, 2001 *EDRA/Places Research Award, 2005 *Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Collaborative Practice Award, 2007-2008 *AIA Chapter Distinguished Service Award, 2008 *ACSA Collaborative Practice Award, 2008 *EDRA/Places/Metropolis Award for Research, 2008 *ACSA Service Award, 2011 *Latrobe Prize with

Sergio Palleroni Sergio Palleroni is an American architect and academic. He is a professor and fellow at Portland State University. He directs the Center for Public Interest Design (CPID). He received National Education Awards from the AIA, the NCARB, and the US ...

, David Perkes, and Bryan Bell, 2011 *The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Collaborative Practice Award with Charles Leek. 2011 *Environmental Design Research Association Career Award, 2014 *Women in Architecture award, 2016 *Distinguished Service Award, 2017

Selected publications

*Co-author of ''The Dignity of Resistance: Women Residents’ Activism in Public Housing'' with Susan Stall. * * * * *

References

External links

https://aiachicago.org/people/roberta-m-feldman/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Feldman, Roberta M. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century American women 20th-century American architects 21st-century American women artists 21st-century American architects American women architects University of Illinois Chicago faculty Smith College alumni Columbia University alumni CUNY Graduate Center alumni