Charlotte R
- Research Program Mentor
MArch at University of Colorado at Denver
Expertise
Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Sustainable Design, Environmental Design, Permaculture, Bioconstruction, Vernacular Architecture, Climate Responsive Design, GIS Mapping, Design Research, Environmental Justice, Human-Centered Design
Bio
My research examines how systems of power shape the built environment and how alternative approaches to architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design can foster more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable communities. I am particularly interested in the intersections of social justice, environmental stewardship, disability inclusion, and community-led design. Beyond academia, I am an avid traveler and have spent the past year backpacking throughout Latin America, learning from diverse cultures, landscapes, and ways of living. My experiences have deepened my interest in alternative sustainable communities, nomadic lifestyles, language learning, and the many ways people around the world reimagine relationships between society, ecology, and place.Project ideas
How Do Alternative Communities Reimagine the Future of Living?
This project explores how alternative communities reimagine the future of living through sustainability, shared resources, community-centered design, and new approaches to daily life. Through case studies of ecovillages, cohousing communities, off-grid communities, or other experimental living models, the student will analyze how design, spatial organization, and social structures influence sustainability, social connection, and quality of life. The project may also explore how ideas connected to solarpunk envision more ecological and human-centered futures.
How Can Urban Design Reinforce or Challenge Social Inequality?
This project explores how the design of neighborhoods, public spaces, and communities can influence power, access, and belonging. The student will investigate how elements such as housing patterns, transportation systems, public gathering spaces, and resource distribution shape social experiences and opportunities. Through case studies and visual analysis, the project will examine how design can either reinforce inequality or support more inclusive and community-centered ways of living.