PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Natalia Escobar Castrillon (she/they): I am a White, immigrant settler living in Ottawa (unceded Anishinaabe indigenous territory), born in Spain. In many ways, I experience the city, and design more generally, from a privileged position. But as a woman and first generation immigrant with an invisibilized disability, I also accumulated divergent experiences that can inform the development of more equitable cities. More importantly, I collaborate with underprivileged communities to develop an intersectional approach to urban equity that consider other forms of social and spatial oppression beyond my own experiences and strive to serve communities in tangible ways.
I am also a licensed architect and a professor of Architecture and Social Justice at Carleton University. I hold a PhD in Architecture and a Master in Design from Harvard University, as well as a Masters in Architecture from the University of Seville. Prior to Carleton, I taught graduate courses at Harvard University, Boston University, Chile Catholic University, and São Paulo University. My research and teaching work addresses questions of spatial justice, social equity, collective identity, displacement, and representation in the built environment. My publications unpack the complexities of contested buildings and sites worldwide, and discuss the role of design and narrative-making in supporting or silencing social groups. I have taught courses on these topics engaging local communities.
My work has been awarded grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education (TALENTIA), the Jorge Paulo Lemann Foundation, the David Rockefeller Foundation, the Harvard Asia Center, and the São Paulo Academic Research Foundation (FAPESP), among others, which allow me to pursue fieldwork in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, where I studied the intersection of architecture with questions of power, gender, race, and social class through the work of architects Lu Wengyu and Wang Shu, and Lina Bo. More recently, my work was awarded several grants to document the urban experiences of immigrant populations and map spatial segregation patterns in Ottawa and Santiago de Chile.
contact: natalia.escobar@carleton.ca
PARTNERS
Ottawa Community Housing (OCH): offers approximately 15,000 homes to about 32,000 tenants, including seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. These homes are located in various communities throughout Ottawa and house a diverse population with different languages, cultures, and ethnicities. Our direct collaborators include: Natalie Drouin (Manager of Community Development), Medhi Louaz (Volunteer Engagement), Amal Masaye (Community Developer), and Brent Chisholm (Building Management).
Rideau Rockliffe Community Resource Center (RRCRC): Our mission is to provide a range of social supports and services that enable the empowerment of residents, community resilience, and the inclusion of all. Our vision is for a safe, dignified and fulfilling life for all Rideau-Rockcliffe residents. Our direct collaborator is Mijanou Gravelle (Social Workers and Architect).
COLLABORATORS
Region Austral (assistance in producing visualizations): We are a design firm based in Argentina working at the intersection of urban design, landscape architecture, and regional planning based in Córdoba, Argentina. We analyze the city and the territory based on an interdisciplinary, multi-scale dialogue, together with citizen participation processes and the strategic understanding of local communities, infrastructures and ecosystems.
Carolina Sepúlveda (Coordinator of research in Santiago de Chile): I am a Chilean mestiza cis-gender woman born and living in Santiago, Chile, on the unceded un-surrendered territory of several indigenous nations. I am an Architect, curator, and researcher. I hold a Master in Design Studies, Art, Design, and the Public Domain from Harvard GSD, and a B. Arch. from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. My work is at the intersection of architecture, curatorial practices, and activism.
Alia Farhat (community liaison, Overbrook): I am a ommunity and social services professional, and experienced Child And Youth Worker. My passion for design and love for strengthening communities is what brought me into the field of Architecture, completing a Masters in Architecture from Carleton University.
Andrea Valenzuela (community liaison, Santiago)
Sofía Ugarte (Antropologist)
STUDENTS COLLABORATORS
Emma Rath (production of visualizations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Sarah Chin (production of visualizations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Laura Viada Ferrari (production of visualization), Masters in Architecture, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Alex Saucier (construction, management, and budget of design-build), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University