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Quilian Riano named dean of Pratt School of Architecture

2023-05-08T20:47:00-04:00

The Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture has just announced the appointment of urban designer and academic Quilian Riano as its new Dean.

Riano, who has been serving as the school’s Interim Dean since last August, will officially step into the role on May 8th. He joined Pratt’s faculty as an Assistant Dean in 2021 after previous teaching positions at Kent State University, Columbia, Syracuse, and Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology, among other campuses. Riano is also a board member of the Architectural League of New York, and holds degrees in architecture from both the Harvard GSD and University of Florida.

An advocate for design equity, social justice, and fair labor practices within the architecture industry, Riano was an active writer, collaborator, and former senior editor for Archinect in its early days. Some of his writings include his popular blog post "Design and Agency" and his 2016 feature "Gaming the System: role-playing spatial and political change," among ...

Pratt School of Architecture announces Quilian Riano as its new Assistant Dean

2021-07-07T19:12:00-04:00

Pratt Institute has announced the appointment of its new Assistant Dean Quilian Riano. As an architect, urban designer, researcher, and writer, his work explores architecture's relationship to design justice, anti-racist pedagogy, and urban design strategies that address socio-political issues. Riano’s decade in academia as a teacher in graduate and undergraduate studies in architecture, urban design, and interdisciplinary design has aided in the development of leading studios and design collectives that interrogate architecture and its current pedagogy.

Architecture Lobby members Quilian Riano and Peggy Deamer stage a performance of the organization’s 10-point manifesto at the 2014 AIA National Convention. Courtesy Quilian Riano 2016.

As the Assistant Dean, Riano will be working closely with Pratt School of Architecture Dean Dr. Harriet Harriss. His focus will be on "all four of the school's departments to help develop and amplify the research-driven, spatial outcomes with real-wor...