Annette Diniz

It is time to explore what architecture can do in the real world. After five years of studying architecture, I've graduated in May 2012.  My college, California College of the Arts in San Francisco, has provided great opportunities to engage with theoretical knowledge including urbanism, ecology, community, generative design, and fabrication. My interest lays mostly with community and integrating ecology. I am interested learning more about architecture through research, development and implementation.

Aside from my interests in community and ecology, I have also been involved in student leadership. I am currently serving as President of NOMAS, the National Organization of Minority Architecture students. NOMAS has exposed me to the professional world of architecture. SFNOMA, the San Francisco chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects and NOMAS have worked together to organize professional development events, social events, and community outreach. Leadership has challenged me to work with other students and to continually create ambitious goals to keep building the group. It has also taught me the importance of building my career and understanding what I want to focus on in architecture.

Architecture has the potential to change the world. It works with leaders, communities, and its environment, as well as other forms of theorhetical knowledge to plan and develop changes that contribute to the future built environment. This is exactly the reason I have chosen to be an architect. I felt the impact of architecture was powerfully meaningful. The way architects, city planners, and developers percieve the world greatly impacts what it becomes. If there is such a thing as social justice through architecture, that is exactly where I would be.