David Cole

David is Masters of Architecture student at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), which is consistently ranked as one of the top architecture schools in the United States. DAAP embraces the “learn by doing” ethos that David has practiced throughout his career, which pervades the culture of the classroom, the studio, and co-op placements at various professional settings.

In his professional experience dating back to a student internship at the Chicago office of Perkins + Will beginning in 1995, David has been responsible for daily design and production on a wide variety of project types, ranging from small residential freelance projects to multimillion-dollar transportation and higher education projects. His former position with Dattner Architects in New York involved a great deal of work on civic and infrastructure projects, and it is in these types of projects that David has developed an appreciation for architecture that serves to benefit society and enhance the public realm of its context, rather than glorify the ego of the designer. Most recently, David completed an extended co-op placement at Moore Ruble Yudell in California, where he assisted the project team on a new Student Community Center for the University of California, Berkeley. This experience reinforced David’s strong belief in a collaborative design process in which the client and end users play a crucial role, and his conviction that good architecture is that which forms a positive experience, not merely an object to be admired. Throughout his career, David has striven to create built environments that are honest in structure and materials, true to their historical context, and environmentally and socially responsible.

When not involved with professional or academic practice, David enjoys reading about history and geography, advocating for social justice, listening to independent music, watching classic films and British television (particularly Doctor Who and Top Gear), sampling craft beers at his favorite pubs, and exploring new places from the side streets of New York and London to the mountains of the American West.