But as Broughton lets her imagination explore how vernacular objects and their functions can be reinterpreted in the physical environment, she is also in the process of figuring out how she can push her developing practice forward.

Originally from Los Angeles, Broughton earned a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and Critical Theory at New York University, where she first became interested in studying the role of objects in narrative. She then went to study architecture at SCI-Arc for her M.Arch. “I got interested in [architecture] because it was dependent on the same theories I had been studying in school. Also because, in the beginning, I was interested in the capacity of architecture and urban environments to have an ability to tell stories and be a physicalized narrative form,” she said during a phone conversation.

It was in putting together her thesis project at SCI-Arc that Broughton came up with the name WELCOMEPROJECTS. At first, the name meant to imply “how architecture could appropriate folk techniques and aesthetics,” Broughton explained. The word “WELCOME” was meant to invoke a sense of familiarity and accessibility to anyone, as suggested in kitschy home decor like embroidered “Welcome” doormats and knitted bric-a-brac. After she graduated from SCI-Arc, WELCOMEPROJECTS was reborn as a new studio. The idea of welcomeness began to lean toward experimentation with different artistic media as Broughton began to exchange ideas with various artists and designers.

Broughton’s studio typically consists of one or two employees working alongside her, and finding collaborators hasn’t been difficult. Running a multi-disciplinary studio is rooted in her exposure to a variety of artists early in her career. I was interested in the capacity of architecture and urban environments to tell stories and be a physicalized narrative form.Prior to studying at SCI-Arc, she worked as a managing editor for art publication zingmagazine with artist Devon Dikeou.

“The idea for the editorial process for the magazine was a ‘curatorial crossing,’ and in each issue, [Dikeou] would invite maybe 10 different artists of different disciplines, [which included] visual artists, photographers, writers, and fashion designers. She would ask them to curate a section of the magazine, and that would mean different things to different people,” Broughton said. "The magazine itself was a gallery in print. Through that, I was definitely exposed to a huge cross section of different people who worked in different mediums. Now when I look back on it, I realize that experience shaped my own work significantly, which is multi-disciplinary.”

When Broughton returned to L.A. to work as a junior architect at Johnston Marklee, she was introduced to the inner workings of an architecture studio environment. But similar to zingmagazine, it was Mark Lee’s and Sharon Johnston’s curiosity with art and culture that greatly contributed to how she would operate WELCOMEPROJECTS.

Broughton’s studio encounters a mixture of artistic styles and she enjoys undergoing a constant change of pace in the creative process. However, her core interest of playing with the semiotics of familiar objects is most exemplified in WELCOMECOMPANIONS. Described as WELCOMEPROJECTS’ fashion project, the collection has accessories that are dubbed with colorful names like “Two-Face”, “Part-time Picnic”, “Other Side of the Bed”, and “The Miranda” handbag — which Broughton designed with artist Miranda July. Sold as vibrant designer pieces that any fashionista would covet, it’s no surprise that WELCOMECOMPANIONS helps Broughton financially sustain her studio, which is also supported by receiving exhibition grants and client fees for architecture and design work. 

“My interest in accessories has to do with the way an accessory is both decoration and function,” Broughton said. In a handbag, there is a “back-and-forth” duality, in that it carries its owner’s possessions while simultaneously being an expressive, decorative object — as if it were a totem, she said.

Perhaps Broughton’s most enduring collaborative effort is with students at the USC School of Architecture, where she has taught as an adjunct assistant professor since 2009. Although teaching appealed to her, she admits that she might have never gotten involved if it weren’t for the recession, which was still at its peak in 2009. “There wasn’t much else to do,” she recalled, with a laugh.

“[The recession] was a positive thing for someone of my generation."

But becoming a teacher during a time of murky economic circumstances worked in Broughton’s favor in terms of developing her own identity as a designer, even to this day as she directs WELCOMEPROJECTS. “[The recession] was a positive thing for someone of my generation. If I had a full, happily functioning practice in 2009, the recession would’ve been very devastating,” she said. “For me, it provided an opportunity to not only teach, but also explore a set of ideas that there isn’t always space for.”

Instructing students requires a certain degree of agility that is just as vital in successfully running one’s own studio, Broughton continued. “You learn a lot about yourself when you have to tell somebody whether or not something is good or how to do something. You [and the student] both learn what you like, but you almost have to re-learn how to do things […] In teaching, you’re constantly thinking on your feet because your job is to provoke students into thinking about ideas and to respond to what they are producing.”

"Running a studio is a business."WELCOMEPROJECTS is the manifestation of Broughton’s formative experiences throughout her career, but it also marks the beginning of the creative possibilities that lie ahead. Having learned a great deal about herself as she pursues her interests in the realm of architecture, Broughton looks forward to growing alongside her blooming practice.

“Running a studio is a business. And like Andy Warhol said, ‘good business is the best art,’” said Broughton, in summation of running WELCOMEPROJECTS over the last few years. “It’s an explorative process. Your perspective can’t help but change as you’re gaining new information. The more you do, the more you define what your voice is.”