Dean Quilian Riano. Photo by Rebecca Smeyne

Archinect's Deans List series offers readers an exclusive glimpse into the minds shaping the future of architectural education. This series not only delves into the unique programming of each school but also uncovers the philosophies and approaches that define their educational landscape.

In our latest installment, we explore the vision of Quilian Riano, the newly appointed dean at Pratt Institute's School of Architecture. Riano, an architect known for his innovative approaches to social engagement and urban design, brings a fresh perspective to Pratt. His career, marked by a blend of practical experience and academic prowess, positions him uniquely to lead the school into its next chapter.

At Pratt, Riano faces the dual challenge of honoring the school's storied legacy while steering its curriculum toward the evolving demands of the architectural profession. Known for his commitment to collaborative and inclusive design processes, Riano's leadership is anticipated to infuse Pratt's architecture program with a renewed focus on socially responsible and community-centric design practices.

Join us as we delve into Riano's plans for nurturing a new generation of architects who are not only skilled designers but also thoughtful citizens, equipped to address the complex social and environmental challenges of our time. This interview, conducted by Archinect's founder Paul Petrunia, adds a layer of professional insight, as Petrunia has been acquainted with Riano since the early 2000s. Their professional paths first crossed when Riano was an editor and collaborator at Archinect, bringing a historical perspective to their current dialogue on the future of architectural education at Pratt.

It’s been a minute since I had the pleasure of working with you regularly at Archinect. Since then, you’ve been quite active on a variety of fronts; running the practice DSGN AGNC, moving up the ranks as an educator, and being involved with organizations like the Architectural League, Architecture 2030, and the Architecture Lobby. Do you feel like these roles have satisfied different goals, or do you feel like they are parts of your own holistic approach to architecture?

Hi Paul, thanks so much for the question. I would add to the list that the little time I spent as a ‘nector and editor in the early aughts was also a formative experience. 

I honestly see it all as a kind of holistic approach, even though each of these elements is different in nature. For example, Pratt recently gave Edward Mazria a 2023 Pratt Legends Award. I had the honor to present it to him, and it was a nice moment to reflect on Architecture 2030 and how it was almost the creation of a new kind of practice, one that used new tools of education, communication, and movement building to impact the built environment. This is a lesson that I took both to my own work in DSGN AGNC (while adding design and building to the mix), as well as to the collective work I have had a chance to work on with a lot of great folks including Architecture Lobby and Dark Matter U. 

The through line, I think, is a belief in the power of an architectural education and practice. This is something that I carry with me into studio situations, working out designs for cooperatives that seek to rethink situations through political and spatial processes. As an administrator, I now get a chance to work with students and faculty to keep pushing for the value of a design education with an eye toward a positive impact on the built environment. 

One lesser-known fact about you is that you spent time in the Air Force. What drew you to that, and have you taken any valuable lessons from that experience into your career in architecture?

I joined when I was seventeen – at the time, I was obsessed with reading the biographies of artists like Ellsworth Kelly, who served during World War II. I saw it as a way to serve the nation I had chosen to call home and to learn more about it and its diverse population. I got my wish; having grown up in Miami, I went to San Antonio for bootcamp and was assigned to serve my four-year tour in Rapid City, South Dakota, at Ellsworth Air Force Base. 

I enjoyed South Dakota quite a bit and was attending school part-time at Black Hills State University while I served. I had a diverse faculty, including members of the Sioux tribe. Towards the end of my time in the military, I was assigned to help an Air Force engineering team with their work building infrastructure in the territory of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. This experience, while studying the history of injustices towards indigenous people in the Dakotas, made me think about who gets to design and create policies around the built environment at a moment when I needed to decide what to study when I went back to full-time school at the University of Florida. 

This experience, while studying the history of injustices towards indigenous people in the Dakotas, made me think about who gets to design and create policies around the built environment...

That experience shaped what I wanted to do with an architectural degree, even though I did not know the rigorous education that would be required. 

Finally, I have found the experience also helpful as an administrator. My job in the Air Force was as a Contracts Specialist (I negotiated contracts and bought things on behalf of the U.S. government). My squadron was within the logistics infrastructure of the base. I feel like the training I got gave me an early lesson on systems thinking that I have brought to design and education. 

It feels like the field of architecture is going through a major shift. Practice is being redefined, technology is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and new tools have empowered young people to push for change with more power than ever before. How do you envision the field in 15 years, and how can academia help better prepare students?

I think that a lot of this begins with the redefinition and broadening of practice models – a rethinking of how we do work. I think that more courses that help students figure out models of work that can help them better understand how their work will have an impact are necessary. This may include practice models that are more cooperative in nature, that are embedded within specific communities, that are reimagining materials in radical ways, etc. Professional Practice courses are shifting to meet this challenge, and at Pratt, we are also bringing seminars that can help configure these new practice models. 

As for the actual work we do, I think that in 15 years, there will be an acceleration of work that seeks to adapt and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. In the U.S., for example, coastal cities like New York City will have to find ways to bring in and live with more flooding, while cities like Cleveland may see increased density as people move to the interior of the country. A lot of technological and material experimentation will be needed to help with that transition. This work will be more grounded and take place in closer conversation with the communities in which we work. 

Our professional practice courses and new seminars are making sure students know the way practice works but can also imagine new models

Can you share a little about how the Professional Practice courses and seminars are adapting?

Overall, I see students more and more interested in their work having an immediate impact on the built environment. Our professional practice courses and new seminars are making sure students know the way practice works but can also imagine new models, for example, more collaborative ones, etc. I also see interest in labor rights and understanding and appreciation of the work we do. 

What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing architects today? How can academia evolve to address these issues?

I think that architects are facing the same challenges as many other disciplines. Technological disruption (AI, etc) is forcing us to think about our work in new ways, while the economic disruption created on a larger scale is having a major impact on the built environment that creates opportunities and challenges for us as a profession. For example, when I lived in northeast Ohio it was clear that the economic impact of changes in technological and manufacturing models have impacted the communities in that area in very profound ways. I would also say that in ways that typical practice models may not be best equipped to deal with. Yet I saw architects and urbanists shifting models to better engage communities most affected by those changes. For me, it has become a question of how architects can use their skills to participate in larger economic projects. 

I think this ties to the question of professional practice we have been having. We can help students to imagine practice models that are embedded in communities and can help them participate in larger democratic and economic efforts that can help. I have also seen a lot of systems-level ideas coming into studios and seminars, understanding that all the work we produce participates in and affects larger social, economic, political, and environmental systems. 

What sets apart Pratt's School of Architecture from other architectural programs?

The Pratt School of Architecture is an exciting, dynamic, and pluralistic place. We have around one thousand and two hundred curious and energetic students in fourteen programs in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, city and regional planning, construction and facilities management, environmental management, urban placemaking, historic preservation, and real estate. We are home to some of the most highly ranked and biggest accredited BArch, MArch and planning programs in the country. 

Together, these fields are all intrinsically linked to the major environmental and social issues we face today and having them all under one school makes it so that we can deal with challenges in a holistic way, even while people deepen their knowledge in their chosen field. Also, our faculty is made up of people active in the world of practice in New York City, bringing together practice and academic pursuits in holistic ways. This brings the latest in ideas and technologies to our students, no matter which field they choose to study. 

Pratt also has a great legacy – from the creation of the Pratt Center For Community Development (the oldest continuously running Community Design Center) to the way our architecture faculty have continuously led the way in how technology and research shape practice. In fact, we are about to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the formation of the School of Architecture, and many of the issues of concern today have a history and legacy here.

We are also pushing forward, renewing our programs, considering pedagogical models and working to institute the newly launched Masters of Landscape Architecture program. 

In short, the Pratt School of Architecture is a large, pluralistic community of students, faculty, and staff that are actively engaged in thinking about the design, planning and management of the built environment. 

As the current Dean, do you feel a responsibility to uphold traditions or methodologies that have been established at Pratt's School of Architecture, or do you feel a responsibility to push forward with change?

This is an important question in a moment in which the larger culture and each of our fields is in the middle of major changes. 

Let me begin by saying that we often think that we are facing unprecedented challenges. In a school like Pratt’s, I have found, however, that this is not the case. As I delve deeper into the history of the school I discover that the kinds of questions we are asking today of how we engage social, environmental, and technological challenges is an ongoing discussion that goes back decades. I have learned a lot from faculty who have been with us for five and six decades and have seen these challenges met in different ways. 

I learned a lot from the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of our Pratt in Rome program. For example, I learned about the history of student activism in the school, which led to the creation of this study abroad program (which I believe was the first one in Rome) through student organizing and petitioning. This program, started by students, is now an important part of our school. 

This is not to say that we are not facing moments that require further change, but I have found it important to learn from the legacy of our school as we move it forward – to understand that many questions have been asked in the past, and understanding those past debates can be very helpful as we formulate new paths. 

What do you hope will be your legacy at Pratt?

Big question! My immediate thought is that a legacy is really built over time, it is a process rather than an end goal. 

A legacy is really built over time, it is a process rather than an end goal

I will say that your previous question is key to what I hope to build while I have the pleasure of serving as the Dean of the Pratt Institute School of Architecture. I want to be able to work with and help my community of students, faculty, and staff navigate needed changes to address the larger challenges our fields (and larger society) are facing.