When reading through architectural media, it's easy for larger architecture firms or "prominent" names to rule headlines. However, many design practitioners and groups are making impactful changes in the industry and their communities beyond the media clout. This is the case for architectural designer, maker, and educator Maya Bird-Murphy, Founder and Executive Director of the Chicago Mobile Makers.

If you're familiar with the Oak Park, Illinois native, it's due to her work with Chicago's local youth and her team of designers and educators leading workshops in their hard-to-miss repainted UPS trucks. 

What started as a thesis project for Bird-Murphy during her time at Boston Architectural College soon grew into the award-winning non-profit it is today. After reflecting on her own experiences as a Black female architecture student and designer working in firms, she saw the need to increase diversity within the industry. The architect/non-profit founder soon realized this change in representation and diversity would start by empowering youth.

In an April 2022 interview with her alma mater, Ball State University, she reflected on her time in architecture school and questioned "why [architecture lacked diversity] and if I could do anything about it. I felt like I had to represent my race a lot, which is uncomfortable, and we were not really learning about designers of color." 

After graduating with her M.Arch in 2017, Bird-Murphy pursued turning her thesis project into a reality. She learned the inner workings of creating a non-profit that engaged the youth, trained and supported future architects and designers, and advocated for socio-economical change. 

Since then, the Chicago Mobile Makers have made a mark within Chicago thanks to their mobile pop-up workshops and public outreach programs that introduce children and young adults to architecture and design through skill-building workshops.

Within five years, Bird-Murphy and her team's dedication to social design practices have led to another significant milestone for the organization. After receiving $30,000 from the Chicago Bulls through the NBA's 75th Anniversary Legacy Project, the organization now has its first official headquarters within the Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park. 

Bird-Murphy shared with Mina Bloom of Block Club Chicago in June: "More and more studies are coming out about the mental health of young people right now." Noting the value and importance of safe spaces for children and the youth, she continued: "They really need a place to be that's not home or school, and we just want to be that safe and consistent place where they know they're going to be taken care of, their parents know they're taken care of." 

With the new location's official opening and ribbon-cutting on June 11, the team prepares for its summer programming and continued mobile pop-up workshops. News and updates on the organization's progress can be seen on their active social media platforms, sharing with the community the exciting things to come.

The Chicago Mobile Makers, along with its tenacious leader Bird-Murphy, remind us how architecture can be used as a catalyst for change. Since then, the organization and its founder's work have grown in awareness by many. I look back at a response from her interview with Madame Architect back in 2020 that reinforces the importance of social design and its place within practice. 

"I was living and learning around almost all white people. That’s when I decided that I wanted to do social architecture. In school, I was uncomfortable a lot, but that guided what I actually want to do in this field [...] Architecture used to move slowly, but times are changing, and I’m one of many, many people talking about that change and practicing it on a daily basis. We need people to speak about this as well as worker rights, labor rights, and equal pay."

While this is but a brief profile of an individual who, along with her team, has created spaces for learning and growth within the community of Chicago, it is news like this our industry mustn't forget to acknowledge, celebrate, and most importantly support.