Edson G. Cabalfin, Ph.D., is an educator, architect, designer, curator, and historian. He is the inaugural Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the School of Architecture at Tulane University, where he is also concurrently serving as Director of the Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Program and Associate Professor (with tenure). Prior to Tulane, he was a tenured Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Interior Design Program in the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught from 2009 to 2020. He was the Curator of the Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale 2018.
He received his Ph.D. in History of Architecture and Urban Development from Cornell University in 2012. Under a Fulbright Fellowship, he obtained his Master of Science in Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2003. Prior to coming to the U.S., he received his professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of the Philippines in 1996 and 2001, respectively.
Edson’s research in the last two decades lies at the intersections of architecture history and theory, cultural studies, gender and sexuality studies, postcolonial theory, Southeast Asian studies, spatial justice, public interest design, and heritage conservation. His research broadly interrogates how architecture operates as a socio-cultural phenomenon and artifact. He has written articles, book chapters, and conference papers on queer spaces and sex work in Quezon City, postcolonial identity politics and architectural representations, neoliberal urbanism in the Global South, informal settlements and the capital city, appropriating queering in Philippine spatial practices, architecture, colonialism and modernity, Philippine architectural historiography.
He wrote the book “What Kids Should Know About Filipino Architecture” (published by Adarna House in 2015 and 2022), "Shifting Sands: Visions, Propositons, Reimaginations" (forthcoming 2023, BArchan) and edited “The City Who Had Two Navels: Catalogue of the Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale 2018” (published by the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2018). He is currently working on two book manuscripts: first, a monograph on 100-year history of Philippine pavilions in international expositions; and second, editing an anthology of essays on theories of Philippine architecture.
In the last seven years Edson has been involved in various social innovation and design thinking projects and initiatives. He has led an international architecture design research studio in Ecuador at Tulane University focusing on sustainable design in the tropics. The design studio collaborated with the non-profit Fundacion para Conservacion de los Andes Tropicales (FCAT) in Ecuador. At the University of Cincinnati, he organized a foreign-study program in Southeast Asia with a human-centered design studio focusing on typhoon Haiyan disaster recovery on Leyte island in the Philippines. He was also faculty fellow and project leader at Live Well Collaborative, University of Cincinnati’s design thinking-based and multi-disciplinary innovation center where he led a team of students from various disciplines on a project focusing on the future of health and wellness through the experience of various consumers.
Edson served as consultant with the non-profit organization Village Life Outreach Project where he conducted participatory design thinking workshops with the villages of Burere, Nyambogo and Roche in Tanzania as part of the effort to develop future programs in health, water, and education for these rural villages. Together with his colleague Nazanin Khodadad, he also conducted several design thinking workshops with faculty and administrators of Sycamore High School and Winton Woods High School of the Cincinnati Public School system. He has conducted visioning workshops with Rice University - Center for Environmental Studies, University of Cincinnati - School of Architecture and Interior Design, and University of Kentucky - School of Interiors.
A licensed and registered architect in the Philippines, Edson also runs his design consultancy Talyer Kayumanggi/Brown Workshop, based in Cincinnati and Manila, with projects in architecture, interior design, set design, costume design, fashion design, exhibition design, graphic design, and design strategy in North America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in the last 30 years.
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, US, Director, Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Program + Associate Professor (Tenured)
As Director and Associate Professor (Tenured) leads the Social Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) program and contributes to the development of Tulane School of Architecture's research agenda in the area of design, design thinking, and social innovation. Responsible for revising the undergraduate SISE minor and launching the new graduate certificate in Public Interest Design in collaboration with the architecture and historic preservation programs. Coordinates initiatives with the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane and initiatives outside campus across the city. Led and taught the Ecuador Design Research Studio in the school in collaboration with the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design.
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, US, Director of Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Program + Professor of Practice in Design Thinking
As Director and Professor of Practice in Design Thinking, leads the Social Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) program and contributes to the development of Tulane School of Architecture's research agenda in the area of Design and Design Thinking. Coordinates the SISE program with the Tulane University's Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design thinking and plays a critical role in defining the school and university-wide research initiatives through collaboration with other academic units and pan-university centers and with organizations beyond Tulane.
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, US, Associate Professor (Tenured)
Taught various undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture and interior design program. Served as advisor for M. Architecture, M.S. in Architecture, and Ph.D. in Architecture courses. Taught design, history and theory, materials and construction, rendering and drawing, and research methods.Coordinated the Interior Design program from 2016 until 2020.
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, US, Assistant Professor
Taught various undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture and interior design program. Served as advisor for M. Architecture, M.S. in Architecture, and Ph.D. in Architecture courses. Taught design, history and theory, materials and construction, rendering and drawing, and research methods.
Cadiz International, Makati, PH, Senior Design Architect
Responsible for leading design projects in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including masterplanning, mixed-use, commercial, residential, and institutional projects. Generated and coordinated from concept to schematic until design development phases. Collaborated with various teams within the company. Represented the company in client meetings, workshops, and events.
D.A. Silvestre + Associates, Quezon City, Philippines, Design Associate - Associate Architect
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US, PhD, Architecture
Major in History of Architecture and Urban Development, with minors in Southeast Asia Studies and Historic Preservation
