“Rather than focusing on design or engineering of artifacts, the goal is to design processes.” -High Performing Sites, Carol Burns, pg. 306
Seek delight, justice, and sustainability through approaching design as an overlapping choreography of earth, matter, energy, and people specific to each site and the landscapes connected to it.
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Anastasia Leopold is a systems thinker and storyteller trained in architecture and design. Her body of work is focused on sustainable, just, and delightful spaces across architecture, landscape, and community-driven design.
Architecturally, she has worked in affordable housing, resilient and energy retrofits to public housing and schools, commercial construction and interiors, and institutional work. In studio projects, she has focused on low embodied carbon, passive, and future-use design.
In the landscape domain, her work focuses on productive ecology and remediating pollutants. She has pursued this in a range of research positions, studio projects, and in leading Northeastern University's environmental justice and landscape architecture club, ASLA Adapt.
She believes in community power and is interested in community-driven design. Through the Master's in Architecture program at Northeastern University, she supported Councilor Tania Anderson's Office through action research to address systemic racism in Roxbury and has worked at community engagement events with the Boston Society of Landscape Architects. Her Master's thesis, Autonomy in Remediation, explores building community and Indigenous power through community developer and land trust organizations.
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US, Research and Visualization Assistant
• Developed and visualized phytoremediation sequence to transition parking lots to parks.
• Synthesized and designed community engagement meeting summary report for MBTA.
Experience Design Lab (XDlab) - Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US, Research Assistant
• Reviewed literature on socio-economic aspects of smart cities, applying lessons to industry 4.0 context as co-author for "Smart City Learnings for Industry 4.0" paper (under review).
Nelligan White Architects, New York, NY, US, Intern
• Facilitated construction administration of deep energy and flood-proof retrofits for public housing and schools with NYC Housing Authority and NYC School Construction Authority.
• Managed regulatory requirements for NY Department of Buildings filings for 18+ buildings.
NIU Scooters, Europe, various cities, Freelance Interior Planner
• Independently designed interiors of seven European Flagship and Premium stores.
• Developed and applied NIU interior branding language across seven countries.
Utile, Inc., Boston, MA, US, Architectural Intern
• Contributed to drawing and permit sets in AutoCAD and Revit for affordable multifamily, commercial, and FF&E projects from schematic design to construction administration.
• Designed diagrams and renderings in Rhino, SketchUp for presentations and marketing.
19six Architects, Santa Cruz, CA, US, Intern
(previously MADI Architecture + Planning)
• Worked June-August of 2017 and 2019
• Analyzed code and urban fabric to design testfits and support feasibility study for emergent educational workforce housing for the Live Oak School District.
• Developed as-built and new drawing sets in Revit and AutoCAD for public schools.
Resilient Homes Online Design Aide (RHOnDA) - Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US, Research Assistant
• Simplified over 100 residential resiliency strategies into easy-to-understand images.
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US, Masters, Master's in Architecture
• GPA: 3.96
• Thesis: Autonomy in Remediation. Designing mechanisms for Indigenous land back and community empowerment with pollution remediation as a necessary step.
• College of Arts, Media, and Design (CAMD) Graduate Award for Creative and Research Projects
• Student Leader of ASLA Adapt, Northeastern University's environmental justice and landscape architecture club.
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US, Bachelors, Bachelor's of Science in Architecture, minor in Urban Landscape Studies
• summa cum laude
• Dean’s List
• Honors College
• CAMD Grant Recipient
• Dialogue of Civilizations: Italian Architecture and Urbanism - Italy, 2017
Graduate Design Studio: Excellence in Architectural Design, Award
Northeastern University School of Architecture Graduate Design Studio: Excellence in Architectural Design - Top design project for MArch students in Master's Research and Design Studio section.
Project: Autonomy in Remediation
Graduate Award for Creative and Research Projects, Award
Northeastern University College of Arts, Media, and Design Graduate Award for Creative and Research Projects - Based on cumulative body of work committed to sustainable and just urban landscapes. Nominated by School of Architecture Director and unanimously voted to receive award by all department heads. One of three graduate awards across CAMD.
Portfolio Prize, Honorable Mention
Northeastern School of Architecture Portfolio Prize Honorable Mention - Top three honorable mentions for portfolios submitted.
Design Focus Award, Award
Northeastern Research, Innovation, Scholarship Expo (RISE) - University-wide research expo award for top design project.
Project: A Kitchen for Humans, A Summer Home for Bats
Urbanism Design Award, Award
Northeastern University School of Architecture Urbanism Design Award - Top design project for urbanism studio studios.
Project: Infrastructures of Locality and Delight
Excellence in Research, Award
Northeastern Research, Innovation, Scholarship Expo (RISE) - University-wide research expo. Award for top research project.
Project: Invasive Infrastructure
Design Excellence Award, Award
Northeastern University School of Architecture Design Excellence Award - Top design project for first year students.
