To Whom it May Concern,

I never felt comfortable walking around the streets of my hometown, Cochabamba, Bolivia, as a woman. I took it upon myself to understand why through my college thesis: The City of Cochabamba Analyzed from a Lens of Feminist Urbanism. On that journey, it became clear to me how architecture and urbanism can be leveraged to generate positive psychological impacts on people, so that they feel safe in public spaces — and eventually feel like said public space is their own. It also became clear to me that Cochabamba, until recently, was a city for men —where women were actively discouraged from accessing public spaces. The lack of psychological safety women feel in public spaces is not unique to Cochabamba, but is something that inspires my approach to architecture and urbanism.

I developed a lens for architecture that is focused on marginalized people: those who were barred from making physical spaces their own because they did not hold as much societal power. Through my project work, I’ve sharpened my sensitivity for all people’s needs in the design process, as well as for the emotional impacts of public and private spaces. Above all, I’ve learned that you do not need big design and construction to have a big impact on people, what you really need is intelligent design and construction. The projects that demonstrate my approach to architecture most include:

• Research and design of the Anti Racist Corner Development project, where we designed a building catering to the specific needs black people in Durban, South Africa have. The goal was to create a space that enables them to feel ownership without discrimination — which we achieved by mixing architecture, the arts, and local culture.

• Housing design for low-income families with Olmedo LTDA in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The objective was to create modular homes with a construction model that enables users to develop their own homes according to their economic possibilities.

• Condo and building design for The Central Park project in the city of Cochabamba. The luxury building required considerations for all types of high- income earners — including people with disabilities, people of old age, and indigenous people rising in social status for the first time in Bolivian history — and I had the opportunity to personalize apartments for those with special needs.

  
  

  Thanks to my work and life experiences, I have an acute sensitivity to understand the needs of people and thus be able to address them through intelligent design. I produce a high standard of work that aims to deliver on the reason architecture exists: to make people feel seen, comfortable, and inspired. I hope to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of your company through my work.
  

  
  

  Thank you for your consideration,
  Alejandra Olmedo Ponce