What is your name, current location, and current occupation?
Olivia Huang; Boston, MA; Architect
What was your affiliation with MIT?
MArch 2018
What was your thesis title?
Spaces of Justice (completed with James Addison, M.Arch ‘18)
What are you doing today?
These days, I'm architect-ing at Goody Clancy, teaching "Integrated Building Systems" at Northeastern University, volunteering with Communities for Restorative Justice and MIT Architecture Alumni, and dancing bhangra!
What are you excited about in your career field today?
I am excited about material salvage and reuse and the potential of a circular economy in building materials to decarbonise the industry. With that, I think there will be an accompanying shift in the industry’s attitude towards repair and the aesthetics of new. It’s been challenging to implement these ideas in practice because it’s uncommon and unfamiliar to our design process.
What is advice you would give to a new alum coming out of MIT?
“Just show up!” It’s small effort and big impact advice that I still find helpful for myself, too. If I’m curious about a topic, want to get involved in something somewhere, whether professionally or personally, it reminds me that I don’t need to prep or invest a lot into exploring new steps. Go to the event, and even if you don’t talk to anyone, you’ll already feel a little less intimidated and a little more knowledgeable. Beyond the self, I also believe showing up is the foundation for building community.
How can fellow alums reach you if they want to speak further?
You can send me a message on Linkedin!