by Center for Architecture
AIA New York and the Center for Architecture are gearing up for Common Bond: The Center for Architecture Gala, taking place at Chelsea Piers, Pier 60 on October 24, 2024. The event serves as the single largest funding source for the Center for Architecture and celebrates design excellence in New York City, gathering together hundreds of professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction communities. This year, Common Bond is honoring four leaders in architecture, housing, sustainability, and preservation for their contributions to the built environment: Bernard Tschumi, FAIA, FRIBA, SIA/FAS, Gotham Organization, New York League of Conservation Voters, and Michael Henry Adams.
Each year at Common Bond, the Center for Architecture also provides scholarships to outstanding architecture students, chosen by area schools that have been selected by our honorees. As an industry, it is critical to support and invest in our bright young students while they are still in school as high education debts after graduating force many promising designers out of our professions. We are delighted to introduce you to these three remarkable students who will each receive $3,500 to pursue degrees in architecture.
Meet Our Scholarship Recipients
Liberty Chapman
Master of Architecture Candidate, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Liberty Chapman is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture at Columbia University, in her second year, at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design for her undergraduate studies and was Class Representative for her fellow classmates during the program.
Chapman grew up in Hong Kong and has always taken a strong interest in art and design. Prior to college, she was extensively involved in leading theater set design and lighting design at school and she has always been passionate about creating immersive environments, leading to her choice to pursue architecture and design in both her undergraduate and graduate studies. Chapman had multiple enriching summer work experiences in workplace design with firms in Seattle and New York City as well as hospitality design in Hong Kong. Within the world of architecture, she is fascinated with adaptive reuse as well as the rich storytelling embedded within these buildings. The interplay of architecture, adaptive reuse and interior design continue to inspire Chapman as she continues her further studies at Columbia GSAPP.
Catherine Moreno
Bachelor of Architecture Candidate, Pratt Institute
Catherine Moreno is a rising fifth-year architecture student at Pratt Institute. As a first-generation college student, her path has been shaped by early involvement with the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY and the Center for Architecture, sparking her dedication to mentorship and advocacy.
This passion led her to co-found Femmes of the Future, a collective dedicated to mentoring and networking for women in design, while exploring multidisciplinary advocacy representation techniques. Her commitment extends to active roles in organizations like NOMAS, AIAS, and The Architecture Lobby. Beyond architecture, Moreno’s dedication to social justice drives her work with NYPIRG, where she served as vice president and continues to help lead public interest campaigns across New York State.
Moreno is also deeply engaged in research, with a focus on fabrication and spatial studies. She has worked as a research assistant for several professors and is currently pursuing a concentration in morphology, exploring experimental structures and the relationships between form, space, force, and time.
Chana Rhodes
Bachelor of Architecture Candidate, New York Institute of Technology
Chana Rhodes is a fourth-year Bachelor of Architecture student at the New York Institute of Technology. Raised in Brooklyn, she developed a deep passion for architecture, inspired by the dynamic urban environment and its intricate connection with society. Her upbringing drove her interest in city planning and urban design, fine-tuning her focus to projects that honor and reflect diverse communities’ cultural and traditional nuances.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Rhodes is an avid photographer and writer. These creative outlets allow her to explore architecture from various perspectives, deepening her appreciation for the intentions behind design and the narratives hidden within architectural landmarks and precedents.