TAAMARA RATH

About TAAMARA

Taamara Rath graduated from California College of the Arts, with a Bachelor's in Architecture, with a concentration in Urban Works and History/Theory/Experiments, in May 2020.

She has developed an interest in the reciprocity between spatial conditions and social infrastructures. In her undergraduate education, she sought conversations surrounding ownership, equity, marginalization, and accessibility through her projects.

She has work experience in Architecture, Interiors, Urban Planning, Historic Renovation, and Community Design. She is currently working at Urban Chalet, an interior design firm based in the Bay Area and New York, specializing in healthcare and residential design.

Why did you decide to study Urban Works?

Understanding how architecture and design affect the socio-economic landscape it exists in, has been crucial in building my own perspective of equitable and sustainable design. The Urban Works concentration enabled me to not only be a part of conversations surrounding this but gave me the agency to research and analyze the overlap amongst design, equity, economic justice, and environmental stability. The faculty and collaborators involved each brought their own skills and perspectives to understand the data through various design strategies. While the architectural scale was at its core, the Urban Works concentration expanded on it, by holding a parallel assessment with the contextual research. I was keen on building universal skills that allowed me to better understand the user, the place, the history that came with each space, and the future paradigms our design may create.

Can you describe your time at CCA? What were some of the projects you did or were involved in that meant the most to you, and what did you learn from your time here?

CCA was a space where I was able to create a sense of identity, find meaning in being an impactful design professional and build a community of people that shared similar perspectives that continue to be a support system to this day. Working with Irene Cheng to organize the Town Hall: Wrestling with Politics: Art, Design, & Activism in Asia, helped me build an understanding of the uniqueness in the way artists and designers may express ourselves and influence the socio-political landscape. Janette Kim’s studio “Stop Calling Me Resilient”, had a similar influence in an academic environment. Providing us with tools through research, analysis, and graphic methods to build a thesis that focused on creating landscapes at varying scales that would positively impact marginalized communities.

Bridging the Cracks, Fall 2018 (in collaboration with Jose Trujilio Rodriguez)

A graphic exploration and representation of our project ‘ Bridging the Cracks’ that responds to the socio-economic disadvantages within the West Oakland community. Our design solution was to utilize ADU’s and communal space for residents to gain authorship and ownership of the land, economy, and social dynamics.

Bridging the Cracks, Fall 2018 (in collaboration with Jose Trujilio Rodriguez)

Through research and analysis, our project ‘Bridging the Cracks’ focused on the owner and renter imbalance within the West Oakland community, and incentivized the residents using community land funds, to allow for community ownership in property and community hubs.

Structural Axon_Shellmound for the Ohlone, Fall 2019

This monument calls for communities to come together and construct a space for the people, by starting with a mound of soil. The act of building is integral to their cultural and spiritual practice in giving back to the land, that which we do not own. The monument embraces the various species that may be interconnected to the lifestyle of the Ohlone people and enables cohabitation. The intention of the ‘Evolving Shellmound’ project is to question the ambiguous boundaries between public and private spaces and call forth the occupational aspect of ownership and the spatial and social ramifications of doing so.

Structural Axon_Shellmound for the Ohlone, Fall 2019

The intention of the ‘Evolving Shellmound’ project is to question the ambiguous boundaries between public and private spaces and call forth the occupational aspect of ownership and the spatial and social ramifications of doing so.

What kind of work have you done since you graduated? How has your education and experience at CCA related to that work?

I graduated in May 2020, which didn’t allow for many job opportunities, especially for an international student. However, I was able to work part-time with Open Architecture Collaborative - a global learning community mobilizing architects, designers, and a diverse range of professionals to connect and create with communities experiencing systemic racism and marginalization. Since then, I have joined an interior design firm, Urban Chalet, a nationally recognized leader and pioneer in health and wellness interior design. Samples of my work with Urban Chalet include the design and installation of waiting and therapy rooms for a national behavioral health client, and waiting rooms for a large primary care and multi-specialty healthcare client.