At WHSAD, students have the opportunity to participate and learn from numerous partnerships and projects. An example of such a partnership is the Tompkinsville Esplanade project, which has been developed over the last few months by students. At the beginning of the project, students were given a simple overview and goal of the project to develop a design concept that would fit the needs of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). They turned this information into a vision and presented the idea to stakeholders at the midterm. They received feedback in response to the presentation and updated their project accordingly. The second presentation of the project's progress was held on Wednesday, April 21st. In attendance were … [Read more...]
About Sheena Luke
WHSAD’s Battery Park City Project
Battery Park City is situated on the southwest part Manhattan Island. This 25-acre park in Battery Park City, as well as the entire community, has been managed by Battery Park City Authority since 1968, transforming the area from a feeble state to today's thriving community. A problem has recently arisen regarding the current map of Battery Park City: the issue revolving around its relative lack of detail. Battery Park City Authority, as expected, acquired the job of editing and improving the map. This is where the Battery Park City project started. Permit Associate John Sherzai, a WHSAD alumnus, contacted WHSAD in hopes of developing a partnership for students to assemble the drawings as a work project. Through the completion of this … [Read more...]
Whitney Museum Arts Education at WHSAD
On Tuesday, March 16th, the Whitney Museum had a digital collaboration with WHSAD to present and analyze art work with the students. This interactive event made a lasting impression on students by providing the opportunity for stimulating and entertaining discussions. Arts educator, Jano Cortijo, discussed with freshmen students various subject matters, from portraits to architectural observational drawings, each provoking its own response from students. To provide a student perspective on the event, several students shared their opinions and overall takeaway from the Whitney Museum sessions. Nataly Hurtado The most interesting aspect was how interactive the presentation was. We all got to participate and give our opinions. It … [Read more...]
With Artist Ruth Sergel, WHSAD Students Remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
On March 25, 1911, a fatal fire broke out inside Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan, New York's Greenwich Village. This industrial disaster caused 146 deaths as a result of the owners' negligence. Of these 146 people, a majority were young immigrant women that were subjected to a harsh and unfair working environment. This event became a catalyst for workers' rights movements. Consequently, numerous factory laws have since been passed to improve factory conditions and ensure worker safety. For the 4th consecutive year, students at WHSAD are participating in the living memorial to the victims of the fire, ensuring their memories and story can continue to be kept alive. Though this year not all students were able to do this … [Read more...]
GENSLER Design Discovery Program
On February 25th, 2021, WHSAD collaborated with Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning, and consulting firm, to host the Gensler Design Discovery Program. The presentation’s audience consisted of students at WHSAD with an interest in architecture and design. As a result of the presentation, the students learned multiple things that can prove beneficial for their future. The Gensler Design Discovery Program strongly emphasized the concept of sustainability when it came to creating architectural works and designs. Lina Peilin Ayala, who focuses her expertise in residential design and urban design, discussed design resilience and established the goal of eliminating the CO2 emissions that stem from construction. Lina’s … [Read more...]
WHSAD My Sister’s Keeper Mentor Interviews
My Sister's Keeper is a program whose primary objective is to teach young women self-empowerment and learn skills for life. Mentoring relationships are provided within MSK as well as other activities. These activities help women in the program build communication skills, especially those who may struggle with self-esteem and confidence. MSK wants women to rise above their struggles and chase their dreams, while disregarding stereotypical comments. My Sister's Keeper calls on young women to be themselves and speak their minds freely. On January 7th, 2020, My Sister's Keeper held a meeting with their students. In this meeting, Ms. Amanda, one of MSK’s instructors, talked to the students about stepping outside their comfort zones. To … [Read more...]
My Sister’s Keeper Induction Ceremony
On December 1st, 2020, an induction ceremony was held by MSK, introducing the goals and expectations held by the program. There was an approximate attendance number of 250, participants varying between students and educators from several schools. Each school captain spoke on their perspectives on MSK along with what they expect to achieve in the future while attending the program. The My Sister's Keeper Program (MSK) focuses on providing opportunities for young women of color along with building an encouraging community. The MSK community supports young women in their ventures to become the leaders of tomorrow. "My goal is to ensure that we put women in front of you, that look like you, that have come from neighborhoods like you or, … [Read more...]
Senior Portfolio Project
During their senior years, WHSAD seniors engage in collecting their work from their previous three years and select which of those works to feature in their portfolios. In the following interviews, three WHSAD seniors in Mr. Alain Codio's class, The Business of Architecture, provide insights as to how they went about creating their portfolios, challenges they faced, and why a portfolio needs to be a staple product of any architect or designer. Mekhi Brown How would you describe the process of creating your portfolio? "I’d describe this memorable process, as a trip down memory lane. I was required to search for my pieces of work, dating all the way back to freshman year. Seeing how I started out, and then, how much I’ve grown … [Read more...]
WHSAD Freshman, Derek Ramos Matos
Due to the current pandemic, education has been confined to online classes. Though teaching has become more complicated, there are students who continue to stand out despite the change in learning. One of these students is Derek Ramos Matos, a freshman who has managed to give a prominent impression through his attendance at the WHSAD Summer Bridge and WHSAD Makerspace Studio Programs. The element that made him stand out the most, however, was his project created during the Summer Bridge Program. When posed the opportunity, Derek was willing to answer a few questions on himself and his experiences at WHSAD thus far. Can you share a little about yourself? (Such as hobbies, goals, motivations, etc.) "Well to start off, my name is … [Read more...]
My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Program
My Brother's/ Sister's Keeper Program was founded to acknowledge the discrimination directed towards young men and women of color. In recent years, this program has gained in size and its participants have grown to include students of WHSAD as well as numerous other schools. In order to understand the significance of the My Brother's/Sister's Keeper Program, two WHSAD students who have been attending the program, share their experiences. Gilver Bueno, WHSAD Senior As it has been explained to me, My Brother’s Keeper and My Sister’s Keeper is a program meant to build and strengthen bonds with fellow students and residents of Brooklyn. In the program, you are to look after one another and take part in a bigger picture, one that … [Read more...]