Graduates talk

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Angela Lufkin / Phoenix, Arizona
MArch, School of Architecture

What has been the most enriching for you at Yale?
The community of people that I’ve met. When I thought about coming to grad school, it was about how it would help me become a better architect. COVID, especially, made me realize that the School of Architecture is so friendly. It has made for such an amazing space to discover your own voice in architecture, to feel that your perspective matters.

What are your goals as an architect?
I’m interested in helping shape a new future for schools through architecture. I maintain a real belief that space is powerful and buildings have agency: the floor plan of your house shapes the way you interact with other people and the way you see your community and see yourself.
 
I learned to be critical of every part of a building, not just the formal aspects; there’s the really challenging question of what sustainability actually means. When you’re choosing whether you’re going to use one material over another, the materials come from different places, they have different supply chains, they have different sustainability implications.

What is your favorite building at Yale?
Rudolph Hall, the School of Architecture building. It’s so fun to explore. I love the carpet, of course.

It’s orange, right?
Paprika.

Tell me more.
There are so many fun hidden things in Rudolph Hall. Behind this boring door, you enter into this amazing stairwell that’s completely, incredibly beautiful to walk through. It has all these strange double-height spaces and little seating niches. And it has great views. It looks out on the campus and the city.

Where are you headed now?
I just got a job in Los Angeles, in a small office called Stayner Architects.