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Mia Larkin

Black/Fashion: Color and Culture

In collaboration with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, fashion curation by theo tyson

graduate studio | first year fall ‘25

Worked with a fashion curator from the Boston MFA, theo tyson, and designed a Black/Fashion: Color Culture exhibition space within the Linde Family gallery in the museum.  Throughout the semester, I explored the breadth and depth of black as a color and Blackness as a kaleidoscopic identity contextualized through fashion and visual arts, both historically and contemporarily. We were entrusted to ideate a design solution following her curatorial statement into 6 distinct sections: Good Mourning, Good Evening, Texture, Protest Dress, Kaleidoscope, and Afrofuturism.

My project statement is inspired by the term "Sunday's Best," which is a phrase used by Black Americans during times of oppression and marginalization as an expression of freedom during Church services, when they would dress themselves in their finest clothes. André Leon Talley’s capes, synonymous with his identity, are present and pivotal to theo’s curatorial vision for the exhibition. Talley’s religious upbringing is deeply rooted in the Black church, particularly through his grandmother, who instilled in him values of dignity, grace, and meticulous dressing for Sunday service, thereby establishing the church as his first significant experience with fashion, ritual, and community.  







Process



“The grid” is a design guide to break the space symbolically and physically. Breaking the black as a monolith to redefining it as Black as a culture.



Within my practice, I iterate best when making models to express my initial ideas. These models above represent past iterations of my previous designs before reaching the final design.


Renders


Render of the entrance leading into Good Mourning and Good Evening.

Render of Texture leading into André Leon Talley’s cape as the transition into culture.

Render of Protest Dress (right) and Kaleidoscope (left).



Render of Afrofuturism into the reading room and exit.


Final Models


Final Presentation Wall

>Link to Black/Fashion Bible<

In a society where Black people are denied individualism and faced with oppression, dressing up in “Sunday Best” to Church was and continues to be a symbolic practice of self-expression. Therefore, this catalogue serves as a “Fashion Bible” containing all the objects within the exhibition.

15 Rules to Redesign the World


graduate seminar | first year fall ‘25

Architect Christoper Alexander released in 2004-written over the course of three decades, The Nature of Order: An Essay on Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe. The four-volume set outlines the properties that Alexander believes underlie beauty in art, nature, and architecture. This exhibit will be the abridged 3D version of his manifesto.

Quilts are a medium of design that can depict beliefs, commemorate, and educate the public on human rights violations, as well as represent groups and oppressed peoples. By placing quilts and equality quilts, it creates a dialogue between the two types of pieces within the same medium, showing its range.

Enterance Render


Panel Composition and Drawings



Renders







Model

Design Icons 1900-2020

The Art of Sitting

graduate seminar | first year fall ‘25

The Art of Sitting takes the gaze from the chairs as objects and focuses on the array of individuals who occupy them-loungers, perchers, thinkers, and nappers alike. A chair’s composition is shown through its design and style, but its true artistry is present when in contact with human form. The exhibition celebrates the sitter as an impromptu player in this duet, transforming an object of design into a vehicle for labor, repose, argument, or escape. After all, a chair without a body is not a chair at all; it is the human who gives it purpose.

To say “to sit” in Chinese is Zuò. The character is represented here as it plays into this statement of focusing the sitter as a focal point of a chair’s design. Reiterating the character to transform into a human.


Model




Process Sketches

Panel Compositions and Drawings

The light acts as a participatory element within the exhibition. As the viewer sits on the benches, the light reflects the visitor’s shadow onto the chair on display. Mimicking the effect of the visitor sitting on the chair. 

Renders

See/Saw


Mia Larkin, Madeline Thomas, and Emma Davis

graduate summer semester | summer ‘25

This final project draws inspiration from Allan Wexler’s Wall: I Want to Be Architecture, a quietly radical work that seamlessly blends construction logic with sculptural intent and spatial play.


A see-saw, by definition, is a long plank fixed on a fulcrum, with seats on each end for the user to swing up and push down alternately. In its very essence, it requires two people on opposite ends of the same plank for the see-saw to move. There is an interdependent relationship between both users. By constructing a wall with a see-saw in the middle, the wall takes on a new, disrupted meaning. Walls usually connote the idea of keeping something or someone “in”, and “The Other’ out.

By the insertion of the see-saw, the wall is now disrupted by a unifying object. See-saws necessitate the idea of trust, co-existence, interdependence, and cooperation in order to lift off the ground. By adding opacity to the “window between” users, each user is forced to inherently trust the other, possibly an anonymous stranger. The user can “see” barely over the window barrier, seeing vaguely that there is a person on the other side, but not knowing who. It is only when both users trust each other and lift off the ground that they are able to rise above the opaque part of the window and see the opposite through the transparent portion of the window, now having “saw” the opposite side.




>Video Link to See/Saw<








Balance
“Unity in Opposites”


studio 4 | senior fall fall ‘24

This design studio is synthesizing the lessons learned in prerequisite studios. Integrating previous studio concepts, we are asked to develop and execute a design process that will culminate in a design solution for a small facility located in Regent Square, specifically Frick Park.

Render



SITE ANALYSIS

Frick Park’s location is adjacent to a neighborhood. While observing the site, I noticed the grid pattern that makes up the vehicle passage, but the curviness of the marked bike paths and the site being engulfed by nature stood out to me. The site itself had rigid elements, like the Clay Frick Tennis Courts fencing and a small building off to the side. These differences drove me to use balance as the main driver for my form and led me to discover other opposites to decide the design.


BALANCE


Balance in design is not only visual or spatial but also experimental. A bike shop is meant to balance industrial elements with organic, tactile materials; nature could balance areas of activity with quiet spaces. The structure is experimental; you are meant to try and fail. Experimental design involves merging nature with structure and creating flexible, adaptable spaces that invite exploration, relaxation, and interaction. Creating a fluid balance between organic growth and architectural intervention, encouraging active participation from visitors in defining the space themselves.
Positive v. Negative
Positive space is defined as structural beings arranged in a pattern, the void being negative space. This aids the circulation and sense of openness and flow.






Group v. Individual
Promoting users a seamless between social and private moments, the flexibility of spaces accommodates the fluctuating number of people throughout the day.





Nature v. Structure
Nature itself is organic and follows fluid forms. This duality manifests by blending open, green spaces with carefully structured forms. Taking inspiration from the Northern Oak leaf around the site, it is juxtaposed with rigidity from the nearby neighborhood street grid pattern.
Static v. Motion
Bikes are inherently about motion, designing that incorporates movements in form and function. Curved lines in the structure represent motion of bikes. Static functions slow down and make points of interest on the site for the users as repair stations.

FORM

To get my form, I took a foam block and sliced it into eight long rectangles. Then I arranged them into V’s and symmetrically stacked them. Following, I took the 2D form and traced straight edges and the concaves of the shape to get my floor plan. Finally, I extruded the floor plan to create my walls.

MATERIALS

I took inspiration from the site itself, like the oakwood from the trees and the colors from the clay courts.

North Elevation
South Elevation


East Elevation
West Elevation




Repair Space Interior Rendering

Reception Space Interior Rendering



Construction Documents

Floor Plan

Reflected Ceiling Plan


Roof Plan

Site Plan
North and South Elevation
East and West Elevation
Wall Sections
Wall Details

Sustainable Community Housing
“Interlocking Diversty”


Partner: Shaista Rahim

studio 3 | junior spring ‘24

Focusing on Pittsburgh's ever-growing diverse population, we must address the limited housing available for these communities. We plan to convert an existing parking lot in the Oakland area into sustainable housing for graduate students and the immigrant population.


Aerial view of the site



Process


First, we investigated the land ownership near our site to determine the needs, such as green space and the types of buildings trying to fulfill a need that is missing in the area. Therefore, in our final design, we wanted a big green space for the Oakland community.

The goal of our site is to foster a community of people from various walks of life. Pittsburgh, known for its three rivers that converge downtown and in the Oakland area, is where these communities have chosen to settle. The rivers meet at "The Point" downtown, each flowing toward a common destination. Similarly, our site attracts and brings together people from different backgrounds to Sennott.



 

Floor Plans


With intentional landscaping, we create spaces that encourage interaction among neighbors and the community. The apartment units themselves are unique to each resident. Each unit is a two-story home that offers a sense of individuality, with each façade designed to be distinct from the neighboring one. The pathways weave through the site, zigzagging and intersecting, ultimately leading people to a shared destination.

A Museum of ____
“Museum of Unearthing” 


studio 2 | junior fall ‘23

Located at the intersection of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Susquehanna Rivers. Pittsburgh’s location and history were a catalyst of the rapid expansion and industrialization of steel, glass, and coal. Calling for skilled workers to mass-produce these materials within the city from the late-19th to mid-20th centuries.



Aerial View of the site


Process


The site sits in the strip district in Pittsburgh, PA, more specifically, sits between the 31st Street Bridge and Railroad St. Currently sitting on the site is Pittsburgh Public Works, a sanitation facility. Working with a Pittsburgh company Riverlife and tasked to rework their proposal of what will sit on the site. The theme of the project was “Museum of ___” and the museum will consist of commercial development, outdoor recreation facilities, pedestrian access from the bridge, a public park, and a dock.
Riverlife’s proposal for the site

Diagrams


Tasked to craft a narrative for our site and sticking to that narrative, I chose the word meandering to base my design. Taking inspiration of Pittsburgh’s infrastructure, focusing on the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Capturing the experience of exiting the tunnel and experiencing the release of the exit and being in awe of the sight of downtown Pittsburgh’s skyline. Replicating that experience of the exit on my site. The word meandering, allowed the museum visitors to have their own autonomy walking around my site. Therefore, layering allows for more exploration, rather than having all buildings on one plane. Different buildings and the arrangement on my site is meant to replicate the exit of the Pitt Tunnel.
Brick plays a central role in shaping the materiality of my building, driven by its "urge" to form an arch. This diagram emphasizes the humanization of the brick-making process. Highlighting the importance between it crafted origin and its aspirations. Focusing on the transformation from raw material to a structural and expressive element, the diagram celebrates the process as a product of human invention and architectural ambition.




Floor Plans


            
              

      

Accessible Community Space
“Geometric Grove”


studio 1 | sophomore spring ‘23

This studio focused on the Braddock area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, more specifically the Braddock Avenue corridor between 6th Street and 11th Street. Conducting research in nearby Pittsburgh neighborhoods in comparison to Braddock. Using the process of forced lines, and geometric cracking to result in a series of lines, and folding along the lines to create a building.


Aerial view of site


West view of site

East view of site


Process


Utilizing the folding of paper, I analyzed key points surrounding the site and applied methods of geometric cracking and forced lines to create a web of lines. These lines were then printed to paper and used to fold and create a “skin” for various components housed within the building. I was tasked specifically with examining traffic patterns in Braddock, researching popular locations, and categorizing them based on their peak activity times and uses. These points were then processed through Rhino and the aforementioned methods were applied.  


                                                                             


This is the final lines I had used to fold along and create a “skin” for my building.



FLOOR PLANS AND SECTIONS

PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC


foundation studio | sophomore fall ‘22

Foundation studios focused on learning the distinction between public versus private spaces. This studio also taught hand-drafting site plans, floor plans, and section cuts. Placed in a river in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, and assigned to build a boat dock to respond to the river.





Aerial view of site


PROCESS


Tasked to create two pavilions, one public and one public. Deconstructing two simple boxes and only using 5 cuts and moves to create shapes that would act as the two pavilions.

Private Pavillion



Public Pavillion



 

FLOOR PLANS AND SECTIONS

Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture


internship |  summer ‘24

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is an international organization supporting architecture schools through peer reviews, awards, conferences, and design competitions. It fosters a network of faculty and schools committed to educating a diverse student body.

My internship with ACSA was a transformative experience that provided invaluable insight. ACSA is an international association of architecture schools, with the University of Pittsburgh as an associated chapter. Focusing on a resource for architects, designers, and instructors. Within the eight weeks, I learned skills focusing on graphic work and data analysis for their social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn). In addition to professionalism, time management, networking, and learning new software. This experience has influenced my perspective on future education and career aspirations.

MY DESIGNS



STUDYARCHITECTURE.COM

ACSA has a website called StudyArchitecture.com, and they needed more traffic to the page. The graphic was posted to Instagram as a reminder for students to visit the site if they needed help with their college search, advice, or general questions.

FINAL DESIGN






#IMADETHAT




This graphic was made for @Imadethat_ Instagram to encourage students to submit their work to be featured on the Instagram page. 

My Art!


My artwork has gone through many phases throughout my life. Experimenting with new media has varied my approach to each new piece, leading me to brainstorm different prompts and draw inspiration from the world around me.

     
Perspective of building, drawn digitally in Procreate. 




This was done for Asian Student Alliance's (ASA) merch drop in fall '22. Inspired by ingredients that make up our favorite dishes that are made with love. This was printed on a hoodie.


Still life study of my trash can, I was very intrigued by the crinkling of the bag and the bending of the letters.


This work is part of my sketchbook, and it was made with gouache and a micron pen.   

This work is part of my sketchbook and was created using gouache and pencil.

This work is part of my sketchbook and was created using colored pencils and pen. 

This work is part of my sketchbook and it was made with colored pencil and marker.




HIGHSCHOOL



This work is displayed on a small canvas and it was made with acrylic paint. 

This work was done for a high sschool class project and it was drawn on black paper with colored pencil.



This was done for a high school project done on a large canvas with acrylic paint.