Deng,Cynthia Wei

Cynthia is an architectural designer and educator. Her recent work, research, and writing involve the spatial politics of waste, materials, repair, and care work. As a designer and an educator she values collaborative work and believes in prioritizing social and ecological care with a reparative lens. She holds a Master in Architecture with Distinction and a Master in Urban Planning from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she was the recipient of the 2021 KPF Paul Katz Fellowship and GSD Dean's Merit Scholarship among other awards and fellowships. Before that, she earned a B.A. in Architecture with Distinction from Yale University. She has worked in architecture offices in the US, Mexico, and China. Her work and writing has been published in Log, GSD Platform, Yale Retrospecta, Disc Journal, and Harvard Urban Forum; and her work has been exhibited at the Canadian Center for Architecture and GSD Kirkland Gallery, among others. She has taught Harvard GSD Design Discovery Virtual as well as GSD January Term courses, and has co-led workshops for Archipelago architecture festival and others. Cynthia is one half of the interdisciplinary design collective 'bags,' where she is experimenting with processes of architectural deconstruction and reuse.