Jose Sanchez

Jose Sanchez is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the Taubman College School of Architecture, University of Michigan. Based in Detroit, Michigan, he is an Architect, Game Designer, and Theorist who directs the Plethora Project research studio focused on architectural design knowledge propagation. His work bridges computation, social media platforms, and ecological thinking to democratize urban design.

His research centers on “Architecture for the Commons,” designing social media platforms that enable non-expert authoring of architectural content. Sanchez creates digital social platforms like Block’hood and Common’hood video games to foster participatory systems in digital platforms. This work explores platform cooperativism, commons-based peer production, and urban commons through game-based interfaces that transform architectural theory into public-domain tools.

Scientific Awards:

• Winner of the Wonder Series (City of London for the 2012 Olympics) for Bloom
• Arts Research Incubation & Acceleration Grant (2024)

Sanchez secured the 2024 Arts Research Incubation & Acceleration Grant for gamifying community engagement and partnered with U-M Center for Academic Innovation to launch designer programming. As a professor, he advises graduate students in architectural computation though specific advisees aren’t listed. His teaching spans Thesis Studios, Urban Design, and “Simulating the Commons” courses.

He directs the Plethora Project research studio and collaborates on installations like Bloom (2012 Olympics winner). Current work focuses on developing public participation platforms through game interfaces, with recent projects including Common’hood (2022) and Combo-Nest (2020), advancing his vision of architecture as a participatory commons.