Catalina Freixas

Catalina Freixas is an Associate Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in urban resilience and sustainable design within the Department of Architecture at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. She teaches in the Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Architecture, and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture programs.

Her research focuses on neighborhood resiliency, Wraparound Theory, and community-engaged models to address urban challenges. She has pioneered projects such as the KingsVille pilot with the Saint Louis Association of Community Organizations and Saint Louis Public Schools. Earlier work explored racial residential segregation, culminating in the 2019 book Segregation by Design. She also integrates biomimicry principles into sustainable design, advising the bio-inspired community and think tanks.

• Research Grants: I-CARES (2018), WashU Race Equity Center (2023), and Provost’s Office (2023).
• Community Projects: Collaborations with SLACO, Hickey School, and transdisciplinary student initiatives.

Her work bridges academia and practice, emphasizing scalable interventions for resilient communities through eco-urbanism strategies and policy advocacy.