معرفی
Emilie Taylor Welty serves as Program Director for Architecture, Design-Build Manager at the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design, and Favrot III Associate Professor of Architecture at Tulane University's School of Architecture and Built Environment. As a leader in design-build education, she bridges academic theory with practical community applications through her work at Tulane and as co-founder of Colectivo, a New Orleans-based architecture firm focused on material explorations and making as part of the design process.
Her educational background includes a Master of Architecture from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi. Before founding Colectivo, she worked at Bild Design, bringing professional experience into her academic practice.
Taylor Welty's research focuses on public interest design, material explorations, and expanding access to design through community engagement. Her work emphasizes radical incrementalism—addressing complex urban challenges through both large-scale thinking and small, actionable projects. She champions design-build pedagogy as a method that outperforms conventional architecture education by teaching complexity and collaborative problem-solving. Her research examines how social psychology intersects with architectural design, particularly in public spaces and monuments, as demonstrated by her SOM Foundation-funded project 'Public Space and Scrutiny.'
Her publications reveal consistent themes in community-based design, post-disaster reconstruction in New Orleans, and the educational value of design-build studios. The articles show progression from foundational work in design-build pedagogy (2017-2018) to more interdisciplinary approaches combining architecture with social psychology (2020-2022), culminating in recent explorations of digital fabrication within design-build education (2024).
- National Practice and Leadership award from the AIA/ACSA
- Collaborative Practice Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture
- SOM Foundation interdisciplinary research prize for 'Public Space and Scrutiny'
- Malcolm Heard Award (mentioned in press)
- Barbara Moely service learning teaching award (mentioned in press)
Taylor Welty has led over thirty applied research projects through Tulane's design/build studios, creating transformative community spaces like Grow Dat Youth Farm and Parisite Skatepark. Her grant-funded work includes the SOM Foundation's 'Public Space and Scrutiny' project conducted with colleagues Tiffany Lin and Dr. Lisa Molix. She mentors students through hands-on community projects that address real-world challenges in New Orleans neighborhoods, teaching them to be 'better designers, makers, and citizens' while advancing community partnerships.
As Design-Build Manager at the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design, Taylor Welty leads a team that works with non-profits on planning, visioning, and design-build projects throughout New Orleans. The Center serves as Tulane School of Architecture's community design hub, connecting faculty expertise with community needs. Notable projects include Sugar Roots Farm Outdoor Classroom, Prisoner's Apothecarts, Rubarb Community Bike Shop, and Hotel Hope Playscape—each demonstrating her commitment to using architecture as a tool for social change and community empowerment.
