Felecia Davis

Felecia Davis is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Stuckeman School, Penn State University, where she leads the SOFTLAB research group. Her work bridges architecture, computational design, and textile technology, exploring how responsive materials can transform spatial experiences. She is also a co-founder of the Black Reconstruction Collective, a non-profit supporting Black diaspora design work.

• Ph.D. in Design and Computation from MIT
• Master of Architecture from Princeton University
• B.S. in Engineering from Tufts University

Davis investigates the intersection of computational textiles, responsive architecture, and Black spatial practices. Her research includes thermoresponsive knitted structures, emotion-sensing textiles, and mycelium-based architectural composites. She examines how materials can embody cultural narratives and environmental adaptability.

Her 15 most recent publications (2012-2024) focus on topics like knitted tension structures, biohybrid materials, dreadlock-inspired architecture, and electromagnetic urbanism. These works span disciplines including architecture, material science, and cultural studies, with subfields like soft robotics, haptic interfaces, and sustainable fabrication.

• 2023 Bogliasco Foundation Architecture Fellow
• 2022 Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum Digital Design Awardee
• 2022 Architectural League Emerging Voices Winner
• 2021 MoMA Reconstructions Exhibition Contributor
• 2013-2012 Multiple MIT research awards

Davis has advised students in projects like MycoKnit and Phototropic Fiber Composites, and led design studios at Princeton, Cooper Union, and Cornell. Her SOFTLAB pioneers textile-based architectural systems, while her forthcoming book Softbuilt: Networked Architectural Textiles (2025) synthesizes her material research.