Morgane Copp

Morgane Copp is a Lecturer in Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, teaching Fundamentals of Architectural Design 100B. A French American designer based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, she maintains active practice while contributing to architectural education through teaching roles at UCLA AUD, CCA, and as a critic at USC, USD, and UC Berkeley.

Her educational credentials include:

• BArch from the University of Nottingham, UK
• MArch from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating with distinction

Copp's research interrogates the architect's role in dense urbanism through image-making and speculative scenarios, focusing on interstitial opportunities between existing structures and preservation convention challenges. Her work spans architectural representation, housing innovation, and adaptive reuse of obsolete typologies like film industry sound stages, emphasizing diagonal geometries and unstable forms to redefine spatial experience.

Her 2020-2022 design projects reveal consistent exploration of fragmentation, urban density, and structure-landscape interplay. Key trends include splintered massing for light optimization, plate geometry manipulation for ground integration, and speculative adaptation of obsolete infrastructure through crude entanglements of picturesque and entangled conditions. These works bridge theoretical speculation with practical application across diverse scales.

Academic recognition includes:

• MArch Project of the Year Award (UCLA AUD, 2022)
• Harvey S. Perloff Fellowship (2021)
• Elaine Krown Klein Fellowship (2021)
• Clifton Webb Fellowship (2021)
• CO Architects Fellowship (2020)

Copp's teaching portfolio includes UCLA AUD, CCA, and UC Berkeley courses, plus associate directorship of AUD Summer Programs. While specific grants aren't detailed, her fellowship awards indicate strong research support during graduate studies. Professionally, she leads international competition entries at Young & Ayata, demonstrating continuous engagement with funded design research.

Collaboration defines her practice approach, with partnerships at Herzog & de Meuron, Rob Wellington Quigley Architects, and Young & Ayata. Her current role as project designer for South Korea's agriculture institute competition entry reflects global engagement, while academic collaborations with Wei Qiu and others showcase iterative design exploration across institutional contexts.