Ray Kinoshita Mann

Professor Ray Kinoshita Mann is a faculty member in the Department of Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1995, awarded tenure in 2001. She is the principal of RK Studio Architecture, recognized with the Progressive Architecture Young Architects Award (1993) and active in design/build projects with new materials and community engagement.

Education:

• B.A. Environmental Design, Harvard-Radcliffe
• M. Arch I, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Research Interests:

• Systems Theory applied to architectural design
• Human-centered and ecological design methodologies
• Design/Build processes for community empowerment
• Bridging Liberal Arts and professional architectural education

Grants & Advising: Co-Principal Investigator in the 2006 Terrazzo Cracking at Logan Airport study. Active in Mellon-funded Five College Bridging Grant (architecture pedagogy), BSA Foundation Grant (design engagement workshop with Nipmuc Tribe), and Public Service Endowment Grant (Nipmuc Design for Empowerment).

Awards: Honorable Mention in Socrates Park Folly/Function Competition (2017), First Place in Women’s Rights National Historical Park Federal Competition (1987), and multiple grants totaling over $71k. Notable projects include the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and MIT Media Lab’s ‘Brain Opera’.

Labs/Teams: Director of Ko-Lab Architecture, focusing on innovative design research and community projects.