Explore our Fellowships
Meet Our 2024 Fellows
History of AFO Fellows
Applications will open in November with a February 2023 deadline. Subscribe to the AFO newsletter to be notified of scholarship opportunities
Fellowships v2
Opportunities for Career Development
At the Architecture Foundation of Oregon, we believe that design should consider diverse points of view, and reflect these views, in a built environment that provides access and equity for all. Our two fellowship opportunities, the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship and the Pat Sanchez Women’s Fellowship, exist to inspire design and building professionals to deepen their understanding of design’s role in creating an Oregon where everyone can thrive.
About the Fellowships
AFO awards fellowships for design and building professionals practicing in the state of Oregon. Annual fellowship applications open in August with an October deadline. Learn more about our fellowships, below.
Van Evera Bailey Fellowship – $50,000 award to advance the professional development of design and building professionals and encourage greater contributions to their profession and community. Learn more.
Pat Sanchez Women’s Fellowship – Up to $3,000 award for women in architecture who are mid-career and looking to expand upon their work and professional development. Learn more.
Fellowship recipients are asked to attend our annual Fellowship Celebration in the Winter of their awarding year and the Winter following. At this event, Fellows are asked to share how they intend to use fellowship funds, and then at the end of their fellowship year, Fellows are asked to share their experience. The event is attended by members of the architecture, engineering, construction, and design community from across the state and celebrates the hard work and accomplishments of the Fellows.
Fellow Spotlight
Jackie Santa Lucia
2020 Van Evera Bailey Fellow
Jackie used the fellowship award to expand Your Street Your Voice, a program where youth get paid to learn about design as a tool for racial justice. Learn more about our past Fellows.
Meet Our 2024 Fellows
Join us in congratulating our 2024 Van Evera Bailey Fellow, Marta Petteni, our Pat Sanchez Women’s Fellow, Lisa Sato, and our Pat Sanchez Honorarium Recipient, Sarah Vaz!
Marta Petteni
2024 Van Evera Bailey Fellow
Marta is an Italian licensed Architect, freelancer designer, and the Co-Director & Program Manager at AfroVillage PDX. Building on her expertise at the intersection of design justice, research, and transportation, Marta will conduct research and produce a comprehensive How-to Guide to advance train repurposing as a scalable model for social justice and sustainable development throughout the region.
“This proposal is grounded in the reality that TriMet will retire 26 MAX Trains in 2024, and more than 100 in the next decade. While trains offer an incredible placemaking opportunity and communicate publicness in a unique way, there is currently no local precedent or guidelines for implementing train repurposing as a model, with 24 trains heading to the landfill just this year.”
In 2020, the AfroVillage team won the People’s Choice Award at TriMet’s MAX Reuse Design Challenge. The design envisioned converting three retiring trains into the “AfroFuturism Oasis” – a sanctuary space for Black and Brown communities to rest, collaborate, and access critical services. With a site in Portland’s historic Black community, the team is now partnering with TriMet, PBOT, BPS, PSU, and many others to make this vision a reality.
The Fellowship will support Marta in investigating local and international case studies, while advancing and documenting the AfroFuturism Oasis project into a comprehensive How-to Guide. This will serve as a valuable roadmap for local stakeholders interested in repurposing trains for the common good, while advancing this model across the region to promote more just and sustainable futures.
Lisa Sato
2024 Pat Sanchez Women’s Fellow
Lisa is a Project Designer at Carleton Hart Architecture. With this fellowship, Lisa will develop her skills to become a better leader, mentor, supporter, and advocate for BIPOC professionals, especially women. She will use the fellowship funds to attend two conferences – NOMA and AIA Women’s Leadership Summit – as well as enroll in a course on leadership and public speaking. Ultimately, her goal is to leverage what she’s learned to help empower BIPOC women in our industry.
Sarah Vaz
2024 Pat Sanchez Honorarium Recipient
Sarah is a Senior Associate at Holst Architecture. She intends to use fellowship funds to attend ILFI’s Living Futures Conference 2024 and become an ILFI member. This will allow her to explore the human-centered approach to sustainability that is at the core of the Living Building Challenge, and to better correlate sustainability practices with principles of harm reduction and wellbeing that are key to trauma-informed design.
History of AFO Fellows
AFO has been awarding the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship in partnership with Oregon Community Foundation since 2001. Our Fellowship program expanded in 2022 when we began awarding the Pat Sanchez Women’s Fellowship in partnership with Opsis Architecture.
Explore our past Fellows.
Questions?
Contact:
Erica Rife
Executive Director
erica@af-oregon.org
971-357-3168
