Graduate Students Complete CityStudioSTL Fellowships

This summer, four Sam Fox School students held fellowships with local architecture firms through the CityStudioSTL program, coordinated by the school’s Office for Socially Engaged Practice.

Adithya Ayyappan, MArch ’24, worked with PGAV Planners on an urban design project for the nonprofit Delmar Main Street, identifying street interventions and placemaking options at the intersection of Delmar Boulevard and Kingshighway Boulevard. Ayyappan mentioned that he was able to discuss the project with stakeholders along Delmar — including business owners and local residents — to inform the design of the intersection. “PGAV has been hosting fellows for years, and it continues to be a great way to connect with early career design professionals while doing really powerful work in collaboration with community partners in St. Louis,” Catherine Hamacher of PGAV said. “The community partner Adithya worked with is excited to include the drawings in an upcoming grant application and hopeful to bring the changes to reality soon.”

Chloe Kelley, MArch/MUD ’24, worked with Christner Architects on a project to renovate the previous Bibleway Church into a music recording, performance, and co-working space. The nonprofit Beyond Housing and acclaimed St. Louis musician Brian Owens brought the project to Christner. Kelley was particularly excited by sitting in on client meetings to hear their passion for the project firsthand.

Kaitlin Sampson, MLA ’25, worked with Arbolope Studio on a variety of landscape projects —each with a different client — including Peace Park (Green City Coalition), Love Bank Park (Cherokee Street Community Improvement District), and the East St. Louis Transit Center (St. Louis Metro and Citizens for Modern Transit). “Through my fellowship with Arbolope, I gained insight into the many ways in which this discipline has the ability to impact local communities,” Kaitlin said. “It became clear to me that the art of place-making and thoughtful design can serve as powerful forces for uniting and connecting communities. "

Grace Whittington, MArch ’24, worked with Trivers on the Clinton Peabody Affordable Housing area near Lafayette Park, a project brought forth by the St. Louis Housing Authority and the national nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing. During her fellowship, Whittington was able to attend neighborhood community meetings and delve more deeply into trauma-informed design practices for the new residential spaces.

About CityStudioSTL

Coordinated by the school’s Office for Socially Engaged Practice, CityStudioSTL supports a series of engagement and outreach projects that bring together students in architecture, art, and design with partners in the city of St. Louis. It is generously supported by Gina and Bill Wischmeyer, BA ’69/MArch ’71. CityStudioSTL allows students and faculty — working in collaboration with local community groups and residents — to conceive, plan, design, and construct projects.