Pratt Institute's Catherine Chattergoon on Spaces of Agency, a Climate of Possibility, and a Culture of Connection
Photo Courtesy of Stacie Weever from Optical Poetry Photography.
By Julia Gamolina
Catherine Chattergoon is a rising third-year student in the B.Arch program at Pratt Institute. Her interests include using architecture as a social practice for civic engagement and utilizing design as a resource for communities. She believes in the power of student involvement and currently serves as the inaugural Student Advisor to the Dean. Catherine is an active participant in DEI initiatives and is committed to creating an equitable world.
Why did you decide to study architecture?
I was born in Brooklyn but mainly raised in the suburbs of New Jersey and Texas, and my early exposure to varied environments helped me see how our understanding of the world comes from diverse lived experiences. It intrigued me how we are shaped by our environments and how stories can be shared through architecture. Architecture gives us a window into exploring who we are and the world around us, and my realization that design can be a tool in reimaging care and giving worth to all narratives inspired me to pursue an education in architecture at Pratt.
When I started my architectural education at Pratt, I entered school with the misconception that the profession of architecture can only influence positive social change through structure. The experiences that I have had thus far at Pratt however, have shown me the potential for architecture to teach people how to build a culture of connection and truly connect to themselves, their roots, their communities, and their environment. Architecture is a system of thinking and a new way of understanding the world through spaces of agency. We as architects possess this language of influence and can help people understand who we are, how we organize, and how we can connect with others. We are storytellers, artists, and activists.
Exterior View of “A New Deal for Harlem,” an Additional Bathhouse Proposal for Jackie Robinson Park
What was the favorite project you worked on in school? Favorite paper you wrote? Favorite extracurricular?
My favorite project is either my second-year design project from last fall or my final in a seminar that I took this semester about gentrification and urban change. For my second-year design project, this was my first time working with an actual site, and the ability to incorporate a deeper understanding of place into my project was powerful to me. The design project involved building an additional bathhouse to an already existing WPA bathhouse, and my project was sited at the Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem. It was important to me to take time to understand the culture, creativity, and unyielding joy of the community in this area and use that to influence my design. For my gentrification and urban change final, I wanted to try changing the discriminatory narrative on a redlining map by replacing the red areas in Brooklyn with pictures of the beautiful and vibrant communities that are rooted in these areas. I have personally been contemplating the role of representation and mapping in visually solidifying inequity; abstractions enacted through space become legitimized when they are put on paper. The act of placing these images on the map made me realize that we can collage ourselves and our imagined futures into being.
My favorite paper is my final research paper from my second semester of the architectural history and theory sequence at Pratt. After watching Mabel Wilson’s “Notes on a Virginia Statehouse” lecture and talking about how the institution of slavery shaped architecture during class, I expressed my interest in exploring my own history in relation to the built environment to my wonderful history professor, Alicia Imperiale, and she supported me in using my final history paper to explore my family genealogy. This was the first time that I truly saw myself reflected in the built environment, and it was inspiring to see the ability of architecture to communicate narratives through space and structure.
NOMAS is my favorite extracurricular, although I do not consider our group to be an “extracurricular” because they are my family. I am eternally grateful for the support and care we have been able to provide each other with. The sense of community we have is something special, and it makes me happy to know that we are able to provide students of color with a safe and supportive space.
“Architecture is a system of thinking and a new way of understanding the world through spaces of agency.”
What are some of the initiatives you’ve focused on in school, and why?
I believe that the future of architecture can be transformed through education, and while studying at Pratt, my initiatives have been centered around raising consciousness to create a culture of care and understanding how we can work together to love and grow in our own time. Education is where we can give the future generation of architects and designers the space to dream and believe in the intensity of hope, and it allows us to analyze where we are now and imagine where we can go through acts of collective care. I try to share support where I can and make space for conversation, centering the voices that have historically been excluded from the canon.
As a member of the Pratt NOMAS Chapter, the Mistresses of Pratt Archive team, and the Pratt SoA DEI Task Forces, I have had the opportunity to work with students and faculty members who are focused on the same goal: building an equitable world, and it has been interesting to see how working on these intersectional initiatives simultaneously have influenced each other. While working with faculty members, I have been in conversation with wonderful and diverse people who are passionate about architecture even though they have firsthand experience with the inequities of the profession and the world. Their continued dedication and contribution to change gives me hope and strength.
Design 101 Final Presentation, Higgins Hall. Fall 2019.
While working with students, I know we possess much ambition for the future and desire to make a difference, and it is inspiring to see us working together to make our dreams a reality. The real power lies in students and faculty coming together to influence change through collaboration; this is where we can share the knowledge of those already in the profession and the energy of those entering the profession to innovate and cultivate curiosity. We have been able to begin implementing necessary pedagogic change by centering collective histories and honoring the contributions of people of color and women in architecture, and we have created new avenues of support through peer mentorship programs and listening sessions that create spaces for dialogue.
This semester, I have been able to grow upon these initiatives as the Student Advisor to the Dean in the School of Architecture, which has given me the opportunity to support student advocacy and use my role as a leader to empower others. It is an honor to work alongside our dean, Dr. Harriet Harriss, who is a true inspiration and has helped me see the power in creating a climate of possibility. It is important for me to put as much love and energy into my academic work as I do into helping others around me, and my involvement has shown me that I, both as an individual and a member of a creative community, have the power and agency to influence change, which is something that I can share with the world.
When searching for internships and jobs, what are you looking for?
Since most of my involvement at Pratt is focused on pedagogic and cultural change, I try to search for internships and jobs that provide me with the opportunity to expand upon my work by exploring equity through design and the built environment. I value opportunities to partner with the community where they are active members and leaders in the design process. I also greatly value interdisciplinary collaboration, where diverse brilliant minds can come together as dreamers and makers to influence built change. It is essential to me that my work is rooted in care and empathy.
“The real power lies in students and faculty coming together to influence change through collaboration; this is where we can share the knowledge of those already in the profession and the energy of those entering the profession to innovate and cultivate curiosity.”
What’s important to you? What inspires you?
I have discovered that care, justice, and joy are central to my work and interests, and I try to foster them in everything I do because they deepen my understanding of self and others. I find inspiration in everything around me, especially in people and our ability to connect. Architecture is a field composed of life, and it has to be responsive to the vulnerability of living beings. I believe that connection is an integral part of defining what it means to be human, not only to our environment and world but also to our imagination, hope, and tenderness. Even though we have the ability to create space as architects, space is activated through people and their desire to share their sense of the world, and storytelling becomes a way of being in community.
What do you hope to do in your career?
I am not sure what lies ahead for my future career, especially since my epistemologically rich architectural education provides me with many areas to explore, but I want to communicate with people through architecture. My goal is to create empowering spaces that serve people and the planet, but I would also like to contribute to the world through writing, teaching, and other modes of creativity. I hope to continue learning and growing while also giving back as much as I possibly can.
Rethinking Representation: Redefining Redlining.
Who do you look up to? Both in terms of women in architecture, and in general.
This is a difficult question because there are many artists, authors, and activists that inspire me, but I am truly moved by the work of collectives and their ability to play a transformative role in creating a new reality and shaping our idealized society. There is great power in collective listening, dreaming, and engagement, and I admire the Black Reconstruction Collective, BlackSpace, Design as Protest, Dark Matter University, The Architecture Lobby, the Collective for Community, Culture, and Environment, and the work of many other inspirational groups.
In regards to women in architecture, I have been blessed to study at a school that has given me the opportunity to work with many amazing women. Pratt was founded as a school that was intended to be accessible to all, and the strong lineage of women in leadership that we currently have is moving - a female president, dean, chair, and multiple female professors. It was inspiring to start my architectural journey with a clear vision of strong female leadership, and while there are too many important people to list here, I hope each one of them knows that I value our relationship and admire their character and contributions, both to our school and the field.
What advice would you give to those in high school now, choosing their field of study?
I would encourage you to let your passion guide you through life; your hopes and aspirations can lead you in the direction of your dreams. There will be uncertainty and change throughout your journey, but these provide you with the opportunity to grow and embrace the unknown. It is okay if you are not sure what path you want to take right now; trust in yourself, and never lose sight of the worth in what inspires you.