Marianne Desmarais Appointed a 2018 Taylor Faculty Fellow

The Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking is pleased to announce Marianne Desmarais as a 2018 Taylor Faculty Fellow.

Marianne Desmarais, R.A., is a Professor of Practice in the School of Architecture and maintains a practice in studio art as well as in architecture. Cross-pollination between disciplines leads Desmarais to utilize manual and digital modes of production to explore the potentials of material characteristics and amplify the relationships between constructive parts. As the architect for the Taylor Center space she was immersed in the processes of innovation and design thinking with students, faculty, and staff to develop inventive strategies for space layout and layered, flexible classroom settings. In the role of Taylor Faculty Fellow, Desmarais looks forward to working with students to conceive, design, and prototype new tools that affect the physical space of the learning environment and the outcomes of student experience.

Desmarais holds a Master of Architecture I degree from Tulane University and a Master of Architecture II degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Recently she authored a new, first year, first semester curriculum in the school of Architecture focused on iterative 3D modeling and real-world spatial awareness. She has received the Malcolm Heard Award for Excellence in Teaching from the graduating class of 2016, is a registered architect in Louisiana and Florida, and holds LEED AP BD+C credentials.