January Student Member of the Month

Samantha Frantik

Iowa State University

Architecture Student

1. Why did you choose the design/construction field?

I chose the design field because it presents the challenge of not having one correct answer and requires you to take a stance and put your soul into your work.

2. What is the most unusual medium you have used for a model, and what did it represent?

The most unusual medium I have used to model would be felted wool. The wool forms represented changing land mass to change the urban ‘fabric’.

3. What has been your favorite studio trip so far?

My favorite studio trip so far has been New York City. New York has always been one of my favorite cities and to explore it with my friends while viewing it through a new lens of looking for parasitic architecture helped me see a new layer of the city.

4. What is the best advice you have received from a professor or mentor?

“If you get stuck, just draw.” –Shelby Doyle

5. How has Iowa Women in Architecture influenced you?

Iowa Women in Architecture has educated me on current issues of workplace equity and its importance for all, as well as providing me with a community that shares similar values and experiences to myself.

Parasitic Site Concepts

Project created with partner Elizabeth Modra. We sought to illustrate opportunities for a new street level created by adding programs to valuable unused airspace in the city. This poster set the founding principles for our vertical campus project in New York City.