Arizona State's Lucy Yang on Opportunity, Discovery, and Growth
By Julia Gamolina
Lucy Yang’s exploration of the Architecture world started in the desert of New Mexico, where she was born and raised to immigrant Chinese parents. Years later, she would end up in yet another desert, and is now a rising 4th year architecture student and AIAS Chapter President at the sweltering and fast paced Arizona State University, pursuing a B.S. in Architecture.
Lucy uses her optimism and curiosity to explore the profession and the possibilities that come with it, bring these opportunities to others, to hopefully inspire people to pave a better future for themselves and the world.
JG: Why did you decide to study architecture?
LY: Growing up playing piano, taking art classes, and all kinds of supplemental math and science classes, I had already started to think about where I would take those artistic skills at the age of four. The realm of “design” spans so many professions that my desires didn’t know what career path they would fall into.
I had thought about graphic design, marketing, engineering, medicine, coding, piano performance — testing out each to no avail — until a coincidence that happened in middle school. I was getting ready to start my last year of middle school, when I was suddenly told that one of my electives was canceled and would get replaced by another mysterious, experimental, class called “CAD”. I didn’t even quite know what “CAD'' stood for, but little did I know that this would turn out to be the start of something huge in my life.
Reinventing the Library.
Reinventing the Library concept collage.
What was the favorite project you worked on in school?
My favorite project that I’ve worked on in school, so far, was tackling the changing dynamic of libraries in a digital age. This was done in my second semester of my third year, which was our first peek at what's to come for the years ahead of us. I felt like this was our first attempt at understanding and researching an extremely relevant subject, that had to do with topics that I feel strongly about — knowledge, curiosity, innovation, and bringing social and intellectual opportunities to as many people as it can reach. Being able to dive into the research that others have done, inputting my perspective as a learner, tying them to the learning culture of Phoenix, and hodge-podging these concepts together to the best of my abilities, was a blast. This project opened my eyes to the practical applications of thoughtful architecture design and I felt that after this project, I had finally started to understand what I truly wanted to do with my education and experience.
“There is value in people’s perspectives at any level, and a culture like that fosters growth and forward-thinking, which is something highly relevant in today’s fast paced society.”
What are some of the initiatives you’ve focused on in school, and why?
The initiatives that I have focused on in school have a lot to do with my work in student leadership in the architecture program at ASU. I have been involved in an organization called American Institute of Architects since the beginning of my undergraduate studies — starting from a student representative, climbing up to Vice President, and I have now just started my new journey as AIAS at ASU’s chapter president. What we focus on, as an organization, is to foster learning and community for students by connecting and strengthening them to all aspects of the profession, whether that be through professional development workshops, exposure to the field through practicing professionals, or even just social events to bring people together in these turbulent times. What we are is a liaison to resources and opportunities.
I have grown so much through the AIAS platform, and I want to bring everyone else along for the same. It is up to the person to choose to take opportunities and determine whether they are ready for it, but at the end of the day, I believe that everyone is capable of doing what they dream to do, and as long as that opportunity is in front of them, you can help guide people towards a better life and better choices. I believe in this strongly because of the impact these opportunities had in my life. I wouldn’t be here today if there weren’t people in my life to guide me and show me the possibilities of the world, or encourage me that my skills were worth having. They believed in me, they showed me it was possible, and it was the right time.
Guests and students at the 3rd year studio display at the architecture exhibition. Courtesy of Oscar Jin.
When searching for internships and jobs, what are you looking for?
The first thing I look for is how that firm treats their employees. A work environment should have respect for everyone and be built on trust for each other. There is value in people’s perspectives at any level, and a culture like that fosters growth and forward-thinking, which is something highly relevant in today’s fast paced society. I have had the pleasure of working with a great architecture firm that valued and supported the growth of the next generation, and that allowed me to develop my skills at a rate that would not have been possible without that mindset. Secondly, I look at how that firm values their designs and the intention behind those choices. But all in all, there is much to be learned anywhere!
“I believe that everyone is capable of doing what they dream to do, and as long as that opportunity is in front of them, you can help guide people towards a better life and better choices.”
What’s important to you? What inspires you?
I am inspired by people who are excited by the unknown, despite the fear that comes with it, and people who are always wanting to uncover, discover new possibilities, to constantly learn and be stronger designers and do better for the future of the world. There is so much to be learned out there, and so much that can be improved through the use of the built environment and the magic of architecture. Another small dose of inspiration comes from the wonderful manga, Haikyuu, by Haruichi Furudate (highly recommended read for avid manga fans), and a character, Nishinoya. One of his last quotes in the series is “Being strong, means being free”.
What do you hope to do in your career?
There are so many things that I want to accomplish, but I’m not quite sure of the specifics! Anything could change in a moment’s notice, but my first checkpoint is licensure. But abstractly, I hope to make positive changes through Architecture wherever and whenever that may be, and continue to mentor and pass down opportunities to keep people curious and moving forward for better.
2021-2022 Executive Board that helped put together our semesterly AIAS architecture student exhibition.
Lucy presenting at AIAS at ASU monthly Chapter meeting. Courtesy of Oscar Jin.
Who do you look up to? Both in terms of women in architecture, and in general.
I credit a lot of my happiness with my Reinvention of the Library project to Elizabeth McLean who I had the privilege of being a student of that semester. She led award winning projects like Arizona State University’s Hayden Library Reinvention and renovation of Durham Hall, and is also recipient of the 2022 Young Architects award, on top of a multitude of inspirational successes in her career. Along with the incredible experience and knowledge that she has, she also shared her expertise in a way that would teach us how to approach architecture and design through our own lens, rather than telling us what to do. She guided me in a way that challenged my ideas, to think deeper about what my design REALLY meant, and encouraged me in a way that brought me confidence in my own skills, that I didn’t have before. We would constantly joke that she was the “rubber bumpers in the bumper car lane” that would keep me on track and focused, but allow me to still make mistakes to learn organically from. I am incredibly grateful that she chose to teach that way because it fostered an innate curiosity for the infinite possibilities of what COULD be, rather than what architecture HAS been, and helped me develop a new confidence in learning, with room for mistakes. I look up to her incredible skills , insight, and hard work as a young architect, and she inspires me to keep going, wherever I am. I’ve been blessed by her mentorship and this is the kind of education and guidance that I look up to and hope I can bring as well to the next line of students!
What advice would you give to those in high school now, choosing their field of study?
Talk to people! Don’t be afraid to explore through other people’s stories. Everyone loves talking about themselves, and this is an excellent way to gain exposure to their lives, their passions, possibly a career that you have never heard about, and you might just find out that might be worth exploring a bit! And don’t be afraid to make “the wrong choice”. There is no wrong choice I believe there is only going forward, and the experiences that can be deemed as “a waste” are all things that will come to help you in the future, just always remember to self reflect and be intentional with your choices. Take your time!