MIRA DAVIS

Portrait courtesy of Mira Davis.

University of Virginia, B.S.Arch 2021

Mira is a fourth-year in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture program at UVA’s School of Architecture. While at UVA, she has served as president of the NOMAS Chapter, an undergraduate representative on the Inclusion and Equity Committee, and coordinator for the I+E Open House. Driven by the complexities of context, she strives to design with empathy and encourage others to do the same. Her design interests include multigenerational households, exhibitions, and spatial experimentation.

What inspired you to pursue architecture?

No one specific moment or person inspired me to pursue architecture. I just remember being attracted to uncovering how buildings worked. In high school, I was introduced to the historical implications of design in AP Art History. I was drawn to the stories art and architecture revealed about historical communities and I wanted to experiment with that storytelling. From then on, I began to dig into what architecture meant and what my role in that could be. My undergraduate education pushed that interest even further. I’ve operated at different scales and applied design thinking across disciplines. So, I would say the prospect of continued exploration, questioning, and experimentation has inspired me to pursue architecture. It’s a career that will push me forever and that alone motivates me to keep going.

Last Final Review before Covid-19. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

What is the most important thing that you learned in the past year?

The most important thing I’ve learned was more inward. I applied for grad school this winter, so I spent a lot of time working through my background and my intentions. I asked myself who are you every day until I figured it out. Ultimately, I learned how to check in with myself and how important that is for my work. Everyone says mental health is key, but I didn’t understand the full picture until I went through 2020. While the world was on fire, I had to maintain a high level of production and positivity. My world couldn’t stop, and my mental health went up and down. Fortunately, I worked through the ways I could pull it together and ultimately learned how to strengthen the relationship with myself. 

Mira’s trip to Rome for an Architectural History course abroad. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

What are some architectural organizations (or specific person/role model) that helped you learn to overcome an obstacle? How did they?

My time with the National Organization of Minority Architects helped me overcome my insecurities with identity. I also battled with the insecurities of being a woman of color who found a passion for residential architecture. UVa centered racial justice and painted the role of the black architect as an advocate for the disparity of accessibility to good design. I was educated on the injustices of architecture and told that my perspective was the key to finding solutions. While I agree that there is important work to be done, I felt the color of my skin predetermined my trajectory.

Eventually, I realized that true representation in architecture should look past demographics and more deeply into how background informs the process. I became involved in NOMA to connect with designers of color that followed their own passions. I joined my school’s NOMAS chapter to foster inclusive communities. Finally, I used my platforms to speak up about the complexities of background and how we should all be granted the opportunity to see ourselves in all avenues of architecture. Through following NOMA’S lead with advocacy for design freedom, I found a place in the world of architecture for myself. I have become my own example, and I work to empower others to do the same.

NOMA 2019 Brooklyn Conference. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

New York firm crawl with Mira’s NOMAS Chapter. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

If you were given the opportunity to repeat the year, what is one thing you’d do differently?

If I were to do anything differently this year, I would definitely take more advantage of my school’s fabrication lab. Toward the end of the semester, I discovered how easy it is to make 3D models in creative, low-cost ways.

Favorite thing to do – visit museums. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

As you reflect on the past year, what did you discover as your biggest strengths?

I think my biggest strength is my self-awareness and ability to be resilient in tough situations. This past year was a great test in this. Life will inevitably be a rollercoaster, and resilience is a must-have for me to move forward.

Fall 2020 Studio Project – The Visible Hand. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

The Visible Hand – Sections. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

The Visible Hand – Spatial Study model. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

The Visible Hand – Concept Collage. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.

In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wished would happen and it did not? This can be in an educational or work atmosphere. 

While I appreciate the broader awareness of racial inequities in the discipline, I wish there was a richer level of accountability within the individuals that benefit the most from exclusive systems.

Mira, again, at another museum. Photo courtesy of Mira Davis.