BERSIBETH PFEL
Portrait courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel
Born in New York City, at age 11, Bersibeth’s family decided to relocate to Orlando, Florida. While in high school, she joined the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). Ultimately, this played a major role in her joining the United States Marine Corps. During her active duty tenure, she deployed to Afghanistan with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. In January 2016, after serving almost 8 years, Bersibeth enrolled in the architecture program at New York Institute of Technology. She engaged with a variety of communities at the institution, to included; the departments of Military and Veteran Affairs, International and Experiential Education, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Her proudest accomplishment in architecture was having her work published and displayed both on the Long Island and New York City campuses, which opened an opportunity to obtain a summer internship position at TRA Studio Architecture, LLC. Recently, Bersibeth graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the New York Institute of Technology.
After serving in the US Marine Corps, it is a difficult decision to go back to school to pursue architecture. What motivated you?
As a child in New York City, I would spend time with my father on job sites to help him with small building projects. This could range anywhere from interior design to HVAC and lighting. Simultaneously, he started instructing me on how to draw architectural plans. That is when I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the architecture field. Although I loved my time serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, I knew it was time for me to pursue the career I had longed for. This is when I decided to attend New York Tech, their architectural program is highly regarded and located in the heart of New York City. The decision was easy to make, as I earned educational benefits from my service in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Marine Corps instilled in me discipline, which has taught me to adapt and overcome obstacles, while taking pride in the things that I set out to accomplish. I believe these attributes have been a key contributor to earning my degree. The ability to use architecture to bring a thought into existence still amazes me, I am inspired through everyday life and how those experiences can be expressed.
Design V focused on designing a public structure with transitional spaces between indoor and outdoor. “It was critical for me to integrate structure, mechanical and electrical systems, site, and materials while focusing on the sole purpose of architecture: the users.” - Courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel.
We are encouraged to see how architecture students go beyond their studies! What did you learn as an assistant web developer for Ready for Takeoff?
My involvement helped me understand some of the challenges faced by people with disabilities. Challenges including, but not limited to, how they travel and their mobility. It was significant for me to understand how they embarked on their journey in higher education, including attendance and employment. This experience helped me achieve a deeper understanding of the impact of accessibility for all users. Being able to design a series of spaces that are equally accessible to everyone is essential. In addition to web development, I acquired skills in content management. This experience included organizing the project’s documentation of their flight experience. I developed a deep insight into the project when I was given a task to interview students and faculty who were personally involved in the project. There were a plethora of roles that played a part in making this project a success. The project was extremely elaborate, including a variety of multidisciplinary individuals responsible for translating this experience into a film. It was my job to translate the film into a functional web page consisting of diary-style entries while sharing the overall vision.
“During our Study Abroad program we were asked to propose a project which focused on the metropolitan area of Barcelona, specifically Sant Adria de Besòs. Our design proposal aimed towards a sustainable solution for the urban landscape that integrated an adjacent body of water.” - Courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel.
Architecture school is time-intensive, how do you manage your time to bring awareness to people with disabilities?
Personally, this question hits home for me, as I have a brother with down syndrome. Throughout my childhood, I had witnessed some of the struggles that, as a family, we experienced when in public spaces. In addition to my architectural studies, it was important for me to understand the relationship between the user and architecture. I wanted to connect with as many communities as possible and adapt user behavior through interactions and awareness. When the opportunity presented itself with Ready for Takeoff, immediately I accepted the assistant web development position as it was a way for me to directly impact a community, I had an intimate relationship with. The position allowed me to work closely with New York Tech faculty ensuring overall functionality of our blog and social media platform posts. This community partnership between the New York Institute of Technology, the Viscardi Center, and JetBlue Airways was an open collaborative effort to bring awareness to people with disabilities... My tasks include sharing ongoing updates, events, and an insider’s look at this project, which aims to share their personal experience with flying on a commercial plane.
“Our Military and Veterans Affairs Department shared their spirit in support of the first Big Give event at New York Tech. We shared the personal experiences of our student veteran population with the help of our Department Director, Frank Rivera. As a result, we contributed to doubling the initial goal New York Tech set out to reach.” - Courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel
Every year, Student Veterans of America holds its Annual National Conference (NatCon). This year our Student Veteran Organization attended the event in Los Angeles, CA. This forum was an opportunity to strengthen our relationships between our student veteran population and higher education communities. This year our organization had the opportunity to connect with the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veteran Services, James Hendon. - Courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel
1 in 5 Americans is disabled. After your experiences with veterans, what are your thoughts on how current architects design to ensure inclusivity for all?
During my time at New York Tech, I worked closely with the director of Military and Veterans Affairs to serve our veteran community. I assisted all incoming and current students attending the institution, in hopes of easing their transition from the military. My responsibilities included guiding students on how to use their student online accounts, as well as registering for classes, ordering transcripts, and how to change their major. Primarily, I specialized in assisting student veterans with information on how to use their benefits and what New York Tech had to offer them. I also assisted with recruitment by visiting local schools and sharing my experiences with potential students. In addition, I served as the vice president for the Student Veteran Organization. In this line of work, it was important for me to understand some of the challenges that are common for veterans, such as feeling excluded and establishing meaningful relationships with new peers. It is difficult to relate to people when your life experiences are so different from theirs. As an architect, it is important that we design in accordance with the Americans with Disability Act, which serves how people with disabilities navigate in buildings, especially in public spaces. Current architects are responsible for enabling a connection between all members of society. Providing the opportunity for all to serve and be a part of their community through accessibility.
In the middle of the chaos, it was important for me to set the example for my 5-year old son, Alauric, in that he too can achieve his goals and serve his community simultaneously. This year, he graduated Kindergarten with Excellence in Math, while I accomplished earning my bachelor’s degree in Architecture. - Courtesy of Bersibeth Pfel.
