[Tatiana Kalainoff speaking]

What I loved about UVA was that the architecture school is a very tight knit community within a larger university.

One of our first classes is called Lessons of the Lawn. 

That class taught such a foundation in what architecture is meant to do and that’s really to orient you to where you are.

As I went through my time at UVA architecture school, I realized that I really didn’t care about building the building itself, but more communicating that story of the building.

I am a senior data visualization specialist at FCB Health New York, which is an ad agency in the health care space.

To me, data visualization is everything.

It’s just visualizing and conveying a story.

Part of the reason I love my job so much is it is about getting people access to information.

Besides my day job, I also have a data vis oriented art practice.

One of my projects is called ‘Rezoning at what cost?’

It examines the rezoning in Gowanus, which is a neighborhood here in Brooklyn.

I want people to leave asking is this enough?

Is this enough affordable housing?

I think a lot of my data vis artwork is about demystifying bureaucratic processes, and really getting access to information to communities that need it the most.

I take my dog Prudence out all the time, and a lot of times I'll bring her to Mount Prospect Park.

It’s this little quiet oasis that really reminds me of Grounds in some ways.

Similarly to the Lawn, it’s a place where community gathers and can be together.

I’m still very close friends with people I went to school with.

A lot of us have been navigating what happens after architecture school.

For undergrad I think the value is finding community to help you grow together and figure out yourself and do it alongside people who are doing the same thing.