Alexandra Barker, Interim Chairperson of Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, & Urban Design, is among the 2025 recipients of the Arnold W. Brunner Grant.
The Arnold W. Brunner Grant is awarded to mid-career architects for advanced study in any area of architectural investigation that contributes to the knowledge, teaching, or practice of the art and science of architecture. AIANY and the Center for Architecture’s joint Scholarship Committee assesses projects based on their engagement with contemporary local and global architectural issues and the utility of the research project’s end product.
She was awarded for her project, “Climate-Adaptive Vernacular Building Practices of Mexico City and Oaxaca—A Study of Traditional and Contemporary Biostructures Using Local and Renewable Materials.”
The study investigates climate-adaptive vernacular building practices in Mexico City and Oaxaca, focusing on traditional and contemporary biostructures that utilize local and renewable materials such as adobe, chukum, bajareque, and tapial. Through fieldwork and case studies, the research explores spatial strategies like courtyards, overhangs, and porous facades that enhance thermal regulation and ventilation. By bridging traditional knowledge with modern sustainability practices, the project aims to develop design guidelines for climate-resilient architecture while preserving cultural heritage. This research highlights the relevance of localized architectural practices in addressing global environmental challenges and advancing sustainable design methodologies.
Alexandra Barker, FAIA, is an architect and educator. She is the principal of Barker Architecture Office (BAAO), an award-winning practice based in New York with a focus on spatial and material approaches that adapt to the evolving relationships between inhabitants and building and living environments. BAAO has worked in the public and private sector on a range of projects that include educational and retail spaces, ground-up private residences, and interiors, in the New York area, regionally, and internationally. She is also a founder of Pratt Institute’s Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design department, where she is currently the Interim Chair and Associate Professor. She is a member of the Design Advocates’ Leadership Team.