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The 2022-2023 Lectures & Exhibits Series continues on Oct. 17 with our very own School of Interior Architecture Assistant Professor Rana Abudayyeh, who will be presenting the lecture “Infra: Stories and Spatial Frameworks.” 

The collection of work presented in this lecture will formulate exploratory approaches to the design process, which are ingrained in innovative and responsive practice, and present stories and spatial frameworks that examine the role of interior architecture in these negotiations, generating and supporting new forms of belonging. “Our world is one with rapidly shifting parameters, where the definition of place and the right to it are under constant negotiation,”  said Abudayyeh. “A sense of place is indissociable from the built environment, particularly interior spaces where intimate associations are formed and nurtured—situated within this understanding and drawing from the past five years of research and scholarship.” Infa presents stories and spatial frameworks that examine the role of interior architecture in these negotiations, leveraging theory, technology and cross-disciplinary exchanges. These efforts converge, elucidating interiority’s aptitude to sponsor activity, sustain cultural heritage, advocate for underserved societies and, most fundamentally, participate in public discourse.

Get to know Rana Abudayyeh

Rana Abudayyeh is an assistant professor and the Robin Klehr Avia Professor of Interior Architecture at the University of Tennessee’s ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture and Master of Architecture degree from the University of New Mexico. Her work gauges a multitude of converging trajectories situated at the intersection of advanced digital making, representation and social justice. Abudayyeh critically investigates the architectural systems and social forces that define resilient environments, catering to cultural identities through her teaching, research, and service. She joined the faculty at UT Knoxville in 2015. Previously, she worked at Antoine Predock Architect on numerous design competitions and federal, public and private projects. She is a licensed architect in her native country, Jordan, where she is continuing to research interiority and displacement.