Congratulations to Lowai Ghaly and Amanda Estrada!
We are super pleased and excited to announce that Lowai Ghaly and Amanda Estrada are the recipients of the 2023 Flad Architects Scholarship!
Our jury looked for students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th years of the program, with an emphasis on engagement, design thinking and leadership skills as deciding factors. The jurors made the following comments:
“Lowai Ghaly‘s leadership, passion and talent have come through in all the work he’s done at the Academy of Art over the past 5 years. He cares deeply for the communities around him, both in and outside studio. As a collaborator and original thinker, his skills have helped the community based design studio to create better conditions for families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. “
“Amanda Estrada is a class leader in her 3rd year of architecture studies. She routinely helps her classmates with design reviews and in software/representation techniques. Her commitment to empathetic design is evidenced in her spring studio project, focusing on the design of a shelter with support services for college students experiencing homelessness. This has translated to the real world, where she helped the 5th year design-build studio paint a mural for the Buena Vista Horace Mann k-8 community school. She will also be volunteering as a translator on the project for AAU students, with shelter residents, Dolores Street Community Services, 826 Valencia, and the BVHM school.”
Thoughts from Amanda and Lowai:
“I feel honored and grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the 2023 Flad Architects Scholarship. I was excited to learn of my selection for this honor, it is a true blessing! I am deeply appreciative of the support I have received from my instructors, who have recognized my ambitions and have seen potential in me. I am committed to keep striving for excellence in my studies so that one day I can design environments that shape a better world.”– Amanda Estrada
“I am truly honored and deeply appreciative to be chosen for the FLAD Scholarship. This recognition fills me with gratitude and motivation to continue contributing to community-based design. I really appreciate your support, and your acknowledgement inspires me to pursue excellence and make a positive impact through architecture.I’m also very grateful for your support and invaluable guidance throughout my five years of education. Your dedication to imparting knowledge and fostering my growth has been the biggest part in shaping my journey. I am truly grateful for the inspiration and skills you have shared, and I carry them with me as I embark on the next chapter of my career. – Lowai Ghaly
A little bit about the scholarship:
Flad Architects generously offers scholarships of $2000 each to one 5th year student and one 3rd or 4th year B Arch student. The scholarship supports minority students who are US citizens living in the Bay Area and taking onsite classes, and not currently receiving tuition support through athletic scholarships or veteran benefits.
Flad Architects is a national planning and design firm committed to creating environments that enhance human potential. In partnership with leading research organizations, universities, healthcare institutions, and science-based companies, Flad designs innovative facilities, with standout dedication to detail. These advanced spaces enable the firm’s clients to make revolutionary discoveries that have a profound impact on society.