MARGARITA McGRATH (Co-PI)
Using design as a specific form of inquiry, Margarita McGrath’s practice has developed as a combination of teaching, research and work. Material constructions and proposals investigate space as a tactile experience, notwithstanding space itself being intangible. Works include a series of urban competition proposals, a very small house, two room-scaled installations and writings. Traveling and working abroad have defined McGrath’s professional career as an architect and educator. She completed her internship and worked as a project architect at various firms including Cesar Pelli and Associates (now Pelli Clarke Pelli), Atelier Hermann Czech (Vienna), and Junglim Architects (Seoul). McGrath has given lectures, workshops and served as a visiting critic at various institutions in the States and internationally. In 2006 her firm, noroof architects, received national press and several design awards including an AIA Housing Committee award for their first built work, the Slot House. Recent research with students probes opportunities for public architecture in the fields of “invisible science and intangible heritage.” McGrath holds a MArch II from UCLA, a 5-year Barch and a BA in Art History from Rice University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech.