Monument(al) Miniatures

This thesis considers the context of, and process for, redesigning monuments

with radical transparency. Monument(al) Miniatures is a thesis centered on reshaping how monuments are built through a transparent, open-door approach that is strategically situated within existing municipal design processes and Request for Proposals. Through miniature models and immersive AR, design proposals are transported out of the confines of community board meetings and brought directly to citizens, ensuring community voices shape who and how we honor.

I partnered with The All Along Project, a coalition of designers and community

leaders, seeking to build monuments that address the gender gap that exists across the monument landscape. As global memorials come under intense scrutiny, with cities investing in greater inclusive recognition of female contributions, together, we ask: How can we create equitable transparency throughout a civic design process?

This solution is designed as a system that empowers community stakeholder participation to enable citizens to better understand design proposals presented, as well as provide transparency and municipal accountability around the timelines for when successful commissions are to be erected in neighborhoods.