Kimberlyn Cho – Looking Outwards 08

Meejin Yoon is an architect and designer, currently teaching at MIT as a Professor in the Department of Architecture. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor in Architecture, and then completed her graduate studies at Harvard’s GSD. Her work focuses on the intersection between space, technology, and materiality, and is most often acclaimed for its innovative and engaging characteristics.

I really admire Yoon’s consideration to public engagement in her projects. I think by prioritizing how humans would engage with the spatial qualities of a project, Yoon is able to create very deliberate and intricate experiences that are unparalleled to other public establishments. For example, her project, Shadow Play, creates a unique experience for users by taking advantage of a neglected public space in Phoenix. Yoon creates shade in the desert sun and facilitates air circulation through each cell of her public parasol. The project creates interesting shadows due to the hexagonal formatting of her steel plates, which adds an interesting design element to supplement the project’s strong functional purpose.

Eyeo 2015 – Meejin Yoon from Eyeo Festival on Vimeo.

During her talk at the Eyeo Festival, she focuses on her projects regarding interactive public spaces– especially topics such as responsive and interactive technology, smart materials, and the public engagement process. Her talk was interesting in that by narrowing it down to specific topics, she was able to choose only a few projects that utilize the technology in depth. And by going through the development process, the audience is able to grasp a deeper understanding the iterations as well as inspirations for the projects

Meejin Yoon