Luciana Varkulja

M.Arch, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
B.Arch, School of Architecture and Urban Design, FAU-USP, University of São Paulo

Luciana Varkulja is an architect and urban designer with 20 years of experience, who has been working on projects in the US and internationally (Latin America, Africa, and Asia) under her practice uma architecture & design, founded in 2002, and as a collaborator. In more recent work, Luciana is looking into how architects and designers can learn from food systems and forestry management practices, to engage in a more sustainable approach during the design process through a responsible choice of materials, labor conditions, and deeper knowledge of the supply chain. 

Ms. Varkulja had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of project types and scales, from furniture design, brand identity, and environmental design - keeping a straight connection with the art world through set design, exhibitions, installations, and films - to institutional buildings, transportation, and urban planning. She had worked on projects from schematic design through completion, always wearing multiple hats during that process, from designer role to project management support, coordinating the process internally to the office as well as with clients and consultants. Luciana has taught and is currently a visiting juror at Columbia University and at Cal Poly Pomona. She is an Adjunct Professor at USC School of Architecture and a Senior Lecturer at the Environmental Design Department at Otis College of Art and Design, where she teaches Design Studio.