About

I am a LatinX Paraguayan Guaraní mestiza (mixed race) architect, designer, researcher, and educator, with extensive interdisciplinary practice across South America and Canada. My work sits at the intersection of systems thinking, service design, and climate action, with a focus on land-based design, social innovation, and sustainability.

My practice includes architectural projects, exhibit and experiential design, information and communication design, and placemaking and wayfinding programs, among them the Vancouver International Airport, TransLink (Vancouver’s transportation system), and urban wayfinding systems for various cities. I teach Design and Critical Studies at Emily Carr University, and Design and Public Art in the Fine Arts program at Langara College.

My current research, supported by a doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), integrates Indigenous knowledges and languages, as emergent and re-emergent technologies, into design practice and pedagogy, toward decolonial, sustainable, and equitable futures. I am a member of the Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability network (DESIS), the Design Justice Network, and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), among other professional networks.

I hold a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Design from Emily Carr University. I completed doctoral studies in Science and Technology Studies (STS), Arts and Sciences, and American Indian and Indigenous Studies at Cornell University, and I am now a PhD candidate in Design and Social Context at RMIT University, in collaboration with the New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York City.

My name is Ata. It comes from "Tata," which means fire in Guaraní, my mom Pat's language. I came to my family during the pandemic to fill their days with love and hope.

 I work very closely with Pat. When she works from home, I sit in on her online classes, seminars, lectures, and more workshops than I can count. I am a very devoted academic companion.

In my free time, I love exploring the universe. I sniff every dog friend I can find, and I share runs, balls, and my beloved frisbee with James and Oliver, my human brothers, at the park. I also hold a very important job: I walk my humans twice a day, though truthfully it is mostly my mom Pat that I walk. She takes me on runs and long walks by the beach, which are my very favourite.

I live with my mom Pat and my brothers, and we look after each other. My family always comes first. They love me so much, and I love them right back.

WOOF.