Eberhard Research Fellowship
John Eberhard (1927-2020), the founding dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, was a critical and creative scholar, educator, and leader. Trained at MIT and later employed at the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and American Institute of Architects, among others, Eberhard held a deep interest in design thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, design innovation, and applied, cutting-edge research. With the generous support of Peter Hourihan, former principal at CannonDesign and a member of the first cohort of architecture students at UB, the Eberhard Research Fellowship extends Eberhard’s ethos and legacy. Each year, the fellowship is awarded to an exceptional, incoming M.Arch student motivated to carry out significant and impactful architectural research (through a master’s thesis and allied coursework).
Katarina is in her second and final year of the UB Master of Architecture program, after earning her Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in Environmental Design and spending two summers studying abroad in Europe.
Katarina is interested in the history and legacy of architecture, pertaining to its permanence, social impact, and creative possibilities. Through the directed research and thesis program, and the support of the Eberhard Fellowship, she plans to pursue “temporary” or “false” architecture. This can range from examining World’s Fairs, which lead to innovative progressions in architecture that change the world, or momentary displays of style that are destroyed as soon as the event ends. Or, film and TV sets that create false worlds or impersonate real ones, to convey story and emotion. Even the architecture of theme parks can demonstrate careful engineering of experience and complex design under layers of fantasy. She would like to explore how these topics can impact design today and what we can learn from impermanent or imaginative architecture.
Previous recipients
2023-24 Eberhard Research Fellow: Peter Fillion - M.Arch '24
Peter has been doing sound engineering for nearly a decade and has a deep passion for sound. He has distinguished himself in every arena of life, as a student, employee, and soldier. As a soldier, Peter is a member of the NY Army National Guard and has distinguished himself as the National Soldier of the Year. He has been activated in response to national disasters in his local community. As an employee, he has earned the respect and confidence of his employers. As a student, he has won design awards and multiple scholarships, made the dean's list, been published in Intersight, and won the Eberhard Research Fellowship. Because of this fellowship, Peter can explore his passion for sound. He hopes to explore the impacts of artificial and physical acoustics.
Thesis Title:
EUPHORIC EDEN: DESIGNING FOR INTIMATE AND ENVELOPING ACOUSTICS
Thesis Committee:
Mark Shephard
Nick Bruscia