A Culture of Making With Julia Hunt

When I reached out to Julia Hunt (BS ’17), director of digital fabrication and clinical assistant professor at the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, to conduct an interview I had no idea that I would also be meeting with her 5-year-old field-red golden retriever, Rose. Immediately adding a sense of warmth and ease to the entire experience, Rose quietly curled up at our feet (after giving me a perfunctory sniff of course). This turned out to be a perfect reflection of the collaborative and nurturing atmosphere that Julia fosters in the fabrication workshop on South Campus.

Admittedly, I throw the interview entirely into Julia’s court asking, “tell me your life story.”  She responds, “Oh boy. How far back?” but simultaneously easily delves into the environment and experiences that fostered her passion for making. 

Cultivating a sense of place

At the intersection of creativity and technology, Julia Hunt’s fascination with the marriage of form and function began in part due to her family history. Essentially a third-generation shop teacher, both Julia’s father and grandfather were high school shop instructors. Julia garnered an interest in woodworking from a young age and honed her skills in both digital and manual drafting in her father’s class. Her dedication to making even extended to homecoming night, when the trebuchet she had built for a local “pumpkin chunk” competition broke. Julia was found in the shop, homecoming dress and all, working with her team to repair the catapult.

That dedication continued as Julia entered the Bachelor of Science in architecture program here at UB. “I thought I wanted to be a capital A architect, but I always found my way back to making, and then digital fabrication.” Working in the fabrication shop as a student, Julia was exposed to the hub of the school’s learning-through-making curriculum. Equipped for fabrication of all types, the shop serves both as a space to execute coursework and as a think-tank and makerspace for collaborative research with architectural practice and industry.

“When I was looking forward to my master’s, I really wanted to branch out and learn from new people, so I went to the University of Michigan—mostly because they had robot arms and other exiting toys like that at that time.” Julia independently studied robotics while there—one of the only ways to garner direct exposure to the machines. “Now, as an instructor, I’m really trying to get students direct access to learning how to use our machines. This way, if they’re interested in a career in fabrication they’ll have specific skills—like running a CNC router—and be able to communicate effectively with other makers in the industry! Knowing how the tools actually work changes the way you design for them; you have the inside scoop of how it all works.” 

After graduating, Julia worked at Synecdoche Design—a creative studio and architecture firm in Ann Arbor, MI, as shop manager and primary fabricator. By providing custom fabrication for almost every project, including rapidly produced CNC furniture, Julia and the firm helped grow small businesses through affordable design. “That’s where I solidified that I didn’t want to be an architect; I wanted to make things with architects.”

After a few years, with a desire for personal growth and a hunger for leadership roles, Julia went to work with Morphosis Architects, an interdisciplinary architectural and design practice based in Los Angeles, CA. There, she led the fabrication of large-scale, museum grade architectural models and educated fellow staff and interns on both manual and digital tools. Julia was involved with integrating their Kuka robot arm into their professional workflow, garnering interest in the firm for its use in active and future projects. “I would probably still be working there if UB hadn’t reached out about my current position. It was nice to hear folks had followed my career and wanted to welcome me back into this community. I’ve always had an interest in education—I think it’s in my blood—and I really like striving to make people feel comfortable around machines and tools; I love seeing the moments when people get really excited when something starts to click. UB always had such a great shop culture, it was a place people wanted to come and hang out, learn, and experiment—I’ve tried to maintain that experience and ensure that anyone and everyone feels welcome.”

“Sounds like you feel like you made the right decision, leaving the firm to come back and teach. How do you feel about living and working in Buffalo,” I ask. Julia enthusiastically answers; “I love Buffalo. The amount of art and history, the walkability, the food, the friendly people—Buffalo is really special. There’s also a culture of making here, especially professionally! We have behemoths of industry [Boston Valey Terra Cotta, Rigidized Metals Corporation, MOOG, etc.] to work with and learn from. It’s great to be back here and to work for a school that strives to connect its students to the city.”

A city of makers

As the Director of Digital Fabrication, Julia is responsible for all of the digital tools in the shop, running external jobs, training students, managing the digital fabrication fellows, maintenance, and more. On top of that, she teaches a course every semester—shaping the future of our city of makers. “UB stands out in the academic community for our facilities. Not only for the scale of the shop, but the access students have in it. Students get an amazing balance of design that pushes creativity alongside practical design and other aspects of the field—we fully prepare them to go out into the industry.”

Julia is confident that even with the planned renovations for the shop, everyone will still feel welcome in the temporary space. “I’m around such good colleagues who have a similar mindset and mission for the shop. Being able to work with them and our smart, enthusiastic students will make working in the temporary space easy. And the renovations will be worth it.”

Despite her nervousness at being an educator for the first time, Julia has clearly taken it in stride. “Our students are inclusive, actively curious, hardworking, and responsive to new machines. They’re so engaged, and seeing not only their experience but their confidence grow throughout each semester is extremely rewarding. I’m glad to be able to give them that space and access to machines and tools, to teach them the importance of making in a tremendously welcoming environment.” 

Access to advanced digital and manual tools

There is a growing demand for skilled designers that can bridge the gap between design and fabrication, engaging at the point of production to deliver increasingly challenging projects. Anticipated for the Fall 2026 semester is a M.S. Architecture in Advanced Architectural Fabrication concentration that will provide students with skills to become creative and adaptable designers with a working knowledge of production-aware digital practices, material behavior, and design-to-fabrication workflows. Students will adapt new technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence, into design and fabrication processes, with direct access to advanced digital and manual tools at the School of Architecture and Planning’s Fabrication Workshop. This fully in-person, 36-credit, program could be completed in one academic year with a culminating summer studio involving industry partners. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about this program and more happening at the school.