Tara Kursinsky

As a natural-bred environmentalist, Tara Kursinsky uses her passion for the outdoors to explore ideas of spatial environments. By bridging the gap between urban planning, landscape, and architectural design, she hopes to provide greater connections between users, while reducing our global footprint. Alongside her academic career, Tara has pursued multiple internship opportunities with various Columbus, Ohio architecture and design firms. The most recent at Big Red Rooster in 2019, allowed her to work alongside multi-disciplined designers to produce retail concepts that inspire shoppers globally. Tara is a current student at The University of Edinburgh where she is studying Design for Change for her Masters degree. She previously graduated in May 2019 from Columbus College of Art & Design with a BFA in Interior Architecture and Design with a minor in Industrial Design.

Designer Statement

My work involves the intersection between environmentalism and spatial environments. Structures penetrate and reshape the natural landscapes surrounding us. Therefore, I create forms and structures that seek to mimic the natural landscape and encourage ecological systems to flourish. The goal is to develop self-sufficient buildings. It is typical for urban landscapes to be plagued by impervious surfaces that cover natural resources necessary for transportation systems and building grids to thrive. By reinforcing concepts of walkability through the use of environments that intrinsically advocate for it, I seek to reduce car dependency in cities. These spaces are important because they allow people to experience human interaction in varying degrees and to connect with their environments through activity. 

Typically in architecture and design, the intentions of the projects can become blurred by the monetary success-the urge for growth. For me, I feel I have an obligation to design conscientiously with the environment in mind. Developing spaces that forge a bond with the landscape they encompass is more powerful because there are greater considerations than just the users involved. I design to create change.

I structure my projects from a researcher's perspective. Through the process of analyzing the information, I can then take data and transform it into three-dimensional models. These models allow me to present my findings in a way that is more conceptual than just numbers on a page provides. It is the guide I follow to begin visualizing and understanding the critical components for space, before then extruding them into volumes. As a designer, I ultimately strive for the balance between the theoretical and conceptual when creating my spaces.