team
NATALIA ESCOBAR CASTRILLÓN is a licensed architect, an Associate Professor of Architecture and Spatial Justice at Carleton University, and the founder of the Equitable Cities lab. She holds a Ph.D. in Histories and Theories of Architecture and a Masters in Design from Harvard University, as well as a Masters in Architecture from the University of Seville. Her work addresses questions of spatial justice and urban equity (gender, race, immigration, and displacement), as well as questions of care and dependence (health, neurodiversity, disability and design). Previously, she studied the intersection of heritage conservation and social justice in contested places and institutions (UNESCO sites, colonial plantation sites, cultural centers and museums). Her work has received federal and local grants (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Inter American Development Bank, and Ottawa Community Foundation) and has been published in Materia Arquitectura, JSSAC, and ACSA. Prior to Carleton, Escobar Castrillón taught graduate courses and advised students at Harvard University, Boston University, Chile Catholic University, and São Paulo University.
natalia.escobar@carleton.ca
DAMIANO AIELLO is a licensed Italian building engineer and a Contract Instructor at Carleton University. He is a PhD candidate at the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, where he has been researching the intersection between heritage conservation and reparations. Damiano received his Master’s Degree in Building Engineering and Architecture from the University of Catania. He is actively involved with Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), where he contributes to projects focused on digital documentation and storytelling. Before joining Carleton University, Damiano worked as an engineer in Italy and gained multiple research fellowships at the University of Catania and Politecnico di Milano.
damianoaiello@cunet.carleton.ca
CAROLINA SEPÚLVEDA is a Doctor of Design candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is an architect, curator, and researcher from Santiago de Chile based in Cambridge, USA. Carolina’s doctoral research examines how queer practices influence urban transformation within Berlin's radical urban movements, highlighting the interplay between non-heteronormative identities, radical politics, and city-making. While extensive research exists on how urbanization influences sexual subcultures and queer identities, the focus is on how emotions by queer groups actively spark subversive practices and produce alternative spaces in the city. Carolina holds a Master’s degree in Design Studies from Harvard GSD and a B. Arch. from Universidad Catolica de Chile. Carolina is the founder of Sentimental Studio, a research-based architecture practice investigating the built environment through an affective lens. She served as a Consultant at the Housing and Urban Development Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), managing loans for Chile and Argentina, addressing issues including informal settlements, housing deficit, and gender inclusion. She has conducted research and curated architecture exhibitions at Harvard GSD, the IADB, and Chile Architecture Biennial. She also co-curated “Curating Architecture Across the Americas,” a program aimed at showcasing architecture exhibitions across the Americas, promoted by the Harvard David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.
csepulveda@gsd.harvard.edu
PARTNERS
Ottawa Community Housing (OCH): offers approximately 15,000 homes to about 32,000 tenants, including seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. These homes are located in various communities throughout Ottawa and house a diverse population with different languages, cultures, and ethnicities. Our direct collaborators include: Natalie Drouin (Manager of Community Development), Medhi Louaz (Volunteer Engagement), Amal Masaye (Community Developer), and Brent Chisholm (Building Management).
Rideau Rockliffe Community Resource Center (RRCRC): Our mission is to provide a range of social supports and services that enable the empowerment of residents, community resilience, and the inclusion of all. Our vision is for a safe, dignified and fulfilling life for all Rideau-Rockcliffe residents. Our direct collaborator is Mijanou Gravelle (Social Workers and Architect).
INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: is A NON-FOR-PROFIT leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region’s public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.
Region Austral (assistance in producing visualizations): We are a design firm based in Argentina working at the intersection of urban design, landscape architecture, and regional planning based in Córdoba, Argentina. We analyze the city and the territory based on an interdisciplinary, multi-scale dialogue, together with citizen participation processes and the strategic understanding of local communities, infrastructures and ecosystems.
STUDENTS COLLABORATORS
2026-2027
Dylan Jozkow (consultations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Emiliano Ruidiaz (consultations), Masters in Architecture Studies, Carleton University.
2025-2026
Dylan Jozkow (consultations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Emma Monfette (consultations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
2024-2025
Alex Saucier (design, construction, and management), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Olive Lazarus (community outreach), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Keegan Metheringham (wood construction), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Amanda Wu (wood construction), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Emma Monfette (wood construction), Bachelor in Architecture, Carleton University.
Ben Merrit (design, and construction). Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Theodore Altenliu (design and construction). Masters in Architecture, Carleton University
Caitlin Chin (production of visualizations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
2023-2024
Sarah Chin (production of visualizations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
2022-2023
Laura Viada Ferrari (production of visualization), Masters in Architecture, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
2021-2022
Emma Rath (production of visualizations), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.
Alia Farhat (community liaison, Overbrook), Masters in Architecture, Carleton University.