The 2022 PIVOT Fellowship

For the 2022 Fellowship, we tried something different. Rather than bringing in an architecture or interior architecture student, 2022 PIVOT Fellow Matilda Jereza was entering her last year studying product design.

Matilda’s project was born out of a desire to explore whether amenities like the transit shelters PIVOT designs could be employed to improve the pedestrian experience outside of transit systems.

“Altogether it was an extremely enriching experience to see a project through of my own design, with the support and input of my peers,” she said.

Matilda took a tried-and-true systematic approach in tackling her project by identifying a need, exploring the opportunities and challenges, as well as researching the target market, competitors, and constraints to develop her project objectives.

The result is what she calls The City Squiggle, an easy-to-install, solar-powered shelter of precast concrete arches that can be placed together in any quantity to form a “squiggle.” The resulting memorable and whimsical shelter provides protection from rain, sun, and enables users to charge devices.

“To work as a professional designer opened my eyes to my strengths and weaknesses, as well as my potential and hopes for the future,” she said.

Matilda’s project addressed walkability and pedestrian dignity by improving public spaces, clarifying pedestrian routes, and encouraging public inhabitance.

Through her prolific ideation, Matilda sketched 60+ concepts which, through further development and refinement, were honed to a singular form.

Matilda notes that she “got to assist and participate in projects that were not my own, bringing new perspective to the team” and that “my insight as a product designer proved valuable.”

To see Matilda’s project, click here.

The PIVOT Fellowship is a means of fostering original thought about issues outside the daily routine or obvious future trajectory of our firm’s thought process. PIVOT Architecture selects one fellow per year partially based on the nature of their project proposal. It is a paid position and the term runs from June until September.

The PIVOT Fellowship is open to BARCH, BIARCH, MARCH, and MIARCH students for the summer preceding their final year of study at the University of Oregon. One student is selected following an application process that includes review of the candidates’ proposals for a project of their choice to be executed over the summer of the fellowship.

For more information or to apply for the position, click here.