Wanda Dalla Costa
Institute Professor, The Design School, Herberger Institute for Design and Arts
Herberger Institute for Design and Arts
Arizona State University
PO Box 872102
Tempe, AZ 85287-2102
Titles
- Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory
- Institute Professor, The Design School, Herberger Institute for Design and Arts
- Associate Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Biography
Wanda Dalla Costa, AIA, LEED A.P. holds a joint position at Arizona State University between The Design School as Institute Professor, and the School of Construction as Associate Professor. She is a member of the Saddle Lake First Nation and has spent nearly 20 years working with Indigenous communities in North America. Her current work focuses on re-operationalizing Indigenous ways of knowing, being and connecting in contemporary architecture education and practice. Her interests include co-design methodologies, Indigenous place-keeping and climatic resiliency based in regional architectures. Dalla Costa was the first, First Nation women to become an architect in Canada, and is part of a team of Indigenous architects representing Canada at the 2018 Venice Biennale. Dalla Costa’s coursework at ASU includes Indigenous Planning, Architecture and Construction and a multidisciplinary Indigenous Construction Studio, where architecture, construction and planning students work directly with tribal communities. Dalla Costa is a member of the following boards and organizations committed to advancing construction and architecture in Indian Country: Advisory Board, Construction in Indian Country (CIIC) at Arizona State University; member, American Indian Council of Architects & Engineers (AICAE); member, the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES); member, Royal Institute of Architecture Canada (RAIC) Indigenous Task Force; Chair, Education Subcommittee of RAIC’s Indigenous Task Force. Dalla Costa holds a Master of Design Research (City Design) from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and a Master of Architecture from the University of Calgary. Her company, Redquill Architecture (www.RQarc.com) is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Education
- MA, Design Research in City Design, Planning and Policy, Southern California Institute of Architecture, 2011
- MA, Architecture, University of Calgary, 2002
- BA, Sociology, Native Studies, University of Alberta, 1991
Expertise
Book Chapters
2018
Dalla Costa, W. 2018. Metrics and margins: Envisioning frameworks in indigenous architecture in Canada. Pp. 193-221 In: Grant, E., K. Greenop, A. Refiti and D. Glenn eds., The Handbook of Contemporary Indigenous Architecture. Springer Singapore. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-6904-8. ISBN: 978-981-10-6903-1.
Dalla Costa, W. 2018. Teaching indigeneity in architecture: Indigenous architects from across North America. Pp. 146-153 In: Kiddle, R., L. P. Stewart and K. O'Brien eds., Our Voices: Indigeneity and Architecture. ORO Editions. ISBN: 978-1940743493.
2011
Dalla Costa, W. 2011. An emerging narrative: Aboriginal contributions to Canadian architecture. Pp. 356-379 In: Voyageur, C. J., D. R. Newhouse and D. Beavon eds., Hidden in Plain Sight: Contributions of Aboriginal Peoples to Canadian Identity and Culture. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, Canada. ISBN: 978-1442610125.
Conference Papers
2017
Dalla Costa, W. 2017. Housing equity and heat vulnerability: A case study for indigenous design and construction in Arizona. Pp. 543-554 AMPS Proceedings Series 9. Living and Sustainability: An Enviromental Critique of Design and Building Practices, Locally and Globally. London South Bank University, London, England. (link )