by College of the Arts
February 2nd 2024
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Marta Petteni
Marta Petteni, a longtime contributor to the Center for Public Interest Design in the PSU School of Architecture, has been named the Architectural Foundation of Oregon’s 2024 Van Evera Bailey Fellow.
The Van Evera Bailey Fellowship is one of two fellowships awarded by the AFO every year “to inspire design and building professionals to deepen their understanding of design’s role in creating an Oregon where everyone can thrive.”
Petteni worked for PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design and the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative as a researcher and designer. She also taught in the School of Architecture as an adjunct faculty member, co-leading an architecture studio course on disaster preparedness and community readiness.
Since her time with PSU, Petteni has worked as an associate and equity researcher and designer at Opsis Architecture in Portland and is currently the co-director and program manager at AfroVillage PDX. She will use the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship to conduct research and produce a comprehensive “how-to” guide in order to advance train repurposing as a scalable model for social justice and sustainable development throughout Portland.
“This proposal is grounded in the reality that TriMet will retire 26 MAX trains in 2024, and more than 100 in the next decade. While trains offer an incredible placemaking opportunity and communicate publicness in a unique way, there is currently no local precedent or guidelines for implementing train repurposing as a model,” says Petteni. Her research for this proposal grew out of a competition hosted by the CPID with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and TriMet, in which AfroVillage PDX won the People’s Choice Award.
“Marta's dedication to meaningful research, exceptional design, and community impact allowed her to do incredible things at PSU,” said Todd Ferry, senior research associate at the Center for Public Interest Design. ”I am so excited that she is receiving recognition for her amazing contributions to Portland with this award.”
Previous winners of the Van Evera Bailey Fellowship include PSU Architecture adjunct faculty Jonathan Bolch (2023) and professor Jeff Schnabel.
To learn more about previous winners and the fellowship visit the AFO’s website.