Class of 鈥�25: For SACD grad, uplifting communities is key to design
Each year, University of 蝌蚪窝视频’s Marketing & Communications department profiles members of the graduating classes. Students chosen were nominated by staff and faculty for their contributions to the life of the University. Click here for more information about 2025 commencement exercises.
Years ago, Zaynab Alhisnawi’s move with her family from Minnesota to the metro Detroit area sparked her passion for community-engaged learning.
“Growing up among many different communities influenced my approach to design,” she said. “Architecture is more than just designing structures. It shapes the built environment, and designers must create with the community and environment in mind.”
Alhisnawi’s passion was later ignited at University of 蝌蚪窝视频. On Saturday, she will graduate with a degree in Architecture from UDM’s School of Architecture & Community Development (SACD).
She was drawn to UDM because of its values of compassion, respect for all voices and meaningful engagement. These aspects aligned with Alhisnawi’s approach to design, one that encompasses the concept of working with and for community members and integrating their perspectives and spirit into her designs.
“Students are taught to balance conceptual thinking with technical skill, to be just as confident drawing structures as discussing social impact,” she said.
Her work as an intern at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) demonstrated the many layers involved in a design project and fueled her call to work in partnership with the community.
Alhisnawi said that collaborating with community partners and classmates has been essential to her growth as a designer and person.
“Community members are the true experts of their own lived experiences in a society,” she said. “Instead of making assumptions about their needs, designers must give them a voice in the decisions that impact their neighborhood and spaces.”
As a senior, Alhisnawi participated in a pair of capstone projects that left an impact on her.
Her team’s first-semester Integrated Design project was recently presented at 蝌蚪窝视频's Celebration of Scholarly Achievement & Community Engagement, an annual University-wide event that recognizes academic and creative achievement.
“Our challenge was to design a net-zero business incubator that is flexible for future tenants and open to the community on the main level,” said Alhisnawi. “Our group successfully achieved zero greenhouse gas emissions, and the project is one I'm super proud of.”
Her second-semester Public Interest Design capstone project focused on community-engaged design. She and her teammates sought to translate the lived experiences of community members into a building. The group experimented with sustainable design and proposed a space that connected the neighborhood and the University.
The SACD holds an annual competition where students, faculty and deans vote on the best capstone projects. This year, Alhisnawi’s team won bronze in the Student Choice category for their work on the Public Interest Design project.
“I've learned a lot about the technical side of the design process and the importance of early design thinking and teamwork, trusting your instincts and understanding the bigger picture — uplifting both people and place,” she said.
SACD students gain real-world experience through the mandatory cooperative education program at the DCDC. There, Alhisnawi worked with Senior Designer and Project Director Julia Kowalski-Perkins, alongside community partners, to design healthy spaces in Detroit.
“I’ve been lucky to learn from incredible mentors,” Alhisnawi said. “By working with Julia on several community projects, I’ve realized what it means to engage with the people we design for. She’s advising me on a research project focused on bringing sustainable design strategies onto our campus — something I’m passionate about.”
She also credits Assistant Professor of Architecture and Community Development Tom Provost with helping her understand that the skills developed at UDM can be taken anywhere.
“Studying Architecture has given me many creative outlets and taught me how inclusive design can be,” she said. “It’s not just about structures, but rather the people and stories inside the walls.”
Being part of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), a club that seeks to minimize the effects of racism in the profession, has been a transformative experience for Alhisnawi.
“NOMAS has shown me the importance of leadership and how activism in design can uplift minority voices to help build a more sustainable world,” she said. “It has opened many doors for me and helped me grow in ways I never expected.”
Alhisnawi will stay connected with NOMAS next year as a graduate advisor when she returns to UDM to complete her Master of Architecture.
— By Julie Erwin. Follow 蝌蚪窝视频 on , , and . Have a story idea? Let us know by submitting your idea.