Page 94 - Architectural Digest - USA (March 2020)

DEBORAH BERKE

Yale School of Architecture

Before Berke assumed her post in 2016, just 40 percent of master’s students at the school
were women. In the short time since, she has not only achieved gender balance but greatly
expanded financial aid. “One of the ways that we can make the profession more inclusive is to
reduce the enormous burden of student debt,” says Berke. “I have more to do. But it remains
my goal.” At the same time, she has molded the program to address today’s pressing issues,
among them the climate crisis and needs of rapidly expanding cities. “I am a strong believer
in what I call built environment social justice. Those most vulnerable are those being most
hurt.” Yale’s long-standing First Year Building Project—wherein architecture students design
and construct together—has partnered with Columbus House, a local nonprofit providing
housing and services to the homeless. “The students learn about the needs of the homeless
population, they learn about the concerns of the residents of New Haven, and they learn how
to work collaboratively,” Berke explains. The program’s 2017 building, a 1,000-square-foot
house for the homeless, was named among the best architecture of the year by the Wall
Street Journal, reinforcing her firm belief that good deeds and great design go hand in hand.
“Everyone is entitled to beauty in their everyday life,” she notes. “The built environment can,
at its very finest, bring joy.”

Dean Berke is photographed at the Yale Art and Architecture Building,
designed by Paul Rudolph.