Meet Sahara, a queer, black, architect-to-be from Portland, Oregon, whose architectural commitment lies in serving vulnerable and marginalized communities while combating climate change and environmental degradation. Her journey is marked by a determination to harness the power of architecture to bring joy, healing, and culture to the communities she loves and cares for; including the well-being of our non-human relatives.

Sahara has a unique perspective on their mission, shaped by personal experiences of grief and loss, bearing witness to widespread suffering and racial violence during the pandemic, and watching my young family and friends struggle under the weight of late stage capitalism. These experiences have only deepened her resolve to use architecture and design as tools to inspire positive change and revolutionize that way capital A “Architecture” is currently practiced.

In her current role as a Project Manager at the AfroFuturist Oasis, Sahara actively recognizes the importance of addressing environmental injustices and the creation of spaces of belonging for Black, Brown, and Indigenous Portlanders. And she hopes this is the first of many architectural projects she will get to participate in that work towards our collective liberation.