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We are a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous designers. Our team includes Cree, Navajo, Metis, Dene and Pascua Yaqui. Our co-designers – Elders, knowledge brokers, cultural bearers and artists – represent the nations we do work with.
As we are a firm that celebrates difference, we invite you click on staff names to gain insights of our team (‘16 Personalities Test’)

team

ᐊᐊᐧᓯ ᑎᐸᐦᐊᐢᑳᐣ [awasi-tipahaskân] United States

Wanda
Wanda Dalla Costa

Principal

wdc@tawarc.com

Alesk
Aleks Webster PhD
Director of Operations

aw@tawarc.com

LaDawn
Ladawn Bentley
Architectural Designer II /
Senior Interior Designer

lb@tawarc.com

Tierra
Tierra Miller

Architectural Designer I

Engagement Specialist

tm@tawarc.com

Skye_BW-thumb
Skye Gillson

Architectural Designer I

sg@tawarc.com

zoe-thumb
Zoe Toledo

Architectural Design I /

Cultural Researcher
zt@tawarc.com
Samantha
Samantha Eddy
Architectural Designer I /
Cultural Researcher
se@tawarc.com
Ashley
Ashley Madriz

Architectural Intern

am@tawarc.com

Lydia Cabasco
Lydia Cabasco

Instructional Designer

lc@tawarc.com

Pallavi
Pallavi Vutukuri
Cultural Coding

pv@tawarc.com

Selina
Selina Martinez

Collaborative Designer

sm@tawarc.com

kevin
Kevin Taylor

Architectural Intern

kevin@tawarc.com

Claudio Vekstein
Claudio Vekstein

Design Consultant

Dolo
Dolores Cremonini
Collaborative Designer

dc@tawarc.com

jake

Jake

Riley

Riley

Chicle

Chicle

river

River

ᑳᓇᑕ [kânata] Canada

Addie
Addie Suchorab
Integrated Design Director

as@tawarc.com

Lindsay
Lindsay Andreas

Project Architect

la@tawarc.com

Anna
Anna Norina
Architectural Designer II

an@tawarc.com

Shreya
Shreya Wilson
Architectural Designer I

sw@tawarc.com

Louise
Louise Barraza
Architectural Designer I /
Marketing Coordinator

louise@tawarc.com

Mamie
Mamie Griffith

Collaborative Designer

mg@tawarc.com

trish-thumb
Trishtina Godoy-Contois

Cultural Researcher

tc@tawarc.com
Wanda

Wanda Dalla Costa

The Entertainer | spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic – life is never boring around them.

Indigenous | Saddle Lake Cree Nation

Wanda Dalla Costa is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Northern Alberta and brings 25 years of experience working with communities across North America. She is the first, First Nations woman to be licensed to practice architecture in Canada and the Principal of Tawaw Architecture Collective Inc. located in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the Director and Founder of ASU Indigenous Design Collaborative (IDC), a community-driven design and construction program that brings together tribal community members, industry, and a multi-disciplinary team of ASU students and faculty to co-design and co-develop solutions for tribal communities.
wdc@tawarc.com
Aleks Webster

Aleks Webster

The Architect | imaginative and strategic thinkers with a plan for everything.

Non-Indigenous | American

Aleks is an accomplished leader and mentor with 40+ years of experience managing architectural projects. Her professional work has always focused on the technical side of architecture, developing a design concept through the creation of a set of construction documents that communicate the design intent clearly and concisely. She contributes her passion and research skills as a PhD to Tawaw’s Indigenous Design research.

aw@tawarc.com

LaDawn

LaDawn R. Bentley

The Protagonist| charismatic and inspiring leaders able to mesmerize their listeners.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation | Diné

LaDawn Bentley is a member of the Diné Nation in Northeastern Arizona and brings 23-years of interior design experience and 8-years of architectural design experience in working with Indigenous communities across Arizona and in Canada. Her portfolio includes a diversity of projects involving healthcare, memory/skilled nursing/independent care, hospitality, commercial, multi-family residential, higher education, K-12 education, cultural & municipal, and luxury residences. She is currently working on her architectural license. In her “free time,” she is committed to working with youth in Scouting (cub, boy scouts and girl scouts), archery, and outdoor survival skills.

lb@tawarc.com

Tierra

Tierra Miller

The Advocate | quiet and mystical, yet inspiring and tireless idealists.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation

Tierra Miller is a member of the Navajo Nation and specializes in Indigenous engagement and place-based design. She has worked on a variety of projects from residential and education to large community development initiatives. Tierra holds a Bachelor of Arts in architecture from the University of New Mexico and a master’s degree in architecture from Arizona State University.

tm@tawarc.com

Skye

Skye Gillson

The Commander| bold, imaginative and strong-willed leaders always finding a way – or making one.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation

Skye Gillson is a member of the Navajo Nation and specializes in Indigenous Place-Based Research, Project Management, and Drafting. He teaches as adjunct faculty at Arizona State University, covering an Indigenous-focused studio. He manages equity training & youth consultation for City of Tempe. He is also a teacher for Indigenous Architecture, construction, and planning. Skye holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from The University of New Mexico and a Master of Architecture from Arizona State University.

sg@tawarc.com

Zoe

Zoe Toledo

The Campaigner| enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirits who always find a reason to smile.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation | Diné

Zoë Toledo is a Diné Asdzáán, a member of the Navajo Nation, and a recent graduate Master of Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. While attending GSD, Zoë engaged in a practice of narrative change, utilizing archival material and storytelling to re-center land and Indigenous frameworks within architecture and design. She co-founded the Harvard Indigenous Design Collective and received an A.B. in Architecture from Princeton University.
zt@tawarc.com
Samantha

Samantha Eddy

The Debater | Smart and curious thinkers who cannot resist an intellectual challenge.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation | Dine

Samantha Eddy is a member of the Navajo Nation. She is a recent University of Utah graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and a Minor in American Indian Studies. She brings 4-years of Indigenous methodologies research and community engagement experience from Nááts’íilid Initiative (NI), a Community Development Collaborative building sweat equity homes and other infrastructural developments in various regions in the Navajo Nation. During her time with NI and university, she has found that Rhino, AutoCAD, ArcGIS, and other architectural/planning software have the ability to create culturally relevant work. Samantha is also driven to serve as a role model for the next generation of Indigenous students.
se@tawarc.com
Ashley

Ashley Madriz

The Protagonist | charismatic and inspiring leaders able to mesmerize their listeners.

Non-Indigenous | Hispanic

Ashley is a bilingual first-generation college student, recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University, and on route to a Master of Architecture at Arizona State University. She has interned at architecture firms (and field) since the summer of 2019. She has spent time using drafting and rendering software, but most of all, growing a passion for empowering minority communities and envisioning healthier and colorful urban landscapes.

am@tawarc.com

Lydia Cabasco

Lydia Cabasco

The Adventurer| flexible and charming artists always ready to explore and experience something new.

Non-Indigenous | Filipino

Lydia is an instructional designer and learning experience designer with experience in the tech, retail, and business process outsource (BPO) industries. She is also a facilitator and a Certified Professional Coach.

lc@tawarc.com

Pallavi

Pallavi Vutukuri

The Mediator| poetic, kind and altruistic – always eager to help a good cause.

Non-Indigenous | Indian

Pallavi is a summer intern, working on cultural data analysis and AI among her internship responsibilities. She is pursuing a Master of Architecture at Arizona State University. Pallavi is a Licensed Architect and Interior designer in India with 5 years of work experience. She is a dedicated worker and esteemed young woman.

pv@tawarc.com

Selina

Selina Martinez

Indigenous | Pascua Yaqui-Mexican

Selina Martinez has worked on a range of local projects relating to indigenous design, historic preservation, and community design empowerment. Selina is drawn to architecture for its complex ability to catalyze change, influence a user’s well-being, and offer multi-dimensional layers of impactful information. She believes as a society, we collectively harness the ability to design the future we want by tackling complex problems through design.

sm@tawarc.com

Kevin

Kevin Taylor

The Protagonist | Charismatic and inspiring leaders able to mesmerize their listeners.

Indigenous | Navajo Nation

Kevin Taylor is a proud member of the Navajo Nation, residing in the four corners area. His focus in Tawaw is graphics design, community engagement, and technical skill building. Kevin is on track to obtain his master’s degree in architectural studies at Arizona State University and aspires to promote architectural design within his community. Outside of his work, he enjoys sketching cityscapes, biking through Phoenix, and pursuing his passion for digital arts.
kevin@tawarc.com
Claudio Vekstein

Claudio Vekstein

Non-Indigenous | Argentinian

Claudio Vekstein is an architect, former founder of the public architecture office eCV_Opera Publica, operating mainly in Latin America since 1995. He is a full professor of architecture at the Design School of Arizona State University. As an architect, his latest built works, the Memorial Space to the 100th Anniversary of the Farmers’ Revolt in Santa Fe, Argentina and the Montessori School in Lujan, Buenos Aires, both featured in 2018 and 2016 respectively in the Argentine Pavilion at the International Architecture Venice Biennale in Italy.
Dolo

Dolores Cremonini

The Mediator | poetic, kind, and altruistic – always eager to help a good cause.

Non-Indigenous | Argentinian

Dolores “Dolo” Cremonini brings 15-years of professional architectural experience. She has worked with Tawaw in providing artistic design, strong graphic communication skills, and fluent in two-dimensional and three-dimensional modeling. Dolo is a design leader in co-design and co-develop initiatives and activities that strengthen the design with unique, high-quality, and sustainable design solutions for a diverse client group.

dc@tawarc.com

Addie

Addie Suchorab

The Campaigner| Enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirits who always find a reason to smile.

Non-Indigenous | Canadian

With over 16 years of professional experience in Architecture in Canada and the USA, Addie brings a diverse skill set and broad design sensibility to each project. Her early work in formal cultural, historical, and educational buildings was a solid base to expand into commercial/mixed use projects built in NYC; Addie enjoys working on projects from concept through construction and this brings valuable lessons and insight for future opportunities. Specifically, on-site construction experience at Hudson Yards and building repositioning projects in Manhattan have given her an in-depth understanding of urban built environments. The complexity and importance of healthcare and research lab design has drawn me to recent work in large scale hospitals and clinics within an urban campus. With her return to cultural work, she leads with conditioned design sensibility on museums, observatories, and performing arts centers. Addie is a mentor to her team members, because she brings her skills and expertise to achieve outstanding results.

as@tawarc.com

Lindsay

Lindsay Andreas

The Architect | Imaginative and strategic thinkers with a plan for everything.

Non-Indigenous | European

Lindsay is a registered architect with Alberta Association of Architects offering 10+ years of experience. Her scope of work includes single family, multi-family, mixed-use, infrastructure, and light rail transit. Lindsay has been involved with public engagements representing clients to ensure the project is appropriately defined. Doing her part in mentoring the next generation of designers, Lindsay serves as a visiting team member for the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) reviewing architecture schools across Canada. She is passionate about encouraging women and under-represented groups to purse Architecture.

la@tawarc.com

Anna

Anna Norina

The Mediator | Poetic, kind, and altruistic – always eager to help a good cause.

Non-Indigenous | Russian

Anna is an accomplished Architectural Designer, LEED GA accredited, with a demonstrated history of working in international architectural companies. She is skilled in Technical and BIM Design, Conceptual Design, Parametric Design, and Environmental Analysis. Anna is a design professional currently actively pursuing Architectural Registration with AAA.

an@tawarc.com

Shreya

Shreya Wilson

The Protagonist | Charismatic and inspiring leaders able to mesmerize their listeners.

Non-Indigenous| Indian

Shreya is an architectural designer, graduated from the University of Calgary with a Master of Architecture with recognition with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Student Gold Medal. She also has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Architecture from Taylor’s University, Malaysia. Much of Shreya’s work showcases a unique blend of architecture by embodying her fervor for socio-cultural identity and showcasing meticulously crafted designs, blending with her diverse personal experiences seamlessly.

sw@tawarc.com

Louise

Louise Barraza

The Advocate| quiet and mystical, yet inspiring and tireless idealists.

Non-Indigenous | Filipino | Japanese | Chinese

Louise Barraza is a recent Master of Architecture graduate whose passion lies in culturally sensitive and inclusive design practices. With a focus on decolonizing architectural approaches, Louise works to empower communities and provide them with agency through her work. She aims to challenge traditional design paradigms and rethink our connection with the natural world.

louise@tawarc.com

Mamie_BW

Mamie Griffith

The Protagonist | Charismatic and inspiring leaders able to mesmerize their listeners.

Indigenous | Dene

Mamie is a Dene architectural designer that lives and works in and around the prairies. Mamie is interested in the representation of Indigenous cultures within space and aims to respectfully reflect local Indigenous cultures and identity, while creating inclusive and healthy spaces, through community engagement and collaboration in her hybrid architecture, landscape, and indigenous design consultation practice. She hopes to someday work on a project in the Northwest Territories, on her ancestral lands, in collaboration with her Dene community.

mg@tawarc.com

Trish

Trishtina Godoy-Contois

The Logician | Innovative inventors with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge

Indigenous | Metis

Trishtina Godoy-Contois of the Red River Matheson Island Metis, Saulteaux from Binscarth, and Oji-Cree from Peguis in Manitoba. With over 7 years of community development and research assistant experience, Trishtina resides in Treaty 7 territory in modern day Mohkinstsis (Calgary, Alberta). As a cultural researcher, Trishtina focuses on bringing Indigenous peoples together for community engagement and acting as a bridge between design and Indigenous cultural understandings.
tc@tawarc.com
Awards

Honorary Fellow


The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is proud to announce that Wanda Dalla Costa, a prominent Indigenous voice and practitioner in North American architecture, has been awarded honorary fellowship for 2022. Wanda Dalla Costa is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and was the first First Nation woman to become an architect in Canada. Her firm, Tawaw Architecture Collective, is based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the director and founder of Arizona State University’s Indigenous Design Collaborative, a community-driven design and construction program that brings together tribal community members, industry and multidisciplinary teams of university students and faculty to co-design and co-develop solutions for tribal communities. Dalla Costa is a prominent Indigenous female voice within the architectural profession–specifically within the academic sphere in North America.
Awards

YBCA's 100 Honorees: Wanda Dalla Costa


Indigenous Design Collaborative's founder and design director Wanda Dalla Costa was recognized as YBCA 100 list of change makers and cultural activists working at the intersection of art, social change and civic life.
Awards

Trailblazer Award: Wanda Dalla Costa


Presented this year as part of NZ20, the world's largest net zero conference and expo, the Trailblazer Awards celebrate leaders who are building a net zero future through their work in the carbon, energy, water, waste, transit and/or policy sectors.
Awards

St. Lawrence Center Competition Award 2023

Awards

Jeff Harnar Award
Unbuilt Architecture 2021

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