Deena Darby (she/her) , Assoc. AIA, NOMA received her Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) from Syracuse University and is an emerging professional pursuing licensure in New York. Originally from Savannah, GA, she attended a performing arts high school where her specialized focus was in contemporary and classical ballet. Initially sparked by her background in dance, her passions in architecture lie in the design of socially just and environmentally responsive cultural, civic, and public spaces, believing these spaces are the ones that have the most diverse user group and thus have the potential to have the greatest impact on those who occupy and experience them. For the first two years after graduating worked at a technical firm in Manhattan that specializes in the rehabilitation of building exterior.

She has been a Core Organizer with Design as Protest since June of 2020 focused on design justice through Direct Action. Additionally, she is also involved with Design Advocates, where she is currently helping with the design of an exterior learning space at the Concourse House in the Bronx, NY. She has served as a guest reviewer at Pratt Institute, Ryerson University and the Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction. In 2020 she was one of 16 emerging professionals selected for the AIA TORCH Mentorship Program and is an active member of AIANY’s Women in Architecture and Project Pipeline Curriculum Writing Committee for nycobaNOMA. When she has the time she continues those passions today by taking classes regularly at Mark Morris Dance Group.

She currently works at Studio Fōr and resides in Brooklyn, NY.