We are honored to welcome Lindsey Briceno to the permanent Epicenter team. She joins us as a Rose Architectural Fellow through Enterprise Community Partners. For the next two years, she will implement our downtown revitalization plan, develop affordable housing, bring new resources to the region, and much more.
Maria Sykes: Hi Lindsey. First off, welcome to the team! Epicenter was honored to be selected to host a Rose Fellow last year, and we are ecstatic announced that its you! So, tell the readers a little bit about yourself. Where are you coming from? Where were you born and/or raised? Etc.
Lindsey Briceno: I was born in Louisiana, Shreveport specifically, but unlike anyone in my family I got out of the state as quickly as I could. I went to University of Kansas for Graduate School, traveled to and worked in Beijing and Italy, and for the past 6 years, I’ve been in Dallas, Texas. Although looking back, I enjoy those Louisiana roots the most and obviously the food.
*For those that aren’t familiar, the Rose Fellowship partners emerging architectural designers (like Lindsey!) with local community development organizations (like Epicenter) to facilitate an inclusive approach to development that results in green, sustainable, and affordable communities. As an integral member of their host organization, fellows integrate design processes, community engagement principles, and creativity into development projects and the organization overall.
M: Why did you apply to be a Rose Fellow?
L: As an architect we are taught through our practice that the work we do is serving someone, a community. However, I’ve been considerably frustrated at the lack of voice that communities have in the process. I wanted to work somewhere that could interrupt that process and remind us of it in a way that is truly listening those voices. Being a Rose Fellow will give me an opportunity to work in an environment where everyone is on the same page about ethical development and learn a whole lot in the process.
VM Plant Man – Part of a temporary Art Gallery ‘White Cubes’ in the Vickery Meadow Neighborhood, this was a portrait of a local fixture to the neighborhood, the ‘Plant Man’.
M: Your experience with both single-family and multi-family housing, as well as your collaborations with artists like social practitioner Rick Lowe, made you a perfect fit for Epicenter. Why did you want to work with Epicenter?
L: Epicenter embodies everything I consider to be important to me: design, art, and community. The intersection of those three is a tough one to navigate, and through the work Epicenter has done, you can tell there is an energy that feels natural and not forced. I immediately was drawn to being a part of it.
M: You visited Green River back in October. Besides the beautiful weather that time of year, what appealed to you about moving your life and practice to this region/place specifically?
L: The scale. I’ve worked in big cities for basically all of my professional career and the disconnect I felt after every completed project to the residents (who were about to create memories there) was really a disservice to the work I was doing. I look forward to meeting and working with the residents of Green River to really understand the impact that the work I will be doing has on this community and the families here.
VM Market Day – Community of Vickery Meadow gathered to watch a local talent show at the community Markets, tied to the ‘White Cube’ galleries.
M: Ok, enough about work. How do you spend your free time? What is something you’re really in to and/or excited about right now?
L: All the hiking! I have visited about a dozen National Parks so far, with the hope to get to them all. Arches and Zion are at the top of my list. I’m excited to get exploring, hiking, and attempt to mountain bike while here.
M: And we’ll end on one of my favorite questions: If you could have one superpower, what would it be? And no cheating (eg. power mimicry)!
L: Definitely healing.