Owen was named to the Metropolis Future 100 Class of 2025 list and is finishing up his 5th year in the Bachelor of Architecture program.
Why did you choose Jefferson?
I chose Jefferson for its strong emphasis on interdisciplinary education and network of faculty, alumni, and opportunities. When I looked at initially going to Jefferson, the employment rate among graduates was around 98% and it is still that strong five years later.
Where are you from originally?
I am from Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. My small town borders the old coal region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, much of this region saw the brunt of deindustrialization and urban decay in the 20th century. I moved to Philadelphia and came to study at Jefferson to seek opportunities that were not available to me at home.
What is the best part of your studies?
The most exciting opportunities revolve around me being able to explore topics I wish via independent studies. Two of the topics revolve around small, precise interventions that are scalable and easy to prototype. This way these studies can be easily fabricated and tested to get the desired result. These moments when you go through the process of designing and fabricating, and tweaking and fabricating again is a satisfying pursuit and is really what drives me to do architecture.
What’s something people would be surprised to find out about you?
I hate coffee, I can't stand the smell of it. It was once so strong that it made me sick while waiting in line at a Dunkin Donuts. And in five years of architecture school I have never pulled an all-nighter
Tell us about a project you’re working on.
I’ve been working on a thesis-like project for the past year and a half with partner Corey Wenzel. The project is called S.O.U.P. (Sustainably Oriented Urban Pavilion) and its aim is to counter the urban heat island effect via a tactical, prototypical intervention. The pavilion centers around the idea of evaporative cooling. We studied its effects on a 90-degree day in Philadelphia, and observed that water had the capability to decrease surface temperature upwards of 30 degrees. With that in mind, we created a canopy structure built out of wood and fasteners that takes the shape of an arch to collect water at its base. This water is then pumped into a series of misters along the canopy to evaporatively cool the air underneath, thus lowering temperatures.
