Daniela Deu spent a great deal of her childhood crisscrossing Europe. Born in the United States but raised in the small municipality of Andorra, located between France and Spain, Deu visited many cities as she competed in ice skating tournaments.
Each city offered her a window into people’s lives, how they lived, worked, where they ate, where they played. She was drawn to cities, their differences and their architecture. After high school and living in New York, she decided to take a summer course in architecture at the Pratt Institute in the city.
“I really liked it,” Deu said, “I found the designing so interesting.”
Eventually, this love of architecture led her to UM. While here, she explored urbanism and studied the linkages between the physical structures of urban architecture and the social issues of the communities surrounding it.
“I think architecture can definitely be a tool to change communities,” she said. “It can bring different kinds of people together.”
Associate Professor Richard John has taught Deu during her studies in the School of Architecture, and has watched her develop into an outstanding student of architecture.
“Two of her numerous qualities which make her an excellent architecture student are her quiet perseverance in solving challenging problems and her willingness to engage in unfamiliar idioms,” he said.
For a challenging class project where she had to create a gymnasium, Deu worked on dozens of renderings until she got it just right. In another one where she had to design a school using classical elements, her drawing was so impressive that it was published in the trade magazine The Classicist.
Deu will graduate from the School of Architecture with a degree in architecture and a minor in urbanism, and a 3.97 G.P.A.
She hopes to work in an architectural firm in New York City and in a few years pursue a Master’s degree.
