The Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum seeks to address the complex problems facing humanity and to understand and incorporate the ever-changing spiritual and cultural dimensions of our built environments through multidisciplinary, collaborative, diverse scholarship, and practice.
As a way of engaging its membership, ACSF has created mentorship opportunities in support of its ongoing collaborative work and future development as an organization. The ACSF Fellowship Program pairs senior ACSF members with those early in their academic and practice careers seeking guidance, community, and opportunities to strengthen their skills and experience in any/all fields related to their own work and that of ACSF. Through the Fellowship Program, all participants will have an opportunity to learn from each other and experience a heightened understanding of their shared values and purpose.
We have chosen the word “Fellowship” for this initiative due to its etymology derived from the verb “to fellow,” which then became a noun to mean “one who shares something.” We plan to establish a pilot program in 2024. If you would like to serve as either a Senior or Junior Fellow, please register by filling out the ACSF Fellowship Registration Form below. The Fellowship Coordinators will review the submissions and suggest potential partnerships for follow-up by the participants. Participants will plan their own meetings and will be asked to provide feedback to the coordinators so we can continue to develop and enhance the program.
If you have any questions about the program or issues registering, please contact Will Coots: ccoots@alumni.ne.edu or Roberto Chiotti: roberto@larkinarchitect.com
Roberto Chiotti, BES, BARCH, MTS, OAA, FRAIC, LEED AP®, CAHP, APT
I wish to indicate my interest to participate in this program as a senior fellow. I have been successfully mentoring students, graduates, and young professionals for the past 25 years as both an academic, and as founding principal of Larkin Architect Limited, a Toronto based, award-winning firm specializing in the design of sustainable sacred space for parishes and religious communities. Our portfolio also includes daycare facilities, palliative care, heritage restoration, adaptive re-use, supportive housing, and affordable multi-unit residential projects. LAL is a values-based practice, with a focus on work that contributes to the dignity of the human person, their communities, and the environment driven by our passion for the way these values can shape a more just and sustainable human presence.
In addition to obtaining my professional architectural degree in 1978 from the University of Waterloo, Canada, I have also completed a Master of Theological Studies degree at the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto in 1998 with a specialty in Theology and Ecology obtained through the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology at St. Michael’s. These studies inform my practice and associated interests. In addition to teaching appointments at OCAD University as Associate Professor and Sustainability Chair for the Faculty of Design and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science as visiting professor, I have been invited to speak on the topics of liturgical design, sacred space, eco-theology, and the architectural response to the ecological crisis at universities, colleges, and conferences throughout North America and abroad. I have been a member of ACSF since attending the ACSF 2 symposium in 2010, presented papers at several subsequent symposiums, and have served on the ACSF Board since 2017. Please feel free to contact me to learn more about my publications, interests, qualifications, and expertise.
http://www.larkinarchitect.com
William Coots
Based in Boston, I enjoy live music, sporting events, painting, camping (Eagle Scout), and traveling to see national park sites and even more live music. I currently work for TJX as a continuous improvement senior specialist in both automation and experience design spaces. I have academic and professional background in innovative transportation systems, design thinking, wilderness studies, Olympics, risk and fraud, and leadership development.
I found my way to ACSF by way of studying mega-event planning/development in undergrad within the American Studies and Public Service departments at Notre Dame. The intersection of politics, culture, and religion and their effect on the built environment, and vice versa, fascinate me. I would love to find a senior fellow who has experience with designing places designed for gathering (music venues, arenas, community centers, etc). Though I know I need (and want) a more technical master’s degree to fully enter this work, I’m unsure what type of degree will serve me best. In other words, I know the tables I want to be at but not the hat I want to wear. It would be lovely to find a senior fellow who can help assess my skills, gaps, and interests in attempts to discern what type of degree (and what schools) best fit my aspirations. Someone connected to venue management and similar work would also be lovely. I am open to both academics and those actively working in the field.
