Ryan Shanahan

Ryan Shanahan

Class of 2027

Favorite thing about being at Georgia Tech: The collaborative and innovative atmosphere between students and staff. Tech constantly pushes us students beyond the ordinary, fostering super creative projects every semester. 

Who do you want to design for? Everyone: I seek to incorporate universal and accessible design as a central part of any project. In doing so, we can use the built environment as a mechanism for creating innovative circulation systems that move people, rather than just moving people. 

The future: Buildings are not just immortal constructs of space. Buildings have a life: they are born, they live and they die. While these three stages take different forms, I think life cycle considerations are essential to consider when designing. The way in which a building is decommissioned and the continued effects it has on the social-ecological + socio-cultural environments extend well into the future.
 
Our planet: Over the past hundreds of years, the built environment has produced close to half of the world's carbon emissions. Understanding the vital role architecture plays in curbing climate change is an essential role in design. Hence, I design for the planet through environmental consciousness, carried out through various means like materiality, material sourcing, energy consumption + production and passive operational strategies. 

What do you do for fun? I am a dancer, so when I'm not in the architecture studio, I'm in the dance studio. I am a choreographer for Tech’s hip hop dance team Tekstyles. We perform at various campus events, host our own end of year show, and occasionally compete across the country. In addition to hip-hop, I am an avid runner and lifter. Finally, I love to go out and attend various campus events held by all of the different student orgs, trying something new whenever possible. 

Words to describe what you thought before you started: Intimidating

Words to describe what you think now: Home

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