News

GSD Alumni Maja Paklar ’09 and Ting Li ’08 Win AIA Competition for Architect Barbie® Dream House

Washington, D.C.—August 2, 2011—The design submitted by Ting Li, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP and Maja Paklar, Assoc. AIA, received the most public votes, out of the 8,470 votes registered, in the AIA Architect Barbie® Dream House™ competition that was orchestrated by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The design competition hosted by the AIA was created as a fun way for the design community to engage with Mattel’s newest Barbie® doll—I Can Be…™ Architect Barbie®.
The winning house design features entertaining space and chef’s open kitchen on the first floor, along with an office / library / meeting space. There is also a terrace on the second floor. The third and fourth floors are Barbie® doll’s private enclave, her bedroom and her inspiration room respectively. The roof has a green house and a landscaped garden for her domestic pets. The design elements include solar panels, landscaped rooftop and irrigation system, operable shading devices, bamboo flooring, low flow toilet and sink fixtures, and locally sourced and manufactured materials and furnishings. 
A joint statement from Ms. Li and Ms. Paklar stated, “We are very honored to have been chosen by AIA and Mattel as a finalist and as the public favorite—Barbie was both of ours’ favorite doll growing up in China and Croatia. We appreciate the versatility of our profession which allows us to express ourselves in a myriad of ways—from entirely built city environments to a Barbie Dream House. We hope to encourage more young female architects to flex their design muscles and just to have fun with architecture.” Read the full article.
American Institute of Architects, August 2011