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#ModelMakers: Kody Cheung

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Today’s edition of #ModelMakers features Drexel University graduate Kody Cheung! Kody spoke with the Study Architecture team to share his design style and inspiration. Take a look below to learn more about Kody!

Name: Kody Cheung

School: Drexel University

Degree Program: Bachelor of Architecture, 2+4

Year in School: Class of 2026 (Graduated!)

Describe Your Design Style: Community-oriented

Share a Project You’re Proud of: A Queery on Space: Intersectional Identities and Programming for Asian-Queer Individuals
“A Queery on Space: Intersectional Identities and Programming for Asian-Queer Individuals” is a year-long project [I completed] for my last year of school. This Senior Design Project investigated the way spaces and buildings can look, feel, and be designed for individuals with intersectional identities, in this case, the queer-Asian overlap. Mainly, “A Queery” promotes a method of placemaking that allows individuals of intersectional identities to feel safe, secure, and proud.

To create places for a queer-Asian identity, there must be a decolonization of standards of space and movement. To understand space in a nonheteronormative manner, the research will explore precolonial contexts of the yin-yang and extrapolate a definition of “queer” through phenomenological and cultural lenses. By studying the essences of queerness other than its sexuality definition, there can be a true framework for designing a queer space for community (museum-library), residential (Mandatory Inclusionary Housing), and street typologies in the American landscape.

In this Senior Project, a program and space that supports queer individuals will be strategically placed in a Chinatown to explore the intersections that arise. Queer is the condition, Asian is the context. This work was heavily inspired by Sara Ahmed’s book, Queer Phenomenology.

Overall, this case study focuses on creating an intersectional space for queer-Asian individuals, and it should emphasize and initiate conversations about placemaking for individuals with intersectional identities.

What Inspires You? 
The constant push to strive for change and equality for better futures inspires me. My design process and way of thinking stem from those before me who thought, designed, and protested for better futures for all. It is through past activists and design thinkers that inspire me to create with better intentions and empathy. The way spaces and buildings can be filled with joy and cultivate community fuels my aspirations to use architecture and design to further representation and inclusion.
What’s Your Student Superpower? 
Humor. In a world that can be bleak, and in an industry/academic setting that can be stressful, difficult, and tiring, it is crucial to allow humor to come in and influence the way I think, design, and create. I always strive to find the funny and playful moments in anything, as it allows me to stay on track and persevere. Humor and fun are essential to provide balance to our work!

You can find Kody on Instagram: @architekhc


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