Faculty Profile

Social Designer

Hyacinth G. John, Assoc. AIA
Hyacinth G. John, Assoc. AIA
Faculty
My passion for teaching, at the B.A.C., is fueled by the interaction with my students during class. My design studios are conducted as workshops that are centered in designing for the human experience, focusing on understanding and communicating form and space through vibrant discussion and the investigation of ideas. Part of that investigation involves learning how to ask oneself a series of questions as an ingredient in the critical, conscious, decision-making process. It is important to encourage students to see architecture as a means of creating spaces that are meaningful and experientially resonant. It is also important to enthuse and challenge them to see architectural design as an explorative process integrating design research, methodology, and programming, which is informed by and responds to the environment, culture and technology. Teaching, within the BAC community, continuously challenges the way I think as an architect and continues to provide my students, and me, an environment for a rich exchange of creative ideas.

Born in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies, Hyacinth moved to the United States with a passion to become an architect. Her background fuels her focus in research on Caribbean architecture and urban waterfront design. Another of her interests centers around the exploration of the cultural and social aspects of architecture and how architects respond to our constantly evolving environment, with a focus on ‘green’ design. Hyacinth is also interested in rethinking and reinvestigating known systems, materials and methods in architecture as they relate to sustainable design.

Hyacinth’s commitment to community is evident in her work with the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. She is an experienced design studio instructor, in the Master of Architecture program.  She has taught various masters level design studios and has also taught introductory foundation design studios. More recently, she has joined the thesis committee, and serves as thesis advisor and a thesis representative. In addition, Hyacinth has been invited on numerous occasions to serve as visiting design critic at various architecture schools in Boston and other cities.

Hyacinth joined the BAC faculty in 2001 from the University of South Florida, where she was recognized as a distinguished graduate for her architecture/urban design thesis project, and won the Future of the Region Development Award for an urban design competition. Ms. John’s teaching approach is characterized by her transformation of the studio into a creative ‘design workshop’, providing an in-class environment for discussion and explorative design processes.

With more than eight years experience in the field, Hyacinth currently works with BTA Architects in Cambridge, MA, where she has been involved in commercial, multi-family residential, institutional, hospitality, and mixed-use waterfront projects, and has served on some projects as project manager.

Hyacinth sketches, travels, plays the piano and violin, and receives great satisfaction from doing community volunteer work.