WASHINGTON, D.C.- 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.”
“The intent of the partnership with Mattel to promote the launch of Architect Barbie was to engage and inspire young girls to experience the world of architecture and the range of possibilities that design thinking offers,” said AIA President, Clark Manus, FAIA. “We are thrilled that this initiative was so well received by the public and congratulations to the finalists and especially the winners of the design competition, Ms. Li and Ms. Paklar. Their submissions did an excellent job of showcasing the innovative approaches that architects reflect in the design of projects of all types.”
While the architects’ submissions including the winning design, will not be produced by Mattel, the creators of the winning design will have a $1000 donation made in their name to CHAD, a charter high school in Philadelphia focused on architecture and design.
About the designers
Ting is a young designer living and working in New York City. A recent graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Design’s MArch program and an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, her student work has been exhibited and published on both undergraduate and graduate levels. Prior to moving to New York City she also worked in Europe and Asia at large internationally renowned firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox. In addition to pursuing her architecture license, Ting spends her Saturdays volunteering at Minds Matter, a non profit organization helping students from low income families achieve their fullest potentials.
Maja received her MArch Degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2009, and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from University of Florida, in 2006. Her award winning graduate thesis tilted "A Health Clinic in Durban: Reconfiguring the social dynamics of the unstable urban landscape" was published in multiple publications, including the Wallpaper Magazine. Subsequently, she was one of the students featured in 2010 Wallpaper Graduate Directory. Thesis dealt with social and health issues in post-apartheid South Africa through an exploration of the "slab typology" by bringing a high level of function to an urban archetype that has largely fallen out of favor. Maja currently lives and works in New York, while obtaining her architecture license.
