David Isern

About Professor Isern

David J. Isern is a Peruvian architect, multidisciplinary designer, and educator who focuses and works on the transversality of space, heritage, and food and in the intersections of cultural traditions, urban memory, and gender across the Americas. His work engages with decolonial, feminist, and insurgent theories that provide a foundation for understanding and applying everchanging practices in the urban ayllu (community). His research uses ethnographic, participatory, speculative design, and visual analytical methods to intersect the urban cultural spaces and design practices with citizens’ and grassroots organisations’ engagement to generate innovative and progressive initiatives in the urban ayllus. David’s current work engages with the Peruvian urban context by understanding the role of Adean women who migrate to cities within Perú to find peace, reunite with their families, and create a better life. In doing so, these women develop new communities and, through insurgent actions in the urban space, particularly those related to food and cooking, contribute to the growth of these cities, making them the primary agents of urban growth, placemaking, policy activators, and cultural custodians.

A native of Peru, David has always immersed himself in learning and understanding traditional practices and cultural nuances that bring important but often undiscovered ways of thinking and doing to the forefront. At his core, he finds that design and research is a process rooted in criticality, rigour, and desire, and he never lets go of the practice of excellent and meticulous care, belonging, and growth. These principles and practices form the core of his professional and academic work. Ultimately, his research and practice are rooted in bringing diverse voices into the work, creating a welcoming and responsive space for the people he works with. Equity and inclusivity are at the core of who he is, and his practice and teaching push to generate more openness in the Architecture and academic communities to foster a better future for the next generation of architects and designers.

Most recently, David has held teaching and administrative positions at the University of Cambridge and Texas Tech University. Professionally, he worked as an architect, director, and designer at SOM (NYC), Pentagram (NYC), Architexas (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio), and Lorinza General Arquitectos (Peru). David currently runs his own speculative design and research practice, Studio David J Isern, where he engages in architecture and urban design projects, exhibitions, publications, and community engagement work. David is the recipient of various wards, the Forbes Under 30 recognition for his practices, the Kleinschmidt Award for his dedication to the architecture academy, the Dr. Jones Award for his excellence in teaching, and the Global Vision Award for his leadership and contributions to higher education. He is a member of the Colegio de Arquitectos del Perú, the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, and the National Organization of Minority Architects.