Noah Cousino
Faith and Place
Class of: 2022
Major: Architectural Design BFA
Medium: Sculpture - laser-cut craft ply, wood glue, and nylon thread
Faculty: Aviva Maya Shulem
Prompt: For Project 1, we were tasked to research the history of human symbols/icons and then design a personal symbol to develop in 3D. Every step of the design process from sketches to models and construction had to be documented.
Symbols are such powerful devises. With simple form and shape, they can express power, love, peace, and heritage. For my first project in Space andMateriality, I was tasked to design a personal symbol to then extrude in 3D. As a preacher’s kid and prospective architect, religion and city architecture have maintained tacit connections to my identity, so I explored how I might combine the two into a symbol of my one. What I arrived at was a Crucifix composed of 4 iconic buildings from Dallas and New York—Fountain Place, The Empire State Building, Hearst Tower, and a suggested Twin Tower. At the cross’s intersection lies a square hanging from nylon string with the phrase “Show me your city and I’ll show you mine.” Suggestive and playful, the phrase hints at my sexuality and the struggles of dealing with it while feeling scrutinized from thousands of church members.