Spinagu is a small architecture studio that designs, researches, converses, questions, writes, and organizes. Our practice is a process, one focused on ideas and inquiries — and also relationships. In our work, we are experimenting with what it means to be a critical and independent practice. We are working towards a systems repair of our field. We are seeking alterity in architecture. We learn from and think about this across a wide range of techniques and sites: material ecologies, feminist ethics of care, systems repair, and institutions as propositions. Architecture is everywhere—not only in built work. For our studio, architecture is a form of knowledge production — the ideas, processes, and working conditions that lead to the built work and our shared environments. Our work engages in building as an extension of architectural thinking, where we can invest in liveliness, tending, making, and inquiring.
Spinagu is directed by Jia Yi Gu and Maxi Spina,
PARTNERS
MAXI SPINA (b. Rosario, Argentina) is co-director of Spinagu. He is currently Design Faculty and Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator at SCI-Arc and AIA International Associate. He was previously a MacDowell Fellow, and a Maybeck Fellow at UC Berkeley; Lecturer at CCA and Associate Professor at Woodbury. He received his M.Arch from Princeton University and a B.Arch from National University of Rosario, Argentina. Previous to founding Spinagu, Maxi has worked for Neil Denari Architects and Studio Daniel Libeskind.
JIA YI GU (b. Shanghai, China) is co-director of Spinagu. She is Assistant Professor of Architecture at Harvey Mudd College. She develops exhibitions, publications, and experimental programming and projects. Previously, she was director and curator at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House. From 2014-2020, she served as director of Materials & Applications, a Los Angeles based project space for experimental architecture. She is currently a Board member of the Feminist Center for Creative Work.
TEAM
CURRENT TEAM
Esin Koraosman
Leo Zhang
PAST COLLABORATORS
Abe Wang-Hsuan Kung, Brandon Kintzer, Daniel Arismendys Taveras-Hernandez, Delaney McCraney, Kevin Foley, Leo Zhang, Luiza de Souza, Mateus Comparato, Nancy Ai, Neil Vasquez, Nicholas Perseo, Ravyn Crabtree, Ryan Farnam, Stephan Bica, Stratton Coffman, Rishab Jain, Wesley Evans
INTERNSHIPS
We offer only a few full-time, stipended internships during the year. If you would like to be considered for an internship, please send a cover letter, resume/cv, and work samples in PDF format to work@spinagu.com