Devon Morris UIC alumna and recipient of the 2016 AIA Chicago Foundation's Martin Roche Travel Scholarship will be speaking about his travels to Myanmar.
With the country of Myanmar in a state of rapid modernization and urban development, its largest city Yangon struggles to maintain and preserve its unique historic architecture. While official organizations push for greater historic preservation, many local communities have taken advantage of the country’s political uncertainty and lack of formalities by occupying and adopting buildings as their own. This array of tenants (both legal and non) have created their own method of historic conservation through habitation and informal adaptation that respects the original structure while simultaneously catering to the local narrative.
Devon spent most of his childhood abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore but currently resides in Chicago where he recently graduated from UIC's Master of Architecture program. His passion for painting, history, performance arts, and even baking all manage to influence his architectural projects.