Elena C-O is a designer currently based in Atlanta, GA, with roots in Eastern Guatemala. She is interested in all things art, design, and handicraft, particularly the fiber arts. During the summer of 2022, she was awarded the Harvey Geiger Fellowship through the Yale School of Architecture, which allowed her to travel around Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru for an independent research project on the connection between ancient architectures and textiles. Elena recently earned her B.A. in Architecture with a Design concentration from Yale University. She is looking forward to developing a post-graduate career focused cultural/institutional and interiors designs.
Martin Rickles Studio, Atlanta, GA, US, Architectural Intern
● Assists in architectural, landscape, and interior design through on-site investigation, material and historical research, data organization, and rendering using AutoCAD, Sketchup, and other technical software.
● Facilitates client communication to streamline project development and creates comprehensive work strategies for site proposals, with experiences ranging from small-scale residential to large-scale commercial developments.
Chitosartes, Greenville, SC, US, Freelance Designer
● Founder of an online design store that has sold dozens of hand-crafted products, including textiles, knits, and furniture pieces, which range in scale from wearable items to large-scale set furnishings.
● Creates detailed production timelines for each commission, works resourcefully according to project budget, manages client expectations, and delivers products that are both experimental and refined.
Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, New Haven, CT, US, Lead Arts & Humanities and FGLI Mentor
● Organized weekly mentorship trainings for a team of 15 “First-Generation Low Income” mentors and developed courses to help First-Generation-Low-Income students navigate Yale’s “hidden” financial and academic curriculum.
● Hosted workshops on the liberal arts curriculum at Yale and compiled resources to prepare mentees for graduation.
Yale College, New Haven, CT, US, Head Peer Liaison
● Led an 11-person Peer Liaison team in creating cultural arts programming for 270+ first-year students of Latinx heritage.
● Mentored a group of 18 Latinx-identifying first-year students and connected them with resources to help navigate different spheres on campus influenced by class, gender, race, and sexuality.
Yale University Library, New Haven, CT, US, G.I.S. and Library Assistant
● Designed interactive maps based on ancient Dura-Europos floor plans using the program QGIS, which were used for publication on the YDEA Urban Gazetteer project website.
● Organized scholarly texts, manuscripts, and architectural references for the Yale University Library bibliographic database.
Yale University, New Haven, CT, US, BArch, Architecture
Earned a Bachelor's of the Arts in Architecture with a concentration in Design. Graduated with a 3.8 GPA along with distinction and honors in the major.
Josef Albers Fellowship, Grant
● Awarded funding for a four-month long research project exploring architectural design strategies across the globe—from Guatemala to Japan. Research methods included visits to museums, storefronts, and artist studios.
● Investigated the significance of handicraft to the spatial designs of various cultures while also creating a personal body of handmade works, to be catalogued in a series of bi-lingual zine publications on global crafts.
Harvey Geiger Fellowship, Grant
● Researched the influence of textile design on Pre-Columbian architecture through on-site investigation in Mexico, Central, and South America under the sponsorship of Yale’s competitive undergraduate architecture traveling fellowship.
● Synthesized the results of interviews with local artisans, archival research, and textile apprenticeship in a series of academic lectures and reports on the tensions between production for tourist economies and socially conscious goods.
Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) Grant, Grant
● Awarded funding and gallery space to create a large-scale, public exhibition featuring weavings based on Mayan mythology.
