Isabel Marie Francoise Potworowski

Isabel Potworowski is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches undergraduate design studio and architectural drawing. She is currently completing her PhD at Carleton University, with a dissertation titled “Discovering Spiritual Atmospheres: Representation practices in Atelier Zumthor’s process of designing buildings that amplify spiritual atmospheres.” She completed her Bachelor’s in Architecture at McGill University, her professional Master’s in Architecture at TU Delft and obtained a Master’s in Architectural History and Theory at McGill. In the Netherlands, she worked at Barcode Architects, the International New Town Institute, and Mecanoo Architecten. At Carleton, in her role as a coordinator of CR|PT|C (Carleton Research | Practice of Teaching | Collaborative), Isabel co-convened the Agora II international symposium (Un)Common Precedents with Dr. Federica Goffi and fellow PhD candidate Kristin Washco, and is currently co-editing a book based on the symposium, forthcoming in 2025.
 
Her research interests include the embodied and experiential qualities of space (including atmosphere, spatial moods and emotion, poetics, aesthetics, sensory experience), spirituality and sacred space, the design process (including creativity and design imagination as it relates to representation practices such as sketching, drawings, models, and working with materials), and design pedagogy.

PhD: Carleton University Ottawa, Canada, 2025 (Architecture)

Post-Professional Master: McGill University Montreal, Canada, 2020 (History and Theory of Architecture)

Master of Science: Delft University of Technology Delft, The Netherlands, 2015 (Architecture)

Bachelor of Science: McGill University Montreal, Canada, 2011 (Architecture)

Other Publications

Isabel Potworowski, Michelle Provoost, Dunia Mittner, and Viviana Rubbo (2018. ) New Towns | Arrival Cities; Report for Lab 2 | Sabaudia . The International New Town Institute

Link to report for Lab 2

Isabel Potworowski, Michelle Provoost, and Viviana Rubbo (2017. ) New Towns | Arrival Cities; Report for Lab 1 | Milton Keynes . The International New Town Institute

Link to report for Lab 1

Paper Presentations

Isabel Potworowski (2024. ) The Spiritual Dimension of Architectural Atmospheres: The Sogn Benedetg and Bruder Klaus Chapels .Istanbul. Conference. Level:International

Link to extended abstract

Isabel Potworowski (2024. ) Designing Atmospheres: The Pedagogical Approach of Peter Zumthor .Aarhus. Conference. Level:International

Isabel Potworowski (2023. ) Sacred Space | Sacred Place: Pedagogical Reflections .New York. Conference. Level:International

Link to extended abstract

Isabel Potworowski (2022. ) Mediator of Transcendence: The Kolumba Museum in Cologne .Riverside, California. Conference. Level:International

Link to full paper

Event Organized

Agora II Symposium: (Un)Common Precedents Symposium 09-22-2023 09-24-2023 Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada Level:International

Agora II Symposium: (Un)Common Precedents