Elsa MH Mäki leads research on architecture and infrastructure. She received degrees in architecture from Columbia and Harvard GSD, and has practiced in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York. She specializes in helping offices develop their business strategy, research, and publications. Elsa is an author and project manager in North Brooklyn.

Elsa MH Mäki has published and presented work on land, infrastructure, reuse, and movement since 2016. Most publications and events featured on this site were commissioned directly but her projects have also grown out of loose ideas, chance conversations, community organizing, and long friendships, so please get in touch by email or another platform to collaborate on:

• design and demonstration projects

• exhibitions and residencies

• speaking engagements

• book projects

• consulting

New York Under Water, chapter, 2026. In Take Back the Land book (forthcoming)

Protest Fields, foreword, 2026. For Sanie Irsay’s publication on domestic protest architecture in occupied Crimea (forthcoming)

Dadaab Commons, artist residency, exhibition, 2025. Mapping and projection in exhibition curated by Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi in Nairobi ↗

San Diego Museum of Art Accessibility Study, report, 2024. Site survey, research, community engagement with JSA/MIXdesign and Foster+Partners

WashU Accessibility Study, report, 2024. Site survey, research, engagement with JSA/MIXdesign

Material Acts, chapter, 2024. "Stitching: Future Fabrication and Traditions of Reuse" in the exhibition book Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design ↗

Making Inclusive Museums Now, report, 2024. Community engagement, workshops, research, design contributions to report by JSA/MIXdesign and the Architectural League of New York. ↗

Architecture and Extraction, interview, 2024. In JSSAC special edition on architecture and extraction ↗

Architectures of Care, chapter, 2023. "Propping Up the Cloud" in volume edited by Brittany Utting ↗

Architecture of Migration, illustration, 2023. in Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi's book ↗

Jr. Architects, feature, 2023–2024. In Junior Architects: New Paradigms in Design Education ↗

Shinohara's Mushrooms, feature, 2022. Essay included in Women Writing Architecture series ↗

Falls Restoration, report, 2022. Contributions on design planning and community engagement prepared with Interboro Partners for Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, US Army Corps, Minneapolis Parks & Recreation, City of Minneapolis ↗

Disc Journal, illustration, 2022. “On the Hunt” with Ani Liu

Building Backward, thesis, 2022. "Building Backward: Archaeology of a Queer Built Future" ↗

African Community Center of Lowell, report, 2022. Community engagement, research contributions to report by Interboro Partners ↗

The World Around: Land in Focus Foreword, foreword, 2021. For video series by Beatrice Galilee and Satomi Blair ↗

Non-Extractive Architecture, chapter, 2021. "On the Water" in Non-Extractive Architecture ↗

Healthy Housing for Native Communities, report, 2020. In series The Role of Architecture in Fighting COVID-19 by MASS Design Group ↗

Settler City Limits, illustration, 2019. 2 maps in "Anti-Indian Common Sense" by Nick Estes

Empire's Tracks, illustration, 2019. 10 maps for book by Manu Karuka ↗

Interior Provocations, chapter, 2018. Co-authored with Virginia Black ↗

Ecologies, Agents, Terrains, illustration, 2018. In "'All Our Relations' as an Eco-Art Historical Challenge" by Jessica Horton ↗

Temporary Logics of Extraction, essay, 2017. In Avery Review 31

Bloodless, feature, 2017. 4 illustrated booklets in The Funambulist 20. ↗

Standing Rock Syllabus, report, 2016. Open syllabus project, illustration, and community organizing

Resources for an Urban World, exhibition, book, 2016. Curated by Gizem Karagoz and Elsa MH Mäki, exhibition book edited by Gizem Karagoz

San Diego Museum of Art Accessibility Study, report, 2024. Site survey, research, community engagement with JSA/MIXdesign and Foster+Partners

Portland Community College, building, 2023. Portland Community College accessible athletic facilities design with JSA/MIXdesign

Greenland Bund Centre, building, 2021. Greenland Bund Centre, Shanghai facade and landscape design with KPF

EP Admin. Center, building, 2019. Eden Prairie Schools administrative service center with DeVetter Design Group

EP Theater and Athletic Center, building, 2019. Eden Prairie Central Middle School theater, athletic center with DeVetter Design Group

Community Ed. Center, building, 2019. Prior Lake-Savage community education center with DeVetter Design Group

Northern Spark, exhibition, 2019. "The Night Library" at the Northern Spark Arts Festival ↗

Westwood-Edgewood School, building, 2018. Westwood-Edgewood Elementary School connective addition, classrooms, landscape with DeVetter Design Group

Hidden Oaks School, building, 2018. Hidden Oaks Middle School cafeteria, classrooms, collaborative education spaces with DeVetter Design Group

Twin Oaks Theater, building, 2018. Twin Oaks Middle School theater with DeVetter Design Group

Grainwood School, building, 2017. Grainwood Elementary School cafeteria with DeVetter Design Group

Jeffers Pond School, building, 2017. Jeffers Pond Elementary School classrooms with DeVetter Design Group

Education, Institutions, and the Path Forward, public talk, 2026. In conversation with Angelica Gallegos (ISAPD) and Chris Cornelius (UNM, studio:indigenous), moderated by Dagny Elise Carlsson.

Building in the Mamdani Administration, public talk, 2026. In conversation with Edith Hsu-Chen (ED, NY City Planning) on civic engagement and the built environment, moderated by Francisco Brown (Metropolis Magazine

Design Educators Roundtable, workshop, 2024. Invited workshop on public architecture education among leaders from NYC colleges, non-profits, and public-school-based programs.

Architecture and Extraction, interview, 2024. In JSSAC special edition on architecture and extraction ↗

Art of a Movement, public talk, 2023. In conversation with Andrew Holder on exhibition and event series Art of a Movement: Disability, Dance, and Dynamism in Artistic Practice, Harvard Dance Center, Cambridge.

Sklarek Lecture, public talk, 2023. In conversation with Sara Zewde

Red Nation Podcast: Building Solidarities, interview, 2020. In conversation with Chris Cornelius, Nick Estes, moderated by Anooradha Siddiqi ↗

Design Voices Podcast: HIDC, interview, 2020. In conversation with Heidi Brandow, Zoë Toledo, Jaz Bonnin ↗

Petro-Biennial Complex, public talk, 2019. In conversation with Paulo Tavares, Todd Palmer, Fawn Pochel, Nitasha Dhillon and Amin Hussein, Ana María León, Andrew Herscher

Standing Rock Syllabus, report, 2016. Open syllabus project, illustration, and community organizing

Dadaab Commons, artist residency, exhibition, 2025. Mapping and projection in exhibition curated by Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi in Nairobi ↗

Before you were here, exhibition, 2024–2025. 4-part multimedia exhibition on Columbia University’s deep land history across Manhattan with the Buell Center, Columbia GSAPP ↗

WASTE Residency, artist residency, exhibition, 2023. On fabrication, waste, and reuse

Jr. Architects, feature, 2023–2024. In Junior Architects: New Paradigms in Design Education ↗

Ruines, exhibition, 2022–2023. “10 Thousand Recollections” on view at the Carré d'Art, Nîmes ↗

Northern Spark, exhibition, 2019. "The Night Library" at the Northern Spark Arts Festival ↗

Now What?!, interview, 2018–2022. “Roadside Marker Series: An Interview with Dr. Alyssa Mt. Pleasant”

Resources for an Urban World, exhibition, book, 2016. Curated by Gizem Karagoz and Elsa MH Mäki, exhibition book edited by Gizem Karagoz

42 projects

New York Under Water New York Under WaterDadaab Commons Dadaab CommonsBefore you were here Before you were hereMaterial Acts Material ActsMaking Inclusive Museums Now Making Inclusive Museums NowArchitecture and Extraction Architecture and ExtractionWASTE Residency WASTE ResidencyDiorama DioramaArtifact #1 Artifact #1Architectures of Care Architectures of CareArchitecture of Migration Architecture of MigrationJr. Architects Jr. ArchitectsIMG_5757 Artifact #2Water Research Water ResearchPerfume Logistics Research Perfume Logistics ResearchThe Queer House The Queer HouseShinohara's Mushrooms Shinohara's MushroomsRuines RuinesOddity #2 Oddity #2Falls Restoration Falls RestorationDisc Journal Disc JournalDance Machines Dance MachinesBuilding Backward Building BackwardAfrican Community Center of Lowell African Community Center of LowellIMG_8445 Oddity #1The World Around: Land in Focus Foreword The World Around: Land in Focus ForewordNon-Extractive Architecture Non-Extractive ArchitectureGeneric Arts Generic ArtsData Pair Data PairCruise & Data Center Research Cruise & Data Center ResearchBathhouse BathhouseMeeting House Meeting HouseHealthy Housing for Native Communities Healthy Housing for Native CommunitiesSport Shed Sport ShedNorthern Spark Northern SparkEmpire's Tracks Empire's TracksInterior Provocations Interior ProvocationsEcologies, Agents, Terrains Ecologies, Agents, TerrainsTemporary Logics of Extraction Temporary Logics of ExtractionBloodless BloodlessStanding Rock Syllabus Standing Rock SyllabusResources for an Urban World Resources for an Urban World

Dadaab Commons

“Jitterbug” (mapping and projection artwork) in exhibition curated by Anooradha Siddiqi, part of a 2-year collaboration with Peterson Kamwathi, James Muriuki, Deqa Abshir, AbdulFatah Adam and produced through artist residency at the GoDown Arts Centre, Nairobi.

2025 Nairobi
Dadaab Commons
Collaborators
  • Anooradha Siddiqi
  • AbdulFatah Adam
  • Cave Bureau
  • Deqa Abshir
  • James Muriuki
  • Peterson Kamwathi
  • Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
  • GoDown Arts Center
View project ↗
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