Room to Design

By Brad King, Anniversary Exhibits and Publishing Managing Editor

Amanda Qian stood in the empty gallery space on the first floor of Hunt Library, letting the room speak to her. She surveyed the walls and floor that would soon house "Room to Imagine," Carnegie Mellon University's 125th anniversary exhibit. She imagined the flow of visitors, the framing of objects, and the pause points of reflection and discovery.

"When designing any space, I go in with the intention of allowing the space to speak to me," Qian said. "I take a moment to stand still and observe. There's a hidden beauty to what an empty space is already offering if one takes the time to listen to it."

That sensitivity to space and movement emerged during her first encounter with architectural design. The assignment in the technology department at Syosset Senior High School on Long Island was simple: design your dream home. What began as an assignment soon became her passion, with every bit of free time devoted to it.

The 3D modeling software was basic, but the medium didn't matter for Qian. What mattered was that as she poured her energy into the assignment, she began to see how spaces could serve people, how buildings could connect to their communities, and how design intersected with politics, economics, and the environment.

"I remember feeling how much passion and energy I was putting into that project," Qian said. "It didn't feel like work because I love doing it so much. I think that's what really got me thinking about going into architecture."

When it came time to choose a college, Qian knew she wanted to study architecture. Carnegie Mellon University appealed to her because it offered the flexibility to explore sustainability, technology, structural engineering, or pure design while maintaining the perfect size that felt neither too intimidating nor too limiting.

The five-year professional track was particularly attractive. Unlike many programs that require students to complete a master's degree for professional licensing, Carnegie Mellon's National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)-accredited Bachelor of Architecture program allows graduates to skip directly to professional licensing exams.

"Carnegie Mellon felt it was a great intersection of the arts and the technology," Qian said. "I felt like Carnegie Mellon had a great program where I can explore different areas of architecture."

From her first days on campus, Qian threw herself into building projects across campus. She became the Head Design and Build Chair for the Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority. She managed a 20-person team and a $300 budget to construct a 4-by-4-foot wooden structure that placed third among more than 10 competing organizations. She also took on leadership roles with the Lunar Gala Fashion Show, coordinating interdisciplinary teams of more than 20 people to create cohesive spatial experiences for over 1,000 attendees.

Coming to college after COVID-19 restrictions had isolated students, Qian was particularly eager to meet people and channel her creativity into collaborative work.

"You want to be able to put your passions into something," Qian said. "A lot of these organizations that I'm a part of allow me to do that. I love academics. I love my major, but you just want a break where you can still feel productive and feel like you're doing something."

In her junior year, the Carnegie Mellon Annual Carnival Pavilion Design & Fabrication Team brought what Qian considers a peak experience: working on the Spring Carnival Pavilion with the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS). The project introduced her to bamboo bending, a sustainable material from upstate Pennsylvania that required steam bending and cooling techniques she had never encountered.

Working with a professor specializing in bamboo research, she learned about a material increasingly implemented in real-world sustainable architecture. (You can see the structure in the "Here to Stay" exhibit on the fourth floor of Hunt Library.)

During the final installation phase, she worked atop a scissor lift and installed the final elements of the pavilion. From that elevated vantage point, she could see the entire Carnival coming together around her: booths being finished, reunion tents being erected, and the Carnegie Mellon community preparing for celebration.

"I remember watching everything happening in Carnival," Qian said. "All the booths are getting finished. All the tents that are being set up for the reunions. And then we were just about to finish the Pavilion. That was a peak moment for me."

This hands-on experience made Qian an ideal collaborator for the Libraries' ambitious 125th anniversary exhibit. When the University Archives needed a student designer for their "Room to Imagine" exhibit, Qian's combination of architectural training and proven ability to execute complex installations made her a natural fit. Heidi Wiren Kebé, associate director, creative, said that Qian brings a rare spatial understanding to the team. 

"She understands weight, scale and design," Wiren Kebé said. "It's difficult to find someone, student or not, who can think through all those components in a physical space." 

Hired as the student designer for the project, Qian found herself branching beyond traditional architecture into exhibition and installation work. "Room to Imagine" celebrates Carnegie Mellon's 125th anniversary. The exhibit transforms a familiar college dorm room into a showcase of Carnegie Mellon innovation, revealing how university breakthroughs—from iPhone interfaces to Duolingo, from Toy Story's animation to wireless networks—permeate our daily lives. 

The collaboration required Qian to absorb 125 years of university history quickly while bringing a contemporary student perspective to the project. Where the team had deep historical knowledge, Qian offered insights into how current students experience campus life, which proved crucial for designing an exhibit that resonated across generations. 

"She brought new energy into our team, she brought a fresh set of eyes," said Julia Corrin, associate dean for Distinctive Collections and university archivist. "She really just jumped in and brought that CMU student can-do energy.”

That energy translated into practical solutions the team needed. When complex construction challenges arose, Qian didn't hesitate to take work home, sewing fabric elements on her machine or problem-solving 3D printing needs. Corrin said the team couldn't have completed the ambitious project without Amanda's contributions, given their other competing priorities and constraints.

Working with Wiren Kebé, Corrin, and Brad King, anniversary exhibits and publishing managing editor, Qian has helped build the dorm-like structure in the first-floor gallery of Hunt Library and design the companion tabloid newspaper accompanying the exhibit.

The experience has reinforced her belief that the best creative work emerges from diverse perspectives working together.

"I think some places where you work in the creative field and your opinion doesn't really get taken into account," Qian said. "But I feel like I've definitely been able to make my voice heard here."

Qian will spend a semester in Barcelona, Spain, this fall, before returning home for her final classes. She hopes to find a job at a firm prioritizing sustainability and social impact, two issues she's made a part of her architecture design practice at CMU.

"I think I feel the most fulfilled when I'm working on projects that connect to bring people together in public spaces and all that," Qian said. "I never want to lose touch with that side of humanity and people."

“Room to Imagine” opens in the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Hunt Gallery and runs from August 25, 2025, through July 10, 2026.