CURRICULUM VITAE Personal Data: Name: Collins Sasakah Makunda Date of Birth: 9 June 1973 Place of Birth: Nairobi, Kenya Marital Status: Single Address: P.O. Box 48477-00100, G.P.O., Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: collins.makunda@uonbi.ac.ke Tel. No: 254-0773-678347 Nationality: Kenyan Profession: Urban Planner/Interior Designer/Designer Key Qualifications: Urban Planning and Urban Design Master s degree in city and regional planning Primary research experience in city and regional planning Urban planning project in a large U.S. city Planning and installation of a Rockefeller Foundation sponsored exhibition on slum upgrading in East Africa Publication preparation of an urban planning reader Interior Architecture Master s degree in interior architecture Graduate teaching fellowship in interior architecture Graduate research fellowship in interior architecture Graduate teaching fellowship in architecture Design Bachelor s degree in design Education: 2008: Master of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. 2002: Master of Interior Architecture, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, U.S.A. 1997: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) (Design), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya Experience: July 2011 To date Lecturer, School of the Arts and Design, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. Lecturer in design theory and practical courses, basic design skills, and in the interior design specialization requirements (including interior architecture, furniture design, exhibition and display, and landscaping design) for undergraduate degree design students.
March 2011 To date Tutor, Evelyn College of Design, Nairobi, Kenya. Part-time tutor in interior design for foundation level classes as well as BTEC Higher National Level Diploma interior design courses. April 2010 To date Managing Consultant, Colmak Design Studio Ongoing: creatively engaged in developing interior design solutions for interior design projects in the Nairobi metro region. January 2010 To date Senior Planning Consultant, TSG Makunda & Associates, Nairobi, Kenya Ongoing: engaged in urban planning and design solutions including developing subdivisions, and preparing planning reports and obtaining planning approvals for changes of user and extensions of commercial and residential leases for properties in the Nairobi metro region. July 2009 Sept 2009 Volunteer, DC Habitat for Humanity, Washington DC, U.S.A. Managed the volunteer database at the head office of the District of Columbia s Habitat for Humanity. Researched, analyzed, and documented the historical demographic trends of homeowners of affordable habitat housing in the District of Columbia. Assisted the legal firm representing DC Habitat for Humanity to organize, file and catalogue the legal records pertaining to homeowners of Habitat for Humanity homes in the Washington DC area. Participated in onsite construction work of a Habitat home located in the North East area of Washington, D.C. June 2008 June 2009 Research Assistant, Penn Institute for Urban Research, Department of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania Assembled and analyzed demographic data and development trends of a sample of the country s downtowns using the U.S. census data and information obtained from interviewing downtown associations and city officials. Graphically summarized the primary and secondary research data using tables, charts, and maps.
June 2007 June 2008 Program Manager and Research Assistant, International Housing Finance Program, Real Estate Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Planned and organized an executive education program in international housing finance. Managed course logistics and coordinated the enrollment of 70 international bankers representing 20 countries drawn from four continents. Generated course revenues in excess of US $ 200,000. Sept 2007 June 2008 Research and Project Assistant, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania Assisted with the publication preparation of The Urban Planning Reader (2009) book by Dr. Eugenie Birch, featuring a selection of articles on urban planning history and best practices by renowned planning scholars and practitioners. Managed the photo-printing and installation of a public exhibition highlighting slum upgrading projects in East Africa an exhibition sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and held at the University of Pennsylvania s School of Design in Spring, 2008. Jan 2007 June 2008 Planning Project Team Member, Department of City and Regional Planning, School of Design, University of Pennsylvania Developed an urban planning proposal for Philadelphia s urban public place system: o Surveyed and inventoried existing open space. o Interviewed a variety of stakeholders including city residents, civic leaders and city officials. o Formulated an inclusive proposal for the cohesive integration and activation of the city s downtown public spaces. Created a neighborhood revitalization corridor anchor plan for a new community in the city of Philadelphia: o Conducted field surveys and interviews to assess community needs and opportunities for economic development. o Facilitated community stakeholder meetings, incorporating feedback. o Summarized findings and recommendations in a 100 page report. 2003 2005 Residential Home Manager and Swahili Tutor Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Managed a three-hundred year old residential house in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that included a significant holding of antique furniture and furnishings. Responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the home s interiors and proper care of the antique furniture and furnishings including chairs, tables, cabinetry, and rare rugs. Tutored home-owner in spoken Swahili.
2002 Graduate Teaching Fellow in Architecture Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Assisted in teaching an undergraduate design drawing skills architectural class. Elaborated basic drawing concepts presented during class lectures. Provided individualized assistance in drawing techniques. Jun 2000 May 2002 Library Student Assistant School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Assisted in managing the holdings of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts library. Supervised other student employees managing the library s collection. 2001 Graduate Teaching Fellow in Interior Architecture Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Assisted in teaching an introductory undergraduate course in interior architecture. Led seminar-size discussion sections. Assigned and graded student assignments. Maintained office hours for students requiring further assistance in understanding the course material and assignments. 2001 Lyman and Judy Johnson Research Fellow School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Identified and created architecture and art history slides that were later added to the slide collection library for use by faculty in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts in augmenting their teaching material. 1999 2001 Volunteer, Materials Resource Center School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Assisted students and faculty in tracking down specific products and material samples organized under Sweet s Product Catalogue. Spring, 2000 Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Architectural Design Studio Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, University of Oregon Critiqued the design studio work of undergraduate architecture students. Provided mentorship to the undergraduate architecture students.
Sep 1998 Aug 1999 Freelance Designer Nairobi, Kenya Completed a variety of graphic design projects ranging from three dimensional graphic representations of interior layouts to calligraphy writing of private college graduation certificates. Feb 1998 Sept 1998 Graphic Designer and Exhibition Installation Manager Sols Inclinations (Exhibition Design) Limited Designed graphic exhibition posters and panels for companies participating in national trade fares. Supervised the installation of the panels at the exhibition venues. 27 th 30 th Mar 1996 Interior Designer Gatsby Charitable Foundation Participated in a five-member University of Nairobi design student team as an Interior designer and designed and installed exhibition panels for the Gatsby Inter-Trust Seminar and Kenya Gatsby Trust Exhibition of Jua Kali Products held at Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya. Workshops/Conferences/Exhibitions/Lectures: Nov, 2012: Lecture on African Typography by Saki Mafundikwa, ADD Building, University of Nairobi: Attended the above lecture by the renowned designer and proprietor of a design school in Zimbabwe. Oct, 2012: Lecture on the Design of the Library of Congress: Gave a lecture to postgraduate students at the University of Nairobi on the design of the Library of Congress (located in Washington D.C.) that I had visited in July, 2012. Oct 31, 2012: Workshop on Strengthening UNES/UoN Consultancy, Chiromo Campus, University of Nairobi, Nairobi: Attended the above workshop at the Chiromo Conference Center, University of Nairobi. Oct 30, 2012: Export Promotion Council/ Women Enterprise Fund Exhibition, Silver Springs Hotel, Nairobi: Attended the above exhibition that showcased handicrafts by various womens groups from various Kenyan counties. Sep 14, 2012: Slums Upgrading and Prevention Policy Conference, United Kenya Club, Nairobi: Attended the above conference. Jul, 2012 Jul 2012 House and Home Exhibition, National Building Museum in Washington D.C., USA.: Attended the above. Museum of Natural History in North Carolina, U.S.A.: Visited the highly interactive exhibits at the above. Jun 29 2012: Six Global Dialogue on Design for Social Innovation Teleconference, Nairobi, Kenya: Participated in the above teleconference in which 13 cities
were represented in the discussion. The cities represented were: Oslo, London, Glasgow, Stockholm, Paris, Helsinki, Milan, Madrid, Lisbon, Seoul, Nairobi, Sydney, and Adelaide. Apr 30 May 1, 2012: UNES Proposal Writing and Research Grant Writing Workshop CCU Hall, University of Nairobi: Participated in the above workshop. Aug 26, 2011: IndiAfrica: A Shared Future Seminar, Taifa Hall, Main Campus, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya: Moderator for the discussions around the papers presented at the seminar. May 25-27, 2011: Nairobi International Design Conference (NIDEC), National Museum of Kenya and University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya: Part of the organizing committee as well as a delegate at the Design Kenya Society sponsored Nairobi International Design Conference held in Nairobi during which the theme: design for industrial transformation, was the focus of the discussions. May 26-27, 2011: Nairobi International Design Conference (NIDEC), National Museum of Kenya and University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya: Co-facilitator for the Interior Design Workshop (held at the Architecture Design and Development building), which was one of the workshops conducted during the conference. July 14-17, 2010: The East Africa Region Planners Conference, Mombasa, Kenya: Attended the Kenya Institute of Planners Conference held at the Mombasa Beach Hotel during which urban planning and Urban Design issues facing the East African cities were discussed. May 21, 2009: Planning Symposium Recognizing the 110 th Anniversary of the First National Planning Conference in U.S.A., National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.: Attended the symposium entitled, 1909 2109: Sustaining the Value of American Planning, that focused on the successes and challenges of America s first 100 years of planning and designing sustainable communities. Apr, 2009: Mar, 1995: American Planning Association Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S: Attended the annual American Planning Association Conference during which the latest trends in urban and regional planning were highlighted and discussed. ICIPE Science Press, Chiromo Campus, Nairobi, Kenya: Participated in a training workshop entitled, University Design Students in Science, that covered four key topics; scientific illustration, photography, computer graphics, and poster preparation. Publications and Reports 2011: Presented a paper at the Nairobi International Design Conference (NIDEC), on May 25 th, entitled, The Role of Design in the Industrial Transformation of Kenya.
2009: Assisted with the preparation of the publication material (researched and obtained copyright permissions for the images used to accompany the text) in the Urban Planning Reader (published in 2009), an urban planning textbook edited by Dr. Eugenie Birch, featuring a selection of articles on urban planning history and best practices by renowned planning scholars and practitioners. 2008: Report of the Urban Planning Proposal for the improvement of Philadelphia s urban public space system in part fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of City Planning degree (University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya). (Unpublished) 2007: Report of a planning proposal for a neighborhood corridor plan for a new community located in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., in part fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of a graduate urban planning workshop at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A (Unpublished) 2002: Thesis report of the Interior Architecture plan for a proposed Center for African Studies to be located in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. in part fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Interior Architecture degree (University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A). (Unpublished) 1997: Report of an interior design proposal for the improvement of a children s home located in Nairobi, Kenya in part fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Design (University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya). (Unpublished) Consultancies Nov, 2012 Apr, 2012: Export Promotion Council Exhibitions (EPC) Exhibition Stands at KICC and Sarit Center: Part of the design team that developed the Exhibition Concept Design for the EPC exhibition stands at the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake 60 th Anniversary (26 th Nov, 2012) and the EPC stands at the Crafts of Africa Fair at Sarit Center (28 th November to 2 nd December, 2012) Exhibition Space for the signing of the MOU between the City of Beijing, China and the School of the Arts and Design, University of Nairobi. Part of the design team involved in the design and installation of the exhibit space above. Membership in Professional Organizations: 2010 Design Kenya Society 2005 American Planning Association 2003 American Institute of Architects, Philadelphia Chapter 2001 International Interior Design Association, Student Chapter 2000 American Interior Design Association, Student Chapter 1998 Design Society of Kenya (DeSK)
Training and Development: 2011 Training in Edexcel s course on Building a Higher National Art & Design Programme on the QCF held at Brookhouse International School on September 8, 2011, Nairobi, Kenya. Computer Software Proficiency: Autodesk AutoCAD ArchiCAD Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign) Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access) Vector Works CorelDraw Google Sketchup Languages: English (fluent) Swahili (fluent) French (intermediate) Awards/Leadership: 2010/2013 Secretary, Design Kenya Society (Kenya) 2008 Urwin Gutkind Travel Award for significant contribution to international planning (School of Design Awards, University of Pennsylvania). 2007/2008 Chair, PennDesign Black Student Alliance (University of Pennsylvania) 2006/2007 Co-President, Penn International Planning Club (University of Pennsylvania) 2006/2007 Teaching Assistantships (University of Pennsylvania) 2002 Outstanding Student Service Award (University of Oregon) Graduate Teaching Fellowship (Architecture) (University of Oregon) 2001/2002 Secretary, African Students Association (University of Oregon) 2001 Brownwell Frasier Scholarship (University of Oregon) International Student Merit Award (University of Oregon) John Haines African Student Scholarship Award (University of Oregon) Lyman and Judy Johnson Research Fellowship (University of Oregon) Leadership Service Award (University of Oregon)
Graduate Teaching Fellowship (Interior Architecture) (University of Oregon) Fundraising Chair, American Society of Interior Designers/International Interior Design Association Student Chapters (University of Oregon) 2000/2001 Technology Fee (International Work Study) Award (University of Oregon) 2000 Ellen M. Pennell Scholarship (University of Oregon) Leadership Service Award (University of Oregon) Finalist, Baldinger National Lighting Design Competition Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Architectural Studio (University of Oregon) 1999-2002 Member, International Students Association (University of Oregon) 1995/1996 Treasurer, Design Students Association (University of Nairobi) Referees: 1. Dr. Eugenie Birch Professor of Urban Research and Education Department of City and Regional Planning Co-Director, Penn Institute for Urban Research School of Design, University of Pennsylvania Address: 127 Meyerson Hall 210 S 34 th Street Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104, U.S.A. E-mail: elbirch@design.upenn.edu Phone: 1-215-898-8330 2. Dr. Marja Hoek-Smit Director International Housing Finance Program Real Estate Center, Wharton School University of Pennsylvania Address: 1462 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall 3620 Locust Walk, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104, U.S.A. E-mail: mhoek@wharton.upenn.edu Phone: 1-215-898-3313 3. Dr. Walter H. Onyango Director & Senior Lecturer School of the Arts and Design University of Nairobi Address: Architecture Design and Development Building P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: designdept@uonbi.ac.ke Phone: 254-020-2724527
4. Dr. Lilac Osanjo Lecturer School of the Arts and Design University of Nairobi Address: Architecture Design and Development Building P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: lilac.osanjo@uonbi.ac.ke Phone: 254-722-743 307 5. Dr. Mugendi M Rithaa Senior Lecturer Cape Peninsular University of Technology Capetown, South Africa Address: P.O. Box 1634 Milnerton 7435, South Africa E-mail: MugendiM@cput.ac.za Phone: 27-(0) 21-460 3670 6. Ms. Alison Snyder Director Interior Architecture Program Dept. of Architecture, School of Architecture and Allied Arts University of Oregon Address: 210 Lawrence Hall 1206 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97403, U.S.A. E-mail: absny@uoregon.edu Phone: 1-541-346-1447 7. Dr. John Odoch Pido Senior Lecturer School of the Arts and Design University of Nairobi Address: Architecture Design and Development Building P.O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: pido@africaonline.co.ke Phone: 254-0722-720891 8. Daphne Makinson Deputy Director Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC Address: 843 Upshur Street NW Washington District of Columbia 20011, U.S.A. E-mail: daphne.makinson@dchabitat.org Phone: 1-202-882-4600 ext 229