Renée Powell-Hines is an artist and an aspiring architect who views the field of architecture and design through the lens of equity, ethnography, and sustainability; she is currently an M.Arch Candidate at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at UofT, where she received her Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies in 2021. Renée enjoys combining her interests in visual arts, community engagement and digital fabrication when approaching design projects and personal work.

Renée is the president of the BAIDA Students, and the Co-Creator and Facilitator of the Building Black Success through Design mentorship program at UofT. She hopes to see the world of architecture become more inclusive as she moves forward in her career, and is currently working towards that by contributing her time to supporting young black students interested in design. Renee’s passion for technology has led her to focus her studies in the stream of digital fabrication and robotics; her work aims to make contemporary fabrication methods more sustainable and affordable in the hopes of integrating this optimized making-method into housing affordability.

Alongside her studies and work, Renée continues to build on her professional skills by taking part in discussions with designers that have aligned interests, and seeking out opportunities to advance and grow in her field.