June 1 - August 18 2023
Applications due March 19, 2023
︎︎︎ Applications Closed
︎︎︎ Introduction
︎︎︎ Block House
︎︎︎ Download PDF
2023 Summer Residency
at the Block House
Duration
June 1 - August 18, 2023 (11 weeks)
Participants
The Residency welcomes global applicants at any stage of their career. The selection will be based on experience, intent and the relevancy of the project to the IPA’s mission and the Residency’s location within New York City. The program is especially well-suited for those on sabbatical or with funded projects, in that it provides strategic housing and project support for a period of 11 weeks. Applications will be reviewed and Fellows selected by an independent jury.
Fellow Responsibilities
Fellows will be expected to:
- Live and work collectively with other Fellows, including sharing household responsibilities.
- Purchase their own groceries and any other personal items throughout the Residency (with the exception of catered events such as the dinner parties).
- Keep communal and private areas clean.
- Participate in Fellow cohort activities and public presentations.
Submission of applications
Applicants should submit the following documentation through the online form by March 19, 2023:
- Statement of interest: Address (1) how you would use your time at the Residency, (2) the relevance of New York City to your proposed project, and (3) how living/working on Governors Island may benefit your work. (maximum 500 words)
- Research proposal: Summary of the research work or design proposal to be developed during the Residency program. Work can be an ongoing or new endeavor. (maximum 500 words)
- References: Two references with full name and current email addresses. Recommendation letters are not required.
- CV: Curriculum vitae (PDF format, maximum 5MB)
- Work samples: Relevant research or work samples and/or portfolio. (PDF format, maximum 10MB)
Program fee
The Residency Program Fee is $5,000 per Fellow for the 11-week period, which includes registration, accommodations, and other program expenses. Fellows are encouraged to seek partial or full financial support from their institutions or other funding sources to offset the program fee. The fee can be paid in a lump sum or in installments. If paid in installments, the first 50% is due prior to the start of the program on June 1, with an additional 25% due on July 1 and the remaining balance of 25% due on August 1.
Scholarships
We understand that the Program Fee might be a barrier to entry for some applicants. The IPA offers a limited number of need-based stipends to cover a portion of the fee. If you are interested in applying for a stipend, please submit the general application form and then send an email to info@the-ipa.org explaining your situation. The aim of this stipend offer is to address systemic barriers that some applicants may face. Any information submitted will remain confidential, for the use of the IPA in determining applicant’s need for financial support only.
Conclusion
At the end of the Residency, Fellows’ work will be exhibited at The Block House and submitted to the IPA for an upcoming publication. Fellows should expect to receive feedback from invited guests. As an independent program, no official qualifications or diplomas are awarded.
Note
Governors Island is a predominately car-free space, with very limited vehicle access. Fellows will not be able to bring or use a vehicle on the Island during the Residency period. There are no stores on Governors Island; all groceries and other items must be purchased on the mainland and brought to the island. A list of local grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers will be provided upon arrival.
︎︎︎ Block House
Materials submitted for and resulting from the Residency may be retained for use by the IPA for exhibition, publication, and promotional purposes, without compensation. The Fellow will retain full copyright of all materials resulting from the Residency unless otherwise stated. The IPA will not be held liable for any damages, errors or omissions. By participating in the program, Fellows agree to be photographed and/or filmed and give permission to use their likeness in promotional and/or marketing materials.
︎︎︎ Block House
Materials submitted for and resulting from the Residency may be retained for use by the IPA for exhibition, publication, and promotional purposes, without compensation. The Fellow will retain full copyright of all materials resulting from the Residency unless otherwise stated. The IPA will not be held liable for any damages, errors or omissions. By participating in the program, Fellows agree to be photographed and/or filmed and give permission to use their likeness in promotional and/or marketing materials.
Download PDF
Inquiries
Selection Committee

Philip Dugdale, ASLA
New York Office Director, SASAKI
Philip is the Co-Director of SASAKI's office in New York. He is responsible for the realization of a wide range of project types from pop-up parklets and urban plazas to large-scale landscape planning, public parks and waterfront developments.
His passion lies at the intersection of the built and natural environments where he looks to create dynamic, experiential landscapes that integrate art, ecology, and resiliency, from early planning and concept stages through to implementation.
Collaboration is at the core of Philip’s work, and he believes open and engaging dialogue can promote exploration and innovation at every stage of the design process.
His passion lies at the intersection of the built and natural environments where he looks to create dynamic, experiential landscapes that integrate art, ecology, and resiliency, from early planning and concept stages through to implementation.
Collaboration is at the core of Philip’s work, and he believes open and engaging dialogue can promote exploration and innovation at every stage of the design process.

Felipe Orensanz
Architect and Urbanist, 2022 IPA Fellow
Felipe Orensanz is a Mexico City-based architect and urbanist. His work, done mostly in collaboration with Rodrigo Duran, focuses on understanding—and often contesting—the different ways in which urban and architectural knowledge is produced, distributed, and consumed, as well as on the political, economic, and ideological implications of these processes. Their projects and writings have been published in journals and magazines such as Pidgin, Architect, CLOG, MONU, Displacements, Ground Up, Horizonte, Lunch, Studio, Bracket, Bitácora, Buildings, the Cornell Journal of Architecture, and Critical Planning.
Felipe studied architecture at UABC University in Mexicali and completed a graduate program in housing and a master’s degree in urbanism at Mexico’s National University, where he was awarded the Alfonso Caso Medal in 2010. He has been a fellow at HKW Berlin, The People’s Forum, New School Institute for Critical Social Inquiry, Art Omi, and the Institute for Public Architecture, and is currently a member of Mexico’s Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte.
Felipe studied architecture at UABC University in Mexicali and completed a graduate program in housing and a master’s degree in urbanism at Mexico’s National University, where he was awarded the Alfonso Caso Medal in 2010. He has been a fellow at HKW Berlin, The People’s Forum, New School Institute for Critical Social Inquiry, Art Omi, and the Institute for Public Architecture, and is currently a member of Mexico’s Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte.

Stephen Slaughter
Chair of Undergraduate Architecture, Pratt Institute
His role as a designer, educator, and administrator has always been to leverage his talents, privilege, and position to bring value to the communities he is a part of and people he represents. His goal as Chair of Undergraduate Architecture at Pratt is to continue this work for the benefit of the culture, the impact of the school, and the amelioration of the built environment, both in Brooklyn and beyond.
He works to bridge the chasm between what qualifies as advanced design and who qualifies as its recipient, by exploiting the affordances embedded in computational fabrication to reduce the time to delivery while increasing speed and precision within the constraints of low budgets and challenging schedules. This work is to ensure that innovative design does not remain the exclusive province of the affluent but is inclusive of communities where design and design services has been willfully and woefully precluded. Working with and for non-profits, community development corporations, and minority business incubators, his focus has been to listen, learn, create, and give agency to those the profession has failed, and in so doing strive to improve the built and natural environment through the pedagogy and practice of sustainable and conscientious design.
He works to bridge the chasm between what qualifies as advanced design and who qualifies as its recipient, by exploiting the affordances embedded in computational fabrication to reduce the time to delivery while increasing speed and precision within the constraints of low budgets and challenging schedules. This work is to ensure that innovative design does not remain the exclusive province of the affluent but is inclusive of communities where design and design services has been willfully and woefully precluded. Working with and for non-profits, community development corporations, and minority business incubators, his focus has been to listen, learn, create, and give agency to those the profession has failed, and in so doing strive to improve the built and natural environment through the pedagogy and practice of sustainable and conscientious design.

Katie Swenson
Senior Principal, MASS Design Group
A nationally recognized design leader, researcher, writer, and educator, Katie Swenson has served as a Senior Principal of MASS Design Group since 2020. Katie has over 20 years of experience in the theoretical and practical application of design thinking and is a talented global public speaker and thought leader. A prolific writer, she authored Design with Love: At Home in America, and In Bohemia: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Kindness, and co-authored Growing Urban Habitats: Seeking a Housing Development Model. Katie was awarded the AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture in 2021. Prior to joining MASS, Katie was the vice president of Design & Sustainability at Enterprise Community Partners, where, as a member of the second class, she led the Enterprise Rose Fellowship.