portfolio

TANIA GARBE
portfolio
WORK SAMPLES | GRID Impact

EDUCATION + FIELDWORK
UC Berkeley 2003
BA Architecture
BA Psychology
UT Austin 2009
Masters in Architecture
My experience in social
impact and public interest
design, has included
working with Alejandro
Aravena in Chile, leading a
Design-Build program in
the Himalayas of Ladakh,
field research for a Care
Center in the Gobi Desert of
Mongolia, building a straw
bale Day Care on a N.
Cheyenne Indian reservation
in Montana, planning
for an orphanage bakery in
Haiti, and founding a social
enterprise in NYC.
Social
Edu + Fieldwork Impact
Lame Deer, MT
UC Berkeley
Arcosanti
UT Austin
Santiago
New York
Haiti
Ladakh
Byankhongor
Sydney

I am the founder + director
of Design With Benefits, a
social enterprise at the
intersection of design and
social impact. We curate
design from small businesses
that are making a
difference environmentally,
socially, and ethically.
Products can be filtered by
their positive impact, in
categories like environment,
poverty, education,
equity, and animal welfare.
Our creative director and I
are jointly responsible for
all of the web and graphic
design throughout the site.
In 2012, we won a grant to
participate in Start-Up
Chile, a well respected
international tech accelerator
in Santiago.
Design With Benefits Social
Enterprise

As a social enterprise, an
important part of our
business model is donating
a portion of our net profits
to social programs. These
are typically creative
non-profits and organizations
which are welding
design as a tool to solve
social or environmental
issues.
Each month we feature 3 of
these organizations and
our visitors vote on which
they would like to see
receive our next donation.
The organization with the
most votes receives 7% of
our total net profits from
the following two months.
Design With Benefits Social
Enterprise

Right:
I created all the graphics
and marketing materials for
Design With Benefits, like
the Gift Guide shown here,
featuring product design
that gives back.
Far Right:
The Dish is a section of
Design With Benefits
dedicated to news in the
realm of public interest
design. Here we feature
stories, projects, and
organizations that are
using design for social
impact.
Design With Benefits Social
Enterprise

At ELEMENTAL in Chile, I
worked on several low
income housing reconstruction
projects following
the major earthquake of
2010. Alejandro Aravena’s
philosophy is to select sites
closer to the city center,
spending more of the
budget on a site with direct
access to social services of
the city.
Next, instead of building a
cheaply constructed larger
home, we built 1/2 of a high
quality one, specifically the
portions that are difficult
for families to build on their
own. When they are able to
afford it, they can add on to
their homes in various ways
to complete the footprint.
Alejandro Aravena
ELEMENTAL
Social Housing
TYPOLOGY 5 AS BUILT
TYPOLOGY 5 WITH ADDITIONS

Building only half of each
house from the outset, and
allowing families to design
and construct the remainder,
assures that housing
developments are vibrant,
not sterile or monotonous.
Families take pride and
ownership of houses which
they have helped build.
Each housing development
includes one or more
community centers. These
are public buildings
available for various shared
uses, such as neighborhood
meetings, gatherings,
volunteer medical and
dental services, and child
care, for example.
Alejandro Aravena
ELEMENTAL
Social Housing
COMMUNITY CENTERS

I created a construction and
maintenance manual for
new homeowners with
step-by-step graphic
instructions to clearly and
simply communicate often
complex info.
Alejandro Aravena
ELEMENTAL
(a)
(b) (c) (d)
The construction portion of
the manual includes
detailed descriptions and
graphic depictions of
construction steps for
various additions.
The maintenance manual
lays out a schedule which
owners can follow to
ensure proper upkeep and
timely repairs on their first
home.
Social Housing
(e) (f) (g) (h)

We ran workshops to show
families various options for
the portion of their homes
they build themselves.
Workshops covered design
possibilities, construction
steps, and the do's + don’ts
of building additions.
I designed and produced a
template for making a scale
paper mock up of a housing
block that participants
could cut and fold from a
single sheet of paper, and
then draw on to test out
various possibilities.
Alejandro Aravena
ELEMENTAL
Social Housing
CUT
FACADE
FOLD FORWARD
FOLD BACKWARD
FOLD 180˚ AND PASTE

Alejandro Aravena
Santiago, Chile
Workshop participants test
out various facade options,
building additions, and
green areas.
Social Housing

In 2014, I co-founded
MAKINGOODESIGN (with
Rachel Crawford of
desigNYC). Held during
NYCxDesign (a city-wide
celebration of design in
NYC), the event series aims
to celebrate and honor the
innovative people and
organizations in NYC using
design for social good.
The series is now in its 2nd
year and working in collaboration
with AIANY’s New
York Emerging Architects
Committee + AFHny.
MAKINGOODESIGN Social
Impact

Pop-Up Shop
A 3-day pop-up shop of
socially conscious designs
at the BKLYN DESIGNS Fair
in DUMBO. Passers-by were
invited to participate in
NYC’s first “Bench Diary”.
Panel Discussion
Co-hosted with Pratt
Institute and entitled New
Models in the Business of
Design for Social Change.
Moderated by Wendy
Goodman, Design Editor of
New York Magazine.
Good-Maker Awards
Party celebrating NYC’s
design-for-good organizations,
+ the winners of our
Good Maker Awards. Profits
made from live illustrated
sketchbooks go towards NY
social impact initiatives.
MAKINGOODESIGN Social
Impact

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Jessica Braun and I spent 6
weeks of fieldwork in
Mongolia, designing a Care
Center for disabled
children. Our site was a
town on the edge of the
Gobi desert, a 13-hour drive
on dirt roads from the
capital. Our charge was to
design a facility to support
both disabled children and
the parents struggling to
care for them.
The end product was a
30-page book we produced
to inform and educate the
local population on the
design and construction of
the proposed building,
while garnering international
support to fund the
project. A solo exhibit of
our work took place at the
University of Texas, Austin.
Disabled Children
Bayankhongor, Mongolia
Care Center
For
Монгол Улс

The book we produced for
this Mongolian community
outlined the details of our
design, and graphically
depicted how to use
inexpensive and abundant
materials such as rammed
earth, glass bottles and
gabion construction, as
well as other applicable
sustainable building
practices.
The design was largely
driven by harsh local conditions
including high winds,
debilitating dust storms,
high-altitude desert, very
little ground water + no
vegetation.
Disabled Children
Bayankhongor, Mongolia
Care Center
For
evening light grazes the floor of a ger
low-angle evening light due to unobstructed horizon
same light condition recreated
construction detail
Гэр Ger Light
The construction of the ger
allows stack ventilation by raising
the felt covering in warm
weather. This functional
modification has the added
benefit of capturing the grazing
light of Mongolia’s long summer
evenings. The design of the Care
Center features low windows that
will wash the floor with light and
illuminate the realm of children.
raised felt flaps admit both air and light
Чулуун хана Gabion Walls
Portions of the perimeter fence will be gabion walls.
Rocks are plentiful and free in Bayankhongor, especially
at the site of the new Center. Wire mesh is used to
create 80 by 30 cm baskets that can be filled with rocks.
These baskets are then stacked like bricks, one course
overlapping the next to form a wall. The rocks will
collect heat from the sun during the day and provide a
warm place for a bench.
river rocks in BK
site cross section
Book Pages: Ger Light (left) + Gabion Construction (right)
80 cm
wire mesh
30cm

Behavioral Design
The Center’s program
addresses the physical and
emotional needs of the
children, while educating
their parents on proper
care.
Countering dust storms,
wind, and long winters, the
design attempts to mediate
the extremes of the
Mongolian experience.
The intimacy and warmth
of the Mongolian hearth
offers respite from the
harsh Gobi landscape,
while vernacular, nomadic
building traditions are
incorporated into the
existing Soviet-influenced
infrastructure.
Disabled Children
Bayankhongor, Mongolia
Care Center
For
Care Center Plan
men’s
side
altar
hearth
door
women’s
side
Mongolian Ger (yurt)
Зуух
Hearth
The hearth is the locus of ger life. Warmth
through long winters and food preparation are
not its only functions. Life’s daily rituals, from
household chores to tea drinking, happen here.
Likewise in the Care Center, the hearth will
provide residents and visitors with a warm,
social space. As the heart of the building, the
hearth occupies the center of the main activity
room around which children play and group
functions are held.
Book Pages: Hearth (left) + Typical ger (right)

Extensive in-country field
research led us to discover
untapped resources such as
a local sewing collective that
generates heaps of beautiful
fabric scraps we incorporated
into our design:
The courtyard is enclosed by
a fence welded from local
scrap rebar. Each bay is
designed with 2 u-sections
for children to attach small
art projects utilizing the
fabric scraps.
The bright panels catch the
frequent wind, acting as a
colorful marker for the
Center, and record the
children passing through its
doors. The design was
inspired by local rock shrines
that are draped in blue silk.
Disabled Children
Bayankhongor, Mongolia
Care Center
For
Xашаа
location in plan
15cm
100cm
Fence Design
The fence surrounding the care center will be
welded from local scrap rebar. Each bay has 2
u-sections where children can attach ribbon + cloth
panels. These small art projects will utilize fabric
scraps generated by the Sewing Ger and give
children pride in their contribution to the fence.
The fence will constantly change as pieces are
added and removed. The bright panels will catch
the wind-- acting as a colorful marker for the center
and as a record of the children that pass through its
doors. The design was inspired by local ovoos (rock
shrines) to which Mongolians often tie silk scarves.
60cm
18cm
rebar
fabric scraps
75cm
5cm
10cm
Concept Diagrams
south wall -
Thermal mass provides seating, storage
and visual interest.
solar orientation -
Indoor + outdoor play spaces capture
southern light and warmth.
west wall -
Frames views while blocking wind
and dust.
core -
Services grouped in a central core.
Book Pages: Fence Design (left) + Concept Diagrams (right)
wnw
w
wnw
nw
nw
nnw
nnw
heat wall -
Gabion cavity water-wall
provides radiant heat .
n
s
nne
sse
courtyard -
ne
se
ene
e
ese
Building shields courtyard from
dominant western winds.

I co-founded and led an
academic design-build
program in India for 26
students of Portland State
University and UT Austin.
Built upon my work at the
Druk White Lotus School
the previous year, we
worked closely with the
school’s teachers and Arup
Associates to design and
construct a greenhouse,
tensile outdoor classrooms,
a traditional yak hair
nomadic dwelling, and
willow shade structures for
this small Buddhist primary
school in the Indian
Himalayas.
Druk White Lotus
School:Ladakh
India Design Build

Right:
We modified an existing
structure into a greenhouse
that included
compost bins, shelving for
seedlings, gravity fed drip
irrigation, and a space for
informal classroom lessons.
Far Right:
We employed popular
superheros in a series of
comic book style lessons to
explain the sustainable
features of the greenhouse
and their school.
Druk White Lotus
School:Ladakh
India Design Build

With the help of Ladakhi
nomads, we procured and
erected an authentic rebo,
or traditional yak-hair
nomadic dwelling, teaching
students about a
rapidly vanishing way of
life. The rebo included an
elaborate sunken stone
foundation with shelving,
traditional hearth, altar, and
food storage areas.
A celebration was held
where the rebo was consecrated
and students were
led inside to learn about
this ancient way of life
directly from Ladakhi
nomads.
Druk White Lotus
School:Ladakh
India Design Build

This lamp was inspired by
the desire to create something
new from the used
cutting blades that collect
in architecture studios. It is
made from 150 discarded
blades, arranged so that
the light illuminates the
negative space between
blades.
150
Sharp Lamp Exacto Discarded
Blades

I have a strong background in
psychology and behavioral
science, including research. I
completed my BA in Psychology
from UC Berkeley in 2003
Relevant Coursework in
Behavioral Science:
Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
Brain, Mind & Behavior
Socio/Cultural Anthropology
Cognitive Science
Buddhist Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Exploring the Brain
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cultural Psychology
Social + Cultural Factors in
Design
Statistical Analysis
Behavioral Science Psychology
Cognition + Action Lab | Lab Assistant
In 2000, I was a research assistant in the lab of Dr.
Richard Ivry, Director of the Institute of Cognitive
and Brain Sciences, and Vice-Chair of the Department
of Psychology UC Berkeley.
I conducted experiments on Stimulus-Response
learning and Implicit Learning in humans, while
collecting and organizing data for review. Our aim
was to determine whether learning in serial
reaction time tasks is predominantly stimulusbased
or response-based.
Napa State Mental Hospital | Intern
I held a one-year mental health internship at the
Napa State Hospital in California, the 2nd largest
forensic psychiatric hospital in the country.
Napa State Hospital is classified as a medium
security inpatient hospital, where 75% of the
patients are hospitalized under criminal commitments
(Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity NGRI)
Treatment is based on a recovery model using
biopsychosocial rehabilitation principles. I worked
with patients on various pro-social activities.
Susannah Paletz | Research Assistant
Assisted in research which looked at differences
in the definition, value, and expression of
creativity across cultures.
Humberto Cavallin | Research Assistant
Assisted in research which explored the role
that architectural models (both physical +
digital) have in the framing and solving of
design problems.

Thank You.
tania@designwithbenefits.com
I would absolutely love to work at GRID Impact. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I found the job listing! Tania Garbe