Help Us Build Tomorrow: Arya Tumuluri
Arya Tumuluri, M.Arch ’28, first discovered her love for architecture through a college program for high school students, even though it didn’t go as originally planned. Taken during the pandemic, the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo course had to meet online, but Tumuluri still remembers the excitement of receiving materials, listening to lectures, and making models from cardboard and popsicle sticks.
“It was basically studio as a high schooler,” she says.
Growing up in Redwood City, California, Tumuluri was always interested in spaces but wasn’t sure about architecture as a career. After earning a degree in architectural studies from Boston University, she chose Taubman College’s three-year M.Arch program to turn a creative interest into a professional path.
Tumuluri is especially interested in learning more about sustainability and affordable housing. The college’s emphasis on care, reuse, and repair, as well as its diverse faculty, helped her connect with it when deciding where to study.
“I really wanted to learn more about what architecture can do for the environment and also people in need,” she says.
A semester abroad in Venice while at BU also shaped her thinking about cities. Traveling through Europe, she fell in love with Amsterdam’s canals, urban fabric, and biking infrastructure. The city showed her the environmental and social value of designing around people rather than cars. After graduation, she imagines working in a city like New York or Chicago, where she can meet many kinds of people and learn about the spaces they want to inhabit.
Tumuluri is the first recipient of the Gordon Ray Carrier and Robin Wilson Carrier Scholarship, established by Gordon Carrier, B.S. ’79, M.Arch ’81, who serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board, and his wife, Robin Wilson Carrier, to support architecture students.
“I’m very thankful for people like the Carriers who want to help others, especially students who are trying to figure out their lives,” she says. “It means a lot to receive help from those who want to give back.”
The scholarship allows her to focus on learning and pursuing her passion for sustainable, affordable design “free of financial worry.”
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity and that I’m able to showcase what I can do here,” she says.
