Panayiota I. Pyla

Biography

Panayiota I. Pyla, Ph.D., is an architectural historian and theorist, and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Cyprus. Pyla holds a Ph.D. in the History-Theory of Architecture and Urbanism from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA, 2002), and a Masters of Science in Architectural Studies (1994) also from MIT, where she was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Student Award. She received a Professional Degree in Architecture from Rensselaer (1991), where she was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. Before her current position, she was Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2002-06) and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard (2003-04). Pyla´s research has an interdisciplinary scope, spanning the disciplines of architectural history, cultural criticism, and environmental studies. Her work has been presented in international conferences, chapters in edited volumes, and scholarly journals such as: Design and Culture (2012), Journal of Architecture (2011), Grey Room (2009), Journal of Planning History (2008), and Journal of Architectural Education (best article award, 2007). Her article, “Ηassan Fathy Revisited: Postwar Discources in Science, Development, and Vernacular Architecture,” in the Journal of Architectural Education 60:3 (2007) received the best article award. Pyla is also the editor of the volume Landscapes of Development: The Impact of Modernization Discourses on the Physical Environment of the Eastern Mediterranean. Cambridge: Harvard University Aga Khan Program, 2013

Research Interest

History-theory of modern architecture and urbanism Social Dimensions of Urban development in 20th Century History-Theory and Politics of Environmentalism and sustainability in Architecture Cultural heritage, memory and conflict in postcolonial Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean.