Sasson Rafailov

Education

Cornell University, Bachelor of Architecture
Harvard University, Master of Design
University of Virginia, PhD in the Constructed Environment (ABD)

Biography

Sasson Rafailov is a theorist and designer whose work is situated at the intersection of new materialist philosophy, craft theory, and philosophy of education. He is currently a student in the PhD in the Constructed Environment Program at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. 

His dissertation will propose a new approach to craft in the educational training of architects and designers through the lens of posthumanist philosophy. Specifically, the project will borrow concepts from new materialist literature, like agential realism, material intelligence, embodiment, and non-hierarchical or “flat” ontologies, to propose a vision of craft that allows humans to engage with the material world in more genuine and sustainable ways. 

Rafailov graduated with a B.Arch from Cornell University in 2018, where he pursued research in design pedagogy for his thesis project. He then went on to teach design studio and a foundational theory course at the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, and subsequently enrolled in Harvard University’s Master of Design Program, where he graduated in 2021. He is also an avid craftsperson and designer, and has exhibited work in a variety of materials in domestic and international venues.