HMFH Architects
Intern Spotlight:
Dalicia Tanous
At HMFH, we are committed to sharing our expertise with the next generation of architects. For the next installment of our Intern Spotlight series highlighting the work and accomplishments of our dedicated interns and co-ops, we’d like to introduce Dalicia Tanous: an incoming freshman at UMass Boston who joined us as an intern through the EcoRise Green Building Internship Program this summer.
As an activist and future engineer, I have always been interested in sustainability and how our communities can be improved through green building technologies.
Centered around a passion project presented at the end of the 6-week internship, EcoRise pairs interns with mentors from sustainability-focused firms to help facilitate an equitable pathway to green jobs that promote climate and community resilience. Due to her interest in cultivating sustainable, equitable communities, Dalicia was paired with HMFH Architects, where she works closely with her mentor and firm sustainability leader Alexandra Gadawski to learn about the design process that goes into creating innovative, energy-efficient facilities.
At HMFH, Dalicia is able to explore her interest in green building through her passion project: incorporating biophilic design elements into a robotics and engineering classroom in HMFH’s new design for Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School.
My focus is learning how to provide these benefits to people of lower income and balancing this distribution to incorporate individuals of all backgrounds. As I become more involved in the subject, I am drawn to the collaborative efforts between designers, engineers, community members and many others that strive to make the built environment sustainable, equitable and resilient.
Working alongside project team members, Dalicia has been proactive in selecting interior finishes that support her research about the positive effects of biophilic design elements in educational spaces; introducing natural patterns, textures and color palettes in places of learning have been shown to foster an educational environment that is both serene and conducive to student well-being. The design intent for the new robotics classroom is to cultivate a space that feels connected to nature and provides a calm and welcoming environment for all students. Dalicia’s selections will be incorporated into the final design of Bristol-Plymouth and on display in the finished building when construction is complete in 2025.
Check out our recent Intern Spotlight series posts to learn more about HMFH’s interns and co-ops: