Dylan Burns, a Buffalo native, is pursuing dual master’s degrees in architecture and urban planning at the University at Buffalo. As a Presidential Scholar and recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, Dylan graduated summa cum laude from UB with a bachelor of science degree in architecture. While at UB, Dylan has been involved with the GRoW Home – UB’s submission to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – which placed second in the international competition. Dylan’s design and fabrication work for the on-site construction robot team has been published in numerous journals. He has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity as a house leader and designer for four years. Additionally, his time spent in the United Kingdom through the US-UK Fulbright Commission Summer Institutes, as well as his time spent studying in China, has enriched his understanding of the built environment. Most recently, Dylan is leading a team of freshman architecture students in the design, development, and construction of a public installation, in addition to working in an urban planning studio on the development of a community “shared solar” project with and within the Northland Beltline community.

As a research fellow in UB’s Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, Dylan’s work on sustainable systems and inclusive design seeks to reduce housing inequity in Buffalo. Dylan hopes to develop a design model for a house that can heat itself, power itself, address storm water runoff, and reduce maintenance concerns, while allowing residents to comfortably age in place. He believes that by addressing the lifespan of a house and the lifespan of its residents simultaneously, more equitable and efficient housing options can be created. Dylan hopes to apply these principles and models in the creation of his own practice, which would seek to promote a renaissance for all of Buffalo.