For over two decades, we have been developing projects that include multispecies habitats in the built environment. Our work advocates for a resilient and biodiverse planet. We foster interdisciplinary and inter-organizational collaborations, working with partners and consultants in ecology, field biology, visual art, music, engineering, anthropology, landscape architecture, architecture, and planning. We find joy in discoveries that emerge from collective processes of research, reflection, and making.
Ants act both as individuals and as part of a collective super-organism.
The social insects, especially ants, have been sources of all kinds of parables, giving lessons in industry, interdependence, altruism, humility, frugality, patience. They have been employed to instruct us in the whole range of our institutional virtues, from the White House to your neighborhood savings bank.
”Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher
Ants are a little-noticed but important part of the tallgrass prairie fauna.
”James C. Trager, “An Introduction to Ants (Formicidae) of the Tallgrass Prairie,” in Missouri Prairie Journal, republished by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
It is unrealistic and impractical to attempt to totally eliminate ants from an outdoor area.
”University of California Integrated Pest Management Program
Joyce Hwang, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB, is an architect, artist, and educator. She is director of Ants of the Prairie, partner at Double Happiness, professor of architecture at University at Buffalo, SUNY, School of Architecture and Planning, and a core organizer for Dark Matter U. A pioneer in advancing multispecies design in architecture, her focus on ecological practices and climate justice contributes to innovating design practice and education, and advocating for care and empowerment in the built environment.
Joyce’s work has been featured in a range of platforms, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Emilio Ambasz Institute’s documentary video series, “Built Ecologies: Architecture and Environment.” She is the recipient of the Civitella Ranieri Architecture Fellowship (2024), Exhibit Columbus University Design Fellowship (2021), MacDowell Fellowship (2016, 2011), Architectural League Emerging Voices (2014), and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2013), among other awards.
Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Orange County, CA, Joyce received a post-professional Master of Architecture degree from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University, where she was awarded the Charles Goodwin Sands Memorial Bronze Medal. Since 1997, she has practiced professionally with offices in San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, and Barcelona, Spain. She is a registered architect in New York State.
ArtPark; Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Parks and Conservation Service; Australian National University (ANU) School of Art and Design; Bentway Conservancy; Buffalo Museum of Science, Tifft Nature Preserve; City as Living Laboratory; Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Civitella Ranieri Foundation; Dark Matter U; Design + Technology Lab – The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University; Exhibit Columbus; Grassroots Gardens, Pelion Garden; National Cheng Kung University; Piaule Catskill; Pratt Institute, School of Architecture; University at Buffalo, School of Architecture and Planning; University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture
Nerea Feliz; Wade Georgi, Jon Spielman; Christopher Romano; Daniel Bernard Roumain, Esteban Cabeza de Baca; Szymon Zmyslony, Monika Pawlak, Maria Rybakowska; Nicholas Rajkovich, Laura Garofalo; Cathryn Dwyre; Shawn Chiki, Onokio; Darren Le Roux, Mitchell Whitelaw; Ellen Driscoll, Matthew Hume; Quilian Riano, Annie Barrett, Adeola Enigbokan, Sukjong Hong, Greg Mihalko; Andrea Frank, Emily Puthoff, Jeff Freedman; Martha Bohm, Gabrielle Printz; Stephanie Vito; Milenko Ivanovic; David Allin; Rafael Herrin-Ferri
Nicole Sarmiento, Anna Sofia Neil, Nicholas Frantzeskos, Alec Lewis, Michelle A. Franks, John Dullaghan, Ayleen Gutierrez, Opshora Kabir, Hannah Ikawa, Rivaldo Griffiths, Alec Pitillo, Tyler Brown, Josmarie Hernandez, Raj Shah, Delaney Williams, Max Avrutsky, Mason Montgomery, Esdras Velasquez, Ashley Johnson, Pamela Nelson, Stacey Feldman, Mel Coleman, Michelle Franks, Laurice Hwang, Alice Hwang, Jocelyn Morocho, Kat Cheng, Samendy Brice, Nell Heidinger, Chase Mitchell, Daniel Montoya, Joyce Hsu, Noelle LaDue, Ana Julia Chiriboga, Tiger Lee, Patrick Belli, Richard Fadok, Bethany Greenaway, Anh Shavindya Seneviratne Do, Rosanna Valencia, Petreen Thomas, Yukta Satpute, Sneha Arikapudi, Sonali Debas, Gregory Delaney, Albert Chao, Lisa Ramsburg
Olivia Arcara, Matt Bain, Kate Barbaria, John Brennan, Heeyun Byun, John Costello, Patricia Castellon, Loke Chan, Albert Chao, Juan Andres De Risio, Dan Dimillo, Han Du, Paul Dudkowski, Mark Faulkner, Zach Fields, Joshua Gardner, Thomas Giannino, Molly Hogle, Laurice Hwang, Michael Kirschner, Khelly Koomalsingh, Andrew Korik, Puichee Isabella Lee, Sze Wan Li, Ian Liu, Shawn Lewis, Alexandra Lima, Matt Maleike, Alan Massey, Nicole Marple, Kenzie McNamara, Michelle Muhlbauer, David Nardozzi, Nellie Niespodzinski, Mark Nowaczyk, Alex Poklinkowski, Michael Pudlewski, Holly Raesly, John Reinard, Andres Santandreu Natale, Matt Salzer, John Scherer, Laura Schmitz, Lisa Stertz, Sara Svisco, Joey Swerdlin, Dustin Tobias, Trenton Van Epps, Stephanie Vito, Duane Warren, Mikaila Waters, Jake West, John Wightman, Angela Wu, Robert Yoos, Kelly Zona
Biology / Ecology: Katharina Dittmar, Heather Williams, Tim Shier, Stuart Hyatt, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Robert Warren
Horticulture: Sylvin Ashbrook, Zach Goodrich, Cassandra Seawell
Engineering: Mark Bajorek, John Skurr, Katahdin Engineering, Blackwell Engineering
Construction: Dick Yencer, Wade Georgi