The Villagers, Miami-Dade’s oldest historic preservation organization, awarded $24,000 in scholarships to four outstanding University of Miami architecture students. The awards are the most recent in the more than 200 university scholarships The Villagers have presented to students with a demonstrated focus on historic preservation.
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Recipients include Catalina Cabral-Framinan, a second-time scholarship winner who is pursuing a graduate major in Architecture and Urbanism and will attend the Architectural Association in London this fall, and Patricia Llerena Perez, a third-year student. Two other recipients, Isa Jimenez, a senior, and Amanda Verdeja, a second-year student, will both study with the UM classic architecture program in Europe this summer.
Recipient Amanda Verdeja reflected on her return to Europe as an architecture student.
“I now have the chance to return, not as a tourist, but as a student to study these places with a closer lens and listen to the stories in their walls,” Verdeja said. “There is no better classroom than being out in the world, learning from the buildings themselves.”
Students, special guests, and Villagers members were treated to a special presentation by well-known Miami architect Richard Heisenbottle, FAIA, who specializes in historic restoration. He spoke about the detailed restoration work recently completed at the Freedom Tower and now underway at the Coral Gables City Hall.
Students were selected from a field of applicants based on scholastic standing, faculty recommendations, samples of their work, and their statement of interest in preserving the architectural past.
The grants were announced and presented by architect Betty Sanchez, Villagers scholarship chair, during a general membership meeting at the Coral Gables Museum.
“We were delighted to receive a significantly higher number of scholarship applications this year, which made the selection process especially challenging given the outstanding quality of the candidates,” Sanchez explained. “We extend our sincere thanks to the University of Miami staff for their enthusiastic support of our program and their remarkable preparation of architecture students. The fact that all this year’s awards were earned by University of Miami students speaks volumes about their excellence.”
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Since 1966, The Villagers have also awarded more than 280 preservation grants to over 90 organizations in Miami-Dade County. Through educating, advocating, fundraising, restoration, and documentation, The Villagers work to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of local historic sites and neighborhoods.
For more details about projects funded, scholarships, membership opportunities, and the full scope of The Villagers’ legacy, visit www.thevillagersinc.org.
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