M.Arch Graduate Dasani Madipalli Awarded NAF-Fulbright for Accessibility Research Abroad

^{Dasani Madipalli (M.Arch '26) Photo: BRW Architects}

As architects around the world confront rising seas and shifting coastlines, new forms of building are emerging in response. But as floating architecture gains traction, one question remains underexplored: who are these environments being designed for? For Dasani Madipalli (M.Arch ’26), a recent graduate of the University of Virginia School of Architecture, the answer is central to her work as the recipient of a NAF-Fulbright Grant.

"Accessibility is often an overlooked dimension of sustainability,” she said.

Madipalli will spend the 2026–27 academic year in the Netherlands pursuing her project, Living with Water: Inclusive Design for Floating Architecture, through the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative. Funded by the Netherlands-America Foundation, the NAF-Fulbright Grant supports research and cultural exchange between the United States and the Netherlands.

Her project examines how floating architecture—an increasingly prominent response to climate change—can better serve people with disabilities. 

Contemporary floating homes are a relatively new 21st-century building typology. Unlike traditional houseboats, which can move freely on the water, these structures are typically moored in place, functioning much like conventional homes. As this approach to building gains traction in response to rising sea levels and coastal flooding, countries like the Netherlands (home to more than 15,000 floating structures) have become leaders in designing with water. Yet even as the typology evolves, questions of accessibility remain largely unaddressed.

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“A building that isn’t accessible will likely need to be redesigned or retrofitted later, consuming additional resources, whereas one designed with accessibility from the outset will be more usable and more sustainable over its lifetime,” Madipalli said. 

Her research reflects a broader principle captured in the words of late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone: “We all do better, when we all do better.” In the context of the built environment, that idea underscores the importance of designing spaces that are inclusive from the beginning, benefiting not only individuals, but entire communities.

From September 2026 through May 2027, Madipalli will conduct fieldwork in Delft and Rotterdam, collaborating with TU Delft’s Architecture, Engineering, and Technology Department and the Blue Revolution Foundation, a research organization focused on floating urbanism. Her work will include site documentation, policy analysis, and interviews with designers, residents, and stakeholders to better understand how accessibility is considered and where it can be improved.

Madipalli will synthesize her findings into a series of outputs, including a peer-reviewed paper, a comprehensive report, and an open-source illustrated catalog that documents best practices for accessibility in floating architecture. Developed in collaboration with her research partners, the catalog is intended to serve as a practical resource for designers and policymakers working in climate-responsive environments.

She brings an interdisciplinary perspective shaped by both professional and personal experience. Prior to pursuing architecture, Madipalli worked at Microsoft developing assistive software and earlier in college she studied American Sign Language. These experiences helped shape her long-standing interest in inclusive design.

“[At Microsoft] I learned the importance of conducting user research and collaborating with individuals with disabilities to design solutions that best meet their needs,” she said.

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Madipalli designed an open-source guide for accessible architecture in collaboration with BRW Architects during a 2024 Erwin-Ramsey Fellowship. Courtesy of Dasani Madipalli.

Her transition from computer science to architecture was influenced by personal experiences navigating disability within her own family, which highlighted the challenges of adapting existing environments to meet evolving needs. At the School of Architecture, she expanded her focus into the built environment through independent research and collaborations with local government officials, advocacy groups, and design professionals. During a 2024 Erwin-Ramsey Fellowship at Charlottesville's BRW Architects, Madipalli created an open-source guide for accessible architecture. She also co-presented research on sustainable hemp-based construction with UVA’s Open Structure Research Group at an international conference in spring 2026, further reflecting her interest in the intersection of material innovation and sustainable design.

Looking ahead, Madipalli sees the Fulbright experience as part of a longer trajectory and a stepping stone towards the pursuit of a PhD in architecture with a focus on accessibility and fabrication.

“Long-term I hope to continue to be a part of making the built environment more accessible either through research or professional practice,” she said. 

Beyond her academic research, Madipalli plans to engage deeply with the local community as part of her Fulbright experience. She will volunteer with the Stunt Foundation in Delft, an organization that teaches employable craft-based skills, connecting with participants through hands-on projects and sustainable design initiatives. By sharing her own expertise in woodworking and sewing while learning new techniques, she hopes to foster mutual understanding and build a sense of community. Through both academic exchange and craft, Madipalli will represent the United States while gaining insight into Dutch practices—embracing the Fulbright program’s mission of cultural exchange not just in theory, but in everyday experience.

Madipalli’s work points to an essential truth: the future of design must be both resilient and inclusive. The solutions architects develop today, like floating houses and cities, will only succeed if they are usable by the full spectrum of people they are meant to serve. By centering accessibility at the outset, her research reinforces the idea that the most sustainable, forward-thinking designs are those that work for everyone.

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