Taking Flight Through Architecture and Sustainable Design

A Lehigh student, faculty mentor and alumna came together to create Flyways, a public art installation at Washington College in Maryland, inspired by migratory birds and ecological observation.

World Migratory Bird Day holds a special place in the heart of Katie Bui ’26. Before summer 2024, the Lehigh architecture and product design student didn’t know much about migratory birds, or even that a day existed to honor them.

That is until Deirdre Murphy, associate teaching professor of art in Lehigh’s Art, Architecture and Design (AAD) program, invited her to help design a public art installation for Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society.

“Starting on this project as a sophomore, it confirmed that I was going in the right direction with my major,” said Bui. “Viewing the installation for the first time felt unreal. There was no way that the tiny model I created was the thing I was sitting in.”

Read the full story on Lehigh News.