Events

Join us at Goodyear Arts on November 13th, from 6-8 PM, for Deviant Architecture, an exhibition and conversation with Alexis Andrikanich exploring queer space in design--how architecture can challenge norms, reimagine belonging, and create room for difference.

 

Enjoy light snacks and drinks from Free Range Brewing next door as we gather in community and conversation.

 

This exhibit envisions a network of architecturally expressive, programless structures across Charlotte that serve as inclusive gathering spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Positioned within sight of one another to encourage movement and connection, these adaptable spaces support a wide range of uses--from casual meetups to large public events--without prescribing specific functions. Each structure employs a distinct architectural language of form, ornament, and color to guide engagement while allowing for spontaneity. By inserting deviant design into the city's conventional built environment, the project challenges normative urban standards and creates visible, accessible spaces that foster representation, belonging, and community expression.

 

Alexis Andrikanich earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 2023 and a Master of Architecture in 2025, both from UNC Charlotte. She currently serves as a Teaching Fellow at the university, where she encourages students to explore the processes and methods of making through computation and drawing.

Her research centers on redefining public space--specifically how it can foster belonging across diverse groups. By rethinking design through computational tools, Alexis explores how architecture can represent, support, and include those often left out of traditional narratives.

 

Her graduate diploma project investigates whether architecture can be informed by societal deviance, asking: Can architecture encourage belonging? This question, rooted in her lived experience and personal perspective, guides a body of work that blends emotional insight with architectural experimentation.

Alexis's design approach embraces multiplicity. She proposes networks of adaptable public structures embedded within Charlotte's urban fabric, offering inclusive spaces for gathering and expression. Her work suggests that architecture is not just about buildings--it's about shaping better ways of living.

 

To Alexis, design is both inquiry and activism. She believes architects are public intellectuals who craft spaces that invite people to live, think, and connect differently--with empathy for both the deviant and the conforming.