Front Porch Initiative Welcomes Ayala as Assistant Research Professor

Ayala, who earned degrees in both architecture and interior architecture as an Auburn student, originally joined FPI in 2023 as a Research Architect. In his new position, Ayala not only supports existing research efforts, but is responsible for initiating new projects and increasing team collaboration with other faculty researchers. His work will also encompass teaching, education and outreach to impact hard-to-serve communities in need.

“The work remains highly collaborative,” Ayala stated, “but I have the support and agency to expand the housing research to complement and expand into other areas of interest, such as innovative construction methods, materials and assemblies.” Ayala’s research includes exploring opportunities with mass timber, alternative concrete products and off-site construction relative to increasing performance and affordability.

“The key difference between my previous position as a Research Architect and my new role as an Assistant Research Professor lies between supporting existing research efforts versus initiating, expanding and developing new threads of research with a diverse group of faculty members,” Ayala said.

The Rural Studio, located in Newbern, Alabama, educates Auburn architecture students by working with partners in West Alabama in the design and construction of both homes and community facilities. The Front Porch Initiative is the outreach arm of the Rural Studio’s ongoing research to better understand barriers to equitable housing access and affordability.

“The Front Porch Initiative seeks to extend the impact of Rural Studio’s applied research in housing affordability by developing a scalable, sustainable and resilient process for delivering homes in under-resourced rural communities,” Ayala explained. FPI’s approach integrates teaching, research and outreach, allowing for collaboration with partners on local, regional and national scales.

“The work is dependent on collaboration from both internal and external partners,” Ayala continued. “My role fluctuates between practice and academia with a dynamic range of outputs. The work is inherently research-driven and directly supports the teaching agendas of our colleagues at Auburn as well as in the Rural Studio and beyond.”