Izzi Waitz

Izzi Waitz is a dual Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and Master of City Planning (MCP) candidate at MIT, with an anticipated graduation in Spring 2029. She holds a BS in architecture with a concentration in urban planning from MIT (Class of 2023). Her architectural practice is deeply informed by over two decades of dance training, approaching design through the lens of proprioception and the dynamic relationship between bodies and spatial form. Her practice applies choreographic principles to architectural and urban design to foster equitable, connective environments. 

Waitz’s research focuses on the heterogeneity of human movement and spatial perception. Through initiatives like the Pedestrian Perception Study at MIT.Nano’s Immersion Lab, she utilizes gaze tracking and physiological data to analyze how identity shapes spatial experiences. By bridging quantitative data with subjective narratives, she aims to develop socially conscious, people-forward spaces. 

She has previously worked as an architectural designer at Threshold Office in Brooklyn, New York and New Urban Networks in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Waitz has also completed choreographic residencies with Species Group in Cologne, Germany and the Choreographic Coding Labs in São Paulo, Brazil.