Sofia welding 57.5
Photo: Isabel Benares
BACKGROUND
Sofia Gulaid is a Kenyan-Somali and American urban designer & mixed media artist based in Los Angeles.
Currently at HERE, Sofia previously worked in urban design and active transportation planning in Boston and Seattle. She came to urban design by way of metal sculpture, refugee services & sustainability.
Sofia holds a Master in City Planning & Certificate in Urban Design from MIT, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Yale University.
PRACTICE
Sofia primarily uses sculpture and cartography to explore hidden spatial histories. Her process centers on listening, collective imagining, and material exploration rather than pursuing a fixed outcome.
Her work has been featured by the City of Redmond, Where Are The Black Designers, the Data Feminism Lab, and in various books and academic articles.