Candace Maloney
Candace Maloney
DW/B
University Park, Maryland
Candace Maloney and DW/B: Designing Within, Building Beyond
Born and raised on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, architect Candace Maloney learned early that community is the foundation of resilience. In a place where neighbors look out for one another and the abundance of the earth is shared freely, Candace developed a deep appreciation for connection, stewardship, and care for creation. Those values—rooted in her faith and upbringing—shape every aspect of her work today as the founder of DW/B (Design Within Studio – Design Beyond Lab), an architecture and research practice based in University Park, Maryland.
DW/B operates at the intersection of design, community, and sustainability. The firm focuses on the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, transforming underused spaces into thriving centers of activity while preserving their character and history. By emphasizing the use of local materials and honoring the natural environment, DW/B works to harmonize the built world with the ecosystems that sustain it. Its projects—ranging from mixed-use developments and housing to commercial and educational spaces—are grounded in the belief that architecture should be accessible, collaborative, and deeply responsive to the people it serves.
At DW/B, Candace has created a model that bridges for-profit innovation and nonprofit research. The studio’s design projects generate revenue while advancing environmental stewardship, and the lab conducts research on sustainable building materials and lighting systems that reflect and respect local ecosystems. This integrated structure allows DW/B to support both practical projects and long-term experimentation, always with the goal of creating beautiful, resilient spaces that benefit entire communities.
Candace’s commitment to sustainability and equity is also a response to the realities of climate change, which disproportionately affect the Caribbean and other developing regions. By prioritizing adaptive reuse, minimizing waste, and elevating community voices, she aims to shift how architecture responds to environmental and social challenges. Through DW/B, she envisions a built environment that not only shelters people but also restores balance, honors history, and fosters belonging—a design philosophy deeply aligned with Invested Faith’s mission to build a more just and hopeful future.
About Candace:
Candace Maloney is an architect, educator, and community advocate with more than a decade of experience spanning housing, mixed-use, education, and healthcare projects. . Candace is a lecturer at the University of Maryland School of Architecture and led design efforts for the Citizen’s Institute on Rural Design, a program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts that promoted rural-based design through community engagement until funding for the program ended this year. Her work is guided by her faith and by a conviction that thoughtful, inclusive design can foster resilience and opportunity for all.
