Maria McVarish is an architect, artist, and visual researcher practicing in San Francisco. She has lectured in architecture at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and, since 1996, teaches interdisciplinary studies, critical theory, and design at CCA.

Recent and upcoming public lectures include "Hazard Figures: Heritage, Memorial and Wasting in Appalachia" at the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (April 2012); "Imaginary Spaces," at San Jose State University (November 2009); "in Visible Memory," at Syracuse University (October 2008); and "Design in the Unconscious" for the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (June 2007).

Her essays, drawings, and sculpture have been published in Memory Connection journal, Diacritics, Zyzzava, How(ever), and Architecture California, the journal of the American Institute of Architects.

Her architectural work has been featured in California Home and Design, Southface journal and CNN’s television series Earth-Wise.

See an example of one of McVarish's ongoing projects related to memory sites.