CE Center Podcasts

Shohei Shigematsu discusses OMA’s process for designing the extension to the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo. He describes the challenges of balancing preservation with function and how the gallery was built to address that issue. Shigematsu also discusses other projects, such as the Quebec Museum, and talks about the importance of the client in the client-architect relationship as well as OMA’s philosophy of allowing themselves to be transparent and honest with clients during the design process. 

Learning objectives: 

1. List three main factors Shigematsu names as influences on how OMA design the Albright Knox Gallery. 
2. Describe the main elements of the Albright Knox Gallery design and what problem is was solving.
3. Describe, from Shigematsu’s perspective, why OMA might have won the bid for the Albright Knox Gallery. 
4. Explain one of the pitfalls of city design that Shigematsu feels architects should pay more attention to. 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Ingenhoven Architects has tackled large and sometimes controversial projects over the years, including the Stuttgart Main Station. In this podcast episode, Christoph Ingenhoven, founder of the German firm, discusses the challenges and rewards of public projects that are subject to social opinion and policy. As one of the leading international architects known for a commitment to the ecological and economical responsibility of handling resources, Ingenhoven describes the serious task architects must take on to create a world that is not just sustainable but regenerative.

Learning objectives: 

1.      Explain the simple approach Christoph Ingenhoven suggests can help architects attain sustainability despite the complexities of the issue.  

2.      List the challenges Ingenhoven faced with the Stuttgart station, some of which are often experienced by architects in major public projects.  

3.      Describe the structural and “heritage” challenges Ingenhoven faced in the Bentonsilo project.  

4.      Discuss what Ingenhoven would like architects to do less of and more of when it comes to city planning and affordable housing. 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Omar Gandhi describes the processes behind a couple of his firm’s projects, including the Peggy’s Cove viewing platform in Nova Scotia and a private residence overlooking the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. He discusses how public projects can stir up controversy, but also create important change that is subsequently recognized by the public. He also explains his process of collaboration, and details how his early experiences as an architect shaped his perspective on authenticity and work ethic. 

Learning objectives: 

1. Describe the evolution of the Peggy’s Cove viewing platform in terms of public perception and outcome. 
2. List the concepts and key elements of design for the Schlotfeldt residence.  
3. Explain Gandhi’s view on the effects of AI and the housing market on the architecture industry. 
4. Discuss Gandhi’s value system in terms of construction and what he thinks architecture needs to focus more on. 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz



Brent Linden and Chris Brown discuss the origins and philosophy of their craft-based firm and its focus on intimate partnerships. They describe the details behind some of their recent projects, including the Sequitur Wine project in Chehalem Valley, as well as the construction of the Gradient House in Portland, Ore.’s St. Johns neighborhood on the edge of the Willamette River. Linden and Brown, whose firm is up for Architectural Record Digest’s Vanguard Award, explain the thrill of infectious optimism and the resonance that happens when architects make room for other voices.

Learning objectives:

1.    Explain how Chris and Brent each approach design in different but complementary ways.

2.    Describe how contractors and other players helped the architects shape their projects.

3.    List key lessons Linden and Brown learned from previous architectural experience.

4.    Discuss how light featured prominently in both Gradient House and Sequitur Wines projects.

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

 Lorcan O’Herlihy has worked on projects from the Louvre to affordable housing, but has always been driven by an interest in art and culture. O’Herlihy discusses his interest in creating works of consequence that take into account political, social and historic contexts in order to help bring about positive social change. The founder of Los Angeles-based Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA), Herlihy describes how his firm approached projects such as City Modern in Detroit and MLK 1101 in L.A., taking on the challenge of combining aesthetic design with efficiency in order to create beautiful and innovative structures that also meet budgets.  

Learning objectives:   

 ·     Describe how Lorcan O’Herlihy’s architectural approach is influenced by both his personal and professional experiences in the art world. 

·     List some of the ways O’Herlihy engages the communities where his projects are located. 

·     Discuss the design approach for MLK 1101 project in terms of structure and outdoor space. 

·     Explain LOHA’s idea behind the design for the Sandi Simon Center for Dance.

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW  

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Güvenç Özel discusses his trajectory, from working in the architecture office of Frank Gehry to founding his own firm. Throughout his career, the cyber-physical architect has investigated the intersection of digital and physical worlds through an exploration of culture, material, and quantum physics. In this podcast, Özel explains the ideas behind his latest project, Holoflux,” an immersive installation on the festival grounds at Coachella music festival and describes how he says the role of architecture in a world that is being depleted of its resources. 

Learning objectives:  

·     Describe what Güvenç Özel sees as the direction new generations of architects are taking. 

·     Discuss Özel’s philosophy on the interplay between technology, storytelling, and the built environment. 

·     List some of the features of Holoflux that contribute to the concepts behind its name. 

·     Explain Özel’s viewpoint on how cyber-physical approaches address sustainability issues. 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW  

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Andrew Freear discusses the Rural Studio, an off-campus design-build program of Auburn University’s architecture program. Freear explains how students get a hands-on educational experience through immersive team projects that are intricately linked to an under-served rural population in West Alabama. The program gives students the skills to negotiate projects outside of architectural academia, including with subcontractors and the local community. Freear describes how this type of education and experience gives architecture students a chance to develop imagination around rural design as well as empowers them to be agents of change and solution-makers with the ability to impact society for the better. 

Learning objectives: 

1. Explain how the Rural Studio design-build program works. 
2. Discuss how students at the Rural Studio engage with the local residents and contractors. 
3. List some reasons Freear thinks architects can benefit from working in rural communities. 
4. Describe what Freear means when he says “architecture is a political act.” 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW  

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Dan Mancina is a professional skateboarder known for being visually impaired. In this podcast, Mancina discusses some of the design elements skateboarders look for, in general, in the built environment in terms of both obstacles and backdrops. He also describes what it was like to go from being a sighted skateboarder to a visually impaired skateboarder, and how that changes the way he thinks about design. In addition, Mancina discusses his advocacy work with teaching skateboarding to visually impaired youth and provides insight into what an ideal adaptive environment could be like—both inside and outside a skatepark. 

Learning objectives:  

1. Describe some design elements and landscapes skateboarders tend to be drawn to. 
2. List the types of adjustments made to design at an adaptive skatepark. 
3. Explain how an adaptive skatepark supports the visually impaired community. 
4. Discuss how Dan Mancina would like designers to integrate skateboarding “in the wild.” 

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW  

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Overview:

Jason Frantzen discusses Herzog & de Meuron’s projects around the world, from the UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center in San Francisco to the National Library of Israel. The Switzerland-based firm’s international architectural practice focuses on creating designs that take into account the specifics of place. Landscape, local materials, community culture, surrounding architecture, local history, and other factors provide inspiration and guidance for the firm’s designs. Frantzen provides examples of how Herzog & de Meuron considers atmosphere and occupant experience, tailoring the project to elements of nature or the artifacts of civilization, rather than conforming to a particular trend or aesthetic. 

Learning objectives: 

1. Discuss how Herzog & de Meuron work to upend traditional approaches to hospitals and medical centers.
2. List some of the preliminary work the firm does before designing a project for any site.
3. Describe how the Jerusalem library project provides a cultural space in a digital age.
4. Explain the pros and cons of architecture competitions according to Frantzen.

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW 

Speaker: Aaron Prinz

Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello at Rael San Fratello

Overview:

Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello at Rael San Fratello discuss “disruption” in architecture and their view on the interplay between art and architecture. The Bay Area architects explain their thought-process behind the Teeter-Totter Wall event and provide insight into their material-based practice. They talk about their Emerging Objects company and explore questions about responsibility and sustainability in terms of new technologies in 3D printing and utilizing earthen materials. 

Learning objectives:

1.   Describe the ways in which the Teeter-Totter Wall was designed as both playful and an act of resistance.

2.   List some of the types of materials the San Fratellos have worked with in 3D printing.

3.   Discuss how both architects view art and architecture in their work.

4.   Explain the purpose of Emerging Objects and how it plays into Rael San Fratello projects.

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz