Design and Architecture

By KCRW

Arts

What's Design and Architecture about?

Host Frances Anderton looks at design and architecture from a Los Angeles perspective.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Design and Architecture episodes:

11.06.2020
LA architect rebuilds after Woolsey Fire and reflects on living in the wildland-urban interface
Geoffrey von Oeyen completed a dream house for his brother, only to see it destroyed by the Woolsey Fire two years ago. As he nears completion on the rebuild, he reflects on living in the wildland-urban interface. Also, Janna Ireland...
10.08.2020
Roman Mars turns ‘99% Invisible’ city into a 100% visible book
Roman Mars has spent 10 years using his radio show “ 99% Invisible ” to reveal the everyday quirks and delights of cities. Now he’s co-written a book called “ The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden...
09.23.2020
In an age of loneliness, Treehouse offers community that’s carefully curated and designed
Americans are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness . A coliving project in Hollywood was designed to remedy it. Then came a pandemic. Ten months after its opening, DnA explores the design of Treehouse with creative director Sean Knibb, architect...
08.28.2020
Air conditioning becomes a weapon against infection, D.J. Waldie finds the soul in Los Angeles
Ventilation has become a life or death issue as as experts find that COVID-19 infections increase in poorly ventilated interiors. DnA looks into the extreme measures being taken to improve air conditioning and asks whether outside air is cheaper and...
08.12.2020
How Bill English helped create the computer mouse, and the effort to change the face of architecture
California has around 21,000 licensed architects, and 300 of them are Black. SoCalNOMA ( National Organization of Minority Architects ) hopes to change that through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Challenge . SoCalNOMA President Lance Collins also talks about decolonizing...
08.03.2020
City of Santa Monica lets restaurants serve in parking lanes, taking on the primacy of the automobile
The restaurants on Santa Monica’s Main Street took a huge hit from the COVID-19 shutdown. So the city government, restaurant owners and nearby residents hatched a plan: get rid of parking and give over the space to diners. In doing...
07.17.2020
XPRIZE’s $1 million face mask contest, and the link between urban design and immunity
XPRIZE is offering $1 million to designers of a protective face mask that people will actually want to wear. Also, many buildings and neighborhoods are designed in a way that help cause chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes and...
06.25.2020
For an art conservator, it's hard to say goodbye to Confederate statues
Statues of slave traders and Confederate leaders are being toppled or defaced during protests following the killing of George Floyd. How does that feel to a conservator who has worked on some of them? Andrew Baxter installs and restores sculptures...
06.19.2020
How structural racism shaped LA, and what developers can do about it
Redlining, restrictive covenants, urban renewal, and building freeways through communities of color are all ways Los Angeles was shaped by structural racism. Now gentrification is a challenge. Real estate development consultant Judith Taylor explains how race has shaped place, and...
05.21.2020
Google and Twitter tell staff to keep working from home. What will happen to creative offices?
Big tech companies have remade the workplace in recent years with creative offices designed to stimulate disruption. Now Google and Twitter are telling employees they can keep on working at home — indefinitely. What does that mean for the workplace...
05.07.2020
Can LA be greener, cleaner, slower following COVID-19?
LA City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell talks about his plan to incentivize telecommuting after stay-at-home orders are lifted and other ideas for a greener, cleaner LA. Also, futurist Liam Young says there’s a path toward a slower pace and deeper humanity.
04.30.2020
Coronavirus tests the values of global cities like LA
The pandemic has brought many people pain and anxiety. To Wouter Vanstiphout, a professor of “design as politics,” it has also brought clarity about the weaknesses in the “shiny global city” and its culture, economy and values. Vanstiphout asks if...
04.23.2020
Based on past pandemics, coronavirus will bring changes to buildings and cities
Pandemics can bring about innovation, especially in design and architecture. Sam Lubell talks to DnA about changes that may come to buildings and urban design in response to COVID-19.
04.15.2020
Interior designer Kelly Wearstler can help make your home work for you
You are working at home. But is your home working for you? Kelly Wearstler has some tips to improve your interior, at whatever scale.
04.09.2020
Kelly Wearstler shares tips from her interior design MasterClass
Kelly Wearstler has held reign in interior design since arriving in Los Angeles in the 1990s. She’s now teaching an online MasterClass. Her tips for improving one's space might be timely for people sheltering in place.
04.02.2020
Construction continues as coronavirus grinds economy to a halt
LA’s construction sites are still a hotbed of activity, deemed an essential service. Could they become hotbeds for COVID-19 too?
04.02.2020
White House urges Americans to wear face masks in public. Here’s how to make your own
The CDC is recommending that all Americans should wear cloth masks or other face coverings if they go out in public — amid new concerns that infected people with no symptoms can still spread COVID-19.
03.27.2020
Long-time champion of public space reflects on impact of coronavirus on city life
LA was once a destination for people who wanted to get away from crowded East Coast cities. The ideal was a single home with a yard and a car in the driveway. But over the last few decades,...
03.26.2020
Do handsewn face masks protect against coronavirus?
As hospitals, clinics and other community organizations face a shortage of masks during the COVID-19 outbreak, homebound sewers have stepped up to help, from DIY crafters to fashion companies. Are homemade masks helpful to medical staff?
03.12.2020
With spring design fairs and travel on hold, LA designers get creative with constraints
In a normal year, many Angeleno designers and showroom owners would be packing their bags soon to head to Milan for Salone del Mobile, the massive furniture fair. But now Italy is on lockdown, and the fair has been postponed,...
03.05.2020
Redesigning the California dream
Would you choose to rent or own a condo in a multifamily building, or own a single family home? If you are an Angeleno with the means, it is likely that you would choose the latter. After all, a...
02.26.2020
Paula Benson, movie design detective
Paula Benson says she is “a nightmare to watch a film with.” That’s because she’s always pausing the screen to check the decor, ponder who designed the furnishings and where to get them.
02.19.2020
Daniel Libeskind at the ‘Edge of Order,’ Sunset Magazine, and Sound Baths
Why does an architect have to be like a “camel in the desert?” Daniel Libeskind explains why in a conversation about his new book “Edge of Order.” He also shares thoughts about maintaining hope following trauma, not working for dictators,...
02.11.2020
Frieze and the art fair effect; Lita Albuquerque at Desert X Al Ula
Desert X started in Coachella Valley, and now it’s in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. Los Angeles artist Lita Albuquerque shares why she chose to participate amidst a furor back home, saying she couldn't miss being in the country at a...
02.04.2020
Architecture in Parasite; Movie villain homes
The movie “Parasite” is favored for many Oscars, including production design. Director Bong Joon Ho talks about telling a story of class through architecture, saying he gets “pathologically excited and euphoric” when he finds a good space. Eui-Sung Yi, LA-based...
01.28.2020
Setting up shop at the Bradbury Building and Beverly Center
Two new projects are putting their own design or architectural twist on LA landmarks. We visit the famed Bradbury Building in downtown -- a popular location for shooting films such as "Blade Runner." There’s a new tenant here: the coworking...
01.22.2020
Cross Colours; Fast fashion’s hidden costs
Remember Cross Colours? The LA-based urban streetwear line was a hit in the early 90s, with bright, bold designs and uplifting messages about unity. Now the label is back, and the California African American Museum is celebrating with a...
01.14.2020
New Hollywood royalty; Netflix goes solar; Santa Monica and well-being
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping back from the British Royal Family. Will they become new Hollywood royalty? We look at the role Los Angeles may play in their lives, from shaping the couple’s influencer project to a being...
01.07.2020
Remembering “visual futurist” Syd Mead; hunting for vintage clothing at ThriftCon LA
Syd Mead envisoned vehicles, streetscapes and gadgets for Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens and many other films. He died December 30 at age 86. DnA pays tribute to this “visual futurist” who anticipated, and inspired, new technologies and the...
12.31.2019
Can you design your way out of smartphone addiction?
Your smartphone is addictive. Do you need to “Marie Kondo” your apps, put down the phone altogether, or use it as a “drug” dispensary? DnA takes a tour of hidden LA bars that ban phones, talks with a computer scientist...
12.22.2019
Dar Williams on how to rebuild small town America
Singer-songwriter Dar Williams has spent years on the road and along the way she learned a lot about America’s small towns and what makes them thrive. She talks about her book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns , and...
12.17.2019
La Brea Tar Pits; Cinderella Homes; General Hospital
The La Brea Tar Pits has a new design team that won’t uproot the mammoth family from its lake of tar. DnA talks to architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi of Weiss/Manfredi about how they plan to maintain the “thereness”...
12.10.2019
UCLA’s graduate art studios; Where stuff goes after the thrift store
How do you make your own architectural statement on a street filled with eye-grabbing Eric Owen Moss buildings? Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee talk about bringing “decorum,” pillowed tilt-up concrete and hidden outdoor rooms to their subtle...
12.03.2019
More housing for rich LA cities; West Coast Craft
A dramatic decision by a little-known planning agency may impact how much new housing goes up in your city. The board of the Southern California Association of Governments, or SCAG, voted recently to allocate more housing in coastal, job-rich cities...
11.26.2019
Ray Kappe; LA Auto Show colors; Le Corbuffet
Ray Kappe, creator of stunning homes and a highly original architecture school, has passed at age 92. DnA gives tribute to a well-lived life. Did you know that you can learn about the fuel usage of a car by its...
11.19.2019
Streetlight competition; WALLS
The city of LA is launching a competition to design a new streetlight. LA's chief design officer Christopher Hawthorne tells DnA about the history of LA's streetlights, and what the city is looking for in a new streetlight. And when...
11.12.2019
Marciano and ‘art labor’; Shortlisted!
Marciano Art Foundation is closing. The news came days after visitor services associates announced their intention to unionize. DnA attends a protest outside the Wilshire museum to hear about the role of low-paid labor in the highly lucrative world...
11.05.2019
Creating buzz in the city: Ian Schrager; Horton Plaza
The co-founder of Studio 54 is opening a new boutique hotel in West Hollywood. Veteran hotelier Ian Schrager talks about his colorful life and career creating spaces to attract the in-crowd. And filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer tells us about the dramatic...
10.29.2019
Fighting the Getty Fire; the science of scary; Sneakertopia
The Getty Fire has spread to hundreds of acres, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate. But the Getty Center, with its priceless collection of art and artifacts, was designed to withstand the flames. Plus, how safe is...
10.22.2019
Saudi Arabia invites dialogue with American artists and designers, but there’s pushback
Saudi Arabia has an image problem. But it has become a new frontier for American artists and designers. We look at the controversy surrounding site-specific art festival Desert X's planned expansion to Saudi Arabia, and we talk to an LA-based...
10.15.2019
Building housing affordably; drag through the ages
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 18 bills last week to boost housing production. Does this mean the housing crisis is solved? DnA talks to Angela Brooks and Larry Scarpa about the “elephant in the room” that was left out of the...
10.08.2019
Cross Colours; Fast fashion’s hidden costs
Remember Cross Colours? The LA-based urban streetwear line was a hit in the early 90s, with bright, bold designs and uplifting messages about unity. Now the label is back, and the California African American Museum is celebrating with a...
10.01.2019
Coworking after WeWork; Autographs of LA
The coworking giant WeWork said it would raise world consciousness and rebuild cities, with help from architect Bjarke Ingels. Now it has pulled its IPO, after firing its CEO last week. Where does that leave WeWork and coworking spaces in...
09.17.2019
Huntington at 100, Notes on Decor
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens was established 100 years ago. But Henry Huntington’s footprint was far bigger than that. DnA looks at the man who was “probably the most important urban planner L.A. has ever had,” and...
09.10.2019
Climate activism goes mainstream, from Porsche to porn
Will an all-electric Porsche drive sports car lovers to embrace clean energy vehicles? Can an adult video site help clean up plastic trash in the oceans? DnA looks at the climate messaging coming from unexpected quarters, even as the White...
09.03.2019
Promenade 3.0; Kunlé Adeyemi
After it opened in 1989, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade became one of the most popular shopping and entertainment destinations in the world. But the Internet has changed how we shop, watch movies and order food. So business leaders and...
08.27.2019
Music Center Plaza; LA’s new tree czar
The Music Center Plaza, opened in 1964 with a design by architect Welton Becket, has been reimagined for pedestrians rather than cars. “We had to walk a line between preserving as best we could what was here, but making it...
08.20.2019
Fifteen strangers share a house; Bird’s sustainability pitch
A large two-story Craftsman house on a residential street in Koreatown has been subdivided into 15 single-occupancy bedrooms and bathrooms, and common living and dining areas. “Cohaus” creates community and adds density without changing the...
08.13.2019
Reimagining Museum Row; upending the general contractor industry
Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard is in the midst of some big changes, with major projects at the Petersen, Academy Museum, LACMA, La Brea Tar Pits and Craft Contemporary. Will these schemes be united, and how will they greet the...
08.06.2019
Sumptuous swimming pools; AfriCOBRA’s black power art
Summer in Southern California means swimming pools, and those glittering havens from the heat are celebrated in the new book “Splash: The Art of the Swimming Pool,” a collaboration between photographer Tim Street-Porter and his wife, the...

What's Design and Architecture about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Design and Architecture episodes:

LA architect rebuilds after Woolsey Fire and reflects on living in the wildland-urban interface

Roman Mars turns ‘99% Invisible’ city into a 100% visible book

In an age of loneliness, Treehouse offers community that’s carefully curated and designed

Air conditioning becomes a weapon against infection, D.J. Waldie finds the soul in Los Angeles

How Bill English helped create the computer mouse, and the effort to change the face of architecture

City of Santa Monica lets restaurants serve in parking lanes, taking on the primacy of the automobile

XPRIZE’s $1 million face mask contest, and the link between urban design and immunity

For an art conservator, it's hard to say goodbye to Confederate statues

How structural racism shaped LA, and what developers can do about it

Google and Twitter tell staff to keep working from home. What will happen to creative offices?

Can LA be greener, cleaner, slower following COVID-19?

Coronavirus tests the values of global cities like LA

Based on past pandemics, coronavirus will bring changes to buildings and cities

Interior designer Kelly Wearstler can help make your home work for you

Kelly Wearstler shares tips from her interior design MasterClass

Construction continues as coronavirus grinds economy to a halt

White House urges Americans to wear face masks in public. Here’s how to make your own

Long-time champion of public space reflects on impact of coronavirus on city life

Do handsewn face masks protect against coronavirus?

With spring design fairs and travel on hold, LA designers get creative with constraints

Redesigning the California dream

Paula Benson, movie design detective

Daniel Libeskind at the ‘Edge of Order,’ Sunset Magazine, and Sound Baths

Frieze and the art fair effect; Lita Albuquerque at Desert X Al Ula

Architecture in Parasite; Movie villain homes

Setting up shop at the Bradbury Building and Beverly Center

Cross Colours; Fast fashion’s hidden costs

New Hollywood royalty; Netflix goes solar; Santa Monica and well-being

Remembering “visual futurist” Syd Mead; hunting for vintage clothing at ThriftCon LA

Can you design your way out of smartphone addiction?

Dar Williams on how to rebuild small town America

La Brea Tar Pits; Cinderella Homes; General Hospital

UCLA’s graduate art studios; Where stuff goes after the thrift store

More housing for rich LA cities; West Coast Craft

Ray Kappe; LA Auto Show colors; Le Corbuffet

Streetlight competition; WALLS

Marciano and ‘art labor’; Shortlisted!

Creating buzz in the city: Ian Schrager; Horton Plaza

Fighting the Getty Fire; the science of scary; Sneakertopia

Saudi Arabia invites dialogue with American artists and designers, but there’s pushback

Building housing affordably; drag through the ages

Cross Colours; Fast fashion’s hidden costs

Coworking after WeWork; Autographs of LA

Huntington at 100, Notes on Decor

Climate activism goes mainstream, from Porsche to porn

Promenade 3.0; Kunlé Adeyemi

Music Center Plaza; LA’s new tree czar

Fifteen strangers share a house; Bird’s sustainability pitch

Reimagining Museum Row; upending the general contractor industry

Sumptuous swimming pools; AfriCOBRA’s black power art