Archinect - News

Networking tip: Small talk

2019-10-21T14:15:00-04:00

Small talk is a dreaded practice for many professionals. It's often forced, and the parties involved participate out of obligation as opposed to genuine interest. Naturally, there are those of us who don't mind it, we actually enjoy it. Instead of hysterically pressing the close door button in the elevator, we hold the door, and seemlessly start a little small talk.

But, there are those of us who, on our way to get coffee, turn around and go back to our desks if we see someone else in the break room. I can wait, we think, I want to get my coffee in peace. We put on our headphones to signal we are busy and avoid eye contact with our talkative peers.

It's easier to pull this off during the work day, even at lunch, we can continue our avoidance, but in social settings we aren't so fortunate. What about Beer Fridays? Holiday parties? Networking events? Even meetings? Will our anti-social tendencies serve us well in these settings? It's not always the best idea to alienate ourselves f...

The Architect and The Artist: Frank Gehry and Ai Weiwei meet for a memorable conversation

2019-02-14T13:42:00-05:00

For Deitch’s gallery, Gehry, 89, transformed a 15,000-square-foot former movie-lighting warehouse in Hollywood into a bright exhibition space. Ai then filled the gallery with a series of Chinese zodiac-themed works made out of Legos and a sweeping installation, first shown in 2014: a mass of nearly 6,000 antique wooden stools, scavenged from antique furniture dealers in China...

As cultural renegades of the art and architecture world, it's safe to say both have more similarities than differences. During their careers, both have had their hand in art and architecture practice. Ai Weiwei has collaborated with Herzog & de Meuron for the Beijing Olympic's 2008 Bird's Nest stadium as well as his design works for an art gallery in Beverly Hills. Frank Gehry has produced sculptural pieces like his memorable Fish Lamps and his cardboard Carumba Experimental Edges chair. After their contributions to the Deitch's gallery, Gehry who designed the space and Weiwei exhibiting his work, the two sat together to discuss their views on architecture, art, and their iconic professional careers.

Below are excerpts taken from their conversation with the NY Times written by Jori Finkel.

When discussing project freedoms between galleries and developers the two discussed their experiences.

FG: You know, I grew up in the art world — this was the way I wanted to work, more hands-on, ...

Archinect's Founder, Paul Petrunia, shares his true feelings about Archinect's trolls

2019-02-06T16:45:00-05:00

With a plethora of podcasts readily available, sometimes a good one worth listening to is hard to come by. This week Archinect's very own Founder/Director, Paul Petrunia, sat down with David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, from Midnight Charette, to discuss an array of topics. Known for their informal, unscripted, and in-depth interviews, Paul discusses Archinect's humble beginnings back in 1997 (22 years ago!), the problem with journalism today and the faults of internet technology, expanding Archinect into print and retail, dealing with forum moderation and trolls, and much more. The entire conversation runs almost 2 hours long.

Finding a balance between light-hearted discussion and in-depth design focused conversations Midnight Charette has created a platform, especially for young design professionals, to hear and learn what's out there in the profession. Known for their "brutally honest and often not work appropriate" discussions, these podcasts should be added to the must listen t...

Working in zero privacy: new monitoring technology tracks every motion and word

2017-02-28T17:35:00-05:00

Although it's not shocking that companies like Gensler have automated on/off sensors in their lighting grid to save energy when no one's in the office, it's slightly less comforting to realize that many companies are now using sensors to monitor when employees are at their desks, if they're talking with their fellow co-workers, and how long they're in the bathroom. (Makes one harken for the days when workers were judged by what they actually produced, as opposed to their process of production.) As Marketplace reports, one of the new privacy-free devices is called "Humanyze":

They’re in a badge you wear around [your] neck, kind of like an ID badge. And they measure this thing called “latency” to see how often people are interacting with their co-workers. Which, to me, sounds like a little bit much. But they claim the data is anonymized, and they don’t record exactly what you’re saying, or at least they don’t share that with your employer.... The Boston Consulting Group is using it to...

Get Lectured: SCI-Arc, Spring '16

2016-01-07T13:27:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2016

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

The next featured poster comes from SCI-Arc, with their "Duels + Duets" lecture event series for Spring 2016. In addition to lectures and exhibitions, the series features unscripted conversations between some leading architecture figures.

Take a gander at the upcoming events below.

Jan 27
Robert Somol

Feb 10
Mohsen Mostafavi

Feb 24
Peter Testa + Greg Lynn

March 2
Ray Kappe + Hernan Diaz Alonso

March 4
Gregory Crewdson

March 9
Antoine Picon

March 11
Close-up: SCI-Arc Gallery Exhibition Opening Reception

March 14
Timothy Morton

March 16
Michael Fried

March 18
Ellie...

Paul Goldberger cements Frank Gehry's narrative at The Getty Center

2015-09-30T14:24:00-04:00

In a lecture hall that sat a third empty due to the eclipsed "super blood moon" transpiring outside, Paul Goldberger discussed his new biography of Frank Gehry, "Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry" with J. Paul Getty Trust C.E.O. James Cuno at The Getty Center.

Goldberger spent the first part of the evening recounting of the well-known narrative of Gehry's life: a Canadian Jewish working-class boy, Gehry moved from chilly Toronto with his ailing father to the warmer climes of Los Angeles, eventually becoming the city's, if not the world's, most iconic architect. After paying the bills in his early adulthood by driving trucks, Gehry enrolled at USC and then on to Harvard, where he completed his studies in architecture. He went on to work for a variety of architects including Victor Gruen, and on projects including 1961's so-called "futuristic building" at LAX (although, Goldberger was careful to note, in a purely junior capacity). Goldberger framed Gehry's existence not...