This week, starting today, we are releasing a series of conversations, or "Mini-Sessions", with architects and designers in LA and Detroit, in partnership with the Los Angeles Design Festival. The festival will be taking place in Downtown LA from June 8 to 11th. First up is with Edwin Chan of the LA-based EC3. Edwin began his career, immediately after graduating in the mid-80’s from Harvard’s GSD program, at the office of Frank O. Gehry & Associates. While at Gehry’s office he worked as design partner on numerous iconic projects including the Vitra International Factory & Design Museum, Venice Gateway, Foundation Louis Vuitton, and the Guggenheim Bilbao. Since 2012 he has been working on projects at a variety of scales from his own office EC3 in Venice Beach. I spoke with him about this work, and as it relates to two cities that he’s currently active in - Los Angeles and Detroit.

If you’re able to attend the LA Design Festival, Edwin will be on a live panel, titled LAX >< DET, discussing the connection between LA and Detroit, a collaboration with the Detroit Design Festival. The event will be taking place on June 10th, from 2-4pm at ROW DTLA 777 Alameda Street, and will also include Chris Denson, Lorcan O’Herlihy, and Eileen Lee.

Projects discussed in the show...

Edwin Chan worked as Design Partner, while at Frank Gehry's office, on the infamous Guggenheim Bilbao.

FRANKY is a 21st Century re-imagining of Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein, produced by The Absolutely Fabulous Theater Connection (AFTEC) in Hong Kong, under the artistic direction of acclaimed director Dr. Vicki Oi.

Mulholland Drive Residence by EC3

True North is the first ground-up mixed-use development by EC3 in the city of Detroit, which is undergoing a profound transformation to reinvent itself as an incubator for design and innovation. Located 2 ½ miles from Downtown, in a low-key, spacious residential section of the city, the project will be the first new construction in the area in over 60 years. Conceived with the aspiration to foster affordable and sustainable lifestyle, True North is pioneering for both where and what is being built.