Archinect - Features

‘We Have To Get Much Better at Speaking To Wider and Wider Audiences:’ A Conversation With USC Architecture Dean Brett Steele

2024-10-09T12:03:00-04:00

In February 2024, Brett Steele took up the position of Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Since then, Steele has been busy capitalizing on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with leading a Los Angeles design school in a city known globally for its creativity; a landscape Steele also experienced in his past roles at fellow Los Angeles school UCLA and at the AA in London.

Steele's mission at USC centers not only on preparing students for unpredictable futures but also on "speaking to wider and wider audiences." In that spirit, USC architecture students forge links with their peers in landscape, building science, and beyond, led by a faculty of diverse practitioners. "This isn't a place to just show up for courses; you've got to want to absorb everything around you," Steele notes.

In September 2024, Archinect's Niall Patrick Walsh caught up with Steele as part of our Deans List series to gain an insight into USC Architecture's approach t...

'Everything in Design Is Extremely Collaborative': A Conversation with Emerging Architecture Practice Studio MUKA

2023-09-01T08:13:00-04:00

Starting your own practice comes with a mixture of excitement, collaboration, stressors, and endless problem-solving. As a new firm, architects Neda Kakhsaz and Zabie Mustafa are developing their approach to architectural design and how they would like to make their mark within the industry. After meeting as architecture students at Pratt Institute, they have embarked on showcasing their design sensibilities by creating strong narratives surrounded by a specific "theme or topic as it relates to the sensibilities of the project location" with their collaborators and clients.

For our latest Studio Snapshots installment, we chat with Neda and Zabie, co-founders of Studio MUKA, to discuss their journey of starting their own firm and what they hope to create as a budding design practice.

Breaking Down Architectural Techniques With USC School of Architecture’s Foundational Graduate Studio

2023-01-13T08:30:00-05:00

Kicking off 2023, we've connected with USC School of Architecture to learn more about one of its graduate studios taught by instructors Ryan Tyler Martinez of Studio Ryan Tyler Martinez and Jimenez Lai of BUREAU SPECTACULAR.

For our latest installment of Archinect Studio Pin-Ups, we explore Graduate Studio 1: Form, Order, and Representation. This foundational studio focused on giving students with no previous architecture backgrounds an opportunity to gain "experience to foundational design concepts, disciplinary knowledge, and techniques for thinking about and developing fundamental architectural principles." Comprised of three studio projects and a field trip to Chicago, first-year graduate students could learn, explore, and apply these foundational design principles as they continue their studies.

Gehry Prize Winner Sophie Akoury Retells Histories of the LA River Through an Architectural and Archival Lens

2023-01-06T14:12:00-05:00

During SCI-Arc's 2022 M.Arch graduation, three students were awarded the Gehry Prize for the Best Graduate Thesis. In December, we highlighted prize winners Ian Wong and Sue Choi for their project, Earthly Passage. Continuing with our Thesis Review series, we connected with the third Gehry Prize winner, M.Arch graduate Sophie Akoury, to discuss her project, 51mi + 25km = 13ft.

Akoury shares her motivation behind exploring the city's infamous LA River and how its physical and historical existence parallels Lebanon's Beirut River. "Few places can be as contradicting as the Los Angeles River. Without it, LA would not exist (which sounds quite surprising since its existence is often neglected, and calling it a 'river' is sometimes questionable)," she explained. "When I moved to Downtown Los Angeles from Lebanon, I noticed the Los Angeles River's uncanny resemblance to the Beirut River. That intrigued me since the two cities are so different yet share almost the same urban entity as a pa...

UCLA AUD's M.Arch Research Studio Explores Speculative 'Future Histories' of Los Angeles

2022-12-15T13:57:00-05:00

The latest installment in Archinect's Studio Pin-Ups series presents graduate student work from one of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design (AUD)'s Research Studio Seminars. The studio, titled "Future [Hi]Stories of the City," is led by Kutan Ayata, AUD's Vice Chair, Associate Professor, and co-founder of Brooklyn-based architecture practice Young & Ayata.

This research-based studio encouraged M.Arch students to explore and document "speculative future histories of Los Angeles through the design of episodic instances. In pairs, students choose an issue that currently pressures and influences the development of LA; the task is to document the state and impact of these issues towards the Year 2062."

ORA’s Oonagh Ryan and James Guillou Talk About Balancing Diversity With Specialization

2022-11-21T14:18:00-05:00

In this installment of our Studio Snapshot series, we had the pleasure of chatting with ORA, a Los Angeles-based boutique studio that has been steadily putting out exquisite designs since 2014 while picking up recognitions, among them the Emerging Practice Award as an AIA Los Angeles Presidential Honoree.

Founding Principal Oonagh Ryan, together with Associate Principal James Guillou, talks about the benefits of varied perspectives, balancing diversity with specialization as a small firm, and the joys of achieving good design by creatively turning constraints into unique opportunities.

TALLER’s Luis Gil on Balancing Design Idealism and Development Pragmatism

2022-11-15T10:49:00-05:00

For some, architecture is a calling; for others, they're called to the profession in unexpected ways. This is the case for Luis Gil, architect and founder of the LA-based practice TALLER (tah-yehr).

For the latest installment of Archinect's Studio Snapshot series, we connected with Gil to learn more about the firm he established and his journey to architecture. We discuss the challenges and benefits of running your own practice, what he looks for in new team members, and what he strives to change when it comes to the industry's problematic work culture.

‘I Seek To Create an Escape From Everyday Life’; A Conversation With Ma Yansong of MAD Architects

2022-10-15T07:16:00-04:00

Much has changed for Ma Yansong since Archinect last spoke to him in 2014. From their roots in Beijing, China, Yansong’s firm MAD Architects has expanded to offices in Los Angeles and Rome, employing over 160 people on major architectural commissions. In 2022 alone, our editorial has offered updates on the firm’s work across continents, be it the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, the Cloud Center in Aranya, China, or the commercial MoLo complex in Milan. Added to this list in October was the Quzhou Sports Park, whose newly-completed stadium marks the first step in what will become the world’s largest earth-sheltered complex.

Following news of the stadium’s completion, Archinect’s Niall Patrick Walsh spoke with Ma Yansong for an insight into the project, and how it represents MAD’s architectural philosophy. We also use the discussion to reflect on Yansong’s own journey through architecture, his role in MAD, and his thoughts on nature, cities, and history. The discussion, ...

Los Angeles Reckons with a Dark History by Asking the Public How to Memorialize the 1871 Chinese Massacre

2022-09-30T18:40:00-04:00

Architects and artists are frequently asked to contribute their ideas for proposed memorials and other works of public art. The City of Los Angeles recently issued a Request for Ideas (RFI) that many designers may find compelling at a time when America's history of race relations and violence are top of mind for many Americans.

Michael Pinto, Principal at NAC Architecture in Los Angeles, discussed the new L.A. RFI with two figures deeply involved in laying the groundwork for a new memorial to the 1871 Massacre of 18 Chinese in Los Angeles that was the largest mass killing in the city's history. Pinto, an advisor to the memorial process, spoke with Christopher Hawthorne, Chief Design Officer for the City of Los Angeles (and former L.A. Times architecture critic), and Michael Woo, an urban planner who is a former city council member and dean emeritus of Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design.

California Architecture Students Celebrated Through Exhibition and Scholarship at the 2021 2x8:Assemblies Student Showcase

2021-12-03T15:04:00-05:00

California is home to public and private educational institutions that offer architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and urban planning programs — not to mention the myriad of community colleges providing notable two-year programs. In 2002, the AIA Los Angeles and a group of LA-based architects, architecture faculty, and design collaborators launched the first 2x8 Exhibition at the A+D Museum in the Bradbury building. Fast forward 19 years later, the 2x8 Exhibition has become the foremost student-focused architecture exhibition and scholarship event in Los Angeles.

Archinect has been a frequent supporter and media sponsor of the 2x8 Exhibition and Student Awards Program. While last year's exhibition and awards ceremony was conducted virtually, the current iteration, 2x8:Assemblies, features a collection of outstanding student works, enthusiastic exhibition designers, and a community of supportive architects, design professionals, and visitors.

SCI-Arc Graduate Responds to Pandemic by Exploring the Idea of ‘Openness in a Contemporary Urban Setting’ Using Downtown LA

2021-11-23T13:32:00-05:00

The pandemic has influenced students in more ways than one, further questioning their views on the state of architecture today. For this iteration of Archinect's Thesis Review series, SCI-Arc graduate Abdullah Tahseen (M.Arch) explores the opportunities of "openness in a contemporary urban setting."

In his thesis project, An Act of Opening, Tahseen uses Downtown Los Angeles as a backdrop to explore the question: "How can architecture establish openness by encouraging environments that cultivate creativity, human engagement, and collaboration through the design of captivating and inventive spaces?" During this interview, Tahseen explains how his thesis was inspired by the transformation of workspaces during the pandemic. He also shares his thoughts on the topic of "thesis" itself and how he feels about the industry today.

Barbara Bestor Reflects on the Julius Shulman Institute and Woodbury University's Commitment to Celebrating Architectural Photography Through Exhibition

2021-10-29T10:13:00-04:00

Architecture and photography are two disciplines whose relationship has blossomed into visual documentation used repeatedly for reference, inspiration, and research. While there are many architectural photographers whose work has been exemplary in presenting the public with a glimpse into the world of architecture, Julius Shulman remains an industry icon and pioneer in the field. Since 2005, the Julius Shulman Institute (JSI) has acted as an important bridge for Woodbury University to connect the public with the disciplines of architecture and photography. To learn more about the JSI, its history, and its mission, I spoke with Woodbury University's Julius Shulman Distinguished Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the JSI, Barbara Bestor.

"Our goal is to change the way Architecture and photography of the built environment are understood and presented in our culture and museums," shared Bestor. "It's rare for there to be an architecture department in any given museum. On t...

In With the Old: The Los Angeles Conservancy’s Adrian Scott-Fine on the Past, Present, and Future of Conservation Work in L.A.

2021-10-14T09:00:00-04:00

Los Angeles, a city that is perhaps the most filmed, photographed, and written about metropolitan area in modern history, has been at the center of public discourse surrounding the typical array of conservation issues in the past few years as more and more of the former Spanish Pueblo falls victim to development schemes and the pressure to modernize.

Now, as the city stands poised for an unprecedented decade of changes in which it will play host to the 2028 Olympic Games, the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Adrian Scott-Fine sits down with Archinect for a conversation about some of the challenges, recent developments, and contriving dilemmas facing conservationists in the City of Angels.

A former Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Scott-Fine shares his thoughts on the group’s efforts and upcoming projects in this exclusive interview.

SCI-Arc Graduate and 2021 Gehry Prize Winner Proposes New Perspectives Between City Structures and Augmented Reality Holograms

2021-10-13T09:00:00-04:00

Continuing with Archinect's commitment to highlighting students and their academic work, we connected with SCI-Arc M.Arch II graduate Burak Celik. As the 2021 Gehry Prize Winner for best thesis, Celik talks to us about his project "Super•positioning." He uses Los Angeles as a backdrop for exploring architecture and its relationship between digital and analog, reality and speculation, and how the use of superpositioning allowed him to question other architectural perspectives. The word superposition is defined as "the placement of one thing above or on top of another" and "the combination of two distinct physical phenomena of the same type (such as spin or wavelength) so that they coexist as part of the same event." Celik uses this as the basis for thesis exploration.

"Today's digital culture would be embraced by architects not only as a means of software and tools but also as a complete architectural experience by the viewer," Celik explains and continues by sharing: "Through superp...

Reyner Banham Is Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies at 50

2021-08-19T07:59:00-04:00

If you have an interest in Los Angeles, you also have a copy of Reyner Banham's Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. My own is a mid-1980s Pelican paperback, which I chose because it had the dumbest cover of all the editions. Though it shares with previous printings the image of David Hockney's A Bigger Splash, an unimpeachable representation of a certain midcentury vision of the city's hauntingly good life, its title replaces their elegant Helvetica with letterforms better suited to a post-apocalyptic action movie gone straight to video. "Angeles" is spelled out in forward-slanting, shadow-casting, bright yellow capitals but for the red initial "A," rendered as if hastily spray-painted and set inside a circle to form the 1970s anarchy symbol. Right, Los Angeles — that's the zone of semi-controlled urban chaos obedient to no conventional rules or order, architectural or otherwise, isn't it?

‘As Compton Natives, It Is Our Lifelong Goal to Give Back to the Community’ — Gallery 90220’s Founder on Empowering a New Generation of Black and Brown Artists in Los Angeles

2021-08-05T11:54:00-04:00

A new Black-owned and operated gallery has just opened in South Los Angeles, sprouting out of a vibrant artistic revival in Compton, California, and paving the way for an urban renaissance centered around the artistic expression of Black and Brown creatives.

FireCity | FireLAnd: New Models of Resilience and Community with UCLA's Hitoshi Abe and Jeffrey Inaba's Research Studios

2021-07-22T13:48:00-04:00

What does building resiliency look like for urban landscapes? With the effects of climate change increasing, architects, urban planners, and landscape architects must work towards land use design strategies while having humans and nature coexist effectively.

The University of California, Los Angeles Department of Architecture and Urban Design's faculty and students continue to unpack challenges between land development and urban conditions. An institution that focuses on collaborative research between its students and faculty, it strives to create learning environments fueled by experimentation and discovery. To highlight these initiatives, Archinect connected with Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba and Professor Hitoshi Abe to discuss their collaborative research studios FireCity and FireLAnd. In addition, they explain common misconceptions students have when learning about urban regeneration, land use, and ways to approach design strategies for fire resilient urban infrastr...

spatial practice on Becoming a Global Player as a Small Team

2021-04-07T08:18:00-04:00

spatial practice is a small Hong Kong-and-soon-to-be-Los Angeles-based collaborative partnership established by Dora Chi and Erik Amir. Initially founded in Beijing, the young firm very quickly gained exposure to projects of a scale that often remains reserved for more established offices.

In our latest Studio Snapshot, we had the pleasure of chatting with Chi and Amir about their journey so far, if and how the pandemic has impacted their operations throughout the past year, and what they look forward to with the opening of their new California studio.

Woods + Dangaran on Creating Architecture as an Act of Purpose and Intentionality

2021-03-01T12:45:00-05:00

For today's Studio Snapshot episode, Archinect interviewed Brett Woods and Joseph Dangaran, co-founders of Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design firm Woods + Dangaran.

Established during the greatest recession in a generation, the small practice had to maneuver rough economic waters in its early years, ultimately equipping the team with the confidence and skills needed to weather the economic downturn and operational challenges of the global pandemic a mere decade later.

The conversation touched on the team's flexible structure, the importance of a positive and encouraging studio environment, and the desire for timeless design.

Discussing Technology and 'Architecture as Transient Media' With Güvenç Özel and Benjamin Ennemoser of UCLA's IDEAS Technology Studio

2021-02-19T13:39:00-05:00

Architecture is currently at the cusp of a paradigm shift, where the environments we occupy are becoming increasingly virtual and mobile. Considered as an ecosystem of technologies rather than a tectonic assemblage of materials, architecture is shifting toward a non-static and non-physical form of experience. This opens up the potential for it to be considered as a transdisciplinary medium that merges the worlds of fabrication, gaming, and media design.

The IDEAS Technology Studio, one of four studios offered as part of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (M.S.AUD) program, investigates the design of new media in digital and physical forms and its potential to radically transform the human experience. Recognized as a leading research institution UCLA Architecture and Urban Design is also a part of the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture. This unique blend and integration of departments allow both students and faculty "to connect ...

How Jessy Escobedo Is Changing the Approach to Designing Environments With New Tools and Principles

2021-02-08T13:06:00-05:00

In our fourth and final installment of our 4-part series Designers in Tech, Alessio Grancini, Prototyper Engineer at Magic Leap and ex-Morphosis XR developer, speaks with Jessy Escobedo, Product Designer at Magic Leap.

Jessy is a community-centered product designer and strategist interested in near and far futures. As a developer of PlannAR, her work intersects technology and architecture considering the opinion of the community first.

A Studio Visit With Frederick Fisher & Partners as They Embark Upon the Next Phase of Practice

2020-12-17T09:30:00-05:00

For nearly 30 years, Frederick Fisher and Partners (FF&P) has occupied an enviable position within contemporary architecture as a design practice that takes on diverse and adventurous clients in realms that include residences, artist studios, universities, and other cultural institutions and foundations.

The Los Angeles and New York City-based practice was founded in 1981 by Frederick Fisher, the son of an architect who initially resisted pursuing a career in design himself but reconsidered after having read Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. After attending architecture graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fisher spent a few years working with Frank Gehry before launching his own practice. With the help of a skilled team, FF&P has developed an evolving architectural perspective that fuses the practicality and comfort of domestic architecture with the raw and malleable nature of artist spaces, bringing material refinement, organizational flexibili...

Cal Poly Pomona's Undergraduate Architecture Program Aims To Shape the Industry with Students Ready for Professional Practice

2020-11-17T12:46:00-05:00

While the notion of attending college has shifted over the years, many students look for programs that will provide a strong academic foundation and the tools to become successful professionals.

Choosing to pursue a bachelor's degree in architecture is no easy task. While the idea of becoming an architect is still an alluring profession, the intensity and rigor of an architecture program is not for the faint of heart. According to Cal Poly Pomona Department Chair George Proctor AIA, "Many first-year students of architecture discover that while the discipline is demanding, it offers far more than common preconceptions. A degree in architecture can open the door to a variety of career and professional opportunities. A degree in architecture is not like that of other disciplines, is an amalgamation of many, and could be described as a structured liberal arts degree. Every studio offers students an opportunity to learn about both, the design of buildings and environments and, the peo...

The 2020 2x8 Exhibition Celebrates the Work of California's Architecture Students

2020-11-02T12:22:00-05:00

Since the launch of the first-ever 2x8 Exhibition in 2002, AIA Los Angeles and the 2x8 exhibition team have dedicated their time and effort to curate an eclectic mix of student work showcasing the very best California architecture schools have to offer.

What makes the 2x8 Exhibition so unique is its focus on providing a unique experience for students across as many as 20 schools to showcase their studio work. In addition to a detailed curation of student projects, the 2x8 also highlights faculty work thanks to its open call for site installations. Before the event, faculty are invited to submit their plans for a site-specific installation that will accompany the selected student works.

Although 2020 was filled with much adversity, architecture students across the country adapted to the challenges. They transitioned to remote learning as they strived to stay motivated and dedicated to their architectural education. This year, since in-person events have been put on hold, AIA Los Ang...

Woodbury Graduate Isabel Rodriguez Explores Hybrid Housing Options for Los Angeles

2020-10-13T13:20:00-04:00

B.Arch graduate Isabel Rodriguez of Woodbury University explored alternative housing possibilities for Los Angeles in her thesis, E-Hauze. Rodriguez explains her project "explores the positive effects of hybridizing housing and an industrialized facility [...] The typical way we live in Los Angeles needs to change. The way we design our build environment should reflect our intention to integrate."

Students across the globe have persisted during a year filled with challenges due to the pandemic. To highlight their work, we connected with students like Rodriquez to learn about her thesis project and how it responds to Los Angeles's housing crisis, her perspectives on the industry, and her experience with hunting for a job after graduating.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been an extraordinarily challenging year for architecture graduates. Students were displaced as schools shut down, academic communities had to adapt to a new virtual format, end-of-year celebra...

ALLTHATISSOLID Talk Remote Work, Architectural Perspectives, and Starting Their Practice During a Recession

2020-07-28T12:22:00-04:00

Running a practice, in general, is no easy task, however as the onslaught that is 2020 continues, it's been made clear that studios and firms will continue to be challenged in unforeseen ways. Although the events that have taken place this year have prompted many re-evaluations within the industry, practices like ALLTHATISSOLID are using this abundance of obstacles to pause, reassess, and persevere.

The Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur-based architecture practice consists of architects Max Kuo, Alex Chew, and Danielle Wagner. When the trio met as students in UCLA's Architecture and Urban Design M.Arch program, their bond over architecture, influential female figures, and creating a practice that "designs at many scales" helped establish the ethos of their studio. Starting their practice during the 2008 recession, they share their thoughts on the pandemic and the future of the industry.

For this week's Studio Snapshot, Archinect connected with Kuo, Chew, and Wagner to discuss their studi...

USC M.Arch Graduate Fabian Dietrich Creates an "Urban Architectural Metaphor" for Southern California

2020-07-27T14:00:00-04:00

Imagine dissecting a region and collaging areas together in order to study the relationships between two different urban landscapes. Fabian Dietrich uses his thesis, Long Air, or L.A, to do just this by creating "a composite of disparate communities, united by the shared idea of a city." Influenced by British architecture duo Smout Allen and their two drawing series LA To Be Done and LA Recalculated, Dietrich creates a conceptual cut-out using two Southern California cities, Bel Air and Long Beach, to test his hypothesis.

Since completing his M.Arch from the University of Southern California (USC), Dietrich's job search has been a bit different from other COVID-19 era graduates, as he has been able to successfully enter the workforce. Dietrich shares his own perspectives as an international student to observe how the industry has been affected by the pandemic and what students should take away from these challenging times.

Archinect's Spotlight on 2020 Thesis Projects: 2020 has been...

UCLA's Chinmayi Suri, Xinran Ge, and Xue Zhao Reshape LA's Mountaintops

2020-07-17T13:17:00-04:00

The iconic hills of Los Angeles not only play a role in the city's eccentric history, but also shape its land use trends over the decades. Chinmayi Suri, Xinran Ge ,and Xue Zhao are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect connected with the trio to discuss their final project, Third Mountain. Studying within the school's IDEAS - Urban Strategy program led by Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer, and David Jimenez Iniesta, the students explore a the addition of new urban fabric for the city of Los Angeles. According to the group, "These new sites [Third Mountain project] create a different identity for Los Angeles’s urban fabric, inspiring new glamour and ideas of building with earth and landscapes."

The research-based projects at UCLA's IDEA's campus, according to the educators, push students to not only conceptualize possible outcomes through data and prototyping but also to foster solutions fo...

UCLA AUD Master of Architecture II Students Interrogate the Climate Risk of LA Real Estate

2020-06-23T09:00:00-04:00

Wenhan Dong, Linyi Zhang, and Xiyan Wang are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect caught up with Dong, Zhang, and Wang to discuss their final project within the school's IDEAS - Urban Strategy program. Led by Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer, and David Jimenez Iniesta students unpack the city of Los Angeles and the effects climate change will have on land-use and development in the year 2050.

UCLA Thesis Students Investigate LA's Iconic Bunker Hill

2020-06-11T12:51:00-04:00

Gaurav Puri, Jingyi Wang, Ruchi Singhania, and Yuxuan He are students in UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s Master of Architecture II (M.Arch.II program). Archinect was able to connect with Puri, Wang, and Singhania to explore their final project within their IDEAS - Urban Strategy program. Recognized as an institution focused on its research-based approach and student-faculty collaborations, UCLA's IDEA's programming enables students to explore topics that focus on issues and solutions whose application can be actualized.

Together, the team, under the instruction of Associate Adjunct Professor Jeffrey Inaba, Gillian Shaffer and David Jimenez Iniesta, explore Los Angeles's iconic Bunker Hill and its historical transitions with regards to land-use. By breaking down the area's topographic and land transformations, the group works together to explore new design methods to create a more substantial "foundation for post-disaster urban life." In addition to their exploration of land-use...