Archinect - Features

SOFTLab's Michael Szivos Discusses the Power of Material Experimentation and What It Means to Blend the Boundaries of Architecture With Other Disciplines

2019-03-04T12:27:00-05:00

Executing projects through experimentation and technical refinery, Michael Szivos of SOFTlab focuses his energy on creating new ways for the boundaries of architecture to overlap with other materials, digital techniques, and disciplines. Starting your practice is not an easy task. After receiving his graduate degree in architecture from Columbia GSAPP, Szivos sought to work on projects that pushed his creative process while challenging the scale and feasibility of his work. Established as a studio whose expertise ranges from digital fabrication to immersive and interactive installations, SOFTlab has made their mark in the fields of architecture, art, and technology.

For this week's Studio Snapshot, Szivos shares his humble beginnings as an emerging designer. We discuss the struggles of design feasibility in addition to how he manages the business and creative side of the practice. From discussions about interactive multimedia to the origins of the studio's name, Szivos shares with ...

Design as quantification: what if buildings could talk?

2016-08-11T09:47:00-04:00

The AEC industry can be understood by the information flows and communication facilities that exist within it. Just as the acronym groups three seemingly separate entities under the banner of a single industry, as designers, we must communicate and interpret information across disciplinary boundaries—to engineers, contractors, partners, clients, press, so on.

Working out of the Box: Mary-Lynne Williams & Moneta Ho Kushner

2013-11-27T14:07:00-05:00

Working out of the Box is a series of features presenting architects who have applied their architecture backgrounds to alternative career paths.

In this installment, we're talking with Microsoft Design Leads Mary-Lynne Williams and Moneta Ho Kushner.

Are you an architect working out of the box? Do you know of someone that has changed careers and has an interesting story to share? If you would like to suggest an (ex-)architect, please send us a message.