Archinect - Features

'Architecture as Provider Instead of Shelter': Matter Design's Brandon Clifford Discusses Architecture and Speculative Design as a Catalyst for Social Good

2021-04-14T08:25:00-04:00

Learning how a design studio begins its journey into professional practice is an eye-opening experience. For Matter Design, they started with a mission to build projects they designed themselves. While this response may seem simple in its approach, they explain, "we were much more interested in the means, the methods, and communication between design and materials." Yet, four years after our Studio Snapshot interview with co-founders Brandon Clifford and Wes McGee, the practice has grown into a catalyst for bridging architecture, speculative design, and interdisciplinary social missions.

Archinect re-connected with Clifford to discuss recessions, running a speculative design studio, and how the firm's latest project AquíAquí is more than just a public space project. Clifford shared, "I can say that we have built Matter Design on a series of speculative built works that serve as individual challenges to default practice." In response to the development of AquíAquí, he explains, "we t...

A Conversation with TBA on How Speculative Work Goes Hand and Hand with Built Projects

2019-02-04T10:00:00-05:00

Montreal-based architect Tom Balaban founded his eponymous architecture firm, TBA in short, in 2009. Since, he and his small but growing studio have built up an impressive portfolio of built and speculative work. While Balaban oversees the firm's built projects, his partner Jennifer Thorogood helps to run the research-side of things, which the practice is constantly pushing. For this week's Studio Snapshot, the firm discusses how their plethora of research projects is vital to their design process.

AN.ONYMOUS Architects Show Us How Obstacles Make for Better Projects

2018-04-16T09:00:00-04:00

AN.ONYMOUS is a transdisciplinary design firm based in Los Angeles and New York. Founded by Iman Ansari and Marta Nowak, the studio focuses on speculative approaches towards architecture and urbanism in relation to ecology, technology and biology. Since its inception in 2012, AN.ONYMOUS has engaged in numerous international projects, encompassing a diverse range of scales from urban and architectural design to furniture and prosthetics.

For this week's Small Studio Snapshots, we talk with the duo about growing a small practice and embracing all of the obstacles along the way.

Cutting Room: Listen to John Szot, creator of "Architecture and the Unspeakable", discuss cyber-architectural realities and speculative practice

2014-05-19T11:08:00-04:00

John Szot, architect and creator of the Architecture and the Unspeakable film series, is a pioneer in film's unique architectural exploration, working with digital animation to investigate parts of the built environment that remain hidden at the street level. In our interview for Cutting Room, an audio series at the intersection of architecture and film, Szot spoke with me about his architectural background and how he started making films.

Archinect - Features

'Architecture as Provider Instead of Shelter'​: Matter Design's Brandon Clifford Discusses Architecture and Speculative Design as a Catalyst for Social Good

A Conversation with TBA on How Speculative Work Goes Hand and Hand with Built Projects

AN.ONYMOUS Architects Show Us How Obstacles Make for Better Projects

Cutting Room: Listen to John Szot, creator of "Architecture and the Unspeakable", discuss cyber-architectural realities and speculative practice

'Architecture as Provider Instead of Shelter': Matter Design's Brandon Clifford Discusses Architecture and Speculative Design as a Catalyst for Social Good