Archinect - Features

'AI Is a Dangerous Distraction From the Pressing Issues Defining Our Generation'; A Conversation with Liam Young

2023-07-17T08:21:00-04:00

Liam Young was once described by the BBC as “the man designing our future.” In 2023, with open letters penned on the risks of extinction posed by artificial intelligence, such a role should be in high demand.

Young’s speculations on the future take the form of fictional stories that join the dots between culture and technology; a skill which he believes should sit at the core of the architecture profession. Amid the media frenzy on generative AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT, Young stresses the vital need for a creative discipline that measures the dangers of AI against those of climate change: a crisis which Young sees as more dangerous both for its scale and deceptive ubiquity.

In June 2023, Archinect’s Niall Patrick Walsh spoke with Young about his career across design and media, as well as his views on artificial intelligence, climate change, and the role of the architect in addressing both topics. The discussion, edited slightly for clarity, is published below.

This arti...

Fear & Wonder: Orienting Ourselves Through Fiction

2017-11-15T12:31:00-05:00

Fear & Wonder was a symposium surrounding the possibilities of world building and pondering of what would be possible and yet, nothing seemed impossible, nothing seemed out of our grasp and in fact, forced us to reckon with how much of our own world we are not aware of.

Michael Wylie on the Far-Out Set Designs of 'Legion'

2017-06-15T12:16:00-04:00

By definition, a background can be easy to forget about—but it can have as much of an effect on the overall feel of a show as the script or an actor. When it comes to a show like Legion on FX, the set takes on additional importance, serving as a visual representation of the (incredibly unstable) mental state of the lead character.

Cutting Room: Joseph Kosinski talks to Archinect about his transition from architecture to Hollywood

2014-09-05T11:12:00-04:00

As we've seen throughout our Cutting Room series, there's a clear relationship between architecture and filmmaking. Architecture is inspired by film as often as film is inspired by architecture, so it's not uncommon for architects to experiment with film, or even transition into a film career. Joseph Kosinski is one such individual, but his path to filmmaking is a little different than normal. His full-length directorial debut was for 2010's TRON: Legacy, a blockbuster sequel to the early 80's classic. Three years later, he followed that with the visually stunning Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise.

Working out of the Box: Francis Tsai

2014-08-13T11:16:00-04:00

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 Francis Tsai of Francis Tsai Illustration and Concept Design.

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.