Archinect - Features

Investigating the Relationship Between Public Art and Public Space with LAA Office

2021-12-13T15:25:00-05:00

When public art is incorporated into a design space, how does it interact with its surrounding architecture and landscapes? For Lulu Loquidis and Daniel Luis Martinez, the importance of bridging the gap between public space, community-driven design, and the built environment is essential. The duo are co-principals of the multi-disciplinary design studio LAA Office based in Columbus, Indiana.

After living and working in New York City for several years, their move to the Midwest helped foster an eye-opening opportunity for creating positive design interventions. They explain: "Some of the biggest issues that need to be addressed relate to social, economic, and cultural inequities that privilege certain groups over others. Specifically, in our work, we're hoping to find ways of making art and design accessible to folks that can't normally afford it or who see themselves removed from the processes that shape the built environment around them."

To learn more about LAA Office's path to s...

Exhibit Columbus' 2021 University Design Fellows Bring Architecture Research to Life in the Midwest

2021-09-30T15:35:00-04:00

For the past several months, a small, Midwestern city located "in the middle" of the country has taken the architecture world by storm. Since the opening of Exhibit Columbus this past March, the exhibition team, designers, and curatorial duo Mimi Zeiger and Iker Gil have created an immersive, in-person experience teeming with work that embodies the past, present, and future of Midwestern architecture, research, and discourse.

As media partners, Archinect has conducted several interviews where we dive into the minds of the Exhibition's talented designers. We've learned how they've pushed the boundaries of site-specific architectural exhibitions and how they evoke moments of reflection and pride for cities in the Midwest.

In preparation for Exhibit Columbus' upcoming event, Mapping the Middle: Design Research Conversations, we were given access to dive into the projects of this year's seven University Design Research Fellows. The Exhibit Columbus team shared that this new colloquium i...

‘What Is the Future of the Middle City?’ — Larger-Than-Life Exhibit Columbus Installations Activate the City of Columbus, Indiana

2021-08-25T14:37:00-04:00

On Saturday, August 21, the city of Columbus, Indiana welcomed thirteen larger-than-life installations displayed throughout the area as part of Exhibit Columbus' 2021 Exhibition. The program explores art, architecture, design, and community in Columbus. While the city itself has garnered a reputation for being the home of notable modernist architecture, landscapes, and art, this year's curators and exhibition team unpack the meaning of civic life by showcasing a series of design projects aiming to identify and question: "What is the future of the middle city?"

The theme, New Middles: From Main Street to Megalopolis, What is the Future of the Middle City?, raises an important question about cities located within the center of the U.S., their ties to the past, present, and future through site-specific and site-responsive installations. According to the Exhibition's curators, Iker Gil and Mimi Zeiger, the design programming this year asks to "re-evaluate, refresh, and reframe" the city...

Exhibit Columbus: Meet the Presenters at the March 26th Design Presentations

2021-03-24T16:01:00-04:00

Exploring the theme New Middles: From Main Street To Megalopolis, What Is The Future of The Middle City?, the 2020-21 cycle of Exhibit Columbus has launched the latest Design Presentations in an accessible four-session virtual format. While the presentations during the initial two sessions on March 19th focused on the topics Ecologies and Geographies, the next event, taking place this Friday, March 26th, will present two sessions with featured designers and architects covering Visibilities and Possibilities.

As the official media sponsor for Exhibit Columbus' Design Presentations, Archinect is delighted to highlight each session and introduce the featured designers and their work.

If you missed Part 1 of Archinect's coverage of the event, click here to learn more about the presenters of the March 19th sessions.

Get to Know the Presenters at Exhibit Columbus’ March 19th Design Presentations

2021-03-18T09:00:00-04:00

On March 19th and 26th, Exhibit Columbus invites the public to experience its annual exhibition in a new virtual format. A program led by the Landmark Columbus Foundation, this year's theme New Middles: From Main Street To Megalopolis, What Is The Future of The Middle City? allows visitors to "preview design concepts of thirteen site-specific, future-oriented public installations and experience the design process first-hand."

Taking place this Friday, March 19th, and next Friday, March 26th, the exhibition event is broken into four, two-hour sessions. Each featured designer will discuss their work and site installation during virtual sessions across the four themes Ecologies, Geographies, Visibilities, and Possibilities. As the official media sponsors for Exhibit Columbus' Design Presentations, Archinect explores each session to learn more about the designers and their work.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Archinect's coverage of the event, where we dive into the two remaining sessions ta...

At Exhibit Columbus, Students Get a Chance to Test Their Ideas in the Real World

2017-06-15T19:04:00-04:00

On August 26, the inaugural exhibition of Exhibit Columbus, an annual exploration of architecture, art, design, and community, will open to the public. The exhibition will include six built structures, designed by teams from six different Midwestern universities, that investigate the built environment of Columbus and involved working closely with members of the community.