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Makers and Shakers: LA Forum's "Out There Doing It" 2013

2013-11-15T13:43:00-05:00

One of Los Angeles’ most sly urban characteristics is its sprawl: by being so large, its widely cast net defies characterization while also incubating remarkable experimentations. A few outstanding selections from that mélange are the members of Out There Doing It -- a collection of architects and designers curated by the LA Forum “as diverse as they are interdisciplinary”. These emerging professionals “actively question how architecture is represented, conceptualized, materialized, and publicized” -- encouraging accountability throughout the design process. The 2013 OTDI participants are: Anna Neimark of First Office, Bryony Roberts, ALLTHATISSOLID, and Design, Bitches.

Inspired by Russian suprematism and Metallica, practicing in bathrooms and coffeehouses, these designers cover ideas as expansive as the L.A. basin, in all its nooks and crannies. The 2013 OTDIers just completed their final event at ForumFest, the LA Forum’s annual fundraiser (this year honoring Michael Maltzan...

Interview with Michael Maltzan, ForumFest 2013 Honoree

2013-11-08T10:59:00-05:00

This Saturday, the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design will hold its annual ForumFest fundraiser, this year honoring Michael Maltzan. Operating as both educational and artistic platform, the LA Forum has helped shape the critical perspective on Los Angeles urbanism since 1987. In line with the Forum's impact on the city, Maltzan has contributed to L.A.’s theoretical urban identity as well as its physical one -- producing many critical writings on the city, along with projects on a variety of scales.

In anticipation of ForumFest, I spoke with Michael about his relationship to the city of Los Angeles, why he makes himself write, and the models for successful future cities.

Amelia Taylor-Hochberg: How is writing useful to architectural practice, and when considering urbanism?

Michael Maltzan: The thing I like so much about writing is that I find it very hard, and because of that, because it's not the most immediate way that I express what I'm thinking about, ...