Archinect - News2024-11-05T05:27:51-05:00https://archinect.com/news/article/110035369/design-dialogue-brian-mackay-lyons
Design Dialogue: Brian Mackay-Lyons Keith Zawistowski2014-09-29T00:41:00-04:00>2014-10-01T21:57:12-04:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/yn/yncw2lmnrqnepcmr.gif" border="0" /><em><p>On August 22nd, 2014 Brian Mackay-Lyons hopped off his tractor and wiped the diesel fuel off his hands to discuss architectural education with Keith and Marie Zawistowski, co-founders of the design/buildLAB at Virginia Tech and partners of OnSite Architecture.</p></em><br /><br /><p><strong><em>Brian MacKay-Lyons</em></strong><em> is the founding partner of <a href="http://www.mlsarchitects.ca/mobile/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects</a>, a professor at Dalhousie University, and the founder of <a href="http://www.aia.org/practicing/awards/2012/architecture/GhostArchitecturalLaboratory/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ghost Lab</a> – the now legendary 2-week summer design/build program that took place on his family farm in Nova Scotia from 1994 to 2011. </em><em>While relentlessly local, Brian’s work has been recognized internationally with more than 100 awards, 300 publications, and 100 exhibitions. In 2012, the American Institute of Architects recognized the collective work and influence of Ghost with an </em><em>Institute Honor Award for Architecture. </em></p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/l9/l9jpt7k3n9vwl14c.jpg"></p><p><strong>Keith: </strong> So what do you think the education and the architect ought to look like?</p><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Well, what I don’t think it needs to look like is an all design/build curriculum. I guess I have also learned that it has its limitations, like everything. One reason that Ghost has taken this hiatus is because I realized that I was being insincere.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/6i/6i9iqxvay5cvjld3.jpg"></p><p>I believe an architect’s role is not to be the builder. The architect’s role — like a conduc...</p>