Last week, Michael Graves passed away at the age of 80. In the aftermath, much attention has been paid to his most eye-catching work, but as often occurs when someone of great influence passes away, focusing on the person's products comes at the expense of honoring their humanity – simply, who they were as a person. In this light, this episode we hear from Patrick Burke, principal and studio head at Michael Graves Architecture & Design (where Burke got his start in 1982), reflect on Graves’ life of hard work, perseverance, and empathy.
Paul and Amelia also paid a visit to the UCLA IDEAS campus in Playa Vista, to speak with Craig Hodgetts about his rapidly accelerating Hyperloop Studio, where students are bringing Elon Musk’s transit technology into the near-future. Donna also reflects on Thom Mayne’s marathon visit through Indiana, and Ken shares some finer points of career politics.
As always, you can send us your architectural legal issues, comments or questions via twitter #archinectsessions, email or call us at (213) 784-7421. And if you can, we'd love for you to rate us on iTunes or Stitcher!
Listen to episode twenty-one of Archinect Sessions, "Fast Forward, Look Back":
Shownotes:
The view from Ascot Hills Park in Los Angeles:
Thom Mayne's talk at Ball State (recording forthcoming)
Thom Mayne's Morphopedia, Tangents & Outtakes
Singles (1992)
9 Comments
Great interviews, both indicating why architecture is a great profession, like no other.
Thanks Chris. Oh my goodness I talked about Mayne for far too long! Sorry, everyone.
An addition to the show notes: for those who aren't familiar, here is a primer on Josef Plecnik's work.
Plecnik has had a huge influence on me, especially the University Library and the Zale Cemetery. And, I actually think he resembles Ken (that intelligent brow...).
This is a really good page on Plecnik too. The Prague castle work, oh my god, it's amazing. Totally unique, but with enough relationship to familiar form and iconography that it elicits a "Huh? Wow!" response.
I can see the relationship to Graves' work in it. The Wounded Warrior house is so lovely. I usually dislike gables that intersect in a butterfly shape, because it just leads to terrible water infiltration opportunities (WAY worse than flat roofs), but here the cluster of the forms looks so inviting and casual and homey, all at once, but also just the slightest bit edgy - there's a crispness in the form and proportion that feels completely controlled, which I imagine is desirable for a wounded vet: a sense of order.
Hey Donna - Now I remember Plecnik....right after I was fired from my first long term architecture job (9 months +/-, haha) I got a quick 2 week gig for an architect who was a PM for Michael Graves formerly (for a long time to I think)
anyway I was hired to make a 1/2" model and some renderings of a Church with condo proposal in NYC (this is like 12-13 years ago)
He handed me a book with a few images of Plecnik, specifically the Church of the most Sacred Heart, Prague...for inspiration and comparison (up until then my background was essentially Modern/Deconstructive/High-Tech)
In this architects office hanging on his wall was a drawing of an UES NYC Mansion that he had drawn (perhaps restoration work)...The Mansion was probably mid 1800's and the entrance stairs to what is the 2nd floor now have long been removed...6 months +/- later when I got another real paying job, the Architect I worked for did the interiors 2 years later, etc...I did all the drawings....fast forward 10 years...I've done numerous anchor tenant studies, etc...for same building...
It's a very small world after a while....
Paul, Donna, Ken and Amelia
I appreciate the podcast and find the depth and quality of discussion refreshing.
I would suggest an addition to the program, in your endorsements section perhaps serving up some recognition for folks who make a positive contributions in the comments in the forum. Acknowledging someone's mature and constructive remarks may help encourage a more thoughtful and civil discourse.
Dwelling only on the few negative crackpot remarks can be discouraging when there is a lot of good advice and thoughtful statements being made.
accentuate the positive
Over and OUT
Peter N
I am so glad you are covering the hyperloop. Increased transportation options is key to a quality urban future.
Did you know that the Los Angeles freeway system was designed to be sufficient till the 1980's, under the pretence that there would be a replacement transportation technology by then that would replace it. Unfortunately, they have been bandaiding the system since then.
I found the discussion re: Intellectual property rights very interesting. From the comments, I gather that the podcast crew generally assumed students would be getting only intangible "value". However, I interpreted Professor Hodgetts comments more hopefully. As in they might share more directly in possible benefits.
As Amelia and Donna both alluded to, this wouldn't be completely unusual. In the STEM fields universities are much more structured in terms of, lab to license and innovation/invention spinoffs. For instance here and here or here
Any chance we could get clarification of whether just academic credit or other, could potentially be involved?
I don't know the answer to that, Nam. I only heard the word "stake" but I don't know what it means, exactly.
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