Having Helsinki Architect Juhani Pallasmaa at our school was such a big deal, especially having it around the same time as the ARCC. He's well known all over the world for his work, both architecture and writing. Surprised when I met him that he was incredibly humble. Very sweet man. 

I have come to learn that he has an "American" mother here in Hawaii, as so he refers to her as. Juhani Pallasmaa studied abroad in America when he was younger, and he had a host family. They were located some place in the mainland, I forgot where, but it just so happens that his host family moved to Hawaii. Professor Magi successfully got a hold of the host mother and she came down to University of Hawaii at Manoa to see him. It was a wonderful, unexpected family reunion! Juhani's American mother has a son at University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business. 

After his lecture, there were many questions asked. Many of them were asking for Juhani's opinion on certain things. I remember one, "What is beauty?" He said he wouldn't dare to answer that question. I noticed that he had no direct answers to people's question because the way Juhani sees the world is not straight black and white, it's in spectrum of colors! 

Wonderful lecture & exhibition.