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Integrative Design Practices
Hosted by Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the Hearst Lecture Series will focus this year on integrated design practices. In advancing its reputation as a polytechnic institution, the internationally respected group of designers, practitioners, and educators invited in this year’s lecture series employ new tools and technologies to integrate design and building that is core to the polytechnic tradition. The invited lecturers themselves bridge teaching and practice further integrating and innovating pedagogical practices and design practices. This year's Hearst Lecture Series Director is Assistant Professor Mark Cabrinha.
The free public lectures are made possible through a grant from the Hearst Foundation.
Spring 2010 Integrated Practices
Elena Manferdini: Atelier Manferdini,
Friday, April 2nd, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Elena Manferdini graduated from the University of Civil Engineering in Bologna, Italy and later from University of California Los Angeles with a Master of Architecture and Urban Design. She is the principal of Atelier Manferdini, an interdisciplinary design firm recognized internationally for its ability to create imaginative architecture, fashion, and object design. Atelier Manferdini has working collaborations with numerous companies from a variety of industries including MTV, Fiat, Nike, Alessi, Guzzini, Ottaviani, Moroso, Valentino, and Rosenthal.
Manferdini's architectural projects have been exhibited internationally in both architecture and art museums. She was selected as curator for the West Coast USA session of the Beijing Biennale exhibition in 2008 and designed the West Coast pavilion for the Chinese Millennium Museum. Elena Manferdini has been featured in several publications, including Domus, New York Times, Elle, Vogue, ID, Icon, Form, Contemporary, Metropolis, and Architectural Design.
In addition to leading her design practice, Elena Manferdini teaches design studios and seminars at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.
For additional information, visit Elena Manferdini's web page.
Andrea Ponsi, Andrea Ponsi Architect,
Friday, April 9th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Andrea Ponsi Since the early 1970’s Andrea Ponsi has focused on the relationship between ecology and architecture. In 1977 he published “The Solar House,” a monographic study on bioclimatic architecture. In the 1980’s, he lived in San Francisco where he worked with Peter Calthorpe and Sim Van Der Ryn, drawing up projects based on the concept of environmental sustainability.
His work has been the subject of publications and personal exhibitions in Italy, the USA, and South America. In 2000, he won the international competition for the building of the Palos Verdes Art Center in Los Angeles. His professional activity also includes urban furnishing projects, commercial interiors, and preparing exhibitions. He is the author of a number of monographs on his design activity, such as “Elementary Design” in 1994, “The Copper House”, in 2000, and “Thinking Lines” in 2002) as well as two studies on urban space, “Florence, a map of perceptions” in 1996 and “Firenze Changing Viewpoints” in 2001. He has taught architectural planning and design at several universities including the University of California in Berkeley, the Technion Institute in Haifa, Israel, and the University of Toronto.
At present he is Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University and at Kent State University in Florence and in the United States. In 1974, Andrea Ponsi graduated in Florence under Leonardo Savioli, as well as receiving a Master’s in Architecture at the Architectural Association in London and the University of Pennsylvania.
For additional informaiotn, visit Andrea Ponsi's web page.
Will Bruder, Will Bruder + Partners, LTD,
Friday, April 16th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Will Bruder Will Bruder has been in practice for over 40 years exploring inventive and contextually responsive architectural solutions. He is a craftsman in his concern for detail and building processes, and a sculptor in his unique blending of space, materials, and light. Self-trained as an architect, he has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Supplementing his studio art education were studies in structural engineering, philosophy, art history, and urban planning, followed by his architectural apprenticeship under Gunnar Birkerts and Paoli Soleri.
The work of Will Bruder + Partners celebrates the craft of building in ways not typical in contemporary architecture, striving to invent form specific to function and his clients’ aspirations through the creative use of materials and light.
For additional information, visit Will Bruder's web page.
Ray Landy, AECOM,
Friday, April 23rd, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Ray Landy The global trend of urbanization brings with it the threat of environmental degradation and increased pressure on natural resources as well as over-crowding and social exclusion – all of which have been exacerbated by people’s increasing desire to live in cities. But the news is not all bad as planners, urban designers, architects, engineers and ecologists can bring people together acting as agents for progressive change. In fact, the design of cities is where solutions for many of today’s problems can be found.
A perspective on six current and recent major urbanization programs in the world being undertaken by AECOM will be presented and the unique challenges – and opportunities – which these programs present will be discussed:
- Saadiyat Island,
- Abu Dhabi Olympics 2012,
- London Heart of Doha,
- Qatar Universal City,
- Los Angeles City Center,
- Manchester Tanggu, and
- Schenzen, China
Ray Landy is a Principal with AECOM and is the former president of DMJM AECOM and AECOM Design. AECOM is a global planning, landscape, architecture, engineering, transportation and environmental firm with 44,000 employees working in over 100 countries around the globe.
For additional information, visit Ray Landy's web page.
Chris Haegglund, BAR Architects,
Friday, May 7th, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Recipient of the 2009 Prof. Sandy Miller San Francisco Urban Program Award.
Timelessness, simplicity, and an appreciation for traditional and modern architecture form the foundation of Chris’ approach to design. Influenced heavily by Scandinavian architecture, Chris employs European models of housing and urban planning that offer innovative methods for developing a sense of place and community. Chris stresses the importance of looking to older architecture and traditional design to see how modern buildings can complement and, at the same time, improve upon existing concepts.
To that end, Chris has completed a number of urban infill projects that aim to create lively town centers with an active urban ambience, such as Santana Row in San Jose, CA. Chris received his Master’s degree from the Architectural Association in 1989, and is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 1984.
For additional information, visit Chris Haegglund's web page.
Mark Horton, Mark Horton / Architecture,
Friday, May 14th, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Through his rigorous practice and respected gallery, Mark Horton promotes an architecture that enhances the lives of individuals and communities. His achievements elevate the small practice into a positive force in the public realm. The disciplined forms and refined materiality of Mark Horton’s work embody his optimism that good architecture - one that captures the dynamic forces which give meaning to buildings and spaces - can better the lives of those who encounter it. His attention to architecture as a palpable means of affecting lives is present in all of Mark Horton’s work, from private residences to institutional facilities to commercial projects.
Recognizing the professional and civic importance of ongoing design dialogue, Mark co-founded 2AES in 1987 and 3A Gallery in 1994. These galleries, which have been located within Mark’s office space, have hosted over fifty architectural exhibits, including Morphosis’ first dedicated show, work by Lebbeus Woods, an exhibit explaining the environmental dangers placed on the California Delta, and an ideas exhibition challenging proposals for a new museum in the Presidio of San Francisco.
Mark Horton’s architectural office also embodies the conviction that a single practitioner can enhance the profession at large. As a professional mentor, the sponsor of a respected gallery for architecture and art, and teacher, Mark has helped to nurture and send forth promising young designers.
Mark received his Master’s of Architecture degree with Commendation from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. He has taught at numerous schools including California College of the Arts, University of California at Berkeley, and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
For additional information, visit Mark Horton's web page.
Anna Dyson, Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (C.A.S.E.),
Friday, May 21st, at 3:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Anna Dyson is the director of The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE), a joint venture between SOM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) which hosts the Graduate Program in Architectural Sciences concentration in Built Ecologies. She has worked as a design architect and product designer in several offices in Canada, Europe, and the United States. Her work has been exhibited in the MoMA Young Architects Series, and was a finalist in the international Next Generation Design Competition.
Dyson holds multiple international patents for building systems inventions and is currently directing interdisciplinary research sponsored to develop new systems for on-site energy generation. Dyson received a Baccalauréat Général from Université Laval and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.
http://www.case.rpi.edu/home.html
For additional information, visit Anna Dyson's web page.
Chris Sharples, SHoP Architects, Inc,
Friday, May 21st, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Chris Sharples is a Founding Principal of SHoP Architects and SHoP Construction, established in 1996 and 2007, respectively. The five founding partners of SHoP come from diverse backgrounds encompassing architecture, fine arts, structural engineering, finance, and business management. Through these backgrounds, SHoP combines design, finance, and technology as a new model for the profession. SHoP is known for their innovative use of evolving computer-aided design and manufacturing to not only produce innovative architectural forms but to streamline the design and construction process connecting conception with execution. SHoP has won numerous awards including the 2009 National Design Award for Architecture Design awarded by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
Mr. Sharples received his Bachelor of History and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Dickinson College, and his Master of Architecture from Columbia University in 1990, graduating with Honors for Excellence in Design. He was employed at Richard Meier and Partners and Aoshima Sekkei in Nagoya, Japan, where he worked as a project designer for three years prior to establishing SHoP Architects.
He has taught at Parsons School of Design, The City College, City University of New York, The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation Columbia University, at the University of Virginia as Shure Professor of Architecture as well as the Louis I. Kahn Assistant Visiting Professor for Architectural Design at the Yale School of Architecture.
For additional information, visit Chris Sharples' web page.
Benjamin Ball: Ball-Nogues Studio
Friday, January 15th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Berg Gallery, Room 05-105
Benjamin Ball grew up in Colorado and Iowa where his mother's involvement in theatre proved influential. While studying for his degree at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Ball logged stints at Gehry Partners and Shirdel Zago Kipnis. Upon graduation, he sought work as a set and production designer for films (including the Matrix series) as well as music videos and commercials with such influential directors as Mark Romanek and Tony Scott.
His experience ranges from work on the Disney Concert Hall and small residential commissions for boutique firms to complex medical structures and event design. In his current collaboration with Gaston Nogues, Ball is exploring the intersection of architecture, art and product design through physical modeling and the use of digital and more traditional forms of production. A major goal of his design endeavors is to create experiences; because of this, he feels "a building that is not built is not architecture."
In 2006, Ball-Nogues Studio was awarded the Best of Category distinction for Environments for their installation Maximilian's Schell by ID Magazine. Ball-Nogues is the recipient of two Los Angeles AIA Design Awards and Interior Design Magazines Best of Year Award for their installation Rip Curl Canyon.
In 2007 their installation Liquid Sky was the winner of the Museum of Modern Art / P.S.1's Young Architect's Program competition and Ball-Nogues became one three design teams who were awarded a United States Artists Target Fellowship. In 2008 their site specific installation Echoes Converge appeared at the 11th Venice Biennale of Architecture and an exhibit of their work appeared at the Beijing Biennale. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles will host a new installation by the team in the summer of 2009. The partners have taught design courses at SCI Arc, UCLA and USC.
Their work has appeared in publications worldwide including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Icon, Log 10, Sculpture, and Surface.
For additional information, visit Benjamin Ball's web page
Michael Hughes
Friday, January 29th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
A 10-year project to design and build a home for a retired couple in Eastanollee, Ga., that successfully developed innovative ideas within a limited budget convinced Michael Hughes of the importance of grounding design education in hands-on experience. Hughes has refined his vision of design/build pedagogy while teaching at Cornell University, the University of New Mexico, the Catholic University of America, Louisiana State University and the University of Colorado at Denver.
His Joy House Project, conducted with 12 graduate students from CU-Denver, won the Colorado AIA Young Architects Design Award in 2004 and the ACSA Collaborative Practice Award in 2006. Hughes joined the University of Arkansas' School of Architecture in 2006. He teaches second-year studio and has initiated a new design-build project, an outdoor classroom for a local elementary school. Hughes' residential designs have won state and regional design awards from the AIA. His design for a Louisiana home was one of four selected nationally to receive the 2006-07 Faculty Design Award from the ACSA. Hughes' design work has been documented in Architectural Record, This Old House; his essays have appeared in Oz.
He worked with Richard Meier and Frank Gehry before starting his own design practice.
For additional information, visit Michael Hughes's web page
Ann Forsyth
Friday, February 5th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Ann Forsyth’s work focuses on the social aspects of physical planning and urban development. Forsyth's contributions have been to analyze the success of planned alternatives to sprawl, particularly exploring the tensions between social and ecological values in urban design.
She is the author of three books: Reforming Suburbia: The Planned Communities of Irvine, Columbia, and The Woodlands (2005, University of California Press); Designing Small Parks: A Manual Addressing Social and Ecological Concerns (2005, Wiley, with Laura Musacchio); and Constructing Suburbs: Competing Voices in a Debate Over Urban Growth (1999, Routledge/Gordon and Breach). She is a Professor at Cornell in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning and has previously taught at the University of Minnesota, Harvard Design School, and the University of Massachusetts.
She has practiced in the private sector in both the United States and Australia and is a certified practicing planner in the Australian Planning Institute.
For additional information, visit Ann Forsyth's web page
Pierluigi Serraino
Friday, February 12th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Pierluigi is an Italian architect practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has worked in the offices of Mark Mack, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Anshen+Allen Architects, gaining extensive experience both in small and large scale domestic and international projects. He holds degrees in architecture from the University of Rome "La Sapienza",the Southern California Institute California, and the University of California Los Angeles. He is completing this year his Ph.D. in architecture at the University of California Berkeley on the subject of collaboration and teamwork in multidisciplinary design practices.
His articles and projects have appeared in Architectural Record, Architectural Design, ArCA, Global Architecture, Hunch, Costruire, Architettura Cronache e Storia, ACADIA, and Journal of Architectural Education. He has published books for TASCHEN, Chronicle Books, Birkhauser, Routledge, Princeton Architectural Press, John Wiley & Sons, and William Stout Publishers. Among his titles are "Modernism Rediscovered", "NorCalMod: Icons on Northern California Modernism", and "History of Form*Z". Forthcoming books are a monograph of mid-century architect Gordon Drake, and a study of Digital Design through the work design architect John Marx of San Francisco.
Scott Marble: Marble Fairbanks
Friday, February 26th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Scott Marble is a founding partner of Marble Fairbanks and a faculty member at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). His early engagement with digital technologies at Columbia University, teaching one of the first “paperless” design studios, has allowed Marble Fairbanks to pioneer innovative uses of digital fabrication and unique assemblies in their design work. Much of the office’s recent work has been designed utilizing computer production technologies to bring custom and cost effective solutions to the specific needs of clients.
Using this comprehensive process and integration, the firm has consistently achieved unique award-winning designs for a wide range of residential, educational, institutional and commercial projects. Marble Fairbanks is the recipient of many local, national, and international design awards including an Art Commission of New York City Award for Excellence in Design, AIA awards, American Architecture Awards, a PA Award, an ID Award, and an ar+d Award for Emerging Architecture from Architecture Review Magazine.
The work of Marble Fairbanks is published regularly in journals and books and has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world including the Architectural Association in London, the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan and the Museum of Modern Art in New York where their drawings are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
For additional information, visit Marble Fairbanks' web page.
Vicente del Rio: Architect and Professor at Cal Poly, City and Regional Planning Department
Friday, March 6th, 2010, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Contemporary Urbanism in Brazil: Beyond Brazilia
Military regimes and democratic governments in Brazil sought to shape the future of their society through the manipulation of urban spaces. Cities that reflected the ideals of modernism were built until the post-military period of re-democratization in the mid 1980s. Then began enormous efforts to forge a more responsible urbanism in order to overcome historically determined social and spatial urban inequalities.
This lecture will address the changes occurring in Brazilian cities in the last three decades and will assess the major trends of contemporary urbanism in Brazil: late-modernism, revitalization, and social inclusion. A series of projects will be discussed and how cities are regenerating themselves within a democratic political framework that meets market and social demands, and respects place, culture, and history.
The lecture is based on del Rio's and Dr. William Siembieda's (Department Head of City and Regional Planning, CAED, Cal Poly) new book of the same title (University Press of Florida, 2009), A book signing session will follow.
To view del Rios's and Siembieda's latest publication, go to Amazon.com
Kevin Klinger
"Manufacturing Material Effects and the Institute for Digital Fabrication"
Friday, October 9th, 2009, at 4:00pm
Berg Gallery 05-105
Kevin Klinger is a Associate Professor of Architecture in the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University and is the Director of the Institute for Digital Fabrication (IDF). The IDF acts as a catalyst for interdisciplinary applied research and industry immersive education serving as a conduit between students, design professionals, and the manufacturing sector. Professor Klinger is the author of numerous conference publications and has lectured widely in universities and industry organizations on the topic of digital fabrication in architecture including the 2007 Architectural Record Innovation Conference “Architecture in an Age of Transformation” and he is co-editor of the book Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture. Through his teaching, Professor Klinger takes designers deeper into the complexities of making, assembly, and material formulation, encouraging new forms of collaboration with industry, challenging conventional methodologies, and suggesting a future in which designers are much more engaged in the total process of architecture.
For additional information, visit the Kevin Klinger web page
Ralph Roesling: Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects (RNT Architects)
Friday, Oct 23rd, 2009, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Ralph J. Roesling is founding principal of Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects with over 30 years of experience in all phases of architecture and planning. He has served as Principal-in-Charge, Project Architect and Principal Designer for various project types from office and retail uses to educational, civic buildings and residential. Mr. Roesling has directed many major architectural and planning projects for private, governmental and institutional clients throughout California and abroad. He has extensive experience in assessment and evaluation of existing structures for reuse and redevelopment projects. His architectural projects have won several Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects and an Orchid Award. He has lectured locally as well as abroad in Japan and Italy. He is a design faculty member of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Woodbury University, and the NewSchool of Architecture in San Diego.
For additional information, visit the Ralph Roesling web page
James Gates and James Brown: Public
"in conjunction with Vellum"
Thursday, Oct 29th, 2009
Public, an office of architecture and art in San Diego, is headed by Cal Poly Alumni, James Gates and James Brown. Their particular brand of phenomenological design results in a specifically “hands-on” approach to architectural practice. Public views and practices architecture with both the methodology of the designer/builder and the spirit of the inventor. By considering the practice of what is normally and jealously regarded as "art" or "craft" to be architecture, they open up the creative world for themselves, and for their clients. Their work involves not only the process of architectural conceptualization and implementation, but the study and practice of public art as well.
For additional information, visit the Public web page
Ron Radziner: Marmol Radziner and Associates
"in conjunction with Vellum"
Friday, Oct 30th, 2009, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Ron Radziner, FAIA is the principal in charge of design at Marmol Radziner and Associates. Radziner, a Cal Poly alumnus runs the office with fellow alum, Leo Marmol. Marmol Radziner is a unique office in that they celebrate the "joy of making" through a variety of avenues, whether it be architecture, construction or landscape, furniture or prefab housing. They remain committed to acting as both architect and contractor for many of their projects. Whereas most design/build firms are dominated by contractors, Marmol Radziner + Associates is rare in that they are architects first. In other words, they have become contractors in order to build their projects with the same rigor with which they were designed. Given their attention to detail and finish, Marmol Radziner Furniture is a natural extension of the office. The furniture is designed, built and sold by architects, while their shops are run by architects concerned with the smallest details and broad view allowing for furniture rooted in clarity of design and integrity of construction. Going Further, Marmol Radziner Prefab combines the efficiency of factory-built homes with the benefits of custom residential design. Their green homes are not a kit of parts – they build the prefab modules in a factory and ship them complete.
For additional information, visit the Marmol Radziner and Associates web page.
Preston Scott Cohen: Preston Scott Cohen Inc.
Friday, Nov. 13th, 2009, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Preston Scott Cohen’s work is known for its synthesis of architectural typologies, descriptive geometry, and digital media. The work of his firm, Preston Scott Cohen, Inc., encompasses projects ranging in scale from residences to educational and cultural institutions. Cohen received the first prize in the international competitions for the Robbins Elementary School in Trenton, NJ (2006), and for two Museums: the Taiyuan Art Museum in Taiyuan, China (2007-2011) and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Amir Building (2003-2009). He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Academy Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and three Progressive Architecture Awards. His work has been widely published and is in numerous collections. Cohen is the author of Contested Symmetries and Other Predicaments in Architecture. Cohen is the Chair of Department of Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design where he is the coordinator of the first year design studios and teaches the foundation course in Projective and topological geometry, advanced studios and design thesis.
For additional information, visit Preston Scott Cohen Inc. web page
Karl Daubman: PLY architects
Friday, Nov. 20th, 2009, at 4:00pm
Business Rotunda, Room 03-213
Karl Daubmann is a Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan and principal of PLY Architects. The work of PLY is recognized for how it is able to create a bridge between the profession and academia. This is achieved through a research agenda that pervades the design process, exploring material and the logic of construction. Through a growing portfolio of over 50 projects, 33 of which have been built, PLY has garnered numerous national and international design awards including their selection for the Young Architects Forum by the Architecture League of New York in 2006 as well as being named one of “101 of the World’s Most Exciting New Architects” by Wallpaper* Magazine in 2007.
For additional information, visit PLY Architects web page.