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Harvard Graduate School of Design

Talking Practice

A Design and Arts podcast

#81 in Design · 🇵🇰 #146 in Design · 🇲🇽
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About the show

From the world’s premier design school, Harvard GSD’s Talking Practice asks leading designers to provide an inside glimpse into what they do, why, and how they do it — exposing the ways in which their design imagination is articulated through practice.

Newest episodes

Talking Practice: Sheila O’Donnell

46 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Sheila O’Donnell, architect, educator and co-founder of O’Donnell + Tuomey. Sheila reflects on the creation of O’Donnell + Tuomey, the practice she formed with John Tuomey in 1988. She traces the evolution of her practice through the workings of Group 91 and shares her insights on how their collective energy reshaped Dublin’s Temple Bar District.  She discusses how context fundamentally influences her design approach and the professional opportunities that opened for many of Ireland’s most successful practitioners. Sheila describes the collaborative spirit within her firm, the challenge of competing against large corporate offices, and the creative benefits that a smaller, design-focused team offers its clients. She explores the evolving conversation around sustainability and material choice, offering a grounded yet optimistic view on how contemporary practices navigate design, context, and climate responsibility. The podcast highlights the early significance of working with existing buildings and honing an acute attention to context — characteristics that have become central themes of O’Donnell + Tuomey’s practice. For more on Sheila O’Donnell, check out her GSD Department of Architecture lecture – “Conversations with Place.”       Sheila O’Donnell established O’Donnell + Tuomey with John Tuomey in 1988. O’Donnell + Tuomey’s work is developed in the spirit of architectural, social and cultural investigation. The practice has been commissioned with a variety of work, including renowned projects such as the Photographers’ Gallery and LSE Student Centre, a new museum for the V&A and a dance theatre and academy for Sadler’s Wells. She is an Honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2009 she was elected a member of Aosdána, an affiliation of Irish Artists. In 2015 she was joint recipient with John Tuomey of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Brunne...

Talking Practice: Pier Vittorio Aureli

47 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Pier Vittorio Aureli, architect, educator, and co-founder of Dogma, an architecture and research-based practice in Brussels. Pier Vittorio reveals early beginnings of Dogma, which started as an academic comradery and became a professional cooperation. He expands on the reception and interpretation of his work and writing, including the contemporary challenges of housing. As an educator, Pier Vittorio discusses the influence of his teaching and its role on his writing. The conversation sheds light on the imbrication of politics, housing, and social concerns. Pier Vittorio and Grace also discuss academia and why construction is at the “core” of the architectural discipline. For more on Pier Vittorio Aureli’s work and teaching, check out his lecture –  “The Longhouse” and recent publication – “Architecture and Abstraction.”     Pier Vittorio Aureli is an architect and educator. He studied at the Istituto di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) and later at the Berlage Institute and TU Delft where he earned his PhD. Aureli currently teaches at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne where he directs the Laboratory Theory and Project of Domestic Space. Together with Martino Tattara, he is the co-founder of Dogma, an office for architecture based in Brussels. Dogma has developed a specific interest in large-scale interventions, urban research, and especially domestic space and its potential for transformation.  Aureli has published many essays and several books, such as The Possibility of an Absolute Architecture (2011), Living and Working (with Dogma, 2022) and Architecture and Abstraction (2023). He is currently working on an anthology of Manfredo Tafuri’s writings. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners a...

Talking Practice: Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee

46 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, partners and co-founders of Johnston Marklee and Professors in Practice of Architecture at the GSD. Sharon and Mark discuss the beginning of their partnership, which is deeply rooted in a shared connection to Los Angeles. The pair reflect on the demands of oscillating between project types– designing for single-family homes and for institutionally scaled projects– explaining how this spectrum of work influences their working dynamic and office culture. They provide insights into the “art of finding the problem” and how they foster an economy of means through strategies for building components. Mark and Sharon also describe their interest in exhibitions and the significance of interiors. As practitioners and professors, Mark and Sharon discuss the role of art and history in designing spaces, teaching students and guiding academia. For more on Sharon and Mark’s work, check out Mark’s lecture – “Five Footnotes Towards An Architecture” and Sharon’s spring 2023 option studio – Barnes’ Barns in the Grid of Des Moines”.   Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee are partners and co-founders of Johnston Marklee and Associates based in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 1998, the practice has completed a wide range of projects including residential, cultural, and exhibition projects. Notable amongst these are View House in Rosario Argentina, and the Menil Drawing Institute. Their work has earned them national and international recognition with over 30 major awards, and a published firm monograph entitled HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE (Birkhauser, 2016).  Sharon and Mark are Professors in Practice at the GSD. Mark recently concluded his role as Chair of the Department of Architecture.   About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which a...

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All episodes

Talking Practice: Sheila O’Donnell

46 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Sheila O’Donnell, architect, educator and co-founder of O’Donnell + Tuomey. Sheila reflects on the creation of O’Donnell + Tuomey, the practice she formed with John Tuomey in 1988. She traces the evolution of her practice through the workings of Group 91 and shares her insights on how their collective energy reshaped Dublin’s Temple Bar District.  She discusses how context fundamentally influences her design approach and the professional opportunities that opened for many of Ireland’s most successful practitioners. Sheila describes the collaborative spirit within her firm, the challenge of competing against large corporate offices, and the creative benefits that a smaller, design-focused team offers its clients. She explores the evolving conversation around sustainability and material choice, offering a grounded yet optimistic view on how contemporary practices navigate design, context, and climate responsibility. The podcast highlights the early significance of working with existing buildings and honing an acute attention to context — characteristics that have become central themes of O’Donnell + Tuomey’s practice. For more on Sheila O’Donnell, check out her GSD Department of Architecture lecture – “Conversations with Place.”       Sheila O’Donnell established O’Donnell + Tuomey with John Tuomey in 1988. O’Donnell + Tuomey’s work is developed in the spirit of architectural, social and cultural investigation. The practice has been commissioned with a variety of work, including renowned projects such as the Photographers’ Gallery and LSE Student Centre, a new museum for the V&A and a dance theatre and academy for Sadler’s Wells. She is an Honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2009 she was elected a member of Aosdána, an affiliation of Irish Artists. In 2015 she was joint recipient with John Tuomey of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Brunne...

Talking Practice: Pier Vittorio Aureli

47 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Pier Vittorio Aureli, architect, educator, and co-founder of Dogma, an architecture and research-based practice in Brussels. Pier Vittorio reveals early beginnings of Dogma, which started as an academic comradery and became a professional cooperation. He expands on the reception and interpretation of his work and writing, including the contemporary challenges of housing. As an educator, Pier Vittorio discusses the influence of his teaching and its role on his writing. The conversation sheds light on the imbrication of politics, housing, and social concerns. Pier Vittorio and Grace also discuss academia and why construction is at the “core” of the architectural discipline. For more on Pier Vittorio Aureli’s work and teaching, check out his lecture –  “The Longhouse” and recent publication – “Architecture and Abstraction.”     Pier Vittorio Aureli is an architect and educator. He studied at the Istituto di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) and later at the Berlage Institute and TU Delft where he earned his PhD. Aureli currently teaches at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne where he directs the Laboratory Theory and Project of Domestic Space. Together with Martino Tattara, he is the co-founder of Dogma, an office for architecture based in Brussels. Dogma has developed a specific interest in large-scale interventions, urban research, and especially domestic space and its potential for transformation.  Aureli has published many essays and several books, such as The Possibility of an Absolute Architecture (2011), Living and Working (with Dogma, 2022) and Architecture and Abstraction (2023). He is currently working on an anthology of Manfredo Tafuri’s writings. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners a...

Talking Practice: Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee

46 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, partners and co-founders of Johnston Marklee and Professors in Practice of Architecture at the GSD. Sharon and Mark discuss the beginning of their partnership, which is deeply rooted in a shared connection to Los Angeles. The pair reflect on the demands of oscillating between project types– designing for single-family homes and for institutionally scaled projects– explaining how this spectrum of work influences their working dynamic and office culture. They provide insights into the “art of finding the problem” and how they foster an economy of means through strategies for building components. Mark and Sharon also describe their interest in exhibitions and the significance of interiors. As practitioners and professors, Mark and Sharon discuss the role of art and history in designing spaces, teaching students and guiding academia. For more on Sharon and Mark’s work, check out Mark’s lecture – “Five Footnotes Towards An Architecture” and Sharon’s spring 2023 option studio – Barnes’ Barns in the Grid of Des Moines”.   Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee are partners and co-founders of Johnston Marklee and Associates based in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 1998, the practice has completed a wide range of projects including residential, cultural, and exhibition projects. Notable amongst these are View House in Rosario Argentina, and the Menil Drawing Institute. Their work has earned them national and international recognition with over 30 major awards, and a published firm monograph entitled HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE (Birkhauser, 2016).  Sharon and Mark are Professors in Practice at the GSD. Mark recently concluded his role as Chair of the Department of Architecture.   About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which a...

Talking Practice: Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam

47 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam, principals and co-founders of Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects in Atlanta, Georgia. Shortly after their studies, Mack and Merrill began their professional careers at Heery and Heery in Atlanta, Georgia, where the duo developed a deep appreciation for the productive nature of diversity and a pioneering knowledge of project management. Merrill’s MBA background further enabled her to speak the language of business, a skill that later proved vital when they began their independent practice. Recounting early projects such as the Morrow Branch Library, the Clayton County Headquarters Library, and a factory building for Herman Miller, Mack and Merrill articulate their understanding of architecture as responsive to the people and contexts it serves. Finally, reflecting on the state of architectural education today, Mack and Merrill share their excitement about the entangled conditions of our time and underscore the importance of using computation intelligently. For more on the practice of Mack Scogin Merril Elam Architects, check out Harvard Design Magazine no. 48, America.   Photos by Rubi Xu Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam are principals at Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects in Atlanta, Georgia. With over forty years of experience, Mack and Merrill have completed a wide variety of projects including single-family residences, public libraries, university dormitories, and, most recently, a federal courthouse in Austin, TX. Their work has received over fifty awards, including six national AIA Awards of Excellence, and has been featured in international publications and museum exhibitions. From 1990 – 1995, Mack served as the chairman of the department of architecture at the GSD, and is the Kajima Professor in Practice of Architecture, Emeritus.     About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth in...

Talking Practice: Kersten Geers

45 min

In this episode, host Grace La interviews Kersten Geers, who is a founding partner together with David Van Severen of OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen and the Kenzo Tange Design Critics in architecture at the GSD. Kersten recounts his early encounters with David in Belgium and the U.S., and the influence of Iñaki Ábalos and Juan Herreros during their studies in Spain. Commenting on the nature of collaboration with David, Kersten underscores the significance of dialogue in their process, in which design is understood as a cultural project and a conversation between people and across time. Reflecting on their long-standing academic inquiry of “Architecture without Content,” Kersten comments on the incapacity of architecture to keep pace with changes in technology, program, lifestyle and behavior; instead, he argues for space that is pleasurable and for an understanding of architecture as well-proportioned frames within which the complexities of life unfold. Discussing the purpose of representation, Kersten describes how simple, collage drawings are leveraged as design guides from the initial concept stage to construction detailing. For more on Kersten and David’s investigation into the history and representation of American architecture, please see their fall 2019 GSD option studio. This episode of Talking Practice was recorded prior to the pandemic, and as we resume programming this Spring of 2022, we are delighted to release it and future episodes. Kersten Geers and David Van Severen are the founding partners of the Brussels-based OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen and the Kenzo Tange Design Critics in architecture at the GSD. Spanning a wide range of programs and types, the work of OFFICE has been the subject of multiple international publications and was awarded the Silver Lion in the 2010 Venice Biennale. In addition to their architecture practice, Kersten and David have taught widely in the U.S. and Europe and served as the curators of two recent ex...

Talking Practice: Practice in an Uncertain World

1 hr 27 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La moderates a special roundtable, Practice in an Uncertain World. This informal event was recorded over zoom in May 2020, after the Harvard GSD evacuated its campus due to the COVID pandemic. The occasion gathered thirteen prominent architectural practitioners, who assembled on an early Saturday morning to share candid thoughts on the complexities of practice at this unprecedented moment. Featuring GSD faculty and alums, and representing different ages, geographic regions, and architectural practice type, the roundtable speakers include:  Jeffry Burchard, Elizabeth Christoforetti, Scott Cohen, Jeanne Gang, Eric Howeler, Grace La, Mark Lee, Rahul Mehrotra, Toshiko Mori, Paul Nakazawa, Lyndon Neri, Jacob Reidel, and Mack Scogin. The conversation reveals a broad spectrum of insights and experiences. From the structuring of a fledgling office to the value of diversifying project type, the guests communicate the means by which they survived past recessions.  They also discuss the importance of educating oneself outside the academy, acquiring “fitness” in new modes of thinking, and developing networks based on values and priorities. Spanning topics from the philosophical to the practical, they share their unique stories, advice, and reflections. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners articulate design imagination through practice.  Hosted by Grace La, Professor of Architecture and Chair of Practice Platform, these dynamic conversations provide a rare glimpse into the work, experiences, and attitudes of design practitioners from around the world. Comprehensive, thought-provoking, and timely, Talking Practice tells the story of what designers do, why, and how they do it—exploring the key issues at stake in practice today. Ab...

Talking Practice: Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu

49 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, partners and co-founders of Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, and the John C. Portman Design Critics in architecture at the GSD. Lyndon and Rossana reflect on the beginnings of their personal and professional partnership, and the deep significance of founding their practice in Shanghai. Discussing the risks and rewards involved in starting a practice in a foreign city, Lyndon and Rossana provide insights into their working dynamic and the ways in which they leverage China as a laboratory for product design and architectural production. Presenting an inside glimpse into the logistics of their office, they stress the importance of moving beyond an “idealized practice” by experimenting with different business models. As practitioners working across multiple scales, cities, and industries, they articulate their attempts to balance tactility and diagrammatic thinking while leveraging the unique cultural contexts of their practice. Lyndon and Rossana also describe the ways in which their practice serves as a catalyst for the revitalization of China’s depopulated rural villages, and how their work with adaptive reuse projects lies at the core of their relationship with developers. For more on Lyndon and Rossana’s work in adaptive reuse, check out their fall 2019 option studio. Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu are partners and co-founders of the Shanghai-based Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, and the John C. Portman Design Critics in architecture at the GSD. Lyndon and Rossana are known internationally for their work in adaptive reuse projects, including the Waterhouse at South Bund, the Aranya Art Center, and the Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat. Working across disciplines in industrial and product design, they are also the creative directors of the furniture brand Stellar Works and founders of Design Republic, a retail brand and online platform that showcases the work of internationally ren...

Talking Practice: Preston Scott Cohen

40 min

In this episode, Talking Practice host Grace La interviews Preston Scott Cohen, founder and principal of Preston Scott Cohen Inc, and Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture at the GSD. A teacher at the GSD since 1989, Cohen reflects upon his distinguished career as an educator and describes the ever-evolving dynamics between teaching and practice. Informed by his deep knowledge of the discipline, Cohen shares his early memories of architecture, and his belief in the catalytic role architecture must play in the transformation of our urban context. Discussing the mechanics of contemporary practice, Cohen reveals how his practice approaches the intensive process of project development with a progressive attitude, and how a permutational approach can sidestep the pitfalls of conventional value engineering. Looking back on his 2013 Walter Gropius Lecture and his 2018 GSD studio titled “The Future Provincetown,” Cohen furthers his analysis of the challenges confronting architecture today. Cohen ends by asserting his hope for a more symbiotic interaction between architecture and urban planning. Preston Scott Cohen is the founder and principal of Preston Scott Cohen Inc, and Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture at the GSD, where he served as Chair of the Department of Architecture from 2008 – 2013. Cohen’s work encompasses diverse scales and types of buildings, including houses, educational facilities, cultural institutions, and urban design. His work has been the subject of a wide range of publications and exhibitions and is held in various collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Cohen is the author of Contested Symmetries and numerous theoretical essays on architecture. In 2018, Cohen taught a studio at the GSD titled “The Future Provincetown,” which focuses on redesigning Provincetown in the face of rising sea levels. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice i...

Talking Practice: Gary Hilderbrand

42 min

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Gary Hilderbrand, founding principal and partner at Reed Hilderbrand, and Peter Louis Hornbeck Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at the GSD. Discussing his deep engagement with living systems, Gary describes the intrinsic properties of landscape architecture that differentiate it from the other design disciplines, and the significance of treating temporality as a medium for design. Commenting on the trajectory of landscape urbanism, he highlights the ways in which new modes of representation have impacted the scope and capacity of landscape architecture to imagine larger systems, and to engage with pressing problems of equity and climate change. Gary also reflects on the organization of his own firm as a cultural practice, its benchmarks, periods of stability, and growth, as well as the need for flexibility within the practice of negotiated boundaries. Gary asserts the importance of trust in practice and the ways in which the pressing questions found in practice inform his efforts in the academy. For more information about Gary’s work with landscape urbanism and living systems, check out his Fall 2018 option studio, Now Arriving: A Manhattan Transit Landscape. Gary Hilderbrand is the founding principal and partner of Reed Hilderbrand, and the Peter Louis Hornbeck Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at the GSD.  As a practitioner, academic, and writer, Gary works at the confluence of landscape architecture, infrastructural design, and sustainable urbanism. His projects range from university campus design, to the intimate landscapes of residences, and to the prominent landscape renewal and design for major cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Clark Art Institute, as well as the Harvard Business School, the sculpture park at the Storm King Art Center, and the expansion of the Boston Public Library. Gary is the recipien...

Talking Practice: Anna Heringer

38 min

In this episode, Anna Heringer, founder and principal of Anna Heringer Architects, and honorary professor of the UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development reflects on her days as a scout during her youth and discusses her commitment to rural development and mud/bamboo as raw materials, outlining both the practical and poetic aspects of building mud architecture. Stating the importance of manual work and intuitive learning, she highlights the benefits of working with local communities in Bangladesh in projects such as the METI School, and the challenges of refining and elevating mud architecture through public outreach. By embracing the vulnerability of mud as a material, Heringer asserts her belief in the necessity of local and culturally-sensitive projects in the face of architecture that is increasingly flattened by the forces of globalization. Heringer presents an inside glimpse into the kinds of techniques and strategies that are necessary to implement her philosophical values within the profession, as well as managing doubt in the face of adversity. For more information about Anna’s humanitarian outlook and work with mud architecture, check out her Fall 2018 options studio and lecture at the GSD. Anna Heringer is the founder and principal of Anna Heringer architects, based in Laufen, Germany, and is the recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture.  As UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development, Anna is known internationally for her mud and bamboo projects and humanitarian architecture, with projects in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Anna is currently the Aga Khan Design Critic in Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and teaches an options studio on a day care center for Rohingya children in Bangladesh. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series...

Talking Practice: Shohei Shigematsu

46 min

In this episode, Talking Practice host Grace La interviews Shohei Shigematsu, partner at Office of Metropolitan Architects (OMA) and head of the New York office. Tracing his career from the suburbs of Japan to OMA’s Rotterdam headquarters in 1998, and his later transition to partner at the firm’s New York office in 2006, Shigematsu discusses the evolving ethos of practice at OMA, and what it means specifically to lead OMA New York. With OMA currently maintaining multiple international branches, Shigematsu outlines the independent architectural and social agenda for OMA New York. He also addresses questions of collaboration within the firm, his dream projects, opinions on AMO (OMA’s research division), architectural “turbulence,” and OMA progenies such as Bjarke Ingels (BIG Architects). Shigematsu provides an inside glimpse into the management structure of this influential architecture practice and considers what happens next for OMA, the New York office, and architectural thinking in the profession. For more of his thoughts on practice, watch the roundtable discussion, “Emergence of a Modern Practice,” from the 2017 symposium “Rethinking Pei.”     Shohei Shigematsu is a partner at the Office of Metropolitan Architects since 2008, and the head of OMA’s New York branch, leading several projects across North America including Milstein Hall, in Cornell, Ithaca, the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum in Canada, and the Costume Institute Exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His current projects include, among others, the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, a Facebook campus masterplan in Menlo Park, and a new addition to the New Museum in New York City. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners articulate design imagination...

Talking Practice: Paul Nakazawa

41 min

In this episode, Talking Practice host Grace La interviews Paul Nakazawa, Associate Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Graduate School of Design, whose career as a consultant includes managing several international design practices in the fields of strategy and business development. Having taught practice classes for over twenty years, Nakazawa shares his belief in the importance of fostering personal relationships and a collaborative attitude during the course of a designer’s education, and the necessity of adapting to a changing cultural enterprise as we consider the future of architecture and design. With cities increasingly adapting to parametric operations as the driver of real estate development, Nakazawa discusses the tension between humanism and the algorithm, and what kinds of techniques design practices must employ to survive—and thrive—in today’s changing landscape. Nakazawa reflects on the role of mentorship in architecture and reflects on his own experience mentoring leaders across the design professions, highlighting the value of social capital that lies at the heart of practice. For more information about Nakazawa’s work and teaching, check out his latest course, “Elements of the Urban Stack.”     Paul Nakazawa is Associate Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he teaches Frameworks of Practice, the longest running professional practice class at the GSD. He currently serves as a Director and Vice Chairman of MASS Design Group, Boston, and as Chairman of Snøhetta, New York. Nakazawa’s career spans four decades as an architect and 25 years as a practice strategy consultant to leading firms in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. He has lectured and taught at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles; Architectural Association, London; Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; and University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a graduate of the University o...

Talking Practice: Jeanne Gang

39 min

In this episode, Talking Practice host Grace La interviews Jeanne Gang, founder and principal of Studio Gang, Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and 2011 MacArthur Fellow. Gang describes the beginnings of Studio Gang and her desire to differ from traditional modes of practice, stating the importance of a supportive work environment and describing the role of design management within her studio. With the aim of creating better social and environmental relationships through projects like the Montparnasse Tower in Paris and the extension to the American Museum of National History in New York City, she discusses the emphasis on tectonic culture in her architectural and urban projects, and the essential combination of technology, craft, and material for her design practice. Gang gives her thoughts on the future of practice, highlighting the importance of trans-disciplinary and non-traditional practices in architecture, the benefits of collaboration, and her belief in the power of public engagement as a design strategy. For more on about Gang’s commitment to the environment and comments on practice, check out her Spring 2018 studio “After the Storm: Restructuring an Island Ecosystem” and her open house lecture, “Thinking Through Practice and Research.”     Jeanne Gang is founder and principal of Studio Gang, an architecture and urban design practice based in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, and a 2011 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship. As one of the leading contemporary American architects, Jeanne’s projects include the Aqua Tower in Chicago, the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, and the Royal College of Art Battersea Campus in London. Jeanne is currently Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and has most recently taught an options studio on post-hurricane restructuring in the Caribbean. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-d...

Talking Practice: Reinier de Graaf

39 min

In this episode, Talking Practice host Grace La interviews Reinier de Graaf, the longest non-founding partner at the Office of Metropolitan Architects and co-founder of AMO, the think tank of OMA. He describes in detail the role of AMO and its relationship with OMA, the desire for architecture to be an intellectual pursuit, and the method of approaching projects as conceptual vehicles. Illuminating the bottom-up hierarchy of OMA’s design process, de Graaf shares his thoughts on its studio culture and lack of a “signature” style. As both a designer and academic, de Graaf’s work spans multiple mediums. In this episode, he discusses his newest book, Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession and the option studio he taught at the GSD, “Phantom Urbanism.” De Graaf presents the facet of practice that engages with architectural discourse. Stating that he is a “product of the mainstream,” de Graaf argues for the necessity of architecture to become self-aware of its external forces in order to work more towards the contextual. For more information about de Graaf’s thoughts on architecture and urbanism, check out his 2018 lecture on “Phantom Urbanism.” Reinier de Graaf  (1964, Schiedam, the Netherlands) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and writer. He is a partner in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), where he leads projects in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. De Graaf is co-founder of OMA’s think tank AMO, has taught and lectured at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and is currently Sir Arthur Marshall Visiting Professor of Urban Design at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of the book Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession, named best books of 2017 by both the Financial Times and the Guardian. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which...

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