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Tête-à-Tête: Rice Architecture Podcast Series

Tête-à-Tête is a student-produced podcast series that strives to highlight architectural discourse between Rice Architecture and the global architecture community. Each episode is intended to keep architecture enthusiasts, professionals, academics, and students informed of current happenings.

 

The podcast team works to foster and curate exciting conversations with a range of featured guests including lecturers, faculty members, alumni, students, and professionals. Listen to each episode through the menu below. Don't forget to subscribe to keep up with new releases!

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Contact the Tête-à-Tête team via email at archpodcast@rice.edu.

Team Members:
Anna Brancaccio
Lindsey Chambers
Anna Cook
Jessica LaBarbera
Michelle Schneider
Eddie Simpson
Yangtian Yan

Shawna Forney, Communications Specialist and staff advisor

 

 

S6E1: An Interview with René Graham

An interview with René Graham, who in addition to being a licensed architect, co-founder and design principal of a joint architecture & real estate development practice, Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Architecture, as well as a Visiting Critic at Texas A&M College of Architecture, is the founder and CEO of Renzoe Box, a modular system for color cosmetics. Although her work is divided among two different industries, she recognizes challenges and strategies that are common across these pursuits, from the gender divide in the architecture and startup communities to the design thinking necessary for creating makeup boxes to dwellings. The interview was conducted by hosts Anna Cook and Yangtian Yan.

Episodes

Season 6

S6E1: Interview with René Graham

A native of Texas, René Graham is a licensed practicing architect and holds a Master in Architecture from Rice University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2018 she entered the world of product design and entrepreneurship founding Renzoe Box, a modular system for color cosmetics. In addition to Renzoe Box, René is co-founder and design principal of a joint architecture & real estate development practice focused on design-driven community-centric projects, and has held faculty positions at Texas A&M and UTSoA. She joins the podcast today to discuss alternative practices and applications of architecture across industries.

In 2013, Graham was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts “Challenge America” grant for her installation entitled “Artfill: Art as Urban Infill” a public art installation still on display in Downtown Bryan, Texas today. In 2014, Graham received her first appointment to the architecture faculty at Texas A&M University. In 2015 and 2016, Graham was featured on episodes of “He Shed, She Shed” a nationally syndicated reality television show for transforming backyard sheds into livable spaces. In 2016 she submitted her first ever utility patent for the Renzoe Box. In 2017 she began teaching architecture at the University of Texas School of Architecture.

In addition to leading Renzoe Box™, LaurelHouse Studio and BCS Modern, Graham is a long time Board Member of the Downtown Bryan Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cultural vitality and preservation of Historic Downtown Bryan, Texas. She has held advisory and committee roles for many public and private organizations including City of Bryan, Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, Leadership Brazos, Startup Aggieland, the Texas Bighorn Society, and the National Science Foundation.

Visit https://www.renzoebox.com/ to view more of René Graham’s work.

The interview was conducted by Anna Cook and Yangtian Yan and produced by the Rice Tête-à-Tête team.

 

September Series

September Series: Conversation with Brittany Utting and Daniel Jacobs

An interview with Brittany Utting and Daniel Jacobs of HOME-OFFICE. In this episode, Brittany and Daniel discuss their latest projects and how architecture overlays with labor, ecology, and the politics of collectivity.

Brittany is Assistant Professor of Architecture at Rice University. Daniel is an architect and educator who recently taught at the University of Michigan and currently serves as the secretary of the National Organizing Committee of the Architecture Lobby.

This episode was produced by Mai Okimoto, Siobhan Finlay, Anna Brancaccio, and Eddie Simpson as part of our collaborative September Series with PLAT Journal.

September Series: Interview with Jennifer Newsom and Tom Carruthers

An interview with artists and architects Jennifer Newsom and Tom Carruthers of Minneapolis-based creative practice Dream the Combine. In this episode, Jennifer and Tom discuss the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration and share their thoughts on the need for change within the architectural discipline.

In addition to their practice, Jennifer is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture and Tom is co-owner of Jacobsson Carruthers, a metal fabrication shop in Minneapolis.

This episode was produced by Carolyn Francis, Siobhan Finlay, and Jessica LaBarbera as part of our collaborative September Series with PLAT Journal.

September Series: Interview with Deborah Berke

An interview with Deborah Berke, founder of the New York-based firm Deborah Berke Partners and Dean of the Yale School of Architecture. In this episode, she discusses the active role that listening can take in the pursuit of an equitable and iterative design process.

Deborah Berke Partners creates true-to-place projects spanning a wide range of building typologies. The firm is widely recognized for its work in embuing old buildings with the potential for new futures.

This episode was produced by Carolyn Francis, Siobhan Finlay, and Jessica LaBarbera as part of our collaborative September Series with PLAT Journal.

September Series: Conversation with Carlos Jiménez

An interview with Carlos Jiménez, Rice Architecture Professor and founder of Carlos Jiménez Studio. In this episode, he discusses the temporal nature of architecture, the process of constructing images, and the importance of valuing local contexts.

Founded in 1983, Carlos Jiménez Studio is a Houston-based architecture practice that follows a holistic approach to design. A few of the firm’s principle built works include the Central Administration and Junior School Building for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston, the Spencer Studio Art Building at Williams College, and the Saint George Hotel in Marfa, Texas.

This episode was produced by Harish Krishnamoorthy, Siobhan Finlay, and Jessica LaBarbera as part of our collaborative September Series with PLAT Journal.

September Series: Interview with Helen Leung and Elizabeth Timme

An interview with Helen Leung and Elizabeth Timme of LA-Más, an urban design non-profit organization known for its multidisciplinary and contextual approach to engagement, public policy, and design. Helen and Elizabeth discuss how they've adapted their practice in response to COVID-19, potential solutions to the affordable housing crisis in LA, and how they work to actively include the voices of community members.

In her role as Co-Executive Director at LA-Más, Helen works on strategies for minimizing displacement pressures stemming from gentrification. In addition to her work at LA-Más, Helen serves on the Los Angeles City Planning Commision and is a member of Genesis LA’s Community Advisory Board.

Co-Executive Director Elizabeth Timme co-founded LA-Más because she saw a need for a design approach to be integrated early on in the process of public projects. She believes designers can help create a unified vision, identify creative alternatives, and work in partnership with communities. She serves on the Zoning Advisory Committee of RE: Code LA, which aims to transform the city's outdated zoning code.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, and Jessica LaBarbera as part of our collaborative September Series with PLAT Journal.

Season 4

S4E4: “City of Permanent Temporality” Lecture by Kristian Koreman

For those who could not attend in person, please enjoy this recording of Kristian Koreman’s lecture titled, “City of Permanent Temporality.” Koreman is the founding director of ZUS (Zones Urbaines Sensibles), a multidisciplinary firm practicing in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape design. The lecture was given on October 3, 2019 as part of the Fall 2019 Lecture Series presented by Rice Architecture and Rice Design Alliance.

The Tête-à-Tête team will be taking a break from producing additional episodes this season. We look forward to sharing future episodes with you in the fall featuring conversations with Frank Barkow of Barkow Leibinger, 2020 RDA Spotlight Winner Fala Atelier, and more!  

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Jessica LaBarbera, Takudzwa Tapfuma, and Carrie Li. 

 

S4E3: Interview with Alumnus Rob Rogers: Part Two

An interview with Rob Rogers, FAIA, founding partner of ROGERS PARTNERS Architects + Urban Designers and a Rice School of Architecture alumnus. For over 30 years, Rogers has explored the edges of architecture and the overlap of disciplines: the spaces where architecture, landscapes and the public realm converge. He creates institutional and cultural buildings that are civic works. From reinventing the security bollard to redesigning a subtle icon on the National Mall, Rogers continually elevates accepted conventions in his quest to develop intelligent, rich and timeless contributions to our physical environment. Believing that even a single building is a piece of urban design, his work assertively and elegantly combines urbanism, landscape and architecture.

The second installment of this two-part alumni spotlight mini series focuses on Rogers’ work on campus and his experiences as a Rice student.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Jessica LaBarbera, Takudzwa Tapfuma, and Carrie Li. 

S4E2: Interview with Alumnus Rob Rogers: Part One

An interview with Rob Rogers, FAIA, founding partner of ROGERS PARTNERS Architects + Urban Designers and a Rice School of Architecture alumnus. For over 30 years, Rogers has explored the edges of architecture and the overlap of disciplines: the spaces where architecture, landscapes and the public realm converge. He creates institutional and cultural buildings that are civic works. From reinventing the security bollard to redesigning a subtle icon on the National Mall, Rogers continually elevates accepted conventions in his quest to develop intelligent, rich and timeless contributions to our physical environment. Believing that even a single building is a piece of urban design, his work assertively and elegantly combines urbanism, landscape and architecture.

The first installment of this two-part alumni spotlight mini series focuses on Rogers’ work in the public realm, including the Henderson-Hopkins School and the firm’s redevelopment of Constitution Gardens.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Jessica LaBarbera, Takudzwa Tapfuma, and Carrie Li. 

 

S4E1: Interview with Jeannette Kuo

An interview with Jeannette Kuo, co-founding partner of Zurich-based Karamuk Kuo Architects and Assistant Professor-in-Practice of Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design.  The conversation focuses on Kuo’s interest in a pedagogy-praxis model and her time spent on campus during the pre-design process for Rice Architecture’s Cannady Hall. 

Her research and work focus on the intersection of structures, space, and culture. From multi-unit housing to cultural infrastructures like the Augusta Raurica Archaeological Center, the work of the office spans across scales and typologies, each time looking for spatial and conceptual opportunities within the constraints of reality. Recent built works include the International Sports Sciences Institute in Lausanne and the Weiden Secondary School. Publications include the two-volume research on workspace typologies: A-Typical Plan (2013) and Space of Production (2015), as well as the recent El Croquis 161 monograph on Karamuk Kuo. 

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Jessica LaBarbera, Takudzwa Tapfuma, and Carrie Li. 

 

Season 2

S2E10: Lecture by Jack Self "Attitude as Form"

A highlight from the 2018-2019 academic year, please enjoy this recording of Jack Self's lecture entitled Attitude as Form. Jack spoke at the MATCH Auditorium in Houston, Texas as part of the PLAT & Rice Design Alliance lecture series: Sharing as well as a part of the Cullinan Lecture Series. 

Jack Self is a registered architect and writer based in London. He is Director of the REAL Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the Real Review. In 2016, Jack curated the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. 

Jack's architectural design focuses on alternative models of ownership, contemporary forms of labour, and the formation of socio-economic power in relationships in space. His work has been widely shown, including at the Maxxi, Tate Britain, ICA and Design Museum. Jack's writing has appeared in The Guardian, eflux, 032c, the BBC, Frieze, CNN, and elsewhere. Jack's first book Real Estates: Life Without Debt is now in its second printing. He was previously Contributing Editor for Architectual Review and Editor-at-Large for 032c . 

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski.

 

S2E9: Conversation about Rice Architecture Paris with XDGA

A conversation between Aylin Nazli and studio critics from the Spring 2019 semester of the Rice Architecture Paris program. Doug Allard and Lieven De Boeck are members of Xaveer De Geyter Architects (XGDA) located in Brussels and recently completed the spring studio which tackled the void as an urban generator. Within XDGA, Doug Allard, Federico Pedrini, and Lieven De Boeck founded the research wing entitled XDGR (research) as an entity that pursues research concurrent with practice. One of the first projects within this branch includes directing the Rice Architecture Paris spring studios.

Lieven De Boeck graduated from Saint Lucas in 1994 with a degree in architecture, after which he began practicing at T.O.P Office. There he led the research phase of a project entitled, The Unadapted City. Lieven joined XDGA in 2000 where he directed research on the urban project After-Sprawl, Research on the Contemporary City, which culminated in a publication in 2002. In 2014, while still practicing architecture with XDGA, he founded Studio Lieven De Boeck: a collaborative art practice that explores the oeuvre and seeks to develop a shared understanding of authorship through reproduction, re-interpretation, and conceptual research.

Doug Allard has worked as an architect and urbanist for 25 years at leading international architectural firms. Since January 2011 he has been a senior architect at XDGA in Brussels. His previous work experience includes OMA, Ushida Findlay Architects, Bennetts Associates and Stephane Beel Architects where he worked on large-scale master plans, museums, government buildings, and smaller private projects. Doug has been a member of numerous architectural juries and is currently a studio professor at the Henry Van De Velde School of Architecture at Antwerp University.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S2E8: Conversation between Lars Lerup and Aaron Betsky

A conversation between Aaron Betsky and Lars Lerup following Lars’ farewell lecture Building the Unfinished: An Intellectual Autobiography of a Life in Design. They discuss Lars’ focus on Houston within his research, his transition to studying similar cities in Florida and how Rice Architecture has changed over his years here.

Lars Lerup, designer and writer, is a Professor of Architecture at Rice Architecture. He was Dean at Rice Architecture and William Ward Watkin Professor from 1993 to 2009. Previously, he taught for many years at the University of California at Berkeley. His work focuses on the intersection of nature and culture in the contemporary American metropolis, and on Houston in particular.

Aaron Betsky is currently the dean at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin and Taliesin West. Mr. Betsky's leadership of major institutions in the world of art and architecture includes serving as the Director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam from 2001 to 2006, the Curator of Architecture and Design of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from 1995-2001, and the Artistic Director of the 11th International Architecture Biennale Venice, Italy in September 2008. A prolific writer and editor with a dozen books of hundreds of articles to his credit, Mr. Betsky is also a lecturer and visiting critic who teaches around the world.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

S2E7: Lunchtime Response with Lars Lerup and Aaron Betsky

For those who could not attend the event in person, enjoy this recording of the Lunchtime Response with Lars Lerup and Aaron Betsky following Lars' Farewell Lecture. The response was held on April 5, 2019.

Lars Lerup, designer and writer, is a Professor of Architecture at Rice Architecture. He was Dean at Rice Architecture and William Ward Watkin Professor from 1993 to 2009. Previously, he taught for many years at the University of California at Berkeley. His work focuses on the intersection of nature and culture in the contemporary American metropolis, and on Houston in particular.

Aaron Betsky is currently the dean at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin and Taliesin West. Mr. Betsky's leadership of major institutions in the world of art and architecture includes serving as the Director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam from 2001 to 2006, the Curator of Architecture and Design of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from 1995-2001, and the Artistic Director of the 11th International Architecture Biennale Venice, Italy in September 2008. A prolific writer and editor with a dozen books of hundreds of articles to his credit, Mr. Betsky is also a lecturer and visiting critic who teaches around the world.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski.

S2E6: Lars Lerup Farewell Lecture

For those who could not attend in person, enjoy this recording of Lars Lerup's Farewell Lecture titled Building the Unfinished: An Intellectual Autobiography of a Life in Design given in Farish Gallery of Anderson Hall on April 4, 2019.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski.

 

S2E5: Conversation about "At least I have you, egg"

A conversation with undergraduate students Anna Fritz and Julia Casbarian about their installations in the Mavis C. Pitman Award Exhibition entitled At least I have you, egg. The exhibition was on display in the Rice Media Center Gallery through March 28, 2019. They discuss the meanings behind their installations, how they blend architectural influences and art inspiration within their respective work and what they’ve learned from the design and build processes.

Anna Fritz is a junior at Baker college, where she is majoring in Architecture, Art History, and Visual and Dramatic Arts with a studio arts concentration. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended an international school and developed an avid love for reading.  After graduating, she intends to practice architecture professionally before returning to graduate school to develop her thesis.

Julia Casbarian is a junior at Baker College. She is majoring Visual and Dramatic Arts with a concentration in studio art and minoring in Environmental Studies. She is a Houston native and loves cooking, knitting, and exploring the city.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

S2E4: Conversation with alumnus Scott Key

A conversation between Career and Alumni Specialist, Jacki Schafer and Scott Key (M.Arch '15). Scott began his work on the Emergency Floor system during his time as a graduate student at Rice Architecture. He and fellow alumnus, Sam Brisendine, continued their work on this project after graduating. Jacki and Scott discuss the impact of his time at Rice, how he transitioned this project into real world production and where their company is heading now.

Scott Key received his Master of Architecture from Rice in 2015. Along with business partner and fellow alumnus, Sam Brisendine, they founded Emergency Floor that manufactures light-weight, durable modular floor panels to be distributed in refugee camps all over the world. This outreach pursuit led them to found the non-profit Every Shelter which works to provide solutions for additional refugee needs.

Jacki Schaefer is the Career and Alumni Specialist for Rice Architecture. After receiving her Bachelor of Architecture in 2009, she worked as a commercial architect and BIM instructor before becoming a professional photographer.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

 

S2E3: Interview with Dana Cuff

An interview with Dana Cuff, architecture professor at UCLA, provides insight into how her work at cityLAB pulls architecture, urban design and sustainability together and why these practices can be influential all over the world, including Houston.

Dana Cuff is a professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is also the director of cityLAB, a think-tank comprised of undergraduates, graduates and practitioners that studies urban issues of the emerging metropolis and develops possibilities for our cities to grow more livably, sustainably and beautifully. Dana received a B.A. in Psychology and Design from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Her publications include Architecture: The Story of Practice, The Provisional City: Los Angeles Stories of Architecture and Urbanism, and Fast Forward Urbanism.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

S2E2: Interview with DUST

An interview between Rice Architecture Professor Carlos Jimenez and DUST. Cade Manning Hayes and Jesus Robles Jr. are the founding members of the architecture firm DUST, based in Tucson Arizona. DUST was recently awarded the Rice Design Alliance 2019 Spotlight award. They discuss their unique approach to architecture in the southwest, the key commission that started their firm off on the right foot and even how they came up with their unique studio name.

Cade Manning Hayes was born and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It was the experiences in the Lower Pecos River Valley of the Chihuahuan Desert that nourished his dreams, memories, and intimacy with the desert. As a son of a welder, his early influences come from the time spent helping his father and working on his grandfather's farm. Upon receiving his Masters of Architecture from Texas Tech University in 2002, he moved to the Sonoran Desert where he worked with Rick Joy Architects until 2007.

Jesús Edmundo Robles, Jr. is originally from the Southwestern, United States and spent much of his youth traveling to landscapes between Southern California and Texas. Jesus studied architecture at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas earning his Masters of Architecture in 2003. Upon departure, he cut a unique path to expand and hone his craft gaining over 15 years of architectural design, project management, construction, and construction management experience. In addition to practice, Jesús is an instructor at the University of Arizona teaching design studios and Material Fabrication.

Carlos Jiménez teaches both undergraduate and graduate studios and a seminar on architecture, film, literature, and music case studies. He began his teaching career at Rice as a visiting critic in 1987 and as full time faculty in 1997. Professor Jiménez graduated with honors from the University of Houston College of Architecture in 1981, receiving best thesis and best portfolio awards. He established, Carlos Jiménez Studio, in Houston in 1983. He has taught at numerous universities in addition to frequently acting as lecturer, Juror and Visiting Critic at universities and cultural institutions in the US and internationally.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

S2E1: Conversation with alumnus Christof Spieler

A conversation between Career and Alumni Specialist, Jacki Schafer and Christof Spieler (M.Sc.Eng '99) provides insight into Christof’s experience as an engineering student at Rice and how the campus community fostered many of his additional interests. These interests later developed into individual threads within his unique career.

Christof Spieler is a structural engineer and an urban planner. After receiving a Masters in Civil Engineering from Rice University, Christof spent nine years in practice as a consulting structural engineer. His projects have won multiple American Institute of Architects awards and have been featured on the cover of national engineering magazines. In 2008, Christof Joined Huitt-Zollers as Director of Technology and Innovation. He leads firm-wide initiatives in green buildings, project process, and Building Information Modeling (BIM). He has written and spoken extensively on transit and urban planning and has helped Houston neighborhoods shape transportation projects. In 2010, Houston mayor Annise Parker appointed Christof to the board of Houston METRO, one of the 20 largest transit agencies in the U.S..

Jacki Schaefer is the Career and Alumni Specialist for Rice Architecture. After receiving her Bachelor of Architecture in 2009, she worked as a commercial architect and BIM instructor before becoming a professional photographer.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski, Carrie Li and Takudzwa Tapfuma.

Season 5

S5E3: Interview with Frank Barkow

An interview with Frank Barkow of Barkow Leibinger, an American/German architectural practice based in Berlin and New York, founded in 1993 by Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger. Their practice is a research-based approach to architecture and design, allowing the work to respond to advancing knowledge and technology, locating the practice as an international leader in digital and analogue fabrication techniques. The office’s focus revolves around a commitment to academic teaching, research, and the practice itself.

Barkow Leibinger’s work is realized over a wide range of scales and building types including building for workplace (industry, office, and master planning), cultural, housing, event spaces, as well as exhibitions and installations in the public realm internationally. Recently completed buildings include the Trumpf Smart Factory in Chicago, the Fellows Pavilion for the American Academy in Berlin, the HAWE Factory Kaufbeuren and the Tour Total office high-rise in Berlin.

Their work was included in the Serpentine Summer House program 2016 in London and was shown in the 2nd Chicago Architecture Biennial 2017. It was part of the 4th Marrakech Biennale, the 14th and the 11th Architecture Biennale, Venice, and is housed in the permanent collections of MoMA, New York, and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt. They have won five National AIA Honor Awards for Architecture and a Global Holcim Innovation Award for sustainability as well as various German architecture awards.

Visit https://barkowleibinger.com/home to view more of Frank Barkow’s work.

The interview was conducted by Lindsey Chambers and produced by the Rice Tête-à-Tête team.

S5E2: Interview with El Cielo

An interview with Armando Hashimoto and Surella Segú. El Cielo, their architecture and urban design practice based in Mexico City since 2001, has extensive experience in the public, private and academic sectors. El Cielo generates visions of the future through consulting for urban development, architecture and housing projects, and policies and programs. These ventures all focus on participatory and community management, integration with the environment and the implementation of strategic plans and projects.

El Cielo’s work has been selected for the Venice, Beijing, Seoul and Latin American architecture biennials. Their projects have been presented in various exhibitions of Mexican architecture such as the ARCH-AUSMX 2010 Contemporary Mexican Architecture in Melbourne, Australia and Mexican Architecture in Italy. In 2013 the team received the CEMEX Innovation Award.

El Cielo’s work has been published in national and international journals, such as "The Best of The Century XXI" Arquine + RN, "Creation in Motion" FONCA, "Fast Forward Hot Spot BrainCell" Biennial of Architecture of Beijing, Code 06140, Entremuros, OntheSiteReview, Domus, and Arquitectura Viva.

Visit elcielomx.com to view more of El Cielo’s work.

 

S5E1: Interview with Fala Atelier

An interview with Filipe Magalhães, Ana Luisa Soares, and Ahmed Belkhodja. Fala Atelier, their architecture practice based in Porto, Portugal, utilizes playful graphics to develop and represent the joy and lightness embodied by their work. Fala Atelier is the winner of the 2020 Rice Design Alliance Spotlight Award.

Rice Design Alliance is the public programs and outreach arm of Rice Architecture. Each year they present the Spotlight Award to recognize the work of exceptionally gifted national and international architects in the early stages of their professional career who have demonstrated design excellence and curiosity through their body of work.

Fala Atelier’s work has been exhibited at the architecture biennials in Venice and Chicago, the Serralves Foundation, and the Pavillon de l’Arsenal in Paris, and in single exhibitions in Panama, Italy, Macedonia, France, and Portugal. 

Visit falaatelier.com to view a nonlinear display of the Atelier’s archives.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Jessica LaBarbera, Anna Brancaccio, Anna Cook, Michelle Schneider, Eddie Simpson, and Yangtian Yan.

Season 3

S3E8: Conversation about Rice Architecture Preceptorship with Andrew Bertics

A conversation with Rice Architecture student Andrew Bertics about his experience in the school’s Preceptorship program, which provides Bachelor of Architecture students with the opportunity to intern for 9-12 months between their fourth and fifth year of academic study. Since 1968, the program has fostered professional development among students, culminating in their return to school, where they take the Totalization and Option studios for their final year at Rice. Today’s mini episode is the final installment in a series of interviews with returning preceptors about their internship experiences and how they’ve brought what they’ve learned back to school.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E7: Conversation with Reto Geiser

A conversation with Reto Geiser on the implications of designing across a variety of scales and mediums, including his work on exhibitions, environmental graphics, and book projects. Implicit in this discussion is an emphasis on the spatial qualities of books. 

Reto Geiser is an architect and educator who founded Houston-based firm MG&Co with his partner Noemi Mollet in 2010. The firm designs built works, print matter, environmental graphics, and installations, with some of their recent projects including the environmental graphics for the Menil Collection and the UCLA Graduate Art Studios. Geiser is Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Rice University School of Architecture.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E6: Conversation about Rice Architecture Preceptorship with Madeleine Pelzel

A conversation with Rice Architecture student Madeleine Pelzel about her experience working for Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) as part of Rice Architecture’s Preceptorship program, which provides Bachelor of Architecture students the opportunity to intern for 9-12 months between their fourth and fifth year of academic study. Since 1968, the program has fostered professional development among students, culminating in their return to school, where they take the Totalization and Option studios for their final year at Rice. Today’s mini episode is the second in a series of interviews with returning preceptors about their internship experiences and how they’ve brought what they’ve learned back to school.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E5: Interview with Maria Lisogorskaya

Maria Nicanor speaks with Maria Lisogorskaya, one of the founding directors of Assemble. They discuss what it means to operate as equal partners in a collective, and they talk about Assemble’s multi-disciplinary work, including the ongoing educational project at the Material Institute in New Orleans.

Maria Lisogorskaya is a founding director of UK-based collective Assemble, practicing between the scales of hands-on material prototyping, architecture, art, business, urban strategy, and product design. 

Lisogorskaya led research and policy development on affordable workspaces in London, establishing a publicly accessible workshop and fabrication venue. She has worked on alternative approaches to housing development in the UK and abroad, focusing on affordable, self-determinant and collective living. She has also led Assemble's Material Institute project in New Orleans, a transformation of an industrial property in the St Roch's area of town, into a hub for the local community to learn fashion design and manufacturing. She has lectured and delivered workshops internationally, and has been awarded the Winston Churchill Fellowship to research collective building projects in the US and China.

Maria Nicanor is an architectural historian and a curator of architecture, design and urbanism. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Rice Design Alliance, the programming public engagement arm of Rice Architecture. Previously, she served as the inaugural Director of the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid and was an architecture and design curator at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E4: Interview with Alan Maskin

An interview with Alan Maskin about the unconventional design challenges he pursues and how they shape his practice and inform his firm’s collaborative approach. He also shares how his experience with competitions has influenced his body of work and expanded his methods of representation.

Alan Maskin is a principal and owner of Olson Kundig, where he leads an interdisciplinary team to design everything from buildings to graphic novels. For over two decades, Maskin has pursued unconventional design challenges in public places. His built international portfolio includes museums, installations, exhibits, visitor-based destinations and urban park projects.

Some of his awards include competitions for: The Bob Dylan Center, The Jewish Museum Berlin Kindermuseum, and Fairy Tales 2016, the world’s largest architectural ideas competition. Maskin’s recent works include a redesign of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, two museum projects for an American sculptor, and a new art park in Sacramento. His self-provoked works include: [storefront] Olson Kundig, a two-year experiment in design, culture and social practice; and “The 5th Façade,” a multidisciplinary exploration into the uppermost layer of cities.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E3: Conversation about Rice Architecture Preceptorship with Ethan Chan

A conversation with Rice Architecture student Ethan Chan about his experience in Rice Architecture’s Preceptorship program, which provides Bachelor of Architecture students the opportunity to intern for 9-12 months between their fourth and fifth year of academic study. Since 1968, the program has fostered professional development among students, culminating in their return to school, where they take the Totalization and Option studios for their final year at Rice. Today’s mini episode is the first in a series of interviews with returning preceptors about their internship experiences and how they’ve brought what they’ve learned back to school.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E2: Conversation with Mark Wamble

A conversation with Mark Wamble about his company Architectural Safety Components and the process of designing and fabricating aesthetically-minded emergency lighting. He also discusses the lessons he learned, which he plans to bring back into his firm, Interloop—Architecture.

Mark Wamble is a founding principal of Interloop—Architecture (IA), and a founding partner of Architectural Safety Components (ASC). He is a Professor in the Practice at the School of Architecture at Rice University. He received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Throughout his years of practice Mark has always followed his intellectual passions, which are often informed by his knack for solving technical riddles. Whether it’s the folding stone bench he designed (with IA) and fabricated for James Turrell’s Tending (Blue) for the Nasher Sculpture Center, the glass cube fabricated in Houston and “plugged-on” a private residence in Dallas, or the made-to-order process he engineered to manufacture over 600 possible exit sign configurations for ASC, Mark finds meaningful ways to link design possibilities with technical opportunities.

This episode was produced by Siobhan Finlay, Lindsey Chambers, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Jessica LaBarbera, and Carrie Li.

S3E1: Interview with Frida Escobedo

Jesús Vassallo speaks with Frida Escobedo, the visiting Cullinan Professor for the Spring 2019 studio entitled Ruination. They discuss how her education influenced her approach to teaching and the topic of her studio course.

Frida Escobedo is principal and founder of an architecture and design studio based in Mexico City. The projects produced at the studio operate within a theoretical framework that addresses time not as a historical calibration, but rather as a social operation.

Frida Escobedo´s work ranges from art installations and furniture design to residential and public buildings. Her work has been presented at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (2015), the Venice Biennale (2012) and the Chicago Biennial (2015). In 2009 the Architectural League of New York awarded her with the Young Architects Forum award. Architectural Review awarded her with the Emerging Voices Award in 2016.

Jesús Vassallo is a Spanish architect and writer, and currently an assistant professor at Rice University. His work focuses on the problem of realism in architecture through the production of design and scholarship. He is the author of Seamless: Digital Collage and Dirty Realism in Contemporary Architecture (Park Books, 2016) and is currently working on a second manuscript titled Epics in the Everyday. His articles have been published internationally in magazines such as El Croquis, AA Files, 2G, Log, Harvard Design Magazine, Domus, or Arquitectura Viva. Since 2011 he has served as editor of Circo magazine.

This episode was produced by Rose Wilkowski.

Season 1

S1E6: Conversation with alumni Ethan Feuer and Florence Tang

Conversations between Career and Alumni Specialist, Jacki Schaefer and alumni Ethan Feuer (B.Arch '11) and Florence Tang (M.Arch '09). Their conversations include thoughts on how each of them pursue nontraditional architecture careers and how their experiences at Rice Architecture furthered and fueled their passions.

Ethan Feuer is a writer and designer living in Virginia. After receiving a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University in 2011, Ethan pursued a career in architecture and writing, receiving his MFA in creative writing from the University of Virginia. His stories appear in Best American Experimental Fiction, the Indiana Review, Tin House online, Electric Literature, DIAGRAM, Cosmonauts Avenue, and elsewhere.

Florence Tang is a project manager at the Houston Zoo. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Trinity University in 2001  and her Master of Architecture from Rice in 2009. Previously, Florence was a journalist for the Houston Chronicle and she continues to write for various publications including the RDA and Cite Magazine.

Jacki Schaefer is the Career and Alumni Specialist for Rice Architecture. After receiving her Bachelor of Architecture in 2009, she worked as a commercial architect and BIM instructor before becoming a professional photographer.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S1E5: Conversation about Totalization with Troy Schaum and Nat Oppenheimer

A conversation with Troy Schaum and Nat Oppenheimer about what makes the Totalization program unique, how it fits into the curriculum at Rice Architecture, and the importance of collaboration between students and professional consultants.

Troy Schaum is an Associate Professor at the Rice School of Architecture, where he was the 2008-2010 Wortham Fellow. He is also a partner in SCHAUM/SHIEH, where his design and research interests focus on new possibilities for form, representation, and politics in the post-megalopolitan city. He holds a Master of Architecture from Princeton and a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Troy is currently the coordinator of the Totalization sequence.

Nat Oppenheimer joined Silman in 1988 where he is currently Executive Vice President. Nat develops engineering systems to support new construction, renovations, and historic preservation and spearheads much of the firm’s institutional work. He has collaborated as the structural consultant in the Totalization sequence for the past nine years.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S1E4: Conversation about Unmaking the Bed with Piergianna Mazzocca and Patrick Daurio

A conversation between Gus Wortham Fellow, Piergianna Mazzocca and Patrick Daurio (M.Arch ‘16) about the exhibition Unmaking the Bed, Unmaking New Orleans. The content for the exhibition was developed by students in Piergianna’s Spring 2018 studio entitled Unmaking the Bed. The exhibition furthers the student’s work by specifically studying the idea of “the bed” in the city of New Orleans.

Piergianna Mazzocca graduated as an architect from the University of the Andes in Mérida-Venezuela, after which she co-founded and worked as an architect in Taller de Arquitectura Singular, directing the office between 2011 and 2015. In 2014 she moved to the Netherlands to start her postmasters at The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design, Delft University of Technology, from where she graduated cum laude in 2016. Piergianna's current research focuses on architecture's enduring relationship to health and its associated medical aesthetic paradigms.

Patrick Daurio is an architect at the New Orleans-based Office of Jonathan Tate. He holds an M.Arch from Rice University and an A.B. in Architecture from Princeton University. He is originally from New Jersey and has worked previously worked in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston. His essay, “Not For Construction: The Phantom Architectures of New Orleans' Conservation Easements” is featured in PLAT 7.0: Sharing.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S1E3: Interview with Tom Emerson

An interview between Jack Murphy (M.Arch '20) and Tom Emerson about his thoughts on materiality, the relationship between nature and architecture, and the scalar process of design. Tom expresses how he weaves these common threads through both his professional work and teaching methods. He finds this symbiotic relationship constantly fruitful.

Tom Emerson is a founding director of 6a Architects in London. He studied architecture at the University of Bath, the Royal College of Art, and the University of Cambridge. He has taught at the Architectural Association and the University of Cambridge and published articles on architecture, literature, and art. In 2010, he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the ETH Department of Architecture in Zurich.

Jack Murphy (M.Arch '20) is co-editor of PLAT Journal for the 2018-2019 academic year. His writings have appeared in Places, Texas Architect, and The Architect's Newspaper. Previously he participated as a designer in the offices of Dyal & Partners and Baldridge Architects in Austin, Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Art and Design from MIT.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

(Teaser Episode) Interview with Tom Emerson

An excerpt from the interview between Jack Murphy (M.Arch '20) and Tom Emerson founder of 6a Architects.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S1E2: Conversation with Rice Construct

A conversation with Rice Construct's Danny Samuels and Rose Wilkowski. They discuss housing density and how the recent projects of Rice Construct impact Houston's residential growth. Samuels shares his perspective on why housing in Houston is a critical issue. Wilkowski discusses why she became involved in the elective course and the value of the skills she acquired.

Over the past twenty years, more than six hundred students have designed and built projects at various scales in the community -- from exhibit venues in Houston museums to affordable housing at Project Row Houses in Houston's Third Ward. The Workshop received the 2004 NCARB Prize for the "Integration of Practice and Education" from the National Council of Registration Boards and the "Collaborative Practice Award" in 2005 from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. In 2015/16, the RBW collaboration with Project Row Houses was the subject of exhibitions at Harvard GSD, AIA NY, and the Cooper Hewitt Museum, as well as the book Core Houses.

Danny Samuels, FAIA, is a Professor in the Practice of Architecture and the Co-director of Rice Construct. Along with business partners John J. Casbarian and Robert H. Timme, Samuels founded Taft Architects in 1973. The work of this Houston-based office has received over 60 major design awards, and has appeared in over 200 articles in books and journals worldwide.

Rose Wilkowski (M.Arch '20) received her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Prior to attending Rice, she worked at Rottet Studio in New York City as a project designer.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

S1E1: Interview with Peggy Deamer

An interview between Francis Aguillard (M.Arch '19) and Peggy Deamer about the Architecture Lobby, a group advocating for the value of architectural design in our communities as well as labor and workers' rights within the field of architecture.

Peggy Deamer is a professor of architecture at Yale University School of Architecture, principal at Deamer Architects, and is the founding member of the Architecture Lobby. She is the editor of Architecture and Capitalism: 1845 to the Present and co-editor of Building in Future: Recasting Architectural Labor and BIM in Academia, among other publications. Most recently, the Architecture Lobby hosted a National Think-in revolving around the theme of "Infrastructure," addressing topics such as "Cities and Capital," "Climate Change," and the "#MeToo" movement.

Francis Aguillard received his M.Arch from Rice University in 2019. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics & Political Science, where he completed an M.Sc. in City Design & Social Science and wrote his thesis on co-living. He also graduated from the Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Francis was an editor-in-chief for PLAT 7.0 Sharing, an independent student-led architecture journal supported by Rice Architecture.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

(Teaser Episode) Interview with Peggy Deamer

An excerpt from the interview between Francis Aguillard (M.Arch '19) and Peggy Deamer.

This episode was produced by Aylin Nazli and Rose Wilkowski.

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