Architects, academics to explore tech’s impact on design practice at April 27-28 'Deep Vista' event'

New ideas in architectural practice and theory arising from rapidly changing technology will be explored by experts in design, education, philosophy and other disciplines at “Deep Vista,” a free-ranging panel discussion series set for April 27 and 28, 2018 at Texas A&M University.

The public event, supported by the [Department of Architecture] (http://dept.arch.tamu.edu) ’s Thomas A. Bullock Endowed Chair in Leadership and Innovation, is scheduled 9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. April 27 in the university’s [Memorial Student Center] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Memorial+Student+Center,+College+Station,+TX+77840/@30.6122896,-96.3436547,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x86468398550f7f1d:0x9dc3b5de86caa9a4!8m2!3d30.6123645!4d-96.3414834) Room 2300 and April 28 in the [Preston Geren Auditorium] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Preston+Geren+Auditorium/@30.619325,-96.3405223,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x864683913443e5d1:0xe98d1db511d30545!8m2!3d30.619325!4d-96.3383336) , located in the Langford Architecture Center’s Building B.

“Panelists will identify and assess a variety of viewpoints about architecture’s present and future in light of technology-based revolutions in design practice, material science and manufacturing, building construction and many other areas,” said Gabriel Esquivel, associate professor of architecture and event co-curator. “It’s a complex task, because of the wide range of stances that architects and theorists hold.”

Panelists will explore the importance of guiding developments in architectural practice and theory with multifaceted criteria and collaborative methods. Deep Vista’s experts represent a diverse array of disciplines, including architecture, academia, video game design, philosophy, urban planning, art and robotics.

In Deep Vista’s eight, one-hour sessions, panelists will explore topics, including:

• How a relevant design philosophy requires an openness to a multiplicity of values, interpretations and readings, accompanied by simultaneous rigor and relativism;
• The fluid nature of the interaction of digital media with architectural design and programming; and
• The future of design research related to technology, theory and pedagogy.

April 27, [MSC] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Memorial+Student+Center/@30.612282,-96.3435647,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8646839854d18149:0x90311327f8c2221d!8m2!3d30.612282!4d-96.341376) Room 2300

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Environments

What are the changes that digital technology presents to architects and designers?

The session consists of panelists Sean Anderson , associate curator in the [Department of Architecture and Design] (https://www.moma.org/collection/about/curatorial-departments/architecture-design) at The Museum of Modern Art in New York; Graham Harman , Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and Tim Morton , holder of the Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University. It will be moderated by Levi Bryant , professor of philosophy at Collin College.

10:45 – 11:45 a.m.

Geo-Specificity

How important is the physical area surrounding a proposed project? Can designers enhance their relevance with an openness to a multiplicity of values and interpretations?

The session consists of panelists Bruno Juricic, architect, curator and Ph.D. student at the University of California-Los Angeles; Kivi Sotamaa , founding principal of [Ateljé Sotamaa] (https://www.ateljesotamaa.net) and an adjunct associate professor at UCLA, and Rob Stuart-Smith , assistant professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and director of Autonomous Manufacturing Labs at UP and the Department of Computer Science at University College of London. It will be moderated by Graham Harman , Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Southern California Institute of Architecture,

1-2 p.m.

Interaction Between Built Environment & Digital Media

Social media presents a range of interactions with architecture at many different levels, including communication and criticism. What are the present and future qualities of these interactions?

The session consists of panelists Kristy Balliet, an architectural designer and an assistant professor at Ohio State University; Ian Bogost , who holds a joint professorship in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication and in Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Ferda Kolatan , founding director of [su11] (https://www.su11.com) , a New York design firm and an associate professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania, and Michel Rojkind , founder of [Rojkind Arquitectos] (http://rojkindarquitectos.com) . It will be moderated by Bruno Juricic , architect, curator and Ph.D. student at the University of California-Los Angeles.

2:15 – 3:15 p.m.

Borders and Thresholds

What roles does automation play in architectural fabrication, construction, and other design applications?

The session consists of panelists Levi Bryant, professor of philosophy at Collin College; Bruno Juricic, architect, curator and Ph.D. student at the University of California-Los Angeles; Jimenez Lai, co-founder of [Bureau Spectacular] (http://bureau-spectacular.net) , a Los Angeles design firm , and Tim Morton , holder of the Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University. It will be moderated by Michael Young , assistant professor of architecture at The Cooper Union.

April 28, [Geren Auditorium] (https://www.google.com/maps/search/geren+auditorium+tamu/@30.6189326,-96.339605,17z/data=!3m1!4b1)

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Program

What are the many facets of architectural programming beyond function?

The session consists of panelists Kristy Balliet , an architectural designer and an assistant professor at Ohio State University; Ian Bogost, who holds a joint professorship in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication and in Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Jimenez Lai , co-founder of [Bureau Spectacular] (http://bureau-spectacular.net) , a Los Angeles design firm; Michael Osman , associate professor of architecture and urban design at the University of California-Los Angeles, and Kivi Sotamaa , founding principal of [Ateljé Sotamaa] (https://www.ateljesotamaa.net) and an adjunct associate professor at UCLA. It will be moderated by Sarah Deyong , Texas A&M associate professor of architecture.

10:45 – 11:45 a.m.

Design Research

How can design research contribute to the bridge between academia and practice?

The session consists of panelists Kristy Balliet , an architectural designer and an assistant professor at Ohio State University; Levi Bryant , professor of philosophy at Collin College; Nate Hume, founding partner at [Hume Coover Studio] (http://www.humecooverstudio.com) and an architecture lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dwayne Oyler , founder of [Oyler Wu Collaborative] (https://www.oylerwu.com) , an experimental architecture and design firm in Los Angeles and a faculty member at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. It will be moderated by Michael Young , assistant professor of architecture at The Cooper Union.

Noon – 1 p.m.

Digital Humanities and Object-Oriented Ontology

A presentation by Laura Mandell , director of the Texas A&M [Center of Digital Humanities Research] (http://idhmc.tamu.edu/node/198) .

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

The Literal Space of the Studio

What is the role and importance of the studio as a prototype of creativity?

The session consists of panelists Sarah Deyong , Texas A&M associate professor of architecture; Ferda Kolatan , founding director of [su11] (https://www.oylerwu.com) , a New York design firm, and an associate professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania; Jimenez Lai ,
co-founder of [Bureau Spectacular] (http://bureau-spectacular.net) , a Los Angeles design firm; Michel Rojkind , founder of [Rojkind Arquitectos] (http://rojkindarquitectos.com) . and Michael Young , assistant professor of architecture at The Cooper Union. It will be moderated by Kristy Balliet , an architectural designer, and an assistant professor at Ohio State University.

2:15 – 3:15 p.m.

Closing

A closing session, featuring all Deep Vista panelists, will be moderated by Gabriel Esquivel , associate professor of architecture, who curated the event with Bruno Juricic , an architect, curator and Ph.D. student at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Richard Nira
rnira@arch.tamu.edu