SPACES: Architecture Matters
With Architecture Matters, we focus on architectural as a design practice and its power to shape human experience to improve health and wellbeing. Architecture Matters is a convening space for architects, urban designers and all related professions.
Information
chairs
Sander Schuur
head of computational design Archus
links
Topics
Architecture Matters | 2024
Let’s look around. What happened to architectural design? Do our buildings all look the same? Do you even remember? Has architecture lost its connection to its public?
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building. We will take this as a starting point asking ourselves what the status of architecture as an art and design practice is. We believe that architecture connects to us humans through design and ask how architectural design can effect and shape human experience to improve our lives.
For 2024, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Platform and the AIA Pittsburgh, we are gathering architects, landscape architects, city architects, academia, critics and other disciplines to reformulate the value of architectural design in a series of conversations called Architecture Matters.
Program 2024
2024.05.16 | We are now gearing up for the third conversation in the series Architecture Matters connecting architects from Pittsburgh and Sweden:
Bea Spolidoro & Eric Fisher | FisherArch
Erica Cochran Hameen | CMU School of Architecture
Greg Coni | GBBN
Jeff Murray | CannonDesign
Anders Larsson | BAS ID
Anna Rex | Vardag Arkitekter
Björn Förstberg | Förstberg Ling
Samuel Vilson | Reppen Vilson
Taiga Koponen & Mikael Stenqvist | Koponen Stenqvist
2024.05.03 | On Friday May 3, we hosted our the second conversation in the series with architects from New York City and Sweden:
Brian Tabolt | Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Jerry van Eyck | !Melk
Suchi Reddy | Reddymade Design
Anna Sunnerö | Sunnerö
Erik Bruhn | Archus
Jakob Örtendahl | Semrén + Månsson
Olla Kjellander | Kjellander Sjöberg
2024.03.25 | On Monday March 25, we hosted our first conversation in the series with the Swedish architects:
Anders Larsson | BAS ID
Björn Förstberg | Förstberg Ling
Ola Kjellander | Kjellander Sjöberg
Taiga Koponen & Mikael Stenqvist | Koponen Stenqvist
Fabian Reppen & Samuel Vilson | Reppen Vilson
Jakob Örtendahl | Semrén + Månsson
Caroline Björk Novak | Urban Minds
“that’s why I think it’s fun to be here, to listen to other people’s perspectives and get even more depth in what you’re doing.” – Ola Kjellander, Kjellander Sjöberg
Session 1: Health Equity: Architecture and the Value of Design
In the first in the series of conversations, we take a deeper look into environmental health equity and the value of architecture and design. The conversation focuses on what role architectureand urban design have in achieving environmental health and well-being, the responsibility of architects and urban planners to address and ensure environmental health, which “tools” and possibilities are available, and how to communicate and argue the value of design in achieving environmental health.
Participants:
Pittsburgh:
Jeff Murray, Cannon Design
Amanda Markovic, GBBN
Stockholm:
Fredrik Hansson, Creative Director and Partner Okidoki Arkitekter
Anna Sunnerö, founder Sunnerö Architects
Moderator:
Michelle Fanzo, Executive Director, AIA Pittsburgh
Session 2: Health Equity: Public Space and the Built Environment
In this conversation our guests discussed how architecture, urban design and landscape architecture can improve public health and well-being, designing spaces that shape experience. This conversation highlights specific design solutions that create a healthy living environment and promote ahealthy lifestyle and reflects on valuable lessons learned between Pittsburgh and Stockholm.
Participants:
Pittsburgh:
Brent Houck, PWWG
Nina Chase, Merrit Chase
Stockholm:
Linda Pettersson, Urbio
Johanna Elgström, Helsingborg
Moderator:
Sander Schuur, founder The Pittsburgh Platform and sthlmnyc
Session 3: Health Equity: Community Engagement and the Power of Education
This conversation addressed the possibility of improving well-being through empowering communities and individuals to impact their own life, being the freedom to make your own decisions. The conversation placed focus specifically on education as a tool to establish general understanding of architecture and urban design to strengthen overall understanding and how to lead to community engagement and participation.
Participants:
Pittsburgh:
Erica Cochran Hameen, CMU School of Architecture, Associate AIA
Robert Tuñón, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative
Stockholm:
Rebecca Rubin, Architect & Sustainability Director at Sveafastigheter
Carolina Wikström, Architect Asante
Moderator:
Alec Rieger, NextGen Pittsburgh