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.
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Architecture Matters | 2024
Thank you all who contributed to a full-week program in Pittsburgh and New York City, October 7-11, 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.
How do we architects work with challenges bigger and beyond design? How do we design within contextual challenges such as air pollution and inequity? How do we design for change?
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.
2024.10.11 | A fantastic program in Pittsburgh and New York City for Architecture Matters!
Architecture Matters is a collaboration of the partners (in alfabetic order):
AIA Pittsburgh
Architects Sweden
Pittsburgh Platform
Swedish Consulate-General New York
Swedish Institute
With the support from:
AIA New York
Breathe Project
Department of City Planning New York
Heinz Endowments
New York City Economic Development Corporation
Hosts:
Sander Schuur, Founding Partner STHLMNYC & The Pittsburgh Platform
Tove Dumon Wallsten, Producer - Arenas and International Programs at Architects Sweden
& Anna Rudels, Deputy Director General the Swedish Institute
Sofia Peterson, advisor to the Director General, Swedish Institute
A special thank you to:
Michelle Fanzo, Executive Director AIA Pittsburgh
Participants Swedish Delegation:
Pye Aurell Ehrström, Founding Partner Marge Arkitekter
Jessica Becker, Wallenberg Senior Fellow, Nordic innovation House
Stina Berglund, Senior Project Manager Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative (NYC)
Kristina Bornholm, Deputy CEO Arkitektbolaget
Erik Bruhn, Partner Archus Arkitektur
Martin Edfelt , City Architect Uppsala
Christina Kazeem, CEO Link Arkitektur
Ivana Kildsgaard, Director of Sustainability Tengbom
Therese Kreisel, Head of Urban Planning Skellefteå
Oscar Lavelid, Urban Development Strategist Stockholm City
David Saand, Regional Manager Link Arkitektur
Stefan Sjöberg, Founding Director Kjellander + Sjöberg
Jessika Szyber, Business Development Manager Stora Enso
Jakob Örtendal, Head Business Development and Partner Semrén & Månsson
A very big thank you to our friends in Pittsburgh and New York City:
Bea Spolidoro, Principal at Fisher ARCHitecture
Christine Mondor, Principal EvolveEA
Jeff Murray, Principal, Science & Technology Practice Leader Cannon Design
Greg Coni, Associate GBBN
Kevin Kunak, Assistant Director Department of City Planning
Brian Talbot, Associate Partner DS+R
Erick Gregory, Chief Urban Designer NYC Department of City Planning
Gizem Karagoz, Senior Project Manager, Green Economy at New York City Economic Development Corporation
Guido Hartray, founding partner at Marvel
Jerry van Eyck, Founder & Principal !Melk
Sagi Golan, Deputy Director, Urban Design at NYC Department of City Planning
2024.06.19 | Wow! Impressed, as always, with the engagement, knowledge and openess to share! Yet another great conversation in the series Architecture Matters.
A very big thank you to all participants:
Erick Gregory | DCP NYC
Erica Cochran Hameen | CMU School of Architecture
Greg Coni | GBBN
Jeff Murray | Cannon Design
Erik Bruhn | Archus
Erik Werner | SETTdesignstudio
Martin Edfelt | Uppsala Kommun
Mikael Stenqvist | Koponen Stenqvist
2024.05.31 | We are thankful to AIA NY Social Science and Architecture Committee for the opportunity to connect with their members to discuss the social impact of architecture and design as part of the Architecture Matters conversation series.
“[Architects should be] advocating architecture – to engage people” – Sara Grant, MBB Arch
“[There is a need for] shifting power, [to share] a common language to allow people to join the conversation” – Evie Klein, PRATT Institute
2024.05.16 | Wow! Another great conversation in the series Architecture Matters this time connecting architects from Pittsburgh and Sweden:
Bea Spolidoro & Eric Fisher | FisherArch
Erica Cochran Hameen | CMU School of Architecture
Greg Coni | GBBN
Anders Larsson | BAS ID
Anna Rex | Vardag Arkitekter
Björn Förstberg | Förstberg Ling
Samuel Vilson | Reppen Vilson
Mikael Stenqvist | Koponen Stenqvist
“If we really want to have equity and social equity [we need to] be able to provide high levels of quality to everyone, regardless of their demographic, social, [and] economic status.” – Erica Cochran Hameen, CMU School of Architecture
“The context that surrounds us can […] strongly influence us and our behavior, [it] will have a huge impact on the users.” – Bea Spolidoro, FisherArch
“the role of the architect […] to create the beauty and the environments people really want” – Björn Förstberg, FörstbergLing
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
“Not every building has to be or should be a masterpiece. Not every building should sing and dance.” – Jerry van Eyck, !Melk
“Certainly, the architecture that seems most inspiring to me. […] is contributing to the city or the place that it is first.” – Brian Talbot, DS+R
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