INTERVIEWS WITH NEW MEMBERS: JUN 2023

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Ivan Himanen

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

Architecture chose me. In school I was good at physics and art history, so I took the average of the two. Secondly, my mother and grandfather were both architects, so the backdrop of my childhood was littered with drawings, photographs, pencil shavings, and detours through churches. Lastly, I am lucky enough to live in the same city as The Cooper Union, which at the time was tuition-free. If that’s not a motivating factor for an immigrant family, nothing is.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

Anything that elevates the collective civic spirit.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

Choosing a path. The more time I spend in the real world, the more things I realize architecture touches. And I am a bloodhound for knowledge, so it’s a constant effort to put myself on projects where I am not the smartest guy in the room.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

Besides it being free? The level of freedom we had to interact with artists and engineers. Being a small urban campus, it really felt like you were part of a big family. Also, every museum and famous building was just a subway ride away!

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

School turns a blind eye to self-care. Competitive suffering was rife, and many professors leaned on the specter of their own teaching style instead of taking the time to develop meaningful one-on-one relationships. Also, no one was paying attention and actively confronting contemporary issues and technologies. That kind of neglect produces B. Arch holders who are little more than historians with graphic design skills.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

I want to build a body of work—not just of buildings, but of research, initiatives, policies, or speculative ideas—that inspires the next generation of architects and planners.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Louis Sullivan, Tom Kundig, Alejandro Aravena, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Alberto Kalach.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

Grand Central Terminal, NYC. The Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

Connection and dialogue. Let’s get talking!

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Jing Lui (pictured with Florian Idenburg)

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

The built environment is where we exist. I felt I needed to understand its inner workings and underlying logic, and be part of shaping it.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

I think the built environment’s relationship with the larger planetary environment is one of the most pressing questions of our generation. I’m interested in how architecture can play a role in it.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

So many! Having a voice in a largely white-male-dominated world, balancing raising children and professional development, and building a business in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

The energy. There was always so much to learn and explore. Never boring.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

I do think architecture education is still carrying a lot of the baggage of the previous generation – emphasizing too much on architecture as individual expression and teaching technical skills through standardized solutions rather than experimentation and innovation are two big ones.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

Asking the right question in every project.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Lina Bo Bardi, Kazuyo Sejima, Zaha Hadid.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

Brooklyn! 

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

There is so much Brooklyn can offer as an experimental ground and case study for an equitable, humanistic, sustainable, and cool (!) urbanism of our time. I hope there is a chance to explore that.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Shreekumar Kale

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

It was the happiest medium I could find between my interests in art, history, politics, and science. Although I did not know much about the field, the structure of architecture education was very enticing.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

I am most passionate about civic projects that center a community and smaller scale design work that is not traditional architecture. I see the design of books, furniture, pavilions, and exhibitions all as exciting avenues for architectural design.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

Learning which aspects of my job/career to invest time in to balance what I am interested in, what I still need to learn, and what will help push my career. I have also been tuned in to the general sentiment surrounding the field and its disparity between the amount of skill and work that is put in with the compensation that is afforded. 

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

I thoroughly enjoyed the theoretical questions that were posed. The optimism with which we approached large, daunting issues in the world and the ease of a project without a real budget.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

I think most architectural education is biased in a western lens. We are constantly limited by the references we are used to and there is a whole world of design knowledge that we have never been exposed to in our schooling. I think my schooling also kept a majority of the technical aspects of the field at a theoretical level and it has been hard to pick up simply while working. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

I would like to work on projects that range in scale and are centered on research and communities. 

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Louis Kahn, Lino Bo Bardi, Anupama Kundoo.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

Paris, Salk Institute, Menil Collection.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

New connections and exposure to new experiences.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Charles Lent

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

Before studying architecture, I was working in the construction industry as a fabricator, installer, and finally, an estimator for various millwork companies. The 2008 recession really prompted me to pursue a professional degree after having work hours reduced in the construction field.  

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

I’m a big fan of ethereal, natural, and holistic architecture so typically typologies that would lend themselves to those structures. Think Peter Zumthor bathhouses, places of worship, farms, greenhouses, and performance spaces.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

Proving what you know has been a struggle. It’s a pretty big challenge to show what you know while not coming off as arrogant, or creating a competitive environment. Advice welcome!

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

The studio comradery was priceless. All the laughs, tears, scrapes, and cuts are forever memorialized in my mind.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

There seemed to be a desire to not be forthright to students. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt there could be more transparency within the design studios as to what we were trying to accomplish.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

First and foremost, I’m looking to become a generalist that can manage different, scales, scopes, and typologies. Eventually, I might find a scale or typology that I would like to master but until then I’m just trying to absorb as much as I can at different scales.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Just to names a few: Thomas Pfifer, Luis Barragan, Renzo Piano, Peter Zumthor, Carlos Scarpa and Alvaro Siza.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

Because I was recently in Morocco, I’ll say I was blown away by The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech. I can’t think of a better outcome for that museum.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

Meeting like-minded people in this very unique profession. Who knows, maybe some lifelong friends. 

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Hans Maarten Wikkerink

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

I enjoy building houses. As a child, I built small structures in the yard. In my professional life, this slowly evolved into a career in the field of architecture. I can’t help but fantasize constantly about the most ideal way of living for people. This happens to me when I visit someone’s home, but also when I walk around the city. As a professional, I have developed a delicate sense of atmosphere: atmosphere as the result of a pleasant social environment, atmosphere as the result of good spatial organization and design, and atmosphere as the result of beautiful materials, composition, and imagery. I love the everyday and ordinary and I am always looking for the secret behind why the details of buildings work or not. I am interested in the full spectrum of the architecture profession, from regulations and policies to the nuts and bolts of how something is made. As far as I’m concerned, excellence lies in the details. Often rightfully portrayed as one of the main drivers of the current climate problems, I believe the built environment can and should play a crucial role in reversing the course and becoming a part of the solution. Great and mindful design can do this. Although I do consider myself part of the cultural elite and avant-garde, I feel most at home where innovation needs to be translated into everyday use. My work celebrates the mundane and ordinary and tries to uncover the hidden beauty of everyday life.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

Circular and regenerative projects, adaptive reuse, house renovations, social housing, and small community buildings like libraries and cultural centers.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

I did my formal education in The Netherlands and have been licensed there for years. Starting to practice here has sometimes felt like starting all over again. As annoying as that has been at times, I am also very grateful that I am now bringing this dual cultural experience with me into my practice. Being licensed on 2 continents is a great boost for confidence and a great position for a broad view of the field.  

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

It has been a while, but I have very good memories of the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. They have a unique model in which all classes are taught by practicing architects. This model of learning the profession by ‘the hand of the master’ has been a wonderful way to jumpstart my career and really understand what it would entail.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

Part of the Academy of Architecture philosophy was that they would educate great architects and designers. There was definitely less emphasis on the business side of the field.  

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

I want to elevate the ordinary and mundane. I want to be part of the solution to climate change and an equitable future for all.  

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Too many to name. But I am very impressed by the work of Belgians De Vylder Vinck Taillieu. I also want to give a shout-out to my practicing former professors www.korthtielens.nl and www.m3h.nl

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

To speak with my son’s words: ‘New York City is the greatest country in the world’.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

Ultimately, I hope to meet great people to work with, fellow professionals and future clients. For the rest, I hope to stay abreast of all the latest in the field.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Rob Leising

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

Growing up I would draw all the time, always taking a pad of paper and pencil with me on any trip. Eventually, I became focused on buildings, and creating imaginary environments and societies.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

As a queer designer, I put more meaning in work that is able to help our community and push back the traditional narratives inscribed in the built environment. As well I think any work that is able to speak to the issues of social and environmental justice is inherently more interesting than pure aesthetics alone.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

After graduating during a pandemic, the biggest challenge was finding my first job. After more than 50 applications sent and months of nothing back, I was ready to give up hope that all these skills I learned, which I was told would help prepare me to work in the professional sphere, would go to waste. Thankfully, someone did call back. 

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

The ability to experiment and push forward the purview of our profession, while finding oneself and my place and my aesthetic. It’s quite amazing what can be done when you forget you’re doing architecture.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

Where to start? It’s easy to look back with regret and sometimes anger. I graduated from SCI-Arc during an upheaval over the ethical practices of certain professors. I think it’s good that students were able to call out these gross activities and pressure for some ways of change.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

Becoming licensed would be my first goal. As for the rest, whether starting my own practice or collaboratively building something exciting, I’ll see where the tides take me.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

V. Mitch McEwen, François Roche, Horace Gifford, Andre Jaques, Charles Moore, Cruz García and Nathalie Frankowski, all for widely different reasons that can be elaborated upon request over coffee.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

During the pandemic, I learned to love the New England coastal town: Gloucester, Rockport, Portsmouth, and Ogunquit. The town that has my heart is at the very tip of the cape, Provincetown, at least until the sea reclaims it.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

I hope to continue to make connections and root myself in this design community in Brooklyn.