Gradient Canopy

I spent the afternoon at Google’s Gradient Canopy designed by Bjarke Ingels Group [BIG] and Heatherwick Studio. Actually there are three canopy structures on the site. The exterior roof envelope is constructed out of shaped steel panels, draped between steel masts. Since the shaped roof panels do not align exactly, clerestory windows fill in the gaps. That detail allows for natural daylighting within the building, as well as varying the overall ceiling heights. Sustainability was a primary goal for Google, thus each canopy is clad with photovoltaic panels that generate additional electrical energy. While in Cupertino, I also visited Norman Foster’s Apple Park, which was exquisitely designed, but barely visible due to Olin’s opaque landscaping.

DESIGN INTELLIGENCE SYMPOSIUM AIA SILICON VALLEY

The date is rapidly approaching for the AIA Silicon Valley Symposium: Re-Imagining Intentional Practice on Wednesday October 9th. The director of CCA’s Digital Craft Lab, Negar Kalatar, will be speaking on Architect’s Value in the Age of AI. After Kalatar’s presentation, I’ll give the closing keynote address, Dwelling in Possibility: Between the Conception and Construction of Space. Hope to see you there! For the full line up of speakers see https://aiasiliconvalley.org/architectural-intelligence/

Silicon Valley AIA Conference

I have been invited to deliver the keynote address on Architectural Intelligence at the AIA Silicon Valley Symposium to be held on October 9, 2024 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View California. You will find an impressive line-up of speakers and workshops on the website! For more information: https://aiasiliconvalley.org/event/2024-architectural-intelligence-symposium/

University of California Berkeley Lecture

On July 3, 2024, I will be giving a lecture to the graduate studio in Urban Design at the University of California Berkeley. The lecture topic is “Legacies of California Housing: Society, Structure, and Spatial Justice” focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area and the City of Richmond. That particular region has critical environmental concerns, in addition to a lack of well-designed affordable housing, public space, and schools. Students will present the results of their research activities two weeks later at the midterm review.

How To Hack Utopias

Looking forward to expanding on some earlier ideas explored in my blog, “How to Hack Utopias: Speculative Interventions for a Sustainable City.” These innovative design proposals were generated in a multi-disciplinary seminar that I taught at UIUC, during which students were asked: What are the utopias of the twentieth-first century? What are their recent histories and theories, and how do they differ from utopian projects of other eras? Are contemporary utopian impulses critical, projective, or building as usual? What role does technology, aesthetics, and politics play in current efforts to secure utopian ideals? https://modernutopias.wordpress.com/intro/

NEW PUBLICATION with Journal of Urban History

The Journal of Urban History recently published my research article, “Segregating the Suburbs in Postwar California: A History of the Ladera Cooperative 1944-1950.” This pivotal account examines the innovative planning and fiscal features of Ladera, a cooperative community, followed by an explication of the 1940s lending landscape and state-sponsored financing process that ultimately reshaped Ladera’s development. The work was funded through the generosity of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Importantly, the University of California Berkeley eScholarship platform enables the work to be freely distributed through Creative Commons Open Access [OA]. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00961442231199270

Segregating Silicon Valley

David Goldfield, editor of The Journal of Urban History, accepted my research paper, “Segregating the Suburbs: Ladera Housing Cooperative 1944-1950” for publication. The article examines Ladera, a 1940s interracial housing cooperative in Portola, California and the role that federal lending practices played in maintaining racially segregated suburbs. During the research, I accessed archival materials at Stanford University including the cooperative’s records and personal journals, and the original architectural drawings at University of California Berkeley Environmental Design Archives. I also examined the Federal Housing Administration’s internal memos and correspondence at the National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] in College Park MD. Much thanks and appreciation goes to the Graham Foundation for the Advanced Studies in the Arts for their generous research support. @grahamfoundation

California's Affordable Housing Crisis

The New York Times just published a well researched article regarding the complexities of solving California’s housing shortage. The article focuses on a recent proposal to create a Transit Oriented Development at North Berkeley’s BART Station. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/30/magazine/housing-berkeley-yimby-fight.html

Summer Research & Writing

Now that summer’s here, I will be expanding my research on the historical emergence of suburban segregation in Silicon Valley, along with an essay on the social architecture of Joseph Stein. Last year I spent a month at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Now, I can continue my work at Stanford University Library where much of the archival material is held, along with the Bancroft Library at the University of California Berkeley. With thanks to the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Arts for funding my research. #grahamfoundation

This Month's Reading List

The Ricker Report’s Reading List features my edited collection of essays on contemporary urban design, Intelligent Infrastructures: Zip Cars, Invisible Networks, and Urban Transformations. The collection brings to the forefront how information, social equity, sustainability, transit, and housing, are all critical to understanding today’s changing urban environment. Included are works by Mitchell Schwarzer (Hella Town: Oakland’s History), Anthony Townsend, Carlo Ratti, and Mitchell Joachim, among others. The Ricker Report is published annually and discusses faculty research at the University of Illinois. https://issuu.com/artsatillinois/docs/ricker_report_february_2019/s/20659745

Society for Architectural Historians

My paper on “California Modernism: Inclusive and Affordable Housing” was accepted for the SAH annual conference in Montreal Canada April 12 - 16, 2023. I will be presenting on Friday morning April 14th. In addition to the presentations, there will be some fabulous tours arranged in and about Montreal. Register now at https://www.sah.org/2023

Human Geography

I’m leading a discussion in the Geography Department on Uneven Development at UC Berkeley on February 14, 2023 with readings by Neil Smith and Gillian Hart. So much has happened since these essays were written in the 1990s; it should make for an interesting discussion.

Eichler Network Interview

Joseph Eichler was a California Modernist developer with a open (non-racial) sales policy. And many of you already know that I grew up in an Eichler house. The contemporary architectural writer, Dave Weinstein, just published an interview about my early experiences and current research for The Eichler Network.

https://www.eichlernetwork.com/blog/dave-weinstein/urban-scholar-was-inspired-eichler

Healthy Cities Design Conference, London UK

The speakers at next week’s conference look terrific! Jeremy Myerson, Royal College of Art will lead the introductory session. Janet Sutherland from the Academy of Urbanism, UK is chairing my session. I will be speaking on Monday October 11 at 1:00pm on “Back to the Future: A Case Study of Silicon Valley’s Ladera Housing Cooperative.” Hope to see you there! With thanks to the Graham Foundation Advanced Studies in the Arts for funding my research.

Healthy Cities Design Conference, London

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be presenting a talk on the California modernist architects Joseph Stein and John Funk at the Healthy Cities Design Conference, October 10, 2022. The International Congress & Exhibition is a global forum for the exchange of knowledge on the research, policy, and practice of designing healthy and sustainable communities. The conference will be held both onsite and online, so you can listen to the talks from anywhere. https://europeanhealthcaredesign2019.salus.global/conference-show/healthy-city-design-2021

National Archives and Records Administration

At last I’m at NARA in College Park Maryland this week! The archives had been closed due to Covid for much of last year; now there are limited appointments available. Be sure to contact NARA at least a month in advance to reserve a time. It’s a well-designed environment for research and the staff is incredibly helpful. Multi-story glazing provides natural daylight to work in. With thanks to the Graham Foundation for research support.

Architecture_Media Politics & Society

The architecture and planning conference, “Culture, Communities, and Design” at the University of Calgary was a huge success! I presented my research on the Federal Housing Administration’s exclusionary lending practices during the 1940s, exposing the critical preconditions that produced the sprawling, segregated technopolis of Silicon Valley today. Organized by Associate Professor Fabian Neuhaus, the conference started with a smudge blessing, which was then followed by Willy Ermine’s inspiring keynote address. I also had a chance to explore Calgary’s exciting architecture such as Snoetta’s Central Library, the Bow River Park, and Eastside’s new developments.

Design & Co Videos

Stewart Hicks, of Design & Co fame, produced some highly intelligent and entertaining videos during last year’s pandemic. Each one focuses on a different aspect of architecture, prompting the viewer to think about architecture in new ways. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82YtFcBgS8o

UC Berkeley Research Appointment

Exciting news! I have been offered a Visiting Researcher position in the Architecture Department at the University of California Berkeley for 2022-2023. This will enable me to work with colleagues on issues related to race & space in California’s post-war suburbs. I will also have unlimited access to the archival collections in the College of Environmental Design and the Bancroft Library - one of the largest collections of manuscripts, rare books, artworks, and unique materials in the United States.