Event Recap: Teaching Architecture in Venezuela with Jose Guillermo Frontado M.Arch.AS ‘80

On July 11. 2021, MITArchA hosted an event focusing on architectural education in Latin America. Titled Teaching Architecture in Venezuela: Simon Bolivar University: 50 Years Of Excellence And Defiance, the event included three speakers: Professor Jose Guillermo Frontado, M.Arch.AS ’80, Professor Franco Micucci, and Professor Aliz Mena.

Jose Guillermo Frontado discussed his experience both as a student and as professor of Architecture at USB, explaining the origins of the school and the evolutions of its methods and pedagogy through academic, economic, and political challenges. His talk was accompanied by a comprehensive presentation that explained the historic influences and development of the school.

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Note: Video of the event will be made available to registered members of MITArchA on a separate members page.

Online Panel Discussion: Architecture MIT10-ers Shaping the Future

On October 10, 2020, MITArchA held an online video event entitled Architecture MIT10-ers Shaping the Future.

The virtual event featured four alumni panelists including: Ana Vargas, SMArchS '14 of Trazando Espacios, Catherine Winfield, MArch '13 of the Chan Zuckerberg Initative, Matthew Bunza, MArch '13 founder of Metaamo, Sunnie S. Y. Lau, MArch '13 of the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node. (Read full bios here.) The event was oriented towards recent graduates and young practitioners.

Ana Vargas started the event by describing her pioneering work in participatory design, and showed recent design projects in her native Venezuela. She was followed by Catherine Winfield of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, who explained her non-traditional career path and her work in design technology.

Matthew Bunza, founder of Metaamo Studio described the impact that MIT had on his career before diving into the work of his office, which he explained as working between high design projects and high social impact work. Sunny Lau described her work in Community-Driven innovation with the MIT-Hong Kong Innovation Node, which works to understand how technology impacts urban environments using participatory design methods.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session. Attendees asked multiple thoughtful questions.

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Note: Video of the event will be made available to registered members of MITArchA on a separate members page.

Video: MITArchA Holds Online Panel Discussion: Architecture Alumni on the Covid-19 Frontlines

On June 30th, 2020, MITArchA held the first of a series of online panel discussions focused on current events including the COVID-19 pandemic currently sweeping the country. This first event, titled “Architecture Alumni on the Covid-19 Frontlines”, focused on the Course IV alumni response to the pandemic.

The event featured three panelists: Jeffrey Berman ’80, Marcel Botha SMArchS ’06, and William Gilchrist ’77 M.Arch ’82 SM’82, and was moderated by Pamela Tang, Marilys Nepomechie, and Kenneth Namkung (all members of MITArchA’s Board of Directors).

The event began with a short presentation from each panelist, followed by two questions from the moderators. A Q & A session, in which attendees were able to ask directed questions followed the moderated portion of the event.

The panel discussion ended with a closing statement from each panelist, ending the event on a bright and positive note.

4/30/2020: Leong Leong Lecture + Online Alumni Social

Image: MITArchA

On April 30, 2020 the MIT Department of Architecture held an online lecture by Leong Leong (the webcast is here). The lecture was hosted by the MIT Chapter of NOMA (the National Organization of Minority Architects).

The online social, held via Zoom, included Chris Leong and Dominic Leong, founders of Leong Leong, Nicholas de Monchaux, Head of the Department of Architecture, and multiple Course IV Alumni, including many board members of MITArchA.

A lively discussion ensued, including many introductions between geographically dispersed alumni and discussions of the role of design during the current COVID-19 crisis.

June 27 2019: Cambridge Premiere of The Proposal by Jill Magid, SMVisS '00

MITArchA was proud to sponsor the Cambridge Premiere of The Proposal, A Film by Jill Magid SMVisS '00 on a pleasant summer evening on June 27, 2019. The exclusive screening was arranged at the Kendall Square Cinema, which brought a strong showing of alumni, students and faculty, filling the 57-seat theatre to its capacity. The film, which explores questions related to the archives of Mexican Architect Luis Barragán, took viewers on a journey from Mexico to Switzerland. The event was fortunate to include a Question and Answer session after the screening, moderated by HTC Professor Caroline Jones, who provided valuable perspective to the lively discussion.

The conversation continued next door at the Cambridge Brewing Company, where the group enjoyed appetizers and several Beer Towers, vaguely reminiscent to those of Barragán.