Stephen Kieran and Jason E. Smith
KieranTimberlake: Threads of Inquiry
Presented with the Architecture and Urbanism Group
We believe architecture becomes full, more resonant and artful when underpinned by strong ethical positions. We will explore four ethical trajectories, THREADS OF INQUIRY, that guide our work. Each is dedicated to a vision for the future that is beautiful and sustainable in the most expansive sense of those terms.
INTEGRATION. This trajectory begins from the value we place on making architecture of quality and performance that is also affordable - an architecture of desire that confronts the productivity challenges that underlie construction.
RENEWAL. The built world we have inherited embodies not just valuable carbon, but also history and cultural memory. We here explore work that seeks an artful intervention and conversation across time through renewal and addition.
TRANSPARENCY. We embrace and confront the art of transparency in our search for a high-performance future for this long-held modern aspiration, guided by research and project-based exploration.
INTERSECTIONS. Lastly, we seek an architecture that integrates itself with the city, in which people, use, and place give form to and enhance one another. We explore this through urban works, including the new Vassar Street Graduate Housing.
Lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures will be held Thursdays at 6 PM ET in 7-429 (Long Lounge) and streamed online unless otherwise noted. Registration required to attend in-person. Register here or watch the webcast on Youtube.
Stephen Kieran is a partner at KieranTimberlake, an award-winning architecture firm established in 1984 and a leader in practice-based architectural research and innovative buildings. He received a Bachelor of Art from Yale University, a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, 1980-81. Along with his partner James Timberlake, Stephen received the first Benjamin Latrobe Fellowship for architectural design research from the AIA College of Fellows. KieranTimberlake has received numerous design citations including the 2008 AIA Architecture Firm Award, and the 2010 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture. Kieran has co-authored six books on architecture, including the influential book, refabricating Architecture. In addition to his architectural practice, Stephen has held professorships at University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Yale University, University of Michigan, and Princeton University.
Jason E. Smith is a partner at KieranTimberlake. In more than two decades leading architectural projects across the country, Jason has evolved a wide-ranging and inclusive design process, resulting in a body of work that is collegial, artful, and spontaneous. He has led the design and construction of several award-winning projects, including Brockman Hall for Physics at Rice University and Pound Ridge House. Jason's approach to architecture integrates art, research, and new modes of project delivery, yielding sophisticated work that is both rich in meaning and beautiful in craft. His projects have been published in Architect, Architectural Record, and Faith and Form, and have been awarded internationally, including two Institute Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects. He has completed three LEED Platinum-rated projects and two LEED Gold-rated laboratory buildings, a high achievement for an energy-intense building type.
