An architect/friend happens to be in New York on business, and sent me pictures from an exhibition he attended on one of his days there. The exhibition, 5×5 Participatory Provocations, got me thinking about our need for more polemic architecture in Kenya. That controversial projects exist is in no question. Beside the new malls and …
Category: Architecture
In Conversation: Henry Musangi, Architect (Part Two)
I am blessed enough to have a few people in my life that I consider good mentors. Funny thing, though: they are not actually aware that I consider them mentors. In his New York Times Op-Ed piece, The Myth of Quality Time, Frank Bruni talks about the importance of the unscripted moments we may choose …
In Conversation: Henry Musangi, Architect (Part One)
Henry Musangi is a busy man. Even on weekends. That this Western-educated Kenyan architect was able to find time to have a conversation of this sort was somewhat of a miracle. Well, that and the fact that the beginning of the year tends to be a less busy time for most businesses, affording me an …
Throwback Monday (Getting Personal)
Once upon a time, I was a college student, living for the most part in the insular world of design school, force-fed (not really) with ideas that were not my own. In many ways, I was trying to find myself, to define the architectural niche into which I felt I fit best. I was at …
Citivism 101
Theaster Gates has proven to be quite the motivator. I had never heard of him until today. After a somewhat long work day, I was looking for a productive way to relax, so I turned to my laptop and decided to do some TED browsing. I love TED talks – the amount of information …
The Architecture of Anonymity
On my boss’ recommendation, I watched a PBS documentary on Costas Kondylis, a man I had never heard of prior to yesterday. He has made quite a mark on the Manhattan skyline, and while his aesthetic is subjective, one thing that seems clear is that he is a man of the people. And by …