NEW URBAN ARCHITECT

How might architects go about getting more involved with their projects at the developer level? What are the keys to a good development team? What factors lead to successful projects in the present economy? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #11, architect and developer Joseph Barnes discusses these questions and more. Joe is the Director of Development for Bundoran Farm, Virginia, and currently serves as Town Architect for Homestead Preserve, Virginia. He has been involved with successful new developments throughout the Southeastern US, including Celebration, I’On, and East Beach. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

What is the key to Seaside’s incredible success? How has it evolved over time, and how might it continue to evolve in the future? Some hold that the town should be designated for preservation–how should we respond to this suggestion? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #10, architect Leo Casas discusses a variety of issues relating to Seaside, including those noted above. Casas is the founding principal of Seaside-based Casas Architecture, and was recently the recipient of a 2010 Palladio Award for his design of a new residence in Seaside. During the past decade, he had the opportunity to spend several years serving as Seaside’s Town Architect. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

How do we design and build places that are as livable as European cities and as dynamic as Asian cities? Is it fair to judge more recent development by the standard set by older development? Does the architecture profession as a whole adequately consider the needs and desires of the people who will be living within the urban ecosystems they design? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #9, architect James A. Moore discusses this challenge, along with a variety of corollary issues. Moore is a Senior Vice President at HDR, a prolific architecture & engineering firm with nearly 200 offices worldwide. His work is diverse, with particular emphasis on urban design, urban redevelopment, and community sustainability. Follow James A. Moore on Twitter The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

What’s the big deal about community, anyway? How can it best be facilitated through design? Which design tools work best? Architect Mike Watkins specializes in the design and implementation of great places that foster community, and his work can be found both domestically and around the world. In the New Urban Architect podcast #8, Mike discusses these questions and more. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

In a recent Architect Magazine article, urban designer Jeff Speck prompted plenty of discussion when he offered a lighthearted synopsis of New Urbanism’s most vocal critics. ‘Libs, Mods, & Saints’, he calls them. In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #7, Speck expands on the ideas covered in the article and more. Speck is best known for his co-authorship of the recently released Smart Growth Manual, as well as Suburban Nation: The Rise and Fall of the American Dream. To learn more about him, check out his website. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

Should building designs be based on good common-sense or architects’ fiat? What is a living tradition, anyway? Can a building really be considered ‘green’ if it is hated and likely to be demolished within a few decades? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #6, architect Steve Mouzon shares his ideas on these subjects and more. You can read more about Steve’s ideas on his blog, Original Green, or by following him on Twitter. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

What makes a good building? Are design codes repressive, or do they facilitate better focus on detail during the design process? When is modernism a drag, and can it ever be made to integrate well into TND contexts? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #5, architect Gary Justiss shares his ideas on these subjects and more. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

Can the automobile industry’s EX, DX, LX concept be applied to architecture? Will the countless empty tract houses left over from the boom ever sell–or are they just plain unlivable, designed for a buyer that no longer exists? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #4, architect Kenneth Hitchens shares his ideas on these subjects and more. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

What exactly is the ‘New Dignity’? How does the ‘green’ zeitgeist fit into the practice of traditional architecture? What implications does economic recession have for architectural design? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #3, architect Geoffrey Mouen expounds on these questions and more. This post contains the full interview. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.

What exactly is the ‘New Dignity’? How does the ‘green’ zeitgeist fit into the practice of traditional architecture? What implications does economic recession have for architectural design? In the New Urban Architect Podcast episode #2, architect Geoffrey Mouen expounds on these questions and more. This post contains an abridged version of the interview. The audio can also be directly accessed here. Right-click to download or left-click to listen within a new window.