A round table chat with four Austin designers who give a behind-the-scenes look at the collective effort that is transforming the city.

Architecture is not solely driven by individual “genius” architects—it takes a collective of many hands and minds to produce buildings, parks, homes and cities. we tend to hear from the people whose names are on the door, but the people behind those doors wield great influence on the built environment that we interact with everyday. winston Churchill stated that “we shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” as austin attracts designers from around the world (and welcomes others home), they will help shape the way we live. their experiences and influences are part of the fabric of our future built environment, soon to appear on a corner near you.

ARMAN HADILOU 
Graduate student at the University of Texas School of Architecture, from Tehran, Iran

What’s your favorite building in Austin?
12th Street Studio by Pollen Architects

What culture and design influences have the other cities you’ve lived in had on you?
Working in architectural design and building construction in Tehran, I faced social, political and technological problems. Technical issues were so critical that architects had to consider them as the most important factor in the design process. Facing these problems made me aware of the efficiency of construction process using digital fabrication. For a few small-scale projects, I had the chance to use computational design for interior space. Using CAD/CAM through design and implementation enabled us to avoid inexperienced workforce and minimize the labor to maximize scale.

How do you think austin is influencing your design thinking?
Studying at UT Austin gives me a unique opportunity to meet people at the cutting edge of my field. Professors who have experience of working with famous offices such as Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry are passing their knowledge to their students. Being part of a research team connects me to a well-rounded group of peers with similar abilities and concerns. What are you doing now to shape austin, both in the office and outside of work? I am researching the workflow of computational design to final product. This workflow enables architects to strategically reposition design within the fabrication and construction process, which we have been divorced from in recent years. This process allows designers to rapidly and efficiently tackle complex design problems and produce a flexible range of variable products in a short amount of time.

What is the most positive sign you see about the future of architecture and design in Austin?
The positive sign: Austin is among the fastest growing cities in the U.S. This is an opportunity as much as a challenge. With the positive growth, we must consider suitable plans for the city, such as Smart Growth and TOD, and control its size and density, in addition to its infrastructures. Architects should look for new typologies for residential buildings in order to make them compatible with new sets of communal and environmental conditions.

SYDNEY MAINSTER
Director of the Co-op Materials Resource Center at UT Austin's School of Architecture, from Southern California

What’s your favorite building in Austin?
Arthouse.

What culture and design influences have the other cities you’ve lived in had on you?
By living in cities that aren’t oriented towards cars (London, NYC, Venice, Siena, Boston), I have become keenly aware of the isolation auto-dependence can create. Opportunities for unplanned shared experiences, such as public transport or peoplewatching from a plaza cafe, create community. Designers should look for opportunities to create informal public gathering and in-between places, rather than focusing solely on destinations.

How do you think austin is influencing your design thinking?
Providing shade and vegetation is definitely now a priority!

What are you doing now to shape Austin, both in the office and outside of work?
I’m connecting people in Austin who have an interest in materials and material culture—at the School of Architecture and in the non-academic community of makers and fabricators—to design professionals.

What is the most positive sign you see about the future of architecture and design in Austin?
Austin is growing up. I’m getting a sense that people here now expect a higher standard of craft, be it for restaurants, bars, products, art, design or architecture. Hopefully, this will translate into greater demand (and compensation) for architectural services.

ARTHUR FURMAN
Furman + Keil Architects. from Austin, TX

What’s your favorite building in Austin?
The un-built parts: the hike-and-bike trail, Barton Springs, etc. These amenities serve as a natural urban infrastructure that connects and catalyzes the built environment around them.

What culture and design influences have the other cities you’ve lived in had on you?
The architecture of Miami Beach in large part is expressive of a culture of luxury and excess. The extravagant pool decks and flowing, white curtains made famous by Morris Lapidus and Philippe Stark are ubiquitous, and this “tropical modernism” aesthetic makes perfect sense in that context. There is something appealing about a culture that demands pure, white forms and clean, crisp lines as a point of departure.

How do you think Austin is influencing your design thinking?
The convergence in Austin between “vintage” and “contemporary” gives rise to an aesthetic culture that is exciting to be a part of. There is an affinity for rural vernacular forms and historic brick buildings that romanticize the past, yet there is a very clear desire to embrace technology and ideas about the future as expressed through architecture. This duality provides a great opportunity to explore new ideas and materials while staying grounded in context and memory.

What are you doing now to shape Austin, both in the office and outside of work?
Sustainability has long been a priority for me. Austin is very responsive to the green building movement, and there are great resources here for discussing new building systems and best practices. By bringing this conversation back into the office and infusing this knowledge into our work, the buildings we design can participate in the ongoing conversation regarding Austin’s green future.

What is the most positive sign you see about the future of architecture and design in Austin?
I love driving through the neighborhoods of South Austin or the East Side and seeing some of the crazy stuff people do architecturally. Folks are fearless here, and that spirit of self-expression carries through the character of the city.

SOHPIA RAZZAQUE
Michael Hsu Office of Arcitecture, from Austin, TX

What’s your favorite building in Austin?
Arthouse.

What culture and design influences have the other cities you’ve lived in had on you?
I have lived in New York City and London, two great examples of dense urban centers. The public infrastructure in both cities is incredible—from transport to parks and museums. There are great networks; it is easy to find yourself coalescing around other like-minded designers and artists. In Austin, I see these people moving or already living here, with the same types of networks coming together to foster a collaborative environment.

How do you think Austin is influencing your design thinking?
It’s hard for me to see places I loved as a child close down, but I also like to visit the new places that help keep Austin current. This has made it easier to look at an older building and see new opportunities. Austin has a huge artisan culture; it has been fun to discover local craftsmen who can turn an idea into reality with finesse.

What are you doing now to shape Austin, both in the office and outside of work?
Many of Michael Hsu’s projects are renovations or additions, and in reenvisioning them, we get to reenergize the existing building fabric of Austin. Most of these projects are in the public realm, making what we do more accessible to the public and therefore that much more rewarding.

What is the most positive sign you see about the future of architecture and design in Austin?
Austin has become a draw for new businesses, which are creating a demand for new spaces. And this new clientele is asking for more innovation and creativity. The skyline has changed dramatically in the last 12 years (since the city allowed its first building to be taller than the Capitol) yet Austin has managed to keep its downtown thriving.