Scratching the Surface

This episode originally aired September 30, 2020. Annelys de Vet is a Belgium-based designer, educator and researcher. From 2009 to 2019, she was the the director of the design program at the Sandberg Instituut and is the editor of Design Dedication a new book collecting the work and thinking during her tenure. Now she’s leading a new masters program on Disarming Design that is committed to design practices in situations of oppression. In this episode, Jarrett and Annelys talk about thinking about design education as a system of community and care and structuring a curriculum that leaves room for experimentation. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/163-annelyse-de-vet. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired on February 24, 2021. Ashley Mendelsohn is an architecture curator, educator, and multidisciplinary designer focused on engaging and strengthening communities by demystifying the barriers to access and understanding. From 2015 to 2020, she was the Assistant Curator of Architecture and Digital Initiatives at the Guggenheim Museum and previously founded the 40 Kirkland Gallery at Harvard GSD. In this episode, Jarrett and Ashley talk about moving between design and curation, teaching architecture to high school students, and making architecture more understandable for a general audience. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/177-ashley-mendelsohn. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired on March 17, 2021. Jeanne Gang is an architect, teacher, and the founding principal and partner of Studio Gang. The studio’s research-driven practice encourages intellectual curiosity and formal exploration across projects ranging from books and publications up to skyscrapers and urban planning. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jarrett and Jeanne talk about the role of research in the design process, building a studio culture that encourages curiosity, and how the idea of ‘actionable idealism’ drives all her work. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/180-jeanne-gang. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired April 14, 2021. Dori Tunstall is a design anthropologist, public intellectual, and design advocate who works at the intersections of critical theory, culture, and design. She’s currently the Dean of Design at Ontario College of Art and Design and previously taught at Swinburne University and the University of Illinois Chicago. In this episode, Jarrett and Dori talk about the intersection of design and anthropology, finding new forms for sharing knowledge, and the work of decolonizing design programs. — Dori's new book, Decolonizing Design, is available now. You can read an excerpt on our site here: https://scratchingthesurface.fm/stories/2023-02-14-decolonizing-design-dori-tunstall/ Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/183-dori-tunstall. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired January 13, 2019. Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell are designers, authors, and educators. They operate Skolos+Wedell where they are interested in demising the boundaries between graphic design and photography through collaged three-dimensional images influenced by painting, technology, and architecture and are long-time faculty members at RISD. In this episode, Nancy and Tom talk to Jarrett about how they met at Cranbrook and the influence of that education on their career, how design education has changed over the last 30 years, and how they balance history and innovation in their own work and with students. A new monograph of their work, Overlap/Dissolve, is now available via Oro Editions. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/107-nancy-skolos-tom-wedell. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired March 13, 2019 Reinier de Graaf has been a partner at OMA since 1996. He co-founded the studio's think tank AMO and has overseen projects ranging from an exhibition of the history of the European Union to masterplans for projects around the world. He has also taught in Harvard's architecture department and is the author of Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession. In this episode, Jarrett and Reinier talk about the origins of AMO and when clients don't need buildings, the intersections of theory and practice, and why he doesn't always preach what he practices. Reinier's latest book, architect, verb, is now available. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/114-reinier-de-graaf-rerun. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

This episode originally aired September 11, 2019. Jenny Odell is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in Oakland, California. She’s the author of How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, teaches digital/phyiscal design at Stanford and has been the artist in residence at the Recology SF (aka ‘the dump’, San Francisco Planning Department, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In this episode, Jarrett and Jenny talk about her background in literature and design, the intersection of text and image, and the value of seeing what is front of you. Jenny's new book, Saving Time, is now available. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/132-jenny-odell-rerun. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

Julia Gamolina is the founder and Editor-In-Chief of Madame Architect, a digital magazine and media start-up celebrating women in architecture. She's also an Associate Principal and Business Development Director at Ennead Architects and is a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute. In this conversation, Julia and Jarrett talk about what's missing in design media, the intersection of mentorship and publishing, and why it's important to show alternative forms of practice. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/234-julia-gamolina. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

Mohsen Mostafavi is an architect and educator. From 2008 to 2019, he was the dean of the Harvard GSD. Previously he served as dean of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University and as director of the Architectural Association School of Architecture. His current research,focused on the future of the Japanese city, includes the first English translation of Manfredo Tafuri's Modern Architecture in Japan. In this conversation, Mohsen and Jarrett talk about his interest in the future city, situating architecture in various contexts, and how leading three architecture programs shaped his own research. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/233-mohsen-mostafavi. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast

Scott Klinker is a designer, educator, and the designer-in-residence at Cranbrook Academy of Art's 3D Design department. His work in furniture and lighting explores a space between design, architecture, art, and craft. In this conversation, Jarrett and Scott talk about the evolution of industrial design, the intersection of design, art, and craft, and the role of personal expression in design processes. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/232-scott-klinker. — If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon and get bonus content, transcripts, and our monthly newsletter! www.patreon.com/surfacepodcast