What is urban design?
So it’s really from my perspective, because I think you probably know better what urban design is, officially. I think urban design is, for me, really addressing the complexity of context, and really kind of engaging with all the different components that make up the complexities of--I mean, architects are usually kind of work in the scale of the building--but even in the scale of the building, I’m interested in kind of similar questions of what are the larger kind of networks the building is related to or situated in. And as well, I think what’s probably kind of tying both of them for me together is that urban design is very social. And as well, architecture at the very end, I mean, that’s at least how I define my work. I’m interested in designing spaces for people, and that have qualities that make things possible. And I think the qualities I’m interested in it’s like, obviously very spatial ones. So I think depending on the scale, the different disciplines are more important. So on the scale of the building sure you kind of think about how things are being constructed. But when you think about urban spaces, I think that’s probably the kind of moment where urban designers really are more experienced in thinking about urban spaces. But then there’s also a kind of, depending on the location, question of landscape. So that’s something that I’m more and more interested in, “how did you use landscape?” and maybe as a tool to design qualities or define qualities of urban spaces. And how are these spaces? How do we design qualities so that these spaces are attractive for people to use, and really kind of give them opportunity to use them differently? And kind of different kind of collectives, so in smaller groups, larger groups, and I think that’s why I feel my own practice does not really make a difference in between urban design and architecture, because I’m interested in similar questions.
What makes your work urban?
I mean, I wouldn’t call myself like an urban architect, because I think it’s not-- I think urban design somehow is, like more precise in terms of how it addresses questions of economies, politics, societal questions, because it’s already you know, because it operates with other tools. So it operates with, you know, with real estate or that, kind of, governance. And I think architecture does this in a certain way as well. But I think-- and that’s why I find urban designinteresting because I can engage in all these kinds of questions that typically in architecture are not so, they are relevant, but not so kind of dominant to drive a project. But even in the scale of architecture, I try to still address how can we be engaged with how can a project be more than only what the client defines? How can a project be, like, more intense in terms of providing benefit for the context, kind of eng-- like inviting larger audiences than probably the client’s brief is imagining. So I think it’s really thinking about how in all different scales, how can we intensify what the scope is requesting from us, and I think that’s very often the kind of coming down to how can we make our work more inclusive and really I think that’s what I find. I mean, really from the definition of urban, I mean, urban conditions for me.
Who is doing compelling work in urban design right now?
It’s not that I know everyone and I would kind of rank-- I mean, the work I find interesting is by practices that really engage with pressing questions or realities of our environment. I think someone who really balances, what are the most challenging conditions we face at the moment, but still do it in a way that they are experimental and hopeful. So, I think WorkAC’s work is really great. I mean, they started as one of the first practices to really kind of think about how do they kind of bring environmental, sustainable ideas into into their projects. Urban Lab in Chicago, I kind of really appreciate their work because on one hand, they are really, in fact, they’re working for the city. So I mean, they’re extremely well researched, and they’re very kind of precise and how they respond to challenges of infrastructure. But then they kind of come up with how can we use these projects like in like, more sustainable infrastructure and make them more kind of beneficial for the public? And I think they do this in a very kind of playful, hopeful way. If you like MVRDV, I think they’re one of the few practices that really engage with with density. So how can we really think about designing for high density, but in a way that it’s incorporating qualities that are really convincing spatially. I think that’s one of the few practices I feel there. I mean, Urban Lab, they’re working with developers, so they’re really kind of engaging with real world requirements, but still come up with always extremely kind of new fresh ways of how we can kind of address these questions.
What do you try to teach urban design students?
I mean, on one hand, we look at existing precedents. Like a few of these things come from moments where I felt there’s not the kind of resources I need to really design. I mean, we had a course that had a given density and we struggled with just understanding how these quantitative terms, FAR, how they really translate in urban morphologies. And because there’s this lack of resources, at the very end, we all fall in the same trap when we think about high density, that we kind of come up with the same standard technologies. I’ve done this class for five years. I’m still searching for the best generating material that I feel is somehow helping me to answer questions I have.
But in general, what I hope to teach is to be curious, and to really, like, try to find out as much as possible when you have a certain kind of design challenge, and embrace complexity. I think that’s another thing I appreciate with urban design is, you know, we can work with a lot of different components. And I think as urban designers, we can help to kind of somehow, through designs break down the complexity of context. And I think, I hope I teach my students to find their own voice. Because I feel like grad school is the moment you really have the time where you can find ways how you find your own interests and approach because we all have very different cultural, educational kind of backgrounds that help to enrich the conversation. And I think what both the studio and the seminar does, you know, I start with the problem, but I’m very much expecting students to come up with their own interpretation. Because I want them to, I mean, I want you guys to really define your own interests. Take on things.
What is a common misconception about urban design?
I mean, usually I say I’m an architect and the usual misconceptions are you know, people think you’re an artist: you design a building and you design an object. I’m not sure if urban designers face the same. I would assume probably that a lot of people don’t have a sense of what urban designers do. For me, it’s weird that these are considered two different things. I mean, for architects not being an urban designer, I feel like it’s, it’s hard to imagine how you do that. The way I understand it is here is that urban designers come from very different backgrounds, which I think is pretty amazing.
So when there’s urban planners and landscape designers and architects, kind of the they join and they study urban design. I think that’s super beneficial. Because I think in Europe, it’s very different that you have. I mean, it’s more like architects and urban designers. I think that’s, I mean, there’s a lot of practices, they do both. But I think that and I mean, for me, it’s again, it’s tricky part is like the misconceptions because I rarely talk with outside people about urbanism. I think here in school, I find it’s, for me, it’s I think that should be way more interaction between these two programs. I think having you guys join propositions, I think is for me, the most natural thing that happens, and I think there should be vice-versa architects, I mean, architecture students, I mean, there is a lot of kind of studios that really like work in an urban scale. But then, separately, the urban design program and I just think they should be way more engaging with each other. And I think one thing, what I’ve, what I find, probably not I mean, urban design, kind of, I think is the missing link as well is that urban planning is so unspatial, because I feel like urban planning is extremely relevant in terms of the knowledge. But I think, I don’t know, I think it comes down to, I think within the college, I would hope there’s way more kind of formats where these three disciplines kind of work together on really tangible projects, because I think that’s the kind of opportunity we have been in one building and I feel it would be beneficial when this would happen more often.
Where do you think urban design is heading?
I mean, we have to face similar questions to architecture. I don’t have an answer for the future but I feel like we have to critically and more specifically engage with the lack of resources and decreasing resources. And I think we have to have a stronger stance in terms of how we exploit these resources. And I think urban designers in particular, and I think specifically in the US, we talk about these things, and we know the way we consume and operate is not sustainable. But then there’s still, I think, a kind of limitless growth in terms of consuming land. And I think, it’s always the moment where you’re like, “Oh, you know, other people make these decisions,” but I think it’s our role as designers to come up with solutions that are like really, kind of making another way tangible or that create images or models for alternative ways of planning. And that’s very much what my seminar is interested in, is redefining ways how we can have that. Because, I mean, that’s my personal experience, because I used to live in Hong Kong. So for me, urban density is the most exciting thing I can think of, but I think there’s a lot of, I would say, the majority of Americans probably have a very negative connotation about density. And I think that’s our role as designers or planners, to believe, kind of change this misconception, that living closer together, can be beneficial not only in terms of sustainability, but as well in terms of how we engage with each other.