Every Thursday night the MIT Archictecture Deptartment hosts a Public Lecture Series where world renowned architects, artists, engineers + more come speak about whatever the semester’s topic is. This semester the topic is ‘Urgent! Architecture for Climate Change’ and this past Thursday’s speaker was Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
DS+R is not ‘green’ in the way of using bamboo or making minimalist design. In fact everything they do is quite excessive. I don’t have the exact Renfro quotes, but its something to effect of DS+R is not interested in green design as a way of starving yourself and living an extreme minimalist life; they are interested in green design that is in tune with the american dream of excess. Quite different from most ‘green’ architecture and could be argued that it isn’t green architecture at all.
Anyway, C. Renfro the man is more than somewhat fascinating. Medium height, blond guy who is the most well-dressed lecturer I have ever seen. His somewhat sparkly tan scarf was wrapped around in the most perfect way that I cannot replicate (most unfortunate) and his somewhere between bootcut and loose skinny jeans were the best pair of men’s pants I have ever witnessed. Okay, maybe not the best pair, but they are up there.
On top of his fashion sensibility, I was impressed by his entertaining lecture. He told us stories about partying on the High Line in new york, pre-renovation which leads me to believe that it is possible to be a good architect and lead a glamourous life. Also, DS+R doesn’t do many projects, but the ones they do are glamourous especially the ones in new york.
Well, I left the lecture more excited about architecture. It does not have to be a stuffy, jargon-filled profession and there is room for real creativity and fun in the real world.
inmexico 