41 episodes

How come our modern cities have become so hostile to humans, so ugly, car-oriented and grey? What is the solution to these problems - how can we return to a more human, beautiful and liveable city? In this podcast, host Ruben Hanssen interviews experts in the fields of architecture, urban planning and urban design to find out how we can improve our cities, our architecture and our streets, in order to create more friendly and beautiful places. The clock is ticking; valuable land is wasted on dreary developments while many beautiful, picturesque urban environments are at risk of being jarred forever by ugly buildings that don't belong there. There are better ways to build; let's explore how!

The Aesthetic City Ruben Hanssen

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 7 Ratings

How come our modern cities have become so hostile to humans, so ugly, car-oriented and grey? What is the solution to these problems - how can we return to a more human, beautiful and liveable city? In this podcast, host Ruben Hanssen interviews experts in the fields of architecture, urban planning and urban design to find out how we can improve our cities, our architecture and our streets, in order to create more friendly and beautiful places. The clock is ticking; valuable land is wasted on dreary developments while many beautiful, picturesque urban environments are at risk of being jarred forever by ugly buildings that don't belong there. There are better ways to build; let's explore how!

    #42 - Steve Mouzon: True Sustainability & the Importance of Loveable Cities

    #42 - Steve Mouzon: True Sustainability & the Importance of Loveable Cities

    Steve Mouzon is an architect, urbanist and author known for his work in the New Urbanism movement.

    With several influential books and articles on the subject of sustainable and traditional architecture, including "The Original Green: Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability," today’s guest goes beyond the regular, technological solutions to fix our cities, and instead focuses on timeless, naturally sustainable ways of building and living.

    In addition to his writing, Mouzon is a co-founder of the New Urban Guild, which is a group of architects, designers, and other professionals dedicated to the development of sustainable architectural practices and community designs. His work often emphasizes the importance of building practices that can endure and remain relevant over time, contributing to the creation of living traditions in architecture and urban design.

    Mouzon's approach to architecture and urban planning is deeply rooted in the idea that buildings and communities should be designed with an eye toward their long-term impact on the environment and society. He advocates for a return to traditional architectural principles, which he believes offer time-tested solutions to contemporary challenges in building and urban design.

    Find more information on the website of Urban Guild:

    https://www.urbanguild.org/steve-mouzon

    Visit the website of his design firm:

    https://mouzon.com/about/

    Read more about the Original Green:

    https://originalgreen.org/

    Follow Steve on X:

    https://twitter.com/stevemouzon

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    For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/

    Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. 

    Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true 

     Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city 

     Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City 

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ 

     Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ 

     Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

    • 1 hr 12 min
    #41 - Lew Oliver: New Urbanism, Humane Design, Facades as Masks & Architectural Truth Bombs

    #41 - Lew Oliver: New Urbanism, Humane Design, Facades as Masks & Architectural Truth Bombs

    Lew Oliver is an Atlanta-based designer, urbanist and master planner, celebrated for advancing New Urbanism and designing whole towns with a focus on the pedestrian experience. He masterfully blends local values, vernacular, and climate considerations into his work, ensuring communities are not only livable but also aesthetically enriching. His notable achievements include influential roles in projects like Trilith and Rosemary Beach, and numerous awards such as the Platinum and Gold Best in America Living Awards. Known for his attention to detail, form, and proportion, he creates designs that are both beautiful and innovative. 

    Find more information about Lew and his firm on this website: https://www.lewoliverinc.com/about



    =======

    For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/

    Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. 

    Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true 

     Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city 

     Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City 

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ 

     Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ 

     Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

    • 1 hr 5 min
    #40 - Jonathan Weatherill: Teaching in Rome, Drawing, Moving towards Traditional Architecture Without the Myths

    #40 - Jonathan Weatherill: Teaching in Rome, Drawing, Moving towards Traditional Architecture Without the Myths

    Jonathan Weatherill is an architect based in Rome and professor at Notre Dame University. He graduated at the Architectural Association in London over 25 years ago and now runs his own practice. He has collaborated with the 2014 Driehaus laureate Pier Carlo Bontempi for a long time, leading to a shift in his practice from Modernism to Traditional and Classical architecture. His broad expertise spans from architecture to watercolouring and photography to urban planning. 



    More information about Jonathan Weatherill and Pier Carlo Bontempi's studio:

    https://architecture.nd.edu/faculty/jonathan-weatherill/⁠https://www.piercarlobontempi.it⁠

    =======

    For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/

    Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. 

    Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true 

     Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city 

     Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City 

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ 

     Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ 

     Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

    • 1 hr 12 min
    #39 - Pierre Bidaud, Stonemasonry Company: Natural Stone, or the Most Underrated Construction Material

    #39 - Pierre Bidaud, Stonemasonry Company: Natural Stone, or the Most Underrated Construction Material

    Pierre Bidaud is a skilled stonemason and entrepreneur promoting the use of natural stone for load bearing structures. He is the co founder of the Structural Stone Company, part of the Stonemasonry Company which is based in London. With his company, he is proving that natural stone is still one of the most versatile, sustainable and beautiful materials available to humans. 



    Find their website here: https://www.thestonemasonrycompany.co.uk/

    Follow them on X:

    https://twitter.com/stonemasonryco

    =======

    For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/

    Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. 

    Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true 

     Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city 

     Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City 

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ 

     Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ 

     Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

    • 29 min
    #38 - Micah Springut, Monumental Labs: Disrupting How We Build - Robotics, AI & Automated Stone Carving

    #38 - Micah Springut, Monumental Labs: Disrupting How We Build - Robotics, AI & Automated Stone Carving

    Micah Springut is an entrepreneur based in New York City. After having set up multiple successful software startups, he is now on the path of disrupting the way we construct our buildings using AI and robotics. Potentially, his new company Monumental Labs could enable us to build more ornate, detailed buildings on a larger scale and for lower cost than we could now possibly imagine.



    Find his website here: https://www.monumentallabs.co

    Follow Micah on X: https://twitter.com/mspringut

    Follow Monumental Labs on X: https://twitter.com/Monumental_Labs

    =======

    For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ 

    Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. 

    Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true 

     Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city 

     Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City 

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ 

     Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ 

     Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

    • 43 min
    #37 - Prof. Ettore Maria Mazzola, Notre Dame School of Architecture: Urban Regeneration, Traditional Urbanism & Education

    #37 - Prof. Ettore Maria Mazzola, Notre Dame School of Architecture: Urban Regeneration, Traditional Urbanism & Education

    Ettore Mazzola is a professor at Notre Dame School of Architecture, based in Rome, where he teaches traditional urbanism, architecture and building techniques. Prof. Mazzola has extensive experience with  multiple urban design projects and written countless publications, articles, essays and blog posts. His academic and professional career is centered on integrating traditional architectural principles with modern urban planning needs. 



    Prof. Mazzola’s Blog: https://www.picweb.it/emm/blog/

    http://architecture.nd.edu/

    • 1 hr 8 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
7 Ratings

7 Ratings

RMCB1979 ,

Essential listening

TAC has quickly become my favourite podcast, and has proven a great intro for this relative late-comer to the industry.
Ruben does a great job of gently squeezing the wisdom from each of his guests, and champions traditional approaches without ignoring their challenges or trade-offs.
Keep up the good work.

@MFergal ,

A Second Renaissance in Architecture

Inspiring conversations for those seeking more traditional urban beauty.

I was waiting for a podcast on the topic and this one hits the spot.

Embryonicboy ,

Lets return to beauty

Great podcast that focusses on why we have lost the ability to build beautiful classical buildings. Really interesting guests and asks the question, should we be demanding more.

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