MADEcast Media Architecture Design Edmonton

In this week’s episode, Episode 5, titled “Communities, good design, and leveraging our grassroots identity” with Michael Rivest and Jonathan Lawrence. Michael Rivest, is an Architect and Associate at HCMA Architecture and Design. Jonathan Lawrence is an Urban Planner, who is active as the Community Planning Advisor for Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL). In this episode, we discuss how design shapes communities, and how humans must be the focus. We discover grassroots organizations in the city of Edmonton, such as the High Level Line (www.highlevelline.com) and the EFCL. And we dive into the difficulties and sensitivity required around gentrification and inclusive design in communities.

In this week’s episode, Episode 4, titled: “Preservation and reimagining  historic buildings”, we chat with Beljan Development’s Croy Johnston and local historian Dane Ryksen. In this week’s episode we discuss the Preservation of historic buildings, and how to inspire community cultural history through social media. We talk about Beljan’s (beljandevelopment.com)historic preservation approach to revitalization developments. We get into the fundamental differences between adaptation versus demolition. And we tap into Citizen Dane’s (@_citizen_dane_, forgottenedmonton.com) modern take on making history fun again - through social media.

In the third episode, we chat with City Architect Carol Belanger, and Architecture critic Trevor Boddy. In this week’s episode we discuss Carol and Trevor’s introduction to and fascination with architecture at young ages, the role of architecture in defining a city, tools in architecture, the role of social media interacting with design and architecture,  branding or non branding a city, and great spaces for the public in Edmonton. Importance of remembering design is for people and not for digital digestion. Quality and dangers of hyper realistic renders vs the proportionally scaled designs associated with hand drawing and model building.

This, first episode, titled “The Front Lines: Social Media’s influence on design today.” We chat with NY design critic and author Alexandra Lange. In this episode our conversation moves through the topics of informal use of social media by architects. The feedback loops embedded within social media. As well as trends and globalism in interior design. We conclude by briefly touching on the role of the mall and Alexandra introduces us to her new book, scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2022 - “Meet me by the fountain”

In the second episode, we chat with Architecture professor and historian Peter Sealy, and photographer James Brittain. 

In this episode we get a well rounded view on the history of the photograph, the role of photography today, digital vs analog photography and design publishing, innovation in design representation, relationship of the of the architect and the photographer, viewing how the user interacts with the space vs the intended use of the space from the architect.  

We encourage listeners to hop on over to James’s website https://www.james-brittain.com/ to view his work.

This week MADEcast features Nathalie Frankowski and Cruz Garcia of WAI Thinktank - architects, artists and activists. Nathalie and Cruz join MADEcast to discuss entering their architectural careers during the economic crisis of 2008, moving halfway around the world to China where they opened their intelligentsia gallery, teaching at different schools across the United States and living globally. Cruz and Nathalie explore what roles racism, education and politics play in the realm of architecture.

This is the final episode in MADEcast's season 1, see you soon with another round.