Mixed Signal Podcast

MXD
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Architecture, cultural hype, politics, technology and everything nice

  1. Ep. 31 Can we talk about Ye? And Fluffy Architecture with Brendan Ho!

    5D AGO

    Ep. 31 Can we talk about Ye? And Fluffy Architecture with Brendan Ho!

    The MXD crew welcomes Brendan Ho from Kent State University's College of Architecture and Environmental Design to the studio. We talk about the artist formerly known as Kanye West (Ye), his impactful and controversial career, his stunning SoFi stage design, and his April Fools / possibly real bid to redesign the West wing of the White House? Matt springs a story on us of his IRL run in with Kanye West, we also talk about A24s upcoming film that forefronts Architecture as a major character, and we play a wacky Nihar game . . . And then we get into Brendan's research at SciArc, how that has evolved since his thesis, and we compare notes on teaching architecture and integrating your own passions and interests into that process. Make sure to follow us on our socials and share us with your friends!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mxd_signalTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mxd_signal

    1h 9m
  2. Ep. 30 Artificial Intelligence, War, and Architecture with AI Expert: Casey Rehm!

    APR 29

    Ep. 30 Artificial Intelligence, War, and Architecture with AI Expert: Casey Rehm!

    The MXD crew is joined by Casey Rehm, Coordinator of the Masters of Science in Architectural Intelligence program at SciArc (Southern California Institute of Architecture). He is an expert in computation and a specialist in Artificial Intelligence and specifically a leader in speculation on its impact on Architecture. He is the perfect person to help us catch up on the state of AI and its impact on our culture. We start by looking at first fun then slightly disturbing examples of the proliferation of movie studio level AI production tools. We get Casey's take on some of the emerging concerns around security in AI - including propaganda, false information, and the frightening capacities of some emerging models like Claude 'Mythos'. We talk about Casey's program at Sci Arc, what brings students to his program, and what do some of their projects look like. We also unpack some of Casey's own work and discuss the emergent and evolving aesthetic of his practice being driven by system-thinking design. Make sure to follow us on our socials!Instagram - @MXD_signalTiktok - @MXD_signalYouTube - @MXDSignal

    1h 7m
  3. Ep. 29 Fashion Forward Design and Recycled Architecture! with Andy Bako of University of Texas Austin!

    APR 22

    Ep. 29 Fashion Forward Design and Recycled Architecture! with Andy Bako of University of Texas Austin!

    Joined by Architect and educator Andy Bako, the MXD crew unpack the controversy surrounding the accessibility failures of the Hunter’s Point Library by Steven Holl—and the shocking lawsuit that it has resulted in. Is this a failure of ADA compliance, or a deeper failure of spatial design and architectural thinking? And how does something like this happen at the highest level of practice?We also touch on "Architecture Against Architecture", the new manifesto / book by Reinier de Graaf, exploring its critique of the profession—from labor and authorship to the role of manifestos today. Is architecture losing relevance, or just caught in its own contradictions?The second half shifts into Andy Bako's body of work, starting with his exhibition of his studio's work at University of Texas Austin's School of Architecture. The exhibition, entitled "Waste Coats" focuses on the design thinking and culture of high fashion while displaying the studio's deep engagement with material re-use experimentation and the complex techtonics it produces.Other themes in the episode:-Architecture’s overlap with fashion, wearables, and the body-The legacy (and backlash) of parametric design-What a “soft digital” approach looks like today-How recycled materials and waste can drive new aesthetic languages-Why architecture might need to embrace the messy, ugly, and unfinished

    1h 15m
  4. Ep. 28 World-Making, Architecture, and Game Design in Marathon. With Art Director: Joseph Cross!

    APR 15

    Ep. 28 World-Making, Architecture, and Game Design in Marathon. With Art Director: Joseph Cross!

    The MXD crew dives deep into the World-making, Architecture, and game design of the viral Bungie video game Marathon with special guest Joseph Cross, art director behind the game’s bold and polarizing visual identity.We explore how Marathon’s aesthetic—what Cross calls “graphic realism”—blends architecture, product design, branding, and visual culture into a unified world. From construction-site graphics and industrial materials to high-fashion references like Virgil Abloh, the conversation unpacks how seemingly banal elements (drywall, tape, logos, thresholds) become powerful design language. The episode also connects these ideas to contemporary architecture, including parallels to Rem Koolhaas and OMA, where unfinished details and graphic systems reshape how we read buildings.We also get into:How video game worlds are designed like coherent architectural systemsWhy fan culture, cosplay, and screenshots are reshaping authorshipThe role of graphic design studios in world-buildingThe tension between aesthetic clarity vs. gameplay confusionWhy great design might need to be polarizing to matterThis is a conversation about architecture beyond buildings—where games, media, and design culture collide to shape how we see and understand space today.

    1h 22m
  5. Ep. 27 Architecture, Academia, and Practice. Talking "Puzzling Assemblies" with Oyler Wu

    APR 8

    Ep. 27 Architecture, Academia, and Practice. Talking "Puzzling Assemblies" with Oyler Wu

    Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu of Oyler Wu Collaborative join Mixed Signals to unpack a design approach that refuses to sit in one camp. From line-based experiments to volumetric assemblies, their work navigates between digital and physical, drawing and making, theory and play. Rather than choosing a singular architectural identity, they argue for operating across multiple “camps”—a position that reframes how contemporary practice can evolve. The conversation expands through teaching, media, and practice: "Cold Crits" of student work reveal shifting attitudes toward legibility, tectonics, and one-to-one fabrication; reflections on sketching challenge the dominance of digital tools; and discussions on social media, books, and “side hustles” expose how architects communicate ideas across fast and slow platforms. At its core, the episode asks: how do you build a practice—and a point of view—amid information overload, shifting audiences, and an increasingly hybrid design culture? Make sure to follow us on our socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mxd_signalTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mxd_signal#architecture #design #education

    1h 9m
  6. Ep. 26 The new "New Museum". Future Architectural Icon or OMA Flop?

    APR 1

    Ep. 26 The new "New Museum". Future Architectural Icon or OMA Flop?

    OMA’s new museum expansion becomes the focal point of this episode of Mixed Signals—not just as a project, but as a case study in how architecture is judged today. The crew unpacks the building’s spatial ambitions, formal logic, and urban presence before confronting a viral critique claiming that “OMA can’t detail.” What follows is a layered discussion on authorship, construction quality, and the growing gap between architectural intention and built reality. Orbiting that central debate, the episode expands outward into the cultural conditions shaping contemporary architecture: the rise of social media critique, Gen Z design habits, and the idea of architecture school as a content engine. Conversations on Revit, AI, and “taste vs. skill” reinforce a larger question—if architecture is increasingly mediated through images, platforms, and automation, what actually defines architectural value today?

    53 min
  7. Ep. 25 How to become an Online Architect, with Cathal Crumley!

    MAR 25

    Ep. 25 How to become an Online Architect, with Cathal Crumley!

    In this episode of Mixed Signals, the crew is joined by Cathal Crumley for a wide-ranging conversation about the life of the "Online Architect", the rise of meme-based criticism, digital culture, and how architectural ideas are being communicated through new platforms. The episode moves from the “seven wonders of cyberspace” and virtual memory in games like Animal Crossing and Call of Duty: Warzone, to the Pokémon x Natural History Museum crossover, the relevance of the Pritzker Prize, and whether architecture still needs legacy institutions to validate what matters.The second half of the conversation dives into portfolio culture, Crit Bay, student work, architectural representation, and architecture school power dynamics. Cathal explains how portfolio reviews work in practice, why narrative matters more than students realize, and how digital critique can become a platform for learning and visibility. The episode also tackles a viral critique of architecture education, debating grading, subjectivity, transparency, labor, and the blurry line between rigor and abuse in design school.Cold Crit Portfolio Credits: Samuel Mcchesney, David Mulder, Ebbie Boehm, Shane BugniFeatured Artist (Cover art sample credits): Richard Nadler Make sure to follow us on our socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mxd_signalTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mxd_signal

    1h 13m
  8. Ep. 24 Eco-Blobs and Urban Piles: Is this the new International trend in Architecture?

    MAR 18

    Ep. 24 Eco-Blobs and Urban Piles: Is this the new International trend in Architecture?

    In this episode of Mixed Signals, we debate architecture school culture, spring break studio work, and the strange world of contemporary design competitions. From exceptional student models at UDK Berlin and UPenn Weitzman to the rise of “Eco-blob” and the "Urban Pile" climate architecture, we ask what today’s projects are really proposing—and whether any of them could become a true world wonder.We also get into 'buildering' and urban climbing, from Alex Honnold climbing Taipei 101 to the idea of buildings as spectacle, interface, and misused public space. Along the way: anti-render takes, MVRDV, Thomas Heatherwick, Barry Wark, model craft, and why some futuristic eco-projects feel more like marketing than climate action.Chapters:00:00 Should architecture students work over break?04:02 Cold Crits: incredible student models from Berlin/Penn06:46 Why nobody reads project descriptions15:58 Why architects keep reviving old styles23:22 Buildering: why people climb buildings27:17 Alex Honnold and the Taipei 101 climb35:38 AI + Revit + La Sagrada Familia39:00 The bizarre “world wonder” architecture competition43:13 Climate architecture or greenwashing?45:03 What anti-render does to these proposals52:25 Our pick for the best competition entry1:00:24 Why old architecture competitions were better1:02:00 The BBC’s insane workstation setup1:04:05 The fake utility-box scooterCold Crits Project Credits:Project 1: "Housing Otherwise"School: UDK BerlinCritic: Ana FilipovicStudents: Lina Nikolic, Hannah Cerbe, and Quirin GrubertProject 2: School: University of PennsylvaniaCritic: Barry WarkStudents: Yimin Gan and Haoyang ZhangMake sure to follow us on our socials!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mxd_signalTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mxd_signal#Architecture #UrbanDesign #Buildering #AlexHonnold #ArchitectureCompetition #MVRDV #HeatherwickStudio #StudentWork #DesignPodcast #MixedSignals

    1h 6m
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Architecture, cultural hype, politics, technology and everything nice

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