“Radical Practice”
2:45 – 4pm • Grays (1 CEU)
November 15, 2024
Keystone, CO
Marlon Blackwell and Meryati Blackwell will discuss their architecture and design process and will introduce ‘Radical Practice: The Work of Marlon Blackwell Architects’ a new monograph released in June 2022 by Princeton Architectural Press. Both the book and the lecture emphasize projects in the public and civic realm, emerging from outside the established centers of architectural culture, illustrating the distinct and original voice of Marlon Blackwell Architects. Their iconic and award-winning designs span across typologies, scales, and budgets, by merging the universal language of architecture and the particulars of place. The lecture will discuss the richness of the work, the practice’s dynamic analytical, planning, and design methods, and its consequences and suggest an open-endedness, at once generous and provocative, to the practice’s trajectory and interest in what a “radical practice” can be in the contemporary moment. A core principle at the heart of the practice, radical in its fundamental simplicity, is the assertion of the making of buildings and places as a constant, authentic focus…an architecture in the place, of the place and for the place. MBA’s focus on place is founded in a deep understanding that the health and welfare of both individuals and communities is profoundly impacted by designs that enhance collective identity and encourage both thoughtful and active engagement. The lecture will discuss the research and engagement methods that form the basis of the practices analytical process to broaden the discussion of a project’s requirements beyond the instrumental and into the aspirational, even, and especially, in places and communities overlooked by conventional practice.
Meryati Blackwell, AIA, ASID LEED AP, brings over thirty years of experience to her role as Partner at Marlon Blackwell Architects (MBA), where she also serves as Director of Interiors. Her sensitivity as a designer and knowledge of design materials enriches every project in the office. Ati has been a guiding force in the growth of MBA, helping to transform the firm from a sole proprietorship to the thriving international practice it is today. She works alongside Marlon to thoughtfully ground and guide the design ethos as the firm grows; always supporting the creation of award-winning architecture for any place, at any scale, at any price and for anyone. From multiple vantage points, she practices both as an architect and interior designer, bringing together the strengths of eachdiscipline to guide the design of each of MBA’s projects to a rigorous and complete whole.
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, is an internationally recognized architect who has created iconic and award-winning designs across typologies, scales, and budgets for over thirty years. Honored with the 2020 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects for his enduring impact on the theory and practice of architecture, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and original voices in design. He’s a lifetime member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a 2023 inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Science. Equally respected as an educator, he has taught and lectured at universities nationwide throughout his career and is the E. Fay Jones Distinguished Professor at the University of Arkansas. Work produced in his professional office, Marlon Blackwell Architects (MBA), has received recognition with significant publication and more than 180 design awards including the 2016 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture.
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