Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Meryati Blackwell, AIA

Presented by Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Meryati Blackwell, AIA, Marlon Blackwell Architects, at GENERATE 2024 Practice + Design Conference. 

Article by Jon Bell, AIA Colorado’s Communications and Creative Director. 

The final keynote of the conference offered a delightful twist: hearing from both Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Meryati Blackwell, AIA, together. During soundcheck, Marlon remarked, “You know, we don’t get to do this together very often.” This set the tone for an engaging and dynamic presentation, as the duo stood side-by-side, working through nearly 200 slides. They drew deeply from their vault of expertise, sharing insightful and captivating nuances for each project they highlighted.

The presentation spotlighted their recently published monograph, ‘Radical Practice: The Work of Marlon Blackwell Architects’, focusing particularly on public and civic projects. The Blackwells explored the transformative potential of design to enhance collective identity and encourage thoughtful, active engagement.

The Blackwells went deep into a variety of projects, exploring the richness of their work, focused on the 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. I’ve captured a few details from the projects below, as well as provided links to each project for your own curiosity.

Exploring Radical Design

Marlon opened by pointing out that the word radical is used as an adjective related to the word radicalis, a 14^th century Latin word meaning “of or relating to a root.” He said that having roots to the fundamentals to effect change to the word, results in an effective and authentic transformation in these places.

The Blackwells’ approach to design, which they call “abstract unions,” aims to balance engagement and detachment, often blending disparate features. For them, abstraction becomes a process of building connections with place.

Tackling “The Bear”

As a metaphor for confronting challenges in community-changing projects, the Blackwells shared an image of a large stuffed bear that stands ing the entrance to their offices. “Everyone must take on the bear,” they quipped, symbolizing the existential questions their team faces in their work.

Place-Centric Philosophy

The Blackwells articulated their design ethos as such:

In the Place,
Of the Place
For the Place,
(sometimes necessarily)… Out of Place.

They emphasized the importance of embracing both the good and bad to fully honor a place’s identity. This is key facet to their working definition of “making place.”

After giving an overview of the many locations around the world, representing a wide variety of contexts, that Marlon Blackwell Architects has had to contemplate what it means to make place, our two presenters dove into their work. They started with quick stories about an orthopedic hospital in NW Arkansas, a new corporate Walmart campus that will integrate a mountain bike course, and an air traffic control tower made from stainless steel and aluminum that incorporates education and public programming in a first of its kind program. Then, they slowed down the pace and unpacked a lineup of stellar work that kept the room in rapt attention.

Selected Projects Shared

Saint Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church – transformation of a building

This project transformed a welding shed into a church. Using proportion and scale to achieve elegance on a budget, the team repurposed a satellite dish into a dome—paying a metalworker in beer. The project is the least expensive to ever win an AIA National Honor Award.

Shelby Farms Park – transformation of a landscape 

At 4,500 acres, one of the nation’s largest urban parks was revitalized with programs generating revenue and reactivating the space. Each structure, such as the visitor center with its massive porch, is designed to harmonize with the landscape while providing shade and comfort.

Heartland Whole Health Institute – radical health

This project is a healthcare campus integrating preventive care and natural landscapes. The design connects indoor spaces to trails and a ravine, using natural materials to enhance the therapeutic environment. 

They decided to make the campus parking garage into a unique structure that not only holds cars, but offers a coffee shop, restaurant, and a bar that now hosts events and weddings. This part of the campus project is an example of how the Blackwells approach each project: what else can they add or change about the project that fundamentally transforms what the project can offer.

Marygrove Early Education Center – early childhood education 

Inspired by African diaspora quilts, this vibrant project embraces color and joy, fostering an uplifting experience for children and parents alike. In part by creating a multi-sensory, multi-color exterior, Joy was the operative word that they used to describe this project as they designed for the joy children experience at the school as well as the joy the parents feel while interacting with the school. 

Enterprise Research Campus Hotel – urban ensemble 

The Blackwells shared how this large-scale project involved designs from several different firms revitalizing a former rail yard. They discussed materiality and shared how their large-scale models were constructed in Italy, where the types of car paints the Blackwells like weren’t allowed to be used. 

Ledger City Center – urban interplace

This innovative urban project brings a six-story building down to street level via a unique ramped design, inviting public interaction. When you’re on the street, this building feels more like a one or two story building.

PS1200 – ennobling the prosaic

A creative urban development using Quonset hut arches in unexpected ways, offering restaurants, retail, and residential spaces within a compact site.

Thaden School – education and wellness

Wheels, Reels, and Meals are the three experiences that make up the Thaden Experience. Students learn to work on bikes, how to create stories, and to grow and cook delicious meals. A focus of the school involves learning outdoors, so the Blackwells worked directly with landscape architects to ensure that the buildings connect deeply with the landscape. The buildings interact seamlessly with the landscape, featuring innovative rooflines, slatted siding, and expansive porches.

In conclusion, Marlon and Meryati captivated the audience with their depth of expertise and passion for design. Marlon’s concise, impactful explanations and Meryati’s focus on community connections showcased their complementary styles. The audience left inspired, eager to explore the transformative power of thoughtful, radical architecture.