ARCHITECTURE IS THE SHAPING OF SPACE WITH OBJECTS IN LIGHT TO CREATE PRACTICAL AND EMOTIVE PLACES

THE WORKING SPACE OF

MICHAEL B. LEHRER, FAIA

LEHRERARCHITECTS LA LAWRLDESIGN LLP

LEHRERARCHITECTS LA

AAROE ARCHITECTURAL LECTURE 04.16.2012

GREENwithENVY

GREENwithENVY

THE BASICS STUFF

WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

ROOTS

SEDUCTIONS

WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

THE LUXURY OF SUSTAINABILITY THE SUSTAINABILITY OF LUXURY

WORKING SPACE

WORKING SPACE

THAT SPACE--THAT EXISTS BOTH IN THE MIND AND OUT --THAT IS INFORMED BY THE ARCHITECT'S BASIC FORMAL,VISUAL, AND ETHICAL PALETTE THE IN THE SYNTHETIC PROCESS OF ARCHITECTURE.

N.

MAKING/SHAPING SPACE WHERE ONE WORKS THE PLACES ONE MAKES THE PICTORIAL SPACE OF A PAINTING
V.

WORKING SPACE
N. N.

THE AIM OF ART IS TO CREATE SPACE SPACE THAT IS NOT COMPROMISED BY DECORATION OR ILLUSTRATION, SPACE IN WHICH THE SUBJECTS OF PAINTINGS CAN LIVE FRANK STELLA

WHATS THE MATTER? AND WHY DOES IT?

WHY DO ESSENCES MATTER? WHY DOES WHO YOU ARE MATTER?

COMMUNITY MATTERS TRUST MATTERS STORIES MATTER OPTIMISM MATTERS DESIRE MATTERS ASPIRATION MATTERS LEADERSHIP MATTERS VALUE(S) MATTER(S)

VALUE(S) MATTER(S)

SHARED (HI)STORIES SHARED VALUES MAKE CULTURE

MAKE CULTURES OF DESIRE

CULTURE MATTERS

THE BEAUTY OF VALUE(S) THE VALUE OF BEAUTY

MAKE CULTURES OF DESIRE

BEAUTY IS A RUDIMENT OF HUMAN DIGNITY

BEAUTY&LOVE
TRANSCENDANT QUALITIES THAT CAPTURE THE MINDS EYE AND SOUL, TRANSFORMING LIVES AND CULTURE
BEAUTY : PRETTY LOVE : LIKE
Mona Simpson on her brother, Steve Jobs: Novelty was not Steves HIGHEST VALUE, BEAUTY was. LOVE WAS HIS HIGHEST VIRTUE, HIS GODS OF GODS

LOVE
OF COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE OF THE LAND OF NATURE OF PLACE OF SPACE

OF MAKING
PLACES THAT AGGRESSIVELY MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY
OF LIGHT OF DELIGHT

THE BEAUTY OF PERFORMANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF BEAUTY THE BEAUTY OF SUSTAINABILITY THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BEAUTY

Firmitas, Utilitas, et Venustas Firmness, Commodity and

DELIGHT
A MATTER OF GRAVITAS
VITRUVIAN PRACTICE

ANESTHETIC:TO DEADEN THE SENSES AESTHETIC: TO ENLIVEN THE SENSES

THE BASICS STUFF

LOVE OF PLACE

ROOTS

SEDUCTIONS

ROOTS

LA with a peculiar mix of Los Angeles is a world-class city

BOOSTERISM EBULLIENCE HIGH/LOW CULTURE NONCHALANCE INSECURE AND UNSELFCONSCIOUS ABOUT ITS GREATNESS QUAINT AND EDGY UGLY AND BEAUTIFUL ALMOST UNSHOCKABLE EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE UNIVERSAL AND ANONYMOUS

PLACE

MY HOOD

SON OF THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS. STICK AROUND COMMUNITY LIVE/WORK IN SAME HOOD I GREW UP IN. BORN IN EARLY DECEMBER, MY SIGN IS

HOLLYWOOD

PEOPLE

LEHRER FOREST

LARGE MULTI-GENRATIONAL FAMILY STAYING IN THE HOOD.

LEARNNG
HIOLLYWOOD LOS FELIZ JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, FRANKLIN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THOMAS STARR KING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL

LIFELONG

ROOTS

LAUSD BERKELEY HARVARD

PLACE
VIENNA

STUFF ROOTS
SEDUCTIONS

ARCHITECTURE.LANDSCAPE.FAMILY.HOME EMERGING UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE GRAVITAS OF DELIGHT

STUFF ROOTS

SEDUCTIONS

MY LA.

MY LA.

GRIFFITH PARK / HOLLYWOOD HILLS / LOS FELIZ / SILVERLAKE / ECHO PARK / DOWNTOWN.

MY LA.

OUR OWN TEMPIETTO ON THE MOUNT

BORN AND BRED AMONG WRIGHT, NEUTRA, SHINDLER, SORIANO, AIN HOMES. BUILT FORTS WITH THE LOVELL HOUSE KIDS. DECIDED TO BE ARCHITECT IN 3RD GRADE

SEDUCTION

LINE FROM LANDSCAPE TO BUILDING ; FROM OBJECT TO FRAME. THE GROUNDPLANE SUBLIME

L.A. ROMANZA

THE PRIMACY OF THE GROUND PLANE BUILDING & LANDSCAPE INSEPARABLE

THE ATTENUATED LINE FORESHORTENING

THE HUMAN FORM. THE HUMAN FIGURE

STUFF ROOTS IT IS US.

FORM AND CONTENT. TRAINING THE EYE AND SOUL. ALWAYS.

SEDUCTIONS

SIMPLE DUMB BILATERAL SYMMETRY

UNWEIGHT: CONTRAPOSTO INFINITE EXPRESSION, COMPLEXITY

IMMUTABLE DIMENSIONS

IMMUTABLE DIMENSIONS

MUSCULAR FIGURATION

PHYSIOGNOMY

HUMAN EXPERIENCE: MAKING AS REVELATION

DRAWING. KEEPING THE EYE AND SOUL TUNED

CUBIST DRAWING 2D/3D/2D

CUBIST DRAWING 2D/3D/2D

ROOTS

FIRST&ALWAYS PARTNER

ROOTS

FIRST&ALWAYS PARTNER

PROJECT(ING) FORWARD

MENTORS

ROOTS
& EPHIPHANIES

MENTORS

ROOTS

SPATIAL AUDACITY AND CLARITY

SERIALITY

FLATNESS

PARTERRE PLANE THE DESIGN OF THE GROUND

MINIMALISM

THE ABSTRACT SUBLIME

MENTORS

ROOTS

SPATIAL RIGOR

BLINDING WHITE LIGHT PALPABLE JOY OF PLANIMETRIC AND SECTIONAL RIGOR

THE FIGURE/GROUND SUBLIME

FIGURATIVE VOIDS AND FIGURATIVE SOLIDS

FIRST BUILDING. 1980. IDEATION BEGINS

MENTORS

ROOTS

MENTORS

ITS PROBING INTO THE UNKNOWN THING. THAT IS WHAT CREATIVITY IS, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS SCARY, AND THAT IS WHY WE AVOID IT. THAT IS WHY YOU GO TO THE OFFICE AND CLEAN THE OFFICE FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE YOU START, BECAUSE IM SCARED SHITLESS IM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. I LIVE BY THAT, I KNOW THAT. EVERYDAY ITS LIKE THAT FOR ME. I DONT KNOW WHAT IM GOING TO DO.

ROOTS
Frank Gehry, Architectural Record, 1999

THE BASICS STUFF IN FIND CREATIVE SPARK

SEDUCTIONS
YOUR WORK AND IN YOUR CLIENTS ENDEAVORS

ROOTS

Loyola Law School

FEARLESS INVENTION WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Loyola Law School,
Los Angeles, 1981-84

UGLY PRECEDES BEAUTY. INVENT, FEARLESSLY

1ST 20 YEARS OF PRACTICE.

FELT NO NEED FOR PUBLIC PRESENCE. BUILDING PRACTICE, BUILDING FAMILY 1985 2005 LEHRER ARCHITECTS OFFICE

STUFF ENGAGEMENT PARTI! ROOTS

SEDUCTIONS

LA
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

LA
ENGAGEMENT PARTI!

ACT&LIVE LIKE DESIGN MATTERS. LIKE COMMUNITY MATTERS LIKE EXCELLENCE MATTERS. LIKE VALUE(S) MATTER.

ENGAGEMENT PARTI!

DEVELOP THE ETHOS OF JOYFUL ENGAGEMENT, THE PAYOFF OF BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF ENGAGMENT.

LEHRERARCHITECTS LA
FOUNDED 1985

THE BASICS STUFF

ROOTS
LIGHT&ITS SHADOW LANDSCAPE SUN&SHADE FRESH AIR EMBLEMS OF SHELTER

SEDUCTIONS

LINEAR GARDEN PROCESSION

CONCEPT SKETCH

ENTRANCE & BALCONY

ENTRANCE & BALCONY

SANCTUARY

MASTERPLAN CAMPUS

THE BASICS STUFF NO THROWAWAY SPACES

ROOTS

SEDUCTIONS

LEHRERARCHITECTS LA
STUDIO 2005

STELLA, REFERRING TO CARAVAGGIO:

WORKING SPACE

HE MADE STUDIO INTO A PLACE OF MAGIC AND MYSTERY, A CATHEDRAL OF THE SELF

THE BASICS STUFF

CREAT IV IT Y ROOTS CULT SEDUCTIONS URE

THE BASICS STUFF

LIGHT LANDSCAPE AIR

SEDUCTIONS

HYPERFUNCTIONALITY HONOR WORK THE BEAUTY OF MAKING

ROOTS

ENGAGEMENT PARTI!
COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

art(ist)-in-residence

COMMUNITY MATTERS: LEHRER ARCHITECTS LA STUDIO MY COMMUNITY. MIXING UP PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

STORIES MATTER

HOME FOR WORK THAT SUSTAINS THE RUDIMENTARY JOY OF PRODUCTION, OF MAKING Counting on nature to do the work

INFRASTRUCTURE:
THE CONUNDRUMs OF INFRASTRUCTURE BEAUTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, invariably de-linked, MUST BE AN INSEPARABLE UNITY to change the culture

 WE SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET WATER OUT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WE SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BRING IT TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIATHATS THE CRAZY STORY OF WATER.

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS

THE FIRST LEED PLATINUM MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD

THIS IS OUR GREEN STORY . IT BEGINS WITH HOPE

AND THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENS:

A TYPICAL 3 HOUR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TELLS IT ALL

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 1

PRESENT SUSTAINABLE IDEAS

THE BOARD IS EXCITED AND THERE IS COMPLETE BUY -IN

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 2

DISCUSSION OF THE LOGISTICS & OTHER ISSUES

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

HOUR 3
COST IS PRESENTED

THERE IS NO MEMORY OF HOUR 1

THE BOARD GOES NUTS AND ASKS, WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE DO THIS?! ITS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THIS PROJECT!

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

ACCEPTANCE
PARTNERSHIP
LEADERSHIP

HONESTY
RISK TAKING TENACITY

CAJOLING
GOOD NATURE

NOT OVER PROMISING

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

ACCEPTANCE
- EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE - THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL
-THE ANSWER IS NOT WE CANT DO IT RATHER HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN - TO DO THIS, IS NOT A NO-BRAINER, THIS IS A BRAINER

WATER + LIFE MUSEUMS, HEMET CALIFORNIA

THE PURSUIT OF A HIGH-TONED SUSTAINABLE PROJECT -- LET ALONE A LEED CERTIFIED, LET ALONE A LEED PLATINUM BUILDING -- WAS SO NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

WATER + LIFE MUSEUM, HEMET CALIFORNIA

RUSTIC CANYON, RAY KAPPE, JAMIE LEE CURTIS

THE LUXURY OF SUSTAINABILITY THE SUSTAINABILITY OF LUXURY

ARCHITECTURE IS THE SHAPING OF SPACE WITH OBJECTS IN LIGHT TO CREATE PRACTICAL AND EMOTIVE PLACES