About this event
Architecture and Beyond: The Unexpected Journey of Olson Kundig
With Marlene Chen and Edward Lalonde | Olson Kundig
Since its founding in 1966, Olson Kundig has been a consistently evolutionary practice, led by a shared curiosity and willingness to pursue the unexpected. From its earliest days designing homes in the Pacific Northwest to working on projects around the globe, the firm has experienced considerable growth in size and scope without sacrificing this core DNA.
In this presentation, principals/owners Marlene Chen and Edward Lalonde will explore the firm’s origins and legacy, highlighting case study projects and internal initiatives that have guided Olson Kundig’s trajectory and will continue to inform future generations of the firm’s approach to design and leadership.
By attending this talk, attendees will learn about:
- The enduring relevance of Olson Kundig’s origins and the ways these roots continue to inform the firm’s collective approach to design.
- Olson Kundig’s approach to generational planning, mentorship and development.
- How Olson Kundig’s resistance to defining its mission (or limiting its scope) has led to opportunity, discovery and innovation.
About Marlene Chen
Marlene Chen is Principal/Owner & COO at Olson Kundig. Marlene joined the firm in 2005 and has worked as both an architect and project manager, helping large and small organizations express their missions in built form. As COO, Marlene oversees staff development, steers the firm’s governance and operations group, and has helped develop the firm’s foundational professional practices.
About Edward Lalonde
Edward is a Principal/Owner at Olson Kundig. Since joining the firm in 2008, Edward Lalonde has become known for his combination of playful creativity and rigorous pragmatism. Edward’s primary focus at the firm is residential design, especially complex projects that place emphasis on relationships between architectural spaces and their rural and urban contexts.
About Paul Keskeys
Paul Keskeys is Editor in Chief at Architizer. An architect-trained editor, writer and content creator, Paul graduated from UCL and the University of Edinburgh, gaining an MArch in Architectural Design with distinction. Paul has spoken about the art of architecture and storytelling at many national industry events, including AIANY, NeoCon, KBIS, the Future NOW Symposium, the Young Architect Conference and NYCxDesign. As well as hundreds of editorial publications on Architizer, Paul has also had features published in Architectural Digest, PIN—UP Magazine, Archinect, Aesthetica Magazine and PUBLIC Journal.
Architizer
Architizer’s mission is to celebrate the world’s best architecture and the people that bring it to life.
