Lecture: Anne Lacaton and Arine Aprahamian

Anne Lacaton and Arine Aprahamian “The Existing : the new material” Presented in collaboration with Rolex Join us for an evening of dialogue between Anne Lacaton and Arine Aprahamian as they delve into the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and ecology. As part of Rolex’s 2023–2024 mentoring programme, Lacaton and her protégée Aprahamian have been in discussion related to Aprahamian’s projects in her hometown of Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon. Weaving together the tapestries of Lacaton’s sustainability-focused career and Aprahamian’s advocacy for architectural preservation, we will learn more about renovation strategies that balance the needs of community members with the resources available, with a focus on the buildings that currently exist within the fabric of Beirut. Special thanks to Rolex for supporting this lecture through its Perpetual Arts Initiative. Anne Lacaton Named a Laureate of the 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize along with her partner Jean-Philippe Vassal, Anne Lacaton is recognized internationally for designs that maximize the discipline’s human and environmental potential and make sustainable use of what already exists. Established in Paris in 1987, Lacaton & Vassal has since designed dozens of private and social housing projects, cultural and academic institutions, as well as public spaces, mostly throughout Europe. Lacaton has served as an Associate Professor of Architecture and Design at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich and has been a visiting professor at other leading universities, including the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Arine Aprahamian Lebanese-Armenian architect, designer and researcher Arine Aprahamian champions an innovative, affordable and sustainable vision of the future through architecture, drawing inspiration from science fiction and the qualities of existing sites. She founded architecture and design studio MÜLLER APRAHAMIAN with partner Adrian Müller in 2018, working on cutting-edge buildings and proposals, as well as on forward-thinking projects with notable designers, artists and institutions. They recently launched Terraforma, an in-house R&D project working with local industry to explore the traditional, ancient building material of clay and produce innovative, domestic alternatives for architectural materials. She is currently based in Rotterdam. This lecture will be held in person in Huntington Hall (10-250) and streamed online. Lectures are free and open to the public.