Top 9 Design and Architecture Podcasts to Tune Into
Whether you’re tuning in while prepping dinner or on your daily commute, podcasts are a great source of news and entertainment—and with so many shows out there, you’re bound to find something binge-worthy. If you’re looking for new shows to subscribe to, check out our favorite design and architecture podcasts (including, of course, our very own, Raw Materials 3 Ways).
99% Invisible From Radiotopia
99% Invisible from Radiotopia is known for its unique takes and deep research into design that was, in the words of Buckminster Fuller, usually "invisible and untouchable."
This design-centric podcast hosted by Roman Mars has covered everything from graphic design and typography, to fashion design and architectural materials. We love the fresh perspective the show brings to the seemingly mundane and innocuous items around us, and the way its stories connect to broader questions about design and its impact on the world.
US Modernist Radio
Each episode of US Modernist Radio brings a sense of humor and personality to midcentury design, whether it’s through interviews with the children of some of the most famous midcentury architects, curators of recent architecture exhibitions, or homeowners of some of the country's most exciting modern residences.
For the midcentury modern design lovers out there, US Modernist Radio is the podcast for you. The podcast is both entertaining but informative, and hosts George Smart and Frank King spend each episode interviewing architects, designers, historians, preservationists, advocacy experts, museum curators, home owners, and others—just about anyone who "owns, creates, dreams about, preserves, loves, and hates Modernist architecture, the most exciting and controversial buildings in the world."
RM-3 (Raw Materials 3 Ways) From Dwell
Dwell deep dive into materials, their origins, and uses looks to shine light on how simple materials like wood, dirt, and metal affect our lives in unanticipated ways.
We would be remiss not to plug our very own podcast hosted by architect Dan Maginn, which looks at how different materials like dirt, logs, and even clams (yes, you read that right!) have personalities and properties that impact our homes—and ultimately, how we live. Expect deep dives into how materials are sourced and processed—from their earliest uses to subsequent innovations and regional deviations—and interviews with architects and designers who are masters of those materials.
Design and Architecture From KCRW
Often focusing on local stories that remain relevant to a broader audience, KCRW's Design and Architecture is one of the most informative podcasts that will keep you up-to-date on current design events, construction and design news, and more.
Based in Los Angeles, design reporter Frances Anderton hosts a weekly show that covers design and architecture from all angles, including news surrounding major conferences, shows, museum openings, and exhibitions; and issues like natural disasters and the U.S. housing crisis. Although the show has a Los Angeles focus, its coverage, topics, and presentation make it worth listening to no matter where you live.
The Urbanist From Monocle
The Urbanist is one of several Monocle podcasts. The show casts a wide net, covering everything related to cities—transportation, architecture, planning, and more—across the entire world.
The Urbanist has a distinctly global focus and looks not only at architecture but also at urban planning, government, urban design, sustainability, transportation, preservation, and other related fields. This broad focus makes it a cerebral but digestible listen. The show comes out with two episodes a week: one that is only five minutes long, and another that is closer to 30 minutes.
Sessions From Archinect
From Archinect, one of the earliest websites devoted to connecting architects and architecture students, comes the podcast Sessions. The podcast is typically an interview format, and comes out every two weeks.
Archinect’s podcast Sessions will fill your ears with architecture-related discussions that speak to a community of practicing architects, academics, and students, particularly those who are in the profession. Although the focus of the podcast can be a bit narrow in its specificity to architects, its depth into issues affecting the field makes it a must-listen for the working or aspiring architect.
Design Matters With Debbie Millman
Design Matters with Debbie Millman is one of, if not the oldest, design-centered podcasts out there, with several hundred episodes completed and waiting for you to listen. Millman focuses more on graphic design and branding than architecture, but her podcast is well worth a listen to anyone interested in the broader world of design.
After starting a radio show in 2005 called Design Matters (in fact one of the world’s very first podcasts!), Debbie Millman has continued to present exciting, interesting content in her award-winning podcast that focuses on branding, graphic design, and cultural anthropology. Listeners can also subscribe to the archives to hear older stories.
Clever From Design Milk
Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer created the podcast Clever as a way to share conversations, personal stories, and advice and wisdom about fashion, communications and graphics, industrial and product design, architecture, and interior design. Courtesy of Clever from Design Milk
From Design Milk comes Clever, a podcast about design and the creative minds that it comes from. Structured through interviews and conversations with designers in a range of fields (think everyone from Google’s VP of hardware design to fashion designers), the podcast seeks to make the connection between objects, people, and their environment.
Young House Love Has a Podcast
Bright, light, and fun, the Young House Love Has a Podcast is one for the aspiring designer, the DIY-er, or any home design lover who enjoys hearing about the trials, tribulations, and more from home renovation and blogger couple Sherry and John Petersik.
The founders of the blog Young House Love debuted their podcast in 2016 and have continued to produce it on a nearly weekly basis ever since. Husband-and-wife duo Sherry and John Petersik hold lively conversations on home improvement, design, decorating advice, DIY stories, and occasional interviews with industry experts that make for fun, easy listening.
Related Reading: The Dwell Podcast: What Do Oysters Have to do With Homebuilding?
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