Track A Session 1: Evolving Modes of Practice
Architects and designers reinventing their business model.

Moderator: Frances Anderton, Dwell Los Angeles Editor

Until recent years, the architect’s role was narrowly defined. He, or less typically, she, designed Buildings, in pencil and ink-pen, with set-square and ruler, within established styles and industry standards. Architects belonged to a profession and, for the most part, dressed and behaved accordingly.

But that has changed now, thanks to massive change in technology, the economy and culture. Because the digital revolution genuinely allows the design of everything from the spoon to the city, architects are now creating furniture, fashion, graphics, video games, installations, set designs, cities and more. Oh, and buildings. The computer allows them to control the process of fabrication and to crossover with artists in terms of formal exploration.

They have also crossed economic barriers. Some architects are becoming developers, to control the process of design, construction and remuneration. Others are reinventing themselves as community activists, working with grassroots collectives to create parks or buildings. Others are taking on the role of branding experts, helping clients to use architecture as marketing tool. Many are learning new languages and cultural behaviors, in the knowledge that markets are changing swiftly and they have to go where the opportunities are.

At Dwell on Design we will discuss all this and more with architects working in new ways on a panel about Evolving Modes of Practice.

Elena Manferdini
Principal
Atelier Manferdini
Los Angeles, CA

Sebastian Mariscal
Founder and Principal
Sebastian Mariscal Studio
San Diego, CA

Michael Pinto, AIA
Principal-in-Charge
Osborn
Glendale, CA

Janet Sager
Principal
Sager Monti
Los Angeles, CA

Track B Session 1: Home and Away: Lessons from the Leisure Zone

The nexus of hospitality and domestic design.

Moderator: Sam Grawe, Dwell Editor-in-Chief

For the world-weary traveler, a hotel room may well just be a place to catch some z's before heading to the next client meeting, but for savvy consumers, design is the must-have room service order. The hospitality industry offers us a chance to "kick the tires," and engage an experience where every aspect—from the thread-count of the sheets, to the plating of the bathroom fixtures—has been dutifully considered. But what happens when we return home? As evinced by the hotel condo boom in Las Vegas, increasingly the lines between hospitality and domesticity are being blurred. Our four expert panelists will share their reactions and hypothesis.

Margaret "Peg" O'Brien
Founder and Principal
O'Brien Design
Los Angeles, CA

Theresa Fatino
Chief Creative Officer
SBE Entertainment Group
Los Angeles, CA

Cass Calder Smith, AIA
Principal
CCS Architecture
San Francisco, CA

Track A Session 2: Systems Building and Prefab
Architects controlling process and outcome; the truth behind the trend.

Moderator; Michael Sylvester, Dwell Content Strategist and Publisher fabprefab.com

Prefab continues to capture the attention of both home buyers, who are seeking progressive design at a reasonable price, and architects and home builders who are looking for new ways to package their services. Behind the marketing face of prefab - the smooth renderings and glossy photographs - are real-world challenges as architects attempt to take control of fabrication and assembly systems in order to deliver packaged solutions to clients.

Architects are traditionally designers of objects rather than systems and are accustomed to working with contractors who typically manage much of the construction phase of a project. However the more control an architect has over the production and assembly process, the more predictable the outcome will be for the client and the more attractive the prefab offering will be in the marketplace. In this session we talk to prefab practitioners who are leading the way in harnessing systems building to the benefit of good design.

Jay Eli
Empyrean International
Acton, MA

Michelle Kaufmann, AIA, LEED AP
Founder and Chairman
Michelle Kaufmann Designs
Oakland, CA

Roger Kurath, Architect MA/FH/EC
Founder and Principal
Design*21, LLC
Marina del Rey, CA

Leo Marmol, FAIA
Managing Principal
Marmol Radziner and Associates
Los Angeles, CA

Track B Session 2: Sustainable Interiors
How can principles of sustainability be applied to interior design projects?

Moderator; Sarah Rich, Dwell Editor

Invisible hazards are hard to fathom, but the gases and particulates that float in the air around us pose measurable threats to human and environmental health. Though most discussion of green building emphasizes energy and construction materials above all, it's essential to consider indoor air quality when planning an environmentally responsible project.
Interior design decisions can determine a household's health, from the paint on the walls to the stuffing in the cushions. Many chemical treatments and synthetic materials go into making interiors resistant to stain, mold, fire, and even wrinkles, but most of those convenience-enhancing compounds — such as formaldehyde, phthalates and pesticides — damage the body while they're in the house, and the earth once they've been relegated to a landfill.
In this session our speakers will reveal entrenched interior design strategies that keep toxic products in use, and the solutions they've devised to create more healthful environments that still maintain high aesthetic standards.

Mary Cordaro
President and Founder
H3Environmental
Valley Village, CA

Lori Dennis, ASID, LEED AP
Principal Interior Designer
Dennis Design Group
Los Angeles, CA

Rachel Winokur
Founder and Lead Designer
Etta Designs
Marina Del Ray, CA

Closing Presentation

End of Conference.

Dwell on Design Exhibition open to Conference Attendees

1:00pm - 6:00pm