Please join us for the fourth event of Soft Landing: Social Studies Projects and Office Of: in conversation at the VDL Research House.

The Series

Historically, Los Angeles was seen as a place both free from tradition and a fertile ground for experimentation. Architects in the 1970’s and 80's, faced with a different regulatory environment than today, practiced with a sense of looseness. They borrowed both the artists’ attitudes and the logic of Southern California’s standard and vernacular construction. Architecture at that time found a soft landing in the city, yielding a wealth of experimental buildings that became part of Los Angeles' architectural DNA.

Today, an emerging generation of architects find themselves practicing in a wholly different environment. With byzantine bureaucratic constraints, heightened awareness of growing social and environmental challenges, and more recently, a world still reverberating with the effects of a global pandemic, the L.A. Forum and VDL’s new event series Soft-Landing asks a group of emerging practitioners to discuss their work in the face of these circumstances: What embedded knowledge does one need to have in one's practice to create a soft landing today? How do architectural practices find opportunities for experimentation while navigating various economic and bureaucratic constraints as well as pressing social and environmental challenges? How does the built environment of Los Angeles influence their work?

Each event of the series invites two practices to present their work in pairs. Speakers will discuss one of their projects and a building in Los Angeles that informs their work. A conversation with the public will follow the presentations.

The Speakers

Social Studies Projects https://www.socialstudies.info/

Social Studies Projects is a progressive design studio working across architecture, interiors, graphics, and exhibitions. Rooted in the California culture of grassroots experimentalism, collectivity, and innovation, the studio draws inspiration from historic precedents across multiple disciplines to create detail-driven, original projects for modern inhabitants — in Los Angeles and beyond. The SSP team of architects, designers, and strategists works through a rigorous, iterative design process to create original residential, commercial, and cultural projects together with their diverse network of collaborators. Within this collective model, the studio strives to respond uniquely to each project's specific context; climate, geography, culture, materiality, and history each play a part.

Office Of: Office https://officeofoffice.com/

Office Of: Office is a minority and women-led urban planning and architecture non-profit that designs policy, projects, and programs for equitable city growth. With a diverse and interdisciplinary staff, we have expertise in architecture, policy, community development, outreach and engagement, and design. We combine this expertise in policy and community engagement with a deep understanding of the design, permitting, and construction processes. The goal of our work is to enhance community-oriented solutions through meaningful engagement and design-based strategies. We mirror this interdisciplinary commitment in our partnerships. We also develop policies, projects, and programs that foster cross-sector collaboration by convening community-based organizations, non-profits, and local government partners to address complex issues affecting communities and their built environment.

This program is presented by the L.A. Forum for Architecture and Urban Design and the VDL Research House.

Please note: by attending this event, you agree to the liability waiver and release below. Liability Waiver and Release: * I hereby declare that I accept and understand the following conditional requirements of my participation in this LA Forum event. I declare that I fully intend to be bound by the condition stated herein. I further declare that I have read and fully understand all of the conditions outlined below. In consideration of acceptance of my participation in the event, I, for myself, my heirs and assigns, hereby release the sponsors, program participants, coordinators, and officials of this event from any and all liability arising from illness and/or damages I may suffer as a result of participation in such an event. I attest that I will wear any protective gear required by the event organizers. I agree that if I violate this agreement and attempt to bring suit against any part of parties named herein, that I will be held responsible for attorney’s fees and any costs incurred by that person in defending such action. I further understand that this waiver applies to all or any events in which I may participate from the time I convene with the event forward and that this waiver and release of rights contains no expiration date.

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