Please join us for the second event of Soft Landing: >Schneider Luescher and MILLIØNS 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

>Schneider Luescher https://schneiderluescher.com/

>Schneider Luescher is an architecture studio based in Los Angeles, California. Working on residential, cultural, and commercial projects, our firm is committed to exploring each project individually while fostering strong client relationships.

Our team includes architects with diverse backgrounds and experiences, ensuring a multifaceted perspective on every project. We thrive on tackling challenging endeavors, priding ourselves on meticulous attention to detail and dedication to client satisfaction.

Established in 2018, >Schneider Luescher has worked on a range of projects, from residential homes to cultural projects and commercial spaces. Our methodologies are rooted in thorough research and the adept utilization of physical and digital tools, enabling us to design compelling architectural solutions and effectively engage with our clients. With experience in national and international projects, we often collaborate with other design teams. Additionally, we are committed to knowledge sharing and regularly contribute to the field by teaching architectural design at Cal Poly Pomona.

MILLIØNS https://www.millionsarchitecture.com/

MILLIØNS is a Los Angeles–based experimental architectural studio founded by John May and Zeina Koreitem. MILLIØNS conceives of architecture as a speculative medium for exploring the central categories of contemporary life: technology, energy and media. Their approach insists on an expansive parallel project of technical, historical and cultural analysis, which surrounds and informs their work. MILLIØNS’ work spans various scales and media, including buildings, interiors, exhibitions, furniture, books and environments.

The practice was recently selected as the winner of a two-stage international competition to reimagine the east wing of I. M. Pei’s Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. MILLIØNS’ experimental work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the Friedman Benda Gallery in NYC, La Triennale Di Milano, Taipei Museum of Fine Art Biennial, Centre Pompidou Metz, the Storefront for Art and Architecture, and the MIT Keller Gallery, among others.   MILLIØNS has been featured in Domus, Wallpaper, Harvard Design Magazine, ArchDaily, Azure, eflux; Flaunt magazine, Dezeen, Ssense, Artsy, Architect’s Newspaper, AN interior, I.D., a+t, Sight Unseen, Azure, and in a catalog of their work on experimental collective living, New Massings for New Masses: Collectivity After Orthography (MIT SA+P Press 2015).

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.

SOFT-LANDING: 02

>Schneider Luescher & MILLIØNS