Design and Architecture

Healing by Design

You don't hear much about design in the healthcare reform debate, but the way a hospital is planned may affect the way you heal. We hear about the "hospital of the future," under construction in the Southland. Plus, advice on scarifying creations for Halloween from Where the Wild Things Are and from two Los Angeles window dressers.

Does Creative Architecture Inspire Creativity?

The LAUSD's new flagship arts high school opened last week. Will this icon for the underserved enable creativity? We hear about it from architect Wolf Prix, Rex Patton, some students and others. Also, we hear about the real (M)ad Men, from filmmaker Doug Pray. Plus, Ken Bernstein tells us why the city is surveying every single building in LA.

When Architecture Met Pop Culture

When the recession hits Los Angeles architect Richard Best, what sensible path does he follow? He joins a reality show. Hear his amazing story. Plus, Scott Neustadter talks about (500) Days of Summer's love affair with LA architecture; and James Harris on the secret history of the 100-year-old Santa Monica Pier.

Goodbye, Julius Shulman

Julius Shulman, architectural photographer whose seductive images sold California Midcentury Modern architecture and its lifestyle around the world, died on July 15 at the age of 98. We celebrate his legacy with recollections from some of the people who knew him -- Dion Neutra, Craig Krull, Juergen Nogai, Eric Bricker, Ann Videriksen, Frank Gehry and Elizabeth Armstrong -- as well as pithy taped commentary from Shulman himself.

In an online exclusive bonus, KCRW's very own Eric J. Lawrence talks about the best spaces in Los Angeles for free summertime concerts, and Dana Cuff talks about WPA 2.0, a competition open to anyone who wants to offer up an imaginative vision for new infrastructure in our post-industrial age.

Public Space Is the Happening Place in LA Design

Some of the most interesting new design in LA is going on in public space. Frances Anderton speaks with architecture critic Chris Hawthorne, landscape designer Mia Lehrer and architect Frederick Fisher about the public spaces and places to see this summer. Plus, Karen Ginsberg on a bright new future for Santa Monica's public conveniences, and Benny Chan on LA from 1000 feet.

Waste Not, Want Not

1. The vacuum, the washing machine and, now, the hand-dryer...industrial designer Sir James Dyson talks about his ongoing mission to keep ourselves and the rest of the world clean. Dennis Hathaway explains the fight against LA's "visual pollution," and we hear from a group of artists who are "upcycling" garbage into poetry.

    

Is It Goodbye to Architectural Excess?

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The economic crash has brought a decade of lavish “icon”-building to a halt. Does this mean an architecture of “excess” will be replaced by one of “relevance?” Frances Anderton speaks with Frank Gehry and Architecture for Humanity’s Cameron Sinclair.

Surviving the Downturn, Creatively

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Los Angeles has long been a magnet for architects and designers but the slump has hit them hard. Can they find creative solutions? We hear about the ups and downs of the downturn, and the lure of the virtual building site.

Interview with Ralph Eggleston, production designer of Wall-E

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Architect of Cinematic Cities Builds Home for Cinematic Arts

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The creator of fantasy cities also likes building the real thing. George Lucas, patron of the USC's School of Cinematic Arts on buildings on screen and in reality. David Rockwell, designer of the Oscars telecast, on how they'll make the show sparkle. And friends of Frank Gehry offer tributes as he meets a major milestone.

Design, Architecture and Inauguration Day

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Back to the Handmade

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As mass-produced goods overwhelm us, people are returning to the handmade. Frances Anderton speaks with Jenny Ryan, Catherine Bailey, William Stranger and Brooke Hodge about Felt Club, Heath Ceramics and raw wood. Plus, Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield on low-cost high-style at a holiday party. And Alissa Walker "raps" up the year in DnA.

The Metropolitan President and Architecture and Design

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Barack Obama will be the first president to hail from a major metropolis in a long time. What does this mean for architecture and design? Plus, James Bond and his relationship with Modern architecture.

The Graphics of Political Protest

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Shepard Fairey and Robbie Conal, who have kicked up a storm with their political posters, discuss using design to send a message. Plus, the Gamble House turns 100, a conversation with director Ted Bosley about the Greene & Greene brothers' "new and native beauty."

'Guerrilla' Designers Remake LA Public Space

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Angelenos are building benches for bus stops in South Los Angeles; clearing trash and landscaping neglected strips of land and covertly planting trees on sidewalks. Jay Griffith, Mr. Stamens, Roly Poly and others discuss the "guerrilla" design of public space in Los Angeles. Plus, a leading LA design company opens its doors to locals.