Peeling Back the Layers: Lisa Little and Emily White at PMCA

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How do you add soul to design by algorithm? That seems to be a goal of design duo Lisa Little and Emily White, co-founders of architecture firm Layer. Like a…

How do you add soul to design by algorithm? That seems to be a goal of design duo Lisa Little and Emily White, co-founders of architecture firm Layer. Like a number of LA architects, Little and White have explored the spatial and formal possibilities of digital design and fabrication through installations in public art settings and their latest is on display at Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA).  A Loose Horizon weaves its way from the “Project Room” through the lobby and onto the museum’s facade. “While software and digital fabrication have become indispensible elements of architectural design, enabling greater complexity of forms,” they say, Little and White “challenge the ability of these tools to render environments that truly engage the visitor.”  On Saturday I’ll host a discussion with the designers at PMCA, where they will share more about their techniques, their views on design today as well as the blessings and challenges of being a women-owned architecture firm.