Advertise on podcast: Story of Design

i/thee, a global design firm founded by energetic trio, Neal Lucas Hitch, Martin Hitch, and Kristina Fisher, celebrates interconnectedness in the environment. In the Story of Design series, Neal and Martin challenge distinctions between living and nonliving, past and present, and self and others.

Drew Seskunas, founder and principal designer of SAW.EARTH, drew his early admiration for urban architecture from having lived in various cities across the United States and Europe. With the exposure to such a notable commissioned project in the western city of Berlin at a young age, Seskunas immersed himself in diverse environments, constantly engaging with architecture using both traditional and tech-aided approaches. These experiences serve as a foundation for his continuous growth in the field, shaping architecture into a catalyst of change and meaningful transformation.

Mumbai-based Malik Architecture, founded by Kamal Malik, seamlessly integrates architectural brilliance with a deep connection to Shimla's landscapes. With four decades of pioneering design, the studio, now led by Arjun Malik, focuses on meaningful connections, sustainability, and well-being. Their design philosophy centers on drawing natural inspiration while acknowledging the global context.

Established in 1987, KPMB is a globally recognized Canadian architectural practice committed to enhancing lives through thoughtfully built environments. The firm addresses challenges like climate change and indigenous community reconciliation with a focus on sustainability. In 2023, KPMB continues its dedication to collaborative innovation, sustainability, equity, diversity, and inclusion, as Mitchell Hall, one of the partners at KPMB, highlights the role of people in architecture, emphasizing the creation of functional, inspiring spaces that contribute to a better world through thoughtful approaches and innovative solutions.

Lim Cheng-Kooi of AR43 Architects delves into design's transformative impact, particularly in empowering educational spaces. The firm's mindful approach recognizes architecture's connection to humanity and is demonstrated through sustainable practices, including preserving natural elements and passive design strategies.

Urban Praxis is a Bangkok-based architecture studio founded in 2015 by Suchada Kasemsap and Sasiwimol Utaisup. The duo emphasizes a design and architecture philosophy rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. Their approach involves extensive design research, guided by the belief that curiosity is a driving force, allowing them to explore various perspectives and adopt dynamic methods tailored to each project's unique requirements.

Chris Shao is a New York - Shanghai-based designer whose practice seeks to balance contemporary classics with avant-garde spirits. His journey was rooted in passion and sincere admiration for design and grew into a global-scale studio with projects scattered around the world, through the crafting of culture in pared-back aesthetics and respect for materials that lends out a signature twist to everyday essentials. 

Atelier LAVIT is a Paris and Milan-based Architecture and Design firm led by Marco Lavit since 2014 and driven by a humanistic approach. After years of studying and traveling the globe for work, Lavit established an admiration for wood and prefabrication techniques as he sees it as a remarkable vessel for a more sustainable future, as he shared further in this Story of Design series. 

Jesús Vassallo is a Spanish architect, writer, and professor of architecture studies at Rice University. Throughout his career, he has been writing and publishing architecture books - one of them well known as Seamless: Digital Collage and Dirty Realism in Contemporary Architecture - before eventually establishing his firm in 2019. With works ranging from private and public buildings to urban design, consistently emphasizing construction and design excellence, and focusing on affordable housing, low-carbon construction technology, adaptive reuse, and public-interest design, he shares further on being genuinely responsible as an architect influenced by multipotentiality in this Story of Design series.

Jaque Studio was founded in 2017 by Jesús G. Acosta Martínez and has been committed to creating spaces that provide unique and comfortable user experiences by pursuing true forms, aesthetic innovation, and natural materials surrounded by context. In this Story of Design series, Jesús shares how he crafted a biophilic identity in modern architecture, through his extensive experiences in different cultures across the globe.

Faire is a Paris-based Architecture firm founded by French architect Nikhil Calas and Italian architect and urbanist Federico Diodato. Through a multicultural background and extensive experience in carpentry and teaching, the firm utilizes a multidisciplinary approach combining architecture, crafts, research, and political advocacy to reduce boundaries between architecture and related fields. It is their mission to harmonize functionality and responsibility in the field, as shared in this Story of Design series.