James Carpenter
“Light in the Public Realm”
… will explore the work of James Carpenter Design. At the intersection of art, engineering and architecture, JCDA’s use of materials activates and transforms both private and public spaces with observable qualities of light that define a collective experience of place. Looking at their work in both civic and commercial contexts, James Carpenter will address the increased need for innovative strategies that heighten our collective awareness of light and nature.”
©David Sundberg
“Sky Reflector-Net”, James Carpenter Design Associates, 2014
Fulton Center, New York, NY
About:
James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA) is a cross-disciplinary design firm led by James Carpenter. The firm is recognized for its distinctive use of natural light, which serves as the foundation of its design philosophy. Considered a foremost authority on glass and daylighting, Carpenter has been recognized with numerous national and international awards, including an Academy Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He holds a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and was a Loeb Fellow of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. James Carpenter has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, Royal Danish Academy School of Design, University of Chicago, AHO, MIT and many other institutions in the United States and Europe.
Anna Kirah
‘ The Future of Design: a Design Anthropological Perspective’
… is a series of reflections from a design anthropological perspective.
My job has often been to unveil truths for my clients. I have always said that there is no one truth, that in any argument—both sides are correct—-partially. But there is one truth: the world is changing and will continue to change. We are part of this change as long as we breathe on this planet.
While we often speak of the positive effects of our work and the pride in relation to user experience and design, we neglect to articulate negative consequences of our work and how this affects the world we live in. With this in mind, what should our focus be in the next ten years and how can we incorporate this in the education of designers as well as in the practice of design?
About:
Anna Kirah is an internationally respected design anthropologist and psychologist known for pioneering the people-centric approach to innovation and change management. Anna’s passion is creating meaningful, relevant and desirable products, services and organizational changes through understanding people’s motivations and aspirations and utilizing this knowledge to solve challenges. Through meaning and relevance, value is created both for the organization and for the people the organization serves. The approach focuses on co-creation and working on multidisciplinary teams.
Anna has worked with Boeing, Microsoft and has broad experience working across sectors including software development, travel, transport, retail, finance, health and the public sector. Anna was headhunted in 2007 to develop and implement a radical innovation initiative for leaders in Denmark and to sit on the board of the government sponsored User-driven innovation initiative. She returned to Norway in 2010 where she now has her own consultancy, teaches at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences and is the Managing Director of Design without Borders.