Cofounder of the award-winning, firm Could Be Design and assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Joseph Altshuler, will be delivering the next Hyde Lecture entitled “Architecture Is Alive” at 4 p.m., March 31, Architecture Hall West, room 127.
Altshuler’s teaching, practice and scholarship explore architecture’s capacity to build lively audiences, initiate serious play and amplify participation in civic life. From exuberant interiors to interactive public spaces, Could Be Design positions architecture as an active character in the world, enacting a built environment full of vibrant color, shapely form and intimate encounters. Could Be Design is a 2023 winner of the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers, and their work has been featured at Exhibit Columbus, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Elmhurst Art Museum.
Altshuler also practices as a curator of contemporary architecture: Could Be Design was named a curator for the 2024-25 cycle of Exhibit Columbus, an international architecture biennial in Columbus, Indiana. Altshuler is also the Artistic Director for the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival. Altshuler’s first book, “Creatures Are Stirring: A Guide to Architectural Companionship” prompts readers to befriend architectural companions through a collection of essays, flash fictions, and case studies that illustrate solidarity among humans, nonhumans, buildings and the broader environment.
In this lecture, Altshuler invites the next generation of designers to break free from the ordinary, and see the world through a broader, more dynamic lens, composed almost entirely of animated beings with character, in relation to other beings, at a range of scales and in various contexts. From exuberant interiors to interactive public spaces, they’ll imagine architecture as animated creatures that abound with vibrant color, shapely form and interpersonal intimacy. This lively way of seeing the world retrains the perception of human personhood to acknowledge how much more people have in common with architectural companions than that which the conventional built environment recognizes. Perhaps if designers are better able to empathize with their buildings, then they might cultivate deeper empathy for their fellow humans as well.
About the Hyde Lecture Series:
The Hyde Lecture Series is an endowed, public program hosted by the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Each year, the series invites leading experts from architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and planning to present on topics that inspire thought-provoking discussions. The 2024-2025 Hyde Lecture Series is centered on the theme “TRAJECTORIES,” focusing on the varied and complex career paths within and adjacent to the design and planning fields. These lectures provide a unique opportunity for students, professionals and the public to engage with top industry leaders and explore diverse career possibilities in the design disciplines.
