The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina are joined by architect Stanley Saitowitz to discuss his design philosophy, office, upbringing in South Africa, and education and how he ended up in San Francisco, why the practice of architecture is much more challenging today, how architecture relates to cities, and more. Enjoy!
Highlights & Timestamps
Stanley discusses his upbringing in South Africa and how it influenced his work and life, his education, and moving to Berkeley, California for graduate school. (00:00)
In the first few years of my [undergraduate] architecture school (University of Witwatersrand) we would get a project every Monday and have to hand it in on Friday. So by the time I come out of third year, I probably designed 60 or 70 different buildings. And it was just random, it was a fish canning factory one week, and then a fast station, and then a church, and then a house. It was actually a really interesting way to learn architecture. (11:02)
Stanley discusses starting his office and his first projects. (23:20)
I was quite lucky because I met some South African people who been friends of one of my teachers who had moved to Palo Alto. Soon after I arrived they gave me a job to remodel their house and the payment was a Ford Mustang. (24:00)
Stanley shares his thoughts on why the practice of architecture now is so difficult. (25:25)
I think it’s really a lot harder now… Honestly, I would hate to have to begin a practice now. […] When I started here it was really difficult, but now I think it’s almost virtually impossible. (25:44)
Stanley discusses why his real passion is cities and how he understands them.
I developed my whole approach to architecture through building in natural landscapes. When I began to think of the geography of the city as absolute in a way as the natural environment. So treating the city like nature and having a real ethic and character. (31:58)
Stanley discusses translating traditional styles of architecture to modern aesthetics and the changes in the architecture in San Francisco. (36.00)
For me the quality of San Francisco is about its continuity and about the similarity… even though it’s built out of small pieces, the pieces add up to a greater whole. […] And what seems to have taken off now in San Francisco is more the idea about pieces… and I think a lot of that started with the hippy movement… (37:15)
Stanley discusses the idea ‘authorship’ in creating architecture and what it was like working through the Post Modern era of design. (48:00)
Stanley discusses the different architectural mindsets of San Francisco and Los Angeles and convincing the general public of his designs. (55:05)
Stanley discusses the importance of conveying the value of architecture to people. (01:00:44)
A lot of the architecture that we are surrounding ourselves with is like Taco Bell; it’s real junk food and junk architecture. Honestly, go somewhere like Barcelona. You can walk around and your jaw drops, on every corner there’s a piece of architecture that’s of value and good. […] I was a teacher for years and years, so I try really hard to make people understand that there is such a thing as knowledge in architecture, there is value. It’s not all about my taste versus yours. It’s not about taste or preference. There’s actually a base line of reality and knowledge that is inherent in architecture. You can say, ‘I’ll have a McDonald’s and it’ll fit me up.’ Yeah, but at the same time fill up your arteries with cholesterol. We need to help people understand what it (architecture) offers. (59:22)
Stanley discusses his design process and his office. (01:03:40)
I was always interested in a pragmatism that could be a road to something poetic. (01:15:13)
Stanley reveals his favorite architect! (01:20:12)
