Kiel Moe: Just Objects: The Construction Ecology of the Seagram Building

Kiel Moe is a registered practicing architect and Gerald Sheff Chair of Architecture at McGill University. This lecture is presented by the Environmental Building Design [MEBD / MSD-EBD] programs.

"Is architecture in this century just about objects --as defined in formal or performative terms -- or do more sane and just objects and outcomes of architecture require a broader definition and description of architecture's role today? This lecture will use one of the most modern of modern architectures, the Seagram Building, to help describe how humans and nature interact with the thin crust of the planet through architecture. Architecture reorganizes nature and society in particular ways that today demand overt attention and new methods of description. In particular, the immense material, energy and labor involved in building require a fresh interpretation that better situates the ecological and social potential of design. Given the environmental, social, and political realities that confront us in the storms of this century, we need alternative descriptions of architecture as terrestrial activities that help us imagine how to maximize the impact of architecture on its environment in the most positive, generative, and architectural ways possible."

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu to let us know what you need. Please note, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. If you register within 48 hours of this event, we won’t be able to secure the appropriate accommodations.