I Would Prefer Not To

Follow I Would Prefer Not To
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Why does an architect turn down a commission? What could change if we knew? An interview podcast series produced by MIT's Critical Broadcasting Lab sheds light on a necessary but understudied part of architectural practice.

The Architectural League of New York


    • Apr 24, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 29 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from I Would Prefer Not To with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from I Would Prefer Not To

    Nader Tehrani

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 68:22


    In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Nader Tehrani, founding partner of the Boston-based firm NADAAA, about the development of construction details; the political push and pull between architects, clients, and contractors ; and the importance of didacticism in designing architecture schools.

    Aziza Chaouni

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 45:36


    In this episode, architect Aziza Chaouni discusses working with NGOs on heritage projects, balancing small-scale volunteer work, and crowdsourcing materials and resources to build project archives.

    LOT-EK

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 62:13


    In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano, founders of the New York City-based practice LOT-EK, about ascribing value to waste, the vestiges of global circular economies, and the importance of love.

    Lateral Office

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 62:16


    In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Lola Sheppard and Mason White of Lateral Office to discuss their work in the Canadian Arctic, architecture of expediency in rural areas, and the skill of deep listening.

    Deborah Berke

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 50:50


    Host Ana Miljački talks with Deborah Berke of New York City-based TenBerke about loving projects like children, striking a balance between reverence and irreverence, and measuring a project against a mission statement.

    MOS

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 66:42


    In this episode of I Would Prefer Not To, Ana speaks with Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith of NYC-based MOS Architects. Topics of discussion include the complex intertwining of work and life, playfulness and the publication of process, feedback between academic culture and the world of practice, and collaborative models.

    new york city michael meredith
    Germane Barnes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 56:23


    In the premiere episode of season four, Ana Miljački talks with Germane Barnes about storytelling-as-design impetus, delivering on promises, and his skeptical relationship to emails, among other topics.

    APRDELESP

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 62:38


    Ana Miljački speaks with Rodrigo Escandón Cesarman and Guillermo Gonzalez Ceballos of Mexico City-based practice APRDELESP about their case studies, the creation of architectural institutions, and designing appealing “spaces of encounter.”

    Architecture Research Office

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 61:03


    In this episode of I Would Prefer Not To, Ana Miljački speaks with Adam Yarinsky, Stephen Cassell, and Kim Yao of Architecture Research Office about professional versus academic research, how adhering to pre-articulated values affects relationships with clients, and the benefits and drawbacks of being generalists.

    Jeanne Gang

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 57:02


    Ana Miljački and Studio Gang founder Jeanne Gang discuss architects as the nexus of intersecting issues, advocating on behalf of animals as constituents, and growing one's own building materials.

    jeanne gang studio gang
    Colectivo C733

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2024 79:40


    Ana Miljački speaks with members of the Mexico City-based group about the tumultuous nature of collective practice and a shifting paradigm in civic architecture.

    Future Firm

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2024 60:45


    Ana Miljački speaks with Ann Lui and Craig Reschke of Chicago-based studio Future Firm about expanding the role of the architect, absorbing risk, and how to respond when asked to do magic.

    Annabelle Selldorf

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2024 47:41


    In the Season 3 premiere, Ana Miljački speaks with Annabelle Selldorf about how falling in love with projects can result in heartbreak, what it means to transcend style, and the limitations of typological experience.

    Nina Cooke John

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 50:30


    Ana is joined by Nina Cooke John in this episode to discuss the impulses of feedback loops in the design process, slowness, the different ways in which institutions engage with communities and figuration as it relates to seeing oneself in a monument.

    Claire Weisz

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2023 57:37


    In this episode, Ana speaks with Claire Weisz, founding partner of WXY, on structural flexibility as an office, sharing ethical burdens with clients, advocating on behalf of built and material histories, and using work at large scales to catalyze work for other architectural practices.

    Andrés Jaque

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 55:12


    Ana talks with Andres Jaque of Office for Political Innovation on what it means to be anarchitectural dissident, the status of formal decisions in his work, and how listening can be animportant tool for architects.

    Chandra Robinson of Lever Architecture

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2023 50:43


    In this episode, Ana hosts Chandra Robinson of Lever Architecture. They discuss ways to support smaller-scale builders, the importance of proximity in sourcing materials, and balancing innovation with the immediate needs of community and client, among other topics.

    SCHAUM/SHIEH

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2023 57:16


    In this episode, Ana Miljački speaks with Troy Schaum and Rosalyne Shieh of SCHAUM/SHIEH about matching a client's ambition with economic feasibility, the privilege of being able to refuse work, the space that emerges out of energetic conflict, and the power of doing nothing.

    Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam Architects

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 49:15


    Atlanta-based architects Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam chat with Ana Miljački about inventiveness and emotional specificity.

    Michael Maltzan Architecture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 47:07


    Michael Maltzan discusses the architect's role in negotiating complex scenarios and the potential of long-term client relationships to enable large-scale change.

    Colloqate

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 41:12


    Ana Miljački speaks with Bryan Lee about design justice and challenging the architectural status quo.

    Kennedy & Violich Architecture

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 45:34


    Sheila Kennedy and Frano Violich of Boston-based KVA MATx chat with Ana about being proactive, finding the right set of ingredients to create commissions, viewing plants as constituents, and balancing a rejection of architecture-as-service with a commitment to professional skills and rigor.

    Liz Diller

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 51:13


    Liz Diller of New York–based Diller Scofidio + Renfro speaks with Ana Miljački about evaluating a commission's ethics, translating projects for different audiences, and critiquing institutions from within.

    new york diller diller scofidio renfro
    Walter Hood

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 36:01


    Ana Miljački speaks with Walter Hood about artistic freedom, working with institutions, and succeeding through failure.

    walter hood
    Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 35:30


    Ana chats with Tod and Billie of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects about the contrasts of institutional versus commercial projects, developing relationships with clients, and finding meaning in work.

    tod tod williams billie tsien architects
    Tatiana Bilbao Estudio

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2022 35:00


    Tatiana of CDMX-based Tatiana Bilbao Estudio converses with Ana on working with governmental bodies, social housing, changing office culture, and how to engage with leverage points within systems of power.

    Studio Zewde

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 33:40


    Sara Zewde and Ana Miljački talk about alternative ways of doing landscape architecture, racial tokenism, design cyphers, and the value of architects as synthesizers.

    SO-IL

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 29:31


    Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu of Brooklyn-based studio SO-IL chat with Ana Miljački on a wide range of topics, such as discerning a client's political intentions, the power of an architectural brand, and the possibility for architecture to transcend its relationship with an institutional client.

    WORKac

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2022 38:45


    Amale Andraos and Dan Wood of NY-based firm WORKac talk with Ana Miljački about different facets of sustainability, the lessons learned from saying yes to everything, and regrets among other topics.

    Claim I Would Prefer Not To

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel