Podcasts about talk architecture

Send a textThe first episode of a two part mini series on - Formalism and Non-formalistic Approaches in Architecture - where the teaching of architecture and guidance inform how we approach architecture practice, where it needs to be more critical rather than mere form-making generated and embellished from schematics and passed as aesthetics."Architecture is often approached in a formalistic manner, with heavy emphasis on form, geometry, composition, and aesthetics. This focus serves as a foundational method for teaching design, establishing architectural autonomy, and managing the complexity of creative projects. However, it reveals little about the deeper reasons behind this predominance. The formalistic approach has long been criticized for neglecting functionality and context. Yet it remains deeply rooted in the history of art theory, providing students with a precise language to understand, analyze, and create built forms. We question whether this approach is relevant now then ever, or alternative approaches from Phenomenology and Dutch Structuralism would be better to create a more functional and inclusive design" (Naziaty Mohd Yaacob's Essay on Formalism and Alternative Approaches to Architecture, 2026)© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textFour weeks ago I commented on the idea of collaboration, as if the ability to collaborate is necessary in order to have leadership skills. What are the essential qualities and why is it important that an architect have leadership skills? There are a lot of other skills associated with that - adaptability, understanding context and the fit, steering based on processes which are relevant to the task at hand … A lecturer has to know how to guide, that's the very least of the skill they need to have in a collaboration with a student but how does the student learn how to lead and be the driver of his or her project? Then only he/she know how to collaborate with other people ie consultants. My podcast today answers this question based on conversations we had with Kevin Mark Low before. And subsequent conversations with Azari & Seshan Design, as well.© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

When BLOX opened in 2018, it divided opinion. Designed by OMA as the home of the Danish Architecture Center, the building was unlike anything Copenhagen had seen before, bold, complex and unapologetically different.  In this episode, host Michael Booth is joined by DAC CEO Kent Martinussen for a guided tour of BLOX, as the centre prepares an anniversary exhibition marking 40 years of DAC. Together they unpack the story behind the building: the unusual architect selection process, Rem Koolhaas' vision of architecture as urban infrastructure, and the idea of BLOX as a city within a city.  Moving from harbour-level plazas to dramatic interior spaces and rooftop terraces, the conversation explores how BLOX has evolved from controversy to everyday use, a flexible, lived-in building where culture, work and city life intersect.  Guest: Kent Martinussen, CEO, Danish Architecture Center Host: Michael Booth  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

Send us a textIn the first episode of the series on design approach and methods, we discuss the Preface of Christopher Alexander's 1964 seminal work, Notes on the Synthesis of Form, the 1971 paperback. The discussion highlights Alexander's pivot from a rigid "design method" toward the profound simplicity of the diagram—later known as a pattern. This approach moves beyond the academic "cult of method" and returns the focus to the practical, intuitive act of shaping forms that respond to real-world requirements.Drawing parallels to modern architectural practice, we relate Alexander's theories to the layering of functional systems, such as accessibility, safety, and structural integrity. Using the example of a library design, the podcast illustrates how various "sub-problems"—from circulation patterns to shelving—are resolved through specific diagrams and then fused into a final project. The episode emphasizes a logic-based approach to design over purely emotional or "signature" aesthetics, arguing that an architect's primary duty is to serve diverse public needs. By investigating the "goodness of fit" between a form and its context, designers can create inclusive spaces that are thoroughly researched rather than superficially styled.© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textPart 2 continues the discussion on the systemic problems where "the burden of education has quietly shifted from academia to practice", by referring to Seshan Design SB Handbook and points discussed in Part 1 of the same topic.Naziaty started by what went wrong in architecture education and how and why we lost our direction. It will span from when I  started architecture in 1980 until now. 46 years of reflection plus the on-going discussion on social media especially Facebook. © 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textThe conclusive episode (Part 3) to underline the bigger picture of problems in architecture education where we need to deal with the following:1. Architecture design studio curriculum needs to be clear on the "design problem" identification and solving them as complexities in the final year project (Part 1) and design thesis (Part 2).2. The role of the architect as collaborators and teaching in the school architecture how to collaborate and not just merely follow instructions from the part time critics and tutors as it is not really the 'master-apprentice' approach which is not feasible in this day and age any way.3. The misplaced fascination on university rankings and placing importance on research and publication (70%), leaving academics to focus on teaching at a miserable 30%, thus lessening the quality of studio teaching, hence shifting the responsibility to practice instead when it comes to what we discussed in Part 1 & 2 episodes.4. A call for the institutions of architecture and the fraternity to 'fight back' on the architecture education aspects and not let Ministry of Higher Education dictate on what architecture education need to be as per points number 1, 2 & 3 above. This is regarding the poor training of students of architecture due to the fascination with university rankings linked to key performance indicators of academics (KPIs).© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textLast 29 December 2025, the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaya in an article says “Let me be clear: rankings are not the goal; they are a means. The goal is, and has always been, to create knowledge and graduates that make the world a better place. If climbing the rankings comes as a result of doing that goal well, then we should welcome it.We must remember that our true rank is measured by the positive difference we make for humanity and the world, and as a compass of good, and that alone, remains the most noble of all.”Today's  podcast episode is to address the VC's quote from the architecture education perspective. © 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textA scenario of the architectural design studio project for a community that would have made a better impact in terms learning for the students, when site-context specific rather than a project that objectifies for 'citation', ' data' and 'research agenda'.How this sort of project would "fail in the rankings" and not encouraged in schools of architecture. A closing manifesto is concluded at the end of episode.© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textA frank discussion on a commentary based on Seshan Design's post in a Facebook Group. They highlighted on systemic problems where "the burden of education has quietly shifted from academia to practice", and later gave comments on the problems specifically: the lack of fundamental skills on:1. Drawing clearly2. Understanding how buildings put together3. Accuracy4. Coordination5. AccountabilityI discussed what happens (happened) and why it is a systemic problem in schools of architecture in Malaysia.© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textWe explain further in depth on the dialogic studio critique methods to explain how we can transform architecture education. In Part 2B, we delve into:Common Dialogic Critique MethodsRound-Table or Harkness MethodPeer Crits (Structured Peer Feedback)Group Crits or Panel Discussions with Student InvolvementFormative Desk Crits as True DialogueNarrative-Based Dialogic Design (NDD)Hybrid or Alternative FormatsPlus the benefits and implementation tips.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textWe frequently speak of students as "products" or "graduates"—metrics to be optimized for Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) Part I and II exemptions, high QS subject rankings, graduate employability rates, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). But where is the student's voice? Do aspiring architects truly seek personal and societal transformation through design, or have they, too, been captured by the logic of credentials—chasing accreditation compliance, technical proficiency, and industry-ready skills over creative risk-taking and ethical reflection?I referred to an Opinion piece by Dr Syed Alwee Alsagoff's in Star Newspaper dated 28 December 2025 entitled "The Year We Forgot to Ask". I expanded to discuss as an introduction to conversation that we need to discuss on the purpose of architecture education, inspired from this article, in this podcast episode.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textDialogic studio critique methods shift traditional architecture design studios from 'hierarchical, tutor-dominated feedback' (often called "desk crits" or juries) to collaborative, multi-voiced conversations. These approaches, inspired by Donald Schön's "reflection-in-action," Mikhail Bakhtin's polyphony, and Vygotsky's socio-constructivist pedagogy, emphasize mutual dialogue where students actively participate, question, and co-construct knowledge. This fosters deeper comprehension, reduces power imbalances, encourages inquiry, and aligns with ideals of human flourishing and exemplary character (junzi). Traditional critiques can feel adversarial, ambiguous, or judgmental, stifling creativity and student voice. Dialogic methods address this by prioritizing process-oriented, iterative feedback over summative assessment.Continuing the discussion on the purpose of architecture education, we introduce the 'key principles in dialogue critiques' first in this episode (Part 2A) to explain how we can transform architecture education. © 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Timber instead of tiles, curiosity instead of corridors, and a 15-metre-high atrium designed to make people feel safer, healthier and more connected. Copenhagen's Centre for Health at Sunhill proposes a new typology for public healthcare architecture.  In this episode, Michael Booth meets architect Dorte Mandrup, widely regarded as one of Denmark's greatest living architects, to explore how a complex and often contradictory brief — openness and privacy, care and community — was translated into a warm, tactile and quietly radical public building.  Together they discuss the centre's boomerang-shaped footprint, full timber construction and soaring atrium, and how architecture can gently nudge behaviour, foster wellbeing and create spaces that feel inclusive without feeling exposed.  Guest:  Dorte Mandrup, Arkitekt, Dorte Mandrup A/S  Host: Michael Booth  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

Send us a textWe dive into the conversation on "reforms in architecture education" to understand further how education affects the profession in a profound way. The principles from Mark Alan Hewitt's 2020 reforms explained in arch daily —emphasizing embodied cognition through hand drawing, physical model-making, haptic engagement, and sensory-rich practices—can absolutely be integrated into both the ARB Competency Outcomes Framework and the RIBA Themes and Values framework. Both are deliberately outcomes-based and flexible, allowing schools to innovate in how they deliver competencies without prescribing specific methods. This openness creates space for embodied approaches as effective pedagogical tools to meet required outcomes. Link here: https://www.archdaily.com/941809/12-ways-to-reform-architectural-education© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textAnother “unfiltered” critic argues that architecture education is the root cause of the profession being undervalued and widely misunderstood. The defense of the profession, we contend, must begin in academia, where the core problem lies in situating architecture schools to comply with—and be dictated by—non-architects who neither understand nor uphold the profession's essential competencies. This external oversight has diluted the foundational truths of architecture, eroding its rigor and distinct identity over time.By allowing administrators, accrediting bodies, and university structures dominated by non-practitioners to shape curricula and priorities, schools inadvertently prioritize bureaucratic compliance, interdisciplinary trends, and measurable outcomes over the deep, tacit knowledge and creative judgment that define architectural expertise. This shift not only weakens the training of future architects but also sends a broader signal to society that architecture is a generic design discipline rather than a profound synthesis of art, science, ethics, and cultural responsibility—further contributing to its undervaluation in the public and professional spheres.Part 2 will be about the "reforms in architecture education".© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Eighteen years, a 14-metre-deep crater, a rebuilt brick façade, and a glass dome set to redefine Copenhagen's skyline Denmark's new Natural History Museum is almost ready.  In this episode, Michael Booth meets architect Claus Pryds, who was barely out of architecture school when he unexpectedly won the competition for the country's next great museum. What followed was a marathon of design, engineering and sheer perseverance that stretched across nearly two decades.  Michael and Claus dive into the wild story behind the museum: the setbacks, the breakthroughs, the impossible holes in the ground — and the thrill of watching a once-in-a-lifetime project finally rise to the surface. Opening in 2027, the museum will feature new worlds dedicated to Danish nature and Greenland and rumoured to have everything from dinosaurs to a Blue Whale skeleton.  Guest: Claus Pryds Host:  Michael Booth  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

Send us a textThis podcast episode is a one-off reaction piece to the discussion on "What makes a good studio master?" It refers to the Malaysian Architecture Education context and the premise from the problem of bureaucracy. The assertion here argues that formal qualifications (PhD, Part 3 registration, 5+ years industry/teaching experience) proposed by the Malaysian Board of Architects (LAM - Malay Acronym) are irrelevant for design studio masters, who need to have both talents in teaching, as well as being a good designer.True effectiveness lies in three key roles—coach (tracking progress), consultant (critical feedback), and expert (specialized input)—which can be filled by one person or a team. Everyone guiding students should be considered a “master” in the traditional sense. Core duties include structuring the semester program, facilitating crits, moderating discussions, synthesizing feedback, and ensuring fair assessment while encouraging students to own their ideas—never imposing solutions via tutor sketches. Some experienced critics would draw out for the students, which means they don't know how to teach.The rigid credential requirements are bureaucratic shortcuts that exclude talented teachers and practitioners, stifle innovation, and regress architectural education. Prioritizing actual teaching ability, collaboration, and facilitation over box-ticking is essential.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textArchitecture education and the problems of competent graduates have been discussed elsewhere in Talk Architecture podcast, but this topic shows how much things have changed in architecture education and how it affected the curriculum.So, this morning I asked Grok: Do you think that more and more architecture education and the ranking system serves the developer's agenda than society's needs?Grok says: Yes, absolutely — and the trend has been accelerating dramatically over the past 15–20 years. Architecture education and especially the global ranking systems now function more as a pipeline for producing compliant, brand-friendly designers who serve the real-estate/finance/development industry than as institutions serving society's actual spatial, social, ecological, or cultural needs.The main points are:Ranking systems are explicitly designed around “employer reputation” and “academic reputation” — and the employers who matter are the big corporate firmsThe curriculum has been financialisedDebt + prestige hierarchy forces graduates into the developer machine“Sustainability” has been fully co-opted into developer marketingThe proof is in the built environmentThe thought occurred to do this episode when I read another piece in LinkedIn on a global survey that reveals the future of architectural education. It suggests the way architects need to be, quote "a civic leader, cultural mediator, facilitator, and interdisciplinary collaborator", thus making me concerned for the profession. Yes, you can be all that but not on the expense of fully equipping architecture graduates to be confident of working in the industry, hence what need to happen in the design thesis curriculum and learning experience, as I have discussed in earlier episodes.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textIn the second part of this three-part series on the “context specificity” approach, we explain a design thesis studio philosophy that insists on “real site + real community issues only,” with the focus placed on identifying and solving authentic design problems.The studio runs for a full academic year, structured as:  7 weeks of Special Semester (Brief proposal on site analysis and research) 14 weeks of Design Development  14 weeks of Detailed Design + Special StudiesResearch is integrated into the architectural design process rather than treated separately: it occurs primarily through initial site analysis, topic and building-type research, observation, user interviews, and case studies at the start, and is deepened through additional Special Studies later in the year.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textThe “research-framework” approach to design theses is a myth and must end.Best industry preparation: give the entire studio one real, complex, shared urban site and force students to solve 10–15 genuine, layered design problems from day one. This final episode of a 3-part series explains how using two cases almost a decade apart.2008–09 (wrong way): 24 students → 24 different (often easy/speculative) sites → pretty drawings, 2–3 shallow problems, bored students, weak graduates.2019–20 (right way): one tough shared site (e.g., PJ Old Town market + urban farm) → rich context, 10–12 real problems, deep skills, confident graduates ready for practice on day one. Blog post on a context specific design thesis: https://designthesis.wordpress.com/2020/08/05/raymond-bus-the-market-hub-at-jalan-othman-petaling-jaya/Takeaway:Speculative/prototype theses fail students.Context-specificity is not radical — it's basic professional training. Every architecture school needs at least one unit doing it.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textFor a design thesis, context specificity approach is the answer, the only way to get students of architecture to be ready, equipped, going into the architecture industry because that's the way the industry works. There is no place for speculative design, prototypes or fantasy design, as you will not be able to overcome the challenges of the industry.This episode is the first part of the three-part series, focused on identifying design problems rather than speculating with a problem statement and hypothesis ala research framework. The site is very important to be identified and is very specific to how you're going to learn and challenge yourself to be a graduate architect.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Can architecture help us create a future where both humans and nature can thrive? And is it possible to truly strengthen biodiversity in big cities – or are we just creating small, isolated pockets of green? In this episode, Michael Booth meets ecologist, biodiversity developer and founder of Oiko, Kristine Kjørup Rasmussen. Together they explore Copenhagen's Nordhavn district – from concrete cityscapes to wild wastelands – to see how biodiversity can be measured, protected, and even enhanced in the midst of urban development. Guest: Kristine Kjørup Rasmussen, ecologist and founder of Oiko Host: Michael Booth Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

Send us a textFor Architecture Academics, a special podcast on: Why Research Framework cannot be used in Architectural Design, specifically in the Architecture Studio Design Thesis Curriculum.An introduction to a topic addressing what is currently wrong with the way we teach architecture in universities where research and publication becomes increasingly important and how we have lost our way in producing credible architecture graduates. Refer to the link below on a previous Facebook post (for context to this podcast episode).https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ziXahE2D/© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

What defines a megaproject? And why do they so often go over both budget and schedule?   Denmark has earned a reputation for successfully completing large-scale construction projects – whether they are bridges, tunnels, land reclamation or offshore wind farms. The latest Danish megaproject is the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, a record-breaking 18-kilometer tunnel currently being placed on the seabed from the island of Lolland to Northern Germany.  In this episode, Michael Booth joins Professor Christian Langhoff Thuesen of Denmark's Technical University on a visit to the construction site of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. Together they explore the impressive scale of the project and discuss the future of megaprojects in light of growing sustainability demands.   Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

Send us a textThe seven principles of sensory-driven architecture, which focus on engaging human senses to create meaningful and immersive built environments, are often derived from the broader concepts of sensory design. 1. Sight (Visual Engagement)2. Sound (Acoustic Harmony) 3. Touch (Tactile Experience)4. Smell (Olfactory Design)5. Temperature (Thermal Comfort)6. Movement (Kinesthetic Awareness)7. Emotional Resonance (Human-Centered Experience)This episode, Naziaty Mohd Yaacob, discussed the above principles with disabled persons needs in mind.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textThe concluding part (Part 2) of this proposition of using sensory-driven architecture principles to achieve inclusive and therapeutic spaces as explained by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob, is based on a research to combine architecture, disability and phenomenology. Based on an internet literature search, the 7 principles of Sensory-driven Architecture Principles are: Sight (Visual Engagement)Sound (Acoustic Harmony)Touch (Tactile Experience)Smell (Olfactory Design) Temperature (Thermal Comfort)Movement (Kinesthetic Awareness)Emotional Resonance (Human-Centered Experience)To achieve inclusive and therapeutic spaces that possesses the following:TrustSecureSafetyUsabilityAccessibilityReferences to Juhani Pallassmaa's The Eyes of the Skin and Kevin Mark Low's Small Projects and Universal Design principles.Copyright 2025; Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image from Kevin Mark Low's Small Projects, 2010.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textA new season on Sensory-driven Architecture principles and ideas.The first part of this proposition of using sensory-driven architecture principles to achieve inclusive and therapeutic spaces as explained by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob, started on a research to combine 'architecture', 'disability' and 'phenomenology'. Definitions and approach to how we could go about as architects go above and beyond accessibility and universal design is articulated in Part 1.Reference to Juhani Pallasmaa's The Eyes of the Skin and Kevin Mark Low's small projects plus ideas on Universal Design principles.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textThe Concluding Part [Part 2] of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Lillian Tay discusses a variety of issues from gender roles in taking care of children and the challenges to women architects who decided to start a family, how the local government can provide for nurseries in office areas and whether there is the glass ceiling for women architects.Bio: Ar. Lillian Tay is the Vice President of Veritas Design Group, est. 1987. She was trained at Princeton University and worked at Kohn Pederson Fox in New York. Lillian returned to Kuala Lumpur in 1991. At Veritas Design Group, she provides the design direction  and was leading numerous award-winning projects. Lillian contributes to society as the Malaysian Architecture Institute (PAM) President from 2019-2020 and sits on the Board of Architects, Malaysia (LAM). Recently, she won the PAM Gold Medal for Design Excellence.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image from https://theveritasdesigngroup.com/Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textIn Part 1 of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Lillian Tay discusses on a wide range of issues regarding women architects, starting out in the beginning, the role of women in general, whether there is discrimination in architecture and architectural practice in reality.Bio: Ar. Lillian Tay is the Vice President of Veritas Design Group, est. 1987. She was trained at Princeton University and worked at Kohn Pederson Fox in New York. Lillian returned to Kuala Lumpur in 1991. At Veritas Design Group, she provides the design direction  and was leading numerous award-winning projects. Lillian contributes to society as the Malaysian Architecture Institute (PAM) President from 2019-2020 and sits on the Board of Architects, Malaysia (LAM). Recently, she won the PAM Gold Medal for Design Excellence.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image from https://theveritasdesigngroup.com/Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textA Teaser introduction on a conversation with Ar. Lillian Tay in the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles. (Part 1 & 2 - coming soon.)Bio: Ar. Lillian Tay is the Vice President of Veritas Design Group, est. 1987. She was trained at Princeton University and worked at Kohn Pederson Fox in New York. Lillian returned to Kuala Lumpur in 1991. At Veritas Design Group, she provides the design direction  and was leading numerous award-winning projects. Lillian contributes to society as the Malaysian Architecture Institute (PAM) President from 2019-2020 and sits on the Board of Architects, Malaysia (LAM). Recently, she won the PAM Gold Medal for Design Excellence.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image from https://theveritasdesigngroup.com/Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Right now, 150 new community spaces are being built across Denmark – primarily using recycled materials – as part of an extraordinary project called Vores Sted (Our Place). Funded by the Danish philanthropic association Realdania, the project aims to reinvent the community gathering place for the 21st century.  The community spaces, designed as four distinct types of pavilions, are the result of a collaboration between Danish architectural firms ReVærk, Cobe, Archival Studies, pihlmann architects, Rumgehør og Studio XYZ. In this episode our host Michael Booth, takes a trip to the southern Jutland town of Tønder with ReVærk's founding partner, Simeon Østerlund Bamford, to visit one of the new pavilions - and to discover the surprising source of the materials used to build it.  Guest: Simeon Østerlund Bamford, Partner ReVærk Host: Michael Booth Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

Send us a textThe Concluding Part [Part 2] of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim discusses on how younger women architects need to find that balance in their profession, flexibility arrangements with your boss, having empathy with your staff, the importance of "me time" and resetting your mind over the weekend, the importance of learning from one another in an office and the construction industry and learning how to market oneself with your various skills.Bio: Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim, Managing Director of Almaz Architect Sdn Bhd.  Throughout her 41 years of experience in the industry, she has been involved in over 250 design works in Malaysia winning awards. She was the convenor of Singgah KL, a Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) event in 2025 promoting the architecture profession. More details at the website: https://www.almazarchitect.com/© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar.  Almaz SalmaSupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textCommentary on the article entitled "Being an architect isn't worth it" says commenter published on 15 August 2025.Naziaty Mohd Yaacob argued that the connection to bridging the gap between architecture education and practice is to breakdown what exactly is the learning to acquire skills and knowledge to be an architect when it comes to 'design' as the student needs to get this part right, which is identifying and solving the 'design problem'.Link to the Dezeen.com article© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.Support the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textIn Part 1 of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim discusses on networking at top management level, advice when fresh graduates started out in employment, stepping out of the comfort zone and keep on challenging oneself and even marketing for oneself, the importance of the right mentor, and how acquiring knowledge and keep on doing so helps you to gain confidence, amongst other issues of managing an office.Bio: Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim, Managing Director of Almaz Architect Sdn Bhd.  Throughout her 41 years of experience in the industry, she has been involved in over 250 design works in Malaysia winning awards. She was the convenor of Singgah KL, a Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) event in 2025 promoting the architecture profession. More details at the website: https://www.almazarchitect.com/© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar.  Almaz SalmaSupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textA Teaser introduction on a conversation with Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim in the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles. (Part 1 & 2 - coming soon.)Bio: Ar. Almaz Salma Abdul Rahim, Managing Director of Almaz Architect Sdn Bhd.  Throughout her 41 years of experience in the industry, she has been involved in over 250 design works in Malaysia winning awards. She was the convenor of Singgah KL, a Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) event in 2025 promoting the architecture profession.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar.  Almaz SalmaSupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textThe Concluding Part [Part 2] of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Cheryl Quan discusses about the issues women architects face when "maternity leave" happens amongst other issues, the role of the institutions such as PAM, and more detailed deliberations on the Malaysian Architecture Week (MAW) and the awareness needed to get the public to know about the architect's role and function in society.Bio: Ar. Cheryl Quan is the principal of Cheryl Quan Architect and partner in OTCQ architects, a practice focused on responsive, community-driven, and environmentally conscious design. She was named one of the 40 Under 40 Emerging Architects in 2023. Known for her material sensitivity and a willingness to embrace experimental approaches, Cheryl explores how innovative use of materials can shape tactile, immersive spatial experiences.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar. Cheryl QuanGraphite ProGRAPHITE is a platform for creatives and trailblazers aiming to elevate their work....Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Send us a textIn Part 1 of the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles, Ar. Cheryl Quan discusses about her experiences and challenges in her practice and recounted how she struggled in the beginning when there were clear gender-based biases she was up against. As one of the main curator of the recent exhibition and talks in conjunction with the Malaysian Architecture Week (MAW), after a seven year sabbatical, she found confidence again to be part of the architecture fraternity and contribute to the development with her contemporaries, moving forward.Tune in to find out more and do give your opinion / feedback on what you think on this matter.Bio: Ar. Cheryl Quan is the principal of Cheryl Quan Architect and partner in OTCQ architects, a practice focused on responsive, community-driven, and environmentally conscious design. She was named one of the 40 Under 40 Emerging Architects in 2023. Known for her material sensitivity and a willingness to embrace experimental approaches, Cheryl explores how innovative use of materials can shape tactile, immersive spatial experiences.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar. Cheryl QuanSupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Has presence become a luxury in the digital age? And do we lose contact with the world around us when so much of our lives unfold in front of a screen?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture host Michael Booth meets Nikoline Dyrup, architect and founding partner of Danish architecture and design studio, Spacon. Together they visit the studio's newly opened exhibition at DAC, Meet Me Here, for a conversation about how design and architecture can shape the ways we connect.  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

Send us a textA Teaser introduction on a conversation with Ar Cheryl Quan in the series on Women Architects in Leadership Roles. (Part 1 & 2 - coming soon.)Bio: Ar. Cheryl Quan is the principal of Cheryl Quan Architect and partner in OTCQ architects, a practice focused on responsive, community-driven, and environmentally conscious design. She was named one of the 40 Under 40 Emerging Architects in 2023. Known for her material sensitivity and a willingness to embrace experimental approaches, Cheryl explores how innovative use of materials can shape tactile, immersive spatial experiences.© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Image contributed by Ar. Cheryl QuanSupport the showDo subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to' explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!

Bjarke Ingels Group – BIG – is one of Denmark's most internationally acclaimed architecture studios, with high-profile projects across the globe. Not long ago, the firm moved into its own seven-story raw concrete-and-glass headquarters, prominently located on the harbour in Copenhagen's Nordhavn district.  But what happens when a firm like BIG gets the chance to design its own headquarters? What role did sustainability play in the process, and what can the new BIG HQ tell us about the company behind the name? Join us as founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels, invites host Michael Booth on an exclusive tour of BIG HQ and shares the thinking behind the building's design – and what it's like to be both architect and client.  Let's Talk Architecture is a Danish Architecture Center podcast. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

If you want to see the impact that bold, brave, progressive urban planning can have on a city, go visit Odense, Denmark's third largest city. Odense has gone from being a city divided into halves by a four-lane main road, to one built on a human scale which is ready for the challenges of the 21st century. But how have they banished cars, how did the locals react, and what role has culture played in the transformation of Hans Christian Andersen's birthplace?  These are some of the questions host Michael Booth asks in this episode, as he visits the city with Marianne Tonim Nielsen, an architect who has worked in the municipality there for 29 years and has closely followed the development of Odense. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

What will it take to break the harmful cycle of demolition and new construction, when it's still cheaper to build from scratch than to transform our existing buildings?  HouseEurope! is a European Citizen Initiative, aimed at making renovation the new norm in Europe. If the initiative can gather a million signatures, they can force a debate in the European Parliament and bring transformation and renovation to the top of the agenda.  Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen, is one of the Danish national organising members of HouseEurope.   In this episode he explains why he has become such a strong advocate for adapting and transforming existing buildings - even the ones no one likes. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios.

The Danes are among the least religious people in the world, with only 2.4% attending church weekly. So why are new churches still being built? And what does it take to design a religious space that meets the needs of the 21st century?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth visits the striking Trekroner Church, completed in 2019 by Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter. Booth speaks with architects Nicolai Overgaard and Irina Maksimovich about this innovative building, designed not just for worship, but also for contemplation and community. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

The Danish harbour town of Svendborg, like many cities, has faced severe storm surges and pluvial flooding in recent years. How can towns like Svendborg adapt to the increasing threat of flooding caused by climate change? And could learning to live with regular, controlled flooding – rather than fighting it – be the answer?  This is part two of Let's Talk Architecture's deep dive into how Danish architects and planners are addressing the water-related challenges of climate change.   In this episode, host Michael Booth speaks with architect Anna Als Nielsen from Svendborg Municipality about the town's innovative response. Instead of investing in costly sea walls and flood barriers, Svendborg is embracing a new approach: allowing controlled flooding in specific areas and transforming them into attractive recreational spaces.  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center. Sound edits by Munck Studios. 

Catastrophic floods in recent years have highlighted the urgent water-related impacts of climate change, pushing it to the top of the global agenda. While much attention has been paid to rising temperatures, flooding poses an immediate and critical threat to millions worldwide.  So, how do we design urban spaces to handle increasing volumes of water? Can we learn to work with nature rather than against it, and even enhance urban life in the process?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth meets Rikke Juul Gram, creative director and partner at the Danish landscape architecture firm Schønherr. Together, they visit Schønherr's recent project in Copenhagen, Karens Minde Aksen - a space designed not only to manage floodwaters but also to serve as a beautiful, functional community area. Rikke shares her insights into why embracing water could be the key to building resilient, sustainable cities.  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.

Mette Mechlenborg, senior researcher at Aalborg University, is the co-author of a new study on life in Danish high-rise residential buildings—the first of its kind in over fifty years. This long gap is partly due to Denmark's historical reluctance to embrace high-rise living, especially for families. However, the landscape is shifting, with several tall towers now rising near Copenhagen's city center and more on the way. So, what has changed since the last study?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth meets Mette at Nordbro in Nørrebro, one of the buildings featured in her research. Together, they explore the qualities of high-rise living and ask the question: Can Danish families truly live happy and fulfilling lives 100 metres above the ground?  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center.

How do we decide which buildings are worth preserving? And will the climate crisis reshape our answer to this question?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth joins Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss, CEO of The Danish Architectural Press, for an architectural tour of Copenhagen - from the iconic yet controversial Palads Cinema to Arne Jacobsen's Modernist SAS Royal Hotel.  Together they explore the landscape of architectural preservation, and ask: Could sustainable preservation become the future of urban development?  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center with sound edits by Munck Studios.

How can architecture transform the experience of healthcare for children? Can design elements like colors, materials, shapes, and daylight even help improve the young patients' lives?  Denmark is about to get its first purpose-built children's hospital, Børneriget, which is scheduled to open in 2026 in central Copenhagen. Børneriget aims to redefine pediatric healthcare with its unique "finger plan" layout, focusing on creating a welcoming and safe environment through thoughtful design. But how can these elements enhance patient well-being and improve the hospital experience?  In this episode of Let's Talk Architecture, host Michael Booth explores the design of Børneriget with lead architect, Stig Gothelf, senior partner at 3XN, and My Lunsjö, Associate and Behavioral Specialist at sister company GXN.  Together they dive into the research behind their design choices, discussing how aspects like color schemes and views of nature are intended to reduce stress and support healing.   Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by the Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.

How can you create more sustainable, affordable, and inclusive housing if you also happen to live in a capitalist society? And can you even exploit the capitalist system to create a better world?  Home.Earth might have an answer. As a new and rather radical real estate company, Home.Earth is doing things differently: The company not only builds low-emission, high-quality housing – they also take care of finding tenants, manage the properties afterwards and give tenants a share of their profit.   The aim of taking care of the building throughout its entire lifespan, rather than developing for a quick return of investments, is to create business cases, where the planetary agenda is aligned with the financial agenda. But what does it take to make good business within the planetary boundaries?  In this episode, Michael Booth visits Home.earth's head office in Amager to meet its co-founder Rasmus Juul-Nyholm and to hear about Home.Earth's environmentally and economically sustainable case. Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center, with sound edits by Munck Studios.

The term ‘15 Minutes City' was coined in 2016 to describe a locally oriented urban design strategy. Shops, healthcare, education, work, and entertainment – all should be accessible within a 15 minutes' walk or bike ride from your home. The aim is to create a people-centered urban development that decentralizes to create more lively local neighborhoods.  The concept is already being implemented in cities across the world – from Paris, Madrid, and Copenhagen to Shanghai and Bogotá. But what are the benefits of this model? How can it help reduce the cities' carbon footprint? And why has it recently been subject to right wing misinformation and conspiracy theories, claiming that the concept is a ‘totalitarian control experiment'?  In this episode, hos Michael Booth meets the Executive Director of global mayoral network, C40 Cities, Mark Watts. Mark Watts shares how the C40 Cities are incorporating the principles of the 15 minutes city with transformative success.  Let's Talk Architecture is a podcast by Danish Architecture Center.