About the Series
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the City Tech Department of Architecture Lecture & Workshop Series this year. Conceived in Spring 2025 and developed over the summer by Department Chair Sanjive Vaidya, Prof. Eugene Seungho Park, and Farzana Ramnath, the series was launched to re-establish a culture of public dialogue within the department and to expand that conversation beyond the classroom.
Across the 2025–2026 academic year, the series organized more than fourteen public programs, including lectures, workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, and professional development sessions. Together, these events brought students, faculty, alumni, practitioners, and community members into conversation around architectural pedagogy, design methods, landscape architecture, construction detailing, sustainability, career pathways, identity and representation, and AI in architecture.
We are especially grateful to the many speakers, moderators, and panelists who generously contributed their time, expertise, and perspectives to make these conversations possible.
The first year of the series marked an important reactivation of departmental exchange, while strengthening collaborations with AIA Brooklyn, local professionals, and City Tech faculty across disciplines. As we look ahead, we will continue to expand outreach through the department’s website, social media channels, livestreaming and archive, and deepen student participation, and pursue new partnerships with peer architecture schools and cultural organizations.
Planning for the Fall 2026–Spring 2027 Lecture & Workshop Series is currently underway. We look forward to sharing the next chapter of the program at the end of the summer.
Fall 2025
• Pedagogy Marketplace, Sep. 11, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Prof. Michael Woods, Prof. Shaad Zaidi, Prof. Eugene Seungho Park, Prof. Abraham Gonzalez
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Ting Chin
The inaugural Pedagogy Marketplace launched as an in-house seminar for City Tech Architecture faculty to exchange teaching methods, course experiments, and approaches to AI in architectural education. Short PechaKucha-style presentations by Prof. Eugene Seungho Park, Prof. Michael Woods, Prof. Shaad Zaidi, and Prof. Abraham Gonzalez were followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Prof. Ting Chin. The recurring program is intended to anchor future conversations around teaching, curriculum, and departmental culture.
• Bridging Health + Housing: The Secrets of Supportive Housing, Sep. 17, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker/Moderator: AIA Brooklyn, Jack Esterson (Think! Architecture+Design), Jenny Gillette (NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust), Marc Harary (Breaking Ground), Emma Williams (Brooklyn Community Housing & Services)
• Extra-Ordinary: Domestic Constraints of Fire Island, Oct. 9, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speakers: Paul Coughlin, Annie Scheel (Coughlin Scheel Architects)
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Claudia Hernandez-Feiks, Prof. Eugene Seungho Park
Paul Coughlin and Annie Scheel of Coughlin Scheel Architects presented a selection of residential projects on Fire Island, examining the unique environmental, regulatory, and logistical constraints that shape architecture on the island. Through built work and project narratives, the lecture highlighted how designers respond to challenging site conditions, seasonal occupancy patterns, and the complexities of transporting materials and labor to a barrier-island community. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Claudia Hernandez-Feiks and Prof. Eugene Seungho Park.
• NCARB Workshop, Oct. 16, 3-6PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Devora Schwartz (LMV Architects), Nicholas Agneta (Nicholas Agneta Architect)
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Mi Zhang, Prof. Robert Zagaroli
The NCARB Workshop was organized for students in collaboration with AIA Brooklyn and NCARB Licensing Advisors. Devora Schwartz and Nicholas Agneta presented key information on the path to licensure, experience requirements, and examination processes. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Mi Zhang and Prof. Robert Zagaroli.
• Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf, Oct. 30, 6-8PM, Voorhees Theater
Moderator/Panelist: Thomas Piper, Tatiana Choulika (Field Operations), Prof. Anne Leonhardt, Prof. Elena M'Bouroukounda
The 2017 documentary Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf, directed by Thomas Piper, was screened at the Voorhees Theater and followed by a panel discussion featuring Tatiana Choulika of Field Operations, Prof. Anne Leonhardt, and Prof. Elena M'Bouroukounda. The film explored the design philosophy and influential works of renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf, including the High Line. The subsequent discussion addressed topics ranging from planting design and ecological thinking to the evolving relationship between landscape architecture and architecture. Audience questions extended the conversation to contemporary practice and design education while highlighting City Tech's growing engagement with landscape architecture and ecological design.
• Architecture Without Architects, Nov. 6, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Eric Ball, Nitsan Bartov (Henning Larsen)
Moderator: Prof. Jieun Yang
Eric Ball and Nitsan Bartov of Henning Larsen presented the firm's recent work and research at the intersection of sustainability and artificial intelligence. Through a series of international projects, the speakers demonstrated how environmental performance, data-driven design, and emerging technologies are informing contemporary architectural practice. The lecture also introduced findings from Henning Larsen's AI research initiatives and explored their implications for practitioners, educators, and students. The discussion, moderated by Prof. Jieun Yang, concluded with an extended audience Q&A on the opportunities and challenges of AI in architecture.
• Rethinking the Shape of the City: Single Stair Reform in Multi-family Housing, Nov. 19, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker/Moderator: AIA Brooklyn, Julie Torres Moskovitz (FNA Studio), Michael Eliason (Larch Lab, Seattle), Jonathan Molloy (So–IL, Brooklyn), Stephen Smith (Center for Building in North America),
• Career Day, Dec. 4, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Christian Camacho (NY Architect), Demir Purisic (Studio Purisic), Justin Sherman (JFA)
Moderator: Prof. Eugene Seungho Park
Career Day highlighted the diverse professional paths of City Tech Architecture alumni Christian Camacho, Demir Purisic, and Justin Sherman, who have since returned to the department as educators and practitioners. Each speaker shared their academic and professional trajectory through short presentations, offering students insight into different modes of architectural practice and career development. The event, moderated by Prof. Eugene Seungho Park, concluded with an engaged Q&A between the alumni speakers and students.
Spring 2026
• Pedagogy Marketplace, Feb. 18, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speakers: Prof. Emre Ozedmir, Prof. Eugene Seungho Park
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Jieun Yang
• Transforming Cities, Mar. 4, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speakers: Jesper Bork (3XN)
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Benjamin Magin
Jesper Bork and Benjamin Magin of 3XN/GXN presented selected projects and research exploring the sustainable transformation of buildings and urban environments. The lecture highlighted strategies for extending the life of existing structures through adaptive reuse, carbon-conscious design, and circular material practices. Featured examples included GXN's research on salvaging and repurposing concrete structures, demonstrating how architecture can unlock new environmental and social value within the built environment.
• Changing Lanes, Mar. 26, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Ben Wolf (Film Director), Bronwyn Breitner (Breitner Ciaccia), Shabazz Stuart (Oonee)
Moderator/Panelist: AIA Brooklyn
The 2025 documentary Changing Lanes, directed by Ben Wolf, was screened at the Voorhees Theater and followed by a panel discussion moderated by AIA Brooklyn with Bronwyn Breitner and Shabazz Stuart. The film documents grassroots efforts to transform streets in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, into safer and more equitable public spaces through advocacy, community organizing, and policy change. The discussion expanded on themes of participatory urban design, civic engagement, and the role of designers in shaping public discourse and urban transformation.
• NCARB & NYS Workshop, Apr. 14, 3-6PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Devora Schwartz (LMV Architects), Nicholas Agneta (Nicholas Agneta Architect), Christopher Mancia (ARCNOMA)
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Mi Zhang, Prof. Kenneth Conzelmann
• Detailing Worlds, Apr. 22, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Eric Bellin (Thomas Jefferson University)
Moderator/Panelist: Prof. Elena M'bouroukounda
Eric Bellin of Thomas Jefferson University presented a lecture based on his recently published book, Detailing Worlds (Bloomsbury, 2025). The talk traced the historical evolution of “detail” as a concept in building practice, examining how its meanings have shifted across academic, technical, engineering, and architectural contexts. Bellin introduced “detail thinking” as a mode of design thought that is ecological, multiscalar, and deeply connected to the broader cultural and technological conditions that shape the built environment. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Elena M'Bouroukounda.
• Beside, Between, Beyond, May. 6, 6-8PM, Voorhees Hall 2nd Floor Lounge
Speaker: Michael K Chen (MCKA)
Moderator/Panelist: Will Fryer (Parsons School of Design)
Architect Michael K. Chen presented selected projects from his practice, exploring questions of identity, representation, equity, and inclusion in architecture and design. Through work spanning multiple scales and program types, Chen demonstrated how design can serve as a framework for care, belonging, and social engagement. The lecture was followed by a conversation with moderator Will Fryer, whose teaching and advocacy work at City Tech provided a valuable lens through which to discuss the relationship between design practice, values, and representation. The event was also attended by students from the Professional Practice course taught by Prof. Eric Ball, extending the conversation to questions of professional responsibility and contemporary practice.