“Hello Modernists”
Podcast Series
Episode 1, “Building Identities”
The image of the City of Providence as discussed through conversations between hosts Michael Yirenkyi and Anand Upadhayay, two graduate students of architecture at RISD, and with experts. The episode explores the role of the Brown Family, namely John and Joseph, as institution builders and gentlemen architects, and how that influenced the building of the city’s identity then and now.
Episode 2, “Domestic Priorities”
Alexandra Croft and Emily Hesse study and discuss the ongoing evolution of priorities and requirements of residential design relative to societal and technological developments in the Northeast.
Episode 3, “Revisit Metabolism”
An exploration of metabolism within architectural theory as it was developed by Japanese architects in the 1960s. Hosts Zesha Xie and Su Cheng give their perspectives on how metabolic ideas can be seen in modern sustainable design projects in the northeast area of the U.S.
Episode 4, “Why Are All the Top Floors Empty?”
Isabelle Troutman and Alex Grosek explore why mid-sized cities in the American Northeast find themselves grappling with high vacancy rates in their central business districts and how empty buildings can be better used to revitalize the urban fabric of the city.
Episode 5, “Mills to Museums”
Stephanie Granados & Jillian Edwards’ conversational exploration of the significance of mills in New England, specifically those in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts area, and how they contribute to forming New England’s identity.
Episode 6, “Preserving the Past to Create What Future?”
Graduate students Joanna Hernandez and Kuem-Hee Rhee explore the disciplinary and cultural practices of Historic Preservation Industries in the Northeast to question what built environment histories get preserved and why it matters.
Note: The podcasts published on Volume-1’s website stem from the course’s second iteration (Fall 2022) but owe credit to the terrific cohort of Modern Architecture students from the Fall of 2021 who similarly produced historical narratives through additional formats—documentaries, graphic novels, timelines, installations—and were patient with Germán Pallares Avitia and me in deploying the course. A special thanks to Germán, Lasse Rau, Namita Vijay Dharia, Amy Kulper, Ijlal Muzaffar, and Aaron Tobey whom all participated in and/or helped structure and ideate the Modern Architecture history lecture during my two years at RISD.