2021 Distinguished International Visiting Scholar Program

Thursday, June 10, 2021 12:30 pm - Thursday, July 15, 2021 1:30 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

A vibrant red poster of the event series with all of the speaker information and dates in white font.

Through the Distinguished International Visiting Scholar Program, the School of Architecture is pleased to host a series of open lectures over the summer. These lectures will be accompanied by workshops offered to specific architecture student cohorts. Presentations were made possible through funding generously provided by GCI Ventures in support of international research and education initiatives.


headshot of Feifei Zhou
Feifei Zhou | Feral Atlas: The More-Than-Human Anthropocene
June 10, 12:30-1:30pm EDT

As part of the Distinguished International Visiting Scholar Program, the School of Architecture is pleased to host an open lecture by Chinese-born artist and architect, Feifei Zhou. Zhou holds an MA in architecture from the Royal College of Art in London and was a guest researcher at Aarhus University Research on the Anthropocene (AURA). Her work explores spatial, cultural, and ecological impacts of the industrialized built environment. She co-edited the digital publication Feral Atlas: The More-than-Human Anthropocene with Anna Tsing, Jennifer Deger and Alder Keleman Saxena, which was published in October 2020. Zhou currently lives and works between London and China.

The event will be followed by a brief question and answer period.
Q&A moderated by Julia Nakanishi & Fiona Lim Tung

This event will be accompanied by a workshop open to 4B Option Studio and MArch students.

Registration for Feifei Zhou


Jack Campbell Clause and Franklin

headshot of Frank Karimi and Jack Campbell Clause
Kirimi | Kounkuey Design Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya
June 29, 1:00-2:00pm EDT

Franklin Kirimi is interested in the role that design plays in enabling socially inclusive urban landscapes and has a passion for exploring how public spaces can combine sensitivity in drainage, functionality and aesthetics of place. At KDI, Frank develops design strategies and solutions for Productive Public Space projects in Kenya, and is integral to the planning and delivery of community co-design workshops. Frank has 6+ years of experience in hands-on participatory design approaches and the subsequent conception, development and implementation of low-cost, high-impact design interventions. His particular focuses are in marrying different scales of design, planning and development and in sustainable drainage strategies for climate change adaptation. Franklin holds a B.A. in Landscape Architecture from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Jack Campbell Clause is a Kenyan national and a chartered Landscape Architect with 10 years of experience in practice. His first 7 years were largely focused on large public realm and city development projects in the UK, Qatar, Russia, and China. After 3 years at KDI, Jack now leads the design and planning teams in Nairobi and co-leads the office. Jack believes that landscapes and cities that are socially equitable, environmentally restorative and risk-mitigating by design are the keystone of the transformative agenda that is required of our generation. Jack holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture and is a chartered member of the Landscape Institute in the UK (registered professional).

The event will be followed by a brief question and answer period.

Registration for Jack Campbell Clause and Franklin Kirimi


image of Silvia Benedito
Silvia Benedito | Atmosphere Anatomies: On Design, Weather, and Sensation
July 15, 12:30-1:30pm EDT

How will the human body, collective and individual, cope with the estimated increases in global air temperatures and in the earth’s corresponding thermal stress? Atmosphere Anatomies: On Design, Weather, and Sensation offers an in-depth examination of design strategies that situate the body and its bioclimatic milieu at the core of their spatial formation.

Drawing upon ten paradigmatic projects in urban design and landscape architecture – from Rousham Gardens, Oxfordshire, to the city of Chandigarh in India – Atmosphere Anatomies investigates the designers’ bioclimatic aims and their spatial outcomes. Woven throughout the book, the evocative photographic essays of Iwan Baan showcase the selected projects as inhabited spaces for everyday life.

Q&A moderated by Christie Pearson

This event will be accompanied by a workshop open to 2B Studio students. 

Registration for Silvia Benedito