Future Urbanisms, Genetic Cities
Saturday, 24 June 2017

With Thom Mayne and Aaron Betsky, on the occasion of the exhibition Houston: Genetic City. Envisioning a Future Post-Industry, Post-Oil, Post-Sprawl at Aedes Architecture Forum

Welcome
Dr. h.c. Kristin Feireiss, Director, Aedes Architecture Forum, Berlin - 00:00:00 - 00:07:27
Patricia Belton Oliver, FAIA, Dean of the College of Architecture and Design, University of Houston, Houston - 00:07:34 - 00:12:05

Introduction
Lukas Feireiss, Studio Lukas Feireiss, Berlin - 00:12:11 - 00:19:40

Panel Discussion - 00:19:40 - 01:54:21
Thom Mayne, Morphosis, Los Angeles
Aaron Betsky, Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin, Scottsdale

Moderator
Lukas Feireiss, Studio Lukas Feireiss, Berlin

The panel discussion took a close look at the specific urban condition, typology and development of the City of Houston. Together with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis and Aaron Betsky, Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin, the panel critically discussed Houston’s unique evolving urban form. In addition to the soon to be third most populous and most sprawling city in the US, Houston also completely lacks zoning regulations and thereby allows for unusual development patterns that can react quickly to changing market conditions. This opens up immense opportunities beyond conventional city planning for the urban revival of Houston, as much as it puts the city at the stake of commercial developers. The panel aimed to explore questions raised by the specific regional urban condition of Houston also against the backdrop of a wider global narrative in contemporary urban planning and renewal.

PRIOR TO THE SYMPOSIUM: GUIDED EXHIBITION TOURS FROM 2.00 TO 4.00 PM
by Prof. Peter Zweig, Prof. Matt Johnson and Prof. Jason Logan



Professors and students of the University of Houston introduced the public to the projects displayed in the exhibition Houston: Genetic City. Envisioning a Future Post-Industry, Post-Oil, Post-Sprawl at Aedes Architecture Forum, discussed urban and architectural aspects of contemporary architecture and urban design of Houston, and answered questions.