David Benjamin Lecture

This lecture was recorded October 27, 2014, in Timken Lecture Hall on the San Francisco campus of California College of the Arts as part of the Architecture Division Lecture Series.

David Benjamin is an architect and professor whose work unites synthetic biology with architecture in the creation of dynamic, living structures. His work also focuses on repurposing existing materials and structures in ways that subvert their original purpose and redirect them toward sustainability.

Benjamin teaches at the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where he formed the Living Architecture Lab, which experiments with new systems and adaptive technologies through open source, collaborative, hands-on design.

He is cofounder of The Living, a firm dedicated to creating architecture that is both interactive and responsive to environmental conditions. His innovations include Living Light, a permanent, illuminated pavilion in Seoul that visually reports changes in air quality, and Amphibious Architecture, a floating installation in New York’s East River that enabled participants to communicate with fish and learn about water pollution.

Along with his partner, Soo-In Yang, he has recently released the book series Life Size, which explores the possibilities of creating open source design processes.

Benjamin holds a bachelor of arts in social studies from Harvard and a master of architecture from Columbia University.

Generous support for CCA public programs in San Francisco has been provided by Grants for the Arts / San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund.

The 2014-15 Architecture Lecture Series is funded by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP; Jensen Architects; Kava Massih Architects; Levy Design Partners, Inc.; Pfau Long Architecture; BraytonHughes Design Studios; Jim Jennings Architecture; Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects; Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects Inc.; Anderson Anderson Architecture; Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture; ARCH Drafting Supply; Blasen Landscape Architecture; Gregory Andreas & Judith Rosenberg; TANNERHECHT Architecture; Tucker and Marks, Inc.; the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco; and Aeromexico.