Join us on November 14th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM for the Arthur Davis Lecture Series featuring a presentation by Michael Manfredi of Weiss/Manfredi. Drifting Symmetries will explore how the firm’s multidisciplinary approach is reshaping the relationship between architecture, landscape, and urbanism, addressing the critical challenges of climate change and social isolation.

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Agenda

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Board Meeting
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Dinner
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM: Presentation

Course Description (1 LU|HSW)

Drifting Symmetries

In an era where climate change and social isolation challenge traditional architectural practices, Weiss/Manfredi’s multidisciplinary approach redefines the relationships between landscape, infrastructure, and architecture. This course explores how their work transcends these boundaries to create new public spaces that are both environmentally responsible and socially engaging. Participants will gain insight into the firm’s innovative design frameworks that integrate ecological stewardship and sustainability into iconic projects. Through case studies and discussions, the course will offer a comprehensive understanding of how architecture can serve as a powerful tool for social and environmental change.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how Weiss/Manfredi’s integration of architecture, landscape, and infrastructure creates public spaces that respond to contemporary environmental and social challenges.
2. Examine key projects, focusing on how these designs address sustainability and community engagement.
3. Learn how ecological and infrastructural frameworks are central to Weiss/Manfredi’s design philosophy and how they support the long-term sustainability of public spaces.
4. Reflect on the broader implications of Weiss/Manfredi’s work for the future of architecture and urbanism.
5. Recognize emerging trends in architectural design that Weiss/Manfredi has pioneered, particularly in integrating infrastructure with natural landscapes.

Guest Speaker

Michael Manfredi is cofounder of WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism and a Senior Design Critic at Harvard University. Michael was born in Trieste, Italy and grew up in Rome. He completed his undergraduate education in the United States at Notre Dame and received his Master of Architecture at Cornell University, where he studied with Colin Rowe. He won the Paris Prize, was a Cornell Fellow, and was awarded an Eidlitz Fellowship. He has taught design studios at Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, Cornell University, and, most recently, at Harvard University, where he teaches Urban Design studios that focus on larger interdisciplinary questions that connect architecture to pressing urban and environmental challenges. With Marion Weiss, Michael is a recipient of the 2019 Residence Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. A founding board member of the Van Alen Institute, Michael is currently a board member for the Storefront for Art and Architecture and has been a member of the Advisory Council of Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and an inductee of the National Academy of Design.

Directions + Parking

The parking deck is located at 154 Summit Street in Newark, NJ.  Please use this address for your GPS. Upon arrival at the parking lot, please let the attendant know that you are there for the AIA event at Weston Hall.

To reach Weston Hall from the parking deck, cross Warren Street and walk past the bookstore at 120 Summit Street, Newark, NJ. Weston Hall is the building next to the bookstore. 

If you are standing in front of the Bookstore, to the left you will see brick structures and an up ramp. You can go up the ramp to enter Weston Hall. Ramp picture below: