Brian McGrath and Danai Thaitakoo’s collaborative and respective works have opened up a new approach to seeing and designing a city as part of wider ecological processes mediated by water flow. The architects’ engagement with environmental sciences — landscape ecology and hydrology in particular — has contributed to the emerging field of urban ecology and provided practical guidance to designing along with ecological processes. For example, Danai’s former students have now led Asia’s most ambitious urban landscape design projects such as the large-scale retention park at Chuklalongkorn University.
This seminar aims to look into their groundbreaking work in linking ecological sciences and design and discuss its wider implications for designing in times of climate and environmental disruption. We welcome not only architects and environmental scientists but also designers of all sorts as well as those concerned about rebuilding livable space in the face of growing ecological uncertainty.

Timetable :
Introduction: Atsuro Morita (Osaka University)
Introducing Waterscape Urbanism: Danai Thaitakoo and Brian McGrath
The emergence of urban ecological design: Brian McGrath
Comment from landscape ecology: Yuji Hara（Wakayama University）
Comment from design/design research: Tomohide Mizuuchi (KIT)

Date and time: December the 14th, 13:30-17:00
Venue: Kyoto Design Lab, Kyoto Institute of Technology
Language: English
Free admission, registered required. Please register below.
https://forms.gle/J24XzGTJD8XDt9EQ8