Every rule was made to be broken, except in architecture, where even the act of breaking rules seems to come with its own set of rules. Modernism promised liberation from the past, but it quickly wrote its own commandments into the story—flat roofs, open plans, white walls, and exposed structure became the expected vocabulary. A movement that arrived as rebe ... Show More
Jul 26
Ep 206: Work to Your Own Standard
What started as a simple commitment to sketch more became an unexpected lesson in accountability, criticism, and staying true to the reasons we begin creative work in the first place. Bob shares how a personal sketching exercise evolved into a broader reflection on discipline, pu ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2017
28 – Le Corbusier – 3 – Towards a New Architecture
A new epoch has begun! Le Corbusier’s ‘discovery’ is that the style of future architecture is to be found new inventions of the machine age — planes, cars, ocean liners. But ‘Towards a New Architecture’ is, at its heart, an argument for a fusion of timeless values and contemporar ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2021
What’s up with the “Modernism” in Ecomodernism? feat. Alex Trembath
This week, I am joined by Alex Trembath, Deputy Director of The Breakthrough Institute, to deconstruct the “modernism” in Ecomodernism. Modernism is a philosophical movement born of industrialization that has influenced art, architecture, politics and so much more. It is forward ... Show More
1h 8m
May 2024
Mannerism: The Elegance of Excess - Episode 28
Today we'll explore how Mannerism, with its elongated forms, complex compositions, and vibrant colors, broke away from the classical ideals of balance and proportion established by earlier Renaissance masters.
32m 59s
Jan 2019
46 — Robert Venturi's 'Complexity & Contradiction' — Valid Banalities
For the first AB+C of 2019 we’re tackling one of the seminal texts of the 1960s, and an iconic moment in the stylistic overthrow of the postwar modernist order — Robert Venturi’s ‘Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture’ (1966). It’s a slim, lavishly illustrated volume, whic ... Show More
1h 55m
Sep 2025
TLDR Le Corbusier | Villa Savoye
Le Corbusier (born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) was a pioneer of modern architecture whose ideas reshaped our urban landscapes. A Swiss-born, French-naturalized architect, designer, and urban planner, Le Corbusier championed a new vision for living in the 20th century. His philosop ... Show More
13m 1s
May 2025
Kenny Cupers: Empire, architecture and modern design.
In this episode of the A is for Architecture Podcast, Professor of Architectural History and Urban Studies at the University of Basel and urban theorist Kenny Cupers discusses his new book, The Earth That Modernism Built: Empire and the Rise of Planetary Design (University of Tex ... Show More
50m 1s