Design Unmuted

Join us as we unpack the stories behind our exhibition; Sustaining Apertures, currently on view at the Or Gallery from March 7 to July 6, 2024. Together Colin and I share all about our collaborative journey and discuss food security in relation to the land, intersectional conversations around environmental justice, place-based design, and architecture in contemporary art. Colin Berg Mbugua is a Kenyan-Canadian artist, researcher, and architectural designer. He holds both a Masters and a Bachelor in Architecture. Mbugua’s practice, Kagvr, founded in 2021, engages multidisciplinary contexts that draw from traditional architectural practices while engaging experimentation through collaboration and cross-cultural exchange. You can watch a clip of this episode on the design unmuted youtube channel here and follow us on Instagram @design_unmuted "The Sustaining Apertures artist podcast is co-presented with Design Unmuted, Or Gallery, And-Co Community, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) . REFBC - a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

Saba Farmand, a landscape architect, talks about his passionate project that documents the boulevard gardens in East Vancouver and the stories behind the people who take over these public boulevard spaces and turn them into gardens. Through this project, Saba aims to build more urban literacy, environmental education and most importantly putting Landscape architecture into the community. This will be a great inspiration for those who want to have impact in their local communities in simple yet powerful ways. You can watch this episode on the design_unmuted youtube channel here Follow Saba’s project on instagram at: eastvan_blvd_gardens Recorded on: August 29th, 2023 The production of this episode is supported by the Real Estate Foundation of BC( REFBC)- a philanthropic organization working to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia, Canada. They do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge. REFBC grants support non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation, and real estate practices. REFBC is particularly interested in land-use projects that contribute to the upholding of Indigenous rights and title and racial equity and justice. Learn more at www.refbc.com. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review & Share the podcast with a few people

I am happy to launch the first conversation of the podcast season TRANSFORMING with Patricia Algara and Jose Leal. In this conversation Patricia and Jose share the ways in which they engage with their design practices in a meaningful way, engaging their spiritual practices into their work as a means to restore balance, connections to the cosmos and to reclaim their own indigeneity and agency. Tune in to learn their about their practices and the ways in which you can connect and engage more meaningfully with your own work. Patricia Algara is the Principal & Co Founder of Base Landscape Architecture and Founder of With Honey in the Heart . After working for a women’s rights organization on community empowerment projects, she earned a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in order to bring together participation and the built environment. Patricia is a shamanic counselor, a frame drummer, a landscape architect, a bee priestess Jose Leal is Principal, Landscape Architect Director of Native Nation Building Studio at MIG. José has a passion for truth-telling, considers humor to be good medicine. His Mexican and Indigenous heritage lead to Jose’s passion for Indigenous landscape architecture and celebrating how diverse Indigenous people have adapted to their natural environment. The production of this episode is supported by Anova Furnishings-who is on a mission to enhance landscapes and strengthen communities. They offer a variety of high-quality, functional outdoor site furniture products and styles to fit your project and budget. See more at www.anovafurnishings.com where you can shop online now or search for a local rep. Thank you for all of you who come back to listen to Design unmuted. Here are some ways to continue showing support: - Subscribe to my newsletter and to Design unmuted on your podcast listening app - Support the production of this podcast by being a Patreon member or making a donation - Write a review about the podcast - Share the podcast with a friend and within your network

Announcement of the new podcast season called TRANSFORMING where I share about this theme and what you can expect over the next few months. I also tell you all about the new direction my Art and Design practice have taken this year.

In the second part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen talks to us about her practice Design Jones LLC, and her work in designing and building grassroots community driven projects. Diane shares the unique ways she has practiced Landscape Architecture in a non corporate way. We talk about the challenges that Black folks face in the profession; from being a student, practicing in academia or in private practice. In this episode, I also share about my Graduate Thesis project; Bujumbura 2050, where we used an Afrofuturistic approach to design the future of vertical urban spaces in Bujumbura. Diane is currently working on her upcoming book "The Maroon Landscape: A Cultural Approach to Climate Resiliency" to be published by the MIT Press in 2024. Tune in to also learn what Maroon landscapes can teach us as we envision a more resilient future. Dr. Diane Jones Allen is a principal landscape architect of Design Jones, LLC, and Program Director for Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at Arlington. This episode was originally recorded in December 2020.

In this first part of our conversation, Dr Diane Jones Allen shares with us about Maroon landscapes; communities that were established by Black communities who during the time of the middle passage during slavery, jumped off ships and freed themselves by moving, hiding and stewarding the swamps. These communities were said to have “marooned” themselves. Tune in to hear the stories of maroon landscapes in symbiotic relationships with black resiliency, coastal resiliency and black imagination through times of slavery, colonization, and liberation. We also discussed the pedagogical failure and opportunity in Landscape Architecture education.

In this episode, our guest Ashley Jane Lewis shares her work with Slime Tech Lab in using slim mold to promote equitable distribution of social justice, mutual aid, and wellbeing in local communities. We also discussed the messed up state of tech industry and social media platforms; and how understanding of slime mold behavior could inform the imagination of an alternative practice of intentional coding and community building towards spaces of care.

In this episode, my guest is Krystal Paraboo; an art historian and curator, community builder, communications specialist and activist. Krystal and I talk about decolonizing art spaces, curatorial activism, afrofuturism and we nerd out a bit on Harry Potter (mostly Krystal). We talk about work, productivity and mental health. Krystal also shares all about the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project which centered Black storytelling through public murals.

Continuing the conversation from part 1 on how Walter built his design career and creative ethos, this second part, we talk about the importance of making beautiful socially responsible work and the ways in which we ought to find ways to tell the truth in design. He calls this a prophetic aesthetic. We also talk about the pains of living as black people in a world full of racism, his latest art projects, and mostly a lot of laughter. Walter Hood is an award winning designer, artist and the creative director at Hood Design Studio. Hood Design Studio, Inc., is a social art and design practice based in Oakland, California, founded in 1992.

On this episode, Nya shares all about the “SANKOFA: African routes, Canadian roots” exhibition; the first African collection to be led by folks of African descent at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Nya describes the importance of Curatorial voices as the “Silent hand of how art is being consumed publicly”. We talk about the challenges of art curation and the strategic erasure of Black people in art institutions. We also talk about NFTs , her new project with Google Arts and the growing digital landscape of art.

On this episode, Uytae and I talk all things Vancouver. Uytae Lee is an urban planner and videographer who is the creative producer and director of About Here.

Three friends, some prosecco, snacks and a conversation about freelancing, freedom, burnout, grief and joy.

In this episode, I am joined by Roberta Oramabo, an architect and landscape Architect. She recounts her design training and practice in Nigeria and all the surprising changes she encountered when she moved to Vancouver. We talk about how “sustainability” is conceived of and practiced in different places. We also talk about Nigerian cultural rituals and the ways these are celebrated. Roberta also talks about what she misses most about Nigeria, you wouldn’t believe what it is. Tune in to listen to this conversation. Roberta also shares her vision of the future of Lagos.

On this episode, I am joined by my friend Kiga (Landry Kigabiro), a DJ, producer and all around creative. We talk about his creative journey, his creative process and how the soundtrack of the design unmuted podcast; under the sun, came to be. We also talk about what freedom is. You can find his unique and eclectic mixes @Kuruza on Spotify

Episode 5

In this conversation, Sierra Tasi Baker, Lead Design Consultant at Sky Spirit Studio, talks about finding happiness in her identity while living on the unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim speaking peoples of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) (MST) peoples, otherwise known as Vancouver. In exploring the topic of happiness, Sierra reflects on the ways in which spatial designers can have a decolonized design practice. She shares her vision of MST futurism and sovereignty. Sierra has also coined the concept of Etiological Design; a design process which centres Indigenous historical systems of storytelling and memory keeping. Inviting storytelling into the design process allows for designs that can truly reflect and honour the stories and the people who originate from the land.

In this interview, Kofi Bonne, author of Black Landscapes Matter and Professor of Landscape Architecture at NC State University in the College of Design, discusses his experience as a black landscape architect, the importance of making space for the next generation of black landscape architects, and challenging white supremacy in design education. In this conversation, Divine and Kofi explore what constitutes a black landscape, from plantations to black towns, and how culture and identity shapes the landscape. In the context of erasing Black excellence and innovation from the landscape origin story, Kofi calls for a retelling of this history as a first step towards better collective problem solving and consensus building within the field of landscape architecture.

“Black is spatial for me.” Words from Rumbi Zinyemba In this episode, I am joined by my good friends Rumbi Zinyemba and Petros Kusmu for a discussion centred around Blackness and what it means to be Black. We discuss being Black in the context of Canada and how this differs from being Black in our home countries, the spatiality of structural racism, what a Black utopia might look like, and how much we miss dancing. We also take the time to imagine what spaces might look like if they were made for Black people, a world that is made for us.