In a free, public presentation architect Benjamin Aranda presents a series of architectural and design projects from the last decade of practice that propose new narratives informed by the complication of matter. These twists in the story are caused by impossible natures, stories of monsters, grottos and other eccentric bumps in the otherwise smooth narrative of progress. Like a material or system that is dynamic, history itself is generative. It is active with properties that shape and transform concepts. By using historical objects, or moments in history, these concepts reach back and move forward at once, like hitching a ride.

Benjamin Aranda is principal at the New York and Tucson-based architecture studio Aranda\Lasch is a which dedicated to experimental research and design. Established in 2003 with Chris Lasch, Aranda\Lasch designs buildings, installations and furniture through a deep investigation of structure and materials. Recognition includes the United States Artists Award, Young Architects Award, Design Vanguard Award, AD Innovators, and the Architectural League Emerging Voices Award. Their early projects are the subject of the book, “Tooling.” Aranda\Lasch has exhibited internationally in galleries, museums, design fairs and biennials. Recent building projects include stores in Miami, an outdoor theater in Gabon, and an Art Park in Bali. Their work is part of the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York. Ben Aranda is based in New York, while Chris Lasch makes his home in Tuscon.

The Intradisciplinary Seminar, sponsored by the The Cooper Union School of Art, presents a series of free, public lectures reflecting a broad range of contemporary art issues. Speakers include artists, writers, and thinkers currently engaged in a variety of practices. The emphasis is on interdisciplinary approaches, presenting new voices, international perspectives and scholarship across multiple fields. The series constitutes a lively forum for the exchange of ideas between practitioners, students, faculty and the public.

The Fall 2016 Intradisciplinary Seminar is part of the Robert Lehman Visiting Artist Program at The Cooper Union. We are grateful for major funding support from the Robert Lehman Foundation.