Interview w/ Chris Kempel (Rockefeller Kempel Architects)

Architect Chris Kempel and I discuss adaptive reuse of old buildings and how his studies in Berlin, Germany, informed his desire to mix the old with the new. We touch on daylighting in older buildings, using the natural environment to inform design, and whether or not technology can replace humans when it comes to intuitive architecture (It can't!) 

One of the biggest ways we can affect climate change is to use existing buildings rather than tearing them down, and Chris and his firm work tirelessly to bring clever design ideas to developers to maximize beauty and efficiency.

 

Episode Sponsor - www.sustainablehomesofthefuture.com

Contact Host - info@shfbuild.com

 

About Chris: 

Chris Kempel (AIA, NCARB) channeled his lifelong fascination with the arts into the pursuit of architecture, landing him in his current role as Design Partner for RKA. A graduate of The UCLA Master of Architecture program, Chris also studied at the Kunsthochechule Weissense in Berlin, an international program that values an interdisciplinary approach, viewing society and art as having a symbiotic relationship. 

Since childhood, Chris has admired the juxtaposition between natural and manmade environments, and in the confluence of his drawing, building, and visionary skills. He emphasizes excellence in craft, understanding that to fully tailor a family’s home or a new office building, it’s the finest of details that heightens the experience. His greatest passion lies within designing residential spaces. The notion that a well-designed home can positively affect someone’s well-being is what drives him to think of every last detail—he once spent several days living on a family’s land to better understand the way sunlight changed throughout the course of a day, all to better inform the design of its future dwelling.

 

Show Notes:

Hammer & Hand - https://hammerandhand.com/high-performance-building-101/

Rockefeller/Kempel - https://rockefellerkempel.com/

Broad Museum - https://www.thebroad.org/about