Untimely Meditations is an evening symposium co-curated by Chair of the Department of Architecture Rossana Hu and Mark Lee.

An evening in the round rather than a lecture: no stage and no table, but a circle, with participants and audience seated together and two projections, one on each side of the room. Each participant will have roughly ten minutes in all, followed by open discussion.

Symposium: Untimely Meditations
Thursday, October 29 at 6pm ET
Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall
The University of Pennsylvania, Stuart Weitzman School of Design
210 S. 34th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

For more information, visit the event page here.

Mark Lee will present a lecture at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella as part of the Center for Contemporary Architecture Studies (CEAC), a platform for discussion and analysis of the state of the art in contemporary architecture, organized by the School of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Monday, October 26 at 7pm ART
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella
Av. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta 7350
C1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina

For more information, visit the event page here.

On October 12, Mark Lee will present a lecture, titled NOW AND THEN, at the University of Texas at Austin. Mark will present selections of current and past work from Johnston Marklee’s diverse portfolio over 28 years of practice within the context of arts and cultural institutions and their relationship with the fabric of cities. The lecture will be followed by the opening of LOOKS AND BOOKS, an exhibition of Johnston Marklee's collage work at UT Austin's Mebane Gallery. The exhibition will be on view from October 12 - November 24, 2026.

LECTURE:

Monday, October 12 at 5pm CT
William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center (WCP) Auditorium
The University of Texas at Austin
2201 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712

For more information, visit the event page here.

EXHIBITION:

Opening: Monday, October 12, 6pm CT
On View: October 12 - November 24, 2026
Mebane Gallery, Goldsmith Hall
The University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture
310 Inner Campus Drive b7500, Austin, TX 78712

For more information, visit the exhibition page here.

Join Sharon Johnston for a lecture and conversation at RAY Phoenix, presented in collaboration with The School of Architecture (TSOA) as part of Desert Design Week.

Moderated by TSOA President Chris Lasch alongside students from the school, the conversation will trace Johnston Marklee’s trajectory from early residential projects to prominent arts institutions, as well as the firm's approach to designing for the desert for RAY Phoenix: the building’s green facade, its response to desert light, and the role of shade, landscape, art, and shared spaces in connecting the building to Roosevelt Row and the city around it.

Sunday, October 11 at 2pm MST
RAY Phoenix
777 N Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85004

For more information and ticket info, visit the event page here.

Mark Lee will be joined by Fredi Fischli & Niels Olsen to discuss his recent book, Five Footnotes Toward an Architecture, co-published by Sternberg Press & Harvard Design Press, in which he presents a body of work on the basis of five “footnotes” – on history, on cadence, on autonomy, on America, and on point – transcribed from Lee’s Walter Gropius lecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), on the occasion of his fifth and final year as Chair of the Department of Architecture.

Tuesday, June 2 at 7 PM CEST
Hochparterre Bücher
Bookshop for Architecture
Schöneggstrasse 27
8004 Zürich

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will present a lecture as part of the Sliver Lecture Series at the Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Thursday, May 28 at 6 PM CEST
IoA Square
Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Oskar Kokoschka Platz 2, Vienna

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will present “Architecture & the City: Extremes & In-Betweens” at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, School of Architecture.

Wednesday, September 24 at 5 PM EST
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
EMPAC Theater

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will join Andrew Holder (Chair of Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design, Pratt Institute) to present selections from Johnston Marklee’s diverse portfolio. A conversation with guests, Stan Allen (George Dutton '27 Professor Emeritus of Architecture, Princeton University) and Clelia Pozzi (Pratt Institute), will follow the lecture, as part of the Department’s series, Pratt Sessions.

Tuesday, September 23 at 6:15 PM EST
Pratt Institute
Higgins Hall Auditorium

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will discuss Hong Kong’s Public Architectures with Eunice Seng (Hong Kong University), Shirley Surya (M+), and Sunnie Lau (SOSA), and moderated by Joan Leung (HKU) at Projecting Future Heritage: A Hong Kong Archive, a collateral event at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia—Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.

Thursday, May 8 at 1 PM CEST
Campo della Tana
Castello 2126
30122 Venice, IT

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will participate in the Department of Architecture’s Core Colloquium series, _positions, with Rahul Mehrotra, Toshiko Mori, and Rocio Crosetto Brizzio for a conversation on their first projects.

Friday, April 25, 2025
6:30 PM EST

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will lecture at the Congreso Internacional de Arquitectura, organized by Casa de Arquitectura and The Secretary of Culture for the State of Querétaro.

Thursday, April 10 at 11 AM CST
Teatro de la Ciudad, Querétaro, Mexico

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will join the artist, Lucia Koch, for a discussion on Koch’s exhibition, People and Natural Numbers, at Nara Roesler New York.

Saturday, March 1 at 3 PM EST
Nara Roesler New York
511 W 21st Street

For a preview of the exhibition with Mark’s essay, “The Space of Give and Take," visit the link here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will participate in a Design Salon with Max Hollein (CEO and Director, The Met), and Maria Nicanor (Director of Cooper Hewitt) for a conversation about museum architecture and redesigning historical spaces to serve new museum models.

Wednesday, February 5 at 5:30 PM EST
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

For the latest episode of Building with Writing, a podcast series hosted by Michael Meredith, Mark Lee joins Michael to discuss Stan Allen’s position in the field through his trajectory as an architect, educator, writer and so on.

These conversations are recorded in parallel to the exhibition Building with Writing at Princeton University School of Architecture in Spring 2025, on the work of Stan Allen.

To listen, visit the episode page linked on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Mark Lee will lecture for the series, Tensiones y Transformaciones [Tensions and Transformations] at ForA: Foro Arquitectura in Guadalajara, MX.

Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 PM CST

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will join Rail Architecture Editor, Nile Greenberg, for a virtual discussion on the exhibition, Candida Höfer: Europa / America, Sharon and Mark curated for Sean Kelly Los Angeles. The conversation will be the latest installment of The Brooklyn Rail’s New Social Environment (NSE) series.

Tuesday, November 19 at 1 PM EST

The virtual event is free and open to the public. To register, visit the link here.

Mark Lee will present "The Urn and the Chamber Pot" as part of the Fall 2024 Lectures and Exhibits Series at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's College of Architecture and Design.

Monday, November 18 at 6:30 PM EST
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
McCarty Auditorium, Art and Architecture Building

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Johnston Marklee, in collaboration with Independent Architecture and BVH Architecture, has been shortlisted to present the design team’s proposal for the North Boulder Creative Campus at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

Friday, November 15 at 5 PM MST
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

To view the recording of the public presentation, visit the link here.

Sharon Johnston will present the Eleanore Pettersen Lecture at The Cooper Union Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture.

Tuesday, October 29 at 6:30 PM EST
The Cooper Union
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

For the release of Stereografía Johnston Lee, published by Ediciones ARQ, Mark Lee will present selections of current and past work from Johnston Marklee’s diverse portfolio at the School of Architecture UC.

Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 PM CLST
ARQ UC
Auditorio FADEU

For more information, visit the event page linked here. Stereografía Johnston Lee is available to purchase online here.

Mark Lee will moderate the Wheelwright Prize Lecture with the 2021 Wheelwright winner, Germane Barnes (Studio Barnes and the University of Miami School of Architecture), and fellow jurors, David Brown (UIC), David Hartt (University of Pennsylvania), Megan Panzano (Harvard GSD), Sumayya Vally (Counterspace Studio), and Sarah M. Whiting (Harvard GSD).

Tuesday, October 8 at 12:30 PM EST
Harvard GSD
Stubbins 112, Gund Hall

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will participate in the “Women Leading Design” panel at the AIA LA Women in Architecture Committee’s annual conference, POWERFUL XI.

Sharon will join Liz Mahlow (Nous Engineering), Crystal Wang (Morphosis), Kerenza Harris (Morphosis), and Jane Parry (Clark Construction) for a panel discussion on the women-led designs of recent cultural projects, moderated by Kristi Paulson (Paulson Poei Projects).

Friday, October 4 at 3:45 PM PST
The Pacific Design Center

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee have been recognized with the Richard Neutra Award for Professional Excellence, granted to architects who have dedicated their career towards innovative research, design, and development of environments in which to live, work, and play. In honor of the contributions Richard Neutra made to the practice of architecture through his design research, the award is presented by Cal Poly Pomona, where Neutra served as a professor in a joint appointment with the Departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning.

Sharon and Mark will deliver the keynote lecture at Cal Poly Pomona during the award ceremony on Monday, September 9. The event is free and open to the public, commencing at 6:00 PM PST in the Ursa Major Suite at the Bronco Student Center.

Read more about the 2024 Neutra Award here.

Sharon Johnston will present “Art and the City” at the AIA Tennessee Conference on Architecture in Knoxville.

Friday, August 9 at 10:30 AM EST
Marriott Knoxville, Downtown

For more information, visit the event page and Speaker Spotlight.

Mark Lee will present the EwingCole Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 PM EST
University of Pennsylvania, Weitzman School
Plaza Gallery, Meyerson Hall

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will present "After Gropius" at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Architecture, followed by a conversation with Associate Professor, Stewart Hicks.

Monday, April 8 at 5:30 PM CST
UIC School of Architecture
Room 1100, Architecture + Design Studios

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will present "Art and the City" as part of The Good Life Spring 2024 Public Lecture Series at HKU's Department of Architecture.

Thursday, February 29 at 6:30 PM HKT
The University of Hong Kong
Room 419, 4/F, Knowles Building

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will participate in Threads of Change, hosted by Grace Farms at the Laguna Art Museum on Thursday, February 22.

Sharon will join Camilla Marcus (west~bourne) and Shilpa Shah (Cuyana) for a panel discussion on sustainability in food, clothing, and shelter, moderated by Karen Kariuki (Grace Farms).

Thursday, February 22 at 6 PM PST
Laguna Art Museum

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston will participate in Record on the Road, hosted by Architectural Record at The Colburn School of Music in Downtown Los Angeles.

Sharon will join Sandra Jackson-Dumont (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art), Michael Maltzan, and Sel Kardan (The Colburn School) for a panel discussion on LA's changing cultural landscape, moderated by the Record’s Editor in Chief, Josephine Minutillo.

November 13 at 6 PM PST
The Colburn School

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will present as a keynote speaker at the Festival of Design, organized by Design Republic and its founding partners, Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu.

Saturday, November 11 at 11:30 AM CST
800 Show, Shanghai, China

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Mark Lee will participate in Promises Upon Request, hosted by the Department of Architecture at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) on Saturday, October 21.

Mark will join international architects, Christine Binswanger (Herzog & de Meuron) and Marc Angélil (ETH Zürich), for a discussion on The Promise of Form, moderated by Simon Hartmann (KIT). The symposium will also be streamed live, and a final protocol transcript will be released shortly after its closing.

Saturday, October 21 at 5 PM CEST
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Fritz Haller Lecture Hall

For more information and the streaming link, visit the event page here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will participate in Mapping Grand Avenue, a conversation with Shana Boston (LA City Planning), Michael Maltzan, and moderated by Christopher Hawthorne to examine the Grand Avenue arts corridor, in conjunction with MOCA’s exhibition, Mapping an Art World: Los Angeles in the 1970s-80s. The panel will look at the history of Bunker Hill, its emergence as a cultural center— including Arata Isozaki’s design for MOCA—and discuss emerging models in and around downtown.

Sunday, Aug 6 at 3 PM PST
MOCA Grand Avenue

For more information, visit the event page linked here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will present the Coral Courts Lecture at Washington University in St. Louis Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

More information, visit the WUSTL events page, linked here.

Wednesday, March 1
6 PM CST

On Saturday, February 18 at 12 PM, Nicholas Hofstede, AIA, Managing Director and Ted Zhang will lead a conversation and walkthrough of Roberts Projects new gallery space, and discuss the distinctive elements and the firm's upcoming projects in Los Angeles and beyond.

Nicholas led the project development for Roberts Projects, and Miaojie Ted Zhang managed production and coordination.

This event is open to the public. For more information, see their website linked here.

The Menil Drawing Institute has been named one of six 2023 finalists of the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize.

MCHAP Director Dirk Denison shared comments about qualities shared by the finalist projects: “We knew going into this trip that we would be visiting projects that demonstrate the relevance of a simple idea, but one that is so crucial right now: doing more with less. The finalist projects all exhibit a radical generosity, giving their communities so much with the most targeted of interventions.”

Read more via the link.

Sharon Johnston will present 'Art and the City' at the AIA Iowa Convention at the Iowa Arts Center in Des Moines on Friday, September 30.

Read more about the program and on-site registration here.

Mark Lee will participate in Curatorial Design: A Place Between, hosted by the CCA and TU Graz in Montreal this Saturday, September 24.

The one-day public conference at the CCA will bring together critical provocations cultivated and expanded upon during the project through activating Curatorial Design as practice and establishing the Public School for Architecture [Öffentliche Bauschule]. The public conference will take place in three panels categorized into practice, pedagogy, and the public to share the research outcomes and implications in these areas while opening them to responses from invited guests and the audience.

Read more about the event here.

An ongoing research project led by Wilfried Kuehn along with Anousheh Kehar, Gili Merin, Dubravka Sekulić, and Milica Tomić at the IZK Institute for Contemporary Art in the Architecture Department (Graz University of Technology, Austria), the project is funded by the Programme for Arts-based Research (PEEK) of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The CCA is one of the project partners.

The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios has been recognized by the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education with an Education Facility Design Award, in the category of Merit. Recognizing state-of-the-art learning environments, this national award “promotes critical evaluation and experimentation in the specific context of our clients and their needs.”

Read more about the award and this year's recipients here.

On 29 April 2022 at TU Vienna, under the coordination of Pier Paolo Tamburelli, the Entwurff Einer Historischen Architectur will be discussed by a group of international architects and historians including Shumi Bose, Hermann Czech, Maarten Delbeke, Manuel Herz, Sam Jacob, Djamel Klouche, Mark Lee, Dubravka Sekulić, and Caroline van Eck.

Learn more about the symposium here.

Nicholas Hofstede presented on the Menil Drawing Institute at the Facades+ Symposium hosted by the Architect's Newspaper in Austin on April 27. His presentation explored the complex challenges in daylighting and program needs and resulting design of the Menil Drawing Institute.

Read more about the symposium here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee have been recognized with the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, an award granted to American architects whose work is characterized by a strong personal direction.

This year’s winners were chosen from a group of 25 individuals and practices nominated by the members of the Academy. The jurors were Toshiko Mori (chair), Marlon Blackwell, Peter Eisenman, Steven Holl, Annabelle Selldorf, Nader Tehrani, and Meejin Yoon.

Read more about the 2022 architecture awards here.

The Menil Drawing Institute has been recognized by the 2022 American Institute of Architects National Awards Program.

Read more about the program and the 11 international projects selected, which highlight the ways "buildings and spaces can improve lives": 2022 AIA Awards.

Christ & Gantenbein in collaboration with Johnston Marklee and Rapp Architekten proposed the winning scheme to renovate and update the Hauptbau of the Kunstmuseum Basel.

The proposal will be exhibited at Münsterplatz 11 in Basel from November 23 to December 3, 2021. 

The November issue of A+U features the work of Johnston Marklee, interspersed with commentaries by our collaborators and colleagues. Twenty-six key projects, ranging from houses and exhibitions to museums and institutions, are presented alongside 8 thematic collages to convey the full range of Johnston Marklee’s works.

To read more about this issue, please visit the A+U website.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will present "Extremes and In-betweens" as part of the ARFAA Lecture Series at Drexel University's Department of Architecture, Design and Urbanism.

The virtual event is free and open to the public. To register, click here.

Thursday, October 14
6-7 PM EDT

UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios received an Award of Excellence in the category of New Construction from the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California.

SGH served as the structural engineer of record for the project and consulted on the building enclosure. In his award acceptance speech, SGH Principal Kevin O'Connell notes, “this is a special project because it involved both the retrofit of an existing building and the design of a new building, and the structures of both are completely exposed... It looks simple to most, but when you look closer you see the unusual roof structural configuration, the unusual lateral system, and the horizontally cantilevered walls that seem to be missing a column. It took a great team to get this done.”

View the entire award presentation here.

Dating back to 1865, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. While there is great urgency today, this date reminds us that this is a long-term, systemic issue and the work we need to do is not just for today - it is work that we must continue to do, to reflect upon, and to improve.

In recognition of Juneteenth, our offices will be closed this Friday. We acknowledge the continued work we must do and our dedication to this work.

On Wednesday, April 28, Mark Lee will present selections of current and past work from Johnston Marklee’s diverse portfolio for the University of Kentucky College of Design. He will explore the relationship of architecture and urbanism through case studies that demonstrate the integration of cultural projects, from workplace to performance space, to new buildings and adaptive reuse environments that are materially effective, structurally efficient, and programmatically flexible.

Wednesday, April 28
2 PM EDT
Join the webinar via this link

On March 3, Mark Lee presented on the work of the firm as part of the Bernard Zimmerman Lecture Series at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Architecture.

Wednesday, March 3
7 PM PST

Sharon Johnston delivered an illustrated virtual presentation of current and past work from Johnston Marklee's diverse portfolio, discussed in the context of cultural organizations and their relationship with the fabric and scale of cities. Entitled "Art and the City", her lecture explored the relationship of architecture and urbanism through case studies that demonstrate the integration of cultural projects, from workplace, to performance space, to new buildings and adaptive reuse environments that are materially effective, structurally efficient, and programmatically resilient.

Knowles Architecture Alumni Lecture: Art & the City
Tyler School of Art & Architecture, Temple University
Tuesday, February 23
6 PM EST

On Friday evening, Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will contribute to the SEKISUI HOUSE - KUMA LAB virtual lecture series, presented by the International Architectural Education Platform at the University of Tokyo. This public program investigates the theme of "Nature" from multiple perspectives, reconsidering our surrounding living environments and values.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Pre-register here.

SEKISUI HOUSE - KUMA LAB
Art and the City
Friday, Jan. 15, 6:00 PM PST / Saturday, Jan. 16, 11:00 JST

Sharon Johnston joined Wonne Ickx of PRODUCTORA in a conversation about Johnston Marklee's Vault House on November 11. Hosted by LIGA and Panel Rey, this discussion is the fourth in an online conversation series about single family residences in the United States.

LA CASA DEL VECINO / OUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE
Wednesday, November 11th
5 pm LA / 7 pm CDMX / 8 pm NYC

Tune in via this link.

The AIA Los Angeles has recognized three Johnston Marklee projects with design awards this year. Two projects received Honor Awards: the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios for the Educational Typology, and The Menil Drawing Institute for Institutional/Civic.

Design Awards jurors describe the MDI as "immediately recognizable as inventive and thoughtful, from the careful integration of landscape and the building’s place within a larger campus to the nano-details of fit and finish", noting the building as an example of "architecture at its top level". The UCLA Margo Leaving Graduate Art Studios was applauded as a "wonderful project on all levels, terrific within its urban context as well as sectionally" and "super rewarding to work through the plan and understand what’s happening above – the light control, volume control – as well as the program flow."

Our Vault House received a Citation Award in the special category for 2020, Best of the Millennium. The jury describe the house as "exuberant and modest at the same time, stating that "the architects were capable of taking a very simple volume and by carving through it, created a series of unanticipated and dynamic spaces that provided a tremendous amount of richness."

To view the lineup of 2020 Design Awards winners and read more, see the Design Awards press release here.

Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will present on Art and the City as keynote speakers during the Texas Society of Architects' Conference on Thursday, October 29, at 4 PM CT. They will explore the relationship of architecture and urbanism through examples of their work that demonstrate the integration of cultural projects, from workplace to performance space, to new buildings and adaptive reuse environments that are materially effective, structurally efficient, and programmatically flexible.

This year's conference, CATALYST, is now virtual. Register by Tuesday, October 27 at 5 PM CT by visiting the conference webpage linked here. Registration is free for students.

The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios has been recognized with an Excellence in Achievement Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA).

The TCA Achievement Awards program was established to honor projects that use site-cast tilt-up concrete to introduce new building types, advance industry technology and provide unique solutions to building programs.

To read more about this award, visit the Tilt-Up Concrete Association’s website.

On October 23, Sharon Johnston will share her thoughts on the future of workspaces in the Dynamic Spaces session of the Vitra Summit 2020. In a time when our relationship to the shared office space has radically changed, issues of resilience, adaptability, wellness, and comfort take on new meaning.

The Vitra Summit 2020 will be held for the first time as a fully digital forum. Taking place on October 22 and 23, the Summit will host interactive, digital exchange, with scientific findings, know-how and best practice related to the future of shared spaces.

To learn more and register for this event free of charge, visit the Vitra Summit 2020 site.

On Tuesday, October 20, Japan House Los Angeles will hold a conversation re-examining the important notion of “ma” to understand Japanese culture. Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will join this discussion led by Hitoshi Abe, Professor at UCLA, and MC'd by Ken Tadashi Oshima, Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington.

Today in 2020, notions of time and space have been disrupted by COVID-19 with shifts to virtual communication and work on global-local levels, fundamentally questioning notions of MA: Space-Time and offering opportunities for its re-interpretation. How do physical local contexts connect with the global contexts based on time zones rather than actual travel and distances between Japan and the world? How does our current situation relate to MA: Space-Time in our day-to-day activities between these virtual and physical situations? With architecture as a starting point, the discussion will touch on space and time as the intersection of experience with implications for other fields as well.

Please find a link to complimentary registration here.

Rethinking of MA: Space-Time 2020
Tuesday, October 20
6-7:30 PM PDT

Mark Lee will join a panel on the work of photographer Julius Shulman, as part of the Trading Notes livestream series presented by The Architect's Newspaper.

Modern Man: Appraising the Work of Julius Shulman
Friday, October 16
1pm ET

Link to register.

Fast Company has named the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios a finalist in the Learning category of the Innovation by Design Awards.

The IBD Awards Program honors designers and businesses working towards solutions for the problems of today and tomorrow.

Read more about the most innovative learning-related projects recognized by Fast Company in 2020 here.

The UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios has been recognized with an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects, California. The Design Awards program strives to promote, recognize, publicize, and celebrate the value exceptional design has on the fabric of society.

Holistic design and social impact weighed heavily in jury deliberations for this year's program, which identified fifteen winners from hundreds of entries.

The LEED Gold Certified Graduate Art Studios were designed with sustainability and adaptability in mind. A restoration and expansion of existing UCLA Arts facilities, the design integrated feedback from the community to bring together students and faculty in a space that considers the nature of artistic practice today and anticipates future needs.

Read more about UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios here, and view the set of Design Awards honorees here.

The Menil Drawing Institute (MDI) has been recognized with a 2020 AIA Houston Design Award in the category of "Architecture less than 50,000 SF." The AIA Houston Design Awards program recognizes design excellence according to the criteria of quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.

At the Virtual Awards Gala on July 28, juror Annie Chu, FAIA, IIDA, applauded the "rigor" of the building, and noted, "The plays of tension between moments within the building is what is so memorable about good architecture, and this building really delivered it."

The first freestanding building in the United States dedicated to the exhibition, study, and conservation of modern and contemporary drawings, the Menil Drawing Institute extends the legacy of civic engagement and social equity of the Menil Collection campus.

Learn more about the MDI via this link, and watch the Virtual Awards Gala here.

Sharon Johnston will contribute to the World Architecture Community's live interview series in a session on the changing norms in architectural education and the future of the architectural profession, hosted by Berrin Chatzi Chousein.

Thursday, July 30
9:30 AM PDT | 6:30 PM CEST

Tune in via the @WACommunity Instagram page.

Sharon Johnston will present "California Concrete" as part of the Architecture my love online lecture series organized by Eric Lapierre and Tristan Chadney, presented by École d’architecture de la ville & des territoires Paris-Est.

"California Concrete"
Tuesday, June 23
10am PDT | 7pm CEST | UTC+1:00

Free and open to the public. Visit Éav&t website to obtain Zoom link for lecture.

Knoll k. talks series: The Office Reimagined: What Will Tomorrow's Workplace Bring?

Tuesday, May 12
11:00am - 11:30am PDT

As workers worldwide contemplate returning to the office, new norms will likely emerge to address employee health and safety. Get up to date with our live panel of leading design thinkers as we explore their thoughts on what the future might hold. Hear experts’ considerations about planning and design, and how the impact of social distancing and work-from-home will re-shape the future of real estate and workplace decisions.

Panelists:
Mark Morton, Principal, Gensler
Sharon Johnston, Founder, Partner, Johnston Marklee

Moderator:
Benjamin A. Pardo, Executive Vice President, Design, Knoll

Link to free registration.

GSD Radio: "In Studio: Buildings and Food" with Mark Lee, Oliver Lutjens, and Thomas Padmanabhan

Friday, April 10
1:00pm EDT

Visit GSD Radio to listen.

Dear Friends,

During this time, our office is transitioning to remote work. Please visit the Team page here on our website to find email addresses for our staff. This will be the most immediate means to reach us.

We want to assure Johnston Marklee clients and collaborators that we are committed to maintaining the same exacting standards of project delivery that we would at any other time. Along with many of our consultants and peer firms, we have access to digital tools that allow for seamless collaboration across platforms.

We remain steadfast with you in our effort to protect the health of the greater community, and wish you all well in these challenging times.

-Johnston Marklee

Johnston Marklee is honored to once again be included in Architectural Digest’s 2020 AD100 list of top architects and designers.