Katherine Darnstadt, critically acclaimed for redefining the role of an architect, presents the College of Architecture’s next Hyde lecture. Darnstadt, founder of Latent Design, a progressive architecture and urbanism firm, will be presenting a lecture entitled “Architecture Of” at 4 p.m., Friday, February 8, in the Union Auditorium, UNL city campus.

For this lecture, Darnstadt will explore the ongoing problem of urban vacancies and how the profession can bring about design solutions. When neighborhoods, public spaces and infrastructure are neglected, vacancies occur, whether strategic or accidental, they are detrimental to neighborhood health and vitality. However, she explains, design can bring an awareness of the informal economies that arise from these gaps, which only highlight how poorly urban formal systems are working. While students may have been taught that the design of a building is apolitical, the process of building is not. Darnstadt argues there is a subversive cartography of power that overlays cities, which are built on a series of collaborative collusions.

In her lecture, Darnstadt will detail the multitudes of design leverages that are required to enact positive and impactful change.

Darnstadt’s firm is widely known for their work leveraging civic innovation and social impact to design more equitable spaces and systems. Since founding her practice in 2010, Darnstadt and her firm have prototyped new urban design systems to advance urban agriculture, support small business, create spaces for youth makers, advance building innovation and create public space frameworks. Darnstadt and Latent Design have been published, exhibited and featured widely, most notably at the International Venice Architecture Biennial, Architizer A+ Awards, Chicago Ideas Week, NPR, American Institute of Architects Young Architects Honor Award winner and Crain’s Chicago 40 Under 40. She currently teaches at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The College’s Hyde Lecture Series is a long-standing, endowed, public program. Each year the college hosts compelling speakers in the fields of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and planning that enrich the ongoing dialog around agendas which are paramount to the design disciplines and our graduates.

For questions, email Kerry McCullough-Vondrak at kerry.vondrak@unl.edu.