Norwich Lecture Series ORNAMENT: DETAILS, BIOPHILIA, and MODERNISM
Date: 9/20/24 1:00 PM
Website: Join the meeting now
Location: Northfield, VT and online
Norwich University’s School of Architecture + Art kicks off the 2024-25 academic year with presentations on Friday, September 20, at 1 p.m. in Chaplin Hall Gallery. The series is free and open to the public.
This first event in the annual lecture series will feature presentations by architectural historian Lisa
Schrenk, PhD and undergraduate student researcher Riyam Al-Janabi.
A reception and the induction of newly licensed alums to the school’s ‘Wall of Fame’ will follow the presentations.
Dr. Lisa Schrenk is Professor of Architectural History at the University of
Arizona and taught in the School of Architecture + Art at Norwich
University from 2002-2012. Her research on international expositions and
the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright has resulted in numerous publications,
including the books Building a Century of Progress: The Architecture of
Chicago’s 1933-34 World’s Fair and The Oak Park Studio of Frank Lloyd
Wright. She will present An Architectural Laboratory: The Early Studio
of Frank Lloyd Wright that explores the significance of Wright’s Oak Park
residential studio which served as an architectural laboratory where its owner
formulated his iconic design ideology. 1.5 LU’s (pending)
Riyam Al-Janabi will present her student research titled: How is natural
light strategically used in museums to foster emotional engagement
and attachment to visitors? Her research evaluates and contrasts lighting
design strategies and their role in shaping the art-viewing experience in
three Washington, D.C. museums.
The theme of ORNAMENT: DETAILS, BIOPHILIA, and MODERNISM offers a range of lectures
that explore the impact of moments of details in design, how they were conceived or came to be, what
role they play in the experience of space, and what we can learn from the stories they tell. A preview of
the entire series is below. Unless otherwise noted, all events begin at 1:00 p.m. and are in Chaplin Hall
Gallery. All events are open to the public.
Frano Violich, FAIA will speak on Friday, October 25. He is a founding principal at KVA Matx, an
interdisciplinary design practice which engages material fabrication, digital technology, and the
conservation of natural resources to expand the public life of buildings and cities. He has collaborated
with his partner, Sheila Kennedy, on numerous projects most recently a five-and-a-half-mile
redevelopment of the Minneapolis Riverfront, an intermodal Ferry Terminal in New York City, and a
net-zero housing project for the Internationale Bauaustellung’s (IBA) in Hamburg, Germany. KVA’s
work has been exhibited at the New York City’s Cooper Hewitt, the Rotterdam Biennale, Vitra in
Germany, and SF MoMA. 1.5 LU’s (pending)
This year we also feature and celebrate the work of our very own Matt Lutz and Wendy Cox on
November 8 and on Friday, January 1.
Matthew Lutz, RA, is an associate professor of architecture in the School of Architecture + Art. His
research focuses on the intersection of high-performance building and affordable housing nationally and
internationally. His expertise brings an essential energy and climate focus to student work and has
produced award winning projects. 1.5 LU’s (pending)
Wendy Cox is a Professor of Architecture at Norwich University and a registered architect since 1996
with a private practice, studio twentyseven, located in Warren, Vermont, and Vinalhaven, Maine. Her
dual research areas are developing theories connecting the physical sciences with the architectural
discipline and the before and beginning of the historic mid-twentieth century historic firm The
Architects Collaborative, focusing on work by early female architects. Realizing through her practice
what she teaches in her classes, she is currently transitioning a 2006 shipping container into a two-
bedroom home in Vermont.
On Friday, February 21, at 4 p.m., our Architecture Career Fair will take place in Chaplin. This event
annually connects over 20 regional architecture firms to the school and the student body. They interview
with firms and learn about the variety and culture of professional practice.
On Friday, March 21, at 4 p.m., a screening and discussion of the film Critical Conversations
Project: Spiritual Approaches to the Built Environment will take place. The film is part of ACSF
(Architecture Culture Spirituality Forum) and TCI (Princeton's Center for Theological Inquiry)
The series culminates in our biannual Making Workshop from 1-4 p.m. on March 28. This event
brings faculty and students together in a contemplative afternoon of hands-on making projects. This year
Professors Danny Sagan, Zach Seibold, Sabrina Fadial, and Elenor D’Aponte will lead casting, metal-
working, and 3D printing projects that celebrate the theme of Biophilia.
This series is made possible in part by a generous grant from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, a philanthropic
organization supporting cancer research, education, volunteerism and other charitable endeavors, backs the School of
Architecture + Art Lecture Series. For more than 10 years, the Byrne Foundation and Norwich University have partnered to
bring eminent national and international architects, designers, artists and writers to campus. Events are free and open to the public.
Contact: Eleanor D'Aponte
Email: edapont@ norwich.edu