Design does not operate in isolation. Every decision—material, spatial, aesthetic— is entangled in broader systems: ecological, political, cultural, and technological. As crises of climate, equity, and resource intensification demand deeper attention, designers must reconsider their roles as both stewards and disruptors. This year’s lecture series examines how design thinking and practice can intervene in complex systems and propose new modes of co-existence. Invited speakers will explore how design shapes, and is shaped by, the networks it inhabits, negotiating between bodies and space, narrative and data, and heritage and speculation. The series invites our audience to consider: What are the ecologies—human and nonhuman—that design participates in?

The first lecture in the Fall 2025 series, hosted by Assistant Professor Tatjana Crossley, will feature guest speakers Takaharu + Yui Tezuka, founders of Tezuka Architects, established in Tokyo in 1994. Their work is celebrated for creating open, human-centered design that fosters community, joy, and connection to nature, with a special focus on spaces for children.

Their practice has received international recognition, including the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (UNESCO, 2017), the Moriyama RAIC Prize (2017), and multiple World Architecture Festival awards. Notably, their Fuji Kindergarten has been acclaimed worldwide. Their work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale of Architecture (2004, 2018). They continue to shape contemporary architecture through designs that embrace openness, sustainability, and the joyful spirit of everyday life.