The Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation will host a series of lectures and presentations, Conversations in Place, revolving around the discussion of space and place.
The inaugural program, “The Nature of Place: From the Rancho to the New Urban Scene–When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary,” will headline with moderator D.J. Waldie, whose seminal book Holy Land explores Lakewood’s role as a model suburbia in the 1950s, as well as panelists including Los Angeles Times architectural critic Christopher Hawthorne, Greg Goldin of Los Angeles Magazine, as well as Long Beach’s own architects Alan Pullman and Michael Bohn of Studio One Eleven.
The work of the latter two Long Beach architects will provide a welcome rounding of the panel, particularly given Studio One Eleven’s influential work in Long Beach. From creating Southern California’s first parklets along 4th Street–with At Last Cafe set to get one soon–to the impressive overhaul and design of the sleek new airport concourse, Pullman and Bohn’s knowledge of physically altering Long Beach will contextualize Hawthorne and Goldin’s macro knowledge of architecture.
The four will ultimately examine the value of ordinary places within California and its people defined by “iconic, extraordinary imagery.” The work of Studio One Eleven largely revolves around not just transforming what is called livable space, but is deeply routed in recognizing the importance of sustainability and accessibility.
“Rancho Los Alamitos is delighted to bring the insightful talents of Studio One Eleven to Conversations in Place as we consider how the ever-present past affects our contemporary vision,” stated Claudia Jurmain. “Their architectural accomplishments… express hope and a reality that creative urban design begins from the bottom up: knowing and reconnecting the shifting cultural and natural terrain in vibrant re-emerging communities.”
The inaugural program–one of three this year–will be held Sunday, June 23, from 1:00PM to 4PM at Rancho Los Alamitos, located at 6400 E Bixby Hill Rd. Tickets can be purchased by calling (562) 431-3541 or visiting www.rancholosalamitos.com/events/2013_conversations/index.html#june23. The cost per person for each of the three Conversations is $15. For additional information about the series, please visit www.rancholosalamitos.com.
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