Asking the Right Questions in Architecture / Jenny Wu

The Archiologist

In this episode we talk about her experience attending the top two universities in the United States, Columbia and Harvard. We talk about the most important thing to her "rethinking what design is" and asking the right questions in design. She tells me about how her and her partner Dwayne Oyler started Oyler Wu Collaborative together by basically making ends meet financially only to pay rent and to survive while they felt amazingly motivated to continue working on projects even if they didn’t even a client and she explains how the dedication and hard work has paid off over the years. She talks a little bit about what it is like to have the same partner in life and in work. She also tells the story of how she started LACE, her 3D printed jewelry lane that has grown amazingly over the years. Finally, she gives her best piece of advice to you guys, studying architecture right now or even recent graduates, to learn that school should be the place to study different ideas, you do not need to know exactly who you are now. I loved this conversation, I loved Jenny’s positivism and openness to tell her story with all of you. I cannot wait to hear what you all think!

Jenny Wu received her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and Master of Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Currently, Jenny is a member of the design faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI_Arc) and Columbia GSAPP. She has previously taught at institutions such as Syracuse University and Renssellaer Polytechnic Institute. In addition to her architectural practice, she also founded LACE by Jenny Wu, a line of 3D printed jewelry, in 2014. The pieces have been widely featured in publications such as Forbes, People, and Elle Magazine. Most recently, Jenny was named one of four design visionaries by Porsche and Dwell Magazine in their "Powered by Design" documentaries, showcasing her pioneering work in 3D printing.

Jenny Wu is a partner at the Los Angeles based architecture firm, Oyler Wu Collaborative, which she founded in 2004 with Dwayne Oyler. The firm is recognized for its experimentation in design, material research, and fabrication, and was the winner of 2013 Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record. She was recently named one of the four design visionaries by Porsche and Dwell Magazine in their Powered by Design documentaries, showcasing her pioneering work in 3D printing. The office has won numerous design awards, including the 2013 Emerging Talent Award from AIA California Council, 2012 Presidential Honor Award for Emerging Practice from AIA LA, Taiwan’s ADA Award for Emerging Architect, and 2011 Emerging Voices Award from the Architectural League in New York. They published Pendulum Plane in 2009, and most recently Trilogy: SCI Arc Pavilions (SCI-Arc Press) in 2014.