Architect Lorcan O'Herlihy to Present 'Social Occupation' Lecture on Nov. 18

Image courtesy of Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects

MLK1101 Supportive Housing in Los Angeles addresses a need for formerly homeless veterans and chronically homeless and low-income households.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Lorcan O'Herlihy will present a lecture at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, in Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier Hall, Room 250 of Vol Walker Hall, on the University of Arkansas campus, as part of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design lecture series.

O'Herlihy, FAIA, is the founding principal of Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, which has studios in Los Angeles and Detroit.

In his lecture, "Social Occupation," O'Herlihy will highlight the idea that architecture is a social act — a tool for engaging in politics, economics, aesthetics and smart growth. He will explain how architects have a responsibility to cities and the people who occupy them. As global cities become denser and the need for housing greater, it is more critical than ever to design spaces that promote equity, human interaction and cultural evolution.

Since founding his firm in 1994, O'Herlihy has utilized architecture as a catalyst of change to shape and enrich the complex, urban landscape of contemporary cities. The firm's work is guided by a conscious understanding that architecture operates within a layered context of political, developmental, environmental and social structures.

O'Herlihy and his firm have built more than 90 projects across three continents, and the work produced has been published in more than 20 countries.

The firm has received more than 100 awards, including the AIA Los Angeles firm of the year, and the AIA California Council Distinguished Practice Award. In 2018, the firm was recognized as the No. 1 design firm in the country by Architect Magazine in the Architect 50, an annual ranking of the top architecture firms in the country.

The firm's diverse work is recognized internationally, and it includes art galleries, bus shelters, large-scale neighborhood plans, mixed-use developments, affordable housing projects and university residential complexes.

Each of the firm's projects reinforces O'Herlihy's belief that artistry and provocative design are key to building a vibrant, social space to elevate the human condition via the built environment.

This is the Lewis Architects Engineers Lecture.

The school is pursuing continuing education credits for this lecture through the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The public is invited to attend. Admission is free, with limited seating.

For more information, contact 479-575-4704 or fayjones.uark.edu.