Tag Archives: michael maltzan

PBy receives AIA CC Award

The Piggyback Yard was in good company last weekend at the reception for the AIA California Council 2011 Design Awards.  Our Merit Award for Urban Design was announced with the rest of this year’s winners at the bi-annual Monterey Design Conference, held October 7-9. 

Founded in 1979, the Monterey Design conference has become the “Renaissance Weekend” for architects. Held in Pacific Grove at the historic Asilomar Conference Grounds founded in 1913, this year’s conference was full of inspiration and practical advice for architects and designers.  As always, the conference curated speakers ranging from “Emerging Talent” Andrew Kudless of Matsys to “Tribal Elder” Peter Walker.  Featured speakers included PBy’s own Michael Maltzan as well as imports Jeanne Gang from Studio Gang of Chicago and  Tom Kundig from Olson Kundig Architects of Seattle.

Much discussion revolved around appropriating disregarded spaces,  viewing even the most urban of areas as landscape, and searching for ways to harness the power of “gizmos” and technology for a higher purpose.  Sound familiar?

Zocalo: PBy proposes a more integrated LA

Zocalo Public Square invited Piggyback Yard collaborators Marc Salette, Jim Stafford, Mia Lehrer and Michael Maltzan to discuss the promise of a revitalized Los Angeles, and how to build it.  Before a full house at the California Endowment on September 22, moderator Michael Woo, Dean of the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona, led the discussion of our “guerilla planning” effort to transform this downtown rail yard into integrated public space, and to transform Los Angeles’ urban culture in the process.  A summary and video of the event are housed on the Zocalo Public Square website.

Michael Maltzan: 8 Questions on LA Urbanism

1. Given the current climate of economic crisis, governmental turmoil, and a general sense of stasis in the community, how can the city of eternal optimism take advantage of such a historic moment?

At a moment like this you need to be realistic about the challenges facing the City, but we also cannot afford to be overtaken by a sense of pessimism because of the particular moment we find ourselves in. Times like this are exactly the moments when planning, forward thinking, and progressive ideas can and should be proposed. By putting our energy into comprehensive, visionary proposals; we can challenge the static ways that we think about the city in its current form and begin envisioning the City of our future. Not only for ourselves but for successive generations. Continue reading →