DESIGN CATALYST
Los Angeles
Cuningham engaged Murmur Ring to develop an immersion program to address synchronous, complex challenges facing the 250-person architecture firm.
We created and facilitated Design Catalyst: Changing the Housing Paradigm to bolster the firm’s research and design practices; develop new approaches to bring to the market; and support future leaders in creating the vision for Cuningham.
“This program highlights the value of research, immersion, and looking closer. I'm excited to see what the cohort has been inspired by, what they think is particularly valuable, and what they will bring from this to their projects and teams.”
— Marcy Schulte, Cuningham Executive Director of Innovation
What is Design Catalyst?
This multi-phase program initially embedded a cohort of Cuningham leaders in Los Angeles’ for a week-long immersion on the city’s housing crisis. They were joined for a second immersion by selected graduate students from University of Southern California , IIT Institute of Design and University of Michigan who went on to research and design solutions to relieve the city’s student housing crisis with mentorship from the firm’s leaders over seven weeks.
The immersions exposed the team to the organizations and individuals leading innovation in housing spanning housing and legal advocacy; direct providers of resources like food and transitional lodging; modular construction; urban planning; and environmental remediation.
Based on extended qualitative research from our work with Cuningham in collaboration with the firm’s CEO, Murmur Ring designed the program to accelerate several strategic objectives.
Team building as leaders envision the firm's future
Uniting the firm around shared purpose
Actionable insights for early-stage research
Attracting top emerging talent
Unique housing and regenerative POVs
Documentation of leaders in the field
Design concepts for potential development
“When we talk about growth, it's not always about the revenue that we generate. It's about the impact that we create. What things can we do as a company that solves design problems?”
— Dan Olic, Cuningham COO
Rather than prescribing outcomes, our visioning facilitation and collaborative program design allowed the selected emerging leaders to own the program’s discoveries and solutions, cultivate the firm’s research and design practices, and develop new approaches to bring to the market.
The program activated new academic partnerships, positioning Cuningham as a research leader that attracts and fosters the skills of next generation designers.
“This experience was really different from other internships that are available to architecture students. It wasn't just about how to practice as an architect, but leadership, teamwork, and professional skills that will be applicable for the rest of my career.”
— Delaney Ryan, USC Master of Architecture student
As is true with all Murmur Ring immersions, our site partners played a critical role in the success of this program. Their involvement not only informed the cohort’s research discoveries and design interventions, but fostered a much needed bridge between Cunignham and their Los Angeles market.
No Us Without You discussed their circular approach to serving under-housed Angelenos
Larry Keeley presented a keynote on design innovation frameworks
Studio-MLA shared their design firm's commitments to impact over profit
Mid-Rise Modular shared their plans to scale affordable housing
LA CAN offered insight into LA's protective housing needs
Pasadena City College shared details on student services offerings and challenges
Seed House Project presented their adaptive reuse, holistic wellness housing model
Inclusive Action for the City* fed our cohort and discussed their goals to build thriving local economies
ARLA + Spherical offered a demo of their Living Infrastructure Field Kit
Magic Johnson Park tour allowed us to observe The Living Infrastructure Field Kit in action
Dr. Rueben Smith* discussed LACCD’s student services model
West Los Angeles College allowed us to see LACCD student services in action
Daylight Community Development* discussed their use of modular builds to expand affordable housing
Hilda L. Solis Care First Village* served as an example of success trauma-informed and adaptive reuse housing
Trojan Shelter* offered insight into a grassroots approach to housing by and for college students
Utilizing innovation guru, author, and design expert Larry Keeley’s advice, the cohort built a methodology to guide their research and design work:
Understand the crisis
Study existing solutions
Determine a future state to move towards
Create balanced breakthroughs
The cohort’s diverse voices resulted in diverse outcomes.
Proposed solutions included PR campaigns to shift the narrative on the “American Dream” and remove the stigma surrounding homelessness; an app-accessible resource hub that brings disconnected services together in one space; and adaptive-reuse designs that utilize available greenspace across the city as locations for new, sustainable housing developments.
CREDITS
ETHAN LIPSITZ
Immersion community liaison
DYLAN CHANDLER
Videographer
JACKIE TREZZO
Photographer
GREG COMANOR
Daylight Community Development
JEFF GERSHUNE
IA Collaborative
KYLE SMITH
IA Collaborative
DR. WESLYNNE ASHTON
IIT Institute of Design
ALYSSA LOPEZ
Inclusive Action for the City
LUIS MORAN
Inclusive Action for the City
PETE WHITE
LA CAN
PETER DEMARIA
Mid-Rise Modular
LOUISE GRIFFIN
NAC Architecture
MICHAEL PINTO
NAC Architecture
DAMIÁN DIAZ
No Us Without You
OTHÓN NOLASCO
No Us Without You
SESLEY LEWIS
Pasedena City College
GARRETT UNDERWOOD
Seed House Project
CESAR CAMPOS
Spherical Design
EMILY ROSALES
Spherical Design
JAN DYER
Studio MLA
MIKE HEE
Studio MLA
MEGAN HORN
Studio MLA
MARCO RANGEL
Studio MLA
RODRIGO RODARTE
Studio MLA
MATT ROMERO
Studio MLA
EMMETT LILIJEGREN
Trojan Shelter
LOUIS TSE
Trojan Shelter
EDNA CHAVARRY
West Los Angeles College
DR. LIMBAUGH
West Los Angeles College
*Image courtesy of site partner