Portfolio Review Workshop

Zone: online

Organizer: Artificial Kreativity 

Hosts: Rafael Portillo, Maria Loreto Flores, Graham Modlen, Chris Wight, Hannes Hulstaert

Duration: 3h

For whom the workshops are dedicated? For architects and non architects interested in gaining feedback on their work. This is intended for university students to early year professionals. 

Topic. These one-to-one online 20 minute review sessions are open to university students to early year professionals and practitioners. This can be suitable for architects and non architects that want quick professional feedback on organizing their pieces, their content, presentation formats, ideas to improve, guidance to develop ideas, or simply asking questions about their work. We believe creativity is not bound to one profession rather an ecosystem where collaborative thinking can foster new ideas. Perhaps there are personal projects you are working on—book designs, art installations, photography works, etc. This can be your chance to present it to the reviewers. 

It is recommend a sample of 10 pieces to show the review team. 

How to sign up for workshops? Registration is required to attend and tickets are available at www.artificialkreativity.com/Lodz2023. After registering you will be asked to send samples of your work to an email provided. Prior to the workshop a link will be sent to attend the online event. Each participant will have the opportunity to receive 2 reviews from different reviewers.

*workshops only in English and online 

The workshop was included in the Łódź Design Festival 2023 program as part of the open programme call.

HOSTS

Rafael Portillo (Architecture) Founder | Director Artificial Kreativity 

Rafael founded Artificial Kreativity as a design-led architecture studio merging technology, art, and architecture, with the aim to advance society. With his studio, he is supporting the creative community with the Cross Pollinator Project. It aims to make architecture accessible to everyone and expose students to the profession through a multi-disciplinary approach. For over 10 years, he has reviewed portfolios for architecture candidates applying to Cornell University’s architecture school in New York. Prior to launching his studio, he worked with Zaha Hadid Architects. His career spans over 18 years of designing iconic buildings at multiple scales ranging from cultural buildings, FIFA stadiums, masterplans, commercial retail, and private residential designs. Key projects comprise Pierres Vives, Chartres Parc des Expo, Symbiotic Villa, and Diyar Town Center Masterplan. Design interests stem from music, art, landscape, fashion, creativity, and technology. He is a native of Los Angeles, received his BArch from Cornell University, MArch from the Architectural Association, and sits on the board of trustees with London Play. 

Maria Loreto Flores (Architecture) Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects

Chilean-born architect, Maria Loreto, manages multi-disciplinary teams that specialize in complex geometries and construction for projects in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She focuses on large scale projects comprising masterplans, towers, expos, and convention centres. Built work includes the luxury Morpheus Hotel in Macau, China; Pierres Vives, France; and d’Leedon Residential Complex, Singapore. She is part of the steering committee of Women in Architecture (WIA) and previously taught workshops and design studios at the Universidad de Chile. She has been a visiting critic in architecture schools in both Chile and the UK including the Architectural Association and Bartlett at UCL. 

Graham Modlen (Architecture) Design Director at Atelier Set 

Graham has over 30 years experience working with acclaimed offices as a project architect and designer. This includes director of Zaha Hadid Architects where he was involved in her early career from the 90’s and an associate at Austin-Smith: Lord in London. Key projects include the Sheikh Zayed Bridge and Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi. As an architect and artist with his own practice Graham continues to explore design through a sketching process. Currently he co-lectures with Nicholas Boyarsky at the University of Greenwich on professional practice in architecture. 

Chris Wight (Artist)

For over 25 years, Chris has devoted his career to working with bone china and seeking new modes of expression with this highly traditional material. As a student, he trained with designers and modelers from Wedgwood and Royal Doulton. With vessel forms, sculpture, panels and screens his pieces span gallery, interior, and architectural scales. These often combine new technologies with hand made production methods. His latest work focuses on the unique sound properties of bone china as he develops a large ceramic Soundscape for a Grammy Award winning percussionist. Chris’s work has been shown at Sotheby’s, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, Bernardaud, Garth Clark as well as numerous exhibitions in Japan and Korea. Next year his ‘Portland Arcana’ installation will feature at the Crocker Museum of Art in California.  

Hannes Hulstaert (Bio-Colour Developer) Co-Founder at Post Carbon lab 

Hannes is the co-founder of Post Carbon Lab, a social enterprise offering innovative research and design services for textile-based companies. With co-founder Dian-Jen Lin, they use microbial organisms (bacteria, algae, and fungi) to create sustainable dyes and colours for textiles. This bio-based process can be applied as a finish or printed onto textile-based products to replace the harmful petrochemical dyes and colours today. Collaborations include MCQ, DS Automobile, AZGARD9 and many small independent designers to test their technologies. Originally trained as an architect, his career explores various creative disciplines, including audiovisual art, research, woodwork, and design. Hannes has been published in STUDIO Architecture and Urbanism magazine for his writings on unconventional approaches towards the social, cultural and technological analysis of urban architecture. In 2015, he was awarded the Henry van de Velde Prize and has previously taught workshops at the Department of Architecture at the University of Antwerp. 

Check regularly to see the full list of available reviewers.