WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
Ivan Himanen
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?
Architecture chose me. In school I was good at physics and art history, so I took the average of the two. Secondly, my mother and grandfather were both architects, so the backdrop of my childhood was littered with drawings, photographs, pencil shavings, and detours through churches. Lastly, I am lucky enough to live in the same city as The Cooper Union, which at the time was tuition-free. If that’s not a motivating factor for an immigrant family, nothing is.
WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?
Anything that elevates the collective civic spirit.
WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?
Choosing a path. The more time I spend in the real world, the more things I realize architecture touches. And I am a bloodhound for knowledge, so it’s a constant effort to put myself on projects where I am not the smartest guy in the room.
WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?
Besides it being free? The level of freedom we had to interact with artists and engineers. Being a small urban campus, it really felt like you were part of a big family. Also, every museum and famous building was just a subway ride away!
ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?
School turns a blind eye to self-care. Competitive suffering was rife, and many professors leaned on the specter of their own teaching style instead of taking the time to develop meaningful one-on-one relationships. Also, no one was paying attention and actively confronting contemporary issues and technologies. That kind of neglect produces B. Arch holders who are little more than historians with graphic design skills.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?
I want to build a body of work—not just of buildings, but of research, initiatives, policies, or speculative ideas—that inspires the next generation of architects and planners.
WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?
Louis Sullivan, Tom Kundig, Alejandro Aravena, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Alberto Kalach.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?
Grand Central Terminal, NYC. The Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?
Connection and dialogue. Let’s get talking!
