The in-between of fabrication and architecture

Julia Hunt Hunt is a fabrication designer at Morphosis in Los Angeles, focusing on fabricating furniture, art installations, and presentation models. Growing up in a family of craftsmen, Hunt enjoyed making things and expanded that interest at the University of Buffalo and the University of Michigan.

Julia Hunt and I went to the University of Michigan, graduating with a Master’s of Architecture degree, and both went to undergrad at our respective universities for four years before we met at Michigan. However, we lead very different paths in the architecture profession today. I practice in the education studio at Corgan in Dallas. Very capital “A” architecture, one could argue. Julia on the other hand works in fabrication. According to the 2019 National Architectural Accrediting Board Annual Report, there were approximately 26,000 students enrolled in NAAB-accredited programs just in 2019. When that is compared with the 116,242 licensed architects in the United States, we can see that there are plenty of students who either choose not to pursue licensure or decide to practice in a different role of the architectural field or in a different field altogether. Upon graduation, Hunt worked at Synecdoche in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as a design/maker and now works at Morphosis in Los Angeles as a fabrication designer. You can even see her golden retriever, Rose, on the People page of Morphosis’ website.

Paige Russell (PR): How would you describe your role within the field of architecture?

Julia Hunt (JH): I have found that I work best at the material and fabrication scale in architecture. I enjoy the level of problem-solving utilizing both hands-on and digital tools to produce physical pieces. From Synecdoche to now Morphosis, I have worked with two translations of architecture’s relationship with materials. At Synecdoche, I worked on fabrication within the language of architecture through furniture or installations that lived within the overall design. Now at Morphosis, I am translating architecture into material through making models that represent the overall design.

PR: You were exposed to construction a lot growing up. How did that inspire you to go into the architectural world?

JH: I grew up making things, fortunately encouraged to tinker and explore ideas through making. I come from a family of craftsmen , carpenters, residential renovators, metal fabricators, etc. My father and grandfather were even woodshop teachers, so they taught me as I gained interest. I pursued architecture to apply the skills I learned to the physical world. However, I realized I was not well suited for the larger design scale of problem solving within the field. I found myself drawn back to making things and working at the smaller scale with materials in a hands-on way. Fabrication really affects what we interact with daily, what the public uses. Furniture, art installations, models; it’s all something people can touch and feel. So I think it is the tactile part of architecture that continues to fascinate me.

PR: When you started undergraduate studies at the University of Buffalo, were you planning on pursuing a career in fabrication?

Above University of Buffalo Sustainable Futures studio classmates in Costa Rica. This studio included the building of a playground for the local community.

JH: I was not really planning on that at the time. It kind of just kept popping up. The University of Buffalo (UB) has a strong focus in making because of how involved their fabrication workshop is within the architectural programs there. I was one of the student workers within the workshop, one of many that were trained and helped other students with their projects. We learned so much while working in the shop that it became second nature to bring that experience into the studio.

Up until college, all my experiences were with manual tools. The fabrication workshop at UB was my first true introduction into digital processes. So I started taking an interest in how I could combine this new knowledge with my former experience with manual fabrication. The project never just stops with the machine. There is always a level of finishing that requires a human touch. Adversely, the accuracy and speed of digital tools can work much faster than just one person in many ways.

The University of Buffalo does a tremendous job of encouraging students to study architecture in a hands-on way. Because it was ingrained in the culture, I feel it was a very non-threatening environment to learn. They fostered an environment in which I could grow my personal confidence in my skills but also sparked that interest in digital fabrication. That really led me to the University of Michigan so that I could explore design with digital tools further, such as robotics.

PR: What was your experience with robotics at the University of Michigan?

JH: I took a robotics course and pursued an independent study in robotics with Mark Meier. I was also introduced to Super Matter Tools by Wes McGee during my thesis studies, focused on concrete fabrication. During my thesis, we also attended the 2018 ACADIA [Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture] conference in Mexico City. This conference series explores digital tools such as robotics within the world of architecture. From new processes tested through clothing design to research into ways digital tools can aid environmental efforts.

PR: Do you think the university system encourages exploration in fabrication, or do you think you have to rely on a personal drive of wanting to learn about these processes to find those learning opportunities?

JH: It depends on the school, but I do think a personal drive is necessary to pursue the field. Architecture is a broad practice, but everyone can find their niche if they focus on it. At UB, fabrication and construction is prominent throughout the degree programs. Meanwhile University of Michigan has an outstanding digital lab, yet students have to fight for the fabrication classes that provide access to the machines. The heavy theoretical studios there also pushed me further away from the typical architectural practice. I was searching for ways to focus more on fabrication. Luckily, I was able to get into more fabrication classes and independent studies in my second year that allowed me to explore materials and even robotics. I fortunately got into the one fabrication thesis group available and had a thesis project testing limits of concrete casting and design. The opportunities were there, but I really had to be intentional with my own education and voice my want for that experience.

Above A digitally fabricated art installation, a collaboration between Detroit artist Mike Han and Synecdoche Design.

PR: My outlook on architectural education is that it teaches us to problem-solve in creative ways. Do you think your education in architecture helps you look at how fabrication can solve problems in a different way than someone without an architectural education?

JH: I think it is a good background as I continue to work in the field and work directly with architects. I understand the language and the overall design goals in mind. I can understand the whole scope of a project and find where my skills fit into the project’s lifespan. I believe it is beneficial for architects to study fabrication and do hands-on construction in order to better understand how materials and buildings go together. With students working in the Habitat for Humanity course at UB, they are able to physically rationalize wall positioning for plumbing, for example. On the other side, working with materials within

the overall design of architecture, it helps to understand the whole design to find what works.

I went into school very interested in the overall goals of the architectural practice, but I have really found that where I fit into that larger puzzle is just a bit different than the typical practitioner. I do not see myself ever going and pursuing licensure, which is something different than what I initially thought.

PR: What was your experience finding a fabrication-focused job? You had to really seek out opportunities during school. Was that like your experience when starting to look for a job?

JH: Falling into Synecdoche was really lucky. Lisa Suave and Adam Smith were coming in to speak at a seminar I was enrolled in one night. I wasn’t even planning on going to that class. I was hoping to stay in the studio and complete one more concrete cast but ended up attending after all. As soon as I saw how they were utilizing fabrication in design and how they helped to build up local small business through architecture, I was hooked. I practically chased them out of the room looking for a job. It is rare to find a firm like Synecdoche; not many jobs fit in that in-between fabrication and architecture.

PR: What drew you to Morphosis?

JH: Morphosis also has its own shop as a part of their architecture studio. The fabrication team is slightly larger with both full-time employees and interns. I thought the opportunity to work within a larger team while also training interns was well suited to grow my skills as a team member, leader, and educator. I also find it helpful to learn from as many sources as possible, and moving to the Morphosis team allowed me to explore my skills within another facet of fabrication in architecture.

PR: Do you think that your father being in construction and being a shop teacher played into your want to be an educator as well as your interest in fabrication?

JH: I think my grandfather and my father both being educators in woodworking did play a big role in my interest in fabrication. They fortunately had no problems teaching me as a female alongside my brother. And the learning environment they fostered allowed me to build my confidence as a maker before interacting with any biases within the field or in other levels of education. The way they described things and instilled the confidence to make what is in your head a reality is something I want to pass on. Allowing people to grow confidence in themselves in a field such as fabrication allows them to be masters of their own domain and solve problems in the world around them, from hanging a shelf to renovating their own home.

PR: Construction is a very male-dominated field. Your father fostered a very supportive learning environment for you, though. What has your experience been as a female now that you yourself are in the industry and toeing that line between architecture and construction?

JH: Unfortunately, people tend to underestimate women in the field. Finding female mentors along the way became very important to me. I was recommended to work at the UB fabrication workshop by a female mentor of mine that saw my experience and skills with constructing molds and casting concrete during one of my freshman studios. Working alongside her in the woodshop, we often faced faculty members and students that would go and ask the male students instead of us. I became the student shop manager, and even then, my knowledge went unrecognized by some. One of my good friends worked in the shop with me, and men generally would go and ask him questions first. At the time, he was new to the shop and still developing his skills. More often than not, he would come and ask me the answer. It took years for some of these men to come and ask me their questions. In some ways, I have had a better experience in the professional world than during my education. At Synecdoche, our clients wanted to work with us for a reason and knew going in that we were a team of mostly women in a female-led firm under Lisa. Working in their team encouraged my confidence as a professional woman.

PR: What about age?

JH: There are a lot of people who think things should be done one way, and that’s their way, and we’re just the young ones who don’t know yet. Obviously, we have a lot to learn, but we also have a lot to give. Staying in an old mindset because it is the way things have always been is no way to move forward.

PR: Do you have any advice or want to pass something along to young women interested in architecture or fabrication?

JH: It is the confidence I was instilled with that I want to teach. If you have the confidence that you can do it and just take the time to attempt it and learn from it, we would all be a bit better off. Knowledge of tools and methods comes with time and a variety of instructors. If you have the desire to learn, never accept someone telling you no just because you’re a woman. Finding mentors that foster your growth no matter who you are can be trial and error, but it is so worth it in the end. Architecture should be an inclusive field because we are all housed in these spaces we design. No group should be excluded from exploring architecture or fabrication since it affects everyone. I strive to empower all people, especially women, to become masters of their own domain and feel like they can change the world around them.

Paige Russell, AIA

Russell is an architect in the education studio at Corgan in Dallas. She serves on the AIA Dallas emerging professionals and education outreach committees and in her A4LE chapter.