135: Rammed Earth Construction | Museum of West African Art (MOWAA)

In this bonus episode of Detailed, we share a LIVE conversation from the 2025 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in Boston, MA.Cherise is joined by Paige Pelton, Architecture Design Specifications Representative at Johns Manville. They emphasize the critical focus and precision required to meet exact design specifications when manufacturing commercial roofing, high-quality insulation, and a range of engineered products.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media.  Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this bonus episode of Detailed, we share a LIVE conversation from the 2025 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in Boston, MA.Cherise is joined by Charles Haba, President of Telling Industries. Charles highlights the production of their metal framing products designed for both interior and exterior commercial construction.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media.  Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Sean Ronnie Hill from RISE Design Studio, a London and Barcelona-based architecture practice dedicated to low-energy design and thoughtful, human-centred spaces. They discuss two projects with a focus on low energy design, low carbon technologies and Passivehouse principles. Those two projects are The Herbert Paradise home and The Lexi Cinema Hub, both in Kensal Rise, London.You can see the project here as you listen along.Nestled in the heart of Kensal Rise, North West London, the Herbert Paradise House is a striking transformation of a 1930s mid-terrace property, and a former car park has been transformed into a vibrant new addition to The Lexi — the city’s only social enterprise cinema. Designed by RISE Design Studio, the Herbert Paradise House and The Lexi Cinema and Hub are small but powerful examples of how architecture can support both community and sustainability through Passivehaus principles.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Paul Clayton, Principal, and Sky Currie, Associate at Clayton Korte in their Austin, Texas office. Clayton Korte also has an office in San Antonio, Texas. They discuss the Cosmic Saltillo restaurant and bar in East Austin.You can see the project here as you listen along.In the heart of East Austin, where rail lines once delivered petroleum to a pair of early 20th-century warehouses, a new kind of energy now flows. Cosmic Saltillo, the second outpost of Cosmic Coffee & Beer, has converted these long-abandoned structures through historic preservation into a lush, all-day retreat—equal parts bar, café, garden, and urban oasis. If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Ryan Jang, AIA, Principal at Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects in San Francisco, California. They discuss the Walker Hall Graduate Student Center at the University of California, Davis .You can see the project here as you listen along.Walker Hall at UC Davis is a striking example of adaptive reuse, transforming a vacant 1927 agricultural engineering building into a vibrant center for graduate and professional students. Once seismically unsafe and underused, the 34,000 square foot structure now anchors the campus core as a hb for learning, collaboration, and community.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Stefan Behnisch, Founder of Behnisch Architekten with offices in Stuttgart, Boston, Munich and Weimar. They discuss the Action Sports Center in München-Pasing, in Munich, Germany. You can see the project here as you listen along.To respond to the rising demand for spaces dedicated to self-organized extreme sports, the City of Munich launched the Action Sports Center—an inclusive venue designed hand-in-hand with future users. From the early planning stages, skaters, BMX riders, and other community members worked alongside the Department of Education and Sports to shape a space that truly reflects their needs.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Emily Ray, AIA, Project Architect at Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago and AIA Chicago 2024 Dubin Family Young Architect Award winner. They discuss the Broadway Youth Center Project, also in Chicago.You can see the project here as you listen along.Planted in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, just steps from the Sheridan Red Line station, the Broadway Youth Center (BYC) stands as a safe and welcoming space for the city’s LGBTQIA+ youth. Operated by Howard Brown Health and built with a trauma-informed design, this five-story, brick-clad building is more than just a healthcare facility—it’s a home, a haven, and a symbol of community care.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Ken Faulkner, Associate Principal at Adjaye Associates in their Accra, Ghana office. Adjaye has offices in New York, London, and Accra. They discuss the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Nigeria.You can see the project here as you listen along.Tucked within the historic moats of Benin City, Nigeria, the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Institute emerges as a contemporary landmark deeply grounded in tradition. Built from rammed earth and other locally sourced materials, this low-lying, thoughtfully designed structure marks the first chapter of MOWAA’s ambitious Creative Campus. It stands as both a pioneering example of sustainable architecture and a tribute to the cultural legacy of the Benin Kingdom.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Robin Urquhart, Senior Consultant and Building Enclosure Engineer and Cameron Chorney, Senior Engineer at RDH Building Science. Due to recent events, they discuss a very real and critical subject - Wildfire Resistant Construction and Design. You can see the project here as you listen along.Wildfires pose a growing risk to buildings throughout North America, but wildfire resilience remains an overlooked aspect of building design. RDH is committed to strengthening wildfire-resistant construction through extensive testing, research, and partnerships with governments, industry leaders, and communities.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

In this episode, Cherise is joined by 2020 AIA Gold Medal recipient Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, Partner and Founder, and Meryati Blackwell, AIA, ASID, LEED AP, also a Partner at Marlon Blackwell Architects in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They discuss the Heartland Whole Health Institute in Bentonville, Arkansas.You can see the project here as you listen along.Located near the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, the new Heartland Whole Health Institute offers a space where wellness, creativity, and community come together. Opening in May 2025, the structure is shaped by the natural beauty of the Ozarks, with its flowing curves, native stone, and dramatic brise soleil or vertical fins echoing the region’s forested terrain and karst landscapes.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy