I recently had a lovely conversation with Caroline McMillan Portillo of the Charlotte Observer about the historical roots of the reuse of railways cars in contemporary architecture. Portillo was especially interested in the architectural firm that had completed work for the Democratic National Convention last year. We spoke about the historical integration of wartime materials and assembly processes in postwar housing, the rise of sustainability as a motivation for reuse in architecture, the aesthetic reinterpretation of older industrial fabric in aging cities… All stuff that an architecture geek would love!

Of course, very little of that stuff actually made it into the story.

But it was definitely instructive to speak with someone outside of academia about architecture. It makes me realize what people actually hear when I talk about my subject. (Most of it having to do with the branding of contemporary architecture.) I wonder if this is how my students understand me when I speak?

You can check out the story in the Charlotte Observer here.