Join UMKC in conjunction with AIA Kansas City for the Kivett Seligson Lecture with Eric Höweler of Höweler + Yoon.
Höweler's lecture is titled: Verify in Field.
The acronym VIF, or verify in field, is a notational convention on architectural drawings, alerting the builder that conditions in the field may differ from what appears on the drawings, and that further verification is necessary. The notation acknowledges the contingencies of construction and the limits of architectural representation. It also speaks volumes about disciplinary questions, the scope and authority of drawings, and the interactions necessary between concept and construction. In our practice, we use the terms "verification" and "field" to illuminate the design processes that we undertake in our work at different scales, from the detail to the urban scale. Eric Höweler will present a range of projects using Verify in Field as a lens to understand the work and how it fits into a broader cultural context.
About Eric Höweler
Eric Höweler, FAIA, LEED AP, is an architect, designer, and educator. He is co-founding partner of Höweler + Yoon and Professor in Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he is the Program Director for the Masters of Architecture Program. Höweler’s design work and research focuses on building technology integration and material systems. His projects range from cultural buildings and mixed-use residential buildings, to public spaces and interactive environments. Recently completed projects include the MIT Museum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre expansion. Höweler's work has been exhibited widely, including at the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City, and the Venice Biennale. He is the co-author of Expanded Practice (Princeton Architectural Press 2009), Verify In Field: Projects and Conversations Höweler + Yoon (Park Books, 2021), and author of the forthcoming Design for Construction: The Tectonic Imagination in Contemporary Architecture (Routledge 2025).
About Höweler + Yoon
Höweler + Yoon is a creative studio committed to transformational impact in the built environment and design excellence across multiple scales. Led by Eric Höweler FAIA and J. Meejin Yoon AIA, FAAR, the studio has built a reputation for work that is research-driven, socially engaged, and formally innovative. Their work asks how design can produce a sense of place, create sustainable solutions, bring communities together, and support institutional missions.
Based in Boston, Höweler + Yoon (WBE, MBE) is a dedicated group of 20+ architects, designers, and researchers working across the U.S. and abroad. Notable recent commissions include the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, the Weitzman Theatre at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo at the Richardson Olmsted Campus.
The practice has been recognized with numerous awards including: the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Design Vanguard Award, the Emerging Voices Award by the Architecture League, Progressive Architecture Awards, as well as several national and local AIA awards and honors.
About the Lecture
AIA Kansas City and UMKC teamed together to bring Eric Höweler in for this lecture series. Höweler is serving as one of the jurors for the AIA Kansas City Design Awards. After the lecture at UMKC on October 23, Höweler will be speaking at the AIA Kansas City Design Excellence Awards Program on October 24.
Parking Details
Parking is available in the Cherry Street Parking Structure, Floors 5 & 6
5005 Oak Street, Kansas City Missouri 64110
Free parking will be provided during event (5:30 - 7:30)