Care is Choreography

Shaping the next generation of buildings in our built environment requires an ethical underpinning, a new perspective towards resources. Mattaforma approaches this call-to-action through an unabashedly multi-scalar architectural and material sensibility. From site strategies spanning hundreds of acres to curation, drawing, and kitchens, Lindsey Wikstrom considers material choice combined with the articulation of space to be one of the greatest levers we have in bringing humans closer to nature. It’s the moment we actively eliminate carbon from our palette, and forge new relationships. In this lecture, she will walk through a selection of projects, physical and nonphysical, communal and personal, big and small, that highlight this approach, all of which are dedicated to improving the health of the forest, the building occupants, and everyone in between. 

Architect Lindsey Wikstrom is the founding partner of Mattaforma. Her forward-thinking work weaves together ideas of care, ecosystems, and the positive influence that design can have in society. 

Intertwined with built work, Lindsey speaks publicly, publishes, and exhibits her research. Most notably her acclaimed book Designing the Forest and Other Mass Timber Futures (2023), published by Routledge, with foreword by Kenneth Frampton; along with opinion pieces and scientific articles regarding the trajectory of forestry and biogenic materials for urban use. She was also the organizer and moderator of Material Worlds, a speaker series hosted by MoMA’s Emilio Ambasz Institute which invited experts from around the world to envision the future of the most ubiquitous materials on earth. Most recently, the research was exhibited at The New York Skyscraper Museum and University of Texas at Austin. 

Lindsey has taught at Columbia GSAPP, Cornell AAP, Syracuse University, and Yale School of Architecture. She holds an M.Arch from Columbia University, where she was awarded the Charles McKim Prize, Visualization Award, and Avery 6 Award. Lindsey is also the recipient of the SOM Prize.

Q&A

If we opened your fridge, what would we find?

We are an ingredient household, so to my disappointment, there are no fast snacks except pickled herring from a jar, yogurt with chia and flax, cheese sticks, and toast with vegemite. There are always some great leftovers though because we cook a lot at once to last us a couple days. Right now, this includes homemade chicken soup, meatballs, broccoli, acorn squash, fried plantains, and a dutch baby. 

How do you take your coffee? I am addicted to a well sourced Flat White

What is your news source? A combination of WNYC and John Oliver

What was your first job? BIM manager when I was in high school, Revit 2004

Outside of your own work, what is your strongest architectural experience?

In 2017, I had the opportunity to travel for the SOM Prize. During four months, I stayed inside some of the most beautiful housing projects around the world including Walden 7, Seidlung Halen, Fujian Tulou, and Etoiles des Renaudie to name a few. These experiences changed my perspective on the geometry, material, and lighting of communal and reflective spaces forever.