The third evening of the annual Emerging Voices lecture series features Eduardo Cadaval and Clara Solà-Morales of Cadaval Solà-Morales; and Thomas F. Robinson of LEVER Architecture. Emerging Voices spotlights individuals and firms based in the United States, Canada, or Mexico with distinct design voices and the potential to influence the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urbanism. The lecture will be introduced by Lisa Gray

Cadaval & Solà-Morales was founded by Eduardo Cadaval and Clara Solà-Morales in 2003. Originally based in New York, the firm now operates from Mexico City and Barcelona. They view their practice as “an overlap between the three main fields within the discipline: theory, academy, and praxis,” which they feel permits them the opportunity to engage in research, expression, and application, respectively. Recent projects include Córdoba-ReUrbano, nine units of new apartment residences added to a historic building in Mexico City, and CH 139, a mixed-use project in Mexico City that incorporates residences, offices, and retail spaces within the preserved shell of a historic Spanish Colonial façade. In 2012, the firm completed a guesthouse for travelers in the Mexican town of Tepoztlán. Current projects include houses in Acapulco and Cancun and large-scale residential projects in Mexico City. Both principals currently teach at Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB). Cadaval and Solà-Morales received degrees from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cadaval in Urban Design and Solà-Morales in Architecture.

Thomas F. Robinson is the founding principal of LEVER Architecture, a Portland, Oregon-based firm established in 2009. The firm seeks to “create buildings and spaces that elevate the human experience.” They attempt to do so by bringing “architecture and innovation to often overlooked building types.” LEVER Architecture emphasizes the importance of material experimentation, including pioneering research in the use of cross-laminated-timber (CLT), and believes that “great work delivered with limited means requires precise architecture and a willingness to rethink how buildings are made.” The firm used locally-sourced poplar in the design of Union Way, a European-inspired retail arcade that cuts through a city block to connect Portland’s Pearl District with its west end. For Pacific Northwest College of Art, LEVER Architecture built the school’s first purpose-built residence incorporating gallery, café, and public space. In 2018, the firm will complete a 12-story cross-laminated timber high rise in Portland bringing together affordable housing, office space, and retail. Robinson received his Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Lisa Gray is the founding principal and a partner at Gray Organschi Architecture in New Haven, Connecticut and is a partner in Gray Organschi’s Timber City project, an ongoing research initiative developing a comprehensive approach for incorporating mass timber construction into cities. She served on this year’s Emerging Voices committee.