Feature photograph courtesy of Justin Brazier, AIA
The Architecture program at the South Dakota State University School of Design will host its last installment in the 2025-2026 speaker series early next month. The lecture series hopes to bring students, practitioners, and creatives together in a continuing dialog about the state’s unique design culture in a special place that unites educators, students, and community members.
Programs are free and open to the public.
On Thursday, March 5, the featured guest will be Justin Brazier, AIA, a lecturer and researcher with the Urban Risk Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Planning in Boston. He is a Haitian-American architect and MIT alum whose projects range from large-scale affordable housing to urban agricultural gardens. Brazier’s main interests lie in sustainable architecture, housing, food security, and cultural spaces for historically underrepresented and underserved urban communities.
One such example of that work is a portable community kitchen, pictured above. These prototypes were deployed across the Mattapan and Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston. The project was a collaboration with local stakeholders including urban famers, designers, and community organizations. The kitchens made inventive use of plywood, stainless steel, and off-the-shelf elements. Inclusive programming encouraged engagement and social interaction around gathering to source, prepare, and share meals together.
Program: “Applied Practice: Impacting Community” with Justin Brazier, AIA, of MIT’s Urban Risk Lab
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5
Where: Auditorium inside the South Dakota Art Museum, 1036 Medary Avenue in Brookings (on the SDSU campus)
Cost: Free and open to the public
Justin completed a Master of Architecture at MIT. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2018 where he was awarded the Academic and Community Leadership Award by the Department of Architecture. Before attending MIT, Justin worked as an architectural designer with Munich-based Leupold Brown Goldbach Architects and with Bruner/Cott Architects in Boston.
Justin’s visit follows two excellent presentations this past fall.
Brian Vitale
On Oct. 16, 2025, SDSU Architecture hosted Brian Vitale from Gensler Chicago. He had incredible insights into designs and concepts with sophomore studio students. Vitale reviewed student projects that designed residences within a composition of shapes: a cylinder, a cube, and a rectangular prism. The original compositions of shapes were created for aesthetic values, without regard for their functional uses. The challenge of the design problem was to apply residential functionality into these volumes and make them habitable. It was truly a fun series of discussions along with AIA SD members Jeff Nelson, AIA, and Matt Edwards, Assoc. AIA.
The conversation moved quickly from the review into a lecture format where Brian shared many thoughts about “Shifting Perspectives”. He used several pieces of artwork and how their creators have shifted perspective and people’s understanding of it.
Vitale went on to describe how this way of thinking through a shifted perspective has inspired a series of six projects in significant ways. It was amazing to hear the inner workings of some interesting projects and their development. It was a great lecture that gave guests and students a new view of design from a true master.
Wyly Brown, AIA
On Oct. 27, 2025, SDSU Architecture hosted Wyly Brown from St. Louis, Mo. Wyly regaled attendees with stories of building explorations with bamboo, of all things—one of the most plentiful materials in the world. He spoke of building trusses and how the material may eventually transform the lightweight building industry, making buildings that are cost effective even if only temporary. He also talked about other endeavors around the world to bring alternative approaches to the Midwest. On top of all of that, he was very entertaining, challenging everyone’s thinking about building material assumptions that people make every day.
As a whole, the range of topics and expertise in the 2025-2026 series helps build the South Dakota design culture ever stronger.
Please plan to attend this academic year’s final program, on March 5!
