John Locke, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Born in Los Angeles in 1980
Grew up in El Paso
Lives and works in New York City
With more than 15 years of experience as a professional architect working within a global software company, John has led cross-disciplinary teams working at the bleeding edge of technology deployment within the AEC industry. As a registered architect, he has an extensive background in developing significant, sustainable architectural works with a focus on learning spaces, the future of work, and adaptive re-use projects, all of which display a deep understanding between a project’s form, material, and urban context.
Most recently, he has managed the successful completion of the flagship Autodesk Research office in Toronto, as well as the AIA award-winning Princeton University Laboratory for Embodied Computation. John has experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders across a range of fields to all work togegther toward a shared goal. He is currently applying these techniques toward project including a low-cost, low-tech sustainable healthcare facility in Western Africa, as well as new, generalizable technology approaches for a net-zero-carbon, multi-unit housing development in California.
John holds a graduate architecture degree from Columbia University in New York where he was awarded the William Ware Prize for Excellence in Design. At Columbia, he is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor where his research focuses on the political and social implications of public design. His courses have actively engaged in the process of public, collective design-build projects that empower our future architects to claim a more active role as members of their city and communities.
His work has been recognized by The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Wired, and many others.
EDUCATION
2008-2009
2000-2005
Columbia University, New York, NY. Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. Bachelor of Architecture. Minor in Art History
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2014-now
2013-2014
2011-2013
2009-2011
2004-2008
Autodesk, New York, New York
Manager, Sr. Principal Research Scientist, located within the Research division of the CTO
I manage an agile research team exploring the intersection of AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations) and technology.
Our work manifests future approaches through:
physical, built demonstrations; scientific and academic papers; as well as the development
of next generation software workflows.
Built Work:
+Hy-Fi, Museum of Modern Art PS1, Long Island City, Queens. 2014 (see: Mycelium Brick in the MoMA Collection)
+Embodied Computation Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. 2016
+Toronto Autodesk MaRS Discovery District, Toronto, Ontario. 2017
+Alive, Biennale Architettura 2021, Venice, Italy. 2021
In Progress:
+Maternal Center of Excellence, Kono, Sierra Leone. 2020
+Net Zero Affordable Housing. Oakland, California. 2022
The Living, New York, New York
A cutting edge start-up working at the intersection of design, biology, and technology. Acquired by Autodesk in 2014.
Rogers Marvel Architects, New York, New York
Project Architect
Built Work:
+Sandridge Commons, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Design architect from schematic design through
the end of construction of the Braniff Building, an adaptive re-use project
and a component of Sandridge Energy Commons, a multi-block master plan in the heart of Oklahoma City that
encompasses
multiple buildings and city blocks. Outdoor civic space is given
primacy to link employees and the community among a public
space enlivened with
native, eco-regional landscapes in the city. The project was awarded a 2012 AIA
National Award
for Regional & Urban Design among others.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York, New York
Project Designer, focus on academic projects within the Education Lab
Built Work:
+The New School University Center, New York, New York
I was an project designer on the New School from
concept design through construction documents on a 354,000 sf
University Center for the New School near Union Square. Program elements
include new academic spaces, an auditorium
for public programs, a servery, a
cafe, a central university library, and a 612-bed dormitory. The project was
LEED Gold
Certified and completed in 2013.
Randall Stout Architects, Los Angeles, California
Project Designer, focus on computational design, advanced NURBS, and design for manufacturing
Built Work:
+Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
I specialized in design, 3-D modeling, drawing
production and enclosure details from project inception and competition-
winning
entry until end of construction documents phase on an 80,000-square-foot
museum. Main responsibilities
included the precise design of curvilinear
geometry elements while generating ideas and coordinating with DeSimone
Structural Engineers and A. Zahner metal cladding to ensure integrity of design
and fabrication aspects of the project.
Project completed in January 2010.
+Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia
During the Schematic and Design Development phases I
was tasked with digital design, geometry refinement for ease of
fabrication,
and graphic content. Project built in November 2008.
Competitions:
+ Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, Michigan
I was primary designer and led a team of four, meeting
tight design and presentation deadlines in an international
competition for a
50,000-square-foot museum at Michigan State University.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2011-now
2009-2010
2008-2009
Columbia University, New York, New York
Courses:
A course instigating and investigating unsolicited
urban interventions in New York City. Students are taught to self-
initiate
and identify a problem statement relating to the urban environment, and then
manifest a possible solution
through a public, physical object, while
confronting the myriad issues associated with that decision.
A hands-on, full-scale fabrication course that explores the capability for architectural environments to evolve and grow
over time in an unconstrained manner. Students design and build a shade structure that incorporates research in to recycled
materials, bioclimatic design, post-occupancy evaluation, and material detailing.
Assistant Studio Critic
+Advanced Architecture Studio VI, Studio Title: Cryptoform, Polytics, Noise: Taking the Post-Empire Pulse
I co-taught a third year design studio led by Ed Keller. The studio included a hands-on learning environment via travel to Istanbul and Berlin.
Teaching Assistant
+Intro To Digital Fabrication + Advanced Fabrication: Component Systems
I assisted with student projects, conducted software and machine
tutorials, and pursued research into materials and
structural analysis. I
also held weekly lab hours in the digital fabrication shop using the cnc
router, metal mill and
waterjet among other tools.
SELECTED AWARDS
2019
2018
2017
2015
2015
2014
2014
2014
2015
2014
2014
2014
2012
2011
2009
2009
2009
2007
Princeton University Embodied Computation Laboratory awarded an AIA NY Architecture Merit Award (with The Living)
Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize.Emerge awards finalist project given to Princeton University Embodied Computation Laboratory (with The Living)
Emerging Professionals Exhibit Award by the American Institute of Architects
Research Paper:
Adapt or Die! A Selection of Opportunistic Work in NYC selected for inclusion in the Fall 2015 ASCA Conference: Between the Autonomous &
Contingent Object hosted by Syracuse University School of Architecture
Hy-Fi at MoMA PS1 awarded a LaFarge Holcim Foundation global finalist award for zero carbon emission structure (with The Living)
Selected as one of 19 artists to participate in Jamaica Flux 2016.
Hy-Fi at MoMA PS1 awarded an AIA New York Project Honor Award (with The Living)
The New School University Center recognized for sustainble innovation and awarded an AIA Top 10 Award from the Comittee on the Environment (with SOM)
The New School University Center awarded an AIA NY Chapter Merit Award (with SOM)
Winner of the New York City Barrier Beautification Competition sponsored by the NYC Dept of Transportation:
Dancing in the Rain: Painted along 200' of concrete barriers at 36th and 9th Ave in Manhattan
Work exhibited on Governor's Island as part of the Spontaneous Interventions Exhibit organized by the Trust for Governors Island
Exhibited as part of the United States Pavilion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale:
Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good
Sandridge Energy Commons in Oklahoma City wins AIA National Honor Award (with RogersMarvel Architects)
Pay Phone / Share Book shortlisted for the GO11 Award for Alternate Urban Use Award
Recipient of the William Ware Prize for Excellence in Design / Saul Kaplan Traveling Fellowship -
The highest Honor Award given by Columbia University GSAPP for design work
Awarded the Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize
Awarded for the best final semester design problem in each studio section
Represented Columbia at the AIA Center for Architecture, ARCH SCHOOLS: VISIONS OF THE FUTURE exhibit
Global Panopticon, studio critic Ed Keller
Process and Promise of a New Museum, Exhibit of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, with Randall Stout Architects
FELLOWSHIPS
2009
2005
Granted a school-wide William Kinne Traveling Fellowship:
I spent six weeks and over 4,000 miles researching and
documenting land art as well as quick, informal urbanism
throughout the desert
of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Areas that were investigated
included Juarez
Settlements, the El Paso-Juarez border, White Sands Missile Range, Spiral Jetty, The Titan Missile Museum, Tijuana
maquiladores, The Lightning Field, Arcosanti and Double Negative amongst many others. Final deliverables included a
30,000-word research paper and collection of photography, maps and
ephemera.
Undergraduate Research and Travel Fellowship from the University of Texas Co-Op Society
INTERVIEWS
2022
2019
2018
2018
2016
2013
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
Interview, Bloomberg. "The Hotel Industry's Carbon Lie" July 19, 2022
Quoted, Mel Magazine. "How Much Is My Piss Worth?" Apr 9, 2019
Quoted, NBC News. "World's first brick made of urine requires a lot of it" Nov 28, 2018
BIM Thoughts Podcast. Episode 96: "Project Discover" Jan 21, 2018
AIA New Jersey. "New Direction in Pop Up Architecture" Red Bank, New Jersey. Aug 8, 2016
The Atlantic Cities. "New York Could Get a Classroom Inside a Dumpster" Oct 16, 2013
The New York Times. "Superman, Grab a Book." September 8, 2012
Inside the Phoenix Podcast, a conversation with John Locke by Warren Wade Anderson. December 2, 2012
WKCR 89.9, Columbia University Radio Arts Program. November 19, 2012
A Conversation with John Locke. National Endowment for the Arts, Big Read Blog." October 24, 2012
World Literature Today. Turning Urban Obsolescence into Community Connection: A Conversation with John Locke July 2012
The Atlantic Cities. "How New York Pay Phones Became Guerrilla Libraries." Feb 21, 2012
New York Daily News. "New York Architect John Locke Brings Books to a Pay Phone Stand Near You." Feb 28, 2012
SPEAKING
2023
2023
2022
2022
2022
2022
2021
2021
2021
2020
2020
2020
2019
2019
2019
2018
2017
2017
2017
2017
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Panel Presentation and Q&A: "AI and the role of AEC." Washington D.C., December 7, 2023
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Planned and spoke at a joint Stanford and Autodesk Research Symposium on Sustainable Construction. Palo Alto, November 10, 2023
NCARB International Roundtable. Panel Presentation and Q&A: "Vision of AEC Practice in 5-10 Years." Virtual, December 14, 2022
NCARB 2022 Annual Business Meeting. Panel Keynote and Q&A: "The Future of Health, Safety, and Welfare in AEC." Austin, Texas, June 4-5, 2022
Autodesk TechX, Annual Reviewed Research Conference. Talk Presented: "Landing a Moonshot." Atlanta, Georgia, May 4-5, 2022
Invited Speaker at Washington University in St. Louis, Environmental Systems Course, Lecture Title: "But What Is The Question." Online. April, 2022
NCARB Futures Task Force. Title: "The Interface Between Technology and Sustainability." (Advisory Lecture and Q&A) Online. November, 2021
Invited Speaker at Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, Lecture Title: "John Locke: Intro to Design for Sustainability: Design + Environmental Analysis." Online. October, 2021
Invited Guest Critic at Columbia GSAPP, Harvard GSD, Texas Tech El Paso
Core Team for "Autodesk Future of AEC Symposium Retrospective." AEC in a Post-Covid world and other key industry takeaways. Virtual Conference. September 9-10, 2020
Invited Guest Talk at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Course: Thermal Monocoques: An Energy Systems Laboratory. Title: "Thermal Comfort and Energy Simulation Analysis in Western Africa" Online.
CTBUH New York Future Leaders Committee. Panelist - Takeaways from WFH: How the AEC Industry is Dealing with Remote Working. Online. April 9, 2020
Core Team Organizer for "Autodesk Future of AEC Symposium." Brought together thought leaders in industry and academia for a series of talks and participatory workshops. Boston, Massachusetts. August 9-11, 2019
Architecture_Media_Politics_Society: Education, Design and Practice - Understanding Skills in a Complex World. Design for the Many: Fabricating Urban Installations with Collaborative Community Partners (Abstract)(Lecture) Stevens Institute, New Jersey. June 18, 2019
NCARB Futures Task Force. Title: "Future of Design Technology within AEC" (Lecture and Q&A) Austin, Texas. February, 2019
AIA Kentucky Keynote Work and Research of The Living Lexington, Kentucky. Oct 18, 2018
COO Roundtable Event (included COO's of Major Architectural Offices): "Generative Design for Architecture" Minneapolis, MI. Sep 10, 2018
CanBim. BIM: What’s Around The Bend? Or BIM Version 3.0 Calgary, Alberta. Jun 28, 2017
CanBim. Autodesk Toronto Tour and Discussion Toronto, Ontario. Sept 28, 2017
Elevate Toronto. "What's Next for Tech and Design" Sept 12, 2017
AUTHORED PAPERS
2017
2015
SimAUD 2017 Conference proceedings: Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design.
Project Discover: An application of generative design for architectural space planning. [PDF]
Conference proceedings: Design Modeling Symposium
Computational Brick Stacking for Constructing Free-Form Structures. [PDF]
SELECTED MENTIONS
2017
2016
2016
2015
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
Wired Magazine "If an AI Doesn't Take Your Job, It Will Design Your Office" April 5, 2017
Jamaica Center Arts and Learning Museum "Jamaica Flux: Inflato Dumpster" April 26, 2016
Artnet "See New York’s Most Stunning Public Art Shows This Spring" April 5, 2016
Huck Magazine "Meet the creative nomads building new lives on the move" by Alex King Oct 19, 2015
Hyperallergic "Creating Community Space Inside a Dumpster" by Jillian Steinhauer Nov 21, 2014
The Pop-Up City. "Inflato Dumpster: Hacking Into New York’s Street Structures" by Orla Tiffney Dec 4, 2014
DesignBoom "NYC Dumpster Turned Inflatable Classroom for Urban Education" Nov 26, 2014
Columbia University Eye Arts Magazine. "How the Inflato Dumpster Installation Fosters Community and Improves the Urban Experience" Oct 22, 2014
The Trash Times "Have You Heard of the Inflato Dumpster?" Oct 1, 2014
FastCompanyDesign. "Architect Wants To Reclaim Public Space, One Dumpster At A Time" Oct 31, 2013
FastCompanyLabs. "The Future of Pop-Up Hackspaces Is... Dumpsters?" Oct 21, 2013
Architizer. "Can An Inflatable Pop-Up Dumpster Help NYC Residents Transform Their Neighborhoods?" Nov 1, 2013
Treehugger. "Presto, Inflato! Dumpsters to be reclaimed as "pop-up" public spaces in NYC" Nov 5, 2013
DesignBoom. "Inflato Dumpster Gives NYC a Blow-up Mobile Learning Lab." Oct 18, 2013
Gothamist. "One Day We Will All Live In Dumpsters." Oct 22, 2013
UntappedCities. "Inflato Dumpster: Turning a Dumpster into an Inflatable Classroom in NYC" Oct 16, 2013
New York Magazine. "Calling Urban-Design Geeks: John Locke Department of Urban Betterment." March 18, 2012
Good Magazine. "New York Designer Creates the Most Polished Phone Booth Library Yet" Sept 2012
DesignBoom. "Repurposed Phone Booth Library in NYC." Feb 17, 2012
Inhabitat. "Obsolete NYC Phone Booths Turned Into Free Mini Libraries by Architect John Locke." Feb 21, 2012
Architizer. "New York's Alternative Public Library." Feb 20, 2012
Gizmodo. "Phone Booths Reincarnated As Bookshelves Finally Make Phone Booths Useful." Feb 20, 2012
Treehugger. "Neglected New York City Phone Booths Converted into Communal Libraries." Feb 21, 2012
The Pop-Up City. "Parasite Library Re-Uses Old Pay Phones." Feb 24, 2012
UrbanShit. "Department of Urban Betterment." March 21, 2012
Women's Wear Daily. "Architect Reimagines Phone Booths as Book Swaps." March 1, 2012
The Columbia Spectator. "Architect Builds Library You're Meant to Talk In. April 19, 2012
La Presse (France). "Bibliothèques sauvages et urbanisme tactique…" March 6, 2012
Focus Magazine (Germany). "New Yorker Buch-Zelle." March 19, 2012
Aloterra magazine (Brazil). "Cabines Telefonicas de Nova York viram bibliotecas comunitarias." Feb. 24, 2012
XNET magazine (Israel). "Pulp Fiction, Book Now." Sept 19, 2012
PUBLICATIONS
2019
2016
2015
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2011
2010
2010
2010
2010
2009
Inflato Dumpster published in Bubbletecture: Inflatable Architecture and Design by Sharon Francis, published by Phaidon
Inflato Dumpster featured in Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things, published by Phaidon
Inflato Dumpster in The New Nomads: Temporary Spaces and a Life on the Move, published by Gestalten Press
Featured in Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities, published by The Museum of Modern Art
Published in The Death of Drawing: Architecture in the Age of Simulation, published by Routledge Press
Chapter in Community Lover's Guide, by Laura Billings
Featured in Tactical Urbanism 2, published by Street Plans Collaborative
Work published in Creaticity, printed by Kognitif Press
Cited in The Armchair Activists Handbook, by Ruth Stokes, printed by Silvertail Books. 2013
Pay Phone / Share Book published in By The City / For the City, Part of Urban Design Week 2011
Published in GSAPP Abstract 08-09
Portfolios and Website published in Designing a Digital Portfolio, Chapter 5 . John Locke: Left Brain Right Brain, by Cynthia Baron, New Riders Press.
Portfolios and Website published in Portfolio Design, Fourth Edition by Harold Linton
Graphic Design published in Presentation Techniques & Dialogues printed by Fairchild Press
Utah Bus Stop published in Design! by Celine Delavaux, printed by Palette Press
AFFILIATIONS
2014
2014
2011
2011
AIA American Institute of Architects - Manhattan Chapter
NCARB National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
US Green Building Council LEED® AP Building Design + Construction V3
Department of Urban Betterment
A group I founded in 2011 with over 400 current
members worldwide, the Department of Urban Betterment is a broad
cross-section
individuals from a variety of disciplines dedicated to the potential of design
to improve the urban experience.
Through a collaborative public forum and
interventions, we can reassert design's
potential and our role within it to reassert
architects into the
public consciousness as stewards of urban well-being.
FIND ME:
🛵Vespa'ing around Manhattan
🥾Hiking through West Texas, or
🏊🏻♂️Swimming in Zanzibar