by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

Summary: Antoine Predock, FAIA, was the design speaker at the 2009 AIA Ohio Valley Region Convention October 1-3. Members from AIA Kentucky, AIA Ohio, and AIA Indiana gathered for the AIA Ohio Valley Region Convention in Covington, Ky., at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

Predock, who received the 2006 AIA Gold Medal, has been described as designing buildings that fit with the natural surroundings. John Rogers, AIA, AIA Ohio Valley regional director and national 2010 treasurer-elect says that Predock’s presentation at the AIA Ohio Valley Region Convention was powerful. “It was a great presentation on design that challenges our iconic and intellectual connection to architecture and our ability to design for cultures,” Rogers says. “You don’t always get an opportunity to hear a Gold Medalist talk or try to convince you of things that they believe in.”

Rogers says that Predock “pushed us very hard” to try to understand the genesis of designing for cultures. “I do work in China, and you learn early they base how they see things or how they feel about things on where it comes from and what it represents. Some people would call it context, but I think it is deeper than that because it goes deeper into the culture and what that means. To me, he pushed us out of our comfort zone. I think when he got done with the presentation, most everybody realized: ‘Wow, this is just incredible.’”

Although some of the projects in Predock’s presentation have not been built, Rogers says that they still struck a nerve that took the audience beyond preconceived ideas of architecture and buildings. “It was more about what you create as part of people’s lives that changes the way they think about things or enhances what they do and where they are. It was incredible,” Rogers enthuses.

Rogers was on the AIA Board that voted for Predock for the 2006 AIA Gold Medal. “His designs are very compelling,” he says “He’s stretching our technology and our thinking. It takes you to a whole other place that is just wonderful. He is good at pushing you towards something you hadn’t thought about.”