Karen Bausman
Encyclopedia
Karen Bausman is an American
architect
. Educated at The Cooper Union
for the Advancement of Science and Art, from which she graduated in 1982, Bausman has since held the Eliot Noyes Chair at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
, and the Eero Saarinen Chair at Yale School of Architecture
, Yale University
, the only woman to hold both chairs. She is principal of Karen Bausman + Associates, an architecture firm located in New York City
.
, replaces a bleak parking lot in the center of its Burbank campus with flexible stage and amphitheater spaces for use by the entertainment community. "It springs from the ground in a way that is expressive of the expansive new ideas embodied by the company's roster of performing artists," she said when accepting the prestigious Progressive architecture award
for the theater's design.
This commission and other works that push the boundaries of structural and visual poetry formed the basis of Karen Bausman: Supermodels, a solo exhibition of her building designs and working methods at Harvard University in 2001.
, Cooper Union's influential dean who revolutionized architectural education in the United States and encouraged independent research. Her thesis project, One-Way Bridge, was featured in Education of an Architect, published by Rizzoli International Publications in 1988.
With an ongoing commitment to the field of architectural research and education, Bausman was a faculty member of Columbia University
's School of Architecture's Advanced Architectural Design Studio (AAD) from 1990 to 2004, a theoretical powerhouse during the exciting time when the design studio was radically altered by digital visualization, the introduction of new materials, and the integration of digital with analog production. Her applied research into biological and other natural structures, together with computational design techniques she developed are featured in INDEX Architecture, a Columbia
GSAPP book published by MIT Press
in 2003.
In 1994 Bausman was awarded the Rome Prize
at a White House ceremony. She was awarded the Cooper Union Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Architecture in that same year. In 1995 she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome
.
Bausman was the subject of a 2005 New York Times profile after her firm was awarded a multiyear Design and Construction Excellence contract as part of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s initiative to bring new ideas and technologies to the design of city-financed libraries, community centers, and other structures in New York. Among Bausman's interior design projects are award-winning New York headquarters for her private clients Warner Bros.
and Elektra Entertainment Group. She has also built numerous private residences.
Bausman lectures on her work and on architecture at universities nationwide and as a TV commentator, most recently on Secrets of New York – Secrets in the Sky: The Towers of Gotham, the 2007 New York Emmy Award
winning program airing on PBS stations across the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Educated at The Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
for the Advancement of Science and Art, from which she graduated in 1982, Bausman has since held the Eliot Noyes Chair at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and the Eero Saarinen Chair at Yale School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. It is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world.- History :...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, the only woman to hold both chairs. She is principal of Karen Bausman + Associates, an architecture firm located in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Architectural works
Bausman's study of nature's sustainable structures - a bird's nest, for example - and her research into biological composite systems, such as the surface and structure of a rose bloom, underlie her dynamic and widely published building designs. Suggesting unfolding flower petals Performance Theater, which was designed as a hybrid performance venue for Warner Bros. in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, replaces a bleak parking lot in the center of its Burbank campus with flexible stage and amphitheater spaces for use by the entertainment community. "It springs from the ground in a way that is expressive of the expansive new ideas embodied by the company's roster of performing artists," she said when accepting the prestigious Progressive architecture award
Progressive architecture award
The Progressive Architecture Awards annually recognise risk-taking practitioners and promote progress itself in the field of architecture. The editors of Progressive Architecture magazine hosted the first Progressive Architecture Award jury in 1954. In 1996, the magazine folded and the venue was...
for the theater's design.
This commission and other works that push the boundaries of structural and visual poetry formed the basis of Karen Bausman: Supermodels, a solo exhibition of her building designs and working methods at Harvard University in 2001.
Education
The earliest and most lasting influence on her expanding thoughts about art and architecture, according to Bausman, was John HejdukJohn Hejduk
John Quentin Hejduk , was an American architect, artist and educator who spent much of his life in New York City, USA...
, Cooper Union's influential dean who revolutionized architectural education in the United States and encouraged independent research. Her thesis project, One-Way Bridge, was featured in Education of an Architect, published by Rizzoli International Publications in 1988.
With an ongoing commitment to the field of architectural research and education, Bausman was a faculty member of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's School of Architecture's Advanced Architectural Design Studio (AAD) from 1990 to 2004, a theoretical powerhouse during the exciting time when the design studio was radically altered by digital visualization, the introduction of new materials, and the integration of digital with analog production. Her applied research into biological and other natural structures, together with computational design techniques she developed are featured in INDEX Architecture, a Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
GSAPP book published by MIT Press
MIT Press
The MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts .-History:...
in 2003.
In 1994 Bausman was awarded the Rome Prize
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists and to 15 scholars The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists...
at a White House ceremony. She was awarded the Cooper Union Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Architecture in that same year. In 1995 she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
.
Bausman was the subject of a 2005 New York Times profile after her firm was awarded a multiyear Design and Construction Excellence contract as part of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s initiative to bring new ideas and technologies to the design of city-financed libraries, community centers, and other structures in New York. Among Bausman's interior design projects are award-winning New York headquarters for her private clients Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Elektra Entertainment Group. She has also built numerous private residences.
Bausman lectures on her work and on architecture at universities nationwide and as a TV commentator, most recently on Secrets of New York – Secrets in the Sky: The Towers of Gotham, the 2007 New York Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning program airing on PBS stations across the United States.
Awards and honors
- Elliot Noyes Chair, Harvard University Graduate School of Design / 2001
- Progressive Architecture Award for Design Excellence / 1998
- Rome Prize, American Academy in Rome / 1994
- Eero Saarinen Chair, YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
School of Architecture, Yale University / 1994 - Cooper Union Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Architecture / 1994
- Emerging Voices, Architectural League of New York / 1992
- New York Foundation for the ArtsNew York Foundation for the ArtsThe New York Foundation for the Arts was created in conjunction the in 1971. The organization gives grants to individual artists and writers and developing arts organizations with a mission to '.'-NYFA's Programs:...
Fellowship / 1988, 1996
Major building designs
- Performance Theater for Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(P/A Award 1998) - Hamlin Chapel and Library (ArchitectureArchitecture (magazine)Originally titled Journal of the American Institute of Architects from January 1944 through 1951, the magazine changed its name to The American Institute of Architects Journal. After publication of the AIA Journal ended in August 1976, then followed Architecture magazine...
Awards Issue) - Korean Memorial and Cultural Center (Karen Bausman: "Supermodels" Exhibit, Harvard GSD)
- Flower Tower