Episode 14: The Importance of Affordable Social Housing with Top Architect, James Mary O’Connor. Pete Talks to Steve About the Global Movement to the Countryside.

Henry Interviews Top Architect James Mary O’Connor

Following one of our most important episodes to date, James Mary O’Connor, Principal-in-Charge at Moore Ruble Yudell, talks to Henry McDonald about the importance of affordable social housing and sustainability.

About James Mary O’Connor

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, James Mary O’Connor came to Charles Moore’s Master Studios at UCLA in 1982 as a Fulbright Scholar. James received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Trinity College in Dublin, his Diploma in Architecture from the Dublin Institute of Technology, and his Master of Architecture from UCLA.

As Principal-in-Charge of Moore Ruble Yudell, James has provided spirited design and project management for residential, academic and mixed-use urban projects

including Kobe Nishiokamoto Housing in Japan, the Horace Mann Elementary School and Fairmont Towers Hotel Addition, both in San Jose, California. International work has become a focus, with large-scale housing and planning projects such as the Potatisåkern and Tango projects in Malmö, Sweden, the mixed-use development Project Yoda in Manila, and Tianjin-Xinhe New Town in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China.

His interest in uncommon building types is reflected in the Sunlaw Power Plant Prototype in Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica Civic Center Parking Structure.

With irrepressible energy, James has also led Moore Ruble Yudell teams in national and international design competitions, such as the Beijing Wanhao Century Center, and the winning design for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Maryland. Over the past 15 years, James has taught design studio, lectured, and has been invited as a guest critic at UCLA, USC, SCI-Arc, University of Calgary, Alberta, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Tianjin University School of Architecture, China, and Tongji University School of Architecture, Shanghai, China.

Pete Ireland’s Favourite TV Builder Talks About the Global Movement To The Countryside and Sustainability