Courtesy After Architecture

In the three years since starting their firm in 2016, Knoxville, Tenn.–based Katie MacDonald, Assoc. AIA, and Kyle Schumann have embraced their dual roles as practitioners and researchers. Over the next academic year, the founders of design practice After Architecture will serve as architecture fellows at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where they are studying applications for cross-laminated bamboo and new applications of invasive species from the American South, while growing their firm.

After Architecture's Retooling Bamboo Tectonics project
Courtesy Katie MacDonald, Kyle Schumann, Jonas Hauptman After Architecture's Retooling Bamboo Tectonics project

In this podcast episode, the principals discuss their materials research and how it influences their design decisions in traditionally commissioned projects.

Episode 39: How After Architecture Balances Practice with Materials Research, featuring Katie MacDonald and Kyle Shumann is also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and GooglePlay.

Invasive Species Catalog
After Architecture and University of Tennessee Invasive Species Catalog

To learn more about After Architecture, read its Next Progressives profile. This podcast episode was produced by Katharine Keane and Robert Grauert.