Nash Hurley
Nash Hurley

Over the last year, San Francisco–based architecture studio Vital has collaborated with Arup to research and develop a new urban design and structure typology. Called Joint Structures, this typology proposes new geometries for a society organized around networks. To inform the architecture of this "networked society," Vital principal Nash Hurley first decided to look back at the evolution of community and workplace design over the last century.

In this podcast episode, Hurley references colonial villages, Burning Man, and hovercrafts in discussing the past and future of cities, work, transit, and community, and offers a first glimpse at the firm's Joint Structures research. Configured in tree-like orientations, Joint Structures offers an optimistic vision for the future of urban planning and architecture in a technology-driven society.

Episode 44: Joint Structures: A New Typology for a Networked Society, featuring Nash Hurley, is also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and GooglePlay.

The architecture of Joint Structures features fractal geometry to minimize square footage on the ground.
Courtesy Vital The architecture of Joint Structures features fractal geometry to minimize square footage on the ground.
Joint Structures leverage solar power and hovercrafts for easy transit.
Courtesy Vital Joint Structures leverage solar power and hovercrafts for easy transit.

This podcast episode was produced by Katharine Keane and Rob Grauert.