Destroying boundaries with Mark Rios
The USC alum discussed his philosophies at a Visions and Voices event Monday.
By SAMMY BOVITZ
An in-depth conversation with a professional architect like Mark Rios would be expected to cater to an audience of architecture students.
However, as Visions and Voices production specialist David Delgado puts it, “You don’t have to be an architect to enjoy this conversation.”
The event, hosted Monday evening at Bovard Auditorium, is the first in an annual speaker series created by Visions and Voices and the School of Architecture called “Crossing Design Borders.”
“[The School of Architecture] has created this series in hopes that they can not only celebrate the architects who are internationally acclaimed with roots here at USC,” Delgado said, “but also to identify the connecting fibers that can bring students, artists and thinkers together regardless of where they fall on their focus points or career paths.”
Over the course of the conversation, entitled “Boundless Curiosity: Unleashing the Potential of Inclusive Design Thinking,” Rios served as a glowing example of Delgado’s statements on the series’s broad appeal. A majority of the conversation, moderated by architectural journalist and part-time lecturer of architecture Frances Anderton, eschewed any technical talk about his team’s productions.
Instead, the USC alum honed in on the general philosophy behind his creations. The conversation focused on the titular idea of “inclusive design thinking” to explain how he and his architectural firm, RIOS, pushed back against convention to produce works like Los Angeles’ own Gloria Molina Grand Park.
Setting the table for the conversation itself, a brief presentation by Rios immediately highlighted the diverse nature of his firm. Rios smiled proudly as he noted the makeup of RIOS, which features 250 employees that speak over 28 languages and come from diverse fields such as communications and filmmaking.
This collection of minds, according to Rios, is reinforced in the design work RIOS creates, putting in the same work in projects ranging from “cups to cities.”
Anderton went out of her way to praise his work on both ends of the spectrum: “It’s a cliche, but they’re like the perfect cups. And the cities are good, too.”
Anderton began the conversation by asking Rios if he considered himself a modern-day “pirate,” citing the historical swashbucklers’ tendencies to get exclusive information from around the world. Rios didn’t push back on the allegations of architectural buccaneering, but made a key distinction about how the modern world works “through generosity” rather than walking the plank.
Rios spoke candidly and passionately about his belief in looking everywhere for inspiration, no matter the project.
“Hopefully, we’re all evolving our interests, want to challenge ourselves and want to ask good questions,” Rios said. “I think we’re all nerds, and that’s good.”
The audience was captivated by Rios’ knowledge. Throughout the conversation, which was hosted by Visions and Voices, Rios spoke candidly about the passion behind his work. (Jordan Renville / Daily Trojan)
The event made clear that it’s integral to Rios to have varied perspectives in mind when designing a project. Rios opened by advocating for the audience to engage with people who challenge them to think differently about their work.
“We must always orchestrate our lives to be surrounded by others who encourage us to ask questions and think differently than we do,” Rios said.
During the conversation, Rios expressed how important this curation of perspectives was to him, despite the difficulty involved in making many voices heard.
“I think all of my colleagues would admit that it is a messy process, and democracy is slightly painful,” Rios said. “But what it does to you is hopefully produce a set of ideas that are a collection of different people’s ideas and thoughts and opinions.”
In response, Anderton brought up Rios’ personal background as a Mexican gay man as a possible driver for this commitment towards fostering perspective.
“My background, my last name, my parents being worried that I’m gay, and hiding that, [it] made me feel like I wasn’t a prime participant in society,” Rios said. “Those emotions compel me to make sure [I say] ‘Okay, I want to hear from that person.’”
Rios’ strong belief in embracing unique perspectives was later put to the test when one USC student asked him during the event’s Q&A session about RIOS’s involvement in the controversial Dodger Stadium gondola project. The proposed project has raised concerns over what the Los Angeles Times described as “accelerated gentrification” in Chinatown.
In response, Rios expressed regret at what he saw as a lack of public context, stating that he wished he could put up a “huge billboard” that explained how “before any of those designs were formalized, we met with each one of those communities and constituent groups.”
Once the event ended and the audience spilled out onto Alumni Park, conversations between the variety of USC students, alumni and faculty in attendance echoed the more general theorizing presented during the event itself. Rachel Wiggins, a junior majoring in architecture, stated that her primary takeaway from the event was to “stay curious” while designing.
“A lot of different people [have] a lot of different skills,” Wiggins said. “As an architect, I become more useful to myself and to a company if I know a little bit about each [one.]”
Wiggins hoped to find ways where, like Rios, her architectural work could cross paths with other industries. In particular, she hoped to connect her work to childcare after enjoying a babysitting job this summer. In other words, Wiggins did exactly what the event — and Mark Rios — encouraged her to do: cross design borders.
