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with
William Morrish
Elwood
R. Quesada Professor of Architecture, Landscape Architecture,
and Urban and Environmental Planning
William Morrish, architect and planner, came to U.Va.’s
School of Architecture
last fall from the University of Minnesota where he was the founding
director of the Design Center for American Urban Landscape, a
nationally recognized think tank for professionals, academics
and civic leaders on issues of metropolitan urban design.
What
are your current research interests?
The
future transformation of the first-ring suburbs built in the 1950s
to ’70s. How are they going to be transformed to serve people’s
needs? How will new transportation and new technologies transform
the 1950s tract houses?
What are the needs of new (young) families? What is the new economy
of these areas?
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Photo
by Jenny Gerow
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How
could U.Va. contribute more to the changes in urban issues?
U.Va.
needs to take a leadership role in questions of metropolitanization
in the Virginia region — to get into the middle of the issues
on transportation, housing, employment and jobs.
Do
you see the Architecture School encouraging interdisciplinary
programs?
“I
am one” — I have an interdisciplinary chair in the School
of Architecture [linking architecture, landscape architecture,
and urban and environmental planning.] I’m also interested
in the Law and Darden schools. Law because of rules and Darden
because of business — things we put a value on as individuals
and community.
What
do you like best about U.Va.?
The
fact that it’s humanities based. I came from a science-based
university and it’s better to have a humanities culture as
a base to deal with the issues we need to deal with today.
What
books are you reading?
I’m
reading a history of the East Coast to reacquaint myself —
Alan Taylor’s book, American Colonies. I find the
social/cultural history of the making of the U.S. very interesting
for today. I’m also reading The Lexus and the Olive Tree:
Understanding Globalization by Thomas Freedman. I keep coming
back to that one. I’m also reading Me Talk Pretty One
Day by David Sedaris — because of the language and his
interpretation of people.
—
Jane Ford
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