John Portman Lecture: Joshua Ramus, "10,887"

Joshua Ramus is known for advancing architectural typologies and inventive designs so functionally specific—and often so surprisingly adaptable—that they yield new and inspiring aesthetic experiences. In this lecture, Ramus will reflect on the evolution of ideas that germinated over the 10,887 days since he defended his master’s thesis in Gund Hall’s Piper Auditorium, when he developed his beliefs that architecture should actively empower its users and communities, not simply be a representational art. This early work remains an underlying current in his designs and includes architectural agency, new perspectives on flexibility, and the effectiveness of phenomena over form. Speaker: Joshua Ramus, FAIA, is the founding principal of New York-based architecture firm REX. He has led the design of projects celebrated worldwide, such as the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University, and the Seattle Central Library. Ramus was the first American recipient of the international Marcus Prize. He has also been credited as one of “The 5 Greatest Architects Under 50” by HuffPost, “The World’s Most Influential Young Architects” by Wallpaper*, “The Twenty Most Influential Players in Design” by Fast Company, “The 20 Essential Young Architects” by ICON, and “The Best and Brightest” by Esquire. In 2024, Fast Company named REX on its World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies list.