Ben Ledbetter & Marc Neveu
"On Douglas Darden's Life and Work"
Lecture
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 | 6:00PM | ARCH 132 DF Pray Lecture Theatre
Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1951, Darden studied ballet before graduating with a bachelor of English and psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1974. His background in literature and dance translated into expressive works that rely on narrative structuring. He began work on the projects that would later be featured in Condemned Building while also teaching. Darden’s explorations of his industrial surroundings in New Jersey influenced the atmosphere of his work. Likewise, his time as a fellow of the American Academy in Rome (1988–89) gave him a deeper interest in the history and buildings of Rome. Darden began teaching at the University of Colorado Denver in 1990, and it was at this time that he was diagnosed with leukemia. Darden continued to work through his illness, teaching, and designing, and in 1993, Darden released Condemned Building.
Ben Ledbetter grew up in the South, received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University in 1972 and a Master in Architecture in Harvard in 1984. He was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard, then at Tulane University, and until 1994 directed the architectural studies program of the Wesleyan University Art Department. He has lectured and been a visiting critic at numerous schools of architecture, and has been architect of record for over sixty completed buildings.
Marc Neveu is professor of architecture at Arizona State University. He previously was chair at Woodbury University. Currently executive editor of the Journal of Architectural Education, Neveu is a widely acclaimed educator and scholar. His research considers the role of history in contemporary praxis. Neveu has also published and lectured on the work of Douglas Darden and is currently working on a monograph of his work.
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