Jacob Walker will present his firm's work through the lens of retail in China and examine how the ubiquitous and homogenizing nature of retail environments creates an unlikely yet fertile ground for cross disciplinary experimentation.

Walker is the co-founder of Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM), which is an award-winning art, landscape, and architectural design firm with offices in Beijing and New York. Founded in 2007, BAM became anomalous as a locally grown design firm in China started by foreigners. The experience of establishing a design practice in a rapidly changing contemporary Chinese metropolis gives BAM a unique insight into the role of design in today’s cities. BAM’s diverse team of designers has delivered projects for clients in China, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Iceland, and Belgium.

BAM was founded with the approach that our collective idea of nature is gradually changing. As technology continuously shapes our environment, our perception of nature is becoming outdated. These changes are diminishing not only our interaction with nature but also how we value our surroundings. By thinking across artistic and technical fields BAM reconsiders our civilizations’ concepts of nature. BAM’s goal is to create projects that improve people’s lives, help us value our surroundings, and enable us to move towards a new and healthy relationship to our environment.

Daniels Sessions aims to explore new and alternative viewpoints on architectural practice and research. The series features speakers who present unconventional perspectives and work from both inside and outside of the discipline. Daniels Sessions aims to provoke thought and generate discussion in a less formal setting. Following the lecture, audience members are invited to continue the conversation with the speaker in the Graduate Student Lounge, located in the lower level of 230 College Street.