2023 Gil Oberfield Lecture: Desai Chia Architecture

The annual Gil Oberfield Lecture was founded in honor of Gil Oberfield, AIA, former member and chair of the AIANY Interiors Committee. The lecture brings to the podium speakers whose work excels in the field of interior architecture. This year’s lecture will feature Desai Chia Architecture.

Desai Chia Architecture celebrates conceptually bold design, deliberate eloquence, and graceful simplicity to improve our collective experiences of space and placemaking. Desai Chia solves rigorous design problems for institutions, organizations, and private clients, driven by the guiding principle that architecture can transform communities. The studio is known for two things: a preference for social and humane architecture and iconic projects that benefit from the firm’s sustainable technical strategies and extensive knowledge of materials. Rooted in a multidisciplinary background, Desai Chia blurs the boundaries between building and nature by integrating light as a unifying theme. Each design opportunity is informed by previous projects and expertise, which allows the firm to conduct new research, challenge traditional expectations, and ask bigger questions to build inspired and spirited architecture.

Arjun Desai, AIA, and Katherine Chia, FAIA, are the founding principals of Desai Chia Architecture. Since 1996, they have established the firm’s reputation for authentic design, creating inspiring environments expressive of light, materials, and collaboration. Desai Chia’s projects have been published extensively and received many accolades, including numerous AIA Design Awards, American Architecture Awards, and Interior Design Best of Year Awards, and an AIA Honor Award. In 2018, ARCHITECT Magazine ranked Desai Chia Architecture #19 in the nation for design. The book The Women Who Changed Architecture by Princeton Architectural Press included Chia and the firm’s work in a chapter titled “Raising the Roof.”

Speakers:
Katherine Chia, FAIA, Principal, Desai Chia Architecture
Arjun Desai, AIA, Principal, Desai Chia Architecture

About the Speakers:
Katherine Chia grew up in New York State and Belgium. She earned her Master of Architecture degree from MIT and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, she worked for Maya Lin on numerous art and architecture commissions. She is a board member at the Center for Architecture and the International Center of Photography, as well as a trustee emerita of Amherst College.

Arjun Desai grew up in New Delhi and Mumbai, India. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, he worked at SHCA/NY on numerous civic projects in New York and Washington, DC. He earned his Master of Architecture degree from MIT and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennington College.

COVID-19 vaccinations and face masks are strongly encouraged for all visitors. Read our full Health and Safety Protocol here.  

This event will also be available via livestream (attendees joining virtually will not receive credit). https://vimeo.com/event/3308308/d1aade3677