Grand Rapid Museum

The New Generation of Sustainable Architects Sustainable, eco-friendly companies are popping up across the nation. From national green-living television shows to supermarkets giving rewards for using your own bag – our nation is finally waking up to the importance of using sustainable materials, and re-using things we already have. Architecture and design firms likewise understand the benefit and value of “going green,” offering clients earth-friendly options, including sustainable materials, space-saving designs, energy-efficient electrical and insulation, and of course, the acclaimed LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. One architect who is very well versed in this area is Kulapat Yantrasast, who will present the keynote address, “Art on Earth: Creative Sustainability,” at the Arts Council’s State of the Arts Luncheon on September 25th at the Hyatt Hotel. A native of Thailand, Yantrasast is principal and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based wHY Architecture. A Newsweek magazine article on contemporary architecture noted wHY as “one of the most innovative architectural practices for the new generation.” wHY Architecture has produced many inventive architectural designs for people integrating the arts and the environment, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which is the first art museum in the world to receive the LEED certification. wHY is also responsible for designing the environmentally sustainable “Art Bridge” at the Great Wall of the Los Angeles River, made mostly from the trash salvaged from the river. Kulapat worked as a close associate and project architect for the Pritzker Prize laureate architect Tadao Ando on several major museums and large institutional projects in the United States and around the world, including the ARMANI/TEATRO for Giorgio Armani in Milan, Italy, the Foundation Francois Pinault for Contemporary Art in Paris, France, the Calder Museum project in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. To hear Yantrasast speak at the Arts Council’s State of the Arts Luncheon on September 25th, phone the Arts Council at (562) 432-5100 x227 or e-mail [email protected]. Tickets are $100; tables start at $1,000.