Image credit: Brookfield Properties/ Sitelab urban studio
Event Description
How can we build new cities that prioritize human activity and economic accessibility? Using our most recent projects as case studies, SITELAB and ISA present a joint exploration of a scalable development model designed for people first.
While specific plans usually focus on the macro-scale, this session argues that Shaping Place succeeds when it addresses the "micro" experience of the inhabitant. We propose exploring different scales for integrated Frameworks for Medium-Density Growth that develop distinct development patterns as the primary drivers of a vibrant, walkable public realm. This framework moves beyond abstract urbanism to provide a blueprint for attainable, pedestrian-centric communities.
By combining urban design and residential innovation into a single, interdependent ecosystem, we demonstrate how to achieve human-scaled density that is both financially viable and affordable. Attendees will learn how this integrated model serves as a repeatable solution for creating active, affordable, and high-performance urban environments in North America and beyond.
Speakers
Arthur Perez, Intl. Assoc. AIA, HMONP; Associate, SITELAB urban studio
Brian Phillips, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB; Founding Principal / Creative Director, ISA
Speakers Bio
Arthur Perez is an Architect and Urban Designer at SITELAB urban studio, where he specializes in the strategic planning and design of large-scale urban environments. With a background in delivering minimalist mixed-use architecture in France, Arthur’s practice now focuses on the international redevelopment of mid-century industrial sites into vibrant, high-density neighborhoods. His work at SITELAB bridges technical complexity with a creative lens, deeply rooted in local history, geography, and community identity.
Brian Phillips is Founding Principal of ISA, and serves as Creative Director across the firm’s work. He has lectured widely on urbanism, housing, and the work of ISA which is widely published and has won dozens of national and local design awards. Brian was awarded a 2011 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and was named an Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York in 2015. He earned his MArch from the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a Lecturer in the Architecture Department, and has taught visiting studios at the University of Miami and Parsons the New School for Design. Most recently, Brian and ISA founded a non-profit called Meantime that works to activate vacant storefronts with short-term creative entrepreneurship residencies.
