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In this episode of OutFoxed, we delve into the interesting intersection of mathematics and architecture with our guest, Chris Dobosz. Join us as we explore how maths shapes architectural design and inspires solutions...

Guest Bio:

• Location: American architect based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Education: B.S. Arch (University of Michigan); M.Arch (UC Berkeley).
• Expertise: Sustainable civic, cultural, and educational design (Williams College, ASU, UCLA).
• Current Focus: Technical delivery of bespoke residential projects using innovative European materials.
• Specialty: Resolving complex technical detailing and "thorny" design problems.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Chris shares how he got interested in architecture. Spoiler: It was Legos!
• He explained how architects work with clients, engineers, and builders.
• He recommends classes and skills for aspiring architects.
• AI will change how architects design in the future, but Chris predicts that humans still make the final decisions on how space is used.
• He recommended a helpful architecture book and an alumni architect to look up.

Recommended Links:

• Study Architecture Firm
• Ching, Francis D.K.; Book: Architecture: Form, Space, and Order
• Clement Luk Laurencio; Alumni Newsletter: Architectural Designer and External Design Critic

Math Challenge:

Let’s imagine you are an architect, and you need to design stairs to connect the first and second floors. The height between the two floors is 2.4 meters. The average riser — the vertical distance of each step — is 20 cm, and the depth of each step — from front to back — is 30 cm. If your staircase were straight (no turns), how many steps would your design require (not counting the first floor landing), and what is the length of the base?

Follow-up Question:

Now you need to buy paint for the triangular wall on the first floor, and it takes 100ml of paint per square meter. How much paint would you need to buy if you were going to do 2 coats of paint on that wall?