Architecture Is More Political Than Politics — The Hidden Power Buildings Have to Shape Society, Identity & Human Behavior – Episode 144 with Isun Kazerani
This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with architect, researcher, educator, and design leader Isun Kazerani for a fascinating conversation that explores architecture far beyond buildings themselves. Drawing on her international experience across Australia and the United States, Isun shares how architecture intersects with fashion, culture, politics, mindfulness, and human identity—and why architects have a far greater influence on society than many realize.
The discussion explores everything from the surprising parallels between fashion and architecture to regenerative design, adaptive reuse, sensory experience, and the responsibility architects have to shape healthier, more equitable communities. Isun explains why timeless design matters, how architecture can encourage mindfulness through movement and materiality, and why slowing down the design process often produces more meaningful and enduring buildings. She also reflects on the lessons she has learned leading her own practice, conducting doctoral research on human experience in architecture, and working across multiple countries and design cultures.
The conversation also dives into the political power of architecture, examining how the built environment can either create barriers or foster inclusion through thoughtful urban planning and design. Along the way, Isun shares her perspective on preserving cultural identity, designing for human emotion, the future of regenerative architecture, and why great buildings should function as living systems that evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. It's a wide-ranging and inspiring discussion about the profound ways architecture influences not only our cities, but our everyday lives, our relationships, and the future of our communities.
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More About Isun Kazerani
Isun Kazerani is the founder and director of M00-Tion Studio, which she established in Melbourne, Australia, in 2019. Since beginning her architecture career in 2005, she has worked on a wide range of boutique residential, commercial, and public projects, with a strong focus on design quality, attention to detail, and the importance of the user's lived experience.
With a foundation in larger-scale projects, including residential and commercial towers and public spaces, supported by her background in architectural engineering, she has also collaborated on numerous creative concept projects, particularly at the intersection of fashion and architecture, including runway stage design.
She earned her PhD in 2017, focusing on design strategy and techniques of design representation through collaboration with four award-winning international architectural practices. In addition to professional practice, she taught architecture for approximately eight years as a part-time lecturer and studio lead and has been invited to serve as both a keynote speaker and design critic at architectural events.
In 2023, she relocated to New York City following the impacts of Australia's COVID-19 lockdowns and the country's political and economic climate. Since then, she has practiced in leadership roles and as a consultant, primarily in New York, as well as in Massachusetts and California.
She has a deep interest in leadership within the architectural profession and is a strong advocate for ethical leadership, mindful and sustainable architectural practice, and fostering healthy workplace and studio cultures.
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