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On Friday, Oct. 19, principal of Substance Architecture, Paul Mankins lectured on his award-winning practice.
By breaking down his firm’s r2c2s4p ethos [respect, reduction, clarity, craft, sequence, stewardship, symbol, space, place], Mankins told the story of how Substance sensitively “finds agency in economy.”
By celebrating Iowa’s “shoulder seasons,” relentlessly carving out space for public art, and always looking for ways that “architecture can ‘be more,'” Substance Architecture’s practice demonstrates that there are “no excuses for not doing the best work imaginable.”
Humorous and inspiring, Mankins suggested that we should “celebrate the fact we’re ‘in the middle of nowhere,'” whether practicing in De Moines, Iowa, or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Special thanks to RTA Architects for making Mankins’ lecture possible.
Read about Substance Architecture’s recent work in ARCHITECT Magazine.
Featured image: Principal Riverwalk Hub Spot, Des Moines, Iowa. Substance Architecture.
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The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
