American Framing: Improbably Overlooked Yet Familiar Architecture

In this lecture, American Framing curators Paul Andersen and Paul Preissner tell the story of an architectural moment that was bored with tradition, chose economy over skill, and accepted a relaxed idea of craft in the pursuit of something useful. They show us that a profound and powerful future for design can be conceived out of an ordinary past.

Originally exhibited at the U.S. pavilion of the 2021 Venice Biennial of Architecture, and on view at Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center from January 12 – July 2, 2023, curators Paul Andersen and Paul Preissner developed the exhibition American Framing to examine wood framing—one of the country’s most overlooked yet common construction systems.