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I Would Prefer Not To

The Architectural League of New York 36 Episodes Aug 4, 2026

Why do architects decline projects? This interview series considers that question and the broader significance of refusal in architectural work. The show emerges from MIT's Critical Broadcasting Lab in partnership with the Architectural League of New York, drawing on interviews with practitioners. It examines an overlooked yet consequential dimension of architectural practice.

Episodes

Kate Orff Aug 4, 2026 01:03:09 Tracing the history of the New York–based landscape and urbanism practice SCAPE, founder Kate Orff speaks to host Ana Miljački about authorship in landscape architecture, projecting desire onto a brief’s requirement, curricula as a means of engaging with landscape, and, of course, oysters.

LTL Architects May 26, 2026 01:13:40 In this episode Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis of LTL Architects speak about the “productive oscillation” between academic research, speculative drawing, and the material realities of building that defines their practice; LTL’s trajectory from the “opportunistic” spatial inventions of early New York interiors to an existential focus on biogenic materialities and the climate crisis;

Thom Mayne Apr 14, 2026 01:10:22 In this episode, the founder of Morphosis recaps a career defined by “troublemaking” and discusses framing architecture as a collaborative, cinematic process, the shift from designing private residences to international competitions and federal work, and the particularities of working in Los Angeles.

nARCHITECTS Nov 20, 2025 01:05:40 In this episode, the co-founders of NYC-based nARCHITECTS discuss their mission-driven practice that engages with the community, resistance to architectural closure, their fascination with “almost buildings,” and the value of leaving room for misusers.

Leong Leong Oct 16, 2025 00:54:22 In this episode, the co-founder of NYC-based Leong Leong discusses world building, feedback loops between aesthetics and politics, and professional growth as a reflection of ego death.

Hashim Sarkis Sep 11, 2025 01:06:02 In the season five premiere, host Ana Miljački talks with Hashim Sarkis about the latent nature of optimism in practice, the difficulties of running an office across different continents, and how direct action leads to hope.

MASS Design Group May 29, 2025 01:09:34 In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Christian Benimana, Patricia Gruits, and Alan Ricks, co-executive directors of MASS Design Group, about philanthropy in the design process, the political economy of building, and what is possible across different global contexts. MASS was founded in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. More than 15 years later, this global, multidisciplina

Nader Tehrani Apr 24, 2025 01:08:22 In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Nader Tehrani, founding partner of the Boston-based firm NADAAA, about the development of construction details; the political push and pull between architects, clients, and contractors ; and the importance of didacticism in designing architecture schools.

Aziza Chaouni Mar 18, 2025 00:45:36 In this episode, architect Aziza Chaouni discusses working with NGOs on heritage projects, balancing small-scale volunteer work, and crowdsourcing materials and resources to build project archives.

LOT-EK Feb 27, 2025 01:02:13 In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano, founders of the New York City-based practice LOT-EK, about ascribing value to waste, the vestiges of global circular economies, and the importance of love.

Lateral Office Dec 16, 2024 01:02:16 In this episode, host Ana Miljački speaks with Lola Sheppard and Mason White of Lateral Office to discuss their work in the Canadian Arctic, architecture of expediency in rural areas, and the skill of deep listening.

Deborah Berke Nov 14, 2024 00:50:50 Host Ana Miljački talks with Deborah Berke of New York City-based TenBerke about loving projects like children, striking a balance between reverence and irreverence, and measuring a project against a mission statement.

MOS Oct 11, 2024 01:06:42 In this episode of I Would Prefer Not To, Ana speaks with Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith of NYC-based MOS Architects. Topics of discussion include the complex intertwining of work and life, playfulness and the publication of process, feedback between academic culture and the world of practice, and collaborative models.

Germane Barnes Sep 13, 2024 00:56:23 In the premiere episode of season four, Ana Miljački talks with Germane Barnes about storytelling-as-design impetus, delivering on promises, and his skeptical relationship to emails, among other topics.

APRDELESP Jul 19, 2024 01:02:38 Ana Miljački speaks with Rodrigo Escandón Cesarman and Guillermo Gonzalez Ceballos of Mexico City-based practice APRDELESP about their case studies, the creation of architectural institutions, and designing appealing “spaces of encounter.”

Architecture Research Office Jun 17, 2024 01:01:03 In this episode of I Would Prefer Not To, Ana Miljački speaks with Adam Yarinsky, Stephen Cassell, and Kim Yao of Architecture Research Office about professional versus academic research, how adhering to pre-articulated values affects relationships with clients, and the benefits and drawbacks of being generalists.

Jeanne Gang May 10, 2024 00:57:02 Ana Miljački and Studio Gang founder Jeanne Gang discuss architects as the nexus of intersecting issues, advocating on behalf of animals as constituents, and growing one’s own building materials.

Colectivo C733 Mar 11, 2024 01:19:40 Ana Miljački speaks with members of the Mexico City-based group about the tumultuous nature of collective practice and a shifting paradigm in civic architecture.

Future Firm Feb 12, 2024 01:00:45 Ana Miljački speaks with Ann Lui and Craig Reschke of Chicago-based studio Future Firm about expanding the role of the architect, absorbing risk, and how to respond when asked to do magic.

Annabelle Selldorf Jan 16, 2024 00:47:41 In the Season 3 premiere, Ana Miljački speaks with Annabelle Selldorf about how falling in love with projects can result in heartbreak, what it means to transcend style, and the limitations of typological experience.

Nina Cooke John Nov 9, 2023 00:50:30 Ana is joined by Nina Cooke John in this episode to discuss the impulses of feedback loops in the design process, slowness, the different ways in which institutions engage with communities and figuration as it relates to seeing oneself in a monument.

Claire Weisz Oct 21, 2023 00:57:37 In this episode, Ana speaks with Claire Weisz, founding partner of WXY, on structural flexibility as an office, sharing ethical burdens with clients, advocating on behalf of built and material histories, and using work at large scales to catalyze work for other architectural practices.

Andrés Jaque Sep 21, 2023 00:55:12 Ana talks with Andres Jaque of Office for Political Innovation on what it means to be anarchitectural dissident, the status of formal decisions in his work, and how listening can be animportant tool for architects.

Chandra Robinson of Lever Architecture Jun 8, 2023 00:50:43 In this episode, Ana hosts Chandra Robinson of Lever Architecture. They discuss ways to support smaller-scale builders, the importance of proximity in sourcing materials, and balancing innovation with the immediate needs of community and client, among other topics.

SCHAUM/SHIEH May 11, 2023 00:57:16 In this episode, Ana Miljački speaks with Troy Schaum and Rosalyne Shieh of SCHAUM/SHIEH about matching a client’s ambition with economic feasibility, the privilege of being able to refuse work, the space that emerges out of energetic conflict, and the power of doing nothing.

Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam Architects Apr 14, 2023 00:49:15 Atlanta-based architects Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam chat with Ana Miljački about inventiveness and emotional specificity.

Michael Maltzan Architecture Mar 10, 2023 00:47:07 Michael Maltzan discusses the architect’s role in negotiating complex scenarios and the potential of long-term client relationships to enable large-scale change.

Colloqate Feb 9, 2023 00:41:12 Ana Miljački speaks with Bryan Lee about design justice and challenging the architectural status quo.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture Dec 1, 2022 00:45:34 Sheila Kennedy and Frano Violich of Boston-based KVA MATx chat with Ana about being proactive, finding the right set of ingredients to create commissions, viewing plants as constituents, and balancing a rejection of architecture-as-service with a commitment to professional skills and rigor.

Liz Diller Nov 10, 2022 00:51:13 Liz Diller of New York–based Diller Scofidio + Renfro speaks with Ana Miljački about evaluating a commission’s ethics, translating projects for different audiences, and critiquing institutions from within.

Hood Design Studio Oct 11, 2022 00:36:01 Ana Miljački speaks with Walter Hood about artistic freedom, working with institutions, and succeeding through failure.

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Sep 8, 2022 00:35:30 Ana chats with Tod and Billie of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects about the contrasts of institutional versus commercial projects, developing relationships with clients, and finding meaning in work.

Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Aug 12, 2022 00:35:00 Tatiana of CDMX-based Tatiana Bilbao Estudio converses with Ana on working with governmental bodies, social housing, changing office culture, and how to engage with leverage points within systems of power.

Studio Zewde Jul 7, 2022 00:33:40 Sara Zewde and Ana Miljački talk about alternative ways of doing landscape architecture, racial tokenism, design cyphers, and the value of architects as synthesizers.

SO — IL Jun 10, 2022 00:29:31 Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu of Brooklyn-based studio SO — IL chat with Ana Miljački on a wide range of topics, such as discerning a client’s political intentions, the power of an architectural brand, and the possibility for architecture to transcend its relationship with an institutional client.

WORKac Apr 13, 2022 00:38:45 Amale Andraos and Dan Wood of NY-based firm WORKac talk with Ana Miljački about different facets of sustainability, the lessons learned from saying yes to everything, and regrets among other topics.

I Would Prefer Not To

Episodes

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