tangents ‘26 | June
For June 2026, the theme for our Tangents discussions was “Parallels,” encouraging our team to examine the ways seemingly unrelated ideas, disciplines, and moments in history often develop alongside one another.
Early in the month, the office watched a documentary on the famous "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" classroom experiment conducted by elementary school teacher Jane Elliott in the late 1960s. By temporarily dividing her students based on eye color, Elliott demonstrated how quickly authority, privilege, and exclusion can influence behavior and social dynamics. While not an architectural topic, the discussion prompted thoughtful parallels between the ways environments, institutions, and systems can reinforce—or challenge—inequality, reminding us that the spaces we design ultimately shape human experience.
The team also explored the relationship between high fashion and Brutalist architecture through a series of videos examining how designers use monumental concrete structures as dramatic backdrops for contemporary fashion. Despite originating from very different disciplines, both architecture and fashion rely on composition, proportion, materiality, and storytelling to evoke emotion. The juxtaposition revealed striking parallels between garments and buildings, demonstrating how both can express identity, culture, and artistic intent.
Later in the month, we watched architect Lindsay Johnston demonstrate the traditional tools and techniques of architectural drafting before the digital era transformed the profession. From hand lettering and linework rules to meticulous ink drawings, the video highlighted methods that have largely disappeared from everyday practice. While modern software has fundamentally changed how architects work, many of the underlying principles of precision, communication, and design thinking remain remarkably consistent.
