Architect Dan Brunn was born in Tel Aviv and moved to Los Angeles at age 7. The architectural contrast between the two cities made a deep impression and informed his life’s direction. Despite a language barrier, he made friends though the universal language of drawing cars and sharing new, exotic snacks. A guidance counselor once tried to convince him that he wouldn’t amount to anything. He’s proved that wrong by 1000%. Now, when he’s not staring down a mountain lion, he’s choreographing exquisite spaces.

Follow Dan Brunn + DBA Architecture on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and at danbrunn.com.

What is your earliest memory?

Tough to really pinpoint, but one that sticks to mind, is this scary clown painting at my grandfather’s house. It was placed right at kids’ eye level. Odd.

How do you feel about democratic design?

It is probably not something to practice. No. Neither is most “collaborative design”. While I do enjoy working together with select people or teams, there has to be clear delineation of scope defined. I think it works best when professions are mixed, and not overlapping. Distinct responsibilities are assigned.

What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?

Focus on what you are good at. My dad said that to me when I was probably around 9-10 years old.

How do you record your ideas?

Pen and paper, old school. Or my iPhone voice memos, for music ideas I get.

Coffee for Sasquatch / Photo: Brandon Shigeta

What’s your current favorite tool or material to work with?

Wood

What book is on your nightstand?

DeLorean, an autobiography by John Z. DeLorean. My friend Rem D. Koolhaas gifted it to me.

Why is authenticity in design important?

Authenticity in general is just so valuable. I prescribe to the notion of less is more, and one way to apply is through authenticity. For example, let certain materials perform a certain task. I wouldn’t try to have concrete be light, or too smooth. It’s a rough, tough and heavy material. So be it.

Favorite restaurant in your city?

Well, it’s a tough question, but my go to place has been Jones Hollywood for a while.

What might we find on your desk right now?

A mess, with a bunch of sketches, product samples and my iPhone.

Who do you look up to and why?

I don’t like the idea of idols in general and I wish I had a mentor. I find that so many people are flawed (as am I), so it’s hard to pinpoint one person. I also don’t want to answer this as my design gurus, boring. I’d say, the collective energy that is making our world more pleasant. The people that smile back to me, laugh and appreciate the hard days.

What’s your favorite project that you’ve done and why?

It is like asking a parent to name their favorite child. I can only offend a client if I leave them out, so I’ll take the safer route and opt for Bridge House, which is nearing completion in a few months. It’s a project that has pushed on a lot of barriers, while maintaining a very straightforward geometry. My core set of values.

What are the last five songs you listened to?

Pulp - Bad Cover Version (check out the video)
Strokes - The End Has No End
George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (I needed to chill)
Noel Gallagher - The Girl With X-Ray Eyes (c’mon America, listen up)
Adele - Skyfall (I want to make a version called Sky Mall)

Clever is produced by 2VDE Media. Thanks to Jennie Josephson for editing this episode.
Music in this episode courtesy of El Ten Eleven—hear more on Bandcamp.
Shoutout to Jenny Rask for designing the Clever logo.

Keep Listening

Featured

Ep. 219: Federico Negro on Making Tools to Empower and Scale Sustainable Design

Founder and CEO of Canoa, Federico Negro, was born in Uruguay during a time of political turmoil and lived in four countries by age 14. As a teenager in Chicago, he used music as a means of learning English, and during college became fascinated by forensic architecture, which informed his fixation with “how we build with what we build.” An Architect, designer, toolmaker, and entrepreneur, his first company, CASE, was acquired by WeWork. From there he served as the Global Head of Design for Wework during the company’s rapid expansion, and witnessed first-hand the pain points and environmental challenges that could be mitigated with better tools. So in 2019, he founded Canoa, an AI-driven, collaborative software aimed at revolutionizing the interior design and furniture industries by addressing environmental issues and becoming a tool to help us build a better future.

Ep. 218: The Exquisite Love, Magic and Maximalism of Londubh Studio

Custom surface artists Lisa Donohoe and Brynn Gelbard met and fell in love in the queer underbelly scene of San Francisco in 2002, a time before bi-national same-sex marriage was legal. Self-proclaimed party animals, their diverse community was built on love, curiosity and celebrating each other's differences. In an evolution that was equal parts organic maturity and cosmic intervention, Brynn and Lisa moved to Los Angeles and founded Londubh Studio, specializing in elaborate and maximalist hand-applied surface designs. Now the duo, oft considered the design world’s secret weapon, are translating their wildness, love, magic, and the sacred, through exquisite artistry and pristine craft, into visual celebrations that vibrate with love and emanate joy. Turns out these former revelers are still going full-blast on life.

Ep. 217: Design Researcher Amanda Schneider on the Art of Contextualizing the Data

Founder and President of ThinkLab, Amanda Schneider, grew up outside of Chicago, inspired by a blend of engineering and design. Now a self-described “designer by degree, journalist by accident, and researcher by choice” at the helm of ThinkLab, she examines the ecosystem of the design world, unearthing and synthesizing the social and cultural shifts and drivers that impact the interiors industry. Together with her team, she offers insights and context that can empower better decision-making while also bridging the communication gap between creatives and the business sector. A keynote speaker (catch her recent TEDx talk) and the host of the podcast Design Nerds Anonymous, Amanda shares her wisdom on topics like communication strategies, storytelling, and the future of work.

Ep. 216: Clever Extra - Interior Designer Kerrie Kelly on Uniting Beauty and Function

Interior designer and lifestyle expert Kerrie Kelly is known for her distinctive California-inspired design philosophy. She got her start at Ralph Lauren Home and then moved to Del Webb Corporation where she was a boots-on-the-ground high-volume designer of homes, before founding her multi-faceted design studio, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, in 1995. A graduate of both design and business school, she blends both of these skill sets in her work as an interior designer, trendspotter, and brand partner. She’s driven by a commitment to bringing thoughtful design into everyday life, which for Kerrie means blending beauty with functionality and translating that through a palette of luxurious and organic materiality.

Ep. 215: Kinfolk’s Idris Brewster Uses AR to Empower Collective Memory Building

Artist, creative technologist, and educator, Idris Brewster grew up in Brooklyn, being filmed for a documentary about his education as a black student at a prestigious, primarily white, school. His coming-of-age, only partially caught on camera, included a lot of basketball and hands-on artistic development. A grant awarded in college gave him early access to VR technology which opened a path to combining all of his talents and interests and expressing them through new media. Now, as co-founder and Executive Director of Kinfolk Foundation, he’s harnessing augmented reality, location-based technology, and community to engage in placing digital monuments in public spaces, memory building, and foregrounding the Black, Brown and Queer histories that have been intentionally silenced.

Ep. 69: Dan Brunn

Keep Listening

Hear every episode with one click.

Resources

Listen

Ep. 69: Dan Brunn

Keep Listening

Ep. 70: Madeline Weinrib

Ep. 68: Kate Duncan

Hear every episode with one click.

Resources

Listen