{"id":117173,"date":"2025-08-07T16:54:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T20:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/?page_id=117173"},"modified":"2025-08-08T09:22:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T13:22:07","slug":"the-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements","status":"publish","type":"metro_profile","link":"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/profiles\/the-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blackwell Philosophy Turns Sites into Statements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-sandow-article-header article-header\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-header\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//8.jpg/" alt=\"A geometrical building with giraffe stone cladding on the lower box and the elevated building part with a yellowish exterior extended facade.\" class=\"wp-image-117196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group article-header_intro none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"article-date\" aria-label=\"Post Date\">August 7, 2025<\/p>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-post-title\">The Blackwell Philosophy Turns Sites into Statements<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column article-header_meta is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p class=\"summary size-regular\">Synthesizing regional conventions with a myriad of other ideas, Marlon and Meryati Johari Blackwell create remarkable spaces and places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-sandow-byline byline size-regular\"><span>Photography: <\/span><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"//tag//melissa-lukenbaugh/">Melissa Lukenbaugh<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"social-share\"><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.facebook.com//sharer//sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fprofiles%2Fthe-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements%2F\%22 target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.linkedin.com//sharing//share-offsite//?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fprofiles%2Fthe-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements%2F\%22 target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"http:////pinterest.com//pin//create//button//?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fprofiles%2Fthe-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements%2F&amp;description=The+Blackwell+Philosophy+Turns+Sites+into+Statements\%22 target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"> <path d=\"M12 0c-6.627 0-12 5.372-12 12 0 5.084 3.163 9.426 7.627 11.174-.105-.949-.2-2.405.042-3.441.218-.937 1.407-5.965 1.407-5.965s-.359-.719-.359-1.782c0-1.668.967-2.914 2.171-2.914 1.023 0 1.518.769 1.518 1.69 0 1.029-.655 2.568-.994 3.995-.283 1.194.599 2.169 1.777 2.169 2.133 0 3.772-2.249 3.772-5.495 0-2.873-2.064-4.882-5.012-4.882-3.414 0-5.418 2.561-5.418 5.207 0 1.031.397 2.138.893 2.738.098.119.112.224.083.345l-.333 1.36c-.053.22-.174.267-.402.161-1.499-.698-2.436-2.889-2.436-4.649 0-3.785 2.75-7.262 7.929-7.262 4.163 0 7.398 2.967 7.398 6.931 0 4.136-2.607 7.464-6.227 7.464-1.216 0-2.359-.631-2.75-1.378l-.748 2.853c-.271 1.043-1.002 2.35-1.492 3.146 1.124.347 2.317.535 3.554.535 6.627 0 12-5.373 12-12 0-6.628-5.373-12-12-12z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fprofiles%2Fthe-blackwell-philosophy-turns-sites-into-statements%2F&amp;subject=The+Blackwell+Philosophy+Turns+Sites+into+Statements\%22 target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12 12.713l-11.985-9.713h23.97l-11.985 9.713zm0 2.574l-12-9.725v15.438h24v-15.438l-12 9.725z\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column empty-header-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap size-regular\">Award-winning architects Marlon and Meryati \u201cAti\u201d Johari Blackwell fuse influences\u2014geological forms, vernacular building traditions, automotive paint\u2014into buildings that are rooted in the Ozarks but resonate far beyond their place. METROPOLIS editor in chief Avinash Rajagopal sat down with Marlon and Ati to suss out the formulas of this alchemy. &nbsp;<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:45% 43%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1001\" height=\"1498\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//MLP_0252v1.jpg/" alt=\"Marlon and Ati Blackwell pose in their studio with a large fiddle leaf fig plant and a red framed full length glass window. The orange checkered floor has a lot of scattered materials under his feet. \" class=\"wp-image-117177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0252v1.jpg 1001w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0252v1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0252v1-684x1024.jpg 684w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0252v1-768x1149.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marlon and Meryati Johari Blackwell, founders of Marlon Blackwell Architects, in their Fayetteville, Arkansas, studio. The firm has designed prolifically in its local community, and has completed notable projects in Indiana, Michigan, Texas, and Tennessee. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><br>A Study in Contrasts in Arkansas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">This year, Marlon Blackwell Architects (MBA) completed an 85,000-square-foot building for the<a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//projects//heartland-institute-arkansas///"> Heartland Whole Health Institute<\/a> in Bentonville, Arkansas. A curvilinear upper floor lined with brass fins sits above structures clad in multicolored fieldstone, echoing the region\u2019s landscape and vernacular buildings. Inside, CNC-milled fins made from local pecan wood paired with green felt create an arboreal ambiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1092\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//13.jpg/" alt=\"Inside the the lobby of the Heartland Whole Health Centre that is made with mass-timber constructed ceilings and a pebble like furniture and a few people talking in the bakground. \" class=\"wp-image-117179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/13.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/13-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/13-1024x559.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/13-768x419.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/13-1536x839.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Inside the Heartland Whole Health Institute, spaces flow like a forest\u2014inviting gathering, exploration, and retreat. Part office, part wellness center, part retreat, the building embodies Heartland\u2019s mission to challenge siloed, reactive healthcare with a proactive, holistic approach. Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon:<\/strong> The idea was to allow it to \u201cspeak\u201d to the local topography, the geological [characteristics], and the flora and fauna, the cave and the forest, refuge and prospect. And then we translated all that through the vernacular, with the giraffe stone buildings, these fieldstones, and then putting our own spin on that. We were also thinking about performance and the role of the outer lining of the building in controlling the sun. We have these brass brise-soleil fins that we beveled on the ends to catch the light and the shadow. As the sun moves, they go from light to dark and dark to light. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Ati:<\/strong> I never really quite understood the obsession with long linear buildings in the beginning. But over time, what I came to appreciate, and what I think is a very positive outcome of our really thin and long buildings, is that we get light from both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">That\u2019s the most important thing for me. The reason why the building feels the way it does is the light. You get light from both sides, and the light is controlled in some way, so there\u2019s no glare. It\u2019s conducive to work, but when it\u2019s overcast or bright and sunny, you can feel all that, and it changes how you feel inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">A lot of our buildings have that quality. It\u2019s how we approach sustainability\u2014the whole idea of the building\u2019s placement, the right orientation to take advantage of light and views, prevailing wind, and all that. But what we don\u2019t really talk much about, beyond energy savings and all of that stuff, is how people feel inside.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">You can\u2019t go wrong when you have good light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Avinash: <\/strong>Can you tell me the story of the giraffe stone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon:<\/strong> Sure, yeah, that\u2019s the local name for it. Many people don\u2019t understand the vernacular, so they might look at it and go, \u201cGod, that\u2019s just weird. What are you doing here?\u201d Then, when you tell the story, they\u2019re like, \u201cOh yeah, I get it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//10.jpg/" alt=\"An exterior of the vernacular building made with copper facade, glass walls and and giraffe stone walls. \" class=\"wp-image-117180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/10.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/10-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/10-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/10-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/10-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">This [giraffe stone] is an example of the self-reliant sensibility in the Ozarks. For stone, you take what\u2019s beneath your feet, right? Thoreau said heaven is beneath our feet as well as above our heads. You take the stone from your fields, and you lift it up. Two people usually can hold it. They\u2019re not professionals, so they use big, thick grout joints so they don\u2019t have to resolve the edges of the stone to each other. And that\u2019s what you see in this area. It\u2019s not designed per se; it\u2019s just sort of assembled together in an ad hoc fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">So, in that spirit, we did a similar thing except we shaped it the way we felt it best. We directed the masons to use a special type of joint called a rope joint, that creates shadow patterns on the stone itself, mixing the browns and the grays. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">But that for us is the idea of the rock, the cave, the stable base, the anchor to this building that floats above. We contrasted these two modes of assembly. One, a big stone veneer, and the other, above it, an elegant sort of line and plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//MLP_0518.jpg/" alt=\"Marlon Blackwell and Ati Blackwell standing behind their sculptural model of the Heartland Whole Health Institute. The 3D model is make completely of miniature wood pieces. \" class=\"wp-image-117181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0518.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0518-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0518-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0518-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0518-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marlon and Ati Blackwell with their model of the Heartland Whole Health Institute. The design integrates boxy forms with Arkansas\u2019s rolling topography, creating healing spaces that feel naturally rooted in the landscape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marlon Blackwell Architects Blends Nature and Culture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">Over the years, MBA has designed a number of buildings for the <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.marlonblackwell.com//project//thaden-reels///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thaden School<\/a>, an independent institution in Bentonville. The firm completed the Reels Art and Administration Building in 2019, followed by the Bike Barn in 2020, the Wheels Science and Fabrication Building later the same year, and the Performance Building in 2022. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1572\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140.jpg/" alt=\"A stark green angular building exterior with a yellow wood rim as the frame of the Reels Art and Administration Building by Marlon Blackwell Architects. \" class=\"wp-image-117183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140-1024x805.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140-768x604.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TH070320_Blackwell_Thaden_Reels_0140-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Reels Art and Administration Building. MBA shaped distinctive angular structures for the Walmart founders\u2019 educational vision at the Thaden School, where restored and relocated historic buildings complement bold contemporary design. Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Ati:<\/strong> <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.marlonblackwell.com///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marlon Blackwell architecture<\/a> is a lot about a very strong silhouette in the landscape or a very strong form that is based on something\u2014like chicken houses, in this case. In Northwest Arkansas, our main industry is chicken farming. The way they house these chickens is in long linear structures. So, when we talked about the Thaden School, we talked about a common sense attitude to master planning\u2014something like how a farmer would place the house this way because of the wind, and they would put trees here, and then they would put the barn here to create a farmyard. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon:<\/strong> We\u2019re trying to give you this novel form, but we never talk about it like that. We talk about why it does what it does. Here\u2019s a folded roof pitch and roll. Why are we doing that? Well, we\u2019re trying to keep sectional differences in a one-story building that creates variety, dissimilarity, and even choice in the different classrooms, rather than everything being the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Avinash:<\/strong> You often push the envelope on building techniques or material treatments. Even when you use an industrial or off-the-shelf material, you\u2019re doing things that are quite remarkable with it. Tell me a little bit about your process of working with the people who actually build your buildings. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon: <\/strong>No matter what the material is, or how ordinary it is, we try to deal with it through a great deal of care in how it\u2019s placed and precision in how transitions work. In the transitions, in the fascias, at the eaves, and the windowsills, we do custom transition details that allow for seamlessness between the different planes, between roof and wall. And so we\u2019re having discussions with our contractors pretty early on to get them to understand that it\u2019s nothing beyond what they can do; it\u2019s just something that they haven\u2019t done yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1572\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1.jpg/" alt=\"A sideview of the bright red angular long building structure in the hay and grass outdoors completely made in wood. \" class=\"wp-image-117184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1-1024x805.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1-768x604.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tim-Hursley_TH092022_Blackwell-Thaden_0094-1-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bike Barn. Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">We especially saw that with the Thaden barn. To do that roof, a low-sloped roof like that, requires the right weatherproofing technology. We were working with roofers very early on to figure out how to make these transitions: Where does the water go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">All of that has been resolved and is resolute, because something we\u2019re looking for, always, is a degree of resoluteness between the building in its form and scale, its relationship to the site, but also in relationship to the detail, the scale of the hand. Resoluteness is the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Avinash:<\/strong> You also use color as a way to overlap different ideas in a building. That\u2019s especially remarkable at the Thaden School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon: <\/strong>It\u2019s part of our love of the intersection of the culture-made with the nature-made. There are patterns that connect these two conditions. In this case [at the Thaden School], the patterns were in color. We knew that the landscape architect had specified Osage prairie grasses. Well, what\u2019s a color that would work with that? The \u201967 Shelby GT Cobra, the green gold of that car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">What we discovered is a lot of the paints and the finishes on mobile things are sourced from similar places. Whether it\u2019s a bicycle or a skateboard or a car or motorcycle, all this metal flake was pioneered by Dean Jeffries back in the \u201950s and \u201960s.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">So, we started tweaking those colors to create something distinctive but also somewhat <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//viewpoints//what-is-and-is-not-biophilic-design///">biophilic<\/a>, helping the building fuse with its landscape at certain times of the year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//MLP_0576v2.jpg/" alt=\"Marlon Blackwell and Ati Blackwell choosing material samples holding textile swatches and cladding, with a wall of materials behind them. \" class=\"wp-image-117191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0576v2.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0576v2-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0576v2-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0576v2-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0576v2-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While reviewing material samples, the team discusses the choice of special rope joints that cast distinctive shadow patterns on the stone and create a deliberate contrast between the grounded foundation and the floating structure above.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the Blackwells Transcend the Vernacular<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">For the 2025 International Architecture Biennale in Venice, MBA worked with <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.dirtstudio.com///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">D.I.R.T. Studio<\/a>, <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.tenxtenstudio.com//work/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TEN x TEN Studio<\/a>, <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////stephenburksmanmade.com///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stephen Burks Man Made<\/a>, and <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.jonathanboelkins.com///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jonathan Boelkins<\/a> to <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//viewpoints//porch-an-invitation-to-explore-american-architecture-at-the-venice-biennale///">create a porch for the United States Pavilion<\/a>\u2014a cantilevered wooden-shade structure with stairs and seating below it to invite visitors to sit and participate in the pavilion\u2019s activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1250\" height=\"1879\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//MLP_07532.jpg/" alt=\"A 3D pillar covered with pieces and painted blue and orange and a table full of materials samples of wood and blue paint swatches with site images. \" class=\"wp-image-117193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_07532.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_07532-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_07532-681x1024.jpg 681w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_07532-768x1154.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_07532-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At the Venice Architecture Biennale, the U.S. Pavilion evokes familiar vernacular forms like sheds and gables, echoing architectural elements found in traditional porch designs. The ceiling is painted Haint Blue\u2014a carefully selected reference to the Geechee culture in Georgia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon: <\/strong>This really started with [dean of the <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////fayjones.uark.edu//people//faculty-and-staff//index.php#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas]<\/a> Peter B. MacKeith\u2019s idea for the <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////www.marlonblackwell.com//project//porch-us-pavilion-venice-biennale///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Venice Biennale<\/a>\u2014a porch, an architecture of generosity. The question was: How do we provide an aspirational representation of the porch as both a stage for life, a kind of proscenium, and a threshold with a civic nature?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">It needed to be made out of <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//products//3-top-questions-answered-about-specifying-sustainable-wood-in-the-u-s///">wood<\/a>, which makes sense because that\u2019s part of the traditional material of porches. We\u2019re using Austrian spruce, making a superstructure deep inside the courtyard and then cantilevering the entire porch out, so it doesn\u2019t really actually touch the pavilion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">The underside is Haint Blue, which is a color from Geechee culture in Georgia. It started as a West African tradition: a blue that would keep away tortured spirits. It\u2019s used in the South to actually keep spiders and insects away from your porch by painting the ceiling this blue, which is like the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong><strong>Avinash<\/strong>: <\/strong>You layer lots of sources in your work. You start from the vernacular, but you\u2019re often trying to build ideas on top of it. That\u2019s really unique to your practice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Ati:<\/strong> We\u2019re trying to transcend the local and also push the envelope in some way. Porches in the South typically have some sort of support, right? But remove the idea of any [visible] supporting structure, and you start looking at this as though it\u2019s some sort of flying machine, but it has all the elements of a porch. There is no symmetry to it. There\u2019s a certain balance and also a sense of agitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">I see our work as something that\u2019s a little bit on the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>Marlon: <\/strong>It\u2019s a little bit strange. We are sort of committed to re-creating strangeness in a wonderful way that has a kind of <a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//profiles//marlon-blackwell-on-tonal-space///">sensual pragmatism<\/a> to it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06///u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012.jpg/" alt=\"People hanging out under the porch at the american pavillion in the venice bienalle designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects. \" class=\"wp-image-117188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9Tim-Hursley_050725_PORCH_012-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Courtesy \u00a9Timothy Hursley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1250\" height=\"1498\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//06//MLP_0715v2.jpg/" alt=\"swatches of blue and wood pieces places in a pile of hay. \" class=\"wp-image-117187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0715v2.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0715v2-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0715v2-854x1024.jpg 854w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MLP_0715v2-768x920.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"comment size-regular\">Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: <a href=https://metropolismag.com/wp-json/wp/v2/metro_profile/\"mailto:comments@metropolismag.com/">comments@metropolismag.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"tag-cloud\"><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//domains//cultural///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Cultural<\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//domains//education///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Education<\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//domains//healthcare///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Healthcare<\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//domains//landscape///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Landscape<\/a><\/li><li><a href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//domains//preservation///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Preservation<\/a><\/li><li><a 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srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_332538740-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_332538740-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_332538740-768x480.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-cards__content\"><p class=\"type\">Viewpoints<\/p><a class=\"post-cards__title-link\" href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//viewpoints//sustainability-news-updates-for-q4-2025///"><h4>Sustainability News Updates for Q4 2025<\/h4><\/a><p class=\"excerpt\">A year of policy ups and downs in the United States has created a fragmented regulatory landscape for the building industry to navigate.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li class=\"card__metro_viewpoint\"><div class=\"post-cards__image\"><a class=\"post-cards__link\" href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//viewpoints//what-is-and-is-not-biophilic-design///"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"508\" src=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//wp-content//uploads//2025//11//ME_25_Biophilia-Web-Image-1024x508.png/" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ME_25_Biophilia-Web-Image-1024x508.png 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ME_25_Biophilia-Web-Image-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ME_25_Biophilia-Web-Image-768x381.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-cards__content\"><p class=\"type\">Viewpoints<\/p><a class=\"post-cards__title-link\" href=https://metropolismag.com/"https:////metropolismag.com//viewpoints//what-is-and-is-not-biophilic-design///"><h4>What Is and Is Not Biophilic Design?<\/h4><\/a><p class=\"excerpt\">The creator of the concept of Biophilic Design explains effective strategies that keep us healthy by bring us closer to nature.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li class=\"sponsored-post ntv-01\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Synthesizing regional conventions with a myriad of other ideas, Marlon and Meryati Johari Blackwell create remarkable spaces and 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