United States

The Paul L. Cejas Lecture Series.
Fall 2025
Weaving the Narrative
A Conversation Between Thomas Coldefy & Adrien Gardère
Thursday, November 13, 2025 · 2:00 PM · PCA 135

What is risk worth? Architecture is inseparable from uncertainty—sometimes embraced, sometimes resisted, but always present. We invent bold forms that may fail. We propose brighter futures that may falter. To practice architecture is to take on risk—with capital, with reputation, with the city, with the lives shaped inside it. For the innovator, risk is agency, progress, recognition, and the chance to improve lives. For those who mitigate risk, it’s value is inseparable from the scaffold that protects progress from catastrophe. For those outside the conventional practice, such as architect-developers, design-builders, and others, risk is currency, the price of control. Each stance reveals a different measure of what risk means and what makes it worth taking. These tensions will enliven the conversations at the heart of this event.

Each month, Friends of Residential Treasures Los Angeles (FORT: LA) curates a new self-guided trail, inviting Angelenos to explore the city’s rich architectural heritage. These immersive experiences highlight significant homes, hidden gems, and the designers who have shaped Los Angeles' built environment.