Every architect has a specific process, and for Benjamin Aranda, a combination of basic and complex aspects shapes his works. “At the studio, we enjoy the challenge of breaking down complex systems into simple automated logic and then using those rigorous recipes to push the limits of natural craftsmanship,” he says.
Aranda met Chris Lasch during their last semester as graduate students at Columbia University, and in 2003 the pair founded their company, Aranda\Lasch. Located in New York and Tucson, the studio is led by Aranda, Lasch and Joaquín Bonifaz.
Not limited to architecture, the company’s output includes a wide range of creations from art to software. Each member of the team works adeptly with both physical and digital languages, and even in this age of Agentic, they still honor the past.
They also celebrate different cultures, and Aranda\Lasch’s two-decade collaboration with Terrol Dew Johnson has been impressive. Johnson, who was a Tohono O’odham weaver, taught Aranda to see traditional native knowledge as a framework for solving modern problems, which he still does today.
Aranda’s daily commute from the office to home helps him transition from work to personal function. He rides his bike from Jackson Heights, Queens to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which is no easy journey. “No one, and I mean no one, obeys traffic lights,” he notes. “My commute is less of a transition and more of a painful, near-death experience. It works every time.”
Today, Ben Aranda is with us for Friday five!
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
1. Pigeons
We like pigeons because, like us, they live in cities and mate for life. It also happens to be the reason our studio exists. Our first defining project was funded by a film grant to study the dying sport of pigeon flying in New York. He closed the office. By filming the birds and using code to model their formations, we learned to see the world through an algorithmic lens. This changed the way we approached architecture, open to the decentralized and non-human perspective, so we want to explicitly credit these pigeons for launching our trajectory. Even Darwin said, “Everybody is interested in pigeons.”
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch
2. Tohono O’odham basket
This is an unfinished basket from the late weaver Terrol Dew Johnson Tohono O’odham Nation. He holds a personal place in the studio because Terrol was a longtime collaborator, mentor, and dear friend. This piece is one of the simpler, more traditional versions of a Tohono O’odham basket with the signature squash blossom motif. Working with Terrol taught us a profound lesson: to deeply respect traditional practices and approach design as a way to honor, protect and promote cultural traditions. It’s an unfinished piece, but for us it’s completely complete.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
3. Eames chair
No surprise here, but we love chairs and definitely have too many in the studio. But the number isn’t interesting, the details are. Of all the variations of the Eames aluminum armchair, we like the original swivel version with the “Moon Landing” base.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch
4. My Kids’ Art
I am a rough father to a 5 year old boy and an 8 year old boy. As a result, my office and home is completely filled with items like this. In architecture, I spend my life thinking about things, so when they make them effortlessly, I’m completely humbled.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch
5. Piranesi
This is a favorite book of mine that details the designs of Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Piranesi is a timeless reference for architects, and we’re certainly not alone in our obsession. There is something intoxicating about his engravings, not only the technical mastery, but also his ability to draw ephemeral things. Look at those clouds.
Aranda\Lasch Works
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
1. We:sic ’em ki: (All at home)
We:sic ’em ki: (Everybody’s Home) is a family home in the Tohono O’odham Nation based on indigenous knowledge of building and living in the wilderness. After a 20-year collaboration between master basketmaker and activist Terrol Dew Johnson, this collective home for the Johnson family’s farming and basketry practices is inspired by traditional O’odham homes that combine a wa:atoor whole trees of medium structure, with a to:an earthen enclosure.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
2. Baskets
Terrol Dew Johnson (1971-2024) was a prolific Tohono O’odham artist, weaver, educator and activist. For almost 20 years we have been making baskets with Terrol, collaborating on a number of projects. Our interest in craftsmanship and traditional wisdom stems from him. The Baskets project began in 2006 at Artists Space in New York and continues to this day. They have been shown at MoMA, MOCA Tucson, Chicago Biennial, Sarasota Museum of Art, Volume Gallery, Heard Museum, and Institute of American Indian Arts, among others. Several works from the Baskets project are in the permanent collections of these institutions.
Photo by Gerry O’Leary.
3. DIOR
The design for DIOR Femme is inspired by the brand’s legendary couture: dynamic, ethereal and precisely crafted. The boutique’s facade reflects the structure and flow of DIOR’s iconic pleated dress.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
4. Apartment in the Garden
The Garden Apartment is designed to meet the needs of a growing family. The project focuses on connecting the house with their garden – a rare opportunity in the city.
Photo courtesy of Aranda\Lasch.
5. Another Circle
Another Circle is a new public space for Mill Race Park in Columbus, Indiana. The 2,800 pieces of salvaged limestone are arranged to create a large activity field of 3.5 acres. This rough circle contains a diffuse planning of spaces for outdoor recreation. a loose concentration of function within a scattering of stone.
