In April RISD President John Maeda moderated a conversation on the theme of “Simplicity” at the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, CT. Since last year the Glass House (1949) — an icon of modernism — has been operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a center for the preservation of modern architecture, landscape and art, honoring the legacy of Philip Johnson and David Whitney [RISD ‘63, Interior Architecture], both of whom died in 2005.

The Glass House Conversations are meant to preserve the house as a “living museum” with ongoing salons emulating those that Johnson himself hosted. Among those participating in President Maeda’s Conversation were Diego Rodriguez of IDEO, Jason Fried of 37signals, Ambra Medda of Design Miami, Michelle McMurry of the Aspen Institute and Linda Tischler of Fast Company.

In the video below President Maeda shares his impressions and talks about how the Glass House relates to his theories of “simplicity”.