USModernist Radio

USModernist® Radio is underwritten by June Goldfinger and Jeff Taylor, sponsors of Circle Square Triangle: a traveling exhibition on the Architecture of Myron Goldfinger - and by Diane Bald and The Budman Family, restoring significant architecture in Toronto, Los Angeles, Malibu and Palm Springs. Diane Bald and The Budman Family, restoring significant architecture in Toronto, Los Angeles, Malibu and Palm Springs.

Here are all our past shows

Listen to one of America's top-rated architecture podcasts as the USModernist® Radio crew talks and laughs with fascinating people who own, create, love, and hate Modernist architecture, the most controversial houses and buildings in the world.

Past and upcoming architecture guests include Jeanne Gang, Bjarke Ingels, Daniel Libeskind, Barbara Bestor, Moshe Safdie, Tom Kundig, Harry Bates, Peter Bohlin, Alan Hess, Peter Gluck, Robert Rubin, Blair Kamin, Barry Bergdoll, Myron Goldfinger, Kenneth Frampton, Katie Swenson, Bob Ivy, Jen Masengarb, Angie Brooks + Larry Scarpa, Gisue Hariri, Sekou Cooke, Alexandra Lange, Paul Goldberger, Inga Saffron, Jim Olson, Debbie Millman, Sarah Susanka, Helena Arahuete, Raymond and Dion Neutra, Eric and Susan Saarinen, and many more.

Past and upcoming musical guests include China Forbes, Ann Hampton Callaway, Lucy Wijnands, Diane Schuur, Noel Paul Stookey, Brenda Lee, Lenore Raphael and Howard Alden, Eliane Elias, Toni Tennille, Halie Loren, Stacey Kent, Jane Monheit, Jennifer Warnes, Marilyn Scott, Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Storm Large, Kate Earl, Nneena Freelon, Darius Brubeck, Maria Maldaur, Claire Martin, Robin McKelle, Bria Skonberg, Sophie Milman, Lucy Woodward, Heather Rigdon, Tierney Sutton and many others, including: Diana Panton / Don Most / Donna Loren / Eden Atwood / Elaine Lucia / Elijah Rock / Erin Boheme / Gina Eckstine / Hailey Tuck / Heidi Skjerve & Daniel Formo / Helen Gillet / Judy Carmichael / Kate Earl / Laura Fygi / Linda Eder / Louise Cappi / Melissa Morgan / Michael Sinatra / Monika Ryan / Nicole Zuraitis / Oleta Adams / Pat Kirtley / Paul Marinaro / Peter Lamb and the Wolves / Rebecca Kilgore / Rosana Eckert / Tony Desare / Victoria Vox

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Presented By

Host and Executive Producer George Smart HAIA, one dark and stormy night in 2007, started what has become USModernist®, the largest open digital nonprofit educational archive for Modernist residential design in the world. George and his intrepid team of wildly dedicated volunteers and woefully underpaid staff have won 19 local, state, and national awards, He appears in the 2020 architecture documentary Frey II and the 2024 architecture documentary New England Modernism, both by Jake Gorst.

Announcer, co-host, and engineer Tom Guild, legendary Raleigh FM DJ, grew up in a Durham Modernist house. He was on WRDU and WQDR back when humans actually played vinyl records over the airwaves using something called radio. Over the years, Tom recorded and mixed hours of top-notch audio including Porsche By Design for the NC Museum of Art. He met Mick Jagger. He has not met Frank Gehry. The security code for the show's recording studio, SoundTrax, is 8675309.

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Upcoming Episodes

Aug 5 #364/Modernist Auctions with Luke Newbold + Federal Historic Preservation with Sara Bronin + Musical Guest Roslyn Kind

When the internet came along, many industries changed forever, and one of them was the auction business. Remember how exciting eBay was when everything was up for bid? Traditional auction houses had to move quickly to adapt, and the opportunities of moving from a local to a regional or national or international market through the internet were immense. One auction firm which has made a wildly successful transition is Leland Little in Hillsborough NC, and we’ll talk inside their Modernist warehouse with Modernist director Luke Newbold. Later, it’s architect, professor, attorney, and former first lady of Hartford CT Sara Bronin, chair of the US Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, and musical guest Roslyn Kind.

Jul 29 #363/Architecture Documentaries: Jake Gorst + Kirk Brown + Musical Guest Laura Pursell

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If there’s one thing architecture fans love as much as tours and parties, it’s architecture documentaries, and we’ve been covering dozens of those over the years. Recorded at Modernism Week 2024, George talks with author and Emmy-winning filmmaker Jake Gorst on his new film New England Modernism. Following that, a chat with Kirk Brown of DesignOnScreen, who funded many of Gorst’s films about Palm Springs, creating a visual history of Modernism. Later on, musical guest Laura Pursell skates into our hearts.

Jul 22 #362/California Modernism: Leo Marmol + Wally Cunningham + Monika Haefelfinger + Drew Pedrick

Oh California, where the sun is warm. Where the winds from Santa Ana make you feel like you belong. California, wherever you may roam. California keeps calling you home. Those words from the 1978 movie If Ever I see You Again, a tribute to California. Joining us are today are well-known California architects Leo Marmol, Wally Cunningham, Monika Hafelfinger, and Drew Pedrick.

Jul 15 #361/New Modernism in Palm Springs: Architects Michael Kiner + Mark Daniels

We’ve had many shows on the great midcentury architects of Palm Springs, people like Chambers, Clark, Cody, Frey, Krisel, Sackley, Wexler, White, Wiliams, and the last man standing, Hugh Kaptur. But that was the 20^th century, and we’re in the 21^st. In fact, we’re pretty near mid-century in the 21^st, so today, you’ll hear from two of today’s Palm Springs architects, Michael Kiner and Mark Daniels. They create houses that Modernist fans will be fondly touring and doing podcasts about - 30 years from now.

Jul 8 #360/ Michael Kimmelman of the New York Times + Musical Guest Monika Ryan

Monika Ryan Musician - All About Jazz

Michael Kimmelman is the architecture critic for the New York Times. He writes on design, housing and homelessness, neighborhood development, cities, the environment, and civil society. Then it's a delightful visit with returning musical guest Monika Ryan.

Jul 1 #359/Kirsten Roech on The Glass House + Marina Coates on TV Houses + Musical Guest Andrea Carter

Kirsten Roech is the new executive director of Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. Then, take a ride down memory lane with Marina Coates, creator of the YouTube series Behind the Scenes, featuring tours of your favorite TV and movie houses. Later on, musical guest Andrea Carter.

Jun 24 #358/Richard Meier's Douglas House: Mike McCarthy + Marcia Myers + Musical Guest Darius Brubeck

Designed by Richard Meier, with project architect Tod Williams, the 1973 Douglas House is a towering white residence built on a steep, conifer-covered slope overlooking Lake Michigan. In 2007, retired Proctor & Gamble executives Mike McCarthy and Marcia Myers became the fourth owners and embarked on its second restoration, doing a deep dive to bring it back to life. Later on, we're excited to have back musical guest Darius Brubeck!

Jun 17 #357/Exploring Palm Springs: John Stark + Trevor O'Donnell + J. R. Roberts

Today, we’ll talk to three people who live in Palm Springs: the folks who work to document, share, and safeguard Palm Springs’ heritage – and gladly share their stories. First, expert tour guides John Stark and Trevor O’Donnell. Later on, the President of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, JR Roberts, working to bring back the theatre to its full glory.

Jun 10 #356/Scott Specht + Ste Murray + Bad Architecture's Sarah Tietje-Mietz / Erin Kennealy

In the Modernist kitchen today, we’ve got a full course meal, starting with architect and author Scott Specht, architecture photographer Ste Murray, and wrapping up for dessert, the always delightful hosts of the podcast Bad Architecture, Sara Tietje-Mietz and Erin Kennealy.