New faculty members have joined the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
Chandler Ahrens is an assistant professor of architecture. Ahrens is a co-founder and director of the Los Angeles office of Open Source Architecture (OSA). The international research and design architectural practice has designed commercial and residential projects in addition to designing, fabricating and mounting several complex installations such as The Hylomorphic Project at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles.
His work with OSA has been extensively published internationally, and he has lectured at numerous academic institutions. Ahrens also has worked for several large international architectural firms, and most recently he served as an assistant professor at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design and his master’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles, both in architecture.
Andrew Cruse is also an assistant professor of architecture. Previously a visiting professor in the Sam Fox School, Cruse is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is a LEED-accredited professional. His research focuses on the cultural, social and energy issues around the topic of building reuse and modernization.
He is working on an interdisciplinary teaching and research initiative called Quadrangle, exploring these issues as they relate to multifamily housing in St. Louis. Before joining the WUSTL faculty, Cruse was an associate at Machado and Silvetti Associates in Boston. He has taught at Northeastern University, Rhode Island School of Design and Boston Architectural College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in art history from Columbia University and his master’s degree in architecture from Rice University.
Kees Lokman is an assistant professor of landscape architecture. Lokman earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture and urban design from Wageningen University, and graduated with distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design’s master of design studies program.
He previously served as an adjunct assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and a faculty member of Archeworks. Lokman also has more than five years of professional experience, including design work at the office of plantsman Piet Oudolf and at Terry Guen Design Associates, as well as collaborations that have led to international prizes and mentions in design competitions, including Meta[bolic] Park, The Chicago Constellation and Indianapolis Monument Nexus.