Talks

Under The Influence 012 & Members-Only Bonus: An Exclusive Architectural Tour of the Mar Vista Private House by KdA

Saturday, October 18th, 2025 - 6:00 PM

meier st /
Address to be emailed to ticket holders

Speakers: Per-Johan Dahl, Ph.D. (Lund, Sweden) & Dana Cuff, Ph.D. (Los Angeles)

Please join us for Under the Influence 012 — a conversation between Per-Johan Dahl , Ph.D (Lund, Sweden) and Dr. Dana Cuff, Ph.D (Los Angeles). The event will take place at meier st/ a hub for community and creativity and part of the Mar Vista Tract, or Modernique Model Homes designed by Gregory Ain in collaboration with Joseph Johnson and Alfred Day in 1948.

This event is presented in collaboration with meier st / and kdA

This special edition of Under the Influence is paired with a private, self-guided tour of the Mar Vista House offered exclusively to 30 L.A. Forum members. The tour is followed by a presentation and Q&A with Kevin Daly, principal of KDA, who provides insight into both the architectural significance of Ain’s original design and his sensitive addition to the post-war building. The house tour precedes the talk with Dana Cuff and Per-Johan Dahl, setting the stage and providing context for their discussion. At the conclusion of the house tour, ticket holders will join the general audience at the venue for Under the Influence within walking distance.

Both venues are part of Ain’s original Mar Vista tract, offering attendees a rare opportunity to experience Ain’s vision for the neighborhood, and a unique chance to experience two private residences that typically remain closed to the public. At meier st / architect and owner Takashi Yanai will provide an introduction of the vision behind this residence conceived as a space for culture and community.

Under the Influence is a series of conversations that expands upon the concepts of Los Angeles Modernism. This radical movement rejected predetermined rules and embraced experimentation, striving for freedom of expression in all areas of culture. Modernism also catalyzed an interest in social equality, politics, healthy environments, new materials, and innovation, ushering design into a new and transformative era. The series brings together architects, artists, and designers from all over the world to engage in dialogue with local architects, landscape architects, and creatives in L.A.'s quintessential iconic modernist spaces. We aim to uncover the influence of this radical approach on today’s culture and will reflect on what we do next by bringing foreign and local voices into experimental and progressive conversations.

Two speakers are invited for each talk: one local and one from elsewhere. Each speaker will present their work, highlighting the experimental approach’s influence that Los Angeles Modernism set in motion. The presentation will be followed by a conversation among the speakers and with the audience.

TICKETS: NON-MEMBERS $35
MEMBERS AND STUDENTS $15

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Per-Johan Dahl

Per-Johan (PJ) Dahl is an Associate Professor of Architecture with a research focus on utilizing architecture as a critical tool to explore urban processes. He currently serves as Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at Lund University.

Dr. Dahl holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Architecture from Lund University, and a degree in Civil Engineering from Blekinge Institute of Technology. He has taught at several universities across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the U.S., and conducted post-doctoral research as a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, New York City.

His research investigates architecture in the context of urbanization, employing architecture as a critical discipline and practice to interrogate the complex forces that shape urban processes. His approaches include transdisciplinary, practice-based, and design research.

Dr. Dahl is a Board Member of the Research Institute for Experimental Architecture (RIEA), a member of Lund University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Steering Committee for the Development of a Strategy for Cultural Collaboration, and a founding member of the Swedish Housing Architecture Research Network (SHAN). He co-founded smogstudio, a research-oriented practice exploring the intersections of architecture and urbanism.

He is a professional member of Architects Sweden (SAR/MSA) and an associate member of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). His research and practice have been published and exhibited internationally.

Dana Cuff

Dana Cuff is the founding Director of cityLAB and a Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA. Since earning her Ph.D. in Architecture, she has focused on translating research into action with social justice implications, particularly in the areas of affordable housing and shared urban space. She has co-authored several pieces of state housing legislation, paving the way for tens of thousands of compact, infill housing units in California. In Los Angeles, cityLAB’s ongoing “Small Lots, Big Impacts” design and development competition aims to produce 21st-century starter homes. Cuff has received numerous prestigious awards for her teaching, research, and impact, and her prolific writing includes the recent book Architectures of Spatial Justice (2023).