“It is impossible to know when the next moment might change your life forever.”

As young architects just out of school Cathi and Steven House chose to take a year off to explore Europe. During that remarkable journey they went to the Greek island of Santorini thinking they would stay for a week – but ended up living there for six months. They arrived as open-minded young architects and left with a vision of what architecture can and should be. That first trip set a course for their lives that they could not have imagined.

A few years after that first trip, they created an extensive exhibition that premiered at the Center for Architecture + Design gallery in San Francisco entitled, “Mediterranean Villages: an architectural journey”, later becoming a major book, documenting their experiences in Italy, Greece, Dalmatia and Spain with drawings, photographs, paintings and maps as well as personal reflections on their extraordinary journey. It was in these indigenous villages where they learned that light, form and movement can go beyond mere beauty to move our souls.

Greek vernacular architecture introduced them to a different view of how architecture can mold culture and behavior in powerful ways. Cathi and Steven have since traveled the world through more than 60 countries continuing their studies that began in Greece – studies that continue to guide their work and their lives. During their presentation they will share favorite stories from their journeys to such places as India, Africa, Mexico, Italy and Greece.

The experiences Cathi and Steven will share illustrate how travel has shaped who they are as citizens of the world and as successful architects practicing in California, Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond and how they incorporate what they learn into their architecture.

Steven + Cathi House | House + House Architects

For over 35 years Steven and Cathi House of House + House Architects have crafted intimate, personal architecture, producing a diverse body of work reflecting their passion for site specific, well-choreographed buildings throughout California, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Japan and the Caribbean. Having received more than 50 design awards, their work has been featured in numerous national and international publications including two monographs, “House + House Architects: Choreographing Space” and “Houses in the Sun: light movement embrace”.

They have lectured throughout the United States, as well as Mexico and Italy, and have traveled extensively across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America documenting vernacular architecture. Their extensive studies and photographs of vernacular architecture have been published in two books.

“Mediterranean Villages: An Architectural Journey”, celebrates their investigations throughout the Mediterranean — the hilltowns of central Italy, the Aegean Islands of Greece, the Dalmatian coast, and the Andalusian region of southern Spain. Their most recent book, “Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time”, documents the vernacular architecture, people, land, villages, artisans, textiles and cultures of seven countries in West Africa.

They have both served on Virginia Tech’s Architecture Advisory Council and, based on their firm belief in travel as an important way to learn, they created CASA (Center for Architecture, Sustainability + Art), a study abroad program based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

About the Architecture + the City Festival (September 11-30)

Co-presented by AIA San Francisco and the Center for Architecture + Design, the 17th annual Architecture + the City goes virtual and will continue to offer behind-the-scenes programs, walking tours, literature, live presentations and more that provide an excellent opportunity for all communities to experience architecture and design in a myriad of ways throughout the city.

Every September, the festival reveals the many facets and layers of San Francisco, and how ­architecture and design play a key role in this ever-changing urban landscape. Millions of people from around the world visit San Francisco — a 49 square-mile city with a population of more than 800,000 comprised of artists, architects, designers, storytellers, students, and more — each with perspectives that contribute to the compelling and evolving narrative that makes this City so unique.

For more info visit www.archandcity.org