PLAT utilizes a unique “call and response” format to explore and respond to compelling issues in architecture today. PLAT 11.0 and 11.5, as in each cycle, features content around a theme established in the first issue and a series of responses in the second. During summer 2021, PLAT’s editors convened to identify a theme for PLAT 11.0 that is relevant, timely, and persuasive. The theme builds from the potential topics discussed for PLAT 10.0 Behold, currently in production, which discusses the potentials of framing architecture as a medium for conveying meanings beyond spatial experience. As with previous issues, PLAT 11.0 sources voices from the international architectural community, while its half issue, PLAT 11.5, features responses from Rice’s campus, creating a dynamic conversation between issues and positioning the journal as an instigator of architectural discourse at Rice and beyond.

Jimmy Bullis is a master’s of architecture student at Rice University. He studied poetry writing at the University of Virginia and spent most of the past decade as a touring musician. He has recorded five albums, self-published a book, and edited the inaugural edition of 4, an anthology of creative writing. He is the winner of the 2013 Writer’s Eye competition and his work has been included in or covered by The Line of Best Fit, The Reykjavik Grapevine, and various other literary, cultural, and music publications. Recently, he worked for Baker Concrete Construction and as a researcher for Mark Wamble. He currently serves as a research assistant to Viola Ago and a design consultant for a new project by Alida Metcalf and John Mulligan for Rice University’s Humanities and Research Computing departments. Along with Pouya Khadem, he is coeditor-in-chief of PLAT 9.5: Leaving Space and PLAT 10.0: Behold.

Pouya Khadem is a master’s of architecture candidate at Rice University. In 2018, He received his bvachelor’s of science in architecture from University of Tehran. Born in Tehran, Iran, he worked from 2017 to 2018 at RMJM as a junior architect. Along with Jimmy Bullis, Khadem is coeditor-in-chief of PLAT 9.5: Leaving Space and PLAT 10.0: Behold.

Jane Van Velden is a master’s of architecture candidate at Rice University. She received a bachelor’s of arts from the University of Michigan, double-concentrating in philosophy, and arts and ideas in the humanities. Prior to studying architecture, she worked in development at Harvard University. She has worked at the office of MG&Co in Houston. As a current research assistant for Reto Geiser, she is assisting with a book on the future of architectural exhibitions. She serves as the student representative for the Rice School of Architecture lecture series committee and curriculum committee. Van Velden is the managing editor of PLAT 9.5 and 10.0.

Adam Berman is a master’s of architecture candidate at Rice University. He holds a bachelor of arts in environmental sciences from Northwestern University. Prior to enrolling at Rice, he worked for four years as a creative developer for an independent record label group in New York City. Berman is the design director of PLAT 9.5 and PLAT 10.0.

Elina Chen is a bachelor’s of architecture student at Rice University, minoring in museum and cultural heritage. Originally from Wuxi, China, she enjoys traveling and has published her writings in Cite Digital and Traveler. She serves as the mentorship coordinator of Rice School of Architecture for 2020–21. Chen is the development director of PLAT 8.5 and PLAT 9.0.

Harish Krishnamoorthy is an undergraduate architecture student at Rice University. Originally from Bangalore, India, his writings have been published in Cite Digital and Log, where he also served as assistant editor in summer 2019. His interests lie in the intersection of urbanism, policy, and cultural regionalism. In 2019, he received the Rosemary Watkin Barrick Travelling Fellowship to pursue research in Chefchaouen, Morocco. He also loves cooking. Krishnamoorthy is the lead copy editor of PLAT 8.5 and PLAT 9.0.

PLAT is an independent architecture journal produced by students at Rice Architecture. Its purpose is to stimulate relationships between design, production, and theory. It operates in a call-and-response format by curating professional and academic work into an open and evolving dialogue that progresses from issue to issue. PLAT is a speculative catalyst for architectural discourse, a platform on which the important issues in architecture today can be addressed and advanced.