Biography
Daniel Whittaker is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Sustainable Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Prior to teaching at SUTD, he was Owner’s Representative for the pre-planning, design, construction and staging of a new private museum in Chicago, Illinois called Wrightwood 659. Designed by Tadao Ando Architect and Associates of Osaka, Japan; the creation of a contemporary art and social activist space was precisely fit within an existing 1930s-era Chicago common brick masonry shell, requiring extensive project planning and coordination. Whittaker was co-curator of the gallery’s inaugural exhibition titled: “Masters of Architecture,” which explored architectural conversations between Le Corbusier’s oeuvre of béton brut creations and three of Tadao Ando’s American museums, through an archival lens.
Education
- Ph.D. Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Master of Science in Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
- Master of Architecture, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
- Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Minnesota
Research Interest
- Translation of design intentionality into contemporary building construction techniques
- Institutionalization and political use of architectural history
- Re-presentation of historical narratives and how they serve societal imperatives
Selected Publication
- “Lessons from the creation of a thermally isolated structural steel and reinforced concrete museum building.” Illinois Institute of Technology, Third Ph.D. Symposium publication: “Buildings, Cities, and Performance.” Fall 2019.
- “The Influence of China Trade, the Camellia and the Creation of America’s Early Greenhouses at the Lyman Estate.” Tsinghua University, International Conference and Annual Symposium on Horticultural Therapy in China. 2018.
Awards
- Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) King Student Medal for Excellence in Architectural and Environmental Design Research for doctoral research: “House Museums in Chicago: A Re-Examination of Motives, Origins, and Transformations of the Institutions.”
- International Conference on Construction and Project Management: Best Paper: “Examining Methods of Concrete Construction in a Tadao Ando Private Art Gallery.”
- Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple (volunteer service on Restoration Foundation board).
- Recognition by State of Minnesota Governor’s Residence Council, Saint Paul.