The Rafael Guastavino family—responsible for remarkable tile work at architectural landmarks in Asheville and across the nation—will be the subject of a lecture at UNC Asheville by John Ochsendorf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). The lecture, “Guastavino Vaulting: From Barcelona to Black Mountain,” will take place at 6 p.m. February 1 in UNC Asheville’s Owen Hall, in the third floor conference room. This event is free and open to the public.

John is the author of Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile (2010, Princeton Architectural Press), a study of the work of the father and son team of Spanish immigrants who patented a technique of self-supporting tile arches and vaults. The Guastavinos were responsible for the world-famous tile work in New York City’s Grand Central Station and Carnegie Hall, Asheville’s Biltmore Estate and Basilica of St. Lawrence, and hundreds of other landmark buildings across the United States.

John is associate professor of Architecture at M.I.T, where he conducts research on architectural construction, sustainable design and archaeology. He has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome.

This lecture is sponsored by the UNC Asheville Art Department, the Meet the Maker Series, and the NEH Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities. For more information, contact the Art Department at 828.251.6559.