Rate My Professor Peter Olshavsky

Peter Olshavsky serves as an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Architecture. He earned his Ph.D. and M.Arch. II in History and Theory of Architecture from McGill University, along with a B.Arch. from The Pennsylvania State University. His career includes prior teaching at McGill University and Temple University, and professional practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Olshavsky's academic interests lie in history, theory, and design, focusing on contemporary phenomenology and the entanglements of innovation, media, and chatter in architectural discourse and pedagogy, examined through the lenses of Modernism and Late-Modern American architecture. Ongoing research encompasses Daniel Libeskind’s pedagogy at Cranbrook Academy of Art (1978-1985), Steven Holl Architect’s collaborations with BNIM, and videos of MOS Architects.

His research and teaching have been supported by the Canada-US Fulbright Fellowship, Fulbright Eco-Leadership Award, National Endowment for the Arts, UNL’s Layman Award, and Grant-in-Aid. Key publications include “Michael’s Mouth” in LOG 55 (Summer 2022), “Allure of Water: An Interview with Steven Holl” in Journal of Architectural Education (2020), “Reconfiguring Architectural Agency” in Steven Holl: Making Architecture (2020), “Untimely Thinking of Alberto Pérez-Gómez” in Timely Meditations: Select Essays on Architecture (2016), “Situating ’Pataphysical Machines: A History of Architectural Machinations” in Chora: Intervals in the Philosophy of Architecture, vol. 6 (2011), “La Maison Suspendue: Imaginary Solutions for an Everyday Domestic Machine” in Designing the French Interior (2015), and “Building Upon Love in the Age of Innovation” in Architecture’s Appeal (2015). He co-coordinated the “Nebraska” section of SAH Archipedia, contributing an introductory essay, photography, and 99 building texts. Olshavsky teaches courses such as ARCH 240 and 241: Architecture History and Theory I and II, design studios (ARCH 210, 211, 311, 500), graduate seminars (ARCH 497/597: Architectural Imaginary), and study abroad in Paris and London.