The Polypod Creative Series invites local and global luminaries to bring people together to discuss ideas and the creative process. The events take place within our informal studio space, which encourages more personal interaction with the speakers. So far the series have involved graphic designers, authors, thought-leaders, product designers, architects, filmmakers, artists, and information designers.

Ayssar Arida is a practicing urbatect—come and find out what it means—writer, educator, and entrepreneur, with award-winning work ranging from interface design to large-scale city planning and strategy.In addition to writing the influential Quantum City, Ayssar co-authored New Urbanism and Beyond: Designing Cities for the Future,which Manuel Castells praises for bringing together ‘some of the brightest urban minds of today’.

He re-launched Ayssar Arida Urbatecture in Beirut in 2013 after twelve years of running Q-DAR in London and Paris.