Kyna Leski

Chris Bardt

AIA, Principal, Professor

 

About Chris Bardt

Chris Bardt, AIA, is a founding partner of 3SIXØ Architecture, a Professor of Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and an accomplished author and researcher. With more than 23 years as a licensed architect, Bardt integrates design practice, material innovation, and architectural theory into his professional and academic work.

Licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and New York, Bardt has contributed to projects of diverse scale and complexity, bringing a deep understanding of architectural form, function, and craft.

Professional Experience

Chris began his career with leading firms, including James Stewart Polshek and Kohn Pedersen Fox, where he served as a designer and senior designer from 1983 to 1986. His practice now focuses on architecture that merges technical precision with material exploration, informed by decades of teaching and research.

He has served on influential boards such as the Quonset Development Corporation Design Review Committee, offering expertise on public and private development projects.

Awards & Recognition

  • Sunwork – Awarded a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (1995), later constructed and exhibited at the Convergence Arts Festival.

  • Masonry Design Research – Published and presented at the National Concrete Masonry Association conference (2007).

  • Structural Ribbed Surface Modeling – Co-authored research featured at the Design Modeling Symposium Berlin.

His work has been exhibited at Cranbrook Academy, ETH Zurich, The Architectural Association (London), The Institute of Contemporary Art (San Francisco), and the RISD Museum. Publications featuring his research include AA Files, ViA arquitectura, and Installations by Architects.

Teaching & Academic Leadership

At RISD since 1988, Bardt has served as Graduate Program Director and taught upper-level studios, Thesis, Architectural Drawing, and Foundation courses. He has coordinated all three core design studios and the Thesis program, shaping generations of architects with a focus on materiality, form, and conceptual rigor.

He has also been a visiting professor at Cornell University and the National Academy of Design and Art in Slovakia.

Books & Publications

  • The Feeling of Space (MIT Press, 2024): Investigates how spatial form, light, and materiality evoke emotional and sensory responses, shaping the way people experience architecture.

  • Material & Mind (MIT Press, 2019): Examines how the inherent properties of materials shape the creative process, influence architectural thinking, and define spatial experiences.

Education & Early Career

  • B.Arch, Rhode Island School of Design (1983)

  • M.Arch II, Harvard University Graduate School of Design (1988)