Julia Watson: The Historic Preservation Lecture

Julia Watson is an Australian-born designer, educator, author, TED speaker, and radical thought leader of Greco-Egyptian-English heritage, known for championing climate-resilient design through ancestral technologies. Trained as an architect in First Nations knowledge systems, she co-authored “Lo—TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism” and “Lo—TEK Water: A Field Guide for TEKnology” with Indigenous experts, spearheading the global Lo—TEK movement. She co-founded the Lo—TEK Institute and the Lo—TEK Office for Intercultural Urbanism, both co-led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous designers and scientists. A lecturer at Harvard and Columbia Universities, Watson has collaborated with Nike, LEGO, Gensler, and Buro Happold, continually redefining sustainability through ancestral wisdom.