Scaffolding is both an architecture—as a structure for access, support and shelter—and not an architecture—as a flexible kit-of-parts that can be assembled by anyone with any level of expertise for any purpose. Demonstrating the facile and temporal qualities of the scaffolding system, Scaffolding begins with documentation of the invention of modern scaffolding and its application as a building tool, then presents a series of projects showing its unique capacity to provide quickly assembled temporary structures for public performance, community gathering, and activation, and importantly, shelter addressing environmental and political crises. There is underappreciated value in scaffolding to empower non-architects in the building of their own structures, engendering ownership and agency for all involved.

Greg Barton, curator of the exhibition, holds an MSc in critical, curatorial, and conceptual practices in architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and a BArch from Tulane University, earning thesis distinctions and travel awards at both schools. As a 2014–15 curatorial intern at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, he assisted with the major archival exhibitions The Other Architect and Out of the Box: Áblos & Herreros. As a curatorial fellow at the Storefront for Art and Architecture, he organized Past Futures, Present, Futures (2012), which displayed over 100 visionary schemes for New York from the past century, reimagined by contemporary designers. He has been published in Volume, CLOG, Pidgin, 306090, Journal of Architectural Education, and The State. Currently, he works for Bernard Tschumi Architects, where he helped produce the Graham Foundation–supported retrospective Bernard Tschumi, Architecture: Concept and Notation at the Centre Pompidou (2014, traveling).

Berit Hoff is director of programs and exhibitions at the Center for Architecture. She manages the development and production of the Center's 13 annual exhibitions and rigorous public programming schedule, including the book talk series, exhibition programs, and symposia. Her research is included in the catalogue for the exhibition Mercedes Matter (2009) and as part of the Bard Graduate Center's Craft, Art & Design Oral History Project. She received her MA in design history from the Bard Graduate Center.

Shohei Shigematsu is designing Scaffolding. He is partner at OMA, founded by Rem Koolhaus, and designed the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. Global planning projects include a new civic center in Bogota, Colombia; an urban water strategy for New Jersey; and a food hub in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a design critic at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where he conducts the research studio Alimentary Design, at the intersection of food, architecture, and urbanism. Shigematsu recently designed Manus X Machina at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exhibition structured through scaffolding.

Founded in 1857, AIA New York is the oldest and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The Chapter's members include more than 5,500 practicing architects, allied professionals, students, and public members interested in architecture and design. Through the work of its committees and staff, AIA New York is dedicated to three goals: design excellence, public outreach, and professional development. The Center for Architecture calls upon the expertise within AIA New York membership to participate in committees and speak at public talks and a targeted marketing audience includes this dedicated body for attendance and promotion.

The New York Building Foundation was formed in 1998 to promote the long-term growth and well being of the building industry through a program of research, educational, and philanthropic activities. The Foundation examines the impact of building on New York's economy, highlights the industry's critical contributions to the City, assists tomorrow's builders through educational and mentoring programs and encourages industry leaders to use their skills, time, and resources to make New York a better place for all. In 2015, the NYBF sponsored a Construction Shed Design Competition to find elegant and affordable solutions for improving the pedestrian experience, which will be presented at a public forum during the show.

The Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU) is a New York-based, non-for-profit organization formed to promote a better understanding of the role of sustainable urbanization and resilient design in the planning of the world's cities. Through events such as Migration and Refugeesat the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) and A Critical Climate Change Debrief: COP21, CSU advocates for responsible and enlightened planning and design with a focus on replicable ideas and concepts, best practices, and speculative proposals. Founder Lance Jay Brown will participate in a program on alternative architecture for crises.

Established in 1996, NYC Emergency Management is a coordinating agency for the City of New York. The agency plans and prepares for emergencies, educates the public about preparedness, coordinates emergency response and recovery, and collects and disseminates emergency information. The agency maintains a disciplined unit of emergency management personnel—including responders, planners, watch commanders, logisticians, community outreach, communications, and administrative and support staff—to identify and respond to various hazards. The agency will participate in a program on emergency shelter.

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council creates a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups, enlivening public spaces with free programs in the visual, performing, and new media arts, and to provide leadership in cultural planning and advocacy. The Council annually presents the River to River Festival, which was established in 2002 following the attacks of September 11, 2001, to revitalize downtown communities. River to River leadership will speak in a public program about the challenges of presenting music and theater in accessible, outdoor spaces to wide audiences.

The Center for Architecture is the leading cultural venue for architecture and the built environment in New York City, informed by the complexity of the City's urban fabric and in dialogue with the global community. Our mission is to educate a broad audience about the built environment and the value of architectural practice in daily life. Founded in 1966, by the American Institute of Architects New York, we have the unique advantage of drawing upon the ideas and experiences of practicing architects to produce thought-provoking exhibitions, informative public programs, and quality design education experiences for K–12 students and families.