The latest edition of the Working out of the Box: series featured, Julia Watson (landscape architect turned sacred space conservationist) of Studio Rede.

 jla-x had two comments; first, that the interview with/work of Studio Rede is "Fantastic!" and second "love this series".

Plus, Nicholas Korody explored the current work of Bruno Zhu, a photographer and bookmaker. Speaking of a recent work ‘Builder’, he offers up the following explanation, it "is quite naïve and stubborn. It’s mostly about one place and photographed in similar compositions, while intended to read as a range of different things. But the project’s critical ambition was to question the validity of a report, and how its authority could be its biggest weakness". 

Douglaswittnebel felt there was a "Very interesting focus on the construction and details, it seems that the mysteries are really the biggest part of the series, the unknowns and the questions of why and when".

News
 Designer Deborah Sussman passed away last week, at age 83.

Stefanos Chen of the Wall Street Journal, examined the fact that "Despite historically high numbers of women entering the field of architecture, top-tier positions are still dominated by men”. Darkman, depressingly argued "It's the 70s all over again... in 40 years we will be talking about the same thing. Nothing changes".

Paul Goldberger penned a review, of Frank Gehry’s latest museum project—the Fondation Louis Vuitton, opening this fall in the Bois de Boulogne, writing

"In Paris, Gehry has come closer than ever before to having it both ways—to showing art in straightforward rooms that just happen to be part of an utterly spectacular building, one that only heightens the intensity of the art within'.

The Spring House Institute is trying to raise money through a crowdfunding campaign, to match a State of Florida Special Category Acquisition Grant, in order to acquire Frank Lloyd Wright’s Spring House for future restoration and completion.The house was recently listed on the '11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America' by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

On August 20th the AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD announced, the Architecture Billings Index has reached it’s highest mark since 2007.

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates

Vancouver in Rotterdam, the Netherlands by KAAN Architecten and office 04 / Tribal DDB in Amsterdam, the Netherlands by i29 interior architects are just two of the projects found in the post, Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Minimalism" Pinterest Board.

Mitch McEwen had a chance to chat with Professor Keller Easterling, about her latest book, Subtraction, Detroit, "shrinking cities" and "the methods of drawing of subtraction".

School/Blogs
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students, will host the largest architecture student conference of the year in Nashville, this winter.

Martina Dolejsova who is beginning two years in the Curatorial, Critical, and Conceptual Practices Program at GSAPP, continued from last week, with part II of  her post(s) on Apartment Hunting and Thinking of Olmsted.

New York City College of Technology is looking for mentors for the 2014 Fall Semester. They reminded folks that up to 80 service hours are applicable towards IDP’s Professional and Community Service Requirement.

Discussions/Threads
wurdan freo had some questions regarding Pole Building. Carrera answered "I’m Midwest and they are everywhere in agriculture. The largest producer around is Morton and they market them as barns, workshops even cabins and homes but even touts them for restaurants...The problem is the building foundation". mightyaa opined "Essentially, perfect for a warehouse type thing... Occupied space not so much..normally use them is something like an autodealership...on burn towers; where the fire department trains".

EdoardoMedeghiniArchitect needed help "we are doing a gym in a basement in NYC: do the columns must be fire protected or  not?" Helpfully, Non Sequitur answered "maybe" and gruen similarly wrote "If you are doing this type of project in NYC you need to be a NY licensed architect. If you are a NY licensed architect then you should know how to answer this question. Hint: read the NYC building code".

Later Apurimac provided a bit more assistance "Yes, you need to provide a rated enclosure around your columns.  How much of an enclosure depends on many variables, such as occupancy and construction type.  Use the UL fire resistance design wizard to help you find the right design".

Finally, chigurh wanted to know how, once a working professional, one is to develop a personal voice? Especially because "it is super important to continue to explore personal ideas, but how? competitions? What else do you do to stay fresh?" Miles Jaffe advised "If you can get your clients to add or increase energy efficiency, renewables, use of locally available / domestic materials, etc. within the program (all of the things we desperately need as a society) that is a big plus. That can be part of your voice: responsibility".

Richard Balkins, Assoc. AIA pointed out the need to be careful as "some firms have anti-’moonlighting’ policies...This is an ugly truth about courts and insurance liability...In part, it's an ethics thing".