Archtober–New York City's Architecture and Design Month–is back for another year. The anticipated month-long festival from Oct. 1-31, 2014 continues to grow with a variety of engaging exhibitions, conferences, films, tours, and other activities for all ages to celebrate the value of architecture and design in everyday life.

For the fourth year, Archinect & Bustler are proud to once again be Archtober's digital media sponsors.

From the long list of Archtober events, here are some exciting highlights to take note of in the first week, Oct. 1-8:

• New Practices New York 2014 exhibition opening | Oct. 1
  The six winning firms of the New Practices New York biennial competition will present and showcase their work to the public. The six firms were chosen for their unique approaches to the projects they undertake and the practices they have established. A Round Table with each winning team will take place prior to the exhibition opening.
   
• Josep Gomez + Jordi Bonet Fall 2014 Sciame Lecture Series on Gaudí’s Unfinished Masterpiece: The Sagrada Família Church | Oct. 2
  Join architects Josep Gomez and Jordi Boent in a lecture about Gaudí’s work, including his timeless masterwork, The Sagrada Família Church in Barcelona.
   
• Modern FiDi: Expanding and Renovating the Financial District | Oct. 4
  Amidst the historic architecture of NYC's Financial District, this tour will focus on "Skid(more) Row" (Chase Manhattan Plaza, 140 Broadway and One Liberty Plaza) and the Water Street corridor, which was once planned to be the route of the Second Ave Subway.
   
• Walking Tour: Exploring Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue Bazaars | Oct. 4
  Go for a stroll with writer/historian/genealogist Mary Ann DiNapoli to learn about the specialty stores of Brooklyn's premier Arab American community that was established around Atlantic Avenue over a century ago.
   
• Puddle, pothole, portal Opening Reception | Oct. 5
  Opening at the newly expanded facility on Sculpture Street, this exhibition explores real and illusory spaces including concepts related to animation and cartooning, all with a delightful sense of whimsical wonder and humor that all ages can enjoy.
   
• A New Terminal Under Grand Central: The East Side Access Project | Oct. 6
  Over at the MCNY, a panel of expert insiders will discuss the grand vision, engineering innovations, and  technical challenges behind one of the nation’s largest transportation infrastructure projects, expected to open in 2019-2023.
   
• Oculus Book Talk: Casablanca Chandigarh: A Report on Modernization | Oct. 6
  Tom Avermaete and Maristella Casciato will present their book, "Casablanca Chandigarh: A Report on Modernization", which documents the dynamics between two urban realities of the cities Casablanca and Chandigarh.
   

• Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon at the Guggenheim: Museum Architecture | Oct. 7
  No prior Wikipedia experience required in this free Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, hosted by The Guggenheim. The event will support contributions to Wikipedia's content on museum architecture. Agenda includes remarks from notable architectural scholars and an architectural tour of the Guggenheim.

• ADFF's first annual Short Films Walk | Oct. 7
  Each of the 10 participating downtown design showrooms will screen a unique program of film shorts from the Architecture + Design Film Festval's archives for approx. 15 minutes. Films will loop throughout the night.

• World Trade Center Public Realm Tour | Oct. 8
  This tour will focus on the  Led by AECOM principal Andrew Lavallee,  this tour will explore the history and design of the District’s World Trade Center District’s public realm design including streetscapes, utilities, plazas, and the emerging Liberty Park. This event is full, but you can still sign up on the waitlist.

Make sure to check back for week 2 recommendations.

For the complete list of events from October 1st through 31st, head over to the Archtober online calendar, like the Facebook page, or follow Archtober on Twitter, YouTube, and its blog.