Julia Ingalls reviews, the built work and paper architecture of Jimenez Lai. To wit "regardless of the medium...Understanding the role of storytelling within design is fundamental to all of Lai's work".

 jla-x commented "The most interesting drawing that he did was a series of plans of a space ship city...really cool how he treated all surfaces as plan (the drawing was in zero gravity...)...A guy like him would be really great at film...I would love to see his drawings animated into short films". tanya enjoyed reading the article and summed up why "Understanding space from a different viewpoint , experiencing a variety of emotions while inhabiting a space , having the luxury to change the vibe of a specifically designed space, a sense of play within architecture, playing around with the art/part of architecture !"

Paul Keskeys, penned A First-Hand View of Gentrification in San Francisco. Arch2133 wasn’t happy "I really don't understand neutral positions like this and it leaves a bad taste...A blow by blow winners and losers count is really off-base considering the realities". ajb213 added "the cold reality of the world is that those with money make the decisions, and if their is an economic benefit for a city to attract a powerful company to areas where real estate is at lower cost, then that's going to happen".
 

News
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the October ABI score was 53.7, down from a mark of 55.2 in September, with AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD suggesting the drop doesn’t negate the continued momentum of recovering demand.

On a related note, Justine Testado reminded us that according to NCARB's 2014 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards, the architecture profession is back on the rise.

Wired looked at 11 examples of the future high-tech urban planning. John Delaney commented "These are just tele-centric toys and gimmicks sponsored by tech-heads and PR overlords….The architectural features they do mention...while beneficial, aren't at all futuristic...Once again, the primary components of great cities that need the most attention - architecture, streets, sidewalks, frontage, public space, transit, landscaping, and most importantly, people - are neglected".

The In Residence series went on a treetop tour of Ray Kappe’s Californian abode. Beepbeep’s only response "Perfect".

Check out recent construction photos from SANAA's River project at Grace Farms in New Canaan, CT. The project’s grand opening has been confirmed for next fall.

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates
Mitch McEwen had a chance to visit the IIT campus and experience "Mies' most iconic American work...Rem Koolhaas' contribution... to architecture history? To IIT? To the campus?" She couldn't help feel "McCormick Tribune Campus Center...a bit cynical after Crown Hall". midlander, a student at IIT in 2003 sort of agreed with her "Crown Hall provides the kind of non-intellectual comfort of simply being a pleasant space which the MTCC doesn't...That kind of precious wholeness isn't really Rem's thing". midlander then went on to make the case for symmetry.

David Amdie recently worked on escapism in an urban landscape.

If you are looking for a job, Paralyzed Veterans of America is seeking a full-time Architect to be their Associate Director of Architecture Services, in Washington, DC.

The second Smart Highway Project (Van Gogh-Roosegaarde bicycle path), designed by Studio Roosegaarde, has opened.

Urban Reflections in Vienna, Austria by HOLODECK architects and Municipal Offices in Breda, the Netherlands by KAAN Architecten are just two of the projects that can be found in the post, Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Architect Sure!" Pinterest Board.

School/Blogs
dtran125 interviewed two students Ellen Duff (M.Arch) and Hillary Davlin (B.S.Arch) about their Spring Travel Course Experience. Led by Ana Maria Duran Castilo (an Ecuadorian architect, researcher, educator and writer) the Taubman College students traveled to Ecuador to study "vernacular architecture” and spent "two weeks in the Amazon with an Indigenous tribe...helping that community build a structure out of bamboo".

For those looking for a job in academia, Clemson University School of Architecture is looking to fill three positions: Assistant Professor of Architecture, tenure track – Design Studio + Building Technology, Design/Build, or Visualization & Communication.

jp88 wrote about past and upcoming projects, by the Design/Build studio at the University of Miami School of Architecture.
 

Discussions/Threads
Jacinthe necro'd an old thread started by Bryan Finoki about Spaces of Addiction. The reason "I am starting my M.Arch thesis in January and I am looking into this topic...My interest stems partially from a previous research project...I realized is how hard it is to address addiction without feeling patronizing".

tint replied "My husband is a former addiction therapist...People that relapse do so because they go back to an environment with the same triggers. It is why relapse is common and residential treatment is sometimes the only way some people can get help, because you change the social environment completely". tint also reminded Jacinthe that there are many forms of addiction "Coffee, pop, sex, shopping, exercise, food, prescription drugs, tv and computers...is just the drama and taboo of substance abuse that is interesting?"

Riccardo Bianchini found the "exoskeleton" concept of the Broad Foundation quite interesting, but was curious to know your opinion! According to Quan Nyen Tran Diller Scofidio + Renfro are the "Top contemporary architecture firm of our time...great way to push the boundary of the ideas and structure of architecture". Orhan Ayyüce hated to ruin the party but based on a recent visit believed "Renderings are much better...It really shows Eli Broad's hand in it, as in, little corporate greed that eats the soul".

Finally, rjh0016 an architecture student has a question regarding construction documents and responsibility. Namely "where do the structural engineers come in?...is it an either-or scenario where either the engineer or the architect stamps the drawings depending on the situation or are both stamps required always?"

robbmc started things off by asking for clarification "Are you talking about liability or design responsibility?" jitter12 advised "I would add that work done by others should not be on your sheets.  If there is structural detailing, put it on it's own sheet with the structural engineer's seal by itself". Olaf Design Ninja_ noted to keep things clearcut "some firms like to not have their consulting engineers on their titleblock and often request the owner contract directly with consultant". Then Appleseed chimed in "Our Owner/Architect Contract (we actually use the more-friendly term Letter of Agreement) will generally spell out how we'd like to deal with CA - which is typically pretty hands on".

Additionally

Back in October, The Economic Policy Institute released a report - The Making of Ferguson: Public Policies at the Root of its Troubles, which lays out how "Policies enacted by federal, state, and local governments to create racially segregated metropolises are at the root of the events that occurred since August in Ferguson, Missouri ".