For the latest edition of Deans List: Amelia Taylor-Hochberg, Editorial Manager interviewed Monica Ponce de Leon of University of Michigan's Taubman College.

 Therein, Professor Ponce de Leon admits she hates branding and describes how/why the school has "purposefully taken out of the curriculum courses that are specifically geared towards skill-building, in order to open up more space within the curriculum for critical thinking".

Will Galloway was impressed "great comments from Ponce de Leon. I'd only hear her name before. Definitely a fan, now".

News

Commenting on episode 16 of Archinect Sessions, which discussed the #ilookup campaign with Robert Ivy FAIA, EVP/CEO of the AIA. vado retro argued "It is a question is how does our profession draw that population to consider choosing a design professional for their biggest investment...How do we add value...It won't be through Godard references, however".

Renown critic and photographer Fred Bernstein and Jeff Goldberg, tag-team a first look, at Rick Joy's built foray into public architecture for Architectural Record.

Architects Can Sucuoglu, Elif Ensari and Gudjon Erlendsson, a lecturer at Izmir University of Economics teamed up to design/build small-scale, DIY modular docks. Orhan Ayyüce

"grew up on that very edge”. To him the project “is pretty much equivalent to a parklet on the water...In the summertime, it can be a great archipelago to bathe if the bay is cleaned and free of last remaining bacteria"

Christopher Hawthorne took a look at what's new at the Broad? citizen couldn’t help but note "Wow, that shot does not flatter. At least it's parallel to the street, not cranked.  A bit of urbanism?". Yet OM.. pointed out "There are a lot of interior shots of the main gallery floating around now and it looks really good".
 

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates

Recently Sloan Springer worked on an expansion of the Santa Fe Opera - 7 weeks to go!

For those looking for work, the City of Dallas Planning and Neighborhood Vitality Department is in need of an Urban Design Policy Analyst (Planner) for the Dallas citydesign studio. Or Paralyzed Veterans of America is still looking for an Associate Director of Architecture Services, to work out of their Washington, DC office.
 

School/Blogs

jp88 focused on the work of a colleague, Jacob Brillhart at University of Miami, whose Drone’s Beach project was a finalist entry in this year’s MoMA PS1 Young Architect’s Program.

Anyone near Coral Gables between Feb 16 '15 - Feb 27 '15  should think of checking out the exhibition - Studies of La Habana and Other Caribbean Cities, showcasing Cuban-American architect and artist Rafael Fornes taught at the University of Miami School of Architecture.

Last month, students in SARUP's Urban Edge Award Studio traveled to India. There they visited the cities of Delhi, Agra and Chandigarh.
 

Discussions/Threads
Donna Sink started Razan Abu-Salha, Architecture Student: A Small Memorial. She wrote "NCSU students, I'm sorry for all your loss, and I'm sorry for our architecture community's loss of a woman who by all accounts would have been a light".

Responding to AIA’s recently launched #ilookup campain, b3tadine[sutures] shared a story about reaching out to new potential clients.

"Yesterday, I sent them an email, telling them what I've been involved with, future involvement, and how I'd love to help them do the same".

What about you what is your story? What does being being an architect means to you?

Inspired by a recent discovery of previously unknown (personally) Modern architect Juan O'Gorman, chigurh asked for other examples of unknown modernism? jw468 threw out Gaston Eysselinck and Josef Frank, along with Judith Chafee who is "virtually forgotten".

Others suggested architects such as Andrew Geller, Juliaan Lampens and Emilio Duhart.

Additionally
John J Parman proposed some responses to the AIA’s non-action in regards to ADPSR’s proposed Ethic's Rule 1.402.