For the latest edition of Deans List; Amelia Taylor-Hochberg profiled Michael Speaks, the Dean at Syracuse Architecture. 

Ken Koense commented "The SU Architecture program stands in stark contrast to what is happening, and has recently occurred at NJIT. Credible, steady leadership at Syracuse, instability in the leadership at NJIT." Jolanda Morkel felt the piece was "Wwll worth a read".

News

The roster of over 60 architecture firms and artists who will exhibit their work at the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, was announced. jla-x proposed "Archinect field trip anyone"? Meanwhile Lightperson tried not to get his hopes up "I'm excited to see the new crop of architecture ideas but also get the feeling this will be another Tactical Urbanism show from the usual suspects, the cool European curators".

Denver Post Fine Arts Critic, Ray Mark Rinaldi explained why locals should listen to Jeffrey Sheppard’s (co-founder and design principal for Roth Sheppard Architects in Denver) criticism, about the quality of architectural design downtown.

Episodes #24 and #25 of Archinect Sessions featured a two-part chat with Kevin Roche which ranged from "his  thoughts on the media’s role in architecture, the ideal client, and 21st century workplaces" to "sprawl and the undeniable human instinct to gather". Chris Teeter was impressed "He definitely is sharp, sounds like someone who even you did not agree with him, everything he says makes absolute sense".
 

Firms/Work Updates

A-Frame Re-Think in Fire Island Pines, NY by Bromley Caldari Architects and Jesuit High School Chapel of the North American Martyr in Carmichael, CA by Hodgetts + Fung are just two of the projects found in the post Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Interiors" Pinterest Board.

Vincent DeFazio laid it out clearly "Context: disregard", coming out strong against the announced Morphosis Architects project in Vals, for 71 32 ltd. 

Olaf Design Ninja_ thought the post qualified as "architectural criticism", yet still wrote 'With that said I think they should do it, fuck it, fuck everything, fuck context - see what happens".

Jeffrey Mansfield recently worked on http://coronagraph.pastelegram.org/Christine-Sun-Kim-with-Jeffrey-Mansfield, while Edgalia Leandro worked on a Salon Canton Panama Ribs Concept.

For those looking for jobs; Magnolia Bakery a NYC multi-unit restaurant group is looking for a Junior Job Captain / AutoCAD Drafter who will report "directly to the VP of Architecture and Project Development". Or, KieranTimberlake needs to hire a Fabrication Studio Technician to "support the operation of KieranTimberlake’s 3,500 square-foot mixed media fabrication facility and the firm’s digital fabrication equipment".
 

School/Blogs

dtran affiliated with Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, featured Professor Karl Daubmann's RoboPinch, the 2015 iteration of Research through Making. Therein the professor polemicized "I continue to hold onto  the belief that architects don’t build things, architects design things. In order to help us speculate on how and what we design, the model is an important part of the process….The thing that we didn’t do is that we never made any drawings, and we never made any computer models. So we never started with a form first. The only thing that we modeled was jigs and robotic actions and gesture"

With help from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the University of Miami School of Architecture has a plan to bring "third places" - by adapting existing buildings, or create inexpensive, moveable incubator structures,  to house entrepreneurs and vendors - into two underserved Miami neighborhoods.

snatraj shared the latest by students in From Waste to Wonder a studio project at SARUP. The work tackled remediation at "at a Landscape Urbanism scale".
 

Discussions/Threads
Reacting to some of the commentators in the thread ADVICE NEEDED, Donna Sink posted over at Thread Central 

"time for a family meeting: Miles and tintt, your comments on this thread are infuriating...Please stop, both of you, and ALL OF US old timers here. Take out your frustration here on TC all you want...But youngsters who haven't had our collective experience will get it soon enough, they don't need us all being assholes to them yet."

JLC-1 wasn’t so sure, siding with Miles "this forum has become a shrink office for entitled kids whining while playing videogames. if you see the latest posts all are about what school, how to get famous and rich, but nothing about work". Miles Jaffe reflected "Maybe I could have spelled it out a bit more but I have a tendency to be terse. Point taken".

Added rationalist "unfortunately I cannot recommend architecture for the person who started it. I tried to be kind in explaining why, but I guess I essentially believe that with the state of the profession as it is, you have to really really love it for it to feel worthwhile, and if she's waffling like that now".

l3wis needed suggestion for dealing with a client not paying. b3tadine[sutures] agreed that a labor shutdown can be effective "I've done what Miles suggests, it works//" seattle architect chimed in "i can say for certain that getting paid is the single most important yet challenging thing about running an architectural design firm… the first thing you want to know is WHY.  are they unhappy?  are they just too busy?" bklyntotfc had some advice for the future "inoculate yourself as much as possible from exposure to non-paying clients as you can" and offered five specific tactics.

Finally, likeit had some questions about "bad designs shown to non- discerning clients" and is looking for some encouragement. Somewhat ominously, shortly after the first post likeit wrote "On a new note, how do I remove my history, somebody please advise..I have a portfolio link all my information".

 Larchinect generally subscribes "to the idea that its never a good idea to present bad concepts, your client will inevitably choose the the poorest option". Speaking as someone who has sat on the owner's side of the table quizzical argued "Good schemes are not adopted simply because they're 'good' -- they're adopted because the architect SELLS the concept in a way that convinces the client that's the way to go."