Julia Ingalls spoke on the phone with Paul Goldberger about the relevance of criticism in the social media age. davvid was at least somewhat pleased "Its about time we start talking about this stuff. I'm not convinced that Goldberger has a good handle on it, but at least he's trying". Later DWLindeman added "I've always admired Paul Goldberger's support of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown...What I still don't understand, was his support of the Foster plan for the main research branch of the New York Public Library".

Plus, Nicholas Korody reviewed the much hyped A One-Night Stand for Art and Architecture. b3tadine[sutures] wondered "why does it come off to me as if this was my mom explaining sex to me?...Where are the closed circuit televisions, the oft rumored illicit video cameras, where is the risk?".

News
Justine Testado posted the news that The Design Museum in London had selected the Category Winners for their Designs of the Year 2015. BulgarBlogger couldn’t help complaining "The above projects (editor’s note: except for the UC Innovation Center – Anacleto Angelini designed by Elemental) are interesting pieces of art. They rely on architectural discourse to position them within the context of Architecture. But they are not Architecture."

Marianne Wellershoff published an interview with Rem Koolhaas about the Fondazione Prada in Der Spiegel, wherein Koolhaas argues "We have to preserve history" not necessarily architecture. midlander noted "I thought his comment that we should consider preserving history rather than architecure was spot-on, and kind of rubs against the grain of much of the dialogue about preservation among architects. Where I agree with him especially is the idea that we should try to keep cities interesting, and even informative".

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the April ABI score was 48.8, down sharply from a mark of 51.7 in March. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).

To mark the Thorncrown Chapel's anniversary, architect-turned-photographer Randall Connaughton from Atlanta began an ongoing photography series of the wood-and-glass structure, last year. Carrera opined "Probably the most masterfully done piece of architecture of all time….a must see pilgrimage, you must see it in person to believe it".

Construction of the forthcoming Queens Library by Steven Holl Architects, at Center Boulevard and 48th Avenue in Hunters Point of NYC's Long Island City, has begun. With perhaps a bit of hyperbole, Olaf Design Ninja_ wrote "Stephen Holl does architecture - simply put. No diagrams or allusions to theory necessary. His office designs it. it gets built. You visit and experience it. You like it".

Firms/Work Updates
Jeff Maeshiro suggested stopping by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to check out MurmurWall, which opened May 21 and runs through May 21, 2017. The installation is "an artificially intelligent, anticipatory architecture that reveals what the city is whispering, thinking and feeling. By proactively harvesting local online activity—via search engines and social media".

Burnette Residence in Phoenix, AZ by Wendell Burnette Architects and Graveney School Sixth Form Block in Tooting, London, UK by Urban Projects Bureau are just two of the projects that can be found in the latest Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Architect Sure!" Pinterest Board.

Amanda Swain recently worked on a study "looking at 3d forms vs. ceramic vessel".

School/Blogs
Tafhim Rahman, a 1st year M.Arch student chatted with Aaron Willette, the FabLab Coordinator at Taubman College, about his path into digital fabrication and how digital fabrication pertains to architecture.

dtran125 also affiliated with Taubman College, highlighted the work from a spring workshop with Brandon Clifford and Daniel Piker titled, ROBOTIC GRAVITY.

Discussions/Threads
jla-x was looking for opinions regarding "which types of projects are the most difficult technically and artistically?" Non Sequitur answered "Public transit, both as a whole and individual stations". mightyaa agreed with shuellmi "Your own house.  You conspire against yourself if you are any good and want something special because you have to talk yourself out of stuff...And then you get to live in it knowing every single spot you compromised". Miles Jaffe thinks "Chairs are a bitch. Far easier to design your own house. In either case minimizing compromise is a most difficult goal".

JulieR needed help understanding the floorplate construction in a load bearing masonry structure built in 1894. SneakyPete believed it "Looks like a pan deck system" while gruen sided with mightyaa. Then advised "Get your strux engineer to evaluate it if you are concerned about it's load bearing capacity...If you have requirements for fire rating, you'll have to evaluate it yourself".

Finally, Gregory Walker started a thread to share "the 'best feel good story on archinect' this year...."

Additionally
Back in March, Professor Neil Brenner penned a critic of MoMA’s exhibition Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities, questioning whether Tactical Urbanism is an Alternative to Neoliberal Urbanism?

Therein he argued "Tactical urbanism may be narrated as a self-evident alternative to neoliberal urbanism; but we must ask the question: is this really the case, and if so, how, where, under what conditions, via what methods, with what consequences, and for whom?" and further "One important consequence of these observations is the proposition that the architectural and design disciplines could significantly enhance their capacity to make durable, progressive urban interventions by engaging more systematically with questions of institutional (re)design—that is, the systems of collectively binding rules that govern the production, use, occupation, and appropriation of space."