These are the articles that made big waves in 2016 – not just in traffic, but in defining the discussions architects were having. From professional practice issues to academia to interviews and showcases, we present to you our favorite original editorial of the year:
One student's solution to the permanent limbo of refugee camps
There are more refugees in the world right now than since World War II—and the world is woefully unable to shelter them. This student imagines a refugee camp that would be both livable and high functioning.
Frank Gehry, Liz Diller, Rem Koolhaas and Others Share Crucial Moments in Their Education
Ever wonder how some of the biggest names in the industry—the 'starchitects'—got to where they are? Julia Ingalls gathers snippets of big name architects' memories of their halcyon (or not) years spent in the academy.
If Only I Had Known: Advice for Prospective Architecture Students, from Former Students
Architecture school is a costly enterprise. It's also really hard. So is it worth it? We talk to current and former architecture students to find out.
7 famous architectural dropouts and autodidacts
Stay in school or suffer the consequences!' says just about everyone. But if these famous architects are any indicator, sometimes dropping out isn't such a bad idea after all.
Beatriz Colomina on "Playboy Architecture" and the masculine fantasy
"Playboy was perhaps the first life-style magazine with modern design at the center of everything," Beatriz Colomina tells Amelia Taylor-Hochberg. Colomina spent years researching the relationship between Playboy and architecture, which was presented in a major exhibition. In this interview, she discusses some of the surprising finds of her, and her students', research (spoiler alert: Playboy was never down for pomo).
Cuteness and the fight for architectural preservation
By and large, architects tend towards the serious. That's not the case with Joanna Grant, whose Princeton M.Arch thesis explored the possibilities of using cuteness as a tool for architectural preservation. Sound strange? Give it a read!
In 2016, architects experienced a bit of a crisis of conscience, probably best epitomized in Alejandro Aravena's Venice Biennale, "Reporting from the Front". What is the political value of architecture in the age of starchitects and large development companies? The Oslo Architecture Triennale made a convincing case for the use value of the architectural skillset as a means of making legible contemporary conditions, from mass displacements of peoples to the movement of goods across the planet.
Behind the scenes of 'The Witness', a video game designed by architects
There are video games, and then there's 'the Witness'. This jaw-droppingly gorgeous game is as much about exploring its world (you can roam freely across the island setting) as it is about solving its (exceedingly difficult) puzzles.
Strange bedfellows: exploring shades of privacy in co-living
"Co-" seems to the best buzziest prefix these days. In this article, Julia Ingalls explores the design strategies employed by "co-living" spaces, where you can pay to live in a dorm with other adults.
Object Sexuality, or: the humans who fall in love with buildings
Architects may love buildings, but not as much as these folk. Nicholas Korody talks to object sexuals, or people who find themselves romantically—and sexually—attracted to non-human things, including buildings.
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Modulex, Lego's Building System for Architects
Many an architect had their first taste of design with a pack of Lego bricks. But did you know there was a special type of Lego designed specifically for architects? Learn all about "Modulex", the architect's Lego that never quite took off.
Aravena's Pritzker: A Critical Round-Up
It was a big year for Alejandro Aravena. Not only did he curate the Venice Biennale, but he won—to some surprise—the Pritzker. The awarding came with its fair share of controversy, with accusations that it was driven by guilt or even nepotism.
Rendered reality: the VR journalism of Emblematic Group
VR is definitely ascending. But the work of Emblematic Group is unlike the games and fluffy entertainment being produced by most VR companies. Their VR journalism comprises recreations of actual events, like the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, that put you right in the midst of the action. It's an often disturbing, and empathetic, experience.
Timothy Morton on haunted architecture, dark ecology, and other objects
One of the leading voices of the nascent school of philosophy known as Object Oriented Ontology, Timothy Morton is also one of the most important ecological philosophers writing today. In this interview, Nicholas Korody talks about the relevance of his philosophy for architects, and how buildings can occasion ecological awareness.
DSB Learning from Las Vegas interviews
The influence of Denise Scott Brown can't really be overstated. Her work with Robert Venturi, most notably 'Learning from Las Vegas', influenced a generation of architects and shifted the direction of the discipline. In this three part, in-depth interview, Nicholas Korody talks with Scott Brown about her childhood, her approach to pedagogy, and what should matter for architects.
Deborah Berke shares her vision as incoming dean at the Yale School of Architecture
Succeeding Robert Stern, who ran Yale for twenty years, is an intimidating task. Deborah Berke took up the challenge — find out about her plans for the venerable institution in this iteration of Dean's List.
Aaron Betsky, the acclaimed critic, took the reigns of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture during troubled times. The school faced an imminent loss of accredition. Learn how Betsky saved the historic school in this Dean's List.
The Reluctant Architect: 15 Minutes with Liz Diller
"I'd like to increase the agency of the architect more and more," Elizabeth Diller tells Julia Ingalls in this interview, which took place over 15 minutes. The indomitable head of DS+R talks her work ethic, her influences, and her ambitions.
Ray Kappe, founder of SCI-Arc, revisits the school's roots
Ray Kappe isn't just an influential California modernist architect—he also founded SCI-Arc. Paul Petrunia and Amelia Taylor-Hochberg head to his Pacific Palisades home to learn more about the founding of this Southern California institution.
“An absolutely insanely private, esoteric conversation”: Thom Mayne on ‘M’
It's rare to get a peak into the private life of an architect. But that's what Thom Mayne offers in his monograph "M"—and to Julia Ingalls, in this interview occasioned by the release of the book.
Patrik Schumacher, the Viennese architect who recently took over Zaha Hadid Architects after Dame Hadid's untimely passing, is well-known for his controversial, "market-friendly" (that's an understatement) politics. Here Mr. Schumacher pens another unpopular opinion: a defense of Brexit.
Architects Respond to the AIA’s Statement in Support of President-Elect Donald Trump
After the AIA released a statement in support of President-elect Trump, architects took to social media, and other platforms, to rebuke the organization. They also took the occasion as an opportunity to reflect on the politics of architecture more broadly.
Airbnb might seem like a convenient way to earn, and save, some extra cash when heading out of town. But it represents major changes to the economy of domesticity—ones that both accelerate and reify existing divisions of labor according to class and gender.
Does Teaching Architecture Enhance Architectural Practice?
Sometime it's to supplement an income; othertimes it's out of love. But regardless of why an architect starts teaching, does it help there practice?
Architects: If You Don't Start Disrupting Urbanism, Silicon Valley Will Do It for You.
In June, Mountain View-based tech incubator announced an imminent foray into urbanism. In this op-ed, Fred Scharmen tells architects and urbanists why they need to shift things up, before Silicon Valley does.
The lazy architect's guide to completing continuing education credits
Getting licensed is a pain, but it comes with real benefits. Find out some tips and tricks to securing those continuing education credits here.
Talking with Assemble – before they won the Turner
The UK-based studio Assemble shook the art and architecture worlds when they won the Turner Prize—the first architects to do so, ever. Will Galloway talks to the group about their self-starting, populist practice before they gained fame with their big win.
Architecture after capitalism, in a world without work
What would a world look like after capitalism? What would architecture be if you didn't have to work to survive? Nicholas Korody talks with political philosopher Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams about the implications of their popular new book 'Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work" for architecture.
The internship test or: why even become an architect at all?
One of the most egregious examples of the exploitative traditions of architecture is the unpaid internship. Long-heralded as a valuable training period, they are increasingly understood as abusive. We take a look at the costs of working as an intern and ask: Is it worth it?
Architects have a problem: they're scared of talking about money. But figuring out how much to bill a client is absolutely essential. Learn more about it here.
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