In Archinect’s latest In Focus feature we talk to British photo artist Simon Gardiner. Simon is a “street photographer who fuses the street with a cinematic feel”. 

Guy Horton, in part two of the What Should Architecture Occupy series, argues that what architecture needs is “more consumers not less”, consumers who can afford to purchase architecture. Guy goes on to suggest that the AIA should be less concerned with supporting policies which “protect the narrow interests of wealthy clients” and instead align themselves with the OWS movement since both “should be on the same side of the economic argument. After all, architects are famous for making utopian proposals. Then how about making a utopian proposal rooted in sound economic principals that will foster long-term growth and lead to greater economic stability?”

On a related note check out Reinhold Martin’s Occupy: What Architecture Can Do over at Places journal, in which he writes “Architecture is capable of mounting a profound critique of the status quo. In doing so, it can also model partial worlds and offer up these models for public discussion and disputation. Not perfect worlds, but possible ones.”

News

It looks like Zaha Hadid is coming to San Diego, with a proposed 12,700 square foot residence in La Jolla. SUVERK comments “There goes my former Neighborhood - first, Romney has filed an application with the city to bulldoze his 3,009-square-foot, single-story home at 311 Dunemere Dr. and replace it with a two-story, 11,062-square-foot structure. No date has been set. Now Zaha?” While sameolddoctor looks on the bright-side “It is better than many of the Neo-Mediterranean Mc Mansion crap that grace (or destroy) SoCal beaches. I am glad the planning commission approved it, and had the vision to see something new go up for a change”

Stephen Smith looked at Why DC’s Architecture is So Boring for Forbes.com. The culprit he submitted is a combination of DC’s restrictive height limit,the usual developer conservativeness as well as local development politics all embodied in the work of DC architect Eric Colbert. matthewchagen opines “I read that article about Colbert last week and had to laugh. While I don't know much about him or his work, it's clear he is being praised for his conservatism. I wish there was an article that praised someone pushing design in the city, instead of a guy taking a back seat to politicians and developers.”

The Cranbrook Art Musuem re-opened with an expansion, to the original building designed by Eliel Saarinen, by SmithGroup. Donna Sink, wants to know “How was SmithGroup selected to be architect of this project?  I hear it's a nice building, but the limited pictures I've seen certainly don't impress me”.

J Welton explored how the AIA chapters across the country are embracing a no-artifice model of  visibility, transparency and sustainability for the design of new headquaters. In response jplourde asks “how about greater transparency in 'design' licensing?  does anyone else feel like the aia and ncarb just spends money like there is no tomorrow on the worst ideas possible?”

Schools/School Blogs
In a post titled Representation and Crime,  Joe DeBenny at University of Arizona relates
how on a recent night he had a moment akin to religious doubt after which he believes “I can think of nothing more arrogant and self-serving than using the pretense of architecture for exhibiting public art on an inescapable scale. It serves no one but the architect and his desired image as the artist. Not the users, but the ego.”

AAbelS at Columbia University tells us about his semester housing studio taught by Lot-Ek studio and post images of work by fellow students.

hsolie highlights a new program at TCAUP tentatively called "Visiting Experts" which  consisted of an intensive week-long workshop effort lead by Alexander D'Hooghe, Associate Professor in Architectural Urbanism at MIT. hsolie’s team was given the concept "Blue/Green Energy as Spectacle" which they translated into a series of windmill farms.

farid rakun, at Cranbook Academy of Art has a post about the notion of method which includes the sentence “In Cranbrook, where building in 1:1 scale is followed ‘religiously’."

Work Updates/Firm Updates/Blogs

Nicholas Chelko, recently worked on ...Diagramming the U.S. Real Estate Industry.

Javier Arbona suggests that you watch a recent Neil Brenner lecture entitled "The Urbanization Question, or, the Field Formerly Known as Urban Studies" in which Brenner offers eight theses about urban studies, the first being the apparently contradictory one that urban studies has not considered its subject matter, ie the urban.

Richard.Rozewski, discusses a microtecture solution being developed by a friend Patrick of APOC which Patrick presented at a recent  town hall meeting put on by the group Designers Accord called Designing a Sustainable Cleveland.

Stephanie however contends “ the idea that this will promote sustainable living is patently false...The building itself may use 'sustianable' practices, materials, and processes...But the construction, however small, of individual buildings for individual people, will always inherently mean the opposite of 'sustainable' in that they will require their own plot, their own access (most likely via vehicle) and their own utility hookups.” To which holz.box responded “false false false. microtecture can be very sustainable - and can also 'touch the earth lightly'. in fact, 'microtecture' will be a very feasible answer for hyper sustainable urban infill”.

Keith Carlson, recently posted some images of ...New aluminum panels just CNC milled.... The panels are part of a project he is working on fabricating ADA signage for Sequoia and Kings National Park.

Discussion Threads

Barry Lehrman, thinks it is time for “all arch graduates and interns to start to Occupy NCARB”. However, sectionalhealing is confused “i don't really get it - can someone expand on why they think IDP is overly burdensome?  it seems pretty damn straightforward to me.” while toasteroven says “barry - you were supposed to fudge your hours like everyone else.” for their part jkat thinks “I must be one of the few that think that IDP and the ARE are not difficult enough. I completed my IDP in 3 years 2 months with no fudging at all.  I just kept a focused track on what I needed to do to complete it and then asked for that type of work.  The point of IDP is so that "specialists" can't become architects. They are not supposed to be architects. An architect must have the full breadth of knowledge associated with all aspects of the design process.”

Meanwhile for his part marmkid is all “for having an alternate route, but i still havent heard one that seems reasonable to implement.  The best bet would be to start at the college level and make those requirements stricter, so then all you need to do is pass your exams once you graduate.”

Archinect Travels will be returning to the new Archinect soon, according to this thread where Archinect posted “Rumor has it that Marlin may even be making some new episodes.”..

I laughed at Micah McElvey’s response to last weeks and in other news zaha jumps a shark thread.

Donatello, questions why Sanford Kwinter is so popular. While many on the thread seem to agree with the essence of the question, some like job job would differ. job job writes “You don't have to like him, but don't pretend that he's unimportant. For me, his writing can be lyrical and evocative. Some of the translations of French and German writers are as strangled as they get; in comparison, Kwinter is a pleasure to read.”

Finally, Quizzical7 asks What is considered the primary reason for the low number of female practicing architects? The thread has some great discussion and stories regarding the challenges and experience of being a female in the profession of architecture. Go and add your voice to the discussion.

Additionally
For those interested in ideas of wilderness, landscape, control mechanisms and the ambivalence of utopian fictions in affecting public space make sure to check out faslanyc’s recent interview with Levi Bryant, professor of philosophy and the author of the recently released Democracy of Objects, as well as co-editor of O-Zone, a new journal of object-oriented studies.