In Top 10 Design Initiatives to Watch in 2012—for the public good, John Cary, offered up a "a simple meditation on initiatives poised to advance the field, and how they can be scaled up, refined, tweaked, borrowed, and leveraged."

While in the latest edition of the Contours feature The Year’s End: The Political, Economic, and Social Perspective, Sherin Wing contends "that’s what all those 'Best of' lists are about. They are designed to soothe us". After reviewing the various social, economic and political turmoils of 2011 Sherin concludes, "if there is one lesson we can learn from all of these movements, it is that architects must all engage in the movements and processes that are meaningful them. They must be thoughtful about them. And become involved directly. Because this is the time of true change."

While Orhan Ayyüce, starts a new feature NEXT SERIES: RADAR LOVE in which he is tell us what he is interested in currently. He writes that while various discussions regarding inequality, unemployment public space have been at the forefront of the discourse currently what he is interested in is "looking for things that has been neglected, undervalued, unnoticed and has been referred as banal." op-ed liked what he read commenting "Insurgency. You use the slingshot well! Love the radar ending, very funny piece with intrepid underlays. Do you think Latour's matters of concern is the new algae?"

News
Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, disciple of Luis Barragan, died this past Friday at age 80. Donna Sink, noted fittingly that "He was a huge influence on me and my attitude towards light."

Over at the Wall Street Journal Nancy Keates published an article titled Top Architects Go Local which examined the 'resurgence' of critical regional(ism) in contemporary architecture. Visible, she argues, in the work of architects such as VJAA, Pugh+ Scarpa (now Brooks+Scarpa), Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects (now Olson Kundig), Miller Hull and Lake|Flato Architects and Brian MacKay-Lyons of Ghost Lab fame.

To which Medit responded "isn't the current reaction more against the recent exaggerated iconic dispendium -both monetary and artistically- than the Int'l Style legacy?" while holz/box countered "i don't think this is really a reaction to anything - most successful architects have operated in local spheres, successfully.  in fact, it's very rare to have 'global' status like Rem or Wright....i don't buy the critical regionalism bit, because kundig's rolling huts/corten tower would make as much sense/look just as in place in upstate new york...also, with olson kundig doing work all over the US, spain and china, brooks + scarpa on east & west coast, miller hull in san diego and seattle - i think the regionalism is not only incorrect but slowly being watered down with swill."

Schools/School Blogs
Chris DeHenzel, a recipient of the 2011-2012 John K. Branner Fellowship, who will be spending the next year traveling to public food markets in major cities on 5 continents to research the relationship between markets and the infrastructure of food systems, has put up his first post (warning a fairly lengthy one) titled Introduction: This Is Not Your Local Food Court. Therein he argues "a fundamental point: The 'designer obsession' with production has neglected a close scrutiny of distribution models. The question should not just be, 'How do we integrate production in cities?' But also, ‘How do we reorganize infrastructural systems (especially distribution models) to support more alternative forms of production?’.”

3tk while intrigued by the topic does have some concerns regarding fundamental assumptions "The question I would pose is what are typologies that are familiar and currently existing that can be adapted more responsibly for a larger systematic change (let's face it, the local bodegas in many cities do exactly what small european food markets do).  To phrase it another way what is a more post-modern multi-narrative solution that is adaptive (tactical interventions), it may be semantics, but the way the statement is written it seems more that you are looking for a uniform, top-down, single solution answer.  IF you are implying this is a more democratic food distribution system it necessitates an alternate systematic approach (and different images, there's plenty out there)."

Work Updates/Firm Updates/Blogs
Anthony Stephens offered up his euology for Ricardo Legorreta. Anthony wrote "Ricardo Legorreta is the reason I began to study architecture...The spaces he designed had something long gone from most architects, soul. Unlike so many of the steel, glass and white wall designs that seem so clever and popular nowadays, his buildings could convey a feeling to those that laid eyes on the spaces he designed."

Back in 2008 architectslab, from Belgium completed Depots Pyrex, the refurbishment of a former warehouse, first built in the 1920’s.

Zachary Teixeira, is currently working at Tighe Architecture, where he has had the opportunity to work on two interesting and related projects: the Out of Memory exhibition (which was a prototype for the Spray-On-House project) winner of the 2011 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum and Spray-On-House.

Also, WCParchitect posted images of a contemporary tropical villa they designed in Kota Baru Parahyangan, Bandung - Indonesia.

Discussion Threads
aphorismal wonders "Are there any really comprehensive/otherwise awesome architectural material databases out there?  I'm aware of the sweets network, but its both difficult to use and tries to make users pay for everything, even previews." Will Galloway,
suggested checking out http://www.materia.nl/ and notes that "in the end it takes research, but i still enjoy looking through this site just for fun."

tambi thinks there is lots of information/discussion on Archinect about jobs in China but less so for India, he has recently earned his registration in Australia and would like to explore options in India. CitizenWalker provides a list of firms that he feels are currently doing interesting work and  recommends "A majority of the most interesting firms are based out of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. There is also a city called Auroville, which has for the past many years attracted a plethora of young designers interested in alternative design and practice. Since you are a qualified architect, you shouldn't be applying for the position of an intern architect. Make sure you are confident about this because if not, firms may tend to take advantage of you."

Over at Theory Central, FRaC responds to a post by J. James R, to clarify that at least for him when discussing theory in architecture he means the following "4. the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory." or "5. a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles: conflicting theories of how children best learn to read." rather than theory in the scientific method sort of sense.

Finally, jordans99 revived an old thread he started on prison design, as he is still looking for pointers on books to read or other resources of information on prison design. Brian Henry, thinks he should read "Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault. Amazon has it for less than $11. It's not exactly a 'how to guide' on prison architecture but it will help you understand what not to do." Meanwhile, Donna Sink, pointed him to the ADPSR website, with the statement that in the current justice system "the idea of rehabilitation is minimal, and all of this is often done int he name of profit for private companies.  If a justice system in the US (or anywhere) truly was looking to create a place of rehabilitation, *that* would be an interesting design problem that would depend heavily on collaboration with non-architects".