Alex Maymind highlighted the work of Cornell studio "Ungers vs. Rowe" in a piece titled ARCHIPELAGOS: Ungers vs. Rowe. Both the studio and feature, articulate "a theoretical argument about two divergent Cornell legacies: one, O.M. Ungers and the other, Colin Rowe as exemplary urban design positions that after some forty years remain still operative in today’s context". Mr. Maymind further argues that "Both Ungers and Rowe share an overwhelming concern for the deployment and manipulation of precedent (with all of the baggage the term implies) as the basis for making and conceptualizing form". The studio featured two groups of two students, each assigned either Ungers or Rowe, as source material. Steven Ward commented "beautiful work. man, i would have loved this studio" and even Thayer-D agreed "Ultimately, the main source of apprehension in dealing with these two figures comes from the fact that they both sought to criticize the status quo, which is still very much alive"

News
The Modernist architect Ulrich Franzen, famous for a number of buildings in the Brutalist style died on Oct. 6 in Santa Fe, N.M it was recently announced. He was 91. Eric Chavkin posted "Talk about shoveling more dirt on someone's grave this obit had nothing nice to say. And I agree with Darkman that Brutalism is repeated so many times that i felt I was reading a page from Criminal minds. Is Brutalism an architecture crime?"

Tyler Rudick attended a talk titled "Architecture as a Global Practice" by Rem Koolhaas, at Rice University's Tudor Fieldhouse this past Thursday. blog pointed out "Keeping a bunch of old shit isn't ‘humane’ Rem is simply being the journalist again pointing out that preservation has become like hoarding" while miesian responding to some earlier commenters clarified "I have very little interest in defending Koolhaas or getting into an argument... but... As someone who actually heard him speak on the matter of preservation, it is painfully obvious to me that you have not...Your descriptions and conclusions of his thoughts on preservation are entirely wrong".

James Russell reviewed the four-acre Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, which opens on Oct. 24. darkman chimed in "Though I haven't seen it yet, this is looking like an absolutely stunning memorial (not just because it is Kahn). The site overlooking the river, the landscaping, and the Ando-esque (or rightfully Kahnesque) etherial proportions look really good".

Chicago Business reporter profiled IIT’s new dean Wiel Arets. Matthew Messner cautioned this is "A very important moment for Chicago architecture.  I only hope that he does, or can, bring real change to IIT.  He seems to have a laissez-faire approach, saying, in a recent lecture at IIT, the change most come from the students and faculty.  That sounds like no change to me".

Justin Davidson published an exclusive preview ft New York’s largest development ever, Hudson Yards. HandsumCa$hMoneyYo who couldn't help it in such a target rich environment, criticized with quotes "5 acre plaza that supposed to be the Trevi fountain...except that they don't know what it looks like?!  Oh boy, this should be good...Where do people come up with this stuff?  But really, the best is at the end of the article...Occupy Hudson Yards!  Is it too soon?  Or already too late, yo?".

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates
Gema Guzman Espejo recently worked on a West Wind Building, Huétor-Tájar. Granada. Spain. Under construction and Stephan Graebner just returned from a field trip to Glasgow - the "diverse, dense and complex Scotish city". He found the excursion was a great opening for his master thesis.

Paul Petrunia briefly chatted with Alysa Nahmias, a filmmakers (and architect), regarding Unfinished Spaces, a documentary about the ambitious Cuban National Art School project.

amlocke visited Cave of Ajanta. The particularities of which, fondled his curiosity and led him to write "these caves were the most pure form of subtractive architecture I have witnessed. It is graphically the strongest representation of designing space", to which Orhan Ayyüce replied "But the freedom of 'digging holes in the sky' is ultimately more liberating for architecture?" amlocke answered "consider these same spaces in the positive form, as masses on a plane. Would they hold the same austere clarity as their present state? "

Schools/Blogs
Matthew Messner is taking ARCH520 "Designing Criticism" with Sam Jacob at University of Illinois Chicago. He shared  his first review  for the class takes on the site of the old The Home Bank and Trust Building in Wicker Park, as an example of mash-up of -urbanism-adaptive reuse.   b3tadine[sutures] took the opportunity to reflect on the root of the word bigot "I think the larger problem with the kind of gentrification you write about is that has nothing to do with a connected community, and everything to do with this simply idea of a freedom to concentrate wealth, at the expense of those without power"

Justin Wang at Iowa State University is entering the fifth and final year of his B.Arch. degree. The project for his comprehensive studio is to design a jazz and experimental music hall in Boston. While there the class visited the Big Dig/Greenway, the ICA, MIT, Harvard and Exeter. Daniel Russoniello shared the opinion "the ICA has its successes and failures. I grew up outside Boston and have been to the ICA a number of times. I think the major reason it is rarely crowded is because (as you experienced) it is isolated from the major pedestrian traffic of Boston"
 

Discussions
Maria M wanted to know "which part of the US of A is the best for modern architecture in terms of number of 'named' practices, award winning designs, volume of new high quality buildings etc and which parts should be avoided?" metal offered the belief that "LA and New York is pretty much where everything happens...There is some good stuff going on in Chicago and Boston too" and won and done williams noted "In general, I agree, most design in the US is pretty banal, but there are certainly some excellent practices doing good work".

Bilal Nigm wondered Is Architecture the ultimate ideological anesthetic, or can it be? gwharton questioned "Why do you think a critical stance' is a priori a good thing? That's a very loaded, doctrinaire, and highly problematic political position all on its own"? Vile Child also thought "Why not actually go read some Tafuri (doesnt actually sound like you have) -  it might provide some helpful reflection".

Finally, LayingOutTheDots* is looking for for some inspiration for contemporary architecture which goes against the typical minimalist/ glass blob/ corporate generic housing standard of today. More specifically, "are any architects who focus on designing buildings with particular focus on expressing details and transforming everyday objects into works of art and beauty. Or is this purely a classical view? Is it possible to do this in a contemporary manner?". jl-x thought "Scarpa seems like a great fit, also look at bruce goff" From intotheloop came the suggestion "check out the work of Andresen O'Gorman. Some of the early work of Donovan Hill, like the HH House. John Wardle's Vineyard Residence, the work of Kerstin Thompson".