Just like last year, Archinect has begun the transition into the new year by reflecting back on the 2012 by sharing the most trafficked pages in Archinect's diverse online ecosystem, with a list of 12 top 12 lists for '12. As always, they listing the most popular pages from across the site, based exclusively on visits by unique page-views. Released so far are the 12 most visited News posts and 12 most visited Feature articles during 2012.

Tomorrow the 12 top 12 BLOGS,BLOG POSTS and LIVE BLOGS  will be announced.

News
Michael Kimmelman reviewed the new Stedelijk Museum and reflecting on it’s design asked "Why a tub?" Thayer-D offered up a few guesses but then gave up and replied "Why IS this museum shaped like a tub?". Orhan Ayyüce added "Building aside, it is a good museum with an excellent director, Ann Goldstein, who was a great curator here in Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art since the 80's. She is one of the best curators anywhere when it comes to conceptual art. She probably laughs about the building in amusement. It really shows how architects are out the lunch when it comes to designing museums. Museum as a spectacular event is really bad for the art itself".

Over at Der Spiegel Kevin Holden Platt reported that a pirated copy of the Wangjing SOHO designed by Zaha Hadid Architects is being built in China.

LITS4FormZ commented "This is the same reason you can buy DVDs of movies that were just released in theaters for 5 kuai from the nice guy with the suitcase" but tammuz differed "its more like being a Michael Jackson impersonator than copying DVDs and gucci bags. the origin architect is not losing a commission or money over this and if anything it reinforces the unique iconicity of the origin architect...what will be interesting is to see how the copyists will 'fill in the blanks'."

DesignBuild Source checked in on efforts to bring the exploitation of interns to an end. Kristen Avis wrote "In many industries, the term ‘intern’ is often used to describe someone who works for no pay, but the NCARB’s IDP has been trying to detach interns from the assumption by architecture firms that they are willing to work for free. The council defines architectural internships as post-graduate, pre-registration professional work". full ofit pointed out "It's great that the article cites a Columbia professor as teaching his students to avoid working for free while C-LAB continues to advertise unpaid positions, even on archinect".

bluesidd argued "Lots of high profile offices don't actually have the cash to put an intern on the payroll - so your compensation is the 'experience' and their name on the resume. Like many high-prestige industries, entry level design work is (mostly) considered a liability - learning the ropes means you aren't an asset to the business" but Chris Moody answered "high profile offices DO have the cash. They chose to have people who want to work for free...I have to agree with Darkman, if you are willing to work for free, you downgrade the profession".

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates
Joann Lui, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Assoc. reflected on a Yahoo Education article Don't Bother Earning These Five Degrees about the most unwanted degrees in the US, in which a bachelors in architecture took first place. Joann thought the article by Terence Loose very misleading. She further explained "I am very opposed to the generalized saying of architecture education = waste of money and time".

Built by Associative Data has been awarded the commission to construct  9º / Nueve Grados / Nine Degrees, a mixed used, environmentally responsive building in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The unique localization of this project, only 3.7º north of the Equator, meant that orientation and form were crucial to obtaining optimum climactic performance and a reduced energy footprint.

Daniel Elmore recently worked on his ...Portfolio now on Archinect...Bridging was his design for Divided Waters an Option Studio he took in Spring 2011 at Harvard’s GSD, taught by Jeanne Gang.

James Monday recently worked on world wide Modular Habitat (wwMH): mobile modular medical clinic.

Schools/Blogs
fschlem started a blog The Dirty South described as an investigation into Atlanta's offbeat landmarks and attractions.

The blog takes it name from a studio titled the "Dirty South," offered at the Georgia Tech. The studio was the brainchild of TVSDesign Distinguished Studio Critic Jennifer Bonner and it’s goal was to look at the city of Atlanta through the filter of the rap ideology of east coast/ west coast/ dirty south, translated to the realm of architecture. For the final review held on Dec. 4, 2012, the students took the panel on a guided tour through the city by unveiling the oddities discovered this semester. Connely Farr thought "wow. really interesting idea for a studio..."

Mitch McEwen took a short break from her fellowship at Akademie Schloss Solitude and last week visited Pisa, Italy. Inspired by what she saw in Pisa she put put forward the thesis "that Brunelleschi may be considered as a precedent to today's Building Information Modeling (BIM)...My hunch is that the disciplinary position that Brunelleschi invented maps more closely onto how we work now than how architects worked in the 20th century”.

Discussions
Medusa (who has spent all 5 years of career doing commercial and institutional work) is in the process of buying their first house and is planning a  small addition (140-160 sf of new space) queried "Should I prepare full specs for this?"

vado retro commented "when i did high end residential, we had a spec page” and snook_dude shared "My experience is you can put all the information on the drawing and not do a spec for an addition of this nature". For their part accesskb warned "Do NOT just pull the contractor aside and TELL him/her what you want... Most of the info will probably fly in and out the other ear."

gentle puppies is looking for precedents for a project  for suggestions on How to ventilate 2nd floor library from the floor slab. jackarch confirmed "Raised floor can have various load capacities-there are models that will meet your specific structural requirements...Contact raised floor vendors and have them show you what they can do for your situation"

mm_albaiti started a thread because they had questions about the type of exterior vertical concrete fins found on the Swiss Cottage Library designed by Sir Basil Spence. First, mm_albaiti wanted to know "What is the correct technical/architecture term used to describe this type design in a building?" second "How does one go about constructing such a design in say a 4 storey building using concrete? By that I mean i'd like to know the whole process. Is there anywhere I can download or purchase?"

Rusty Shackleford helpfully noted "It's just 'architectural precast'. It's shop cast and probably mechanically anchored back to whatever the substrate may be. The brick book you link to is from 1980. A lot of the information shown in there would be considered outdated by modern requirements for thermal and moisture protection. Your precast fins example is also very 80's. hmm are you actually from the 1980's? Do you see a Commodore 64 in front of you?"

mm_albaiti replied "Haha harsh lol...How would you go about advising someone in 2012 wishing to obtain such a design? What is the process, the machinery, materials required and would concrete necessarily be the best option, or can the look be obtained in a different way". Meanwhile tammuz chimed in "you can call these vertical brise soleil (sun breakers)”
 

Finally, an.architect is looking for help "Does anyone know about the architectural NGO's that are functioning in India or Bangalore[In specific] Are they any NGO's around the world that would let their volunteers work from their city[online]". If you know anything why not drop by and leave a post.