The latest edition of Student Works: highlighted "Eidos" a proposal for a housing complex located in East Harlem, New York, by GSAPP students Carlo Bailey and Lorenzo Villaggi.

Plus, Archinect launched a new a new feature series, highlighting some of the more ambitious and intriguing workshops out there. The inaugural issue features the Tiny House Design workshop, put on by Boneyard Studios in Washington, DC.

News

The Guardian published Zaha Hadid’s defense, regarding her role in Qatar World Cup following migrant worker deaths. vado retro was basically in agreement “she is absolutely correct architects are not responsible for job site safety and if architects become involved, even by commenting as to what should be done to remedy the situation, then the architect opens him/herself to liability claims...before condemning her comments it might be of some value to review Article 10 of A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction”

Nice suggested “We all know Zaha is not at fault there. It's the fact that she comes off as a total bitch by the way she shrugs off the deaths of hundreds of people. She is correct in saying that it is not her responsibility, but when I say that I hate my boss to their face I may be speaking the truth but I should still find a better way of wording it”...

In response to the Sydney Dispatch of 5468796 Architecture's Table for Twelve. Will Galloway was prompted to ask:

“Am curious, how do you keep from turning the city into bland-ville like Singapore (or Vancouver perhaps). The greatest architecture takes willingness to take risk and that can't be regulated. It is probably why Tokyo can work, but we seem not to mind the failures, while in Australia people are a bit put off by the helio- thingamajig attached to a regular knock of development... so obviously its not as cool with stepping into places too unfamiliar...it seems a good way to bring up quality, but not a way to get to creativity”?

Gabby Bess published an interview with architect Lori Brown (author of Contested Spaces: Abortion Clinics, Women’s Shelters and Hospitals). The interview delves into politics and architecture and how they manufacture landscapes with regard to reproductive healthcare access. Donna Sink was intrigued “Very interesting (and Brown admits, intentionally provocative) to think of a clinic that provides abortions locating in a shopping mall...I'm very interested to know more about the Design Action competition to design a privacy screen for a clinic - keep us informed, Archinect”!

Bustler.net announced results for the Gulf Architecture Biennial's Hormuz Bridge International Competition.
 

Firms/Blogs/Work Updates

Joann Lui, LEED Green Assoc. is just turning 26, but having completed registration she is planning on starting and finishing all seven ARE exams before turning 27. She took the opportunity to share some quick tips of what she has learned and how you can totally avoid getting into the same situation.

Bostwick Design Partnership has been awarded the Gold Medal Firm Award for 2013 by the Ohio Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. This is the highest honor that AIA Ohio can bestow on an architectural firm.

Recently Haley Rose Allen worked on A Singularity Amongst Us while Yuteng Lin worked on week 6, concept model.

debox penned cryptically titled post HOMARTIAN. The post featured a  Glossary of Johnspeak; including words like “convict camp”, “King Billy” and “Tharkian”. The post concluded with a promise/admonition “Watch this space”.
 

School/Blogs

Last week at Knowlton School at The Ohio State University Neil Denari gave a lecture titled Reality Distortion Field. During the presentation he explained why he has his UCLA students “rendering within an inch of their lives”.

The University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Architecture is accepting applicants for the  2014-15 visiting Hyde Chair of Excellence. The position is available to designers, architects, and educators from a variety of backgrounds with outstanding and unique credentials.

Julie Beckman, the award-winning designer of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial, has been appointed director of student services for University of Tennessee's College of Architecture and Design.

Discussions

UNWIND started a thread to talk about Modular Walls. Given project/client restraints UNWIND is trying to decide between two products DIRTT and Lada Cube.

gruen commented “Not familiar w lada, but dirtt is a nice product. STC is best w site built walls (actually, CMU walls...Often, clients balk at the actual cost of modular so be sure to cost compare”. Non Sequitur then chimed in “On our large (government) projects, such movable partitions are not acceptable because the assembly STC lab results are not the same when they put them in place therefore for security purposes, you cannot guarantee a high rating. Treat STC like you would insulation aka it needs to be continuous through the doors, ceilings, plenums, duct openings, etc”.

bowling_ball pointed out the “incorrect use of the world 'wall' in this thread. Not that it matters any, but we're discussing partitions, not walls”. UNWIND answered back “not trying to negate your point but I think that Dirtt and Lada Cube are creating an entirely new category.  Their ‘walls’ function more like traditional walls than ‘partitions.’  It's almost like they need to define their products as a completely new category”.

Scott M B Gustafon just got back from Oregon. While up there, he stopped by Aalto's library outside of Salem. In his opinion “It definitely lives up to the reputation it has for excellent daylighting”. citizen thanked Scott for posting “This masterpiece is well worth the visit if in central Oregon.  One of the unexpected pleasures/ surprises there was a tiny, ancient nun in full black habit (it is an abbey, after all) sitting behind the circulation desk.  Modern, meet medieval”! Quondam noted the “immediate (reenactionary) effect on ‘the Philadelphia School’ of the project when it was first completed”.

Finally, Saint in the City promised to “stop talking about continuous insulation at some point” but first a question re: Insulating parapets. TedTedTed replied “I have not done it on the TOP of the parapet but I have done it on the exterior and backside of the parapet wall...I agree with you about the continuous insulation everywhere though”.

b3tadine[sutures] answers affirmatively “I do it on CMU parapets. Sometimes we even spray foam, in place, insulation in stud cavities”. Meanwhile, Non Sequitur replied “in my area we continue a layer of insulation on the exterior of the studs/sheathing and pack the entire height of the parapet with mineral wool. The roofing insulation does not always run up the back side of the parapet but it is not an uncommon detail. Leaking parapets is a hot topic in our office and we are currently revising all our typical parapet details to minimize any possible condensation".