Zaha Hadid is a Woman of the Year because… “She’s an extraordinary force of nature that came out of the blue and whacked us all on the back of the head and said, ‘Wake up, kids, there’s more stuff to do.’ ” —architect Frank Gehry — glamour.com

This year, David Adjaye, whom President Obama refers to as his favourite architect, is at number one on the list, selected by a panel of independent judges working from a definition of influence as "the ability to alter events and change lives in a positive way". — guardian.co.uk

I realize that Sandy will prob cause billions in damage to the eastern seaboard, and the lost work will not be great for the GDP, but perhaps the resulting building boom will provide the boost the economy needs? — archinect.com

One of the most fascinating things we at MONU recently experienced during a trip to Brasilia had nothing to do with its famous Oscar Niemeyer monuments or the city itself, but with the context surrounding the city.

(Bernd Upmeyer, Editor-in-Chief, November 2012) — http://www.monu-magazine.com/submit.htm

Italian architect, designer and teacher Gae Aulenti died late on Wednesday at her Milan home. She was 85 years old and had been ill for some time. Born in Palazzolo della Stella near the northern city of Udine, Aulenti trained as an architect at Milan's Polytechnical University graduating in 1959 and quickly became one of the few well-recognized women working in Italian postwar design. — ansamed.info

Jeanne Gang will soon join the likes of Neil Denari, Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, and Shigeru Ban with a new project near the High Line in New York City. The roughly 180,000-square-foot office tower will rise along 10th Avenue between 13th and 14th streets, pending city approval. — archpaper.com

Today is the birthday of Iraqi-British architect, Zaha Hadid. Known for her sculptural designs and commanding demeanor, the renown female artist is turning 61 years old this Halloween. — huffingtonpost.com

In one of the most challenging periods to be a young architect, this year’s Young Architect of the Year shortlist demonstrates that it is still possible to make great work if you are energetic in seeking out opportunities. — Building Design Magazine

Deeply sorry to have just heard that Lebbeus Woods, a true visionary architect and astonishing draftsman, died this morning. A great loss. — michael kimmelman

John M. Johansen, a celebrated Modernist architect and the last surviving member of the Harvard Five, a group that made New Canaan, Conn., a hotbed of architectural experimentation in the 1950s and ’60s, died on Friday in Brewster, Mass. He was 96. — nytimes.com

“Why do they come to us? Because of 15 Central Park West,” Mr. Stern, 73, said earlier this month from his office on the West Side of Manhattan. The Chinese “don’t want to go home at night to their three-bedroom shelf on the 44th floor,” he added. “They want to live in a place. That’s what we do: we’re place-makers.” — nytimes.com