Group hears Great Park designer's vision
Speaking at an Orange County Forum luncheon, landscape architect Ken Smith tells the croud that his complex plans have a simple intention: for people to "love the park." Smith says.
via OC Register — Landscape

Beautiful, Green, and Affordable
"The AIA Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community selected eight “Show You’re Green” projects as examples of outstanding housing that is both affordable and green."
via AIA — Architecture

55 Gallon Drum Sink
This project screams DIY because seriously, $2630 for a drum with a basin on top? People, puh-leeze. Next thing you know, they'll be cutting the drums vertically for bathtubs. Hey, there's an idea....
via Gizmodo — Bath

Pollack's documentary 'Sketches of Frank Gehry' reviewed by Christopher Hawthorne
"...no picture that gives us Julian Schnabel analyzing the design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, while wearing sunglasses and a robe and swigging brandy ought to be dismissed outright..."
via LA Times — Misc

UN-Mercedes Benz Museum
Ben Van Berkel's Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, has finally opened its doors to the public. “Computer Baroque?” Static motion sickness? Make up your own mind…
via Guardian — Architecture

What should we do with buildings which no longer serve their original purpose?
Lisa Jardine argues for the preservation of landmark buildings through adaptive reuse - maintaining the urban fabric they create and inform. Case in point, the defunct Highbury Stadium whose facade will be preserved with new apartments constructed behind.
via BBC — Architecture

Designing a House to Save a Tree
While some buildings are being enlarged to capitalize on views of Manhattan, architects Margarita McGrath and Scott Oliver chose instead to capture views of a tree growing in Brooklyn.
via NY Times — Architecture

New Urbanism sweeps Britain
"Any development with Prince Charles' name attached to it is bound to stir comment. And this one is a biggie: an entirely new town to be built over the green fields of the Sherford Valley outside Plymouth in Devon."
via Gabion — Urban

Record Reveals: Los Angeles
"A special site dedicated to the unrestrained, talented, and innovative architects who call Los Angeles home. With podcasts, interviews, and an informal design guide, the site will give you an inside look at the people who make L.A. a nucleus of thought-provoking design."
via Architectural Record — Architecture

Building Brands
How architects market themselves.
via Slate — Architecture

Green light for megamall that vows to be green
"SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After years of delays, developers and local officials have agreed on a 30-year tax deal that will allow construction to start on Destiny USA — a megamall whose backers vow will run on renewable energy and be a model for clean living and shopping."
via MSNBC — Green

The Business of Green
A special section in the New York Times focuses on environmental issues as related to business - articles include Green Architecture in NYC, Chicago's city-wide green efforts, etc.
via NY Times — Green

New convent faithful to ideal of sustainability
A modern convent in Dublin, Ireland, by MCO Architects embraces sustainable design.
via Irish Times — Architecture

Ten50 Fridge for Real Men
Fishing. Hunting. NASCAR. Themes I don't necessarily want represented on my refrigerator but, uh, you might. Ten50 will custom design a refrigerator to fit your lifestyle. Chrome grills are optional.
via Gizmodo — Appliances

Zaha in Barcelona
Zaha Hadid wins commission for a building on Barcelona's waterfront, adding to the city's collection of designs by Pritzker Prize winning architects.
via Guardian — Architecture

"Let's catch somebody on their way up."
Los Angeles-based Daly Genik Architects have been selected by Harvard to design the temporary Allston-Brighton museum beating out the likes of Morphosis, Enrique Norten, et. al.
via Boston Globe — Architecture

Podcast - Sir Peter Hall on Australian urbanism
Once very English (40 yeras ago) now "more exotic," a discussion on Australia's cities - big box stores, creating public spaces, malls, Corbu, etc.
via ABC Australia — Urban

IDP test change?!
Alrighty you IDP affected architecture types... here is your chance to lobby for changes to the much maligned IDP program. NCARB is preparing to vote on a proposed change to the system.
via Archinect — Architecture

Solar Lampion
While I like the idea of solar recharging lights, I find that the form is not usually up to the standard of the function. But this faceted lantern by Damian O'Sullivan thankfully breaks the mold.
via Moco Loco — Lighting

High point of modern
"Once reviled, Modernism is now the height of fashion. Bob Stanley explains why it works for him."
via Times — Architecture

Designers float visions of Toronto waterfront
Brief descriptions of the designs proposed by the selected five finalists in a competition to improve public access to Toronto's waterfront. The design teams are: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Martinez Lapena-Torres; Foster and Partners, Atelier Dreiseitl; Stan Allen Architect, Sarah Whiting and Ron Witte Architects; Snohetta, Sasaki Associates, Narchitects, Weisz + Yoes Architecture, H3, Balmori Associates, Halcrow Yolles HPA; and West 8, Du Toit Allsopp Hillier.
via Globe and Mail — Landscape

Michael Van Valkenburgh gets showcase at Harvard
The Boston Globe writes up landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh and the show of his recent work at Harvard GSD - Between Form and Circumstance: Re-thinking the Contemporary Landscape.
via Boston Globe — Landscape

The Virgin Mary Is in the Details
The New Urbanist plan for Ave Maria - the Catholic university and adjoining town under construction in Florida.
via Metropolis — Urban

Joshua Prince-Ramus to split from Koolhaas' OMA
The rumor mill can finally take a rest... Archinect's got the skinny.
via Archinect — Architecture

Is the Era of Star Architects Over?
Newsweek picks up on the starchitect backlash!
via Newsweek — Architecture

Suspended straicase-bridge
A clever suspended staircase as a footbridge over the Traversinertobel, in Switzerland designed by engineer Jürg Conzett.
via w-m-m-n-a — Architecture

Moscow Constructivism
A photo gallery of constructivist architecture from the 1920's and 30's in Moscow posted by Flickr member SilkCut.
via Archinect — Architecture

Interview: Paulo Mendes Da Rocha -City of Dreams
Pritzker prize winning Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes Da Rocha talks about cities and architecture.
via Newsweek — Urban

Therm Vals: Photography by Fernando Guerra
Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals documented by photographer Fernando Guerra - a 14 minute short film.
via Archidose — Architecture

My Life Above Pottery Barn
"They have done it. They have actually managed to seamlessly fuse life with commerce, eliminate the line separating home and shop, individual and commodity. You no longer live miles down the road from Restoration Hardware. You live above it."
via SF Gate — Urban