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September 2009 Say the word, “planning,” and watch someone’s face morph: The term can conjure up a multitude of responses. Regardless of your own prejudices, some municipalities are discovering that good design can help sell a city—whether old and established or new as fresh paint. Photo © André Souroujon Two Asian cities illustrate the principle and constitute textbook cases of their respective kinds. First, the newest. Songdo City, Korea, an eventual $35 billion, tower-filled new city is rising where nothing but seawater once existed. The planners’ precepts defied traditional expectations by standing certain ironclad real estate notions on their heads,

August 2009 For generations of American architects (generations, not years), Julius Shulman idealized the built world. Born in 1910, and active until recently, Shulman’s eye framed essential architectural imagery and recorded it for the world. His passing on July 15 marks a shift in how we appreciate architecture today and suggests we pause to reflect on architectural photography. Photo © André Souroujon First, Julius. This irrepressible personality, lacking formal training in either architecture or photography, but with an upwelling enthusiasm for good architecture, found his calling when he saw Richard Neutra’s California houses in 1936. Shulman subsequently mastered the craft

July 2009 What has happened to drawing? This recently posted rhetorical question on the Internet produced a torrent of responses, an ironic commentary from our digital age. Yes, we primarily draw electronically now. Yes, our several generations of active architects employ different media to think, to design, and to represent their ideas. Yes, our students and future architects still use hand drawing, but frequently as one tool in a kit that includes physical modeling and three-dimensional virtual manipulation. Yes, the architect’s world has changed. There should be no tears, only a glint at reality. Photo © André Souroujon And yet,

June 2009 The world unloads so much information on us today that communicating with just 140 characters – no more, no less – feels like massive relief. -0 Photo © André Souroujon Twitter comes with its own counter, so that every one of your postings keeps score of the total characters that remain. It’s hard to miss. -0 You can follow insipid things like when a famous celebrity brushed her teeth, or you can post when you brush your own. Lead or Follow? Pick. -0 Architecture fans register their own reactions to buildings and places, up to the minute, close

Max Bond, FAIA, the dean of African-American architects, passed away in February.

Across the country, design-centered high schools are helping increase the number of African-Americans and Latinos in the field.

May 2009 One year ago, Architectural Record’s editorial addressed the issue of diversity in a column entitled, “Room for All Our Talents.” In the intervening months, despite the election of a new president of the United States and the economic free fall in our construction and design markets, little has changed to balance the national employee profile of the architectural office. African-Americans in particular still form only from 1.5 to 1.7 percent of the total number of registered architects. Photo © André Souroujon In turning again to the topic of diversity in architecture, this month’s editorial will not preach, but

April 2009 The student firmly raised his hand at the luncheon, catching my attention over the turkey sandwiches and cold drinks. We were there to talk, after all. Most of the questions thus far had been softball—related to publishing or favorite architects and their work, or to travel, but not to pushing the boundaries. He appeared eager and young. Then he spoke: “Can you tell me,” he asked, “why media like Architectural Record have continued to promote icons, when we are interested in a different kind of architecture today?” All eyes opened up around the long table, and heads seemed