Asad Syrkett

Argentinean-born, Frankfurt-based visual artist Tomás Saraceno describes his newest installation, Cloud City, with whimsy and enthusiasm.

Beijing-based property developer China Resources Land Limited (CR Land) makes money by managing residential, commercial, and civic projects across China.

Along the narrow cobblestone road of Shad Thames, a bit of preserved Victorian-era Britannia on the south bank of London, the adage “What’s old is new again” rings especially true.

But inside, maple wood pews and treelike, steel structural supports (that give the chapel its name) lend an industrial quality to the airy, ceremonial space.

Rarely does a 1-inch-by-1-inch building product get to take center stage.

After the collapse of several major financial institutions set off the global recession in 2008, 'bank' became a dirty word. But the 121-year-old Kansas City'based Missouri Bank and Trust (MO Bank) has long operated counter to today's perception of 'banking,' emphasizing its relationship with its customers, who are largely small business owners. In 2008, MO Bank set out to update its offices, which 'really didn't represent the character of the bank anymore,' says Jay Tomlinson, founding principal of Kansas City'based Helix Architecture + Design. But the bank's public image wasn't MO Bank president Grant Burcham's sole concern: 'Redesigning became really

HOK and the USGBC partner to build a new orphanage and children's center in a slowly recovering Haiti. Image courtesy HOK Click on the slide show button to view more images. Though Haiti has been out of the media spotlight in recent months, efforts to rebuild infrastructure and facilities in the struggling nation march on: More than two years after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the country in January 2010, organizations in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors are ramping up their long-standing involvement in the country’s revitalization. Much of the new work by groups like Architecture for Humanity and Studio

Deborah Gans In the third installment of our “Three Questions” series, we catch up with architect and Pratt Institute professor Deborah Gans, whose work at her eponymous Gans Studio has long addressed issues of social responsibility and environmental stewardship. RECORD spoke to Gans about various topics, including a recent event that got her thinking more about designing for social impact right at home. AS: How did you get involved in humanitarian work? Deborah Gans: I’ve always been interested in emerging social conditions and how architecture engages them. The work I do is generally more a search for new ideas of

Cynthia E. Smith Social-impact design isn't just about buildings or objects, as Cynthia E. Smith attests. Since 2009, Smith has served as the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's Curator for Socially Responsible Design, organizing exhibitions that address the burgeoning environmental, architectural, and sociological challenges brought on by earth's increasing population. RECORD caught up with Smith to find out what she thinks are the urgent issues and exciting developments in the field. AS: How did you get involved in humanitarian work? Cynthia Smith: Because I’ve been working on civil and human rights issues most of my adult life and was trained