Architectural Record caught wind of the many changes in leadership for architecture schools, including our own MIT as Yung Ho hands over the reins to Nader.  I’ve heard that NT has already been advertising to alumni the change in a monumental fashion, including a postcard with his face imprinted on it.  I guess…that’s a way to show who’s boss?

The Architecture for Change summit will be held this fall at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  MIT’s own Lawrence Vale, along with other names like Brian Bell and Teddie Cruz will be speaking.

Japantown in San Francisco, one of the 3 remaining J-towns in the States, recently received a boost from almost-year-old New People, a multi level shopping and cultural center.  It includes an art gallery, cinema, boutique stores, and other shops that finally bring a whole hulking slice of contemporary Japanese life to America (or at least the Bay Area).  I’m excited to check it out on my next visit out west, especially to see the art gallery, Superfrog.

The NYTimes article does a nice overview.

So great.  The next challenge.

via adamantine: Google Classic (via 9gag.com)

The 2010 World Expo: the largest collection of good, bad, and ugly architecture.  Instead of tearing most of it down after October, China should consider keeping it as a huge world amusement park and improve the exhibits inside so that visitors can actually learn a thing or two about the countries.

Pictured: Denmark’s pavilion, designed by BIG.

Click through to check out the rest of the pavilions, courtesy of eVolo.

A scientific approach to alleviating poverty, according to Esther Duflo (founder of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT, 2009 MacArthur fellow).

The Champs Elysees was turned into a verdant landscape for just a few days - wish I could’ve seen it, but it at least sparked cool photos and many conversations about urban greening.  It also aligns with the recent trend surrounding urban farming.

[ click the photo for an image of the pre-installation projection. ]

So would these be considered nostalgic gestures towards an agrarian past or hopeful visions for a more responsible future?

Late telling, but this field installation by Richard Box was a potential inspiration for our final Future Craft project.  It’s interesting to me because of its eerie way of making the unseen (electromagnetic field emitted by the powerlines overhead) seen, with jarring implications.

Sorry for the long neglect - have been busy on my other blog, but hope to keep this site as a bed for design inspiration.  And now that I’m in Hong Kong, there’s a lot out here to pull from.