Olympic Urbanism: The Athletes' Village

When the Olympic Games open next week in London, showpiece venues like Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre and Populous’s Olympic Stadium will be the center of the world’s attention. But when the lights are turned off and the spectators have gone home, the greatest impact on London urbanism will be from the 2,800 new apartments converted from athlete housing. In this slideshow, we look back at the history of Olympic Villages, from derelict ruins in Berlin to suburban townhomes in Sydney to a large public housing development in Athens.
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ENRIQUE RAMIREZ

Journey's End: Wim Wenders in Texas

In "I Watch Slacker to Read Austin in the Original," Enrique Ramirez described how Richard Linklater's indie classic captured the city of Austin at a pivotal moment in its cultural history. Here, in the second of an occasional series on Texas and cinema, he focuses on Wim Wenders and the making of Paris, Texas, and the ways in which the 1984 film catches the elusive essence — the mirage-like quality — of Houston.
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WILLIAM L. FOX

On the Road Home

What is the meaning of home? Here William Fox reviews The Prehistory of Home, by anthropologist Jerry Moore, which searches for answers “from Turkey’s Anatolia to Lancaster, California, from Aaron Spelling’s mansion in Beverly Hills to the Kalahari windbreaks erected by the !Kung San.” And which, as Fox notes, is artful in connecting past and present — for instance, in linking the early transition from nomadism to settlement with the contemporary American phenomenon of big houses, overfilled with stuff.
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Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism.
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STEVEN BOYD SAUM

Accidents Will Happen: Lessons on Honey, Smoked Pig Fat, Atomic Disaster and the Half-Life of Truth

Steven Boyd Saum, a teacher in the U.S. Peace Corps, is hiking in the forest outside Lutsk, Ukraine, when he hears about an accident at a nearby nuclear power plant. Has he been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation? Should the area be evacuated? The mayor holds a press conference to announce that it's all a rumor. But this is Wonderland — ten years after the Chernobyl explosion — and nothing is quite as it seems. “How could you, poor innocent American,” asks Saum's dinner companion, “know what is real and what is not?”
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KAREN PIPER

Revolution of the Thirsty

When Tahrir Square erupted in the winter of 2011, the news media proclaimed a “social media revolution” sparked by pro-democracy Egyptians. But in Cairo and throughout the country, citizens were agitating not just for political freedom but also for the right to such vital resources as water. As Karen Piper argues, "The January 25 Revolution was not just a revolution of the disenfranchised; it was also a revolution of the thirsty.”
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PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001

The High Line

High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld.
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PARTNER SCHOOL

University of Manitoba, Faculty of Architecture
The University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture is the first faculty in Canada to offer four post-graduate, built-environment professional degree programs: Architecture, City Planning, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design. All of these are based on a comprehensive non-professional Environmental Design undergraduate program that results in a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree. The Faculty of Architecture also offers a Ph.D. Program. The Ph.D. in Design and Planning in the Faculty of Architecture focuses on research in the following areas: Planning and Design Theory; Sustainable Planning and Design; Planning and Design Education; Planning and Design Practice; and Design and Planning Technologies. Through its focus upon design excellence, teaching and research, the faculty demonstrates its commitment to improving the quality of the built environment and associated ecological, economic, physical and social well-being of the global community.


WEEKLY EMAIL: JULY 31, 2012
FEATURED THIS WEEK : ANISHA GADE Olympic Urbanism: The Athletes' Village When the Olympic Games open next week in London, showpiece venues like Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre and Populous’s Olympic Stadium will be the center of the world’s attention. But when the lights are turned off and the spectators have gone home, the greatest impact on London urbanism will be from the 2,800 new apartments converted from athlete housing. In this slideshow, we look back at the history of Olympic Villages, from derelict ruins in Berlin to suburban townhomes in Sydney to a large public housing development in Athens. READ MORE
ENRIQUE RAMIREZ Journey's End: Wim Wenders in Texas In "I Watch Slacker to Read Austin in the Original," Enrique Ramirez described how Richard Linklater's indie classic captured the city of Austin at a pivotal moment in its cultural history. Here, in the second of an occasional series on Texas and cinema, he focuses on Wim Wenders and the making of Paris, Texas, and the ways in which the 1984 film catches the elusive essence — the mirage-like quality — of Houston. READ MORE WILLIAM L. FOX On the Road Home What is the meaning of home? Here William Fox reviews The Prehistory of Home, by anthropologist Jerry Moore, which searches for answers “from Turkey’s Anatolia to Lancaster, California, from Aaron Spelling’s mansion in Beverly Hills to the Kalahari windbreaks erected by the !Kung San.” And which, as Fox notes, is artful in connecting past and present — for instance, in linking the early transition from nomadism to settlement with the contemporary American phenomenon of big houses, overfilled with stuff. READ MORE NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS Enter the Sappi Ideas that Matter competition - an annual, innovative grant program that provides monetary support to produce the creative ideas of designers working for social good. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities. More about Ideas that Matter >> Watch Doug Hebert an inspiration junkie >> Find out more about Sappi here >> Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >> The D-Crit Program >> SVA Website >> STEVEN BOYD SAUM Accidents Will Happen: Lessons on Honey, Smoked Pig Fat, Atomic Disaster and the Half-Life of Truth Steven Boyd Saum, a teacher in the U.S. Peace Corps, is hiking in the forest outside Lutsk, Ukraine, when he hears about an accident at a nearby nuclear power plant. Has he been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation? Should the area be evacuated? The mayor holds a press conference to announce that it's all a rumor. But this is Wonderland — ten years after the Chernobyl explosion — and nothing is quite as it seems. “How could you, poor innocent American,” asks Saum's dinner companion, “know what is real and what is not?” READ MORE KAREN PIPER Revolution of the Thirsty When Tahrir Square erupted in the winter of 2011, the news media proclaimed a “social media revolution” sparked by pro-democracy Egyptians. But in Cairo and throughout the country, citizens were agitating not just for political freedom but also for the right to such vital resources as water. As Karen Piper argues, "The January 25 Revolution was not just a revolution of the disenfranchised; it was also a revolution of the thirsty.” READ MORE		JOIN PLACES ON FACEBOOK \| TWITTER JOIN DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP ON FACEBOOK \| TWITTER Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape. Submit your proposal >> D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre. Learn at SVA >> A quarterly magazine of art and culture Read more >> Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare. Join us >> PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001 The High Line High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld. READ MORE PARTNER SCHOOL University of Manitoba, Faculty of Architecture The University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture is the first faculty in Canada to offer four post-graduate, built-environment professional degree programs: Architecture, City Planning, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design. All of these are based on a comprehensive non-professional Environmental Design undergraduate program that results in a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree. The Faculty of Architecture also offers a Ph.D. Program. The Ph.D. in Design and Planning in the Faculty of Architecture focuses on research in the following areas: Planning and Design Theory; Sustainable Planning and Design; Planning and Design Education; Planning and Design Practice; and Design and Planning Technologies. Through its focus upon design excellence, teaching and research, the faculty demonstrates its commitment to improving the quality of the built environment and associated ecological, economic, physical and social well-being of the global community.
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