Volume #19

In times of crisis, hope is what we need. And hope is what the latest issue of Volume magazine explores under the title “Architecture of Hope”.

Once again, Arjen Oosterman writes a short yet provocative editorial, starting by why they choose to only use black&white images on this issue.  He brings back the subject of the welfare society during post-War, and compares the european and american models of sprawl/density which are key aspects of current crisis.

And since hope is the word of the day, “Yes we can” is also mentioned on the editorial and other articles related to Obama.

More about this issue after the break.

The Case for the Big Box: Joys of a non-expressionist architecture by Alexander D’Hooghe.

An interesting reflection around the Big Box, the now almost cliché term coined by Venturi. Current crisis has made the Big Box an endangered species. Some good examples of Big Box recycling via BigBoxreuse.com

Architecture: A Failed discipline by Mark Jarzombek

The stimulus plan includes several infrastructure projects to kick-start the economy. Europe has very good examples on how architects have played a vital role on infrastructure. Mark analyzes the role of the architect on infrastructure issues during history. And now, architects should be up to the challenge.

The network structure of Obamania, Gerlinde Schuller interviewed by Nader Vossoughian

A talk with Gerlinde Schuller, information designer and visual journalist, on the strategies used by Obama to transmit his message (of hope).

Barack Obama inaguration address autopsy by Brendan McGetrick

The title says it all.

Easyeurope: The young continent by Tommi Laitio

The new generation can take a cheap flight to almost anywhere in Europe, or study across the continent thanks to Erasmus. This new transnational youth culture can be the answer to Europe´s diversity problems.

A challenge of difference, a conversation between Miguel Robles-Duran and Hector Torres Casado (Venezuela’s Vice-Minister of Housing)

This conversation explains Venezuela´s approach to social housing, focused on villages and tribes to produce a “tailor-made” solution, instead of the typical generic projects that address the issue from a quantity point of view.

Font of a nation creating: A national graphic identity for Qatar by Shannon Matterm

The new corporate identity of a nation

I highly recommend this issue to anyone into identity, city branding and information design, as it has several more articles on this aspect.