make yourself at home sneak preview this is who we are make ...

volume ONE
issue ZERO
WELCOME
MAKE YOURSELF
AT HOME
savvy designers
SNEAK PREVIEW
AT YOUR SERVICE
THIS IS WHO
WE ARE

ntroducing ARCHILEPSY, a webzine
for savvy young designers (like yourself ).
We have so much in common, I'm
actually surprised we haven't met before.
We both love great design...whether it's
found in buildings, graphics, fashion,
industrial objects, artwork, or even music.
We're both struggling to find our place
in this ever-changing, infinitely complex
world. I get the feeling that we're going
to become great friends. But if we're
going to continue to see each other, there
are a few things that you should know
about me. First...
KEVIN FRANK
editor in chief
I'm only available online. I
know this is kind of strange,
considering how many of
your other friends hang out
on newsstands, or show up in
your mailbox every month.
But rest assured, I will always
be absolutely free (who needs
to pay for friends anyway?).
Second, I come out on the first
Tuesday of every month. Why?
a) Mondays suck. And b) new
albums are always released
on Tuesdays, which means
that most of us will already be
in a good mood. Third, I'm
make yourself at home
pretty open-minded. Actually, "opensourced"
would probably be a better
description. You see, I'm extremely
interested in what you have to say. If
you'd like to write an article or submit
a project for publication, I'm all ears.
Just send an email to one of the editors,
and they'll work
with you to find
a home for your
contribution in an
upcoming issue.
Lastly, and this is
really important...
(pausing for dramatic
e f f e c t ). . . p l e a s e
please introduce
me to all of your
awesome friends!
The more savvy subscribers that I can
get acquainted with, the more relevant,
critical, clever content I'll be able to
deliver every month. But enough about
me. This magazine is really about you.
So let me ask you something:
Are you exceedingly frustrated
with the glaring disconnect between
academia and the design profession? Do
you find the lack of critical discussion
in the design industry to be completely
disappointing? Are you sometimes
just simply pissed off at having to be a
grown up?
Me too. And that’s where I come
in. ARCHILEPSY...a webzine for
We will not be defined
by the glossy snapshots
dwelling next to the checkout
counter at Whole Foods.
We are not convinced by the
joyless esoteric tomes of
blowhard theoreticians. And
we could not possibly care less
about the latest innovations
in door hardware or roofing
membranes.
designers with one foot in the real world,
and the other foot desperately clinging
to the last unwarped floorboards
of academic utopia. A webzine for
students and young professionals trying
to come to grips with a quickly changing
social/political/ecological environment.
A webzine for
people who love
great design, but
who are absolutely
appalled by the
vast majority of
the environment
designed around us.
I mean, seriously?
How does some
of this stuff get
built?
No, you are not taking crazy pills.
There are others like you. This webzine
is a testament to our collective voice.
This is a call to action. This is a chance
to shout virtuously in the face of a
demoralizing, lethargic status quo.
Okay…so maybe it’s just a chance to
whisper a few nasty quips behind its
back. Regardless, if you have something
important to say, this is the place.
So join us each month for smart
features, relevant articles, clever
commentary, and critical dialogue
about the design world. Your world.
3

January 2011
VOLUME ONE
ISSUE ZERO
editor in chief
kevin frank chicago
associate editors
bryan finnegan chicago
dominick gallegos chicago
breeze glazer new york
alexi karavokiris los angeles
jenny pelc new orleans
want to become a contributor?
send a resume + work samples to
editor@archilepsymagazine.com
this is
What’s inside
WELCOME TO ARCHILEPSY
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME 2
We proudly present a new online magazine for
discerning designers...like yourself.
SAVVY DESIGNERS
A sneak preview of the incredible designers from
around the world who are already slated to be featured
in upcoming issues of ARCHILEPSY.
BJARKE INGELS GROUP > Copenhagen, DK 8
SCHMIDT HAMMER LASSEN > Aarhus, DK 10
SERGEY SKURATOV ARCHITECTS > Moscow, RU 12
STUDIO GUILHERME TORRES > São Paulo, BR 14
FRANCISCO MANGADO > Pamplona, ES 16
OFFICE dA > Boston, US 18
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
UPCOMING MONTHLY FEATURES 20
An intriguing overview of what's in store. Articles,
essays, interviews, features, how-to's, and more.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE
MEET THE EDITORS 26
Hailing from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and New
Orleans, our editorial board has the perspective and
insight to provide captivating content every month.
ROLL CREDITS
MAD PROPS 30
STAY IN TOUCH 31
click article
to flip
directly to it!
Hello, and welcome...
FIRST
IMPRESSIONS
alias > kevin danger frank
age > twenty-eightish
sign > i’m a sensitive cancer
favorite color > umm, hello??? black
home > chicago, via new orleans, by
way of new york, through portland,
across boston, but originally from the
great state of alabama
You may be asking yourself right now, "how did this kid from the Deep
South end up in Chicago writing about architecture and design?" In fact, it
began with the absence of architecture and design. Growing up in what can
be described as the polar opposite of an urban condition, I was raised with an
uninhibited curiosity and utter fascination with authentic experiences. When
I finally came of age, I ventured from city to city like the proverbial kid in a
metropolitan candy store, devouring the vivid, exhilarating cityscapes of each
city I called home. New Orleans taught me to laissez les bons temps rouler.
Boston gave me a profound respect for the past. Portland showed me how
to slow down and appreciate my surroundings. New York imparted humility.
And still today, Alabama offers solace.
So here I am in Chicago. Still curious. Still utterly fascinated by the authentic
experiences I've been fortunate enough to encounter. As a designer, my
insistence on questioning, analyzing, and interpreting the environment
around me will probably be a curse that follows me to the grave. Luckily,
I'm surrounded by friends and colleagues that are afflicted with the same
unending desire to understand the context in which we live. Each of my
fellow editors has such a unique perspective and inspiring passion for design.
For years now, we have engaged in critical, thought-provoking conversation.
ARCHILEPSY is the fruit of those discussions.
This IssueZERO is both a preview of what's to come, and an earnest
invitation for you to join the conversation. We’re incredibly excited about the
possibilities. Send in your thoughts...we'd love to hear from you.
5

Bjarke Ingels Group
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
www.big.dk
Schmidt Hammer Lassen
AARHUS, DENMARK
www.shl.dk
Sergey Skuratov
Studio Guilherme Torres
Francisco Mangado
Office dA
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
www.officeda.com
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
www.skuratov-arch.ru
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
www.guilhermetorres.com.br
PAMPLONA, SPAIN
www.fmangado.com
8
10
12
14
16
18

Bjarke Ingels Group
HIts the
big timE
With high-profile projects from Tallin to New York
>tallin town hall
City, Bjarke Ingels is dangerously flirting with the
treacherous Starchitect
moniker. Fortunately, he
adamantly refuses to take himself too seriously, as is
evident by his recent comic-book format monograph
Yes Is More and his refreshingly candid TED talk.
>tek taipei
>8 house
9

amazon court
Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Eschewing the blasé forms and compositions
of typical corporate firms, Schmidt Hammer
Lassen consistently creates intriguing,
sophisticated spaces with progressive
environmental strategies.
reat danes
>concert, congress and hotel
>halifax central library
>the royal library >the royal library
11

Sergey Skuratov
from
ussia
with
Moscow's finest.
Over the past two
decades, Sergey
Skuratov Architects
has been building a
love
masterful
portfolio
of built works,
winning accolades
and acclaim in
Russia and abroad.
>mosfilmovskaya
> butikovsky lane >copper house
>danilovsky fort
>garden quarters
>mosfilmovskaya
13

ff house >vm house >bl house >ff house
ork it harder
etter
faster
ake it over
>studio gt
Up-and-coming Brazilian designer
Guilherme Torres has this Daft
Punk inspired motto tattooed on
his office wall...and his arm.
Studio
Guilherme Torres
15

spanish pavilion (expo zaragoza 2008)
>center for new technologies
>álava archaeology museum (image+concept sketch)
With a vast catalogue
of elegant, understated
buildings under his belt,
Francisco Mangado is
determined to improve
the dialogue between
architecture and society.
>álava archaeology museum
Francisco
Mangado
spanish
master
"The capacity to represent architecture should not be
confused with the capacity to amaze or attract attention.
Very often the most published and widely known
architecture is not the one with the greatest capacity to give
answers, or propose research, but rather the one with the
greatest capacity to generate spectacle."
-Francisco Mangado
17

Office dA
ATTLE
SCARS
Despite recent speculation to contrary, this Bostonbased
duo continues to thrive. With strong ties
to academia and a cavalier attitude towards the
construction industry, Nader Tehrani and Monica Ponce
de Leon of Office dA show no signs of slowing down.
>banq
>issam fares institute
>helios house
>toledo house
>macallen building
19

MORE
OF THE
ISSUES
THAT
MATTER
TO YOU
In Theory
Most design mags leave theory
to the academics, while many
of the theoretically minded
publications can sometimes
be oppressively intimidating.
ARCHILEPSY steps up to
the plate each month with a
selection of compelling essays
that offer critical dialogue
in the verbose tradition of
architectural theorists, lending
us a bit of intellectual swagger
like Rolling Stone’s scathing
political commentaries or
Playboy’s infamously firstrate
articles. These scholarly
yet accessible articles form the
foundation of our content each
month, and usually come from
designers like you. In fact, if
you've got a really compelling
thesis essay or unpublished
article that you think would
be right for ARCHILEPSY,
send it on over. We'll work
with you to find it a home in an
upcoming issue.
In Practice
upcoming
features
To balance the intellectual rigor of the theoretical essays, ARCHILEPSY also
features articles on practice each month. These straight-forward discussions are
squarely aimed at you (you're our target audience, after all). Topics will range
from collaboration, marketing, and competitions, to rainmaking, office culture,
and technology...all of which are insightful, pertinent, and extremely relevant to
emerging professionals.
21

more features
How 2
We Built This City
ARCHILEPSY features a different
city each month, highlighting the
coolest buildings, the best firms, the
state of the design industry, lifestyle
issues, living costs, city amenities,
and more. Focusing on the issues
that matter most to you, we think
you'll find these articles to be
absolutely invaluable when you're
considering a potential relocation or
seeking your next job.
Local Academic
Aside from the scandalous school
rankings published each year,
architectural education gets far
too little exposure in the media.
ARCHILEPSY features a new
architecture program each month,
spotlighting the school’s facilities,
faculty, curriculum, student work,
studio culture, and academic focus
for those of you seeking to continue
your education or striving to become
more involved in academia.
Like a hip young professor fresh from the Ivy League, ARCHILEPSY gives you
educational nuggets of wisdom each month in the form of How-To articles. From
quick and easy Photoshop "tilt-shift effect" techniques to ingenious board-formed
concrete details, we give you valuable, accessible information that will improve your
skill sets as a designer in a number of different mediums.
There's More To Life Than Buildings
As designers, we have so much more in common than our occupation. ARCHILEPSY
responds to this common ground by showcasing good design that exists beyond the
realm of architecture—including furniture, music, gadgets, jewelry, shoes, fashion,
textiles, tools, electronics, websites, industrial objects, and graphic design.
The Shit List
Knock knock….it’s your friendly neighborhood Design Police! This unique section
is devotedly solely to calling out bad design. Among current mags, there’s little or no
accountability for some of the atrocities that make up our built environment. This
tongue-in-cheek section seeks to change that by leveling criticism against offensive
buildings and calling out poisonous industry trends. Our attorneys are on standby.
We're Only Human
Designers have the opportunity to make a huge impact on the lives of so many. In a
world categorized by excess and greed, some of you are using your design skills to give
back to society in exceptional ways. This monthly section features the humanitarians
among us and the challenging social initiatives that they're executing across the globe.
The Backpage
This is where you'll find funny-cause-it's-true comics, inflammatory op-ed pieces, and
candid interviews. There's even a section for showcasing your work! We encourage
you to send us samples of the interesting things you're working on. Each month, the
editors will select a few intriguing examples and publish them in our SpaceBook.
23

upcoming articles
How to Collaborate with Morons
In Defense of Brutalism
Make an Impression with Board-Formed Concrete
Turn Up the Stereotype
This Was Supposed to Be the Future
Friend Request Your Boss
Postmodern Hell
Make Your Diagrams Sing with Flash
How to Save the World with Ecotect
Intoxicating Wine Bars
How to Cheat in Photoshop
An Architect's Guide to Schmoozing At Cocktail Parties
Expanding Minimalism
We're Calling You Out, Gehry
Learning From Indie
Lessons From a Corporate Vampire
Behind the Curtain Wall
Museum Quality
25

A
fter earning my Master of Architecture Degree from Tulane University, I
promptly started a rock band. Designing countless t-shirts, fliers, album covers,
and websites...I fell in love with the 2D world. Living in Chicago, New York, Boston, Portland,
and New Orleans, and traveling extensively throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Switzerland, and the Czech Republic...my love of the 3D world has never been stronger. But I'm
not foolish enough to believe that architecture is the only way to affect people in a meaningful way.
ARCHILEPSY allows me to explore everything in the fascinating, nebulous sphere of Design. As an
architect/graphic designer/musician/artist/loudmouth...what else could I ask for?
rom large scale urban theory to small scale parametric design and fabrication, I took
interest in many facets of design while earning a Master of Architecture degree at
Ball State University. Traveling to various cities in South America, Europe, and the United
States, I developed a love for the culture of urbanism. I followed my hometown roots back to
the City of Chicago with a renewed sense of curiosity and fresh eyes. My interests in architecture,
urbanism, graphic design, photography, and fashion allow me a generalist approach to design and
architecture. ARCHILEPSY is yet another avenue for me to continue that approach, engaging in a fun
yet critical dialogue on design.
Logical
and rational, a gadget freak and avid outdoorsman. I'm passionate about
promoting the talents of students awaiting their break into the profession, and
improving their direction on the way. For me, architecture is the perfect union of art, design,
and technical quality. I believe that few things have the posterity of architecture and even fewer
have the power to improve our everyday surroundings and invoke an emotional response in the
public realm. Since I've spent the past 10 years communicating graphically, ARCHILEPSY is a
chance to brush up on the written word. I hope to expose the unique and promote the best within the
design realm. ARCHILEPSY arose from our casual conversations about architecture and design, and now
these conversations will become published as unique moments in our design time.
also earned my Master of Architecture degree from Tulane and have since
become a virtual cheerleader for the profession – particularly mentoring
young women in this man-filled page… errr profession. Aside from
implementing a studio-wide initiative for architectural licensing, I also sit on the national IDP
Committee and have been spotted as a speaker for the AIA National Convention. In addition
to my professional involvement, I lead a second life as a fiber artist. With obvious assorted interests
in the design and professional world, ARCHILEPSY provides the opportunity to ensure that these
worlds continue to fuse.
y entire life, I've been told I have a unique perspective when it comes
to design. I think that's a nice way of saying "WTF?!" As an artist/
architect coming from a Fine Arts background, I believe architecture can and should
be sexy, sinuous, provocative, gravity-defying, exhilarating, and above all else...fun.
Which is why I'm a part of ARCHILEPSY. For me, it's an opportunity to merge my love
for buildings, art, fashion, sculpture, graphics, and all of the fascinating cultural elements
that make up the designed world.
I
F
I
M
've focused my entire career on sustainability in architecture, applying this expertise
to a broad variety of projects across a multitude of scales, from carbon neutral
multi-family developments, acute care hospitals and a LEED Silver transitional homeless shelter in
New Orleans. Since earning my Master of Architecture degree at Tulane University, I've become the
Research Knowledge Manager for Healthcare Sustainability at Perkins+Will, based out of the NY office.
I live and breath the city - wandering around all day finding cool, new buildings and neighborhoods to
enjoy is a favorite weekend activity.
Dominick Gallegos
Bryan Finnegan
Jenny Pelc
Kevin Frank
EDITOR IN CHIEF > Chicago, IL
kevin@archilepsymagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR > Chicago, IL
dominick@archilepsymagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR > Chicago, IL
bryan@archilepsymagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR > New Orleans, LA
jenny@archilepsymagazine.com
Alexi Karavokiris
ASSOCIATE EDITOR > Los Angeles, CA
alexi@archilepsymagazine.com
Breeze Glazer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR > New York, NY
breeze@archilepsymagazine.com
this
is
Who
We
are
27

COAST TO COAST
HERE'S HOW WE'RE CONNECTED
school-mates
coworkers
former coworkers
mutual admirers
borderline stalker
used to date (don't ask)
still owes me $7 bucks
29

oll credits
PHOTO CREDITS:
cover rendering > Bjarke Ingels Group
first impressions KF portrait > Elizabeth Grube
BIG project images and renderings > Bjarke Ingels Group
SHL project images and renderings > Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
sergey skuratov project images and diagrams > Sergey Skuratov Architects
studio guilherme torres project images > Studio Guilherme Torres
francisco mangado project images and drawings > Francisco Mangado
office dA project images, renderings, and drawings > office dA
loop station > Jeffry Gugick, Pixel and Poly, LLC www.pixelandpoly.com/nyc_in_hdr
colophon
COVER:
This month's cover was created by deconstructing
a rendering provided by Bjarke Ingels Group, and
reconfiguring the various sections into an abstract cityscape
collage. We felt that this hyper-saturated and somewhat
chaotic imagery would serve as an apt introduction to
ARCHILEPSY...which is a completely invented word that
could be loosely defined as "being completely seized by
architecture".
TYPEFACES:
The ARCHILEPSY masthead and logo uses a custom designed
font by Kevin Frank. Our standard serif paragraph text is
Adobe Caslon Pro. We use Myriad Pro (made famous by
Apple) for typical san-serif paragraph text. ITC Avante
Garde Gothic is our go-to headline font. All other fonts
are used with permission. We respect and

ARCHILEPSY
January 2011
Volume One, Issue Zero
Suggested Retail Price $0.00
www.archilepsymagazine.com
P.O. Box 902 Chicago, IL 60690
© Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Don’t even think about printing this WEBzine, you dirty tree killer.