David R Hoover, AIA, NCARB

07:00 - 30 May, 2017 by AD Editorial Team https://www.archdaily.com/872418/the-best-architecture-portfolio-designs When applying for an architecture job, you need to make sure you have the perfect portfolio. While a clever and attractive business card might help you initially get a firm's attention, and a well-considered résumé or CV might help you prove your value, in most cases it will be your portfolio that makes or breaks your application. It's your portfolio that practices will use to measure your design sensibilities against the office's own style and to judge whether you match up to the talents claimed in your résumé. That's why in March, we launched a call for our readers to send us their own portfolios so that we could share the best design ideas with the ArchDaily community. Our selection below shows the best of the nearly 200 submissions we received, which were judged not on the quality of the architectural design they showed (though much of it was excel...

06:00 - 18 November, 2016 by Sabrina Santos https://www.archdaily.com/799429/experience-the-beauty-of-norwegian-architecture-with-this-time-lapse-video As the second chapter in his series, Iconic Norway, Alejandro Villanueva has released a time-lapse of the Trollstigen Visitor Center, a project by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekters for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in Oslo, Norway.

12:00 - 8 August, 2016 by Jan Doroteo 1. All black. 2. Black with a bit of grey. 3. Black with a bit of white. 4. Match different shades of black. Done. Go home. All jokes aside, there has never been a set uniform in the architecture profession. The truth is, there are a large variety of different architectural practices, and one’s attire to do architectural work often depends on each firm’s unique culture. There are corporate firms composed of hundreds of people in office blocks where “corporate” clothing is expected, or there are atelier style firms where jeans and a simple shirt are more appropriate for the design-build. The architecture world is unique in that we are expected to be creative like artists, execute like engineers, negotiate like businessmen, and make like craftsmen but at the same time are asked to discover our own unique style and approach. Hybridity and improvisation abounds in architecture, which is definitely reflected in our fashion choices. In general...

09:30 - 29 July, 2017 by Victor Delaqua Translated by Rory Stott https://www.archdaily.com/876708/6-must-see-architecture-documentaries-and-series-on-netflix Netflix isn't just a great service for relaxing or procrastinating—it can also be a great learning tool for architecture and urbanism. That is why we have put together seven tips—including both series and documentaries—for architecture-related viewing that, in addition to being entertaining, can help broaden your knowledge.

POSTED BY ROB WIELAND ON APRIL 6, 2017 https://geekandsundry.com/youll-soon-be-able-to-revisit-more-classic-dd-adventures-for-5th-ed/ One of the hidden strengths of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition is the ease in which material for older editions can be used. Whether an old adventure is downloaded from Dungeon Master’s Guild in PDF form or reclaimed from the basement after years of being stashed away, the stinginess of the current edition’s release schedule is softened by the idea that old material just takes a little time to be brought forward. Wizards of the Coast has gotten in on this activity through the most recent Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition release, Tales From The Yawning Portal. That book converts a sampling of memorable adventures from across several editions of Dungeons & Dragons to give new players a sense of history and old players some guidance on how the pros handle converting older material. There are hundreds, if not thousands of dungeons from the 53...

07:00 - 27 December, 2016 by AD Editorial Team A new collection of five minute-long On Design stories—developed by the team behind Section D, Monocle 24's 24's weekly review of design, architecture and craft—profile a person, survey a place, or unpack an idea that’s changing or shaping design and architecture today. We've selected fourteen of our favorites from the ongoing series, examining issues as wide as Postmodernism and the architectural competition, to five-minute profiles of Alvaro Siza, Josef Hoffman, Kengo Kuma and Superstudio. https://www.archdaily.com/802384/round-up-14-short-stories-architects-attitudes-odd-anecdotes

August 16, 2016 by Bob Borson http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/i-want-to-be-an-architect-where-do-i-start/ I have answered this question at least a hundred times over the last 6 years and I have distilled the answer down to what I think is the very first step. Granted most of the people asking this question are fairly young – probably high school and early college level – but the  answer is still the same. Should You Focus on Math? Most people think being an architect has something to do with math. It doesn’t – in fact, I tell people that their lack of math skills should not be the thing that keeps them from pursuing their dreams of becoming an architect. If you are that person, read Architecture and Math and let me know if you still think math is going to be the thing that stops you from becoming an architect. Math is a necessary component to being an architect but the hardest math I do on a daily basis was stuff I learned in grade school. Addition, Subtraction, Multiplicati...

Vertigo-inducing viewing platforms, island-hopping bridges, and some of the funkiest toilet facilities in the northern hemisphere: these are just a sample of the design flourishes that Norway’s National Tourist Routes program (NTR) has introduced across the country over the past 15 years. Add to this the fact that the roads program has been a great incubator for Norway’s young, vibrant architectural scene – which is respected for its daring and imagination across Europe – and for anyone heading north this summer, with design leanings or simply curious, a road trip beckons. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jul/20/architecture-norway-road-trip-national-tourist-routes

Even as architecture moves deeper into the digital realm, drafting and rendering by hand remains quintessential to the craft. The George Architect channel on YouTube—managed by Reza Asgaripour and Avdieienko Heorhii—aims to inspire both practitioners and fans of architecture by demonstrating new ways of depicting the built environment with impeccable style. Tune in to see how you can improve your own sketches. https://www.archdaily.com/800633/these-sketching-tutorials-will-make-you-want-to-bust-out-your-moleskine-right-now DRHdesign http://www.drhdesign.com

Robert Wardhaugh of London Ontario was 14 when he started a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Thirty five years later, he's dungeonmastering the same campaign. His miniature sets are amazing! https://boingboing.net/2017/10/25/this-dungeons-and-dragons-camp.html

David Burke · CBC News · Posted: Dec 27, 2017 7:00 AM AT | Last Updated: December 27, 2017 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dungeons-dragons-autism-communication-social-skills-community-1.4433503 Dungeons and Dragons has its own special kind of magic, but you can't find it between the covers of any of its numerous rule books. It's a kind of social magic between strangers as they learn to become friends over a shared interest. Autism Nova Scotia is hoping the game will work its magic on people with autism and improve their social and communication skills. People living with autism spectrum disorder experience challenges with communication, social interactions and sometimes display restrictive and repetitive behavior.

There are now a lot of reports on the failures of the Levees in the New Orleans area on the television and on the internet, and now the talk seems to be moving at how much money Louisiana should be given to build more levees around the small isolated communities in the South and to reinforce or rebuild the levees around the New Orleans area. Why do we think that this is a good idea? I am not sure. From working in this area, I have seen what it takes to build a deep foundation for the mid to high-rise buildings in the CBD, and the one that is certain is that you will be driving piles a few hundred feet to hit anything "substantial" (I use this very loosely) and create enough friction from the surrounding swamp to hold the structure up and create a matt slab to basically float the building. If you have ever lived her or driven around town, you will always notice that the driveways to the residential garages are always a foot or so lower, so that the occupants can not even dr...

In a Norwegian fjord ten Americans are doing what no one has ever done before. They dive and work at a depth of 320 meters (1065 feet). The divers have to succeed to secure the future of an oil-nation. But something goes terribly wrong. https://tv.nrk.no/program/MDDP11005115/the-deepest-dive

BY STEPHANIE VOZZA If you have a skill that’s in demand, chances are you’ve received more than one job offer. Money or a title may be tempting, but don’t jump at your first opportunity—you could be walking into a toxic work environment, says Piyush Patel, author of Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work. “It’s difficult to know a company’s culture in a 20-minute interview,” he says. “Everybody’s on their best behavior, and the skeletons are hidden. If you’re a great candidate, people are trying to sell you and recruit you. They’re not going to tell you anything bad.” https://www.fastcompany.com/40585779/7-warning-signs-that-you-shouldnt-accept-a-job-offer

Scanning through Netflix, I came across a movie called the Dwarvenaut (2016). I decided to watch it and discovered that it was about an artist and entrepreneur, Stefan Pokorny, and his Kickstarter Campaign to create dungeon modular pieces for miniatures in Dungeons & Dragons. I was surprised that the game was still being played. I quickly pulled out my old Player's Handbook, Dungeon's Master Guide, Monster Manual I and II, Deities & Demigods, Oriental Adventures and a bunch of old modules and started to try to play with my kids. I even located my old lead miniatures.

Design is very personal. People get upset when discussing their own design or evaluating the design of someone else. But why do people take criticism, whether constructive or not, so personally? People are generally products of their environment and education. A persons "design" is based on the buildings that they grew up in or around, their experiences from travelling to different areas and cultures, their education from primary on up, and their reading and absorption of reference materials. If a person stays in the same town, on the same street and in the same house, then their design will be centered around that house and environment. They may believe that every house should have a front porch that is 20' from the sidewalk, because that is where their parents sat in a swing and conversed with the neighbors. They may also believe that all houses should have wood ship-lap siding painted a royal blue, because this is the color that they painted their house every fifth s...