THE FEED


News and culture for architects and designers— your most efficient waste of time on the internet.

MAKE YOUR GARDEN GROW

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. - Cicero In the heat of the summer, take a break from sitting in ...

HOT 'N FRESH GIVEAWAY: INFRA ECO LOGI URBANISM

WIN A COPY OF Infra Eco Logi Urbanism: A Project for the Great Lakes Megaregion. Section Cut is happy to announce we're giving away five copies of Infra Eco Logi Urbanism, ...

DEMYSTIFYING DESIGN

For members of the design community, the rise of open sourcing, crowd sharing, and social media platforms is met with mild phobia. While these digital phenomena may at first seem...

THE EASIEST WAY TO NEGOTIATE A SALARY INCREASE

Here’s a painful, yet fairly common occurrence. You discover that a co-working peer - who you know doesn’t work as hard (or well) as you - has a higher salary. Sometimes ...

GIANTS! #13: RVTR

GIANTS 13 RVTR Kathy Velikov Geoff Thun We really try to define our own projects, as opposed to waiting for someone to arrive (with or without a bag of cas...

HOW TO: CONQUER THE ARE!

So you’re considering starting the Architect Registration Exam [ARE]. Or maybe you’ve already started, and wondering how others are getting th...

MONEY TALKS: NEGOTIATING SALARY

Negotiating is scary. Unsuccessfully negotiating compensation literally affects your entire lifetime salary, as it sets a baseline fo...

HOW TO: OPTIMIZE YOUR INDESIGN PORTFOLIO

OPTIMIZE YOUR INDESIGN PORTFOLIO We’ve all been there – it’s the 11th hour before your final work submission, the InDesign file is bloated, files are missing links...

THE REAL THING

The Real Thing Welp, we’ve made it The semester comes to a close. Now that you’re off to new pastures with some peace of mind, this weekly section cut is here to suppor...

ARCHISPEAK/ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Language that separates us from the lay-folk. Each Profession has it's vocabulary - words, phrases, and terms that signify specific t...

START SMALL, THINK BIG

I was recently awarded the 2015 Haile Fellowship by People’s Liberty to design and implement two net-zero affordable tiny homes in the Over-the-Rh...

ARCHITECT MARYAM ESKANDARI AND THE MODERN MOSQUE

is a woman, a Muslim and an architect. She doesn't want to be defined by any one of these words. But...

PROBLEMS OF MY TIME

is a small set of reflections on my first experiences as a young professional, mirr...

UTK-WORKSHOP-13-GALLERY

Students from the disciplines of landscape and architecture co-mingled in this exploratory studio-based workshop session. The goal of this exercise was to fortify students' digital design...

TOWARDS A HIP-HOP ARCHITECTURE

After hosting the symposium “Towards A Hip-Hop Architecture” (the first of its kind on the topic) in March 2015 at Syracuse University School ...

SHORT GAME

We know what it’s like during the last push of the semester— you’re stressed, likely sleep-deprived, and you’ve got altogether too many things to do. This wee...

NEGATERS GONNA NEGATE

The final review is the well-known, cautiously anticipated endgame for the student of architecture the lonely gazelle step...

THE FINISHING TOUCH

As final reviews are upon us, rather than re-invent the wheel with last minute critique, Section Cut is here to help seal the deal with trusted resou...

CONQUER THE FINAL REVIEW (PART 2)

PART 2 – CRAFTING THE PRESENTATION Welcome back sleep deprived, overly caffeinated designers We at Section Cut hope Part 1 of Conqu...

MAKING IN REAL LIFE

Planning on getting your hands dirty with a new construction project, model, or installation? This choice cut showcases resources that our Curators h...

STAY CALM AND GET LECTURED

Stay Calm and Get Lectured As you move into charette, or finals, or whatever your institution calls that crunch-time before the end, having good fodder to keep the brain mov...

HOW TO: BUILD COMMUNITY

Building Community WORKSHOP (bcWORKSHOP), a community design center based in Texas, recently published a new resource for designers, planners, and community groups: ...

MEDITATIVE STATE

This week could really be MAKE or BREAK. In some programs, students are rallying a final push, while more fortunate souls find themselves in a bizarro-f...

BUILDING-SYSTEMS-BASICS-PART-1

Meet your new best friends... Buildings are complicated, dynamic beasts. Their anatomies - just like the human body - are co...

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

Leadership Principles Although leadership isn't a huge topic of discussion within architecture, it is a vital skill to have as one progresses professionally. Listed below is...

HOW TO: ARCHIVE LIKE A PRO!

“my computer crashed,” is no longer an acceptable excuse. As discussed in the post, we designers create a lot o...

PENNYSAVERS & CHEAPSKATES

Need some OOMPH added to your design library, but your liquid assets are running on fumes? We kick off our Weekly Section Cut series with a com...

UTK-LETS-SPOON-GALLERY

The Boston Architectural College Fab Lab crew continued its ongoing 'Let’s Spoon!' campaign - teaming up with Section Cut for another edition of this popular one-day intensive workshop....

DESIGNING WITH CLIMATE

Worship of technologically-determined solutions that attempt to transcend local conditions has bitten us in the butt. This mentality, born out of ...

UTK-WORKSHOP-11-GALLERY

DIGITAL DEPLOYMENT 11 SURFACE TENSION ACADEMIES/UTK WORKSHOP ...

HOW TO: MAKE A SEXY RENDERING

We’ve all been there. You spend a ton of time building a digital model, but after clicking ‘render,’ you end up with a bunch of white bo...

PLAY TECTONICS

No geologic scales necessary here, in fact the opposite— this week we dig a bit deeper into the nitty gritty of our built environment How can we ensure ...

WHY SO FORMAL?

Why So Formal? A prevailing tendency early in the design process is to jump to form. While conducting site analysis, considering materiality, and developing our c...

HOW TO: DESCRIBE DATA GRAPHICALLY

The alphabet was a founding technology of information. The telephone, the fax machine, the calculation, and ultimately, the compute...

MAKE IT THROUGH ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL

Make it Through Architecture School with These Tips Being successful in architecture school takes more than just a keen eye for design, and the abilit...

DIAGRAMMING GRAB-BAG

Whether you're looking to arm yourself with new tools during a calm before the storm, or facing the final push of a studio deadline, Section Cut...

BAC LET'S SPOON 2 GALLERY

The Boston Architectural College Fab Lab crew continued its ongoing 'Let’s Spoon!' campaign - teaming up with Section Cut for another edition of this popular one-day intensive workshop....

HOW TO: CONDUCT SITE ANALYSIS

By [Dan Weissman](http://www.sectioncut.com/curators/dan-weissman) + [Kyle Sturgeon](http://www.sectioncut.com/curators/ksturge...

SC DIGITAL COLLECTION

Introducing... The SC Digital Collection If you're new to the SC project, consider this a mighty fine introduction to one of the most valuable dimensions of our site....

TOOLS OF THE TRADES

Tools of the Trades Essential everyday accoutrements in the world of any maker, design thinker, mover and shaker – these tools come recommended with the SC stamp of appr...

KITBASHING

By Eric Reinholdt. My first injection-molded plastic model kit was an X-wing fighter made by Revell. I recall my father and I assembling it together on our fro...

FORUM 2015 GALLERY

SC+ AIAS 2015 Forum 'BOSS LEVEL' WORKSHOP 12.29.15 STUDENT PIN-UP GALLERY AIAS teamed up with Section Cut and invites the attendees to abstract and reinterpret the familiar. It starts with the

STRONG BODY, STRONG MIND: PART 1

Part 1 Designers are not exactly known for their healthy life choices - late nights in studio, long days at the desk at work, living entirely...

2015 SECTION CUT WEEKLY CALENDAR

Each week, we put out a set of themed resources, coordinated with the architectural academic calendar. From site planning...

CONQUER THE FINAL REVIEW (PART 1)

PART I – PRESENTATION STYLES As a pedagogical tool, the final review provides not only an opportunity for the student to receive fee...

GET LIT!

This week, we pay homage to that most primary spatial design agent – light These resources show us evaluate, implement, and appreciate daylighting as bo...

GIANTS! #12: OVER UNDER

In this episode, Chris and Mark recount the formation of over,under, the quest for civic work, developing exhibitions, the salty politics of Boston in the 1960s, and of course, spirit animals. ...

HOT XMAS: PART TROIS

Tis once again that time of year, when Team Section Cut combs our growing Collection to highlight four resources we'd like to see under OUR trees ...

VISUALIZING BIG DATA

With this weekly, we turn you on to resources in our collection that help to tackle the wicked problem of visualizing big data. If knowledge is capi...

EXTEND YOUR SENSES

Digital tools are vital, but sometimes in order to really understand phenomena we have to get a bit closer. That's where...

MEGA-MOVES

Contemporary designers are learning to wrangle new ‘wicked’ problems that often implicate large territories and span across multiple disciplines. This Choice ...

GIANTS! #11 CHRISTOPH REINHART

We are developing new methods, new algorithms, new original research to make building simulation research more applicable to desi...

HOW & WHERE TO BUY A BOOK

Everyone is familiar with Amazon - a great place to buy books and an electric toothbrush at the same time...

MAPPER’S DELIGHT

As designers, we use maps to wrangle and further understand the territories within which we operate. Mapping helps us to articulate the agents, infrast...

ARCH SEARCH

Looking for Inspiration? Discover Arch Search Take advantage of a mighty new tool we've created Search the best design blogs in our Collection - and of course, Se...

HOW TO LIGHT YOUR APARTMENT

Apartment lighting generally sucks. Landlords don't have an incentive, the know-how, or ...

HOT N' FRESH GIVEAWAY: ARCHITECT AND ENTREPRENEUR

Win a copy of 'Architect + Entrepreneur' THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCE SOON. Section Cut has teamed up with A...

GIANTS! #10: ROSA SHENG

Even though it seems like we have biases against us, we also have...privilege, and to look at your own self through these two lenses is k...

HEAD, HAND, STYLUS, SURFACE

A designer’s most powerful means of communication is drawing. With each line or iteration we explore what is possible, alternately revealing ...

INSPIRATION STATION

We all occasionally stall out, lose momentum, or find the need for resources that go beyond the technical or the intellectual. Sometimes we just nee...

PREPARE TO MAKE

SAGE COUNSEL Original Post: August 2015 Insights into preparing the form and formats of your life and work this coming semester. Welcome...

PRO STUDIO STARTER KIT

You've made it through new student orientation— now welcome to studio. This place operates on a whole other level, and you’re going to need some s...

DIY BOTTOM-UP WOODSHOP

A while ago, I assumed management of the Boston Architectural College woodshop. Our faciliti...

AMY WHITESIDES @ SC LIVE!

Recorded at SC Live June 16, 2015 Workbar in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, USA Amy Whitesides, a sen...

MARILYN MOEDINGER @ SC LIVE !

FIVE DIRTY WORDS: MESSINESS FROM THE TRENCHES Recorded at SC Live June 16, 2015 Workbar in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, USA <...

CALEB DEAN @ SC LIVE!

CALEB DEAN THE FOUR-FOLD WAY Recorded at SC Live June 16, 2015 Workbar in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, USA Caleb is Managing Director of ...

FIFTY SHADES OF GREEN

What’s it mean to be green? In architectural practice, the greening of buildings has become a banality. In academia, green walls and roofs are too ...

NO “I” IN TEAM

I spent 2014 working with 15 other young architects from around the state of Virginia on a partially hypothetical project without a program, goal or budge...

GIANTS! #9: NADER TEHRANI

is professor of architecture at MIT, where he served as the Head of the Department from 2010-2014. He is also Principal ...

RETHINKING GLOBAL SYSTEMS

There are times when designing to solve particular problems will not be enough, simply because the paradigms under which solutions are generate...

HOW TO: FACE YOUR FRANKENSTEIN

AKA: Manage an Efficient Design Practice When You’re Your Own Boss “For what we are about to see next, we must enter qui...

GIANTS! #8: ETIENNE TURPIN

is a philosopher he studies, curates, and writes about complex urban systems, the political economies of data and infrastructu...

GIANTS! #7: JOHN QUALE

is Director and Professor of Architecture at the [University of New Mexico School of Architecture + Plann...

GIANTS! #6: KIM TANZER

GIANTS 6 Kim Tanzer completed her five-year term as the Dean and Edward E. Elson Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture at University o...

ARTIFACTS OF ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTION

Diamonds, Diagrams, Drawls, and Drodels The following texts, focusing on aesthetic analysis and perception, are selection...

EMBEDDED INTELLIGENCE

We’re Media Sponsor’s for The Architectural Association Visiting School’s Workshops Stuck trying to figure out ma...

CULTIVATING AGENCY

As an artist, designer, social activist, researcher, and business owner, I am dedicated to the process of design – one that inspires dialogue across d...

META-COLLECTION

Collecting is a universal compulsion. There is power in it. We all collect, to various extremes and through various media: physical objects, digital file...

HOW TO: MAKE A SPEAKERBOXXX

Having long since become the norm in industry, digital fabrication is now a standard practice across much design education. This How To walks y...

HOW TO: HOP BETWEEN GRASSHOPPER AND REVIT

No software does it all, which is why interoperability has become such a hot topic. In this How To, I’ll show you how the power o...

GIANTS! #5: ALEXANDRA LANGE

is an architecture and design critic. Her essays, reviews, and features have appeared in Architect, Domus, Dwell, Medium, Metr...

GIANTS! #4: WES MCGEE

Today we speak with , who is an Assistant Professor in Architecture and the Director of the FABLab at the University of Michigan’s Taubman ...

HOW TO: LIGHT IT UP WITH PHOTOSHOP

Light it up with Photoshop This tutorial explains diagrammatically represent interior light using the Adobe Creative Suite. But wait, you don’t really under...

ROB ARCH 2014

The adoption of digital fabrication in the creative industries continues to accelerate as the potential for innovation and creative expression using ...

HOW TO: MAKE AN EXPLODED AXON MAPPING

While cartography in its most primitive form has been around for millennia, ‘mapping’ is the term employed by James Corner in his can...

GIANTS! #3: LUIS CALLEJAS

Today we interview 2013 Young Architect Award winner and recent Pamphlet 33 author , a Colombian architect currently teaching la...

GIANTS! #2: MALCOLM MCCULLOUGH

is professor of architecture at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan, where ...

GIANTS! #1: RAHUL MEHROTRA

is an architect, urbanist and educator who is the Founder Principal of RMA Architects. He is Professor of Urban Design and Plann...

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

Algorithmic Design Still wondering what those battery things are in Grasshopper? In recent years, algorithmic and parametric design processes have become a mainstream part ...