Architectural institutions are reviewing modes of learning and practice of architecture to reflect the changing professional landscape. Schools confront the ever-acute tensions between critical thinking and the market. The training of architects who will likely be working in different contexts requires new frames of reference and paradigms. What competencies should the practitioner of architecture possess to bridge technical and managerial specializations in light of competitiveness and nuances of culture? How do the practices and performances of the profession take into account the hybrids and collaborations that define the broad scope of projects? The dilemma of competency lies in the rigorous study of the conditions and processes of architecture, configuring and situating skills and capabilities.

In the backdrop of the New European Bauhaus, our time presents the European designer with three pivotal keywords: beautiful, sustainable, and together. The central question that this issue of “Ardeth” seeks to address is how to employ these three keywords in the best possible way. In essence, it grapples with the question of how to use but not abuse the checkpoints they provide us with to truly grasp the intricacies of their intended applications. The aim is to prevent hastening the transition from words to designs and, ultimately, from designs to the artefacts that make up the space of our day-to-day human existence.

Unlike the many magazines that revolve around the architectural world, Ardeth concerns neither with outcomes (architecture) nor with the authors (architects). Ardeth concerns instead with their operational work, i.e. projects. The shift from subjects (their good intentions, as taught in Universities and reclaimed in the profession) to objects (the products of design, at work within the social system that contains them) engenders an analytical and falsifiable elaboration of the complex mechanisms that an open practice such as design involves. Through a process of disciplinary redefinition, Ardeth explores the falsifiability of design hypotheses as the object that allows the project to scientifically confront errors and approximations.

In the last fifteen years we witnessed a new ethnographic wave of studies that focused on practising architecture. This body of research aimed at grasping the socio-material dimension of architectural practice. They all relied on the assumption that architecture is collective but it is shared with a variety of nonhumans. These “new ethnographies” generated “thick descriptions” of the knowledge practices of different participants in design. This issue of “Ardeth” collects contributions that will address the ecology of contemporary architectural practice, scrutinizing it as involving actors with variable ontology, scale and politics; exploring empirically different formats of design and reflecting on the importance of ethnography for understanding contemporary architectural practices.

A magickal grimoire documenting, for the first time anywhere, practical methods for obtaining full initiation into the vampire community.

Architecture is an inward looking discipline. Its history conveys the norms of the discipline to an audience composed mostly of architects, who are familiar with the work of their predecessors-from whom they learnt, or for whom they worked. As such, architecture singularises the multiple processes through which space is produced, excluding difference in the pursuit of coherent narratives to sustain its authority, and does so mainly through the figure of the architect. For a long time now, critics have shown how that figure is principally male. However, little has been said about the fact that the figure of the architect is also white; a racial classification that refers not only to epidermal characteristics, but to their national origin, education, and in most cases their class affiliation.

Thirty years ago John Hull wrote “What Prevents Christian Adults from Learning?”. This new book asks “What Prevents Christian Adults from Acting?” How has it come about that the Church appears to be so preoccupied with itself? What happened to the quest for the social justice of the Kingdom of God?

The all-purpose guide to swimming, for beginners and experts alike, that will help make you fitter, faster, more efficient, and more knowledgeable about this wonderful sport. The Complete Book of Swimming is written for those folks who want to become physically fit and stay physically for the rest of their lives; for folks who are seeking to enhance their lives. There are chapters on the different strokes that provide the “how-to” information people need to get started. Equally important are the chapters that answer such questions as Why should I swim? Why swimming and not some other sport? How can swimming improve my health? How can it enhance my life? How will I become a better person—more vital, more competent, vigorous, sexy . . . alive by swimming? Praise for The Complete Book of Swimming “Phil Witten not only explains the ‘how to’ of swimming in clear, easy-to-understand language, but he also explains the ‘why’ of swimming: why swimming can make you healthier, happier, and sexier, and can make you feel younger. If The Complete Book of Swimming doesn’t convince you that swimming is the best thing you could possibly do for your health, then nothing will.”—Mark Spitz “Finally a book has been written that will put swimming on the map for the general public. Phil Witten combines a storyteller’s gift for creating excitement with scientific knowledge and personal experience. The Complete Book of Swimming is a must read for swimmers (and coaches) at every level, and for anyone interested in lifelong fitness and health.”—Skip Kennedy, Olympic coaching staff, men’s swimming; men’s swimming coach, Stanford University (NCAA champions) “Dr. Whitten has written the perfect all-purpose guide. It’s a useful tool for both experienced swimmers who want to improve, and for rookies who aren’t sure where to begin. The Complete Book of Swimming is an invaluable source for all aging baby boomers.”—Karen Allen, USA Today “Passion arouses passion, and Dr. Whitten surely cannot fail to persuade aspiring swimmers of all ages and abilities that the sport of swimming is the way to a healthier, happier existence. This is a splendid invitation to beginners, while offering a clearer insight to those who have already donned their suits and goggles. The writing is instructive and entertaining, and the illustrations depict the very latest techniques used in the pool.”—Craig Lord, The Times (London)

A longtime coach presents the keys to developing a successful program that will improve your swimming-and your health