The journal, published by the design company Henrybuilt, explores how there’s often more to everyday infrastructure than meets the eye. Its stories identify and unpack knowledge that’s often embedded in everyday infrastructure, showing readers how it might be used to improve our living spaces today. This deep, long-form storytelling fills a gap in design journalism, where such critique is increasingly absent. Written by leading critics using compelling yet straightforward language, the publication takes a distinct approach to architecture: as a subject not only for an elite few, but for everyone. Eleven essays and interviews comprise the second print edition, which features a mix of new and existing content. Stories include Philip Poon on seeing New York’s Chinatown as a readymade, Josh Itiola on how Nancy Holt’s 1980s “System Works” installations exposed our unconscious dependence on basic architectural frameworks, Anthony Paletta on W.G.Clark’s place-centric buildings, and Anne Quito on the still-growing bodies of work by American Studio Craft legends Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser. Other contributors include Anjulie Rao, Deb Chachra, Jarrett Fuller, Edwin Heathcote, Shane Reiner-Roth, and Alissa Walker. Notably, Diana Budds explores the overlooked yet enduring relevance of the New York gallery a83, which, from 1978 to 1994, was the home of John Nichols Printmakers & Publishers (JNP&P). Working with architects such as Thom Mayne, Michael Graves, Elizabeth Diller, and Charles Moore, JNP&P’s prints shaped the visual communication of experimental architecture, and practitioners frequently visited its space to talk shop. JNP&P also worked with artists, including LaurieAnderson and Joseph Beuys. Today, John Nichols’s son, Owen, and his partner, Clara Syme, who are both architects, continue JNP&P’s legacy through a83’s bold exhibitions and events.
