Artist and architect, Marshall Brown reimagines the future by revisiting the legacy of modern architecture in this selection of four visionary architecture and urban designs that span over a decade of his practice. The four projects presented in this publication (UNITY Plan for the Brooklyn Vanderbilt Rail Yards; Smooth Growth Urbanism, Chicago; Detroit's Dequindre Civic Academy; Center of the World, Chicago) represent the diverse perspectives and conceptual frameworks that comprise Brown's expanded view of architecture. To introduce the book, curator Karen Kice discusses three formal categories: Recurrent Form reconfigures formal categories, Visionary Strategy challenges architectural mindsets, and Emergent Order considers complex phenomena. Four key architectural critics/scholars (Monica Ponce de Leon, Adreinne Brown, Joseph Becker, and Allison Glenn) discuss Brown's work in the broader context of urbanism. Throughout the book, Brown's artistic work in the form of collages illustrate each project.

A bold, theoretical look at an emerging generation of architects, this volume is devoted to five contemporary practices-Bureau Spectacular, Erin Besler, Fake Industries Architectural Agonism, Formlessfinder, and John Szot Studio-and the diverse methods and approaches that drive their work. Chatter, whose title refers to the disjointed bits of conversation typified by texting and Twitter, examines how contemporary modes of communication have influenced the construction of ideas in the development, production, and presentation of architecture. Karen Kice surveys the evolution of architecture and illuminates how these architects have developed their work in conversation with historical theories and projects. Using a range of representational methods and formats to explore ideas-from hand- and robot-made drawings, to graphic novels, to digital simulations-these practitioners embrace contemporary technologies while they engage with history. Kice's essay, accompanied by portfolios of works from each studio, deftly elucidates how these practitioners talk back to the past while conceiving and communicating their unique designs. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition Schedule: The Art Institute of Chicago (04/11/15-07/12/15)