The
Inventor
Tinkerer, alchemist, mad scientist, evil genius. An unreformed generalist who enjoys taking things out of context and recharging them with architectural value. Convinced that most people severely overestimate the value of facts. Prefers consequences to truth.
1,000-word eureka.
Previously played by:
R. E. Somol
Jon Yoder
Jonathan Miller
James Goggin
The Graphic Essayist
Talented illustrator who, as a child, had school notebooks confiscated for endless doodles. Became an obsessive collector of marginalia and cognoscente of the caryatids who believes no column should go unfigured. Now fills spaces with freshness and rigor.
Photographs, illustrations, or drawings composing a series, in a 37.5 mm × 250 mm format; succinct captions optional.
Previously played by:
Ania Jaworska
Ben Nicholson
Julia McMorrough
Jennifer Bonner
You
You write in the second person. What you see is what you write. You know who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. You like to think you’re unique, as are your experiences, and you are not alone in this.
Second-person travelogue of an architectural interior in 1,800 words.
Previously played by:
Julia Di Castri
Julia Capomaggi
James Carter
Andrew Jennings
The
Challenger
Architect with an outdated faith that it is still the job of architects to engage the work of their colleagues in frank, open discussion. Passionate. Skeptical. Supportive. Fan of chain mail; guarantees that addressee will assume the role of challenger in the next issue with a missive to another architect.
Letter to architect on their recently completed building in 1,000 words.
Previously played by:
Pier Paolo Tamburelli
Renato Rizzi
Peter Eisenman
Mario Carpo
The
Mortician
Self-deprecating professional with a world-weary sense of humor. Makes death look good. Understands that the end of one thing is always the beginning of something else. Aficionado of remainder bins, and master in the art of investing the passé and unfashionable with the appearance of life.
Memoir of a brush with death in 1,500 words.
Previously played by:
Sam Jacob
Scott Colman
Jayne Kelley
Ellen Grimes
The
Muckraker
Investigative journalist who follows the money. Asks the right questions, collects the facts, and exposes hypocrisy and stupidity in all forms. In a world fixated on figures, holds those in power accountable for their record-keeping. Unafraid to burn bridges. Would rather spend an evening with Bob Woodward than Robert Redford.
Exposé in 2,000 words.
Previously played by:
Anonymous
Albert Pope
Russell Fortmeyer
The
Cameo
Well-known design writer accustomed to going uncredited for ideas; has a familiar voice that you can’t quite place. A has-been amused by the idea of playing self in the comeback. Drops over unannounced like a crazy uncle on shore leave, often requiring a cleanup crew afterward.
Portrait of an architectural situation from a skewed viewpoint. Indeterminate length.
Previously played by:
R. E. Somol
Mark Linder
Brett Steele
Penelope Dean
The Political
Economist
Superstar advisor to governments and hobos alike; makes political economy sound almost entertaining. Outspoken, with a working knowledge of five languages and a dozen currencies. As pro bono service, contributes international intelligence to design and architectural audiences.
Predictions for design markets in 2,000 words.
Previously played by:
Zehra Ahmed
Ellen Grimes
Francesco Marullo
David Brown
The Talent
Agent
Independent entrepreneur who runs a boutique agency dedicated to seeking out and guiding the legacies of unsung design talent from the world’s midwest, wherever it may be located. Cultivates personal relationships, giving individualized promotion to misunderstood figures and underestimated careers.
Unsolicited advice in 1,000 words.
Previously played by:
Penelope Dean
Sophia Vyzoviti
Emanuel Admassu
Jared Macken
The
Outsider
Itinerant raconteur who has assumed various roles in life—a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king—but never an architect. God, no. Has a bemused attachment for those with a will to practice such an odd profession nonetheless.
Vignette of an encounter with an architect or architectural scene in 1,000 words.
Previously played by:
Jon Langford
Eric Gordon
Adam Doster
Lauren Van Damme
The
Ad Man
Advertorial freelancer of few words and an old hand in the business. Fiercely committed to airing an opinion. Omnivorous consumer of all things architectural. Considers self a “jaded enthusiast.” Displays flair for inventing punchlines.
Reviews of exhibitions, conferences, lectures, awards, books, and miscellanea in fewer than 100 words.
Previously played by:
Ellen Grimes
Penelope Dean
R. E. Somol
Sophia Vyzoviti
David Brown
Jayne Kelley
The
Odd Couple
Felix and Oscar were roommates at architecture school and have entertained one another with their differences since. Felix became a fastidious designer, Oscar an irreverent writer. Their dissonant perspectives on design inevitably lead to unexpected revelations, awkward pauses, ecstatic interruptions, and at times surprising confluence.
Illustrated conversation in 2,700 words.
Felix previously played by:
Paul Andersen
Grant Gibson
Roemer Van Toorn
Andrew Zago
Thomas Kelley
Oscar previously played by:
Robert Bruegmann
Fabrizio Gallanti
Penelope Dean
Sean Briski
Sarah Rogers Morris
The
Scorekeeper
Cool, original, independent-minded critic unafraid to clash with received wisdom. Grew up watching Siskel and Ebert and was crushed when no one took the idea for a sequel, At the Buildings, seriously. Honest and unmerciful. Likes to travel and mix it up with the locals.
Review of a recent project, with rating on a five-point scale, in 1,200 words.
Previously played by:
John McMorrough
José Aragüez
Mauricio Pezo
Sophia Vyzoviti
The
Genealogist
Architectural historian with an imaginative sensibility. After a bad experience with a doctoral advisor, took to hiding out in special collections. Writes love songs about objects as a revenge on scholarship. Plots unlikely futures by extrapolating from obscure sources.
Speculative history of an overlooked design artifact in 2,500 words.
Previously played by:
Jayne Kelley
R. E. Somol
Sarah Blankenbaker
Zehra Ahmed
The
Opinionator
Astute critic with a proclivity for polemics. Maintains at least one opinion on everything. Takes on design topics of contemporary significance with one part indignation and two parts optimism. Has issues with authority; impatient for change.
Op-ed piece in 2,000 words.
Previously played by:
Alexander Eisenschmidt
Penelope Dean
John McMorrough
R. E. Somol