AGENDA is an architecture book that occupies the territory between a monograph, a diary, and a collection of essays, interviews, and conversations. At its most harmless AGENDA is a catalog of 365 days, like a diary or journal: a collective narrative, personal and subjective. It documents the work and thinking of JDS Architects over a specific year marked by crisis, beginning on September 15th, 2008, the day that Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. The form of the book exploits the double meaning of its title, presenting the absurdities of day-to-day architectural practice while also staking our intent.

Rather than a definitive direction, our agenda is a definitive attitude – of eagerness, enthusiasm, and optimism, of criticality and concern, of fun and inquiry. It is a directive, a motivation to act, at times without clear knowledge of where our agenda will lead. “Change,” the buzzword of the last U.S. presidential campaign, is the order of the day, and the task of AGENDA is to explore what kind of change will be needed if architects are to assume a political and social agency in this new landscape.

Bringing together diverse forms of content, AGENDA is a product of vigilant observation, introspection, and engagement with outside thinkers and collaborators – artists, curators, politicians, authors, economists, journalists, developers, educators, and architects.

AGENDA is a record of search and research, providing more questions than answers.

AGENDA is unapologetically naive.

AGENDA is an unorthodox architecture novel.

AGENDA demystifies the practice of architecture, revealing process, research, fun, and failure.

AGENDA looks to both the past and the future.

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There will be book launch parties in the following cities:

ROTTERDAM | Friday, 20 November 2009 from 17.00-22.00 / invite only

OSLO | Saturday, 28 November 2009 from 14.00-16.00
@ Holmenkollen Ski Jump – Visitor’s Centre [map] / RSVP

BRUSSELS | Thursday, 3 December 2009 – TBA / check back soon…

NEW YORK CITY | Thursday, 10 December 2009 from 18.00 – 21.00
@ Storefront for Art and Architecture [map] / open to public

Launches in Copenhagen, Paris, Barcelona, and London will follow in early 2010. More details about the launch parties and about how to obtain your own copy of AGENDA will be posted soon. AGENDA will be available worldwide in December.

PRE-ORDER ON ACTAR’S WEBSITE.

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JDS/Heechan Park holds up a SPACE magazine poster in celebration of their 500th edition. The 500th edition anniversay includes interviews from 23 of the most influential architects in the world to investigate their current situations and listen to their predictions for the future… including Julien’s!

SPACE is a specialized architectural monthly which was first published in 1966 and has been at the vanguard of covering the arts and culture scene here in Korea ever since. In January of 2008, SPACE has been officially listed on the Art & Humanities Citation Index of Thomson Reuters [former ISI], which is a US organization that provides academic information.  SPACE is the second publication from Asia to be listed, following A+U of Japan.

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