Oculus

Oculus magazine, AIA New York’s quarterly print publication, is an important means of asserting the identity and advocacy of architects in New York.
Oculus Summer 2025 magazine cover
Summer 2025: The Teamwork Issue

A Publication of AIA New York, Volume 87, Issue 3.

On the Cover: L.E.FT Architects and faculty members who specialize in ancient ritual sites created a labyrinth made of surplus building materials outside of the new Center for Religious Life at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Photo: Michael Vahrenwald.

Table of Contents
Features
Introduction: The Teamwork Issue
by The Editors
In 8 Minutes, 20 Seconds (Actar, 2025), Michael Bell and Eunjeong Seong presentresearch on the history of U.S. housing policy and economics, and propose a new type of housing-as-renewable-energy asset,shown above, that could be achievable through advanced manufacturing. The authors ask, “What if housing was freed of real-estate valuations? Housing can instead become a downstream by-product ofrenewable-energy roduction. Photo: Visible Weather.
Small Offices, Big Ideas
Working in a small office can result in greater attention to clients, close collaborative relationships, creative independence, and the ability to focus on projects that are meaningful and personally rewarding. The small offices spotlighted here demonstrate that you don’t need a large staff to make a big impact.
by Stephen Zacks
A rendering of gender neutral bathrooms
A Stall for One, A Stall for All
Oculus talks with members of the team behind the bill to establish design standards for all-gender bathrooms in New York.
by Jennifer Krichels
03 16 Tech Wave Bridge 012
Strength in Numbers: Five Creative Collaborations
Oculus takes a closer look at five creative ways architectural firms are tackling collaboration with a range of partners, including non-profits, industry associations, research groups, and manufacturers.
by Rita Catinella Orrell
News & Articles
2025 AIANY President Benjamin Gilmartin, AIA. Photo: Geordie Wood.
Letter from the President
Navigating Uncertainty Together
by 2025 AIANY President Benjamin Gilmartin, AIA
Headshot of Jennifer Krichels wearing glasses and a burgundy blazer against a white background
Letter from the Editor
When I consider the year so far, I think that most of...
by Oculus Editor-In-Chief Jennifer Krichels
Contributors to This Issue
Call for Entries: Archtober’s Second Annual Postcard Competition
At the Center
Fantasizing Design: Phyllis Birkby Builds Lesbian Feminist Architecture and New Practices New York
Beyond the Center
Letter from Venice
by Anne Quito
Beyond the Center
Storm King Art Center
by David Sokol
Several exhibition vitrines sit on the floor atop casters
Street Level
A.A. Thomson & Co. Warehouse at the South Street Seaport Museum
by Beth Broome
Lit Review
Giving Greatness Its Due
by The Editors
Lit Review
Preparing for a Contraflow of Climigrants
by Bill Millard
Enrique Lowinger
Op-Ed
Architecture's Industry
by Enrique Lowinger
Headshot of Eleni Stefania Kalapoda
Op-Ed
Leadership Across Borders: Mentorship and Artificial Intelligence
by Eleni Stefania Kalapoda, AIA International
David G. Polk, AIA,NCARB
Op-Ed
Teamwork is About Getting it Right, Not Being Right
by David G. Polk, AIA, NCARB
Three Oculus magazine covers layered on top of each other
Call for Fall 2025 Op-Eds
Public Realm
by The Editors
Headshot of Jesse Lazar standing outside the Center for Architecture front doors
Last Word
Teamwork Is a Necessity, Not a Luxury
by Jesse Lazar, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director, AIANY/Center For Architecture
Oculus at US Modernist Library
 
View a digital archive of back issues from Oculus, and other publications

BROWSER UPGRADE RECOMMENDED

Our website has detected that you are using a browser that will prevent you from accessing certain features. An upgrade is recommended to experience. Use the links below to upgrade your exisiting browser.
If you feel you have reached this page in error, click here to continue to the site.