Opinion: it's easy to criticise the Design Museum for awarding Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Centre the Design of the Year prize, but there are plenty of other celebrated projects that should be attracting the same scrutiny, says Owen Hatherley. More about "What is it exactly we're protesting about?"
Opinion: as architects in Chicago prepare to protest against declining working conditions, Mimi Zeiger argues that the industry needs to take radical action to gain the recognition it deserves. More about "It's time for architects to make their own demands"
Opinion: crowdfunding platforms have rules about pitching for money to make products that haven't been developed to prototype stage – the same rules should apply to crowdfunding campaigns for civic projects, says Alexandra Lange. More about "Making something big happen at an urban scale is more than a popularity contest"
Opinion: by excluding architects and focusing on research for this year's Venice Architecture Biennale, Rem Koolhaas has given the world an insight into what he thinks about architecture. The result is less than encouraging, says Kieran Long. More about "Elements makes you unutterably sad for Koolhaas and what he thinks architecture is"
Opinion: show flats for residential developments don't just tell us about a developer's dream demographic – they have the potential to turn a sales fantasy into part of the city's built fabric, says Sam Jacob. More about "Marketing, architecture and development can be an incredibly powerful combination"
Opinion: one of Soviet-era Riga's most notorious buildings is now home to an exemplary exhibition that shows how design can be used to tell profound stories about complex political and social histories, says Kieran Long. More about "Design, fashion and architecture hold something mysterious in the objects they produce"
Opinion: the success of wearable technology depends on aesthetics, but with designers failing to grasp the baton can Apple make a difference with its acquisition of Beats headphones and partnership with Nike, asks Alex Wiltshire. More about "Tech companies are being left to make all the decisions"
Opinion: the Turkish government's attempt to move protestors from Taksim Square to a new public space – nicknamed the "third testicle" – on a piece of reclaimed land at the edge of Istanbul was a failure from day one, says Justin McGuirk. More about "Protest has been marginalised"
Opinion: a digitally-driven revival of interest in sewing proves that people want to create, but the 3D-printing movement is failing to cater to a market that wants something practical and beautiful, says Alexandra Lange. More about "3D printers have a lot to learn from the sewing machine"
Opinion: city mayors are becoming increasingly powerful political figures in the architectural world, offering an opportunity for architects to act as local advocates and create a counterpoint to forces of globalisation, says Mimi Zeiger. More about "Engagement with real, local conditions is crucial for architecture's global relevancy"
Opinion: Nest's intelligently connected thermostat is a surface solution for a much deeper problem in cities like London – we need innovation in services not surfaces, says Dan Hill. More about "We need a Prouvé of plumbing, a Rogers of rewiring, an Utzon of U-values"
Opinion: Dutch writer Christian Reinewald defends Marcel Wanders' Pinned Up exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, following a series of critical attacks claiming Wanders' work does not have the cultural weight to merit a major retrospective. More about "We can't deny the important role of lifestyle approaches to design"
Opinion: in choosing to stage a major exhibition of work by Marcel Wanders, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam has mistaken commercial success for cultural importance, says Louise Schouwenberg. More about "Taste is not what a museum is about"
Opinion: the photo-sharing site set the agenda at this year's Milan design week and hints at how technology will transform the way we experience the world, says Marcus Fairs, who also shares a selection of his own Instagram images from the week (+ slideshow). More about "The star of Milan this year was Instagram"
Opinion: there's no excuse for excluding women from the design conversation in Milan, says Kieran Long who offers a ready-made Rolodex for a fairer male/female split. More about "There is without doubt institutional prejudice in the furniture industry"
Opinion: a campaign to protect London's skyline and the UK government's first review into the state of architecture both point to the same thing: Britain's approach to building is broken, says Sam Jacob. More about "We've got 99 problems but architecture ain't one"
Opinion: a 1960s institution in Mexico that gives visitors space and time to wander is a stark contrast to the commodified museum experience that has become the norm, says Alexandra Lange. More about "We need more museums that let us relax into knowledge"
Opinion: as the market for design education explodes and schools struggle to keep up, we need to work out what a designer actually is and what they need to learn says Lucas Verweij. More about "We are coming to view design more as a mentality than a skill"
Opinion: Patrik Schumacher's viral-friendly outburst against political correctness in architecture this week illustrated a dark symmetry between the TED talk and the rant, says Mimi Zeiger. More about "You need to know someone is looking in order to publicly tantrum"
Opinion: a Le Corbusier design for a customisable house inspired by the devastation of Flanders during the First World War has haunted architecture ever since, says Justin McGuirk. More about "The perfect architectural symbol for an era obsessed with customisation and participation"