Cool Hunting

An entirely ubiquitous medium, it can be difficult to remain current on the progress surrounding the transglobal field of architecture. Architizer, a new website, aims to bring unification to the discipline by tracking daily innovations and linking architects, firms and clients around the globe.

Created by architects at the Manhattan firm HollwichKushner, Architizer simulates the style of a social networking site, focusing on the projects and people working within the industry.

”I would say it is a nice hybrid between LinkedIn, Facebook and a dating site,” quips architect Marc Kushner, one of the site's founders. “It is a professional site with a sense of voyeurism in seeing projects that the architecture press has ignored. You get to look at sexy images and see the team that designed it, from the intern to the project architect.”

The site allows users to create their own profiles, post their work and even track the progress of others in virtual real time. Kushner explains that while the site revolves around a specialized profession it's not designed exclusively for the people working within the field, though it does include an interactive job board and a list of open competitions for professional architects.

While the interface can be a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated, the site is a useful clearing house for some of the most exciting projects happening around the world. “We envision that Architizer will be come the largest database of architectural projects and design globally,” Hollwich told Cool Hunting. “Tourists can plan an archi-tour on our interactive map, developers can find architects in their region and projects they like, students can get inspired, and clients can show off about their own homes and buildings.”

Launched today, the site is still realizing its full potential. Once achieved, Architizer should become an invaluable resource for those working in the industry and those who just enjoy knowing about what is going on in the neighborhood and beyond.