Margaret Russell new Editor-in-Chief at Architectural Digest

Margaret Russell, former Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of Brand Content of Elle Décor, has been named Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Digest. The announcement was made yesterday, August 5^th by Thomas J. Wallace, Editorial Director of Condé Nast, who publishes Architectural Digest. Her reign will begin September 7, 2010 and the headquarters of Architectural Digest, currently in California will be moved to New York City.

“Margaret Russell is a superb editor and a persuasive communicator,” said Mr. Wallace.  “Her success in publishing, print and digital, as well as her stature in the design community, assures the continuation of Architectural Digest as the world’s preeminent design publication.”

Ironically Ms. Russell began her career at Condé Nast as an Editorial Assistant at Glamour Magazine.

Architectural Digest is the considered one of the leading authorities on design and architecture and reaches more than 5 million affluent readers each month.

Trilogy Partner’s Michael Rath was recently featured in the May issue of Architectural Digest for a home he built for South Park’s Trey Parker.

Marc Kristal’s new book Re:Crafted: Interpretations of Craft in Contemporary Architecture and Interiors features 25 architectural projects that challenge the traditional view of craft.  Kristal is the contributing editor of Dwell and has written for Metropolis, the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor as well as numerous of other publications.  When describing his latest book, Random House states that “this volume looks at what constitutes the craft influence in contemporary architecture and design. By turns luxurious and simple; time-honored and leading-edge; small-scale and monumental; unabashedly beautiful, surprisingly witty, socially adroit, and sublimely poetic, these projects are sure to give us a new appreciation of the pleasures of making—and enlarge and enrich our understanding of the presence, and importance, of craft in all our lives.”

Fastcompany.com lets us take a look at some of these projects featured in Kristal’s book.

Orchard East- Chicago, IL
Wheeler Kearns Architects

Fastcompany.com states that, “Architect Dan Wheeler’s firm created a structure whose second floor is nearly windowless, but instead look inward into transparent light courts that are open to the sky and the elements. The first floor is just the opposite–it’s enclosed in glass, which can be opened almost entirely to the garden outside.”

Ini Ani Coffee Shop- New York, New York
Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis

We love how this coffee shop in Manhattan’s Lower East Side designed their space using 479 plaster casts of coffee cup lids and two-inch-wide strips of cardboard.

Central Park West Apartment- New York, New York
Architecture Research Office

Last but not least, these fiberboard panels easily breaks up the room allowing its occupants to make the most of the space.