Michael Szivos is the head of SOFTlab, a studio based in New York City that operates at the intersection of architecture, art, video, and interactive design. SOFTlab approaches projects by examining local conditions and often becoming an extension of something inapparent that already exists on site. Their projects are more or less open ended, allowing visitors to create their own interpretations and memories of each place. The lines between design and production become blurry through SOFTlab’s interest in both vernacular and advanced digital craft. The studio has produced a wide range of design projects and collaborated with various artists, designers, publications and institutions including MoMA, IBM, Adobe, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Hall of Science, Eyebeam, New Museum, 3M, Vice Media, Intel, The New York Times, Van Alen Institute, EPFL, Pratt Institute, and Columbia University. Today Szivos shares a few of his favorites in this week’s Friday Five. Archizoom, No Stop City, 1970
1. Speculation

I always try to remind myself that design isn?t just a means to develop a product, ad, building, etc. but that it can lead to work whose goal is to foster a discussion or even act as a form of protest. Typically we design things we like, but some of the most evocative speculative architecture was a form of propaganda or even protest, a way of showing that where we might be headed culturally and socially is not fixed. This blurry line between intention, co...