Do you believe social games are evil?

Jonathan Blow is known for two things: creating time-altering indie platformer Braid, and being a very outspoken game designer. Soon he might be known for a third thing, as development gathers pace on his exploration puzzle game, The Witness.

At this year’s GameCity event in Nottingham, I sat down with Blow to talk about The Witness, how he’s avoiding the design flaws that killed adventure games in the mid-90s, and why, in his opinion, social games are evil — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Los Osos House / Agustín Landa Ruiloba

Located on the top of a rise, the house forms part of a private development [Agustín Landa Ruiloba] in the south of Monterrey. The fan-shaped lot is flat at the narrow top part, sloping down as it opens up to the south views of the Sierra Madre and the rest of the development.

Access is by way of ramps which move through the house, allowing the visitor to discover it before, during, and after crossing the threshold. The walking entrance leads to a triple-height patio delimited by the house proper and a sectioning of the lot marked by a reflecting pool which contrasts with the hardness of the space — via ArchDaily

Weekend House on Lake Superior / Julie Snow Architects

The Weekend House on Lake Superior consists of two black volumes that extend toward the distant horizon. Arranged on a platform that rests just above the ground, the home is reduced to a few essential elements, a main house and a small studio. Designed by Julie Snow Architects it is a wood post and beam structure with a super-insulated floor, roof and walls — via ArchDaily

Macarena Cybercentre / Mediomundo

Surrounded by eight-floor buildings and taking up an obsolete esplanade which previously was a basketball court, Macarena Social – CyberCentre [Mediomundo] rests in this place generating a small access garden, which together with a porch vinculated to a cafeteria and a multipurpose room, are offered as a wi-fi neighbours’ meeting and leisure room — via ArchDaily

Yamaha SR250 Custom

I’m pleased to see that the latest bike from Spanish builder Café Racer Dreams is a stripped-down 1983 Yamaha SR250. Mechanically, it’s as simple as they come: a bulletproof, aircooled 239cc single, uprated with a Mikuni carb and a custom reverse-cone exhaust system built in-house — via Bike EXIF

Concrete House II / A-cero

We’ve seen so many incredible displays of design and architecture from A-cero that now our expectations are getting  higher and higher when it comes to a company with such an amazing portfolio.  The Concrete House II is a family project located in Madrid and stretches over a surface of no less than 1.600 square meters — via Architecture Blog

Lantern Pavilion / AWP / Atelier Oslo

When Sandnes and Stavanger were chosen as cultural capitals of Europe 2008, the Norwegian Wood competitions were launched to promote innovative, timber architecture contributing to make the region an international showcase for it.

Sandnes asked for the design [AWP / Atelier Oslo] a new square and a sculptural object in wood in pedestrian district Langgata aiming at revitalizing the area, and creating a place where many different activities could take place: a meeting point, markets, informal music concerts and other happenings — via ArchDaily

Not all doctors are created equal

However, it’s worth considering the doctors quoted in this matter. An oncologist contacted by a British paper was circumspect about Jobs’ prognosis — he only reiterated the obvious, that if Jobs is photographed leaving a treatment center it is reasonable to assume he may be receiving treatment (although of course it could be a follow-up visit).

The two physicians quoted in the source story, however, don’t really follow a model of prudent restraint — both deliver stark forecasts for Steve’s outcomes. The Next Web did take the trouble to search for one of these doctors, and it turns out he’s not an oncologist at all; he’s a pulmonologist, which means he specializes in breathing, not in diagnosing cancer patients from telephoto pictures — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Villa Geldrop / Hofman Dujardin Architects

Hofman Dujardin Architects have designed the Villa Geldrop in The Netherlands.

The villa is located at the end of the site next to the existing barn. Through a long cut in the landscape the house is anchored on large surrounding. Under the ground level the bedrooms are located at this long sectional patio. The large living with dining area, kitchen, study area and playing area are located at the ground level and the 1st floor. Through voids, roof lights and high passages a tremendous spaciousness is created. The spaces which are located in the axe of the landscape are used for the sublime experience of the landscape — via CONTEMPORIST

An Ikea Expedit Bookcase Turned Hamster Mansion Pet Projects

The framework of Fred’s house is based on an Ikea Expedit 5-by-5 bookshelf. Katja removed the dividers on two of the floors in order to create large spaces for Fred to run around in. The sections of the bookcase that are intended for Fred are reinforced by backs that feature cutouts for vents to allow for proper ventilation. Top to botton glass doors are installed on the fronts of all of Fred’s cubes, which keeps Fred safely inside, but allows Katja easy access for cleaning — via Pawesome