Architecture is dedicated to discovering the essence of place.

Woodlabo is a passionate team who design and manufacture interior lighting in wood. Spacecraft from a borderless world, an invitation to travel between nature and space. Woodlabo, set up in Finland in 2010 and now based in France, shares a love of human values, simplicity, challenges and expertise. Woodlabo takes on architects’ bespoke projects: rescaling, lighting, fitting, adaptation for outdoors and creating new forms developed from standard models. The lights are designed to produce minimum offcuts, which are then reused to heat the workshop. We only use wood from European sustainable forests. Packaging for the lights is also wooden. Our partners, whose expertise complements our own, are all located within a radius of 300 km. www.woodlabo.com

Leah O'Dooley is the founder of Colourgirl Design--a sustainable design practice. I specialize in architectural color design for commercial, residential, mixed-use, interior and exterior projects.

MADE is an innovative design firm distinguished by our belief in integrating the designer and builder at every stage of the construction process. By combining a design studio, a fabrication workshop, and a contracting team under one roof, we offer a range of services unmatched by conventional design practices. More importantly, with the talents of informed designers and the skills of inspired builders, MADE creates spaces that are intelligently designed and ultimately refreshing in sensibility and aesthetic.

National Forest is a full-service creative think-tank with an expertise in execution. We create visual languages that can last a season or a lifetime. Our art directors, designers, photographers, and receptionists apply their respective artistic backgrounds, love of culture, and a collaborative approach to every endeavor. Although we firmly believe "the concept" is the foundation of any impactful campaign, we are dedicated to developing and reinventing new aesthetics and approaches to keep our work graphically forward.

51-1 is an architectural office based in Peru, Lima. The team is run by Cesar Becerra, Fernando Puente Arnao and Manuel de Rivero. In 2006, they founded 51-1 with the project Multivacaciones. In 2007, 2G Dossier selected 51-1 among the 30 emergent offices from Ibero-America.

kitHAUS revolutionizes the conventional rules of prefab in a way that's as innovative as it is fexible. Our Modernist modules are built solid with a patented lightweight M.H.S. construction system, that gives you several advantages over conventional building practices. Our modules are constructed on site in a matter of days, not months, and because of its lightweight properties can get into the hardest-to-reach places, without heavy equipment. We at kitHAUS have pre-engineered several configurations from modest stand alone single units, perfect for that weekend retreat, backyard office or studio to more aggressive multi unit configurations. We have also partnered with state of the art solar technologies giving you the option of off-grid or grid-tie possibilities, customized to our kitHAUS configurations. Just think of the possibilities, starting now.

I like following the ideals and design aesthetic presented for the modern world via this online service. I always enjoy reviewing clever and new ideas there really is no end to the creative genius of mankind.

Rebecca L. Weber is a journalist who covers social justice, the arts, and health. She has written for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor, O the Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post, and many others. Born and raised in Boston, she is now based in South Africa.

"They say reporting can really open your eyes to an issue. But this was a totally different attunement—literally putting your ear to the ground," says William L. Hamilton, about penning "The World of Sound" (November 2012). Hamilton, a New York City-based reporter and writer, has worked for the New York Times as their senior design reporter, and now writes for the Wall Street Journal, The Architect's Newspaper, and other publications. He is the author of Alone Together (Boxed Books, Inc., 2007), with David Graham.