The current trend for constructing experimental structures is now an international phenomenon. It has been taken up worldwide by design professionals, researchers, educators and students alike. There exists, however, distinct and significant tendencies within this development that require further investigation. This issue of AD takes on this task by examining one of the most promising trajectories in this area, the rise of intensely local architectures. In his seminal essay of 1983 Kenneth Frampton re-defined Critical Regionalism by calling for an intensely local approach to architectural design. He avoided a nostalgic or backward-looking attitude to regional traditions by placing an emphasis on contemporary construction and design techniques. Today, Framptons legacy is regaining relevance for a specific body of work in practice and education focused on the construction of experimental structures. How might, though, this approach be further extended by the adoption of informed locally specific non-standard architectures? Could the most current design, production methods and tools be employed in order to respond to the specifics of local sites and settings? Could this ultimately provide the seeds for a compelling and alternative approach to sustainable design? Featured practices include: SHoP, Studio Mumbai, the early Renzo Piano Workshop, Rintala Eggertson and Tyin Tegnestue. Includes works by pioneering integrated educational and research teams: e[ad] Escuela De Arquitectura y Diseno - Pontificia universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, the Scarcity and Creativity Studio in Oslo, the OCEAN Design Research Association and workshops directed by Shin Egashira. Contributors include Barbarar Ascher, Karl Otto Ellefsen, Bijoy Jain, David Jolly Monge, Lisbet Harboe, Christopher Hight, Joakim Hoen, David Leatherbarrow, Mathilde Marengo, Gregg Pasquarelli, Sami Rintala, Soren S. Sorensen, Defne Sunguro?lu Hensel and Jeffrey Turko.
