"The goal of Archinect is to make architecture more connected and open-minded, and bring together designers from around the world to introduce new ideas from all disciplines."

They said it so much better than I would have. I had to re-read it a few times and reflect on some of the recent architecture I've seen, before I fully understood and agreed with it, but yes, I have to support the mission. Having recently driven through a relatively new city that failed to meet any of my basic expectations for everyday life and substituted instead a few thousand identical apartments and a couple of shopping malls, it's a philosophy that I wish would percolate down to my humble environment.

But by and large, we associate architectural innovation with one-off buildings and projects, commissioned by wealthy patrons, organizations and governments who are willing to defend themselves to the irate neighbors, employees and citizens who find themselves having to live with the fruits of these artistic decisions.

And perhaps that's just as well. If you take a look at the current features on this site, you'll see one which demonstrates the dangers of turning an architect loose on a whole city: in this case, a plan for New York which, while stunning in its implementation and implications, required razing half of it to the ground. And you thought it was annoying when your local council pulled down a building and put up a parking lot? You've seen nothing.

So, as you would expect, most of the features here are about single buildings and projects. And as you'd also expect, there's nothing commonplace about the architecture here. It's often challenging, in-your-face, what-the-heck-is-that architecture, whether it's a cinema or a chicken farm. You may also find some of the language used here to be challenging, as it can lean toward the academic and arcane. In which case, look at the pictures and go "ooh" and "aah" or "yuk" instead. But if you persevere, there's a good deal of information here not only about technical problems and solutions but also about the way the architects think about their work and realize their concepts. It's an unusually good read.

One of the best aspects of the site is that it isn't merely a catalog of buildings. It features the architects themselves and the work of architectural photographers, it visits exhibitions and conferences and covers a much broader range of interests than most.

In addition to the features, the site includes international news, job listings, and even a section in which architects evaluate their own worth by displaying and viewing each other's salaries. There is a shop selling rather curious T-shirts, an active forum, and many more images to see. Finally, there is a 'school blog' section in which correspondents at architectural schools, colleges and institutes of learning report on what's happening with the current generation of architecture students.

I spent much more time than I'd expected here, which has to be a recommendation.