On Wednesday 3 July, The New Institute in Rotterdam will host a lecture by acclaimed architectural historian and theorist Beatriz Colomina (Princeton University) on the background to Playboy Architecture, 1953-1979, that was also discussed in Volume's 33th issue on interiors.

For a feature in our upcoming issue on criticism, we're soliciting readers to send us a pair of images, of a building they like and a building they don't like, with either a thumbs up or a middle finger. Here are some of the early submissions. Check out the other photos on Facebook.

During the season finale of Failed Architecture at De Verdieping in Amsterdam on Thursday 13 June a wide range of perspectives on the possible successes of failure, the resilience of architecture and the architect’s responsibility in a ravaged world will be discussed. Moreover, the role of architecture magazines will be explored. How does presenting and scrutinizing architecture influence how we think about cities?

If architecture was more inclusive would it also be in a stronger position? Parlour and the University of Melbourne organize 'Transform: Altering the Future of Architecture', a day-long event that brings together architectural researchers, practitioners (understood in the widest sense) and workplace experts to discuss strategies for change.

The Dutch Rathenau Instituut started in 1986 as a technology assessment center to advise Dutch Parliament. It has since developed into a broader think tank studying the organization and development of science systems, while regularly publishing and stimulating debate about the social impact of new technologies. Volume talks to the Institute’s Rinie van Est and Virgil Rerimassie to hear about the main trends in synthetic biology and related disciplines. They paint a picture of the world where biology and technology have converged, and where our fundamental way of working through scientific problems has shifted.

Crisis? What Crisis? This was the title of Volume #9, which came out in the summer of 2006 speculating on the decline of the suburbs and the need for a grand plan. Seven years and several crises later, today, you like many others might be facing your own personal financial crisis. But that shouldn’t stop you from feeding your intellectual hunger and searching for inspiration! To help out we’ve extended our 20% discount for students to one year after graduation and introduced a special introductory subscription price for first-time subscribers. Click here for the details.

The sixth edition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam will open in the Kunsthal Rotterdam in May 2014. Dutch landscape architect Dirk Sijmons is the curator and the theme is Urban by Nature. The IABR organization has announced a Call for Projects, and invites architects, landscape architects, urban planners, cities, universities and organizations to submit best practices. The Call for Projects, the Application Form, and the Introduction to IABR–2014–URBAN BY NATURE– can be downloaded at iabr.nl.

Ja Natuurlijk (Yes Naturally) is a collaborative art manifestation that is taking place at GEM, Fotomuseum and Gemeentemuseum in The Hague until August 18, 2013. Yes Naturally embraces the increasingly ambiguous space between our ideas of nature and society. The exhibit teases at this contemporary ambiguity, linking the diversity of works on display to two essential questions: What is natural? And who or what decides?