DOWN AND OUT IN L.A.

San Julian Street in downtown Los Angeles is "home" to many of the city’s homeless. But where one would expect a sense of hopelessness is instead a lively community. This is in part thanks to the award-winning Downtown Drop-In Center designed by architect Michael Lehrer for Volunteers of America. Next week ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Alice Kimm gives us a tour of this new facility and explains how it speaks to its visitors.

RECONSIDERING URBAN HABITAT

With populations mushrooming and work and life styles changing, cities are undergoing a massive transformation. How best to accommodate these trends in 21st century megacities? Beverly Willis, FAIA, director of the Architecture Research Institute, Inc. in New York, presents her vision of a courtyard block building that applies an ancient form to this modern context.

FORTY UNDER FORTY

Who are the Norman Fosters, Tadao Andos, and Richard Meiers of tomorrow? Who will be responsible for defining the architectural styles of the next decade and shaping the 21st-century city? In the new "40 Architects Under 40," Jessica Cargill Thompson has selected 40 young practices from 21 countries, representing a cross-section of the best in their field. Next week a preview of their vision and potential in a few imaginative projects.