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Jill Zarin is taking her talents to another reality series but not for long!

On Monday, Bravo unleashed the midseason trailer for Below Deck season 11, which featured a familiar face in the Real Housewives of New York City alum, 60.

Halfway through the trailer which teases the nine remaining episodes in the season Zarin is introduced as one of the "original housewives of New York," as well as a charter guest with a few specific questions during a meal.

"This is a buffet," she says in the clip. "It shouldn't be a three-hour meal. Make it better."

After Zarin tells staffers that her "burger's cold," the trailer then cuts to a clip of Chef Anthony Iracane asking for a translator.

"Because I have no idea what the f--- is going on right now," he says.

While the trailer teases Zarin's cameo as a moment to look forward to this season, it also highlights some new arrivals on staff, heated arguments and even some impromptu dance routines.

The early look at the remainder of the season begins with Captain Kerry Titheradge reflecting on the "ups and downs" of season 11. "It wouldn't be yachting if we didn't [have them]," he says. "We don't do this because it's easy. Easy s--- is on the shore."

The trailer later cuts to a tense moment between stew Barbie Pascual and chief stew Fraser Olender, an in-car argument between cast members, and a few silly moments that could've made the blooper reel.

Eventually, the preview teases a new stew coming on board, as well as deckhand Kyle Stillie and Barbie's flirtatious relationship getting some air time as they're shown embracing each other.

"I really like Kyle," she says in the trailer. "It's just like a fun, flirtatious... whatever."

Unfortunately for the crew, the season may not end on a positive note for everyone, as the trailer also teases the potential departure of one unnamed cast member. "I've done everything I can for you to succeed," Titheradge can be heard saying in the clip to an employee. "The issue is you are not thriving. If you're not all encompassing, adding value to the rest of the crew, I can't have you here."

While the trailer ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, both Titheradge and Olender shared some insight into Zarin's Below Deck appearance during a conversation with US Weekly last month.

Shes sweet. Shes very lovely and very funny but demanding, Olender said. [But] all guests are demanding. Theyre charter guests and theyve got their preferences and sometimes they can be frustrating.

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Still, he added that the cast "had a wonderful time and we had that amazing beach picnic," while Titheradge called her an "honorary" crew member. When asked about her specific preferences while on board, Olender brought up the RHONY alum's ice requests.

Its going to be the ice," he said. "She didnt like any of the ice apart from a specific one. From a specific freezer. So we had to have a specific ice box that kind of followed wherever she went. I love it. If thats the biggest concern, then we should [be good].

Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Read more:
RHONY's Jill Zarin Is One Demanding Charter Guest in Below Deck Midseason Trailer: 'Make It Better' - PEOPLE

Summary

Captain Kerry Titheradge hints he may fire Ben Willoughby in Below Deck season 11. The Gold Coast-based Deckhand quickly rose to popularity after his debut last season. He earned his promotion and became the Lead Deckhand within five episodes. Unfortunately, Bens performance in season 11 has been slightly underwhelming. Over the episodes, he has made various mistakes and distracted himself with other things like hooking up with junior Deckhand, Marie Sunny Marquis. Most recently, Ben earned an unexpected promotion. He became the Bosun after Captain Kerry fired Jared Woodin due to his attitude and inability to focus on work.

Ben has yet to showcase his abilities. However, Captain Kerry has already teased that things may not end well for the new Bosun. While talking to Entertainment Weekly, Captain Kerry shared that Ben may not make the whole season. He added that Ben has come quite close to things not being good for him. Besides teasing Bens exit from the show, Captain Kerry also shared the possible reasons.

He said, I had a lot of faith in him to do that job, implying that Ben didnt live up to his expectations and made him question if he deserved the promotion.

Captain Kerry disclosed the real reason he chose Ben as the Bosun. He revealed, Ben wasn't my first choice to be in that position, but he does know the boat well. The new Captain shared that the Lead Deckhand knew the boat more than him. Therefore, he had no choice but to give him a chance.

Captain Kerry said, at the time, I needed the right skillset for the job, and that's what he had.

While the Australian Captain didnt say if he would fire Ben, he shared that his future discussions with him would be about whether he could handle the job.

Captain Kerry is right to doubt Bens skills. Over the years, many Below Deck crew members have become successful by concentrating on their jobs more than romance or drama. Joo Franco from Below Deck Down Under is a great example. When the Zimbabwe native debuted in the series, he had drinking problems. However, he didnt let the issues dictate his future and completely altered his personality to earn the promotion. Similarly, Tumi Mhlongo achieved the position of Chief Stewardess through hard work. She deserved her promotion because she was passionate about her job. Unfortunately, Ben has yet to improve himself.

Its hard to say if Ben deserves such a harsh punishment. However, he does need a lesson to help him understand that work is more important than romance. Captain Kerry knows that his new Bosun has potential. He also admitted to having faith in him, which proves he wants Ben to improve. Ben has a golden opportunity in his hand. If he can show Captain Kerry that hes ready for the job, things can go in his favor. Captain Kerry may even request him to return for future Below Deck seasons and make him his right-hand man.

Below Deck airs every Monday at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Below Deck is a Reality television series and franchise that has seen many spinoffs since its creation in 2013. The original series follows the lives of a crew that lives on a Superyacht called Honor and chronicles their experiences during "charter season."

Originally posted here:
Ben Willoughby Might Be Fired In Below Deck Season 11, According To Captain Kerry - Screen Rant

For a game thats covered everything from Norse mythology to Japanese Cyberpunk, its incredible that Magic: The Gathering has gone this long without doing Westerns. Despite being one of the most heavily requested settings, weve never had a rootin, tootin cowboy set before Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

With it finally almost here, Wizards of the Coast has broken Outlaws of Thunder Junction out of the Sheriffs jail and ridden off into the sunset, letting us getting a mighty long look at some of the mechanics, art treatments, and Commanders well be seeing when the set launches on April 19.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is the final set in the year-long arc thats followed Kellen through the multiverse. In pursuit of his father Oko, hes gone from Eldraine to Ixalan, to Ravnica, and now to the brand new world of Thunder Junction.

Thunder Junction was originally a barren plane, but with the opening of the Omenpaths after the March of the Machine, all kinds of folk from across the multiverse have settled here. Including, unfortunately, many villains. A ruthless and lawless world, Thunder Junction is full of too many criminals and not enough sheriffs to bring peace.

Thunder Junction is the first brand-new plane weve seen since Streets of New Capenna in mid-2022.

Of course, theres a bigger reason for coming to Thunder Junction: the Vault. Buried in the centre of the plane is a secret treasure that is sure to be the crux of the next big story arc, which should take us through to mid-2025.

Murders at Karlov Manor was fairly conservative in new mechanics, but Outlaws of Thunder Junction is going for broke with a whole gang of keywords not seen in the game before.

Partys back, but someone invited to bad kids. Outlaw is a batching mechanic, meaning it ties together already existing types under one banner, and then lets you do fun things with all of them.

Outlaw ties together five creature types: Mercenaries, Rogues, Warlocks, Pirates, and Assassins. The set is full of such creatures, like Kellen, the Kid being a Rogue, and Vraska, the Silencer being an Assassin.

One of the next sets after Outlaws of Thunder Junction is Universes Beyond: Assassins Creed, which could get a big power bump from the outlaw-loving cards in this set.

These creatures dont inherently do anything, but other cards will reward you for having them with buffs or special effects. For example, the face of the Most Wanted Commander deck; Olivia, Opulent Outlaw; will give you a Treasure token if one or more outlaws manage to deal combat damage.

In formats where both party and outlaw cards are legal, like Pioneer, Modern, and Commander, this mechanic could gives Rogues in particular a massive boost, as theyre the only creature type that is beefed up by both.

Finally, you can commit crimes while playing Magic and be rewarded for it. This doesnt mean you can do a cheeky bit of tax evasion while drafting, though; crime has a very specific meaning in Magic.

Any time you cast a spell or activate an ability that targets a permanent, their permanents, or cards they own in the graveyard or in exile, you are committing a crime. This means plenty of older cards also now automatically become crimes, which is the entire purpose of one of the sets two bonus sheets the crime-centric Breaking News.

On top of the crimes themselves, there are cards that care about committing crimes in other ways. For instance, Freestrider Lookout lets you go through the top five cards of your library for a land when you commit a crime, while Magda, the Hoardmaster makes Treasure tokens.

Kicker is one of the most successful MTG mechanics of all time, to the point that its a common joke in Magic that every other mechanic is effectively just kicker. This couldnt be truer for spree, which takes the idea of kicker and modal spells and makes them compusary.

Each spell with spree has two costs: the original mana value in the top right corner, and a series of extra costs listed in the card text. You must pay at least one of these, but can choose to pay for as many of them as you like.

Take Unfortunate Accident. You cant just cast it for one black mana, otherwise nothing would happen. You must pick at least one of its two other abilities and pay their additional costs as well, meaning Unfortunate Accidents actual mana cost is at least one black and one generic, and at most two black, three generic.

While weve had all sorts of Vehicles, from cars and trains to flying air ships, weve never been able to just ride a horse. Or, in Magics case, Innistrads Gitrog Monster.

To saddle a creature with the Mount creature type, youll need to tap other creatures for a total power of its saddle cost. This is just like crewing a Vehicle, but the big difference is that, as Mounts are already creatures, they can attack whether theyve been saddled or not. Instead, other effects become available by being saddled.

The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride lets you sacrifice the creatures that saddled it to draw extra cards and put lands into play. We can expect to see plenty of other saddle effects in this set, but Id personally love to see a way to give any other creature a saddle cost to turn Emrakul into a mount.

The final new mechanic of Thunder Junction is a reworked version of Kaldheims fortell. Like foretell, you pay a cost to exile a card from your hand to cast on a later turn. However, theres one massive difference: you get to cast the card for free.

Unlike foretell, you also exile the card face-up so your opponents can see whats coming.

You can only cast a plotted card on another turn, and only at sorcery speed. This means youre telegraphing to your opponents what youre going to play, but finding the right moment to play something for free can be devastating.

While there are costs that are the same as their mana value, and some cost more, the majority of cards with plot will be cheaper to plot than to hard cast. This also fits nicely into all those paradox-centric exile strategies that have emerged thanks to the likes of the Doctor Who Commander decks.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is unfortunate because it has not one, not two, but three different subsets that can be found in booster packs.

This is a lot more than we normally get, but its due to the late cancelation of a March of the Machine: The Aftermath-style epilogue set originally called The Big Score.

The Big Score is now known as The Vault, and makes up the vast majority of this sets version of The List. These are all Standard-legal cards, despite not having the main sets OTJ set code, and of course can also be played in Commander, Modern, Vintage, Pioneer, Legacy, and Oathbreaker.

As this was originally its own mini-set, there isnt an overarching theme, and we could find just about anything as previews go on. The first card weve seen for The Vault is a new Sword Of card, with Sword of Wealth and Power protecting you from most crimes your opponents want to commit and also letting you copy instants and sorceries of your own for free.

Filling up the rest of The List are the Special Guests, which were introduced with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan last year.

Special Guests are reprints of older cards, but with new art flavoured to the theme of the set. Stoneforge Mystic, the classic Equipment deck staple, is now a blacksmith in the frontiers of Thunder Junction, and well definitely see more like it as previews go on.

The original bonus sheet actually intended for Thunder Junction, each and every booster pack includes at least one Breaking News card, and theyre all themed around the various crimes you can commit.

Anything that can target an opponent could be up for grabs in this slot, ranging from the simple direct damage like Clear Shot, to counterspells like Mana Drain, to even a whole Plainswalker with the infamous Oko, Thief of Crowns putting in an appearance thanks to his ability to steal artifacts or creatures.

Its only been a few weeks since the four Fallout Commander decks launched, but were already seeing our next batch of four thanks to Outlaws of Thunder Junction. There are a few neat surprises here though that set it apart from the usual set tie-ins.

The decks are:

Once the domain of booster fun and Secret Lair, the Commander decks themselves have been experimenting with including fun art treatments as of late. Fallout had full-art lands included as standard, and now Outlaws of Thunder Junction is making the face cards a bit fancier.

Each of the four Commander face cards are a full-art treatment, rather than the regular frame they usually get. We dont know if there even will be regular frame versions of these cards, as right now the only ones weve seen have been full-art.

These decks have an optional minigame to overlay your regular round of Commander, with bounty cards offering up a slightly different twist on the format.

Note: Like Planechase, Bounty is completely optional.

Youll need at least six Bounty cards (with each deck having three included), but twelve are preferred. Theyre shuffled into a face-down deck, and, on the third turn of the game, you reveal the top card to see a condition. If youre able to meet this condition, you collect the reward.

However, if you dont complete the bounty, its reward level goes up, the next player reveals the next bounty card, and they could try and take both at once.

The rewards you get become greater the longer a bounty is out, ranging from making a Treasure token to making two of them and drawing a card. Spread that out over potentially 12 different bounties all out at once, and it could be incredibly explosive to go for the bounties.

The bounties themselves arent too tricky, though, so theres a good chance your opponents could steal them from you. For instance, all The Outsider wants you to do is cast a card from anywhere other than your hand like casting your commander, or playing a plotted card.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction releases on April 19.

Continued here:
Outlaws Of Thunder Junction Debut Story, Mechanics, Commander Decks Revealed - TheGamer

Summary

Below Deck season 11 is ending in the next few months, and season 12 isn't too far behind. The Bravo series began in 2013 with Captain Lee Rosbach at the helm. He was an interesting character from the beginning and made the show what it is today. Fast-forward to the present day, Below Deck is airing its eleventh season and has created four spin-offs. The show has clearly become a huge success and continues to be one of the network's top shows to date. What makes it such a success is its ever-changing cast, locations, and relatable workplace drama.

For Below Deck season 11, viewers experienced quite a change ahead of the return of the original series. Captain Lee stepped down as the captain following a series of health issues from the last two seasons. To replace him, they got Captain Kerry Titheradge from Below Deck Adventure to take his place. While the change was very jarring at first, viewers have been able to warm up to Captain Kerry quite easily. Since he is a familiar face, it wasn't difficult to get used to Kerry at the helm, and so far, he's doing a great job at it.

So far, there has been very little news about Below Deck season 12. However, there was some speculation regarding Captain Lee's return. There were several outlets online that claimed Captain Lee might return to Below Deck next season; however, Lee himself has yet to confirm the rumors. While many viewers would be ecstatic to see Lee return to Below Deck, that doesn't seem likely. Lee has said he was fired from the show, and it would be odd for the network to re-hire someone they just fired the year prior. If anything, Lee would return as a guest.

Below Deck season 12 has yet to be confirmed by Bravo. However, the network will likely have Below Deck return for another season as the show has done so well since its inception in 2013. Below Deck has been one of the best franchises to come out of the network since The Real Housewives. The show has provided drama, luxury, and more, which has enticed millions of viewers in the last 11 years. It would be a huge shock if Bravo decided not to bring Below Deck back for another season, especially since they recast Captain Lee with Captain Kerry.

If Below Deck does return for another season, the show will likely return sometime in early 2025. Below Deck season 11 premiered on February 5, while Below Deck season 10 premiered a few months early the year before on November 21, 2022. With the addition of Below Deck Down Under, Bravo's had to switch scheduling for the shows over the years, so it makes sense that Below Deck season 11 premiered a little later this time around. Since Below Deck Down Under isn't going anywhere, so Below Deck season 12 will likely air in a little less than a year from now.

As for the potential cast for Below Deck season 12, that is all still up in the air as well. However, it's safe to say that Captain Kerry will be at the helm next season. Even though there were rumors Captain Lee could be returning, those rumor likely stemmed from fans who were sad to see Lee leave the series. Nonetheless, Kerry has been the perfect replacement for Lee - Kerry is strict but kind and truly cares about the well-being of his crew. In fact, Kerry might be the best captain in the Below Deck franchise to date.

As for the cast members, Below Deck usually replaces most of the crew. However, Chief Stew Fraser Olender will likely return as he's been a fan favorite since he joined the series as a regular stew in season 9. Deckhand-turned-Bosun Ben Willoughby may also return, as season 11 was his second season. As for the rest of the crew, they will likely be replaced with new crew members if they don't make a splash by the end of the season.

Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.

Below Deck is a popular reality TV franchise that focuses on a group of crew members as they work on luxurious yachts and cater to their client's needs. After the original series proved to be a success, Bravo developed a handful of spinoff shows including Below Deck Selling Yacht, Below Deck Adventure, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Mediterranean.

The rest is here:
Below Deck Season 12: Latest News & Everything We Know - Screen Rant

Xandi Olivier has been a breath of fresh air on Below Deck Season 11. This season has been filled with drama, however, Xandi has managed to stay out of it. While Xandis fellow crew members have been having a hard time onboard, she has been chilling. Xandi is easily one of the most likable cast members on Below Deck Season 11, heres why!

One of the best things about Xandi is that shes so good at her job. Xandi is an amazing Stew, who contributes a lot to the interior team!

From day one, Xandi exhibited incredible skills in housekeeping. Housekeeping can be a problem for the interior team at times, but Xandi never fails to do it perfectly. Xandi cleans the cabins from head to toe, and never slacks on folding towels and tucking in comforters! Xandi also had a lot of patience with Cat Baugh, who struggled with cabins on her first try. Unlike Barbie Pascual, Xandi took her time and tried her best to teach Cat her ways.

Another strong suit of Xandis is table scaping. Xandi has already done several beautiful tables this season, and her creativity has shone through. Xandis napkins are particularly impressive, as she folds them into intricate shapes to match the theme of the meal. While Xandi may not enjoy being on service, her tabling skills never go unnoticed!

Another thing that makes Xandi so likable is her lack of interest in drama. The interior team is a mess on Below Deck Season 11, with Xandi being the exception. Cat and Barbie have been engulfed in a feud since the start, where both women have made mistakes. Chief Stew Fraser Olender has done his best to diffuse the situation, but ultimately just made things worse when he began having his own problems with Barbie.

Xandi, on the other hand, has stayed completely neutral. Xandi has stayed out of the feud between Cat and Barbie and has maintained cordial relationships with each of them. Furthermore, Xandi has a good relationship with Fraser and is the only Stew who does not stress him out constantly.

On nights out with the crew, Xandi is also a pleasure to have around. Xandi doesnt have issues getting along with anyone and never gets so drunk that she forgets how to act properly. All in all, Xandi is easily one of the least problematic crew members so far on Below Deck Season 11.

My downright favorite thing about Xandi is her wicked sense of humor. Xandi is one of the most relatable Below Deck cast members Ive seen in a while, so we have no choice but to stan!

One of Xandis most hilarious moments was her response to her tip money from the first charter. When asked in a confessional what she planned to do with the cash, Xandi responded Therapy and a chiropractor. After dealing with problematic guests as well as her fellow crew members, it is understandable why Xandi would need therapy! The chiropractor, Im not so sure about.

On the other hand, one of Xandis most relatable moments was when she discussed not being a people person. Xandi described herself as a vampire and even revealed that the reason she liked housekeeping was because it kept her away from the guests. On shows like Below Deck, we introverted viewers dont always see a lot of cast members like us, which makes Xandi so much fun!

Just when I thought Xandi couldnt get any better, she was seen watching crime podcasts during her break. While the rest of the crew worked upstairs, Xandi winded down by listening to a story about a murder. I love Below Deck, and I love a good crime show just as much! Below Deck crew members are usually caught up in drama and gossip, Xandi just wants to stay up to date with her shows. What a queen!

While there are not many crew members on Below Deck Season 11 worth rooting for, Xandi is one of them! Xandi is great at her job, stays out of drama, and is hysterical. What more could you ask for?

TELL US WHAT DO YOU THINK OF XANDI ON BELOW DECK SEASON 11?

The post Xandi Oliver Is a Star on Below Deck Season 11- Heres Why appeared first on Reality Tea.

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Xandi Oliver Is a Star on Below Deck Season 11- Here's Why - Yahoo Entertainment

design it architects revives Machiya House near Kinkakuji Temple

Machiya House, situated east of Kinkakuji Temple and renovated by design it architects, draws from traditional Kyoto architecture while seamlessly blending work and living spaces. Originally constructed 95 years ago, this Kyo-machiya once served as a residence and workshop for textile craftsmen in the bustling district of Nishijin. Today, the client, who works remotely, continues this legacy by inhabiting the space where craftsmanship and daily life intersect.

The intimate scale of the Machiya immediately captures attention, with its doors and rooms crafted to dimensions smaller than contemporary standards. This deliberate modesty brings the architecture close to the human body, evoking a sense of gentleness and warmth that resonates with tactile comfort. Rather than imposing a modern layout onto the space, the architects opted to preserve its original character, embracing the traditional lifestyle and scale inherent to Machiya living.

all images courtesy of design it architects

Preservation was design it architects guiding principle, not only in maintaining the outward appearance of the structure but also in honoring the functional roles of each room. The former commercial space, known as Misenoma, seamlessly transitions into a modern workplace, while the kitchen, or Daidoko, retains its traditional function. However, the original dirt floor, once used for textile work, required reinterpretation. Transformed into a semi-basement living area enveloped in mortar, it serves as a symbolic centerpiece of the home.

The varied floor heights across the three levels offer unexpected comfort and ambiance. The semi-basement living room, reminiscent of a den, exudes a cozy atmosphere, inviting relaxation and contemplation. Connected spaces, including a study bathed in natural light, a snug dining area, and the sunken living room, provide flexibility, allowing inhabitants to move fluidly between them depending on the season and mood.

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former textile workshop transforms into modern machiya residence in kyoto - Designboom

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: We look now at a new report published by the research group Forensic Architecture, which counters Israels argument at the International Court of Justice that it followed humanitarian policies to safeguard civilian life in Gaza. South Africa argued in January before the ICJ that Israel was guilty of genocide during its war on Gaza. The report argues that what Israel says are humanitarian evacuations in Gaza actually amount to the forced displacement of Palestinians, which is a war crime.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, were joined in London by Eyal Weizman, a British Israeli architect born in Haifa. Hes founder and director of Forensic Architecture, a professor of spatial and visual cultures at Goldsmiths College at the University of London. Hes the author of several books, including Hollow Land: Israels Architecture of Occupation and The Least of All Possible Evils: A Short History of Humanitarian Violence. Hes also a member of the Technology Advisory Board of the International Criminal Court and of the Center for Investigative Journalism.

Eyal, welcome to Democracy Now! As we come to air right now, the United States has presented a resolution to the U.N. Security Council for a temporary ceasefire. Im wondering if you could respond to that and Netanyahu only speaking with Republicans, behind closed doors now he might be addressing a joint session of Congress, if the House speaker decides to invite him saying that Rafah invasion will happen.

EYAL WEIZMAN: Yeah. If a Rafah invasion will happen, we will see the humanitarian disaster, the man-made humanitarian disaster imposed on Gaza, just aggravated to levels that we havent yet experienced. In Rafah, we have a huge part of the Palestinian people evacuated to living in inhumane conditions where there are famine and lack of basic humanitarian provisions, in something that is called a safe zone. And I think that its important to understand that there is no safe place in Gaza. Although Israel is designating part of the Strip as so-called safe areas and ordering the population to evacuate to them, it continuously imposes on these areas conditions that amount to unlivable conditions and in continuation of its genocidal policies.

So, what we need to my comment to that is, rather than allowing any or entertaining any specific plans and provisions, you know, that the U.S. is discussing now with the Israelis about allowing them to attack Rafah under certain conditions, we need to see immediate ceasefire across the board in all places of Gaza, in order to allow for the rebuilding of the Strip, in order to allow for humanitarian provision to reach each and every Palestinian in the north and in the south.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Eyal Weizman, the proposal that the U.S. has put forth this is before we turn to your report. The proposal that the U.S. has put forth for a temporary ceasefire is reportedly for the release of Israeli hostages and allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. You wrote in a piece I want to ask you about a piece you wrote for the London Review of Books in November in which you document the piece is headlined Exchange Rate, where you document the change in Israel policy with respect to its hostages. So, if you could talk about the way that thats played out? You wrote the piece in November. If you could talk about the way thats played out, and how you think that might affect what happens now, going forward, with respect to the hundred or so hostages who remain, who are reportedly still alive?

EYAL WEIZMAN: I think that what you see in all negotiations around the captives and the Palestinian prisoners sitting in Israeli prisons, some of them on administrative detentions without charge, thousands of them, is that Israel has been creating and enlarging its bank of prisoners in order to create in order to allow it to change the exchange rate. The title of that piece in the LRB was Exchange Rate, and it was looking at the history of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation through the capture of captives, from really, from the famous airplane hijacks of the '70s all the way to the present, the way in which Palestinians forced Israel into the only way that Palestinians could actually affect and release their prisoners is through capturing Israeli captives. Over the years, the exchange rate has changed favorably to the Palestinians. And what you're seeing is that Israel is now arresting people in order Palestinians, again, and holding them in administrative detention, in order to beef up its bank of captives.

More than that, you could see that in the reports on the negotiation, the fate of those people that have been purportedly evacuated into safe areas is being brought into the equation. One way of thinking about it is to say, of course, Hamas or Palestinian factions in Gaza are holding over 100 Israeli captives, and Israel is holding close to 2 million Palestinian captives and bargaining for their return home in exchange for its prisoners. And that is obviously patently illegal, according to international law. And the fact that even that is being brought into the negotiation testifies that that was the intent of holding them away from their home as a bargaining chip towards that. So, you have an exchange rate now that is 200 million Palestinians displaced sorry, 2 million Palestinians displaced, 100 Israeli captives, and this is really where the negotiations are going.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Eyal Weizman, lets turn to your report, the Forensic Architecture report, which is headlined Humanitarian Violence in Gaza. If you could begin just by explaining the two words dont normally come together,humanitarian and violence.

EYAL WEIZMAN: Right.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: If you could explain what you mean by that? Of course, youve also written a book on this. And then lay out the three phases of mass displacement that you document in the report.

EYAL WEIZMAN: Yeah. So, you know, we think about humanitarian principles and part of them is international humanitarian law, so-called the laws of war as being there to protect civilians. But a certain manipulation of international humanitarian law allows you to have operational advantage, or, in this case, advantage in negotiation over the captives in this particular way. So, there is a principle, an accepted principle, in international in humanitarianism that if you want to evacuate a population into a safe zone, that safe zone needs to have several conditions. There needs to be proper medical care. There needs to be proper food and housing in these areas. Israel has evacuated ordered the evacuation of Palestinians from within Gaza and from the north to the south into areas that were repeatedly under attack, into areas with no housing, no medical care, and now that we see no food is being provided in it, or very little, or not sufficient levels of aid within that. So, that is, firstly, you know, the kind of the principle of using a humanitarian principle that is purportedly used in order to save, in order to treat civilians and take them out of harms way, in order to achieve Israels operational objectives in this attack on Gaza, and that is to exercise pain on the civilian population to generate levels of destruction and harm that would deter Palestinians from ongoing resistance to the Israeli occupation.

And its becoming more and more clear that the harm, that the levels of destruction that were seeing, that the level of displacement that were seeing, are not the byproduct and not the collateral effects of this conflict, but really the only thing that Israel has achieved during that war. It hasnt achieved any of its tactical aims. It hasnt dismantled Hamas as an operative force. It hasnt captured the Hamas leadership. It hasnt freed hostages, except of in very rare situations. What it has done is create an equation in which the civilian population is being put in harms way in order to bargain against their return back to the north, to north of Gaza, in order to effectively achieve what tactically Israel has not achieved.

So, in relation to the stages, a week or so after the October 7th attack, Israel has given the entirety of the north of Gaza an evacuation order. They were ordered to leave the north of Gaza, home to over a million Palestinians, the center of Palestinian political, cultural life, was actually ordered to cross Wadi Gaza, which divides, according to them, Gaza into north and south. That was the first stage. And after the ceasefire, the temporary ceasefire in which some prisoner exchange was happening at the beginning of December, what Israel has done is releasing an interactive map online, dividing Gaza into kind of a gerrymandered 623 zones. It was very difficult, with people that we spoke to in Gaza, to understand whether they are in zone number 546 or 547. The map was extremely confusing. It was released online at a time of very frequent internet and power cuts, or it was communicated via leaflets that were unevenly distributed. It was an incredibly confusing system that led to the ongoing displacement of Palestinians from one zone to the other. So, when they were after they were ordered to all move into southern Gaza, from different parts in the southern part of Gaza, they were ordered to go into different places.

And what the report is showing is the systematic and ongoing use of these evacuation orders were meant to achieve that population displacement and that people were continuously being put in harms way. The routes, the so-called safe routes, along which Palestinians were ordered to evacuate were attacked. Areas where they went to had no provisions and very often were attacked themselves. So, we cannot see that humanitarian policy, so-called humanitarian policy, of the Israeli forces and the argument that the Israelis put forward in The Hague that, you know, they are not in violation of the Genocide Convention because they apply humanitarian principle, but we cannot see it as anything else but part of the genocidal campaign that is actually inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza.

AMY GOODMAN: And now, of course, if Netanyahu does succeed in a full-scale ground invasion of Rafah, they will go back to all these places they were forced to flee. And they talk about, No worries, Palestinian civilians will be protected in these humanitarian zones. Eyal Weizman, if you could respond to that? And also, just for people to understand, your organization is so unusual, and it also operates in several different countries, you yourself born in Haifa. If you could explain how you do what you do? We are also showing a series of maps, where you show the stages, one, two, three. Youve done so many different investigations, from who killed Shireen Abu Akleh, the great Al Jazeera Arabic reporter when Israel was saying caught in crossfire, you proved the opposite: She was killed by an Israeli sniper among other things. Can you talk about what Forensic Architecture does, and what you, as an Israeli British architect, are doing in this kind of analysis an architect?

EYAL WEIZMAN: Yeah, thank you for asking that. Of course, the nature of the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, and throughout Palestine complete, makes use of architecture as part of the violence applied on Palestinians. So, starting from the location of settlements on hilltops in a way that divide the Occupied Territories, surveys it, bisect Palestinian-built fabric, the design of roads, the provisional infrastructure, you could say that settler colonialism is architecturally enacted.

In Gaza, obviously, we had settlements in Gaza up until 2005, when they were evacuated, but after that, the Gaza envelope is a system of civilian and military infrastructure that included a number of fences and earth berms and military facilities, as well as kibbutzim and moshavim. These are agrarian settlements that are part of what Israel always called its regional defense.

Of course, all that system was attacked on October 7th. So you could see how architecture is mobilized as part of the system of control and occupation of Palestinians. You could see why Palestinians would attack that system of infrastructure and this is without commending and, of course, not supporting the killing and abduction of civilians.

But I think that architecture is a key part of that, of understanding the conflict, the long history of Israels settler colonization, and also understanding what is happening in Gaza now. It is happening in urban environment. And one has to understand what this urban environment, that has been created over the years of you know, since, really, the Gaza Strip was created as a historical anomaly in 1948, when it was carved out as a kind of concentration area for refugees, becoming one of the densest parts of the world, most densely inhabited part of the world. How do you control population centers? And a lot of thinking was done from the Israeli side in terms of thinking about the control of Palestinians as an urban problem.

And what we see now happening in Gaza is the shaping of Gaza for, you know, the day after. Would it come now? Would it come in weeks, in months? We do not know. But what we see is Israel actually shaping the built fabric, destroying all homes and agricultural areas in a huge buffer zone along the border, creating east-west routes, not only the famous one that we know, around Deir al-Balah, but all throughout that very long and thin strip of territory, the Gaza Strip, we see it being truncated, almost cut like salami, with routes and military infrastructure that would be there in order to isolate and divide different parts of the Gaza Strip, if resistance continues, from the Palestinian parts.

And so, architecture if architecture is really the means by which Israel exercises control, we, architects, and the organization that I run, Forensic Architecture, is you know, has many architects working with us, but also open-source investigators, journalists, lawyers, etc. we are monitoring things from a cartographic, spatial and architectural perspective. We work very closely, and we have a partner organization in Ramallah, the Al-Haq Forensic Architecture Unit, because we understand that working in Palestine, like working anywhere else in the world Forensic Architecture has also got offices in Mexico, in Bogot; now were starting one in Istanbul, in Athens, in many other places in the world. But understanding the lived reality, understanding the way that architecture is used as an oppressive mechanism requires also the lived experience understanding the lived experience of people there. And therefore, when weve done that report that you mentioned, weve been in touch with weve been in touch with Palestinians on the ground, weve been in touch with medical professionals, with doctors, in understanding the conditions in the so-called safe zones. And as I say, there are no safe areas in Gaza.

Weve tried to understand the spatial logic of that campaign. And we could see that one of the main strategic tools for Israel to control and afflict that pain on Gaza is through the evacuation orders, and that they have been spatially designed initially, again, dividing north Gaza from south Gaza, and then dividing it into 600 Tetris parts, if you like, in which, you know, you would get very a confusing order in which your number would come up, and you would be told to go from that number zone into another number zone. Do you get this message? Do you understand it? And also, on the way, youd be attacked. And the zone in which youre being evacuated to is itself unsafe and unlivable.

So, here what we see is the abuse of humanitarian principles to further Israeli genocidal campaign. And this is why we call that report Humanitarian Violence. We need to be very, very wary when we are speaking about humanitarian principles in war, because very often militaries not only the Israeli militaries, but, you know, Western, Northern, global militaries from the Global North, when they engage in urban warfare in parts of the Global South, they are applying humanitarian principles theyre playing international law in a particular way that does not contain violence, that actually amplifies it.

Ill give you another example for that: warnings. You know, you could think that to warn a population is actually something that could be very, very helpful. It could save lives. But, actually, the aims of these warnings, or what is implied in them and sometimes explicitly mentioned is that if you do not heed the warning, you would be considered potentially part of the armed resistance in a particular area. That means you get redesignated from a protected civilian to a nonprotected either voluntary human shield or part of a resistance, if you do not heed the warning. So, in a sense, with one legal tool, you created the redesignation of a big part of the population, and you basically let the blood in that way. So, humanitarianism, when it those principles, when theyre using in such a brutal campaign, it could be actually part of the problem, rather than something that is moderating and defending civilians.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Eyal Weizman, if we could talk a little bit more about that? The scale, just to point out, just to give us a sense of the scale of the crisis of mass expulsions, at the moment, almost 70% of the total area of the Gaza Strip has been issued evacuation orders. If you could say, very quickly, in terms of the International Court of Justice ruling, what does your report suggest about the defense that Israel presented?

EYAL WEIZMAN: Yeah, that the defense is completely inapplicable. We will show how and we have shown how Israeli military, the occupation forces, when they maneuver through if you look at things in relation to each other, if you look at military maneuver, you look at areas that have been bombed, as we have, through speaking to people, through analyzing videos, through looking at satellite imagery, we have a good understanding, we have a good map of what are the areas that have been bombed. Overlay that with the so-called safe zones, overlay them with Israeli military maneuver, and what you see is, A, civilians are being evacuated into areas that have been bombed, that have no facilities, and are continuously bombing they are still being bombedas Israel has ordered civilians into them. And you see, in some cases, Israeli military maneuver, Israeli invasion into the area it itself designated as safe zones.

So, in a sense, you see those categories operating in relation to each other as part of an overall strategy, rather than youre seeing humanitarian principle pushing against military violence and moderating it. You see it has become one of the tools in the Israeli campaign toolbox to generate that level of destruction in Gaza. So, you know, youre speaking about 70% of the area is being displaced. And the proportion

AMY GOODMAN: Eyal, we have 10 seconds.

EYAL WEIZMAN: The proportion of people displaced is much higher, and the proportion of civilian infrastructure destroyed is almost complete. So, look at those things together and understand the militarization of humanitarian principles.

AMY GOODMAN: Eyal Weizman, we clearly have so much to talk about. Wed like to ask you to stay, and well post Part 2 online at democracynow.org. Eyal Weizman is a British Israeli architect, founder and director of Forensic Architecture. Well link to the new report, Humanitarian Violence: Israels Abuse of Preventive Measures in Its 2023-2024 Genocidal Military Campaign in the Occupied Gaza Strip.

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Architect Eyal Weizman on Mapping Israel's Genocidal Campaign - Democracy Now!

Architecture studio MoDus Architects has extended a daycare in the town of Terlano, Italy, to create the Tartan School nursery, kindergarten and youth centre.

The small South Tyrolean town is surrounded by orchards and vineyards, which the studio used to inform the nursery's appearance.

"The school derives its name from the plaster facade of the building, which emulates the patterning of tartan fabric a textile that conveys a feeling of warmth and familiarity," said MoDus Architects co-founder Sandy Attia.

"The combined use of colour and texture is a cost-effective strategy that is able to camouflage and build character at the same time, despite the seemingly divergent definitions of the two words," added the studio.

The extension has a two-tone, green tartan patterned facade and zigzagging roof, which distinguishes it from the traditional, existing building and surrounding town.

It contains a kindergarten for 100 children with four classrooms along with group activity rooms, a napping room, reading area and common areas.

The studio aimed to connect the lower level of the extension, which will be used by the wider community for events and meetings, to the outdoor spaces.

A colonnade filled with glass walls and doors runs alongside the dining hall visually connecting it to the schoolyard.

Alongside the dinning hall, other spaces that will be used by the community include a 50-person-capacity auditorium and a gym.

"In Italy, there is a long-standing tradition of the school being a place used for all sorts of activities outside of school hours," said MoDus Architects.

"We think of schools like puzzles, although ideally, every piece has to fit in place, if a few of those puzzle pieces go missing with time, the big picture needs to still be legible."

Alongside the extension, the rearranged existing structure now contains a nursey school on the upper floor level and a youth centre on the lower level.

MoDus Architects aimed to unite the two structures with the internal finishes, including red-brick resin flooring, wooden ceilings and MDF furniture. Acoustic panels were used for ceilings to reduce the noise caused by its numerous young users.

Founded in 2000 by Sandy Attia and Matteo Scagnol, MoDus Architects is based in the northern Italian town of Brixen.

Its previous projects include the refurbishment of a 1960s education centre and a sports centre topped with a tapering tower.

The photography is by Marco Cappelletti.

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MoDus Architects wraps school in tartan pattern for "warmth and familiarity" - Dezeen

Allyson Ifergan & Kaysea Suzana | PantherNOW Staff

Alt pop brought an art show to life at the Paul Cejas School of Architecture, bringing together students and art mediums.

Students and guests joined several architecture organizations at the BEA Gallery on Thursday, Mar. 21 at 7:00 P.M. for a multimedia art show.

The free event gave noise to the night, being hosted by four student-led architecture organizations including: Alpha Rho Chi, American Institute of Architecture Students, American Society of Landscape Architects, and National Organization of Minority Architecture Students at FIU.

Senior architecture major Dora Otano and President of Alpha Rho Chi spoke to PantherNOW on why the event was hosted in the first place.

[In] architecture school we really do focus a lot on the positives but we dont focus on the negatives.Youll see us here at three in the morning working on our craft This event really gives us the opportunity to wind down, Otano said.

The aural art show is part of the third annual collaboration amongst the architecture societies, in an attempt to unify the architecture students and promote creative expression.

Co-president of the International Interior Design association and senior architecture major Chelsea Abella spoke about the efforts of setting up the exhibition.

We each created different promotional graphics to try to get a lot more involvement from architecture and even people outside the program. This started as a way for architecture students to showcase what they do outside of the studio, said Abella.

Abella also commented that artists are competing for a mystery prize and certification, ordained by judges who walked around the exhibition and took notes.

The prize certificate for the art contest winner | Kaysea Suzana, PantherNOW

Many students were not even aware of the event, but were magnetized to it due to the music, such as pre-nursing major Pius Arquillo.

I actually came in here not knowing this was a thing. I was just skating around..I knew a couple people here, Arquillo said.

The band was local south Florida musicians from Broward known as The Borin Brothers, an alternative pop group composed of blood-related brothers.

Father and band manager Marcelo Borin spoke on the bands purpose.

Were here to have a good time. Were here to serve [FIU students]. We love to entertain people.

Some students were surprised to see their friends art in the gallery.

Im enjoying this a lot. Theres a couple people here I know with their art Arquillo said.

Bachelor of Fine Arts Student, Victor Diego, exhibited a A Lovers First Requiem, an acrylic self portrait about his first encounter with love.

A Lovers First Requiem painted by Victor Diego | Allyson Ifergan, PantherNOW

It was the first time I fell, and I fell pretty hard It was my first time experiencing heartbreak, said Diego.

The event brought in many students and elicited an exciting end to the night, with a glimpse into the future that the architecture societies will collaborate once more.

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Aural Art Show Brings Aestheticism to Architects - PantherNOW

The aim to spread the word about FC Barcelona's Espai Bara project and all the work being carried out by Club continues. The new space in the Les Corts neighbourhood is set to become an architectural benchmark both in the city and worldwide. This time the Barcelona Technical Architecture Association (CATEB) have visited the Spotify Camp Nou works to gain first-hand knowledge on how the works on the future stadium are progressing.

The CATEB governing body committee members were led by president Celest Ventura Cisternas and they were joined by the works' executive management team, Tcnics G3, Betarq and Construcci i Control. The architects and the other visitors saw how the columns for the third tier are starting to rise around the iconic 1957 faade, which will remain front and centre as part of the future Spotify Camp Nou design. They also examined the first and second tiers in detail, where repair work to the structure is being carried out, along with initial construction of their inner partitions.

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Barcelona Architects Association visit the Spotify Camp Nou works - FC Barcelona