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Twisted. Eds. Mehrdad Hadighi, Marc J Neveu and Tsz Ng Yan, London: Actar, 2018.Similar to the design process for L-148, the headquarters for the clothing label Lafayette 148, the organization of this book is intentionally non-linear. The five topics—mass-crafting, carving, sculpting, glazing, and modulating—all verbs, contain descriptions of the building process. Interwoven are a series of essays that present distinct but interrelated responses to the many questions that arise when building a garment factory facility in contemporary China. Issues addressed range from the architectural import of the building typology, to the ecological footprint of a factory, to social concerns regarding labor as well as construction practices, to the ethics and aesthetics of factory building. Clear tensions exist between the global and the local, with respect to issues such as material economies, labor relations, working conditions, and company branding. In all of this, what is the role of design? For what can the architect be held responsible in contemporary praxis? Is it ultimately possible to address the social inequalities produced by global garment manufacturing through design? This book is not a monograph but will include extensive documentation of the design process, the development of working drawings, as well as images of the completed building. Table of Contents Introduction, Marc J Neveu |