Find out why Helsinki was bestowed the title of ‘2012 World Design Capital’ in this month’s Architecture On The Road or about the world’s longest dam -Hoover Dam in Iconic Design. In addition, our Portfolio section showcases a series of illustrations that combine architecture and the cinemas by Federico Babina. For this issue’s interview of the month, Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Toyo Ito talks about how architecture should serve the people and not be an instrument of the economy. While Indian designer Pinakin Patel emphasises the power of simplicity in his interview. Our My View section follows a similar note with our select group of product design experts debating Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s famous statement “Less is more”. Veteran architect and this month’s guest columnist Ramesh Edwankar writes about how interior design has been reduced to the role of decoration. Have a look at a vacation home in Lonavla by Gautam Naik and Bhavna Jacob or one that is located in Khandala, the brainchild of actor Suniel Shetty and Abraham John Architects. In our commercial section, we feature Moshe Safdie’s Louis Vuitton Island Maison in Singapore. And finally drum roll please… as we reveal the shortlist for the TRENDS Excellence Awards for Architecture & Design. It will also be announced on the awards website – www.trendsawards.in Congratulations to the shortlisted firms.