Hello and welcome back to The Weekly LOdown - where we gather our favorite links from the architecture and building industry and share them with you each and every Friday.

This week we have architectural awards, smart interior design and snacks! Here’s what we’ve been clicking:

Allison

ArchDaily is in the midst of taking votes for its Building of the Year awards for 2009, asking readers to pick their favorite nominated projects in 13 different categories. Between now and February 28, you can check out 65 innovative, inspirational buildings in categories like educational facilities, interiors, and hotels and restaurants. You have the option to vote with Twitter or Facebook and could win an iPod Touch just for submitting your vote. I’m partial to this familiar facade nominated in the housing category since we linked to it a few months ago. Which projects get your votes?

Julianne

Courtesy New York Times

Last week I talked about the possibility of Barbie becoming an architect, but that will not be happening anytime soon. The iconic doll is now preparing for her new careers in newscasting and computer engineering. You can read more about it here.

This week, I am swooning over the Brooklyn apartment highlighted in the New York Times’ “On Location” feature. The slideshow highlights the inspirational 178-square-foot space, proving the theory that “the more stuff you put in a room (albeit artfully-arranged stuff), the bigger it seems.” And photos of this apartment even helped the tenant land a job as a junior designer with a New York City architecture and design firm.

Nick

This picture of a Volkswagen storage facility in Wolfsburg, Germany immediately captured my attention (out of the context of the article to which it was connected, stating that German auto sales have dropped off significantly).  It’s like a vending machine for cars, and speaks to VW’s design and efficiency standards. I have never seen anything like it before. It makes me yearn for a.) a new car and b.) a 75-cent bag of Fritos.