Arch Daily |
- Hurdle House / Adam Knibb Architects
- Wenslauer House / 31/44 Architects
- Sport Center “Véronique Pecqueux-Rolland“ Longvic / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten + Sénéchal-Auclair Architectes
- White Gallery / [SHIFT] Process Practice
- House of Gang xia Jie Cun / Atelier KAI Architects
- Country Shop in Huashu Village / ZHOU Ling Design Studio
- Wilson St / Drawing Room Architecture
- This Copenhagen Diabetes Center Connects Patients to Nature
- Tapis Rouge / Emergent Vernacular Architecture
- Herzog & de Meuron's Chelsea FC Stadium Receives Council Approval
- Folding House / A2 Architects
- Discover Madrid's Geometric Architecture Through This Photo Series
- Reconstruction of Public Facilites in Mon Perin Camping / NFO
- 7 Novels Every Architect Should Read
- Kalø Tower Visitor Access / MAP Architects
- This German House Sheds Excess to Provide Peace and Clarity
- Newly Discovered Molecular ‘Glue’ May hold the Key to Strong Wooden Skyscrapers
Hurdle House / Adam Knibb Architects Posted: 12 Jan 2017 09:00 PM PST
From the architect. Adam Knibb Architects were approached to put together a contemporary extension for a Grade II Listed barn in Alresford, Hampshire. Hurdle House has a long history within the village, having been part of the original sheep fairs back in 1792. The clients had sought an architect who could provide a contemporary addition to the house but still maintain respect for the original barn. This purpose built Hurdle House is a unique survival of the Sheep industry as far as the county of Hampshire is concerned - a gem of Industrial Archaeology. The 1835 Hurdle House continued in use until 1864 when a new Hurdle House and Fair Field became necessary owing to the construction of the railway from Alton to Winchester. Hurdle House' is a large detached barn set just outside Alresford town centre. The house, occupying the South West corner of the site, faces on a North/ South axis with a front garden / driveway and an extensive rear garden with expansive views to the North. The house receives sunlight throughout the day and is overlooked only by the surrounding trees and fields. Adam Knibb Architects approached the scheme with the aim to set the works into the surrounding nature, provide natural light, harness the fantastic views and provide a social heart to the house and for the family. Working with the Winchester Conservation department, it was agreed that rear bay window could be removed and provide the linking element to the extension. A frameless glass link was envisaged to touch the existing building lightly and connect the old to the new. The extension comprises a large open plan kitchen, dining area, casual seating with utility/ WC and study attached. A major aim of the project was to increase the excitement when entering the property. The back bone of the design is to link movement from public areas through to private areas in the form of designed elements that use visual barriers rather than physical blockades. The new main entrance will bring you directly into the proposal, showing off views directly down the garden. With large glass apertures, the natural surroundings of the property blur the boundaries into the proposed extension. Vertical timber cladding has been used to mimic the surrounding trees and provide a contemporary contrast to the existing building, this clearly shows that this work is 'architecture of this time'. As part of the design proposal and brief the client was keen to minimise impact to family life with a prolonged construction period. As such we proposed the use of an off site and pre-fabricated timber frame. KLH were approached as the suppliers for a cross laminated structure (CLT). Following detailed design coordination, the panels were CNC cut in Austria and supplied to site in a flat pack form. This allowed 5 days on site to crane in the structure ready for fitting out. Given the accuracy of the CNC machines the glazing package could be pre-order from computer drawings to enable these to be fitted the following week. Product Description. Cross laminated timber formed the basis of the structural build up for the project. Not only bring speed of construction to the site, it also became cost effective and linked directly with the concept strategy for the timber to 'mimic the surrounding woodlands'. It allowed the concept to run right through the project. The flat packed panels were delivered from Austria and erected in a matter of days to give a super quick shell to the project. With precision CNC cutting, the windows could be ordered off plan to again help reduce the time on site. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Wenslauer House / 31/44 Architects Posted: 12 Jan 2017 07:00 PM PST
31/44 Architects has completed Wenslauer House, a new spacious self-build family home on a constrained site in central Amsterdam. Replacing a dilapidated early 20th century workers cottage, Wenslauer forms an infill house on an unexpectedly irregular street within the conventional homogeneous streetscape more typical of Amsterdam. This eclectic quality of the street stems from its colourful past when the area was in use as the city's builders yard. A wide canal at the end of the street was used to bring materials into the city on large barges from the surrounding countryside and seaports, which were then offloaded and stored in large warehouses. Plots of land were divided up along the polder where the tradesmen gradually built workshops with their living accommodation above, giving a distinctive character to the street of non-uniform buildings built of relatively modest materials. 31/44's design for the new house celebrates this quality whilst referencing the townhouse typology widely seen in the city centre, a reflection of the neighbourhood becoming more 'upscale' as this area of Amsterdam adopts some of the formality of the historic centre. The practice underwent extensive negotiations with the local authority to ensure an appropriate design solution in keeping with the changing neighbourhood was achieved. The street elevation features a brick facade and pitched gable profile which was partly guided by council requirements. Bands of structural concrete and large window openings reference facade details from local workshops. In contrast, the rear is clad in simple utilitarian sheets of Equitone panels. The brickwork on the north facing street facade is laid in a Flemish bond to make the surface as textured as possible. The facade receives the sun only at the start and end of the day when the oblique angle of the sun brings the surface to life. A bench in front of the house is conceived as a shared amenity for the street, which has a lively sociable community that frequently takes over the road during summer evenings. Internally, the 145 sq m house maximises all available space with rooms beyond the entrance spanning the full width of the plot. A void, with a large rooflight above, runs from the roof to the ground floor to bring natural light into the centre of the plan at all levels. A split-level ground floor with a lower ground floor creates a spacious kitchen/living Bespoke units constructed from black and grey MDF and birch-faced plywood feature throughout the house. A built-in bench around the fireplace allows you to sit close to the fire whilst looking out at the garden. Constructed from precast concrete panels, the fireplace features a suspended steel flue that is left boldly exposed on the rear elevation – a quiet reference to the light-industrial heritage of the area. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 12 Jan 2017 06:00 PM PST
From the architect. Public sports centers fulfill an important function within communities, serving as a place to connect, create experiences, and of course participate in sports. In 2012 the competition for the Longvic Sports Center was won by Dietrich│Untertrifaller and Sénéchal-Auclair Architectes, and as a result, on June 2016 the Longvic Sports Centre was officially opened to the public. Clear shapes and defined lines, the interplay between wood and concrete, and copious natural daylight are the key characteristics of this compact and highly energy efficient building. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
White Gallery / [SHIFT] Process Practice Posted: 12 Jan 2017 02:00 PM PST
The White Gallery is an architectural exercise in realigning the potentials and limitations of "in-fill" typology when it comes to creating a performative space for exhibition of art work. The explicit and deliberate difference, in both figuration and configuration of the interior and exterior of the project, highlights the challenges to be faced in juxtaposition of the duo of typology and program. The project is simultaneously extroverted and introverted: From within, the space is organized around the core idea of maximized sectional continuity. The continuum reaches outward while being maintained inside. Spacio- sectional porosity allows for layering of the perspectival views it offers the spectator. From the outside and at first glance, the project is conceived and meant to be perceived as an autonomous and solid object and a composition of abstracted Euclidean forms with an utmost level of opacity. This is in line with the dense morphology of the surrounding residential context. Just like a " Cabinet de curiosities" the historic predecessor of museums and galleries, the White Gallery appears as a puzzling representational space, not to be decoded unless one enters its space of representation… Product Description. For the facade of the building we decided to go for a white modular material to emphasize on the abstractness of the platonic forms of the project. Hence, the white industrially produced bricks of Namachin Esfahan were chosen. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
House of Gang xia Jie Cun / Atelier KAI Architects Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST
Jie, a friend of the architect, previously engaged in the production of hand modeling. In recent years, the construction industry downturn affected his work, so Jie intended to build a house in his hometown with the money saved over the years. Jie's hometown is a village on the edge of Xianning, Hubei. Gang xia Jie Cun, as the name suggests, is s single surname village. Village has hundred-year-old history, where all of people surnamed Jie. Single surname is common in the south village. Kitchen God is seated in the entrance to a village. Ancestral hall is in the center of the villige. The ancient rural social system of this farming civilization has been preserved till now. Jie refused to move to the neighboring town to live in the building. He love the place where he grew up. It is convenient to raise chickens, ducks, cats and dogs. It is only a few minutes Between neighbors. This is a very average village with dozens of families and acres of farmland historical sites. It is just a simply village without historical site and natural scenery. The old village form texture are still. The crooked path and varying size houses witness the change of property rights in times. The development and change of caste family relationship can be seen: The descendants have better prospects, their European style buildings are grander. The house is closely behind the ancestral hall. The ancestral hall can be reached through a south path. The north of the site is the main road. His neighborhood is next to the east. The west is a space behind the temple. The eldest daughter need to review for the College Entrance Examination at home while the youngest son go come at night. The couple will return home. The original single-storey house has been unable to meet the needs for that. There is a connection between the architectural form of the house and complex neighborhood relations: thw concede between the new volume and the ancestral hall, concert with road, and sight communication with his brothers' house, ventilation, lighting and so on. which lead to setbacks and chamfers in different directions. Jie House is tailor made for Jie's family of four. The main door is always open because of the enthusiasm of the master. The hall acts as a living room on which a window was made to allow in the sunlight. Passing neighbors can drop in for a chat or cards. The second-floor private living room and the third-floor study are integrated by a big roof with skylights, which makes sunshine in every corner. The eldest brother's house can be seen in the second-floor bedroom while the second elder brother's in the balcony. The owner is able to talk with neighbors in a little harder voice whenever he open the windows on the balcony. Because of the rainy weather, the floors and walls of local houses are damp. Base on the quality of local construction and the overall budget, simple and rational waterproof and moisture-proof structure was designed for Lao Jie to enjoy a new life. The design of Jie House is expected to respose current urbanization demolition through a rational geometry shape. A clear space organization is made to rebuild the ties of blood in the country. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Country Shop in Huashu Village / ZHOU Ling Design Studio Posted: 12 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST
From the architect. The country shop is located in the village entrance. The program tried to restore the traditional Chinese "village entrace" space by converting an old house into a public space, hoping to use some traditional arrangements and construction methods to reshape the publicity of the village. In the traditional villages, the entrance was the division of country and nature, which undertook functions of signs , separation, traffic organization, leisuring and gathering. Usually the village entrance should have a big tree, a pavilion, a square and a temple, only in this way can be said to be a complete village. A small house passed through by village roads was called Road Pavilion, set for the villagers and passers-by to have a rest. Most of these buildings were owned by village clan organizations, built by the villagers raised funds or donated by the individuals. In some places the village entrace was a square, not only served as the identification of roads, the calculation of the foot of the reference, but also served as a market at a specific time, supplying tea, summer medicine or straw sandals. The design attempted to restore the publicity of the village entrance, and regarded it as a part of the reconstruction of rural cultural life. The original village building was an ordinary three-bay house, 11 meters wide, 7 meters deep. According to the orginal site, we built a 6 m x4.8 m public gallery for villagers and past visitors to rest and communicate in the outside combined with the village landscape plaza and trees. We chose the traditional Chinese wood structure as roof frame, hoping to make the form back to the traditional local character, reflecting the construction of the local system. The design also refered to public buildings in the Wannan and Wuyuan villages, such as pavilions, bridges, etc. These rural construction types had been widespreaded in the past Jiangnan villages. Thanks to Traffic inconvenience and other reasons, , these rural buildings were retained in southern Anhui such as Wuyuan village.The basic form could be understood as the Jiangnan village in the past in general. After style selection, modern design improvements were added to make the structure more reasonable. Outdoor corridors extended into the interior, indoor and outdoor structures were the same. Today local managers in Nanjing have participated in the village shop. In the weekdays traditional agricultural products will be sold and in display and in the weekends it will be a rural market in combination with the village's entrance square for villagers and tourists buying and selling goods. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Wilson St / Drawing Room Architecture Posted: 12 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST
From the architect. The clients have three teenagers and needed an extra bedroom, a study and more storage space. The new study serves as a secondary living area, a space to study or work, or simply to retreat to. There was an existing roof lantern in the living area, it seemed counter-intuitive however this was the only place to put the extra bedroom on a narrow site with a heritage overlay. To keep the lantern and the wonderful light and height it provided to the living area, the extra bedroom now sits five steps higher than the adjoining study. This also allowed the new bedroom to feel a little more private and affords some spectacular views to the parkland in the distance. The room is shaped in response to the need to not overshadow the neighbours yard, but at the same time to allow light and views and as much storage as possible. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
This Copenhagen Diabetes Center Connects Patients to Nature Posted: 12 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST The team of COWI A/S, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, Mikkelsen Architects, and STED has been selected to design Copenhagen's new diabetes center, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. Based on the idea of creating a connection to nature, the Center weaves together the indoors and outdoors, in order to stimulate and nurture patients and visitors. The main entrance to the project faces south to ensure natural lighting, and features a rolling landscape that leads inside, with an in situ poured concrete pathway and landscaped staircases that connect to a public rooftop garden.
Common and treatment areas are located on the ground floor of the Center surrounding six courtyards and interspaced by a series of waiting areas, silent rooms, library spaces, and reading benches, with research and treatment areas located above on the first floor. Designed for patients, relatives, and staff, common areas are organized around small, themed "squares," for example a "food lab and café by the 'nutrition square,' library and display by the 'knowledge square,' exercise and training rooms by the 'fitness square,' and workshops by the 'exhibition square.'"
The 18,200-square-meter project, which additionally includes a basement carpark, is set to be completed in 2020.
News via Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Tapis Rouge / Emergent Vernacular Architecture Posted: 12 Jan 2017 07:00 AM PST
From the architect. Tapis Rouge is one of several public spaces in Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti, built under program LAMIKA, whose acronym stands for "A better life in my neighbourhood" in Haitian Creole. The program, funded by the American Red Cross and implemented by Global Communities, aims to construct multifunctional spaces that facilitate and promote social cohesion through an inclusive approach. Carrefour-Feuilles is one of the many informal neighbourhoods which suffered extensive damage in the 2010 earthquake. The houses clinging to the slopes of the ravine lack basic services such as electricity, running water and sanitation. There is little formal infrastructure and the cheek by jowl homes are only accessible by a network of narrow corridors that wind up the slope. It is among the tight corners and between the walls of neighbouring houses that social life usually takes place. After the earthquake, the site of Tapis Rouge used to be a tent camp for displaced people. It sits at the top of a slope overlooking the ravines either side and it marks the entrance to the alleyways and homes below. The design itself is inherently community-oriented and understands public space as an anthropological ground from which identity and social relations grow. Through a participatory approach and through placing community engagement at the core of the design process, this public space aims to give transformative power to a local community and to provide the residents with a sense of ownership, identity, and pride. The goal was to create a safer and cleaner environment, which would help reduce crime, violence, and anti-social behaviour in the area. The program and the architectural design have been established directly with the community. An open-air amphitheatre, intended for community gathering, marks the centre of the space. Dotted around the edges of the seating-steps are several Flamboyant's that, when fully grown, will shelter the users from the sun. The concentric rings beyond define areas within the plaza. One, is occupied by outdoor exercise equipment and seating. In another one, near the wall, the locally-made blue pavers give way to terraces of greenery, each with different plants. Above it, by the top end, a row of palm trees conceals storage tanks for the adjacent water distribution station. The well that feeds the tanks and station brings water from 100m below ground. The revenue generated from the sales of water will be reinvested into maintaining the public space. The wall that runs along the perimeter of the site has been transformed by the community and local artists with colourful murals. The designs emerged from one of the community engagement workshops, in which artists discussed the value of art with people from the neighbourhood. The children from the area, their parents and artists from Le Centre d'art and French artist Bault worked together on the final piece, which reflects Haiti's rich painting tradition. Product Description. 1. ARCOD – Pre-cast concrete pavers The pre-cast concrete pavers that create the vibrant pattern on the plaza have been locally fabricated in Haiti. Their use in the project has been discussed directly with the community of Carrefour-Feuilles. The vibrant colours have been tested with ARCOD and are aimed to provide the community with a different colour palette, which is often left cement-like due to a lack of resources for finishes. 2. Green Energy Solutions – Solar Lights Carrefour-Feuilles is characterized by extreme poverty, poor vehicle and pedestrian circulation and limited access to electricity. The installation of solar lights is aimed to provide the community with a safer and cleaner environment. 3. Green Gym – Outdoor workout equipment As part of a multi-functional programme, the low-impact workout equipment, specifically requested by the community, is designed in an intuitive way for weight-based exercises. Green Gym will also provide training to the users of the public space. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Herzog & de Meuron's Chelsea FC Stadium Receives Council Approval Posted: 12 Jan 2017 06:00 AM PST Herzog & de Meuron's Chelsea Football Club stadium has been given approval by Hammersmith and Fulham council's planning committee, reports BBC. The new £500 million stadium, which is estimated to be completed by 2020, will replace the existing stadium at Stamford Bridge, increasing the capacity of the space by almost 20,000 spectators to 60,000 seats. The design of the new stadium is inspired by Gothic architecture, as well as nearby Victorian-era brick terraces, which will wrap around the entirety of the building. Committee decision to approve the stadium plans does not mean that work can begin on site; various other permissions will be necessary before the final decision will be made by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Expansion of Chelsea's stadium has been in the works for several years, with a previous attempt to buy Battersea Power Station for redevelopment losing out to luxury apartments. Learn more about the project here and here. News via BBC. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 12 Jan 2017 05:00 AM PST
From the architect. A long folding house cranks its way down a lengthy garden plot ceded from the back-lands of a larger holding. In contrast with its more reticent next-door neighbour this house confidently acknowledges its urban context by tightly screening itself to the street and more actively opening at the upper level. What first presents itself as a trumpet-like balcony peering over the perimeter wall to the street becomes the final space of the house – a living room that overlooks Fitzgerald Park and the Daly Suspension Bridge in the distance. On entering from the street a gravelled courtyard is made for off-street car parking. From here one follows a cranking footpath that tightens and expands against the planted perimeter wall. Continuing along this path the volume of the house creases inwards at its south-facing core to breath light and air into a central double-height roof-lit entrance hall. Here a series of deep roof light baffles play with penetrating and reflected sunlight over the course of the day. Two principal living spaces are located diagonally in section to either side of this central hall: the ground floor kitchen/dining space with aspect onto the rear garden relates diagonally across the hall to the first floor living space. Likewise the two bedroom spaces of the house occupy the remaining diagonal spaces across the hall. Meanwhile an opportunistic studio pinches space from the rear first floor bedroom to offer a window overlooking the entrance. A rear first floor external terrace also admits light without compromising or overlooking the private amenity of neighbours. While black paint on render is employed externally, white plastered walls are employed internally to create light-filled spaces. Wall surfaces and ceiling soffits fold and flow connecting interior spaces in a sculptural and plastic manner. Glazed screens are used in bold ways throughout the house, in some instances to fold and compress spaces and in other instances to expand and open the house to views beyond. Product Description: Natural anodoised aluminium floor-to-ceiling external sliding window and door screens are employed in this house in order to allow for simple bold openings within a rendered blockwork and steel folding form and an ease of access from internal to external spaces. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Discover Madrid's Geometric Architecture Through This Photo Series Posted: 12 Jan 2017 04:00 AM PST Digital Designer and Creative Director Joel Filipe has unveiled Geometry of Madrid Architecture, a series of photographs depicting the bold architecture of Madrid. Through the project, Filipe reveals varying "geometries within minimalist clichés that underline the lines of the buildings." Buildings photographed in the series include Ciudad BBVA, by Herzog & de Meuron, Museo ABC, by Aranguren & Gallegos Architects, Hospital Rey Juan Carlos, by Rafael de La-Hoz, and more.
Experience the geometry of Madrid, after the break. News via Joel Filipe. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Reconstruction of Public Facilites in Mon Perin Camping / NFO Posted: 12 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST
From the architect. Camping Mon Perin is located in the municipality of Bale, Istria Peninsula in Croatia and is spread over 9 km of coastline, halfway between towns Rovinj and Pula. The whole area is protected as valuable natural environment and also as an archaeological site. That resulted with very strict construction conditions that permitted reconstruction but within the existing spatial parameters. That condition has been an extremely aggravating circumstance knowing the standards that had to be met in terms of categorization. The project task was to raise Camp categorization from 2 ** to 4 **** between two summer seasons by reconstructing the main facilities: reception, restaurant and 8 toilets. It was also aimed to create a modern camp with facilities and architectural language that suggests a new direction of services development within the camp. Existing facilities were mostly "reconstructed reconstructions", too small in size and inadequate aesthetics. The reception is located at the entrance between the two Mon Perin camps (San Polo and Colone) where guests register and collect basic information on the services Camp. Besides the reconstruction of the existing plan of the reception of an outer pergola was added as a sort of antechamber for the gathering of guests. Reception pergola also embraces and 3 "coated" containers for the camp administration purposes during the season. The triangular floor plan came from the shape of the existing roads that direct visitors to one or the other camp. Restaurant Porto Buso is located in an attractive location on the coast and is its primary form was also defined by the existing building. The reconstruction kept the basic structural system with a complete change of interior and the facade. Next to the restaurant is a large terrace, playground and space for mounting the stage. Sanitary facilities were particularly challenging precisely because of the need for a large number of sanitary facilities and supporting facilities to meet the categorization requirements. The goal was to design all toilets in similar form. Four bathrooms located in San Polo are made with brushed stone precast while bathrooms at Camp Colone are finished with HPL boards. They consist of closed parts and covered area for washing dishes and clothes. Without the excellent collaboration with the client Mon Perin Ltd. who recognized the importance of such interventions in the camp and the project manager Ivana Fabris (IF Project Ltd.) it wouldn't be possible to complete this project in a short period of time and under difficult conditions. The project received ARTUR Award (by Zagreb Society Of Architects) for the best tourist project realization in 2016. Product Description. FunderMax Exterior Panels were used as a facade of the sanitary facilites because they have great characteristic and are durable in costal areas with high level of salt in the air. Lichtkanal lamps were use in sanitary facilities interior. Pedralli chairs were used in Porto Buso restaurant. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
7 Novels Every Architect Should Read Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:30 AM PST Great architects are like great writers. Our abilities to observe the world around us down to the tiniest details, and then make the most remarkable connections, have in time given humanity great stories and experiences - whether through imagined or real spaces. As Charles Eames put it, "Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The key to quality of the connections is the key to quality per se." As architects, we have a nearly endless succession of connections to make, from materials, to geography, to time, to people, to experiences and statements of our own beliefs, all coming together in the design of a space. Novels are therefore a great way to remind yourself of the creative possibilities that architecture holds, encouraging you to dream about what architecture could be; and what experiences could be. These 7 non-architectural novels each have their own qualities that could open up the architectural world (and provide you with an enjoyable reading list in your time off). Enjoy! 1. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. PirsigFollowing a motorcycle journey of a father and son through the American Northwest, the novel is woven into a philosophical discovery of the true concept of Quality, something architects are constantly battling with. Is quality reached through perception, or rationality? Does it emerge from material properties; form; the designer? Pirsig begins to draw his own conclusions about quality and its necessity for a personal identification and relationship between creator and creation. In other words, quality can't be faked, just as genuine investment can't be faked. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" doesn't just take you along on an exciting story; it will cause you to think deeper about what Quality really means to you, and in turn, to your architecture. 2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyRoy pays intense attention (as its title suggests) to the small things in life, but more importantly, how they connect to the bigger things. This understanding of the deep relationship between details and context is surely influenced by her education at The School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, also contributing to her decisions on structure and space in the novel. As Roy explains, "The stories you love the most are the stories you already know... structurally as an architect, you don't start designing a house with the entrance and end with the exit. There was a layered structure, narrative, that in itself was a challenge." This cyclical thinking results in a textured, wholesome plot that through words aims to materialise the intangible, creating her own language through which to process the world. Hopefully it will inspire you to do the same. 3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry"The Little Prince" is known for looking beyond the world at first glance, made obvious on the first few pages, where "the grown-ups" mistake a drawing of "a boa constrictor digesting an elephant" for a hat. Saint-Exupéry takes you back to the beauty and wonder of being a child, and the power of emotions that can come with certain experiences. It's a short read in comparison to the rest of the books on this list, but is successful in reminding us of what's important to people, relationships, a healthy psyche, and what we should be contributing to all of this. "The Little Prince" encourages you to "think outside the box," or rather, "think outside the hat" and re-embodies the fascination with the world that is sometimes diluted with age. 4. Austerlitz by W. G. SebaldSebald constructs a story that revolves around the creation of identity through memory, born from the relationship between Austerlitz and the narrator that arises from their common interests in history and architecture. Hence, it's not only the descriptions of memory, place and identity that are moving and complex, but also the descriptions of architectural spaces with images and illustrations to match. The novel is a tour through elements of architectural history with a personal story, making it informative as well as engaging. 5. The Fountainhead by Ayn RandA take on Rand's ideal moral person is manifested in her depiction of architect Howard Roark, a man beyond corruption's reach. It is a novel fighting for integrity and honesty, and against conformity and prestige. Whether one agrees with Rand's philosophy of morality or not, "The Fountainhead" forces you to think deeply about the honesty of your practice, and communicating your beliefs on what you think is of importance in this world, through architecture. It questions everything about history, authority and tradition, in favour of uncompromising authenticity. 6. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje"A rose is a rose is a rose..." The layers that accumulate over a rose, an object, or a place over time working to shape something new is central to Ondaatje's novel, where layers of time, place, history and culture slide over and around each other with immense fluidity. Following the narrative of a man whose identity and history is questionable, the relationship between space, memory and time is undeniable. These memories encapsulated within architecture are not only beautiful, but also thought-provoking from an architectural perspective. How do we use history and time to give form? How does the mapping and organization of space, nations, borders and labels fit into architecture? 7. The Aleph and Other Stories by Jorge Luis BorgesImagining the unimaginable spaces, such as the infinite experienced in one point, Borges pushes the boundaries of what space, and consequently architecture, could be. Is it possible to create the experience of an endless space? Of a shifting space? The worlds that exist within "The Aleph and Other Stories" twist reality, perhaps beyond the point of what is possible, but open up to the potential evolution of our experiences and perceptions of space. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Kalø Tower Visitor Access / MAP Architects Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST
From the architect. The project allows access to one of Denmark's archaeological gems, while offering and intricate spatial experience. Previously inaccessible, the visitor can enter and climb the main space of the tower, perceive the archaeological layers and view the landscape. Culture and nature, at a small and large scale, are united by this spiral access. This 700 year-old medieval ruin is key in Danish history. Built on an isthmus projecting from the coast, it is a local reference, a social anchor and major national tourist attraction in the northern part of the Jutland peninsula. Three stories high and two stories deep, the brick tower has been empty of its internal structure for centuries, with a single small opening at its base as the only source of visual access to the interior. The project, a zig-zagging staircase, allows the visitor to enter, experience the archaeological layers at hand's reach, walk upwards to access façade openings and balconies, while offering at each landing the opportunity to view the magnificent landscapes surrounding this historic site. While being minimal in its detail, the staircase creates an intricate space within the cubic emptiness, culminating at its top open to the sky. The desire to allow the visitor to "touch" the archaeological layers of the tower, and simultaneously "leave" the ruin and "levitate" in the landscape was pivotal. The architectural gesture is the geometric result of connecting openings and landings, while aiming to offer the richness of the archaeological site and the surrounding landscape. Being an archaeological site, the challenges of supporting the structure given the few anchor points allowed was substantial. Characteristic of MAP Architects works, narrative and technology are merged to solve extreme challenges. An in-house constructed portable 3D scanner was a decisive in permitting a digital 3D of every single brick, reducing tolerances to a minimum while allowing for a design that would "fit" the site. By the constant shift of landing size, step and rise ratios, the design of a continuous handrail without height variations was achieved, greatly reducing the formal and visual clutter. What otherwise seems like a simple staircase, it has bound landscape and archelogy in an incredibly tight space, increasing the visitor experience and doubling visitor numbers overnight. The project has recently been nominated for the 2017 European Mies van der Rohe Award. Product Description. The Staircase is based on a steel frame construction, supported on the ruin at only four points to minimize damage on the historical monument. The sides and underside are clad in ash wood, specially treated with heat to maximize durability to up to 60 years without paint. The stairs and handrail are metal, painted in matt black to ensure maximum durability, since the site is at the coast and therefore under tough weather conditions. The stair was constructed in 7 large pieces in a workshop normally used for off-shore elements, and mounted in the tower ruin by crane. The building site was extremely challenging since the whole area is a cultural heritage and strictly protected, therefore, no damage to the tower was allowed and the process was closely monitored. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
This German House Sheds Excess to Provide Peace and Clarity Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST Designed by Düsseldorf-based interior architecture practice Falkenberg Innenarchitektur, House Rheder II is designed as a serene retreat, shedding inessential features and integrating itself within the natural landscape. Framing views of the idyllic greenery of East Westfalia and gentle waters of the river Nethe, the project aims to dissolve the chaos of modern life.
Originally a holiday home from the 1950s, the house was rebuilt starting in 2015, preserving the original floor slab and terrace over the water as a foundation to pare down to 90 square meters of essentials: light, air, and tranquility. The structure is minimalist, with exposed steel supports and a steel frame supporting fully glazed facades. Filigree floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors open to a timber deck on the water-facing side of the building, cantilevered into panoramic views of Rheder country park. A reflecting pool on the southeastern side of the house reflects the sky and sunlight onto the ceiling inside, further dissolving the separation between interior and exterior. From the opposite wall a fireplace protrudes, bringing warmth to the heart of the house. The living room is finished with minimal furnishings, allowing residents the flexibility to personalize their sanctuary.
A ceiling-height sliding partition divides the living room and conceals two intimate bedrooms and a bathroom, all of which feature skylights. A small technical room beyond houses all technology, which can be controlled by an app. Learn more about the project here. News via v2com. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Newly Discovered Molecular ‘Glue’ May hold the Key to Strong Wooden Skyscrapers Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:00 PM PST The key to engineering wood strong enough to support skyscrapers may lie in the interaction between molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair. A new study by researchers at the Universities of Warwick and Cambridge has solved a long-held mystery of how key polymers in plant cells bind to form strong, indigestible materials such as wood and straw. By recreating this 'glue' in a lab, engineers may be able to produce new wood-based materials that surpass current strength capabilities. The discovery lies in the bond between the Earth's two most common polymers, cellulose and xylan, both of which are found in the cell walls of wood. For some time, scientists have pondered how xylan, a long, winding polymer coated in 'decorations' of sugar and other molecules, could adhere to the thicker, rod-like cellulose molecules. "We knew the answer must be elegant and simple," explained research lead Professor Paul Dupree from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. "And in fact, it was. What we found was that cellulose induces xylan to untwist itself and straighten out, allowing it to attach itself to the cellulose molecule. It then acts as a kind of 'glue' that can protect cellulose or bind the molecules together, making very strong structures." The scientists believe this understand may have a dramatic effect on wood-related industries such as paper and biofuel production by greatly reducing the amount of energy required for their processes to occur, as well as allow for innovation that could create stronger engineered-wood materials. With timber-framed skyscrapers already appearing around the world, these new materials could potentially solidify wood as the standard for tall building construction for years to come. Learn more about the discovery, here. News via Phys.org. Timelapse: The Construction of the World's Tallest Timber Tower SOM's Timber Tower System Successfully Passes Strength Testing The Compact Wooden City: A Life-Cycle Analysis of How Timber Could Help Combat Climate Change This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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