Arch Daily |
- Habitat Andergassen Urthaler / Architekt Andreas Gruber
- 22 Haganim st. Ramat Ha’sharon / Bar Orian Architects
- Yast Khaneh / khavarian architects + Awe Office
- Tetris Nursery / IROJE KHM Architects
- VIET My Office / TNT architects
- Connor / Smart Design Studio
- Coldefy Associés and ECADI Win Competition for New Bao'an Cultural Center in Shenzhen
- Chausson's Garden / Ateliers 2/3/4/
- WashPo's New Augmented Reality Series Begins with a Virtual Look at the Ceiling of Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie
- Rochester School / Daniel Bonilla Arquitectos
- 6 Projects Win 2017 RIBA West Midlands Awards
- Oslo Airport Expansion / Nordic – Office of Architecture
- How Air Conditioning Helped Shape Architectural History (For Better or Worse)
- AN House / Studio Guilherme Torres
- Zaha Hadid Design Unveils Corian Dominated Custom Kitchen Island
- 3XN Reveals Design for Extension of Silkeborg Museum
- PURE / Sílvia Rocio + Mariana Póvoa + esse studio
| Habitat Andergassen Urthaler / Architekt Andreas Gruber Posted: 16 May 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Gustav Willeit
 © Gustav Willeit From the architect. Long-drawn natural stone walls shape the image of the western part of the Eisacktal in South Tyrol- Northern Italy. In the area of Bressanone You can find a granite stone with a considerable percentage of iron; in the southern Eisacktal You find porphyry, which change his colour in the weathering process in a dark gray. The building site in Barbian, a steeply slanting east slope, characterized by the same walls, with a magnificent view to the Dolomites, the Schlern, the impressive mountain in Val Gardena and the chubby Plose.  © Gustav Willeit In analogy to this environment, an object was developed in an intensive multi-layered planning process that takes up the essential components of the characteristic natural and cultural landscape of the "Eisacktal" and integrates itself into the topography and the building context in a self-evident manner. A building with an awareness of ecological mineral healthy structure, which was built in consequence with insulating concrete. A new generation of the material, which was developed for this concept.  © Gustav Willeit  © Gustav Willeit In order to meet these requirements, unique details have been developed which work without composite construction. No polyurethane, no plastic.  © Gustav Willeit  Section  © Gustav Willeit "The special climatic conditions in the Alps, as well as the requirements of the national energy saving guidelines, force experts to think about how the application of building materials can be optimized without the production of special waste." Architekt Andreas Gruber  © Gustav Willeit This topic will be of much interest to us in the future. A building must therefore be 100% recyclable for us. The construction material "Dämmbeton" has these prerequisites and was taken up for this concept. Together with competent and innovative partners, this goal has been transformed into a functioning prototype. From this point of view, the object is not an experiment, but a built reality.  © Gustav Willeit This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 22 Haganim st. Ramat Ha’sharon / Bar Orian Architects Posted: 16 May 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Amit Geron
 © Amit Geron From the architect. The thirteen-story building at 22 Haganim Street in Ramat Hasharon is situated on a large parcel of land (3500 sq. meters). "22 Haganim st. is a unique landmark in the development of an architectural language we have been exploring and developing for the past several years – building 'Villas in the Air'." This new language marks a breakthrough of the traditional typology of a building with a ground floor, topped by story after story of identical floors, and a penthouse. The Villas in the Air mark a departure from repetitive, typical floors, and replace them with a variety of types of floors on top of each other, creating large rooftop terraces along the entire height of the building.  Ground Floor Plan Daring enterprising and bold architecture, combined with the special City Planning specifications for the area, on the outskirts of Ramat Hasharon, enabled this innovation - The construction volume is larger than the sum of the designated building rights, presenting us with the opportunity to play with the mass and sculpt it anew, as we were not bound by the limitations of typical urban plots that mandate adhering to rigid lines of construction. We thus had the opportunity to design 17 different apartment types (for a total of 56 units) each of which offers a large terrace, of the size that only garden apartments and penthouses have enjoyed to date. In addition, we planned several independent garden apartments and unique duplexes.  © Amit Geron Furthermore, despite the complex and changing program, the project was planned so that the construction and the plumbing system envelop the building at identical points all along its length. This creates open, flexible spaces that can be changed in accordance to the tenants' needs.  Type 1 Plan We enjoyed the benefits of prefabricated construction – quick work and a unified outcome that combines a variety of finishes – black aluminum plates that highlight the console-like boxes, black aluminum glass cases, and light natural stone for the building surface. Unlike standard residential towers, the lobby on each floor is ventilated. The lighting is sunlight that brings in the view open from all public places in the one-of-a-kind 22 Haganim st.  © Amit Geron  Section  © Amit Geron This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yast Khaneh / khavarian architects + Awe Office Posted: 16 May 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Hossein Farahani
 © Hossein Farahani From the architect. The project is a ten-year old residential building in new context of city of Yazd that was referred to the architect during the final stages of reconstruction by another team, due to client's dissatisfaction with the outcome. We started the process with evaluation of the improper functions Juxtaposition and proceed to problems like lack of harmony, identity and unity in building facade (just like other buildings in Yazd new city textures).Regarding the building location on the corner of a junction and having two western and northern facades, an accrete idea for optimum revitalization of the interior and exterior, by means of a proper method, which can fulfill the client and the architect requirements has been quested.  © Hossein Farahani  Site Plan Isometric  © Hossein Farahani The client's initial demand was privacy while having a vivid court. Through several meetings with them and exploring their viewpoints toward old ethnic houses in Yazd, this notable point stands out that contemporary people who are living in Yazd today, still have the same life style and image of "home" as past. This point make us design nowadays needs of a family in Yazd like privacy, public and private courts and spaces, open and semi- open spaces in the form of today needs of a family. With respect to the two west and north faces of the lot and climatic analysis, and the western face being longer, we concluded that most of the spaces will receive sunlight from west side, facing the street. Finally with manipulation a skin, we reached to spaces between the skin and the building as semi- open yet covered spaces that supply privacy while adding area to the house. For example, we transformed the issue of windows overlooking the street into windows overlooking the courtyard.  © Hossein Farahani  Floor Plans  © Hossein Farahani The skin is prolonged on the western face with same height to the building that provides shadow on the west side. In addition, we located the residential western spaces behind the skin and by creating a corridor, not only providing daylight but also heightening the physical connection to the courtyard and amplifying the house entrance. Inside of the house there was a high atrium which we applied as a filter to divide the house into northern and southern areas that the northern part contains private spaces like kitchen, living room, and bedrooms while the southern houses public spaces like guest room and hall overlooking the courtyard.  © Hossein Farahani  Diagram  © Hossein Farahani This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tetris Nursery / IROJE KHM Architects Posted: 16 May 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Sergio Pirrone
 © Sergio Pirrone From the architect. Design concept of Tetris Nursery was to creat diverse events of learning experiences. As for the programs of learning diverse experiences for kids, we tried to introduce various spatial events which are continued by strolling all around the places in this kindergarten.  © Sergio Pirrone From playground, through the playstair, rest terrace, playbridge, roof-playstair, upto roofgarden, there are various strolling spaces of circulation and playful spaces. Section-1.jpg?1494901429 "Section") Section Section-2.jpg?1494901535 "Section") Section Consequently, all the inner and outer spaces are playful spaces, at the same time, they are the places of learning diverse experiences, we expected this kindergarten to be the educational places for various experiences of many kinds of qualities of spaces.  © Sergio Pirrone To introduce southern sunlight, we adapted clearstory system to each roofs of this kindergarten, so it divided into several masses which look like Tetris block.  © Sergio Pirrone By design the colorful glazed windows of translucence, we tried to teach all kids the physical experiences of change of color and mixed color.  © Sergio Pirrone We expect all the parts of this architecture could be the learning things for all the kids of this kindergarten.  © Sergio Pirrone This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| VIET My Office / TNT architects Posted: 16 May 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Triệu Chiến
 © Triệu Chiến From the architect. Vinh city is amongst economic central hubs in the central provinces of Vietnam where small and medium business has been burgeoning recently. Due to rapid development, many industrial complexes have not paid enough attention to working environment and living standards of their staff.  © Triệu Chiến Given this situation, Viet My Company has set a plan to design and construct an office where there exists a strong bond amongst people and, between the human and the nature,simultanously, reducing energy which consume in the office.  Sketch In particular, Viet My Office consist of two main functions, in the first floor dedicated to work for 18 people and the second floor is a hall with a seating capacity of 200. However, We focus on designing the main hall on the first floor which is interconnected with the corridor on the second floor. The reason stems from the fact that these areas are places where people meet up in the morning before working hours, during the break time and in the afternoon after working.  © Triệu Chiến The first floor and second floor face directly to the garden and the wood nearby, helping to establish a strong tie between people and the nature. The building has double roofs, creating a space for a flow of winds, and a wall with two layers, with the front layer made by vines to reduce East-West heat.  Plan We want to make a paragon of office via designing Viet My Office in Vinh city. We hope to establish the perfect building which has good location,good people's life quality,a good connection between people and people, human and nature, nature and architecture, demonstrating our desire create an exemplary architecture of office at Vinh City.  © Triệu Chiến This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 16 May 2017 10:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio
 Courtesy of Smart Design Studio From the architect. More than just a building, Connor at Central Park is the new gateway to one of Sydney's most popular urban precincts – Central Park in Chippendale. Home to 178 apartments and retail on the ground floor, this 13-storey building reads as a series of boxes or cubes suspended in the air – a delicate balance of form, composition and proportion.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio  Ground Floor  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The original envelope of the building as described in the masterplan was relaxed in a design that accommodates a slightly larger building with deep slots added to bring natural light and air into the centre of the floor plans. This also breaks the building into a series of independent blocks, with two north-south circulation corridors running off a central lobby core, forming a shape not unlike the letter H. With slightly different shapes and heights, solid sides and glazed or louvred ends, these blocks bring a sculptural form to the building, almost as if they were suspended pieces of a giant public artwork.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The façade is clad in a brushed copper composite-aluminium whose warmth recalls the red brick found in the local area, including the heritage Brewery Yard building nearby, restored from the original Carlton Brewery site. Deep fixed louvres, arranged in horizontal stacks, run perpendicular to the facade of the building. Each stack is rotated in a slightly different direction to reflect ambient light at different angles, creating sheen and shadow.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio This subtle idea, which extends to the east and west facades as well, introduces poetry to the building while tackling privacy and solar control at the same time. On the Southern façade, which receives the least sunlight, a lenticular effect has been created by alternating two sets of louvres in different directions, reflecting light, trees and clouds, animating the building.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio Successfully merging the different scales, materials, and uses of this corner of Sydney, Connor at Central Park mediates between the fine grain, low rise brick buildings of Chippendale and the larger scale, high rise buildings that connect Central Park to Sydney's Southern CBD.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio A gateway building positioned at the south-west corner of the precinct, Connor at Central Park is located at the intersection of O'Connor and Abercrombie Streets and is contained by two new minor streets. The main entrance to the building is located on the east elevation on Central Park Avenue, fronting the newly created urban park.  Level 3 - 7 Plan Entering from Chippendale Green, visitors and residents are drawn though a compressed portal into a dramatic three storey atrium lobby. Extending across all three stories, a huge light box illuminates the centre of the building, changing colour through the day from red to pink, blue to violet.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio Views from inside the apartments include an eastern aspect overlooking the newly created Chippendale Green, west looking out to Sydney University over the heritage listed buildings of Notre Dame University and St Benedict's Church, north into the new garden courtyard of the Block 4A Student Housing, and south over the warehouses and terraces of Chippendale to Redfern's parks and even Botany Bay on the higher levels.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio In addition to the ground floor lobby, resident's lounge and gym, a common outdoor area occupies the topmost roof terrace with barbeque and landscaping. All other terraces in the building are connected to individual apartments (mostly two storeys) and animated by gardens. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Coldefy Associés and ECADI Win Competition for New Bao'an Cultural Center in Shenzhen Posted: 16 May 2017 09:25 AM PDT  © VIZE Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes, in collaboration with ECADI (East China Architectural Design and Research Institute), has been awarded 1st prize in the international competition to design the new Bao'an Public Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen, China, beating out 69 other entries, including a proposal from Mecanoo.  © VIZE The winning proposal, titled "Living Canvas," aims to connect the building back to the city through a split form and interactive vertical courtyard that will invite visitors to participate in a dialogue between the avant-garde artistic creations and a highly-involved public. Located in the district of Bao'an, the cultural center will offer over 80,000 square meters divided among three main program pieces: a museum, an art gallery and an exhibition hall. The ground floor "City Lobby" will welcome visitors into the building and provide retail amenities, as well as connect to the metro.  Courtesy of Coldefy & Associés and ECADI  Courtesy of Coldefy & Associés and ECADI  Courtesy of Coldefy & Associés and ECADI Higher up, the "Sky Lobby" will serve as a 'floating' public plaza, creating a space for cultural programs within green, landscaped elements. The building volumes continue to shift as the structure rises, opening up new views to Shenzhen and the bay. "Conceived as a 'living canvas' to be shared and experienced by artists and visitors alike, the building is characterized by its generous spaces, where art works escape from the traditional enclosure of exhibition rooms," explain the architects. "This multifaceted structure is simultaneously an objet d'art and a setting for art, fostering a dialogue between avant-garde creations and a much- involved public. The idea of opening out to the city and its residents is expressed through a large sculpted split, which gives the building permeability and breaks with institutional codes."  © VIZE  © VIZE "The spatial vision of the 'living canvas' is also expressed through the desire to connect all the indoor areas with the exterior. This standpoint ensures a constant dialogue between the building and its environment, through a visual and tactile relationship. In the heart of the building, the 'canvas' dreamed up splits open, giving way to a large glazed hall on a higher level, providing a new 360° view over the city."  Courtesy of Coldefy & Associés and ECADI  © VIZE The building will be clad in translucent stone, allowing views of the art to permeate through the city as night falls – allowing the building to serve both as a beacon and a mirror reflecting the dynamic nature of Bao'an. News via Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes.  Courtesy of Coldefy & Associés and ECADI  © Xiaofan Wu
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| Chausson's Garden / Ateliers 2/3/4/ Posted: 16 May 2017 08:00 AM PDT .jpg?1493806454 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume
.jpg?1493806438 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume From the architect. On a regional scale, the Chausson's public garden in Chandon Republique's joint development zone is located near the green axis. Valuating ordinary biodiversity, increasingly rare in the Ile-de-France is one of the main issue of the project. .jpg?1493806124 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume  Master Plan .jpg?1493806426 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume Occupying a field of 6.500 m², it's also a local garden, with an "intensive" use, due to its establishment at the heart of an eco-neighbourhood of more than 1.500 housings. The issue is on one part to give furnished spaces to inhabitants, constituted of an educational block, a large child play area and kitchen gardens, but also creating a quieter zone (700 m²), space of relaxation, reading and wandering. .jpg?1493806362 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume  Diagram .jpg?1493806055 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume General architect and contractor for design and execution of the place and the public square, Ateliers 2/3/4/ is also coordinating architect of the joint development zone. .jpg?1493806135 "© Clément Guillaume") © Clément Guillaume This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 16 May 2017 07:20 AM PDT  © Iwan Baan The Washington Post has launched a new architectural augmented reality series that will provide readers with an in-depth look at the details behind some of the world's most innovative new buildings. For its first edition, architecture critic Philip Kennicott narrates an AR projection of the unique ceiling of the main concert hall at Herzog & de Meuron's recently completed Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. "With this technology, we can insert news into a reader's reality simply using a phone—no headgear or physical triggers required—to recreate state-of-the art physical spaces," said Joey Marburger, head of product for The Post. "Criticism has always been about robust description," explains Kennicott. "But allowing the viewer to move around in a space of their volition is a game changer for architecture critics, and this is the first time we've had access to technology that simulates being present in the actual building." In the first story, the intuitive navigation guides you through the design behind the concert hall's complex ceiling, composed of 10,000 unique panels parametrically generated to provide optimal acoustics. To check out the AR feature for yourself, download the Washington Post Classic app from the Apple app store, then click this link to the story here. Then, simply aim your camera at the ceiling of any room you are in, and follow the steps that will appear on screen. The experience is currently only available for iOS devices. News via the Washington Post.
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| Rochester School / Daniel Bonilla Arquitectos Posted: 16 May 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Rodrigo Dávila
 © Rodrigo Dávila From the architect. With approximately 16000m² of buildings and 21000m² of exteriors and landscape design, the Rochester School’s Master Plan aimed for a strategy which reflected its own concept of academic community. Thus, as a premise, the HUBS (grouping system) appeared, looking for an educational model that integrate teachers and students disregarding grades and therefore fading out the traditional hierarchy of school formation.  Master Plan Each HUB is configured trough a group of classrooms surrounding a central space known as an “Extended Learning Area” (ELA) which serves as a support area for activities happening inside each classroom. The ELA’s and the classrooms are divided by a folding enclosure that allows a full integration among classroom’s interior and exterior. Through the implementation of this strategy, we were able to provide different alternatives (layouts) for the learning environment to happen. Hence, the traditional learning process occurs inside the classroom, and afterwards students are able to share their experiences in the social space (ELA); where they can also interact in a different setting, and upgrade their group work between teachers and students.  © Rodrigo Dávila Thus a geometrical composition for the HUB´s shaped like a flower (a nucleus surrounded by elements at the perimeter) was developed, and it was replicated throughout the site as a module, giving place to the general masses of buildings allocating classrooms; located on the central axis of the master plan. In addition, in order to isolate acoustically the scholar zone, and offer the greatest accessibility to services, the Master Plan was organized following five noticeable operating fringes:  Grouping System Finally, the Rochester School envisioned a “Green School Campus”, consequently environmental projects were implemented in order to achieve a LEED - GOLD certification, the highest standard awarded. With the objective set, each chapter (from design stage thought the construction process) had to pursue a smart use of materials and clean production processes, creating a minimal impact for the environment. In the same way, a water treatment system, renewable energy sources and new general technologies were included, not only to supply the School´s requirements for everyday use, but also to grant the operation of the swimming pool. These actions, in conjunction with the bioclimatic strategies considered for every building, set the School as an example of a conscious, innovative and responsible education centre.  © Rodrigo Dávila This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 6 Projects Win 2017 RIBA West Midlands Awards Posted: 16 May 2017 05:00 AM PDT  The Compound / BPN Architects. Image © Tom Bird The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the first wave of their 2017 RIBA Regional Awards, beginning with the West Midlands region. Six projects were selected as winners from the region, which includes the city of Birmingham and its surrounding area. "This year's winning projects prove that a good architecture should allow its user a space and time to absorb and to reflect," commented Regional Jury Chair, Natalia Maximova. "The selected designs frame our experience of the buildings and spaces rather than dictate it. They highlight the fact that there is no true architecture without a clear vision and a strong concept. Originality remains a highly valued commodity and a source of inspiration for others and therefore should be recognised. "The winners deliver an architecture with a narrative and a poetry, while also fully responding to the functional needs of the facilities they created. It is a year of quieter and well-mannered design, nevertheless, no less confident and powerful for that reason." WinnersAlan Walters Building, University of Birmingham / Berman Guedes Stretton  Alan Walters Building, University of Birmingham / Berman Guedes Stretton. Image © Quintin Lake Croft Lodge Studio, Leominster / Kate Darby Architects  Croft Lodge Studio, Leominster / Kate Darby Architects. Image © James Morris Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre / Arup Associates  Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre / Arup Associates. Image © Simon Kennedy Remembrance Centre, National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas / Glenn Howells Architects  Remembrance Centre, National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas / Glenn Howells Architects. Image © Rob Parrish St. Michael's Hospice, Hereford / Architype  St. Michael's Hospice, Hereford / Architype. Image © Dennis Gilbert The Compound / BPN Architects  The Compound / BPN Architects. Image © Tom Bird Special recognitions were also given to:
These 6 projects will be now further considered for the RIBA National Awards, to be announced this June. The winners of the national award will then create a shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the highest award for architecture in the UK. News via RIBA.
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| Oslo Airport Expansion / Nordic – Office of Architecture Posted: 16 May 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Ivan Brodey
 © Ivan Brodey From the architect. Designed by Oslo-based practice Nordic-Office of Architecture, the 115,000 sqm expansion to Oslo Airport sets new standards in sustainability. The competition-winning design, which uses snow as a coolant, has achieved the world's first BREEAM 'Excellent' sustainability rating for an airport building.  © Knut Ramstad The expansion doubles the size of the existing terminal building with the addition of a new, 300m long pier. Nordic continued the timeless architectural expression and rational simplicity of the original airport – which the practice designed in 1998 - whilst introducing new design elements to enhance the passenger experience. Nordic also updated the existing train station, which sits at the heart of the airport enabling 70% of all passengers to access the airport by public transport.  © Knut Ramstad Nordic's design increases the airport capacity from 19million to an anticipated future capacity of 30miliion, whilst passenger flow was improved with a maximum walking distance of just 450m, far shorter than most airports.  © Ivan Brodey  Diagram Iso Domestic International  © Knut Ramstad The multi-disciplinary design team applied an holistic approach to sustainability, including the harvesting of as much on-site energy as possible. Snow from the runways will be collected and stored during wintertime in an on site depot to be used as coolant during the summer. Natural materials have been used throughout the building: the new pier is entirely clad in timber sourced from Scandinavian forests. Recycled steel and special, environmentally friendly, concrete mixed with volcanic ash has been used throughout. By choosing environmentally friendly materials, the building's CO2 emissions were reduced by 35%.  © Dag Spant Enhanced levels of insulation mean the project has achieved Passive House level performance standards. Energy consumption in the new expansion has been cut by more than 50% compared to the existing terminal.  Diagram Heating Cooling Passenger comfort and well-being have been key drivers of the design throughout. Artificial lighting is designed only as a minimal supplement to high levels of natural daylight, and can be set to reflect different moods according to weather, season and time of day. The compact layout of the building, transparency and open spaces enhances visual legibility and wayfinding, providing reassurance and peace of mind for travellers. A panoramic window at the north end of the pier, a 300-metre long skylight and curved glazed windows on both sides open up the view to the surrounding landscape and beyond.  © Knut Ramstad Green walls and water features suggestive of Scandinavian forests enhance the experience for passengers as they move through the terminal. The retail units in duty free areas have been conceived as organic stone forms associated with Norwegian landscapes.  Diagram Iso Departure  Diagram Iso Arrivals Gudmund Stokke, Founder and Head of design at Nordic-Office of Architecture, commented: "We are delighted to have delivered a project which not only develops Oslo Airport's distinctive architecture, but one which also provides a greatly enhanced experience for passengers."  © Knut Ramstad Dag-Falk Petersen, CEO of AVINOR commented: "Oslo Airport is now more spacious, more efficient and more comfortable for the passengers. The expansion project was delivered on time and under budget by the design team."  Oslo Airport Plan G Nordic's team is currently working on ten airport projects in seven different countries. Istanbul New Airport, is scheduled to open next year and, once completed, will be the largest airport in the world.  © Ivan Brodey This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How Air Conditioning Helped Shape Architectural History (For Better or Worse) Posted: 16 May 2017 02:30 AM PDT  © <a href='http://www.cwcs.co.uk/'>CWCS Managed Hosting</a> via <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/122969584@N07/13778436885'>Flickr</a> licenesed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> This article originally appeared on Curbed as "How air conditioning shaped modern architecture—and changed our climate." During a conversation with the New Yorker, a window washer who worked on the Empire State Building says that some of his toughest moments have been cleaning the trash that tenants toss out the windows. In his many years working on the Depression-era skyscraper, he's wiped numerous half-empty coffee cups off window panes, and even scraped 20 gallons of strawberry preserves from the building's facade. Tossed out in the winter, it stubbornly clung to the outside of the skyscraper. Cracking a window open in a skyscraper seems like a quirk, especially today, when hermetically sealed steel-and-glass giants offer the promise of climate-controlled comfort. But ever since Chicago's Home Insurance Building, considered one of the first skyscrapers, opened in 1884, the challenge of airflow, ventilation, and keeping tenants cool has been an important engineering consideration shaping modern architecture. The great commercial buildings of the modern era owe their existence, in many ways, to air conditioning, an invention with a decidedly mixed legacy.  Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois. Image <a href='https://www.loc.gov/item/2010634573/'>via Library of Congress</a> Air conditioning enabled our great modernist buildings to rise, but it's also fueled today's energy and environmental crisis. AC helped create a new building typology, one that environmentally conscious architects and designers are trying to move beyond with new designs and passive-cooling techniques. "Modern buildings cannot survive unless hard-wired to a life-support machine," says University of Cambridge professor Alan Short. "Yet this fetish for glass, steel, and air-conditioned skyscrapers continues; they are symbols of status around the world on an increasingly vast scale." Classical solutions to an age-old problemEarly skyscraper design drew from classical architectural references to help shade, cool, and circulate air. Classical towers in cities such as Chicago and New York all take their shape, in part, from the need to create a workable environment before the advent of AC. Like the vernacular buildings that formed our early metropolises, the first skyscrapers were created with ventilation and airflow in mind. Many of the same techniques used on more earth-bound structures were simply adapted and scaled up as these new colossuses, girded by steel skeletons, arose in the commercial districts of New York and Chicago. High ceilings, operable windows, and extensive perimeter exposure helped to encourage ventilation and air flow. In Chicago, early towers were designed with central open courts and light wells; some, like the famous brick Monadnock Building, a proto-skyscraper, were designed with a long, thin profile in mind, while other structures suggested letters when viewed from above, shaped like a "C" or an "E." These shapes ensured daylight and cross-ventilation were available everywhere. Standing at the corner of Randolph and State streets, the Masonic Temple, then the world's tallest commercial building, proudly proclaimed its dominance of the skyline. Designed by John Wellborn Root of the firm Burnham & Root, the muscular, 21-story giant briefly towered above all others in the city that birthed the skyscraper. But its height wasn't the only feature that made it exceptional.  The Masonic Temple in Chicago in 1901. Image <a href='https://www.loc.gov/item/2008678295/'>via Library of Congress</a> The secretive Masons used many of the uppermost floors for their own rites and rituals. A glass-covered roof garden, a steam-heated space decorated with oak panels, was available for private parties and galas. But for the most part, guests entered through the gilded lobby, took one of the 14-passenger elevators to their floor, and got about their business. They'd enter their office, designed with high ceilings to help capture the natural daylight, and crack open a window to provide some ventilation. The early architects of these plans drew influences from classical architecture, much like their facades took design cues from historical references. One of the big names of Chicago architecture at the time, Louis Sullivan, designed a building in St. Louis, the Wainwright Building, meant to mimic the layout of the Uffizi, a Florence, Italy, administrative building constructed in the 17th century. Chicago skyscrapers even had specific window designs, with a large, fixed pane surrounded by smaller sash windows that could be opened for ventilation.  The Wainwright Building in St. Louis. Image <a href='https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.mo0297.photos/?sp=6'>via Library of Congress</a> The new class of white-collar workers who occupied these upper-level offices suffered through humid summers not just because they didn't know any better, but because Victorian social mores didn't place much stock in personal comfort. In fact, the adoption of mechanical ventilation systems, which were invented by Benjamin Franklin Sturtevant in the 1860s and became more common in taller buildings towards the end of the 19th century, was due in large part to the problems of heat and light—coal- and gas-powered lamps and heaters quickly filled rooms with toxic smoke—and the belief that poor health was caused by miasma, or dirty air. Still, at the time, ventilation was less about a comforting breeze and more about sanitation—removing humid, fetid air from crowded workshops and workspaces. By the mid-1890s, designers and architects in New York needed to file their building plans with the Bureau of Light and Ventilation. The 21-story American Surety Building in New York, built in 1896, included a ventilation system, but only for the lower seven floors. Workers on these levels couldn't open their windows due to the dirt, muck, and grime of the city streets. Roof gardens and ice pipesMany early attempts at indoor cooling took place in theaters, according to Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything by Salvatore Basile, which could become unbearably stuffy during late-summer performances. Pumping air cooled by ice, or granting access to roof gardens, occasionally helped keep theatergoers from being overwhelmed by stale, humid air, but most failed, or made a barely noticeable difference. That didn't stop roof gardens from becoming a big part of the entertainment circuit. In New York City, the Madison Square roof garden could accommodate 4,000 people. Not to be outdone, the Paradise Theater roof garden featured a faux village with a windmill, waterfall, and two live cows with milkmaids. While they couldn't deliver true refreshment, they could offer at least the illusion of cool. The nearby Victoria Theater actually heated the elevator that took patrons to the roof, so they would gain the illusion of relief. Before reliable technology was invented, cooling was a much more complicated affair, though that didn't stop entrepreneurs from trying. According to Basile, their attempts usually involved relatively brute means of mechanically circulating cold air. The Colorado Automatic Refrigerating Company set up a "pipe line refrigeration" system in downtown Denver, running two miles of underground pipes through the business district and offering a hookup to local building owners looking for ice-cooled air. In New York, the Stock Exchange opened a comfort cooling system, a forced ventilation system, the largest in the country at the time. A few early pioneers tried their hand at other primitive forms of mechanical cooling. Perhaps the first was the Armour Building in Kansas City. Built in 1900, the packing plant, designed by William Rose, the city's one-time mayor, featured a spraying room, which sent air through a misting system that "washed" it, cooling it just a few degrees. Willis Carrier's invention of artificial refrigeration in Brooklyn in 1902 would prove to be a turning point, but not immediately. He stumbled upon the technology while trying to create a machine that would dry out printing rooms so ink wouldn't smear on the presses in humid temperatures. Carrier's machine "dried" air by passing it through water to create fog, which had the by-product of cooling the surrounding space. Fittingly, the marvel had a wide range of industrial uses, and Carrier focused on that market at the beginning. While Carrier would eventually push for residential applications, also targeting the new movie theater market, the adoption of residential and office air conditioning was relatively slow. The first air-conditioned buildingsIn 1913, Carrier had his first residential installation, the Minneapolis mansion of Charles G. Gates. A rich man so free with his inherited wealth that he was nicknamed "Spend a Million," Gates wanted the best of the best for his new 38,000-square-foot home, including a pipe organ and gold doorknobs. He purchased a Carrier unit designed for a small factory, according to Basile, but he sadly wasn't able to enjoy his gilded glory; he died during a hunting accident before the home was finished (his wife would live there only briefly, and the building was sold and finally demolished in 1933).  Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Administration Building, which he repeatedly claimed was the first air-conditioned building in history. Image <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LarkinAdministrationBuilding1906.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> under public domain Frank Lloyd Wright also made an early attempt at air conditioning with the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo. A breakout project for the young architect, the new corporate headquarters for a regional soap company showed his knack for making people "comfortable" in his own particular way. The skylight atriums added to allow in natural light just made the office uncomfortably warm, and the awkward, custom-designed desks and chairs he created were nicknamed "suicide chairs" for their propensity to tip over. Architectural Record called it a "monster of awkwardness." Since the office was adjacent to the company's factory, Wright also decided to seal the structure from the clouds of dirty exhaust. An air-circulation and cooling system, utilizing a washing system similar to the Armour Building, was installed, but like the Kansas City design, didn't make much of a difference, especially with all the solar gain that came from Wright's skylights. Proper air-conditioning equipment would be added years later, but that didn't stop Wright from rewriting history to suit his purposes. He would later repeatedly claim this was the first air-conditioned building in existence. Read the rest of this article over at Curbed. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AN House / Studio Guilherme Torres Posted: 16 May 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © MCA Estúdio
.jpg?1494851484 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio From the architect. Designed for a couple with three teenage daughters, AN House is situated in a condominium in Paraná, Brazil. Due to hot weather most of the year, construction favors large open spans, cross-flow and in some places the use of wooden brise soleils. Divided into three blocks - two downstairs and one that forms the upper deck - forming a "U", they organize social area, the lounge and intimate area on an impactful way. The volumes of the ground are exposed concrete, in contrast with the white brickwork of the rooms. .jpg?1494851510 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio Fully closed to the street, the lobby was organized in a large wooden box, like a theater stage. The coating continuity between the door and the walls leaves completely open and camouflaged through an electronic system. The inner hall follows the same finish in Cumaru wood and lighting have stemmed from a large domus. The circulation is organized behind the single wall of the dining room, which hides the circulation between the hall and the staircase. In the living there is a strong contrasts between the exposed concrete, wood and marble, which opens up to the recreation area. .jpg?1494851721 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio .jpg?1494852415 "Ground Floor Plan") Ground Floor Plan .jpg?1494851421 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio Looking for privacy, the external walls received special attention. They were coated with a stone cave, and the gaps of the stones, were filled with various species of tropical plants. Thanks to a special irrigation system is maintained and this garden has become an alternative to a traditional vertical garden. The pool is surrounded by a large wooden deck, which creates a junction with the recreation area, equipped with gourmet kitchen and a home theater. In opposite side to the living area, the volume of concrete with wooden brise soleils gives place to a guest room and to a recreation area. .jpg?1494851596 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio The volume of the bedrooms is fully enclosed in one of its sides, maintaining the privacy of the residents and forming the circulation of the bedrooms, which includes a large domus throughout its length. Large doors and windows of cumaru wood open to a balcony overlooking the pool, forming a beautiful relationship between the building and the recreation area. .jpg?1494851531 "© MCA Estúdio") © MCA Estúdio This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Zaha Hadid Design Unveils Corian Dominated Custom Kitchen Island Posted: 16 May 2017 01:00 AM PDT  via Zaha Hadid Design Through a revisiting of Zaha Hadid's MAXXI Museum of Art in Rome and Heyder Aliyev Center in Baku, as well as the practice's exploration of materiality and composition, Boffi_Code Kitchen is a custom kitchen island created by Zaha Hadid Design and Boffi, an Italian furniture company founded in 1934. "Boffi_code offers customization to the highest standards, tailoring individual solutions with selected materials, finishes and cabinetry," explains Zaha Hadid Design. "The Boffi_Code Kitchen by Zaha Hadid Design marries exceptional detailing and design with functionality, carefully chosen materials, and traditional craftsmanship."  via Zaha Hadid Design Constructed primarily of white Corian, an acrylic polymer often used for countertops and surfaces, the island features an additional selection of finishes to compliment its main structure. Doors are available in wood, matt lacquer Ecolak, and polyester glossy lacquered stainless steel, providing a softer contrast to the starkness of the Corian. The sink is surrounded by a marble or stone countertop, both of which are suitable materials for a space of lighter use and remain unaffected by varying levels of moisture and water. They are also both heat resistant, thus enhancing their durability. Check out a video of the product below. News via: Zaha Hadid Design. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 3XN Reveals Design for Extension of Silkeborg Museum Posted: 15 May 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of 3XN Architects 3XN Architects have released design plans for a new contemporary extension of the Historical Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. The museum houses some of the oldest and well-preserved bog bodies in the world: The Tollund Man and Elling Woman. Through the 1,858 square meter extension that includes a contemporary "roofscape" rising from the marshland, the design seeks to build a stronger identity for the museum through its architecture.  Courtesy of 3XN Architects
The three new buildings and an integrated landscape design aim to connect the bog bodies with the surroundings in which they were found. When visitors arrive at the new museum they will be taken on a path through a bog-like landscape before arriving at the main entrance. From a distance the main exhibition building is designed to appear as if a piece of peat had been cut out from the bog and pulled in its corners, revealing the pathway to the main exhibition. This "roofscape" rising from the bog will also be accessible for the public to interact with the building as they enter, establishing a powerful connection to how the bodies were discovered from the Nordic swamplands.  Interior Exhibition Space The new buildings will be clad with a white stone façade and a wooden interior. Atelier Brückner has collaborated with 3XN for a new exhibition design. Taking the museum's visitors on a chronological path from the Ice Age to the Middle Ages, the design has a special focus on the Iron Age as the key period of the museum with two unique spaces in the new exhibition building. The entire project is expected to cost in the region of DKK 70 million (approx. $10 million USD).
 Plan of Silkeborg Museum with Extension  Courtesy of 3XN Architects The Silkeborg extension is expected to be completed in 2020 with its new exhibition building, a winter garden and a new administration building with educational facilities.
News via: 3XN Architects. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PURE / Sílvia Rocio + Mariana Póvoa + esse studio Posted: 15 May 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Francisco Nogueira
 © Francisco Nogueira From the architect. The new headquarters for PURE Lisbon is located on a reference building of the city facing one of its courtyards.  © Francisco Nogueira A home feeling, creative, flexible and versatile space, was the starting point presented by the client for the genesis of this office.  © Francisco Nogueira Approaching the theme of voyeurism, associated to the metier of the company, and in order to create spaces that could be used in continuity or alternate association of different zones, the structuring element of the project came into scene: the curtains.  © Francisco Nogueira The introduction of the curtains allows the functional organisation, defining different environments, within an area of only 60 sqm. In addition to the curtain themed option, this element allows to feel the whole space or divide it into the predefined programmatic spaces: work area, meeting room, lounge and kitchenette.  © Francisco Nogueira  Sketch  © Francisco Nogueira The easy space mutation offers a dynamic way of inhabiting the office, valuing the connection with the outside in a free visual relation. The presence of a mirror wall enhances and brings natural light and the green of the pleasant courtyard garden to the interior.  © Francisco Nogueira The pre-existing elements were adapted and integrated in the design in order to have a cohesion of the space. The copper window frames give the motto for the color of the curtains. The birch plywood that defines, encloses and coats the volume of the new bathroom and kitchenette, also gives body to the designed furniture.  Plan and Sections A, B  Sections C, D, E, F Colours, materials and selected lighting and furniture, seek compliance with the concept of "home" and with the graphic image of the company PURE, creating a cohesive space, of strong and unique language.  © Francisco Nogueira This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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