Arch Daily |
- Ruth / Urbain Architectencollectief
- Schmidt Hammer Lassen Designs New Shanghai Library
- Kunst in Weidingen / AXT Architekten
- OVO Wroclaw / Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture
- Dream Stream / West-line studio
- The Gate / Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
- Beauty Free Baking Restaurants / ZONES DESIGN
- The Moos Home / Tampold Architects
- West Campus Union / Grimshaw
- Fly Through Herzog & de Meuron's Hamburg Elbphilharmonie at 2 Different Speeds
- Machagua House / Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos
- SHoP + Rossetti to Complete $140 Million Renovation of Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
- 145 Housing Units + FAM + PMI / Avenier Cornejo Architectes + Gausa Raveau Actarquitectura
- From Dead Space to Public Place: How Improving Alleys Can Help Make Better Cities
- ACT Residence / CF Arquitetura
- PNG Paradise: Cutouts of Furniture, People, Trees and More
- Director of London's Architectural Association, Brett Steele, to Become UCLA Dean
| Ruth / Urbain Architectencollectief Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:00 PM PST  © Filip Dujardin
 © Filip Dujardin From the architect. Because of its position on the corner of the Sint-Jakobstraat and the Ezelstraat in the centre of Bruges, this historical building with a former wedding shop and related sewing workshop, did not have any significant garden or outdoor space, and therefore suffered from a lack of daylight.  © Filip Dujardin The owner wanted to combine a new duplex shop at street level, a duplex flat and three student rooms with a communal kitchen.  © Filip Dujardin The plot was stoned, giving place to a much larger and pleasant courtyard. A new glazed staircase was introduced to organise the circulation towards the different components of the program. The staircase was made up of prefabricated white concrete slabs, inserted in a white steel structure and finished with a glazed curtain wall.  © Filip Dujardin The execution was well prepared because of the complexity of the site and the busy but small road. The steel structure was developped as a series of stacked prefabricated steel cages, which could be easily transported, lifted and assembled on site.  Section The design aims for a high degree of durability, which is a chalenge in the historical UNESCO centre of Bruges. To preserve the original facade the insulation was placed on the inside, combined with the use of additional windows in line with the insulation. A few simple operations provide an attractive shopping space.  © Filip Dujardin Starting from the structural logics, a double heigt space is introduced in the shopat the front, providing attractive relations between the different shopping surfaces.  © Filip Dujardin  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Schmidt Hammer Lassen Designs New Shanghai Library Posted: 15 Dec 2016 08:00 PM PST  © Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects With nearly 25 million inhabitants the Chinese city of Shanghai is currently the most populous city in the world and, in addition, has a central library system that dates back to the mid 19th Century. A new city library, designed by Danish practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen and won following a two-stage international competition, will provide 110,000 square meters of space in the Pudong District and adjacent to Century Park – the largest green space in the city.  Sketch. Image © Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects According to the practice, the project has been conceived as a "singular monolithic object floating above the tree canopy within the park." The main volume of the library floats above two pavilions that will house a 1200-seat performance venue, exhibition and events space, and a dedicated children's library that "will all open up towards a series of landscaped courtyards and gardens." © Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects In 1995, Shanghai Library merged with the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information resulting in an advanced and comprehensive public library – the first in China that combines public library services with Scientific and Technological research functions.  Site Plan. Image © Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects "The library itself is organised around a grand central atrium in the form of three staggered reading rooms that open up and connect to various parts of the library and various contextual parts of the city from Century Park to the east, a new library park to the south and the city to the north and west." It is "carved and twisted to reflect the surrounding park and sky, and continuously clad in a facade of clear, insulated and fritted glass." The library is expected to be completed by 2020.  © D&W / Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects  © D&W / Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects  © D&W / Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Kunst in Weidingen / AXT Architekten Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:00 PM PST  © Chibi Moku
 © Chibi Moku The Stiftung zur Förderung zeitgenössischer Kunst in Weidingen (Foundation for the Promotion of Contemporary Art in Weidingen) was founded in 2012 by gallery owners Max-Ulrich Hetzler and Samia Saouma. The Foundation's aim is to promote contemporary art and culture, especially through annual summer exhibitions in Weidingen. Artists are invited to live and work on the premises.  © Chibi Moku  © Chibi Moku  © Chibi Moku In this film & photos, we explore the design of Kunst in Weidingen with Anja Axt of Axt Architekten. We explore it's rationalistic style, intended use, and thought process behind it's design. The 3 structures created by Axt Architekten all have similar yet different features that make them special in their relationship.  © Chibi Moku  © Chibi Moku New to Kunst in Weidingen is the Bibliothek Günther Förg. This building is dedicated to this artist and holds a collection from one of Förg's libraries as well as a few of his most prolific pieces.  Section  Section After spending a week on location for this film, we can honestly say it is one of the most stand out projects we have come across. Come take a musical journey through Kunst in Weidingen with Anja Axt and feel the energy of this harmonious place.  © Chibi Moku  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| OVO Wroclaw / Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture Posted: 15 Dec 2016 06:00 PM PST  © Kamil Czaja
 © Kamil Czaja From the architect. OVO Wroclaw by Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture is a mixed-use, grandiose "blob-like"architectural structure combining residential, commercial, hospitality and retail spaces in the heart of Poland's fourth-largest city, Wroclaw.  © Kamil Czaja The OVO Wroclaw is a landmark edifice spearheading a revolution in urban Polish design. Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture won the commissions following an international competition and in 2008, their blueprint won the MIPM Future Projects Award for Retail & Leisure.,  Ground Level The OVO Wroclaw creates a new vision of urban living that unites 180 luxury residences, a five -star DoubleTree by Hilton with 180 rooms and suites, corporate offices with high-end retails aces within a modern and sleek rounded exterior that seamlessly blends the cured lines of the building with a stylish minimalism that typifies the interior spaces.  © Kamil Czaja The amorphsc design that was envision requires alternative building techniques in order to be properly realized. After considering various options, Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture chose to clad the building in Corian panels. According to Asaf Gottesman, the particular form of the building is a result of the traditional urban guidelines of the city of Wroclaw and the desire to envelop the diverse set of spatial requirements within a unified skin.  © Kamil Czaja Asaf Gottesman comments: "Designing the OVO was a group undertaking, a process of research that required several members of the practice to contribute from their accumulated experience, technical skills and emotional intellectual sensibility. To varying degrees, OVO Wroclaw is a sculpture, an expression of culture and manifestation of optimism, a functional and efficient building, a social and cultural generator; a miniature city."  Level 5 Within the OVO Wroclaw is a Double Tree by Hilton, featuring 190 spacious and sophisticated rooms, a magnificent ballroom and state-of-the-art conference and meeting room facilities.  © Kamil Czaja OVO Wroclaw's 5000-square-meter retail space is the city's most sophisticated leisure piazzas with a massive inner-green courtyard that will host cultural events throughout the year.  © Kamil Czaja Gottesman-Szmelcman Architecture has created a unique and superbly designed environment that holistically integrates living, culture, business and commerce in the heart of the metropolis. The truly stunning architectural form has already made the building a landmark in the city's skinned and visual repertoire.  © Kamil Czaja Product Description. There are in essence 3 products that need to be seen as integral to the design of the OVO. The first is Corian which we chose because it enabled us to translate our architectural vision, without the usual compromises, in the most effective way. In order to maintain the fluid form of the building we could not opt for the regular panel systems that invariably underline divisions. Plastering was also not an option because it would be impossible to maintain perfect curvatures throughout and maintenance would be an issue in the longer term. We needed a material that was both flexible, could be thermo formed to accommodated double curvatures, resilient and easy to maintain. Corian delivered the perfect solution for us.  © Kamil Czaja The second material was Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum which enabled us to continue the form of the exterior into the internal spaces. Apart from the exceptionally skilled plasterers, the GFRG preformed "volcanos" lighting enabled us to harmonize the lighting with the interior design throughout the project. The third material was the thin walnut veneer strips that we used to continue the curvatures that we had achieved with the Corian and GFRG while introducing a rich textural warmth to key internal areas.  © Kamil Czaja  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Dream Stream / West-line studio Posted: 15 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST  Courtesy of West-line studio
 Courtesy of West-line studio The 'Huaxi Mengxibitan' residential project is located in Huaxi, a growing district 17km far from the city center of Guiyang, Guizhou province capital. The project dates back to 2004, when the district was starting its expansion. At that time, especially in Guizhou area, construction and technical skills were very basic, that is why architects had to find simple and alternative ways to control project construction. A 1:1 'model' has been created on site using bamboo frames. This helped to control the scale of the project in relationship with the mountainous environment. Positioning these bamboos also helped to highlight critical points, mainly for the foundations, due to the particularly harsh conditions of the site and composition of the soil. The choice to turn this 'bamboo net' into a concrete one has been, again, mainly due to lack of construction skills, which could not allow the use of steel frames. The shape of the so called 'Dream Stream' takes inspiration from the typical informal architecture of Guizhou wooden villages.  Axonometric The net has been modeled on the mountain, following its shape. Using this simple grid helped the architects to better control the project. The repetition of a single module originates a system, which, always because of lack of skills, slightly changes. But the architects were aware of these problems and adopted the grid exactly in order to control what could not be fully controlled, allowing mistakes. Mistakes that in the end result as unexpected and surprising changes of the original module.  Courtesy of West-line studio  Axonometric  Courtesy of West-line studio  Axonometric The main characteristic of this residential project is its complicated circulation system. Forking routes originated different kind of yards and different level of privacy. Yards are the most important spaces in Huaxi Mengxibitan houses' composition. Some have water, some are sweet-smelling with flowers, others are bamboo yards. Some courtyards are crossed by this articulated system of paths, some are created by paths moving all around, others are 'covered' by aerial boardwalks. Stairs also play a crucial role in a project built following the mountain's shape. Some are open public connections between courtyards, others are more private, enclosed between walls. Together with the path system they help to create floating spaces in between residences, open courtyards on different levels which generate every time different walking experiences.  Courtesy of West-line studio  Study Model  Courtesy of West-line studio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Gate / Hyunjoon Yoo Architects Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST  © Youngchae Park
 © Youngchae Park From the architect. I was surprised twice when I first visited the Daekyoung Factory. The first surprise was the beautiful scenery of the mouth or the river of the Nakdong River, and the second surprise was that the beautiful scenery could not be seen at all from the factory complex. There were three buildings in the complex, with two buildings lined up on parallel lines, making a rectangular plaza. The plaza was busy, with many workers passing by. The third building was placed perpendicularly with the plaza, blocking the scenery towards the sea. I felt sorry for the factory workers, who are so close to the beautiful scenery, but could not even see it.  Diagram The client wanted a conference room, a studio, and an office for seven workers. He also had a plan to purchase the land on the third factory building and build a new one. We asked the client if the building had to be a single mass. He said it could be divided. This is where we found the clue to the solution. The new factory building was divided into two massed, emphasizing the parallel arrangement of the other buildings, and the plaza in between was opened out towards the see, as in Louis Kahn's Salk Institute. The office building will be built in the plaza, but the first floor is made with high piloti to open up the view towards the sea as much as possible.  © Youngchae Park The circulation is coordinated in a counter-clockwise direction wrapping up the building in order to allow the users to experience the full scenery. Because of these design decisions, the structure of the building ended up having each floors shifted from the other. Because this building had to sit on a site covered Ascon, exposed concrete was used as the main exterior material.  Section  © Youngchae Park  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Beauty Free Baking Restaurants / ZONES DESIGN Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST  © Xia Xuwei
 © Xia Xuwei Project site is located in wuchang district of wuhan han street near wanda square, covers an area of 205 square meters, the building is divided into upper and lower two layers of space, the owner want to give customer satisfactory service and dining environment.  Diagram Case based on the style LOFT, extensive use of wood and steel to construct the space, the overall tone of gray and white cement wall as a background to set off paint wood texture.  © Xia Xuwei Restaurant on the one hand, using the simple industrial wind metal materials, and by ground extends to the top surface pine frame, on the other hand, bright white square brick and glass used in the chef workbench and sales window, the two formed a contrast on the material.  Axonometric The second floor is the dining area, designers use dark blue seats and curtains to bring a little bit quiet interior space, so that customers can enjoy a delicious meal at ease here.  © Xia Xuwei Criss-crossing wooden and black steel played a certain role in blocking and segmentation of space in space.  © Xia Xuwei Space accessories extensive use of industrial elements and baking soft decoration, black steel and wood structure with the lap not only sketched out the shape of each space, but also create a unique flow of the restaurant line.  © Xia Xuwei  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Moos Home / Tampold Architects Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST  © Larry Arnal
 © Larry Arnal From the architect. Moos House, designed by architect Thomas Tampold of Tampold Architects and Yorkville Design Centre, located Just shy of North York. As Martha Uniacke Breen, of National Post puts it, "It makes sense that this iconoclastic Modernist mid-town house should have decidedly artistic air about it, with its distinctive mosaic art panel and flowing, sculptural shape.".  © Larry Arnal Previously a bungalow whose most distinctive feature was its curved corner on the west side, now a modernist-contemporary work of art. The Moos couple were fond of this detail and that was our starting point. Their reverence for such a detail provided us with contemporary inspiration which flows throughout the design .  © Larry Arnal The face is clad in deep-grey steel panelling that sits off-centre and encapsulates the second floor, while the main floor is clad Japanese white porcelain tile. The integrity of the curved corner is in full-use with a wraparound window and there's a similar, squared-off window on the second floor.  Ground Floor Plan The front entrance is set to the side and complimented by a beautiful, digitised mosaic by the architects daughter, Evi Tampold. The entrance is overhung by the second floor, which extends off the side of the house and features bright lights and a red accent on the underside.  © Larry Arnal At the rear of the home, lines become even more eccentric. A broad, ship-like central promontory juts into the deck, filling the interior with light and topped by a private deck, leading from the upper-story master bedroom. This was a response to another idea from the Moos couple: a kitchen shaped like an eye, with a pair of parabolic counters that face each other in the centre of the room(one topped in white composite, the other in deep-green granite). The back deck is a multi-level decking design, made out of premium Thermory-Weston wood from Estonia.  © Larry Arnal Implementing green-space was necessary to contrast and compliment the sombre tones of the exterior front and back of the house. Deep- purples and greens, accented with stones in the front; natural green grass, a leafy garden and a tree build into the deck in the back.  © Larry Arnal  2nd Floor Plan  © Larry Arnal The interior was treated as an extension of the exterior, flowing with it's modernist, contemporary design. A notable example of this is the precision joinery of the staircase treads, which curve around the corner as they rise and form a sculpture of their own. "It was inspired by a staircase designed by Ozenfant, who was a contemporary of Corbusier."- Thomas Tampold Pleasing visuals like this make it easy to overlook the practicalities of the design. Chrome levels for door, a multitude of premium Downsview Kitchens cabinets, an L-shaped pantry just off the kitchen, an in-home elevator, storage built into the walls of the master suite, concealing a dressing area and a roomy tub in the heavily glass-partitioned bathroom are just some of the practical, yet luxurious features of the home.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST  © James Ewing
 © James Ewing From the architect. Grimshaw is pleased to announce the completed renovation and expansion of Duke University's West Campus Union in Durham, North Carolina. Situated on Abele Quad, the new student union re-establishes itself as the centerpiece for student life and the communal heart of Duke's historic campus. Fostering social interaction, inspiring healthful lifestyles and delivering state-of-the-art culinary excellence, the building brings the Duke community together in an exciting environment that unites the University's storied history with an active, communal and contemporary experience. First opened in 1931, the West Campus Union was designed by the office of Horace Trumbauer as a social center for the emerging University. The union is part of Frederick Law Olmstead's master plan for the school and is situated on the quad that now bears the name of the original building's lead architect, Julian Abele, a prominent African-American designer in Trumbauer's office.  © James Ewing As part of the reconstruction, the nearly hundred-year-old structure has seen its legacy spaces restored to their original architectural significance while the central core of the building has been replaced and reimagined. Trumbauer's original structure featured an exterior façade constructed out of locally quarried Duke Stone, while the ornate window tracery, gargoyles, and other decorative elements were carefully crafted from Indiana limestone. These historic elements now frame a transparent atrium that provides a focal point for the building and surrounding academic precinct. The new design focuses on the introduction of lightness and porosity to the structure, inviting students in from all directions and activating sightlines across the university precinct. The social hub offers a variety of comfortable and dynamic spaces that encourage students, faculty, and alumni to congregate and interact. These student life spaces include environments for both formal and informal study, meetings and presentations, as well as larger spaces for rehearsals and performances.  © James Ewing The West Campus Union has become the nerve center for co-curricular activities at Duke, hosting the University's diverse collection of clubs and organizations. Conference rooms, small group meeting areas and multi-purpose spaces are spread throughout the building to provide versatile spaces for student connection outside of their residences and classrooms. Transparency, connectivity and craftsmanship are central characteristics of the building's design, introducing new spatial compositions meant to foster a greater sense of community. Dynamic and overlapping volumes weave together a myriad of activities that enhance the student experience while linking the historic legacy of the West Campus Union to its newfound energy. Circulation patterns that trace the campus master plan travel to and through the reconnected West Campus Union. Large portals framed into the existing stone walls, lined in blackened steel, open up views across the building.  Steel and glass balconies perched in the gothic wood trusses allow fresh vantage points into the legacy of the past. A series of glass bridges enable shortcuts that link previously isolated spaces. This new network of connections creates a buzz of movement and interaction around the building, cultivating a palpable energy that defines the revived student community.  © James Ewing The new West Campus Union also brings forward culinary food exploration and education, housing 12 dining venues showcasing international and local cuisines, in collaboration with local vendors and food concepts. The new dining core provides made-to-order cooking featuring fresh ingredients and healthy, farm-to-fork organic options intended to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. No soda is served in the building, rather a range of hand-made flavored waters are made available free of charge.  © James Ewing The activity of coming together around a meal was always central to the historic dining hall's programming as well as the epicurean ideal of coming together in the "garden" to commune and learn around the sharing of a meal. Today, influenced by the progressive millennial student body, the transformation of the West Campus Union is characterized by a modernized philosophy in higher education culinary offerings toward greater cultural diversity and novelty. The original cafeteria style kitchens in the center of the building have been removed and replaced with exposed kitchens – celebrating food and its preparation. This new core, offset from the surrounding historic dining halls, provides an unencumbered "market" experience. Inspired by hugely popular culinary markets like Eataly in New York, Borough Market in London, and the Terminal Market in Philadelphia, the experience at the West Campus Union provides students with a large variety of food offerings and culinary styles, accessible from a day-lit internal street with ample places to sit amidst a lively dining environment. More conventional seating options are located in the historic dining spaces, as well as outside in the reinvented Crown Commons to the south of the building.  © James Ewing The building's transformation has also been mirrored by a renovation of the landscape surrounding it. The Abele Quad is now highly ordered, legible, and mature. These areas have been coordinated within the larger landscape master plan and are seamlessly integrated to other recent upgrades on the quad, including Perkins Library. The open expanse has become heavily used as a recreational space for organized student activities and events, as well as impromptu gatherings. The ground level dining extends out into a newly designed exterior space, the Crown Commons, that includes outdoor dining areas, a beer garden, more contemplative seating areas, and is layered with a new bridge/pavilion, designed by James Carpenter floating above.  Plaza Floor Plan The introduction of these new spaces and connections within the precinct has provided the Duke students and faculty with a revitalized communal home that enhances the values already present at the University. The renovation and expansion of West Campus Union marks a significant architectural intervention that aspires to connect, preserve, and sustain student life.  © James Ewing  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fly Through Herzog & de Meuron's Hamburg Elbphilharmonie at 2 Different Speeds Posted: 15 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST  Screenshot via video In preparation for their grand opening on January 11/12, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg has released an interactive drone video that lets you experience the Herzog & de Meuron-designed building at two different speeds: adagio and presto (slow or fast). Using the spacebar to switch between speeds, the footage takes you on a tour up the curving escalator, on to the elevated terrace, around the building and finally into the main concert hall, where the drones meet back up in a dramatic finish.  Screenshot via video Pop some headphones in and check it out for yourself, here. (Warning: don't turn the volume up too loud before you hit the spacebar for the first time!) News via Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie Finally Gets Opening Date Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg Photographed by Iwan Baan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Machagua House / Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST  © Daniel Casado Bissone
 © Daniel Casado Bissone From the architect. Machagua is a country house project destined as a second home located in the town of Cachagua, commune of Zapallar. The project is based 183 km northwest from Santiago on a corner plot of 1075 m2, next to a wetland at a distance of 100 m from "Playa Grande".  © Daniel Casado Bissone A large volume, sturdy and heavy, is displayed as the first level. It was conceived as a large solid coral stone sculpted and eroded, responding to the needs of the requested spaces and their relation to the surroundings.  © Daniel Casado Bissone This volume runs from north to south articulated in the middle, forming a break where the main entrance of the house is located.  Plan 1 Towards the south lies the public program: living room, dining room, kitchen and service facilities. This area opens up to the west main courtyard and a first terrace level, where the outdoor barbecue and dining area are.  © Daniel Casado Bissone Towards the east, the house closes to give its back to "El Golf" Street, a road with a permanent flow of pedestrians and vehicles.  Section  Section A large cement slab crosses the ceiling of living and dining rooms, from which large wood beams hang down, incorporating the main lighting of this space. Over this slab there is a second terrace level conceived as a space for relaxing and sunbathing, looking over the main yard and interacting with its immediate surroundings.  © Daniel Casado Bissone The bedrooms face north and their program extends through a great yard divided into a first hard zone where crushed shells and wood railroad ties constitute the ground surface, and a second green vegetal zone that adjoins with the wetland.  © Daniel Casado Bissone Over the solid stone and bedrooms there is a second volume, smaller and built with a rustic character, completely coated in oak, which houses the master bedroom, including a walk-in closet, ensuite bathroom and private terrace. The north facade of this room opens the view towards the "Tigre Hill", "Los Cardones Hill" and the Polo Club. The south facade closes to the main yard, allowing privacy.  Axonometry Over this last volume there is a third terrace level with a 360-degree view, seeking mainly to integrate the sea. A grill placed on a large oak counter piece supporting a top slab made of black stone serves this terrace. A large outdoor staircase connects the three terrace levels, which connects these spaces, increasing the available surface of outdoor courtyard.  © Daniel Casado Bissone This project merges with the terrain through incisions, cuts and breaks that result in controlled green courtyards, enhancing the interior-exterior relationship.  © Daniel Casado Bissone  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| SHoP + Rossetti to Complete $140 Million Renovation of Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland Posted: 15 Dec 2016 04:15 AM PST  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, home of the current NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, is set to receive a $140 million transformation. Designed by SHoP and Rossetti, the project will consist of significant upgrades to address the arena's structural and operational deficiencies and improve the overall fan experience.  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers The renovation will add a total of 153,000 square feet to the complex, which will include a new civic entry space aimed at connecting to the city by maximizing transparency. Behind the curtain wall, the carapace of the arena will be clad in a undulating panel system that pulls up to invite visitors into seating areas.  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers The renovation will also consist of a range of new dining, bar and event areas within "activated new neighborhoods" to enrich the visitor experience. Public areas and former bottlenecks will be opened up to improve circulation through the complex and make navigation more intuitive.  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers The cost of the transformation will be split between private funding by the Cavs/Quicken Loans Arena organization and the County, City, and Destination Cleveland. The estimated $140 price tag compares to a $500 to $750 million range for new built arenas.  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers As part of the deal, The Cleveland Cavaliers will extend their lease with "The Q" to 2034. Upon the project's completion, the venue will serve as a future location of the NBA-All star week, which is estimated to bring $100 million in economic benefits to the city. Learn more about the project, here. News via Cleveland Cavaliers.  Courtesy of Cleveland Cavaliers  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 145 Housing Units + FAM + PMI / Avenier Cornejo Architectes + Gausa Raveau Actarquitectura Posted: 15 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST  © Sergio Grazia
 © Sergio Grazia Urban integration: Jumps of scale to understand the place  © Sergio Grazia The site becomes an important urban platform, an exchange node inserted into the system of great Parisian relational spaces. It holds a role of transition between different scales, them being territorial, urban, environmental, social, cultural, and infrastructure standpoints. The ZAC thus acts as a device of resonance and multi-district transfer.  Site Plan The ZAC Clichy-Batignolles and the Martin Luther King Park are based in a large relational space, an interface of connection lines and urban relationships: powerlines, flowlines, lines of connection and interaction.  © Sergio Grazia An island crossing One of the fundamental characteristics of the project is the creation of an almost complete opening in the block, perpendicular to the Martin Luther King Park. This opening acts as a true extension of the park, prolonging it to the heart of the block and bringing it to the street and beyond, until the E9 lot.  © Sergio Grazia Thus, nothing obstructs the view from the park to the lot and vice versa. The school group and other residences also benefit from the relatively clear views over the park.  Section  Elevation Search for compactness and views This opening constitutes as well, and more importantly, the integration of an environmental strategy. This provision implicates creating thicker buildings, as opposed to the hypothesis of a U disposition. The buildings thus created will be more dense and compact, significantly reducing energy loss. Moreover, due to this configuration no accommodation will be mono-oriented street side. They will therefore benefit from openings overlooking the park and sunny climate.  © Sergio Grazia  6th Floor Plan  © Sergio Grazia Moving masses The two buildings comprising the residences are broken down into volumes of different heights, the tallest building's height being 50 meters. These new created blocks are superimposed and offset from each other.  © Sergio Grazia  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| From Dead Space to Public Place: How Improving Alleys Can Help Make Better Cities Posted: 15 Dec 2016 01:30 AM PST  This article was originally published by Autodesk's Redshift publication as "Reincarnated Architecture: Through Green Alleys, Dead Space Can Live Anew." To most eyes, alleys are—at best—liminal zones. Inhabiting the space between "here" and "there," they exist but for the grace of their adjacencies. At worst, they are dark, dank, and even dangerous—seen by city dwellers as dead space. However, to a visionary few, the negative space alleys occupy isn't dead at all; it's merely dormant, waiting for a rebirth into something functional and new. In cities where real estate is scarce, expensive, or impractical, alleys are being reclaimed, revitalized, and repurposed for parks, businesses, art, bike transit, and even urban agriculture. All of these green alleys have the potential to create new enclaves that make communities safer, cleaner, and more prosperous.  The transformation of an alley in the Miami Design District. Image © Daniel Toole Hidden SeattleAmong those who appreciate alleys not only for what they are, but also for what they could become, is architect and urban designer Daniel Toole. While living in Seattle in 2008, he developed a mild obsession with these urban veins and arteries in between buildings. "Every day I walked through alleys from where I lived in First Hill down to my office near Pike Place Market," says Toole, who, after photographing the alleys on his daily commute, began looking for new ways to engage with them. That led him to a metalworking class where he fashioned trinkets like ashtrays and flower boxes that he used to accessorize his favorite alleys. "It became quite a hobby," says Toole, author of Tight Urbanism, a tome dedicated to globe-tripping alleyway architecture, funded by AIA Seattle's 2010 Emerging Professional Travel Scholarship. "In Melbourne, especially, their laneways used to be very dangerous. Now they're the best part of that city because the city has created incentives that encourage people to open businesses in them. They're full of boutiques, restaurants, bars, and art galleries—all kinds of stuff. On one side of a building you'll have a large department store, and around back in the alley there will be some guy doing pour-overs in a quaint little plywood-clad café. That dichotomy really inspired me." So much so that Toole continued traveling alleys around the world, then returned to Seattle and began organizing alley tours and events on behalf of the city. Recently, Toole was commissioned by a developer for his first alley architecture projects: two alleys that are being transformed into pedestrian ways in the Miami Design District, a former warehouse district redeveloped into a creative neighborhood celebrating art, architecture, fashion, and food. "Once construction in the neighborhood settles down, people are going to find these hidden gems tucked behind the buildings," says Toole, who plans to start his own design practice specializing in back-alley architecture. "I think it's going to be very eye-opening for the rest of the country."  20ft Wide alley in Austin, Texas. Image © Michael Knox Don't Mess With TexasLike Toole, others see the potential benefits of rescuing alleyways from dumpsters and disrepair—or outright destruction. Take architect and urban designer Dan Cheetham, principal of Austin, Texas, architecture firm fyoog. In 2013, he noticed that several of Austin's historic alleys were being consumed and privatized by "mega-block" developments, which rely on internal infrastructure for utilities and servicing instead of the external alleys dating back to Austin's original 1839 city plan. In response, he led the design effort for 20ft Wide, a nonprofit initiative celebrating Austin's alleys by temporarily turning one of them—Alley No. 111, located on Ninth Street between Congress Avenue and Brazos Street—into a public space for art and activities. During the five-day exhibition, the alley hosted everything from live music and candlelit dinners to yoga and yard games beneath his colorful sculpture highlighting the historic remnants of the alley. "Turning an alley into a pop-up public space creates awareness and allows people to really appreciate these spaces and learn about the history of the city and its formation," Cheetham says. The city's Downtown Commission took notice, issuing a report, "Activating Austin's Downtown Alleys as Public Spaces," and has since undertaken new projects (such as the Rainey Alley Case Study) to explore transforming alleys into viable community spaces and preserving Austin's rich architectural past. "Alleys offer a unique glimpse into the history of cities and buildings," Cheetham says. "They reveal details of how buildings and urban spaces were built and used; their social, cultural, and economic history; and lessons about urbanity that are still relevant today. "There are all these really old, interesting parts and pieces of buildings that you wouldn't otherwise see, which gives you a window into the history of the city."  Rendering of Ivy Street, one of the "living alleys" in San Francisco, which features string lighting and in-pavement lighting. Image Courtesy of San Francisco Planning Department Cultivating Community in CaliforniaIn San Francisco, public spaces in alleys aren't just pop-up; they're permanent. Architect David Winslow, a project manager in the San Francisco Planning Department, is in charge of a $2 million program to create "Living Alleys" in the city's Market and Octavia neighborhood. Its inspiration is the nearby Linden Alley, which was transformed in 2010 into a shared street for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Just 100 feet long, it features a curb-free design that seamlessly blends street with sidewalk—adding leafy trees, patches of plantings, stone slabs that serve as benches, and a coffee shop inside what used to be an old garage. "It's a cherished space," says Winslow, who worked on the alley when he was a private architect with an office above it. When he returns today, he says it feels like a shared front yard for the urban community around it. "What we've realized is that in most parts of the city, the value of the urban experience lies in the pedestrian realm. Because of their scale, alleys are a really special place where we can create uniquely pedestrianized environments."  The installations in this 20ft Wide alley in Austin, Texas feature colored twine knits and hundreds of paper origami cranes created by local children. Image © Dan Cheetham This small scale—which forces an intimate feeling and a slow pace—is a major reason architects and urban planners are attracted to alleys. "Alleys are like time capsules because businesses have never been back there," Toole says. Repurposing alleys comes with social, economic, and environmental incentives, too. "Alleys are a resource that has been entirely overlooked and stigmatized for the better part of a century," Toole says. "Now they're becoming hip, and I think that's going to do excellent things for all aspects of our cities." Of course, where there are opportunities there also are challenges. Alleys can be fraught with strict zoning ordinances, buried utilities, public health and safety concerns (such as pests, garbage, crime, and traffic), space constraints, hydrology, environmental considerations like daylight and wind, emergency access and egress, and service continuity for garbage collection and deliveries. "There's also a challenge of perception," Cheetham says. "People in the community may question the value of these spaces and wonder why you're spending your time and money on alleys." But anyone who's stumbled upon a hidden bar in Chicago, a secluded restaurant in Boston, a secret café in Amsterdam, or a back-alley boutique in Istanbul understands exactly why, according to Winslow: "It's kind of magical when you wander into an urban environment, look down a narrow little street, and say, 'Let's check it out.'"  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ACT Residence / CF Arquitetura Posted: 15 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST  © Renan Klippel
 © Renan Klippel From the architect. An original and unsual project of approxamately 450 m2, such was the proposal of architects Carolina Sakuno and Fausto Cintra for this residence, belonging to a young family. The volumetry of straight and pure lines pleased the taste of the clients who were longing a comtemporary residence.  © Renan Klippel The house has two floors and prioritizes architectonics solutions such as large interspaces and swings that bring lightness to the project. Perpendicular to the volumetry of the house, is found a garage that accomodate 3 vehicules. The edification is located at the terrain’s highest spot, with its gap won by stairs, surrounded by a wonderful tropical landscape, up to the main door.  © Renan Klippel The lower floor potentializes the integration between the spaces. As soon as one enters the residence by its main door, central pivoting made by wood, is possible to see the Living Room and the Gourmet Kitchen. An amazing wood stand is located in the living with double function. At its front, TV, wine cellar, equipments and objects of decoration. At its end, opening shelves harbor the tableware, and when is closed resembles to be a beautiful panel. All of this space opens up, through large running doors which are masked inside the wall, all the way to the pool’s deck. The rear landscaping follows the same tropical lines of the residence front. The contrast stays for the great vertical garden which appears to ‘be born’ out of the pool.  © Renan Klippel  Section  © Renan Klippel The access stairs to the above storey is hidden behind a wall made of artesanal bricks. The wooden stairs, with withdrawn metallic skirting-board, gained illumination where it shows the path to be tread. The above floor houses the dorms, 4 suits at total. The children suits open up to the recreation area, by large ‘prawn’ doors of Muxarabi wood. The same resource was used in the couple’s room with a street and woods view to the front of the house. The bathroom has the same kind of door, which guarantees a beautiful view to the outdoors, when open. This resource assures ventilation and natural light in the indoors, yet it provides a outstanding quality of privacy. The guests room is inspired by the same idea of permeability/privacy, but now it was used a wall of Cobogós concrete made in front of the window, giving a distinct taste to the lateral edification forefront.  © Renan Klippel  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PNG Paradise: Cutouts of Furniture, People, Trees and More Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST  Did you know Pngimg has a large number of free images available for download in .png. The best part? They are perfectly clipped and background-free! The collection is divided into categories that includes trees, people, objects, appliances, sports, clothing, and a host of other strange but perhaps useful animals/things. Just when you needed fresh trees in your renders, Pngimg comes to the rescue. Adding contextual objects and scale figures can really give life and added value to project visualizations. See the .pngs here here and check out other tools that might be helpful, below. Escalalatina: Rendering Your Designs with Diversity  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Director of London's Architectural Association, Brett Steele, to Become UCLA Dean Posted: 14 Dec 2016 09:30 PM PST  The Architectural Association on Bedford Square, London Brett Steele, Director of London's Architectural Association (AA) since 2005, has announced that he will become Dean of UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in August 2017. Although American-born, Steele has since become a naturalized British citizen. He studied at the AA, the University of Oregon, and the San Francisco Art Institute respectively, before working as a Project Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As reported by the LA Times, Steele has said of his appointment: "I think we live in a time when the ability to assemble and invent audiences is as crucial to schools as all of the attention that most of them give to individual artists and performers and architects and designers. It's in my view two sides of the same coin. There are a few very special places in the world where that's built into the DNA and UCLA is simply one of those places." Current faculty at UCLA can be seen here. News via LA Times  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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