Arch Daily |
- Behrer & Partners / Vida Arkitektkontor
- Housing for the Elderly / Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez
- City Center Tower / CAZA
- Danxia Exhibition Center / West-line studio
- Sinkeh / VERITAS Architects
- Brick House / Verri & Galvão Arquitetos
- Costa House / João Tiago Aguiar Arquitectos
- Learn the Story Behind Alison & Peter Smithson's Brutalist Icon, Economist Plaza
- El Internado / Fantuzzi + Rodillo Arquitectos
- Newly Discovered Molecular ‘Glue’ May hold the Key to Strong Wooden Skyscrapers
- Alpine Restaurant Schmiedhof Alm / ARSP
- Best Submissions to 2016 Architecture Holiday Card Challenge
- The Blog As A Museum: Meganom Makes its Online Exhibition Debut with Thngs
- Bunga LOW / Urbain Architectencollectief
- 13 Spectacular Living Roofs in Detail
- Conceptual Monument Reveals Truth of Denmark's National Identity
- RAAAF and Atelier de Lyon Reveal a Monumental Tribute to the Dutch Delta Works in Waterloopbos
| Behrer & Partners / Vida Arkitektkontor Posted: 23 Dec 2016 09:00 PM PST  © Robin Hayes
 © Robin Hayes Real Estate Brokers Behrer & Partners are a highly renowned broker firm with quality conscious client's. Vida were asked to design two of their Office Boutiques in Stockholm.  © Robin Hayes  © Robin Hayes For us - Real Estate Brokers has some of the least interesting shop windows. When you move through the city, we wanted Behrer & Partners to be an addition to the city rather than a subtraction. This has been our main focus throughout the projects and as a consequence, we replaced the old exterior glazing and doors with massive oak doors, oak framing and original neon tube signs in order to make them more beautiful, inviting and expressional.  © Robin Hayes  Plan 1 We moved on to work with ways to divide the compact Offices into different spatial entities, tailoring them for the different functions that were on the clients wish list. We wanted the divisions to be as informal and elegant as possible, therefore we created different vertical levels within the space. Thus, after we first recreated the street inside the shop by putting down concrete flooring (harshly mimicking the concrete paving on the sidewalks) we made massive elevated wood podiums. City life continues inside the shop around the podiums, but on the podiums the brokers have their individual workspaces where they can work relaxed and at home. A combined shelving system (for real estate- home exposure, open storage and espresso bar) is the core information bearer that allows the rest of the Boutique to almost be un-furnished, and calm.  © Robin Hayes  Plan 2 Behrer & Partners puts a lot of effort into their relations - be it to clients, coworkers and friends - therefore a tree was planted in each Office Boutique, as a symbol.  © Robin Hayes Product Description. A central feature in both projects are the elevated podiums. To give them a massive appearance we used Almedals wood block flooring with L-elements around the edges. We used pine flooring and panels in one project to go with the purple desktops and cabinets and oak in the other to go with the green desktops and cabinets.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Housing for the Elderly / Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez Posted: 23 Dec 2016 06:00 PM PST  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín
 © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín The housing for the elderly in Adeamayor de San Martin (Valladolid) can not be understood without its context. Located on the border of a saline hidden wetland (Salgüeros de Aldeamayor) the aridity of the terrain and the infinite horizontality of the Spanish agricultural esplanade - dotted with small masses of pine trees - dominates the landscape, conditioning the implementation of any structure or artifact. In turn, our approaches were held by insistent ideas: provide our elderly with kind environment which promote to be in touch with nature, with the sun, but also enhancing the close relation between inhabitants of the building; the neighborly relations among chairs in the front door of the houses that are so recognizable in the rural areas of Castilla y León.  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín On the arid plain of the Castilla y León landscape we have placed a building formed by white concrete blocks paired in a striated way, marking an intense but subtle border with the ground.  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín  Floor Plan  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín The exterior is abstract and hard, as the environment. A seemingly insurmountable barrier, a shell to protect the interior that becomes kind, warm and complex. The external severe geometry contrasts with the inner complexity. The rooms are generated as small cells that clump together organically around the courtyard, creating interstitials and areas of relation, both to the courtyard itself as the interior. The perimeter corridor becomes a place rich in nuances and spaces in the manner of a small town where people can speak in front of the door of their room-houses fleeing the classic configuration of such centers more close to lugubrious hospitals than to kind and welcoming buildings. We wanted places that would allow the close relationship between inhabitants; the neighborly relations among chairs in the front door of the houses that are so recognizable in the rural areas of Castilla y León. More than a residence, the project aims to search for be a real home, so that psychological factors had to be essential in the project approach.  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín  Section  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín These cells make up the internal connecting paths of the building and coexist with public areas: activity room, fitness room, medical consultations and the large room where has been to create a careful spatiality natural lighting to create a peaceful and seductive atmosphere.  © Jesús J. Ruiz Alonso / Pedro Iván Ramos Martín The whole work has been governed by the use of simple and cost-effective materials, without fanfare. Geometry, spatiality, light and careful treatment color and textures to get a warm and cozy interior protected by an abstract and rhythmic limit to the exterior.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST  © Frank Callaghan
 © Frank Callaghan From the architect. CAZA (Carlos Arnaiz Architects), a Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm with offices in Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; and Manila, Philippines, is pleased to announce the opening of the City Center Tower located in downtown metro Manila. With construction completed this month, the 27-story-tall mixed-use building will feature three floors of commercial retail and dining space while also serving as the corporate offices for several prominent international companies.  Diagram CAZA's design sought to defy the average core and shell design of standard corporate office buildings by introducing refreshingly unexpected geometries that produce new experiences for users. By infusing a series of concentric circles extended across the horizontal axes of each floor, the tower's exterior façade marries the structured shape of a cube with the free-form organic pattern of a wave. The resulting visual impact elicits efficiency and innovation while retaining a sense of light playfulness.  © Frank Callaghan "In the last fifteen years, office development in the Philippines has experienced an unthinkable explosion due to the arrival of the BPO industry," remarks Carlos Arnaiz, Principal and Founder of CAZA Architects. "As architects, we are searching for an expression of this new sociocultural paradigm. The City Center Tower could be one of the first projects in the Philippines that represents the changing nature of the workplace, where nature and offices interact in this 24-hour cycle—accentuating the reality of how the BPO office environment operates."  © Frank Callaghan Visitors are welcomed to the tower by an airy and illuminated double-height lobby that is circumscribed by two floors of commercial retail space, establishing the tower as a vivacious center that is both accessible and enlivened by public activity. Hovering above these retail sections are spacious elevated parking areas that align with a functional cooling tower, designed to accommodate a passive cooling system that is responsive to the tropical heat of the Philippine metropolis. On the fifth floor, atop the retail zone and parking areas, the lofted rooftop restaurant overlooks the building's adjacent park with an expansive balcony area that will feature an urban beach with a wading pool, hammocks, and lounge spaces.  Diagram Above the five stories of commercial space at the ground level are the corporate offices accommodating the building's multinational tenants. Each floor of the upper-level corporate zone is designed with a concentric circular pattern, layering together to compose the exterior's iconic wave-like façade that distinguishes the unique tower. The circular patterning gradually forms a series of balconies and bulging metallic mullions that provide the office spaces—which are traditionally closed and inwardly-focused—with a lush green overgrowth that invites employees to look outwards towards the vista and orient themselves within the metropolitan yet verdant landscape of Manila.  © Frank Callaghan Among the notable tenants of the new building are Wallace, an American human resources firm; Globe Telecom, the largest Philippine telecommunications syndicate; the inaugural Philippines-based office for Cardinal Health, an American healthcare company; and Google's headquarters for the Philippines.  © Frank Callaghan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Danxia Exhibition Center / West-line studio Posted: 23 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST  © West-line studio
 © West-line studio From the architect. Danxia landform is a unique red rock landscape located in southern China. Chishui Danxia, in the north of Guizhou province, can be classified as 'young Danxia', which is one of the most impressive phases. With an extension of more than 700㎞², it is also the largest Danxia landform in China. The characteristic red color is given by a reddish accumulation of sandstone, shaped into spectacular peaks, pillars, cliffs and imposing gorges. Chishui Danxia is also famous for its waterfalls; which together with this amazing red landscape make this area a popular tourist attraction.  © West-line studio  Floor Plan  © West-line studio The Exhibition and Tourist Center is located in Fuxing Town, inside the Danxia landform area and on the main tourist routes. The site highlights the typical characteristics of this particular area, with its complicated morphology. The whole building has been designed following the movement of the soil in a circular route around the central open courtyard.  © West-line studio Danxia Red Stone According to their area of origin, Danxia stones present different characteristics. The high-porosity stone causes strong hygroscopicity. Different mineral compositions cause various anti-corrosion effects, weather resistance, and also visible color alterations. The side of the material untouched by the sun tends to turn a glowing red with strong black components, while the outside stays a shiny, blood red.  © West-line studio Architects exploited various Danxia stones for different parts of the building, according to their particular characteristics. Wall stones are treated with a permeability-reducing protective admixture, a natural moisturizer which keeps the strong reddish color even after cutting and welding. The sloping roof is made from high porosity stones to encourage the growth of a thin layer of green moss, which makes the building appear to be growing from the soil.  © West-line studio This use of the Danxia stone, which respects and takes advantage of its peculiar natural characteristics, gives the building its unique 'red personality', making it part of the surrounding landscape.  © West-line studio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects
 Courtesy of VERITAS Architects From the architect. Located at the edge of the Core Heritage Zone of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Georgetown, this multi-functional arts space and lodging house is converted from a late 19th century 2-storey Straits Chinese shophouse.  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects The design aspires to bring together the past and present by inserting an entirely new 3-storey steel pavilion at the rear of the typical long and narrow shophouse site while preserving the front block with its historical street façade and original timber floor structure.  Elevation Having been used as a warehouse, the back of the house was much deteriorated and modified, justifying its complete rebuilding. The old timber joists were salvaged and recycled to replace worn-down timber elements at the front section.  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects A distinguishing feature of this existing shophouse is its long narrow tapering site resulting in a narrow gap with its neighbour. The design exploited this as an opportunity to insert a narrow light well along the entire length of the building, thus bringing in daylight and natural ventilation into the typically dark and brooding interiors of most shophouses.  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects All the rooms in the building now open out onto this light slot along its side, bringing in light and natural ventilation to all the rooms. Similarly on the other side, the new steel structure is pulled away from the party wall, thereby disengaging the new structure from the party wall and allowing daylight to filter all the way to the ground floor whilst also facilitating the new bakau pile foundation to be done without intervening with the old party wall foundation.  Ground Floor Plan  1st Floor Plan  2nd Floor Plan The courtyard is where the old wing of the front portion confronts the new, where one will be able to experience fully the unapologetic intervention of a modern steel structure with a historical 19th century shophouse, where the present engages the past. It is also the space where indoors and outdoors merge in celebration of the tropical climate. Here one constantly experiences the light of the sky, the moving shadows of rapid passing clouds and the energy of the monsoon rains, creating a constant connection with the nature deep in the historical dense city centre.  Courtesy of VERITAS Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Brick House / Verri & Galvão Arquitetos Posted: 23 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST  © Lauro Rocha
 © Lauro Rocha From the architect. This single family house, built in a residential condominium, was developed from 2011 to 2015. We took responsibility for the architectural and furniture projects, as well for the construction monitoring.  © Lauro Rocha The rectangular projection of the house, with 7 meters front setback, occupies two plots that together add up to approximately 1200 m², with its largest dimension parallel to the street in a north-south direction. The interior space opens to a garden at the back of the plot, where, in addition to the visuals to city and the beauty of the vegetation, they are bathed by the rising sun.  Ground Floor The volumetric conception of the house is expressed by the strong inclined line of the roofs, that starts in the extreme north of the lot, descending to south, an inclination that is present in the internal rooms, with wood-lined ceilings and which have indirect artificial light.  © Lauro Rocha In the space organization, the different functions were gathered with social area and services on the ground floor and intimate rooms on the superior floor. From the social access, a large room opened to the garden, containing the spaces of fireplace, living, meal and cellar. The dining area and kitchen can be isolated from the social spaces with folding doors of ipê wood. Articulated with the garden and positioned on the side of the kitchen, a veranda with the grill. The kitchen connects to the services, pantries, dependencies of employees and a garage for services on the right side.  © Lauro Rocha The span of 11 meters to shelter the cars is positioned on the left side, also allowing access to back of the lot, where in a half-buried level, there is a workshop for the client's hobby, covered with green roof, which in a way mimics in the garden. The void for the garage is structured by a beam that stands from the left border and connects with the volume of the office, providing the scale of the access with orthogonal lines to the composition. Due to the business activity of the client, the office has access by the street and independence of the daily routine of the house, opening to a front courtyard.  Section  Section The upper floor shelters three bedrooms with its bathrooms, besides an home theater, and it is accessed by elevator and two stairs, positioned at the social access and at the services sector.  © Lauro Rocha The house hasn't much openings to the street, ensuring complete privacy for the residents, but it is totally bathed with natural light. The volumes received, externally, facing ceramic bricks from the region, which are made with the characteristic red land from the place, a necessary condition to control the incidence and the reflection of the light on the exterior walls and to refer to the color of the ground, so accentuated in the north of paraná.  © Lauro Rocha  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Costa House / João Tiago Aguiar Arquitectos Posted: 23 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG From the architect. The house where our intervention took place consists of a villa located in the seaside resort city of Costa da Caparica. This is a specific and surgical intervention in a highly deteriorated villa from the seventies. Although the refurbishment seemed urgent the financial contention demanded that the substantial architectonic intervention was limited to the 1st floor, attic and terrace over the garage, the rest of the house being renovated in a simpler and more convenient way.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The kitchen was open to the living room thus enlarging the living area both physically and sensorially by allowing the entrance of natural light through the kitchen window. The presence of the kitchen elements was eased by designing a cabinet block as a black volume poked to one side of the new living room and separated from the dining area by a white Estremoz marble kitchen island which praises and qualifies the new atmosphere.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  First Floor Plan  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The whole interior flooring was replaced by a plank floor giving a warm and cozy atmosphere. In the lower ceiling areas such as kitchen, bathrooms and circulations, light-boxes were placed in order to emit a very comfortable surrounding lighting.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Section  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG In the bathrooms, the varnished cement was largely used on floor, walls and ceiling, thus creating a clean and homogeneous environment with a very unique identity. In order to establish some principles of continuity the use of cement was extended to more informal exterior spaces such as the roof of the garage (used as terrace) and the attic.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The state of the roof of the garage was distressing with an informal shelter in a totally unhealthy asbestos-cement. A new roof that would work as an extension of the existing veranda and do the bridge between the terrace and the house was idealized. Though in order not to compromise the lighting of the outside space, two skylights were opened on the designed roof in a simple and functional single gesture. This roof was held to the volume of the composing elements of the barbecue such as work surface, cupboards, grill and chimney, combining all these elements in one single piece that would define the exterior space. We sought to install some clarity and serenity in an environment that confronts with quite often disorganized and chaotic patios.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Learn the Story Behind Alison & Peter Smithson's Brutalist Icon, Economist Plaza Posted: 23 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST In 2017, British news magazine The Economist will move to a new home, leaving behind its iconic home of 52 years, Economist Plaza. The project represents the first major commission by British duo Alison and Peter Smithson, who would go on to have esteemed careers as champions of the Brutalist style. Located at 22 Ryder Street, not far from Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, Economist Plaza marked a significant breakthrough in tall building design, replacing the traditional streetfront of a podium and tower design with stairs and a ramp leading to an elevated plaza from which 3 buildings would rise. Watch the video above to learn the story behind the project, and read more about the legacy the Economist will leave behind, here. News via the Economist. Spotlight: Alison and Peter Smithson  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| El Internado / Fantuzzi + Rodillo Arquitectos Posted: 23 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST  © Pablo Blanco
 © Pablo Blanco From the architect. The project involved the rehabilitation of a former boarding school built in the late nineteenth century, in the area of Cerro Alegre in Valparaíso. In a slope and with access to two pedestrian streets, the building is located above the Dimalow promenade overlooking it with its main facade while releasing a backyard towards the Caracoles passage. The property built in masonry and wood, was originally a compact building of two floors, facing north and south while being attached to other buildings on both sides to the east and west.  © Pablo Blanco The condition of the building was good except for some specific places (facade to the south) that were affected by moisture and termites. The entire house had suffered numerous interventions due to its successive uses (housing, boarding school, home for women). The intentions of the project were to accommodate the building for its new purpose while recovering its original character, to improve the living conditions of the property and to improve the relationship of the building with the environment by strengthening the public space. All interventions and changes such as non-original interior subdivisions of the house were removed, leaving only the original structure of floors and walls. A courtyard was opened in the center of the original volume providing light and ventilation to all areas. A new underground level was built accommodating the warehouses, cold storage rooms, technical facilities and rooms for the staff so the rest of the building can be used completely for its main purpose.  © José Benasco In order to form a continuous facade, an urban characteristic of patrimonial neighborhood, the service yard was transformed into a new facade. Dimalow and Caracoles passages are now connected through an axis linking both entrances. The program considered the implementation of a bar-restaurant, exhibition hall, game room, meeting room, conference room, radio and local design store.  Axonometric  © Pablo Blanco  © Pablo Blanco  © José Benasco  © Pablo Blanco  © José Benasco  © José Benasco  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Newly Discovered Molecular ‘Glue’ May hold the Key to Strong Wooden Skyscrapers Posted: 23 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST  HAUT, a proposed 240-foot timber-framed tower to be built in Amsterdam. Image Courtesy of Team V Architectuur The key to engineering wood strong enough to support skyscrapers may lie in the interaction between molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair. A new study by researchers at the Universities of Warwick and Cambridge has solved a long-held mystery of how key polymers in plant cells bind to form strong, indigestible materials such as wood and straw. By recreating this 'glue' in a lab, engineers may be able to produce new wood-based materials that surpass current strength capabilities. The discovery lies in the bond between the Earth's two most common polymers, cellulose and xylan, both of which are found in the cell walls of wood. For some time, scientists have pondered how xylan, a long, winding polymer coated in 'decorations' of sugar and other molecules, could adhere to the thicker, rod-like cellulose molecules. "We knew the answer must be elegant and simple," explained research lead Professor Paul Dupree from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. "And in fact, it was. What we found was that cellulose induces xylan to untwist itself and straighten out, allowing it to attach itself to the cellulose molecule. It then acts as a kind of 'glue' that can protect cellulose or bind the molecules together, making very strong structures." The scientists believe this understand may have a dramatic effect on wood-related industries such as paper and biofuel production by greatly reducing the amount of energy required for their processes to occur, as well as allow for innovation that could create stronger engineered-wood materials. With timber-framed skyscrapers already appearing around the world, these new materials could potentially solidify wood as the standard for tall building construction for years to come. Learn more about the discovery, here. News via Phys.org. Timelapse: The Construction of the World's Tallest Timber Tower SOM's Timber Tower System Successfully Passes Strength Testing The Compact Wooden City: A Life-Cycle Analysis of How Timber Could Help Combat Climate Change  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Alpine Restaurant Schmiedhof Alm / ARSP Posted: 23 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST  © Zooey Braun
 © Zooey Braun The Schmiedhof Alm Restaurant lies in the exclusive Zell am See Ski region of Austria, 1,720 meters above sea level. In the course of a single generation, the new owners of the Schmiedhof Alm have managed to create one of the finest restaurants in the area. In an effort to make the restaurant truly world class, a complete renovation of the old building was required. The Architecture was an integral part of the new, innovative gastronomic concept. Providing an atmosphere that invites the Skiers and diners to linger and enjoy their time. A stark contrast to the mass production facilities commonly found in Ski resorts.  © Zooey Braun The appearance of the new building combines traditional style with a strong contemporary architectural influence. The concept is based around the careful addition of volumes in a range of forms: a classically styled timber ski hut with a pitched roof was placed on top of the existing basement. The additional monolithic concrete element, binds the building to the surrounding mountains.  © Zooey Braun  Floor Plans  © Zooey Braun The perforation or openings of the building followed two basic principles: The windows of the concrete basement level and the monolith were pressed inwards to intensify the immense sense of mass of these elements. In contrast, the panoramic windows of the timber construction are pushed outwards, as if parts of the inside are trying to peer out. The resulting booths offer a unique view of the 'Grossglockner' mountain.  © Zooey Braun The food and drink service takes place in the elongated timber structure as well as in the outdoor terraced area, each supporting up to 200 skiers at once. With the innovative service of the introduced Ski-Drive-In quality dining is also made available for price conscious customers. For customers, the column-free guest area provides and open feel, with easy access to all areas. Window seats and careful partitions enhance the homely feeling, encouraging guests to take their time and enjoy the views. The use of exposed timber beams, interspersed with a sound absorbing lattice, further adds to this feeling despite the restaurant being able to accommodate many guests at once.  © Zooey Braun  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best Submissions to 2016 Architecture Holiday Card Challenge Posted: 23 Dec 2016 02:05 AM PST Architects and students of architecture stereotypically never stop making, and their creative talents continue to flow irrespective of the holiday season. Our annual challenge is an unashamed way to channel the inventiveness, originality and artistry of our readers from around the world into that most humble of gifts: the holiday card. Out of the 200 submissions, these are 43 of our favorites.  Submitted by Evan Chan  Submitted by Evan Chan  Submitted by Evan Chan  Submitted by Adrian Conterno  Submitted by TIMEA-LAURA TIFAN GY  Submitted by SHUBHRA GOEL  Submitted by Fiona Wong  Submitted by Fiona Wong Submitted by sangeetha polisetti  Submitted by Vorstermans Architects  Submitted by Alan Power Submitted by Xenia Konteati  Submitted by Raha Parsa  Submitted by Tyler Kraft  Submitted by Işınsu Dikmen Submitted by Samyukthaa Natarajan  Submitted by Emma Barrett  Submitted by Anne-Marie Rondeau  Submitted by CHAI PHAY YUNG  Submitted by Ghida Farhat Submitted by WVA Architects  Submitted by Ellen Ng  Submitted by Ana Claudia Ocampo  Submitted by Patakfalvi Csenge  Submitted by Emeline Porcheron
Submitted by Samyukthaa Natarajan Submitted by ZANEENA M KAREEM  Submitted by Brian Frolo  Submitted by Rivers Barden Architects  Submitted by Georgia Moraiti Submitted by VASILIKI BAKAVOU Submitted by Florian Bengert (BNGRT)
Submitted by Sebastian Beingolea  Submitted by Igor Vukičević  Submitted by BRTO Studio  Submitted by Mark Tanner Schreiber-May  Submitted by Emeline Porcheron  Submitted by Solongo Batsaikhan  Submitted by Adam Wiercinski Architekt  Submitted by Georges J Hakim  Submitted by Josh Bergman  Submitted by David Louis  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Blog As A Museum: Meganom Makes its Online Exhibition Debut with Thngs Posted: 23 Dec 2016 01:30 AM PST  Courtesy of Thngs Co. Our experience of information is changing. We now consume more and more information digitally, with much of this being non-textual. Videos, photos and GIFs have become commonplace, with technology allowing these mediums to be as easily shareable as text. This gives way to another trend: the increase in the number and accessibility of online platforms. Not only is more information being digitized, but more dynamic ways of digitization are being developed; multimedia articles and online exhibitions, for example, hope to provide a more engaging way of sharing information.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. Architects are getting in on this online exhibitionism too, with Moscow-based architecture firm Meganom having their debut cyber "show" on Thngs. Each "show" is a curated collection of archived objects, with Meganom's online exhibition featuring their architectural models from the past 18 years. Clicking on a model gives further information on its dimensions, weight and materials, with the entire group accompanied by a mini essay and timeline.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. But what exactly is Thngs, the host behind these online exhibitions? Seeking to be a Wikipedia of physical objects, Thngs is an online archive providing photos and information on hundreds of objects, from 40,000 BC through to today. They put forth the argument that "each thing is a source of objective information about our past, present, and even future." Thus, the digital archive is a response to the fact that "the physical preservation of all things is not possible, but we can preserve information that things contain." Their shows complement this larger archive, giving further insight to selected groups of related objects, like the Meganom models.  Courtesy of Thngs Co.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. Thngs differs from websites like Thingiverse or WikiHouse, as its catalog is purely a cultural exercise rather than a functional one. Rather than providing for the production of large numbers of new objects, it records those that have already come into existence. There is poetry in this, a respect for the many physical things that surround us and make up our world. The Thngs team appears conscious of this sentiment and the difference between recording and reproducing. Its shows are one such attempt to provide a function that differentiates them as a website that records instead of reproducing. This differentiation is further seen in the website as a whole, which is especially beautiful and crisp—making it feel like you're really "visiting" somewhere special.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. However, until Thngs catalogs every single physical object that has come into existence (which is near impossible), there is unavoidably a conscious process by which someone chooses what to include in and exclude from the catalog. This is where Thngs begins to stray from its goal.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. A search for "chair" is a good example of this, with the results largely being upscale, Eurocentric designer furniture (though other categories, especially electronics, also include pop culture icons such as the original iPod or GameBoy). Commonplace chairs that are in other ways also iconic, like school chairs and bus seats for example, are currently left out. This implicit bias ultimately jars against Thng's democratic aim of providing comprehensive, objective information. So perhaps what is needed is a method of selecting objects which is as fresh and innovative as their way of displaying objects, and a self-awareness of their role as curator. Otherwise, Thngs falls back into an old-fashioned approach to curation despite its contemporary platform.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. Fortunately for Thngs, other institutions have already begun to set a precedent in this regard. Of note is the V&A Museum's "rapid response collecting," where items are "collected in timely response to major moments in history"—meaning that it is society, rather than a curator, who dictates the importance of an object.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. When selection of an object is based upon its position as a topical, culturally charged artifact, the selection process is also vastly shortened. This is a huge breakthrough for a museum that has, for most of its history, rejected items less than fifty years old. There is also opportunity for open discussion over what items should be considered, via the hashtag #rapidresponsecollecting. Considering these elements make up the V&A's approach to "the museum as a blog", it would be fitting for Thngs—the blog as a museum—to take on a similar methodology.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. Furthermore, though Thngs mentions future hopes to "provide possibilities for the re-creation of things," transforming the "digital form back into the physical" with accompanying files for 3D printing, the website currently lacks this feature and relies solely on photographs to represent the object. These three-dimensional models, as well as other modes of representation such as videos, would certainly give Thngs a more convincing presence, pushing it towards the realm of projects like the Million Image Database Project, which preserves at-threat artifacts through 3D documentation.  Courtesy of Thngs Co. There are many innovative aspects to a project like Thngs, and what it has already achieved is undeniably a beautiful contribution to the growing world of digital archives. But if it's to reach its full potential it is not a technological, but a human issue that is of central concern: how best to achieve an objective curation of objects.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bunga LOW / Urbain Architectencollectief Posted: 23 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST  © Filip Dujardin
 © Filip Dujardin From the architect. In this project a solitary sixties bungalow with a gentle sloped roof was refurbished and extended.  © Filip Dujardin A new clear plan was distilled from the existing, with a maximum relation with the garden.  © Filip Dujardin The existing rooms on the northern facade of the bungalow were adjusted in order to form a functional strip, serving as entrance hall, bathroom, storage rooms and a private office space. The living spaces were aligned in an open space along the southern facade, benefiting from large windows that give acces to morning and afternoon terraces and the garden. Two furniture elements divide the open space: a fireplace and a kitchen cabinet.  Ground Floor Plan In the existing garage two compact children's bedrooms are fitted in, which open onto a playroom. On top of the bedrooms a volume is added with a master bedroom, a bathroom and a dressing. This crow's nest is reached through an open staircase in the living room.  © Filip Dujardin A newly constructed flat roof, with visible wooden beams, gives rhythm to the interior space. The span is reduced by introducing a new central bearing line, by means of a steel profile, resting on two tender steel columns.  Section The bungalow is provided with an insulating shell, covered with a cladding of thermally modified timber. By preserving the existing isolated cavity wall, deep window bays are created, with windows reaching to the floor level. In the detailling of the cladding facade horizontal joints were introduced in a well-balanced composition.  © Filip Dujardin Product Description. The thermowood cladding gives the facades a modern look, as the timber ages it becomes plain gray, which works very well in combination with the natural anodised aluminium profiles.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 13 Spectacular Living Roofs in Detail Posted: 23 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST  © Paul Warchol In Le Corbusier's 5 points of architecture, he advocates the inclusion of flat roofs hosting roof gardens, providing valuable outdoor space for the inhabitants of the building in order to replace the ground lost to the construction of the building. But while this acknowledgement of outdoor space was important for people, Le Corbusier's sculptural concrete roof gardens were little consolation to the non-human flora and fauna that were displaced by his works. Recent improvements in our understanding of ecosystems and the environment, as well as a better scientific understanding of the needs of plants, have changed this dramatically. In the past few decades, green roofs and living roofs have exploded in popularity, and now adorn every kind of building--from small private houses to the gigantic surface of Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. We've collected together some excellent examples of these living roofs, including the structural detailing that makes them possible. Read on for 13 spectacular green roofs that achieve environmental benefits including reduced stormwater runoff, and reductions in energy use and the heat island effect.  © Paul Warchol  Lakeside Retreat / GLUCK+ + House for Trees / Vo Trong Nghia Architects  © Hiroyuki Oki  House for Trees / Vo Trong Nghia Architects + Vias Cultural Center / Estudio SIC  © Esaú Acosta  Centro Creación Joven Espacio Vias / Estudio SIC + House at León / ALARCÓN + ASOCIADOS  © Cortesía de Alarcón + Asociados  Casa en León / Alarcón + Asociados + House C / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP  © Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP  Casa C / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP + Galeria Mario Sequeira / Carvalho Araújo  © Pedro Lobo  Galería Mario Sequeira / Atelier Carvalho Araújo + Cubierta Verde / Cardoso + Zúñiga  © Luis Alonso  Cubierta Verde / Cardoso + Zúñiga + Senior Citizen Community Center / F451 Arquitectura  © José Hevia  Senior Citizen Community Center / F451 Arquitectura  © José Hevia  Casa OS / Nolaster  © RPBW  Vulcano Buono / Renzo Piano  © Lluís Ros / Optical Adiction  Villa Bio / Enric Ruiz Geli + Line of Work / Jill Anholt Studio  © Martin Tessler  Line of Work / Jill Anholt Studio + Sports Pavilion / Filipe Brandão and Nuno Sanches  © Nuno Sanches  Pabellón de Deporte / Felipe Brandão y Nuno Sanches Check out more great projects with green roofs here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Conceptual Monument Reveals Truth of Denmark's National Identity Posted: 22 Dec 2016 10:00 PM PST  Courtesy of Søjlerne The Pillars is a new monument in the heart of Copenhagen dedicated to informing the public through a combination of national data and artistic beauty. Inspired by other nationally recognized works such as the 10,000 Year Clock in Texas; Mount Rushmore in South Dakota; and the Fühlometer (Feel-o-Meter) in Lindau, Germany, The Pillars encourages both citizens and leaders to understand the facts of their national development. Powered by data from established sources such as the UN, Statistics Denmark, and the CIA World Factbook, The Pillars are modeled after the birch trees common to Nordic forests, with lit holes in place of the markings on trees. These holes light up to visualize information about Denmark in the last decade; for example, an increase in life expectancy would be signified by lights turned on over more than half the height of the tree.  Courtesy of Søjlerne Other trees represent unemployment, GDP, pollution, income equality, and mortality. The goal, according to the team of architects, policy makers, and international ambassadors responsible for the project, is to help the Denmark's people understand their country's development and continually strive for improvement. News via: Søjlerne  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| RAAAF and Atelier de Lyon Reveal a Monumental Tribute to the Dutch Delta Works in Waterloopbos Posted: 22 Dec 2016 09:30 PM PST  © RAAAF Amsterdam-based Rietveld-Architecture-Art-Affordances (RAAAF) and Atelier de Lyon have revealed designs to reimagine one of The Netherland's monumental "tribute[s] to the majesty, and seemingly indestructible power, of the Dutch Delta Works." The works themselves—a network of dams, sluices, locks, dykes, levees and storm surge barriers in South Holland—have collectively been described as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Deltawerk 1:1 is an intervention examining the practice of the preservation of cultural heritage by inserting a new structure within Waterloopbos, the former Dutch Hydrodynamics Laboratory.  © RAAAF One structure in Waterloopbos, a collection of test models each no longer serving their original function, is the Delta Flume – a structure used to artificially form enormous "full-scale" waves to test the strength of the Delta Works projects. By excavating the sand plateau around the flume, RAAAF intend to reveal "a gigantic 'Delta Work'" 7 meters high and 250 meters long, surrounded by water. In their words: "Massive concrete slabs [will be] cut out of the 80 centimeter-thick walls and turned 90 degrees around on their axis." The 'room' thereby created offers an intense spatial experience of contrasting light, shadow, reflection – and views through the Waterloopbos itself. "Over the years," the designers state, "the slabs will be colonized by nature. The space [will] change throughout the day, the seasons, and over the years."  © RAAAF  © RAAAF  © RAAAF  © RAAAF  © RAAAF Deltawerk 1:1 has been commissioned by the Natuurmonumenten & Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency and conceptualized by Erick de Lyon, Ronald Rietveld and David Habets. It is set to be realized in 2017.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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