Arch Daily |
- London's Aylesbury Estate: A Housing Project Then and Now
- François Pompon High School Refurbishment / Charles-Henri Tachon
- Balaguer Courthouse / Arquitecturia
- MISA Studio / Wanjing Design
- SkyVille / WOHA
- Red Square House / ArchiWorkshop
- House with Villa Silhouette / Irving Smith Architects
- SOM's "Alternative Christmas Tree" Rises at Utzon Center in Denmark
- Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine / Centerbrook Architects & Planners
- Foster + Partners' Plans for 50 Hudson Yards in New York Unveiled
- Meadow House / Malcolm Davis Architecture
- This Cement Generates Light
- Splashpoint / WilkinsonEyre
- Monocle 24 Explores Architectural White Elephants
- Black and Gold: How Paul Revere Williams Became the First African-American to Win the AIA's Highest Honor
- Loft MdP / FFWD Arquitectes
- ArchDaily Architect’s Holiday Gift Guide 2016
- Material Focus: Hacienda Niop by AS Arquitectua and R79
| London's Aylesbury Estate: A Housing Project Then and Now Posted: 08 Dec 2016 08:00 PM PST Originally built to house over 7,000 people in the 1970s, the Aylesbury Estate in South East London was once one of largest housing projects in Europe. In recent years it has "fallen into rapid decline" and, according to British filmmaker Joe Gilbert, "perfectly encapsulates the growing housing crisis and problems caused by gentrification." With narration by Tom Dyckhoff, this short film aims to capture the reality of a housing utopia which has de-evolved into an uncomfortable reality.  © Joe Gilbert  © Joe Gilbert  © Joe Gilbert  © Joe Gilbert  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| François Pompon High School Refurbishment / Charles-Henri Tachon Posted: 08 Dec 2016 07:00 PM PST  © Nicolas Waltefaugle
 © Nicolas Waltefaugle From the architect. On the Morvan's foothills and three steps away from the restaurant of Bernard Loiseau, the high school Francois Pompon named after the famous sculptor and town's native, occupies a strategic position at the entrance of Saulieu (in Burgundy). Alongside the road N7, it marks the way in to the town's historic heart.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle The recently built extension allows the grouping of all the high school's classrooms, which were previously divided in two separate sites.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle This new wing in the form of a prow opens up to the outdoors and adds to a previously L-shaped building, which is now U-shaped. This way it creates a closed courtyard, reproducing the style of Jules Ferry's Republican schools.  Ground Floor This unexpected shape represents partly the wish to follow the limitation of the curved piece of land and partly follows the rules defined by the Department of Architecture and Heritage, which is a building with two roof sections. The combination of these two conditions led to define the very special and remarkable geometry.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle The rooms occupying this part of the building are used for art and music classes. Their less conventional teaching benefits from this astonishing situation. The new building's ground floor is made of a raw concrete base and both floors have a wooden frame. The wooden structure of the KERTO type (post & beam structures and flooring) makes it possible to cross the 12-meter thick building with a single span and therefore completely releases the plates of bearing points.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle The high school provides a place for learning and knowledge sharing in which students evolve; they will develop their culture and connection with the space. Our recurrent approach as an agency is to express the structure as the fundamental basis of architecture. In Saulieu, the wooden structure defines the whole space; it is visible and its regular composition gives sequencing to the front of the construction which shows the institutional nature of the building. It isn't a domestic building. It is a public and republican institution that not only conveys the universality of knowledge but also the regional culture through local architecture and construction processes.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle Our motto for this project was "sound mind in a sound body". For children to learn in a peaceful environment, they must be in a "healthy" building, in a sound mind and healthy body. Opening this building only a few days ago, it seems that students and teachers appreciate the peacefulness, the brightness and light that prevails. We hope that everyone finds learning to be a cheerful experience and that students keep happy memories of their time in high school.  © Nicolas Waltefaugle Product Description.This project has a double-structure : the basement of the ground floor is realized in poured-in-place concrete while the two upper floors are made of lamibois structure (pole and floor) and a lamibois frame. This choice of structure correspond with a construction strategy. The wooden structure allows a much faster realization than the masonry. On the facade, the wood is left untreated in order to hold a silver patina for the Douglas wood poles, the Douglas wood claddings, the Larch wood exterior joineries (Larch) and the Oregon pine rolling shutters. The construction work have been carried out by local companies (10 to 20 workers).  © Nicolas Waltefaugle  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Balaguer Courthouse / Arquitecturia Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:00 PM PST  © Pedro Pegenaute
 © Pedro Pegenaute Balaguer Courthouse is located at the old Quarter of the city. Balaguer is characterised by the brown-red chromatic of the geology –stone and earth- and a structure of extremely narrow and steep streets. The irregular morphology of the old quarter is well adapted to the rugged topography.  © Pedro Pegenaute There is a balance between the strict and thigh requirements of the brief and the irregular and complex reality of the site. Inside, a regular structure organises the internal spaces and program. Outside, the alignments, porches and urban traces shape the volume. In-between inside and outside, in-between program/type and site, there is a thick space of transition that deals with privacy, intimacy and modulates natural light.  Diagrams Materiality is explored to achieve a permeable architecture. From basic units, an assembly system is established that configures a new element. Industrialized elements are applied hand- craftily. The facade may seem very opaque from the distance outside, but when one gets closer inside, it becomes permeable. On the daylight, the facade is heavy and mute and at night comes it becomes lighter and permeable. Materiality is live and variable as it changes and responds to its context conditions.  © Pedro Pegenaute El vestíbulo y el espacio aporchado de acceso configuran la fachada de la plaza y enlazan el nuevo equipamiento público con la estructura urbana del casco antiguo de Balaguer.  © Pedro Pegenaute  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 02:00 PM PST  © Shen Qiang
 © Shen Qiang From the architect. The project is a high-level personal studio of an artificial intelligence company, located in a hollow old factory building. Its design is to be in the moment work and living in a single unified environment will be the city's abandoned space into a multi-dimensional interesting living space.  © Shen Qiang Owners demand is very easy. The design of a wood workshop with a temporary residence. It can support a large dog, and you can park Ural (a motorcycle)  © Shen Qiang  © Shen Qiang The original space between the two plants and the space is a shipping channel, the top left the original lightweight steel roof. The original structure of the house, space, use, does not fit existing design requirements. How to reshape the form of space in a new living experience is critical to the overall design.  © Shen Qiang Designers insert a box-shaped space divided into three functional space in the original application for the second floor of the fixed-level high school , and in the space into the two courtyards.  Designers want to create such a rich experience of residential space. There is no good environment around this building from the outside. But into the interior will find it , because there are very bright atrium and another internal courtyard occupied the entire one-third area. It provides a contact with nature, and reveals all aspects of nature, is the center of work and life, but also a device replaces the disappearing light, wind, rain and other natural objects in the modern city . Sky light infiltrates into yard, casting a deep shadow on the wall and yard.  © Shen Qiang Indoor space outdoor, natural through the Light Court was introduced into the interior, the new form of life has also assumed a serious side. "In this case, the design that contact with the natural life is more important than convenience."  © Shen Qiang The first floor The main function of the first floor for the wood workshop, the entire space without any partition space, the structure of the column and the concrete directly constitute the main visual elements of space. Through a huge automatic sliding door, Ural can be directly into the internal space, and for the wooden work area provides a flexible workspace.  © Shen Qiang The second floor The second floor is the reception room and open kitchen and living room.Living room, reception room and open kitchen different functional areas here are organic combination .The first floor staircase and the second floor opening walkway will be connected to the two functional space. The external area of the reception area can be moved open, connecting the indoor atrium and outdoor view of the landscape.  © Shen Qiang Bedroom door opened, through an inner courtyard, into the most intimate living space, in a small space with more rich empty experience. The third floor Leave extra space on the third floor to provide more possibilities for use of the light, from the redesigned planking into the interior space, showing a rich light and shadow.  © Shen Qiang  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:00 PM PST  Courtesy of WOHA
 Courtesy of WOHA From the architect. The project, located in a high-rise area of mixed private and public housing, demonstrates that high density can be high amenity. Community living, variety and sustainability are central themes. The project is ungated; all common areas are fully open to the public.  Courtesy of WOHA The central innovation is the public, external, shared spaces interwoven through the cluster of towers from the ground to the roof. Each home is part of a Sky Village comprising 80 homes sharing a sheltered community garden terrace. They are designed to foster interaction and be part of daily life. Every resident passes through, or looks over, this space on the way from the lift to apartment and can greet their fellow villagers, see children playing, and residents chatting.  Courtesy of WOHA Other community areas include a plaza located along a public linear park flanked by supermarket, coffee shop and retail spaces, and a childcare facility. Community living rooms - large double-volume verandah spaces - at ground level provided with seating areas overlooking a park. Pavilions for weddings and funerals, play and fitness areas, courts and lawns are bordered by a 150m long bioswale. The rooftop public skypark, open 24 hours, incorporates a 400m jogging track under pavilions capped by a photovoltaic array.  Site Plan The design offers residents 3 plan variations for each size of unit. Flexible Layouts are based on column-free, beam-free apartment spaces, thereby eliminating waste and making allowance for diverse family sizes, various lifestyles (e.g. home office/loft-living) and future flexibility.  Courtesy of WOHA The history of the site is celebrated in the artwork project. A local artist has documented the changing character of the neighbourhood, and the art has been cast into the precast walls. The building design also includes blue glass elements that recall the old Hokkien dialect "Lam Po Lay", which means blue glass district - the older generation public housing in the area had blue windows. Magnificent old rain trees were retained and incorporated into the landscaping. Awarded a Platinum Greenmark rating - Singapore's highest and the first for public housing - the project adopts robust passive design strategies including naturally lit and ventilated lobbies, staircases, access corridors. All apartments are naturally ventilated and due to the open, airy design, a substantial proportion of units have not installed air-conditioning. Photovoltaics on the roof power the common facilities. The design is fully precast and prefabricated, reducing waste and errors on site. The design creates variety through the re-arrangement of the modules, through colour, light and shade.  Section  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Red Square House / ArchiWorkshop Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:00 AM PST  © Nam-Sun Lee
 © Nam-Sun Lee From the architect. In Bucheon, a suburb of Seoul, there is an area called GgaChiWool. This area, which is also known as a residential housing complex, has been continuously expanding. When first visited the site, housing development was already over, and new houses were almost filling the complex. The low-rise houses, the quiet footpaths, and roads to the private gardens brought great attraction of the site. However, most of the houses already built were houses that did not deviate much from the general category of multi-family houses.  © Nam-Sun Lee Dwelling one, two, three. The young couple came to our office and shared their dream of living in the suburbs, not in Seoul. They were married and had two children, living together with their parents. After long consideration, the three generations decided to live together under one roof. One of the great advantage of living in residential house is that there is a garden. Young couples expressed their desire to use both the ground floor garden and the terrace area with the rooftop space. The total floor area is 220m2, and the area that can be used by couples is not so. Nevertheless, we have begun to think about the space in which a generation can use three floors. The reason is that it was expected that the space beyond the space divided by the floor could come out.  © Nam-Sun Lee  1st Floor Plan  © Nam-Sun Lee 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor roof terrace The young couple's parents wanted to use the ground floor and wanted to have an access for their children to visit their grandparents' home inside the house. There is a private hidden access, where the children could visit the grandparents without going outside the house. It is a place where the privacy of each other is protected but at the same time the children can freely go through.  © Nam-Sun Lee  2nd Floor Plan  © Nam-Sun Lee Selection of external materials The outside materials of the surrounding houses were stone or brick. Considering the simple taste of the owner, the white stucco-flex was used to form the basic mass and the front elevation, which faces the road is cladded with red brick tiles. The brick tiles were used only at one side so that the common material form into a unique facade. The joint color was similar to the brick color, which gives an impression of ' Dansaekhwa (monochrome)' of Korea. Red Square House has the identity of the house through this elevation.  © Nam-Sun Lee  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House with Villa Silhouette / Irving Smith Architects Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:00 AM PST  © Patrick Reynolds
 © Patrick Reynolds A house after the Christchurch quakes. One creative home comes down, another goes up, the new silhouetting the old, reminding, resettling, providing lineage.  © Patrick Reynolds  © Patrick Reynolds Where the former villa sat square and inward, the new layers out across the southern view, shaping to the silhouette for light, and framing a greater appreciation of the everyday.  Floor Plans Timber traces the silhouette of the old house, providing warmth, and privacy by opening and closing the view, finding sun and shelter on a south facing shadowed and exposed site, and layering ways in and out amongst its close neighbours. That the house is hard to recognise from afar, but remains open to its close community, is testament to the notion of resettling with surrounding context, ideas we exhibited at the 2015 Prague International Architecture Festival entitled Soft Architecture : Soft Context. House with Villa Silhouette is finished as a moment in time, yet looks to its neighbours for future re-finishing. It is soft and participates with a landscape that continues to shift both physically and as a community.  © Patrick Reynolds To its artists owners', the house provides an affordable continuation in lieu of their much loved but earthquake destroyed villa; a place of craft, creativity, and lineage through the earthquakes. Post quake, they find renewed interest in small things: hanging a pot plant, drying a wetsuit, making tracks for the cat to walk on, an interest in 1970's aesthetics… Frames are left to provide opportunity for future play, adaption, new endeavours, change. Post-quake time has become more continuous.  Section Life goes on, remaining (like Lyttleton) modest, informal, busy, and full of the same eclectic furniture and stories as before... but resettled and ready for more.  © Patrick Reynolds  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| SOM's "Alternative Christmas Tree" Rises at Utzon Center in Denmark Posted: 08 Dec 2016 08:00 AM PST  © 2016 Allan Toft An "alternative Christmas tree" designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) has been erected in the courtyard of the Utzon Center, coinciding with SOM's current exhibition, 'Sky's the Limit'. Located on the waterfront in Aalborg, Denmark, the Utzon Center was the last project to be designed by the center's namesake, renowned Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The temporary sculpture was designed through a collaborative process between SOM and lighting designer Steensen Varming, and is constructed using modules from Peter Lassen's GRID system. Inverting the spatial quality of a traditional Christmas Tree, the sculpture provides a space for gathering and reflection.  © 2016 Allan Toft Using 1,000 square GRID elements, the "tree" reaches a height of 7 meters (23 feet), and features an array of color-changing lights, illuminating the courtyard in a wash of color. "Stepping into the middle of a Christmas tree and getting that different and, in some ways, mind-bending experience of space and design, is not something you can experience elsewhere in Denmark," says Lasse Andersson, creative director at Utzon Center.  © 2016 Allan Toft  © 2016 Allan Toft 'Sky's the Limit', an exhibition covering SOM's history of skyscraper design, will be on display from December 1st to January 15th, while the "Christmas tree" will remain in place until the end of January. News via SOM, Utzon Center.  Utzon Center. Image © Flickr user wenhan21. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine / Centerbrook Architects & Planners Posted: 08 Dec 2016 07:00 AM PST  © Derek Hayn
 © Derek Hayn From the architect. The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine was designed to be sophisticated enough to entice internationally acclaimed scientists, bold enough to symbolize the state of Connecticut's commitment to advanced research, yet practical enough for an economic nonprofit organization serious about its mission.  © Robert Benson Centerbrook Architects & Planners in collaboration with Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed the $135 million research facility. A nonprofit research institution based in Maine and with facilities in California as well, JAX has a staff of 1,400 professionals nationwide and is a designated National Cancer Institute research center.  1st Floor Plan  2nd Floor Plan Opened in 2014, the 189,000-square-foot JAX building is set on a 17-acre site adjacent to the UConn Health campus. It houses state-of-the-art laboratories where more than 300 biomedical researchers, technicians and support staff will probe the human genome for new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and other daunting diseases.  © Robert Benson The building includes 17 "wet" biology labs and another 17 "dry" computational science labs, along with scientific service areas. The labs are clustered in large open suites to encourage collaboration among scientists and technicians, and to enable spaces to be reconfigured quickly and easily as research programs grow or evolve.  © Robert Benson At the building's entrance, visitors walk into a light-filled, double-story vaulted reception area leading to: a 200-seat auditorium, two large conference/seminar rooms and a 200-seat dining area that opens into an outdoor courtyard. On the second floor are core service labs, a data center, offices, conference rooms, an employee fitness center and an informal seating area referred to as the "pub" for casual networking and formal pre-conference gatherings. Research labs and faculty offices will predominate on the third and fourth floors.  © Robert Benson Product Description. The building consists of a structural steel frame faced with Canadian limestone, glass, and 14,000 square feet of Rheinzink 1.0 mm prePatina Blue Gray Zinc panels fabricated by MetalTech-USA. The zinc panels were selected because they age well and become more beautiful as the building ages. The Blue Gray hue of the zinc was specified as it complemented the limestone, which has blue veining. It also subtly blended with the champagne and pewter colors of the aluminum curtain wall frame.  © Robert Benson  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Foster + Partners' Plans for 50 Hudson Yards in New York Unveiled Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Related-Oxford Foster + Partners' designs for the latest tower to be located within New York's Hudson Yards megaproject have been revealed. Named 50 Hudson Yards, the building will rise 985 feet (300 meters) into the sky in becoming New York City's fourth largest commercial office tower with 2.9 million gross square feet and the new home of leading investment firm BlackRock.  50 Hudson Yards with 30 Hudson Yards and the No. 7 Subway. Image Courtesy of Related-Oxford The 58-story building will be located at the northwest corner of 33rd Street and 10th Avenue, with entry points will be accessible on all four sides of the building. Directly adjacent to Hudson Yards' new subway concourse, the building will also provide onsite bike storage, allowing for an easy commute via multiple modes of transportation.  50 Hudson Yards and 10th Avenue. Image Courtesy of Related-Oxford The LEED-Gold rated tower will take the form of three stacked blocks of commercial space offering private sky lobbies, outdoor terraces and valet and drop off through a private porte-cochère. Clad in white stone, each block will be separated by the dark band of fully glazed floors offering access to the roof terraces. On the east and west elevations, the facades are broken into four-story glass boxes framed by white stone, while on the north and south elevations, the building's verticality is accentuated. At the tower's peak, a "halo" will glow at night, giving the building a distinguishable presence of the city skyline.  Courtesy of Related-Oxford The building interiors will feature large, column-free floorplates spanning a minimum of 50,000 square feet, becoming one of just a few West Manhattan buildings to accommodate 500-plus people per floor. This freedom of space will allow for a variety of arrangements capable of meeting the needs of both large enterprise tenants and smaller companies and organizations.  Hudson Yards Aerial View. Image Courtesy of Related-Oxford "50 Hudson Yards is a key part of a larger vision that integrates places to live and work within a dense, walkable urban neighborhood," said Norman Foster. "Covering a full city block, the building is highly permeable at ground level, allowing it to engage fully with its urban location. Designed for a sustainable future, the building makes an important contribution to the regeneration of the far west side of Manhattan."  Hudson Yards Masterplan. Image Courtesy of Related-Oxford "50 Hudson Yards is envisaged as a vertical campus in the heart of Manhattan that is eminently readable at city scale with three distinct blocks stacked one above the other," added Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio for Foster + Partners. "Crafted from a simple palette of white stone and glass, the building's primary structure has been pushed to the edges to create large-span flexible floorplates. It aspires to define the workplace of the future, bringing to the fore the practice's values of innovation and creativity by producing a positive work environment that seeks to fulfill the needs and expectations of a demanding workforce."  Hudson Yards Aerial View. Image Courtesy of Related-Oxford The project is being developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group. Construction of 50 Hudson Yards will begin in 2017, with an expected opening date in 2022. News via Related-Oxford.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Meadow House / Malcolm Davis Architecture Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST  © Joe Fletcher
 © Joe Fletcher From the architect. A well-read, well-traveled couple commissioned this house as a counterpoint to their small apartment in a San Francisco high rise. Their house was to hold their books and collection of artifacts from around the world. The program called for "his and hers" offices at opposite ends of the house, encouraging focus but allowing for interaction around the central kitchen. They wanted a place to read and write in the reflective and inspiring coastal setting.  © Joe Fletcher Sited on a highly exposed ocean meadow lot, the challenge was to provide privacy and sheltered outdoor space while maximizing the sense of openness and capturing the southerly views. The sheltered courtyard separates the main living spaces from the two-story volume of more private uses. The massing of the two simple sheds creates a focal point while blocking the coastal wind and views from the house of the immediate neighbor. A connector joins the volumes with small portal windows at the driveway in contrast to the all glass exposure at the garden and blocks the coastal winds while allowing one to enjoy private ocean views.  © Joe Fletcher  Floor Plan  © Joe Fletcher The plan is open and informal with the kitchen, dining room, and living room in one space. The interiors are warm and calm with generous windows framing views of the ocean and the forested ridge. The material palette is drawn from these views. The polished concrete floors are sown with local beach sand. The fir used throughout was locally harvested. Indoor and outdoor connections are emphasized by the continuous use of stone from the front walk through the house and out to the central courtyard. Being in the main living space is to be "in the meadow" able to observe the birds and native plants close at hand.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 04:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Sinembargo.com Over the past ten years the development of intelligent construction models, closely tied to energy efficiency, has introduced new materials that have one or more properties modified, in a controlled and partial way, by external stimuli such as radiation, temperature, pH, humidity, wind, and other environmental factors. As a response to new construction models, Dr. José Carlos Rubio Ávalos of the UMSNH of Morelia, has developed a cement with the capacity to absorb and irradiate light energy, in order to provide greater functionality and versatility to concrete in regards to energy efficiency. The new smart material developed by Rubio Ávalos was released on October 20, 2015, in an official press release by the Agencia Informativa Conacyt. The researcher claimed that the applications are very broad, and those which stand out most are for the architectural market: facades, swimming pools, bathrooms, kitchens, parking lots, etc. It would also be useful in road safety and road signs, in the energy sector, such as oil platforms, and anywhere you want to illuminate or mark spaces that don’t have access to electricity since it doesn’t require an electrical distribution system and is recharged only with light. The durability of light-emitting cement is estimated to be greater than 100 years thanks to its inorganic nature, and its material components are easily recyclable.  Courtesy of Cybersis.com According to the same statement, the essential feature of this new material is obtained by a process of polycondensation of raw materials (silica, river sand, industrial waste, alkali, and water). This process, the researcher said, is performed at room temperature and doesn’t require high energy consumption. The pollution produced in manufacturing is low compared to other types of cement such as Portland or synthetic plastics.
 Courtesy of El Excelsior Charging the material using natural or artificial light, it hopes to offer new light and thermal functions to the most used construction element in the world in order to reduce the energy consumption generated by current light and thermal systems. In addition to its distribution in Mexico, it is expected that investors from Chile, Spain, Argentina and Brazil will commercialize the material for its use in roads and other urban spaces in 2016.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 03:00 AM PST  © Julian Abrams
 © Julian Abrams WilkinsonEyre was appointed to design this new swimming pool for Worthing Borough Council following a RIBA Design Competition. The new pool complex includes a six lane, 25 metre pool; a combined learner/diving pool; indoor leisure pools with rapids, flumes and outdoor waters; a health and fitness centre; café; crèche and flexible space for other activities.  © Julian Abrams  Section  © Julian Abrams This new complex, located adjacent to the existing Aquarena and close to the town centre, is an exciting development on a unique seafront site. The design maximises the potential of the site with 'ribbons' of accommodation flowing from north to south to emphasise the connection between land and sea. Each pool has its own terrace, opening up the façade to animate the beachfront elevation and enliven this prominent location in line with the Council's aspirations for an Active Beach Zone.  © Julian Abrams  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Monocle 24 Explores Architectural White Elephants Posted: 08 Dec 2016 02:00 AM PST Cities across the world are full of white elephants – something which ArchDaily has recently explored. In the latest episode of Section D, Monocle 24's weekly review of design, architecture and craft, the team examine similar cases from the unfinished Palestinian Parliament to redundant projects in Belgrade. This edition also looks at the RIBA's new International Prize, which was awarded this year to Grafton Architects for their University of Engineering and Technology building in Lima.  Courtesy of Monocle 24  Unfinished Palestinian Parliament Building. Image Courtesy of Monocle 24 Palestinian Parliament Building Twenty years ago, with the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in full swing, the Palestinians began constructing their first parliament building. But when the peace process fell by the wayside, violence swept the region and the half-finished parliament became an afterthought. Monocle contributor Mary Pelletier went to the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Abu Dis to see why this sandy-coloured monolith is still stuck in limbo.  Santiago Calatrava's Constitution Bridge in Venice. Image Courtesy of Monocle 24 Belgrade Belgrade used to be the capital of Yugoslavia. Now it's the capital city of a considerably diminished Serbia. And that's left it with all sorts of redundant buildings – everything from banks to army barracks – all designed to serve a much larger country. Campaigners say these places could be repurposed so they've called on experts from other European countries with experience of turning white elephants into something more useful.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 01:30 AM PST  La Concha Motel, Las Vegas, 1961. Image Courtesy of the AIA Yesterday, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that they had awarded the 2017 Gold Medal to Paul Revere Williams. Despite the manic production rate of his five-decade-long career, those not familiar with the architecture of Hollywood's early years might be forgiven for not recognizing Williams' name. But he is notable for having designed around 3,000 buildings, for being "the architect to the stars" including, among many others, Frank Sinatra... and for being the first black member of the AIA.  Courtesy of the AIA The details of Williams' life, as an African-American providing a service to some of the richest and most powerful people in the country, are so astonishing that they often eclipse the details of his work. In learning about his life, one is likely to read a lot about how he learned to draw upside-down so that he didn't have to sit too close to his clients, or how he defied a high school teacher who told him there was no demand for black architects. Far less common are accounts of the progression of his work from Tudor and Georgian styles, through a stripped-back "proto-modernist" style, to a more pure and even futuristic modernism later in his career. [1] The LA Times once claimed that "If you have a picture in your mind of Southern California in the 1950s and early 1960s, you are quite likely picturing a building created by Paul Williams."[2] However, this later period is not necessarily representative of the first three decades of Williams' career. As noted by New York Times Magazine in 2002, "Williams was no revolutionary,"[3] and it is notable that today LA is known as much for its McMansions, those gaudy, inept imitations of Williams' competent-yet-conservative homes for Hollywood stars, as it is for the sleek, experimental Modernism which Williams contributed to later in his career.  Courtesy of the AIA It could be argued that Williams' earlier residential architecture was the result of a desire to capitulate to his clients' whims: accounts of his career are filled with tales such as his promise to deliver a design in under 24 hours to win a commission over his white contemporaries,[4] or the aforementioned reason for drawing upside-down. Similarly, he is noted as being "excited by the new modernist aesthetic and anxious to work with it, although he would also do conservative colonial houses for clients who wanted them." [5] Williams' own analysis of his design choices was even more client-focused: "When asked what was my theory of design – that I did so many contemporary buildings yet I shunned the exotic approach – my answer was, conservative designs stay in style longer and are a better investment." [6]  Paley Home. Image Courtesy of the AIA Williams' need to appease potential clients who might be skeptical on account of his race seems frequently at odds with his desire to be acknowledged for his great talent, independent of his color. The two impulses met most dramatically in a 1937 essay that Williams wrote for American Magazine titled "I Am a Negro." Here, Williams demands that white people "deal with me, and with other men and women of my race, as individual problems, not as a race problem." Yet he can't seem to hold firm on his position, adding that "white Americans have a reasonable basis for their prejudice against the Negro race" and that even if people heed his earlier demand, white people and black people should remain separated in society, and "rightly so." [7] Fortunately, after another 20 years of demonstrating his talent, it seems Williams earned enough respect that he was able to partake in the energetic mood of the Los Angeles architectural scene in the 1950s and 60s, which so impressed the Los Angeles Times at the turn of the millennium.  Paley Home. Image Courtesy of the AIA Those following the AIA's Gold Medal awards might draw parallels between the circumstances surrounding this year's award and those around the 2014 Gold Medal, awarded to Julia Morgan. That year, Morgan was the first woman ever to receive the Gold Medal, just as Williams is the first black architect to receive the award. While Williams was the first black architect to be an AIA member, Morgan was the first female to graduate from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the first licensed female architect in California. And, while Williams has been dead since 1980, Morgan died almost 60 years before her posthumous award. But while the award given to Julia Morgan was criticized at the time for "highlighting Ms. Morgan's achievements without reference to gender, culture, or its own history," with one person adding that "it does speak very poorly for our profession that awarding a non-living female architect 56 years after her death is considered progress,"[8] this year the AIA has handled the situation very differently. Their press release openly acknowledges Williams as the first African-American to receive the medal, and briefly discusses the challenges he faced due to his race.  LAX Theme Building, completed with Pereira & Luckman, 1961. Image © Flickr user thomashawk. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 An analysis of both Williams' professional career and the underlying social constraints resulting from his skin color show just how difficult a tightrope he was walking. Clearly, to adopt the demeanor of the abrasive visionary—in the mold of an architect like Frank Lloyd Wright—was simply not an option for a black architect working in the mid-20th century. As a result, Williams' architecture may not be as prominent in the architectural history books as it could have been, but the AIA has done its first black architect a huge service in not only recognizing his work, but properly framing it in the context of his life. In a 1994 article in Ebony magazine, Karen Hudson, Williams' granddaughter and author of the books "Paul R. Williams, Architect: A Legacy of Style" and "The Will and the Way: Paul R. Williams," is quoted as saying that she wanted her book about her grandfather to be as complete and balanced as possible, stating that she "had to accept that this may be the only book ever done on Paul Williams."[9] In light of this 22-year-old quote, the AIA's selection for the 2017 Gold Medal shows how far we have come in recent decades—but also how far there is still to go.  LAX Theme Building, completed with Pereira & Luckman, 1961. Image Courtesy of the AIA References
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| Posted: 08 Dec 2016 01:00 AM PST
 © David Benito Cortázar When dealing with the refurbishment of this old carpenter's workshop placed at Barcelona's Poble Sec neighbourhood, the main goal was to set up this space for inhabitation while the main constructive components were mantained. They gave charm and singularity to the space.  © David Benito Cortázar  Floor Plan  © David Benito Cortázar These elements were poorly conserved. Brick and stone walls were hidden under thick linings of gypsum and mortar, as well as the ceiling surface was. Wodden beams in the ceiling were vastly damaged by termites at points, and it could affect the whole building stability.  © David Benito Cortázar However, the property had multiple light openings. The existance of an inner patio allowed us to use translucent glass in the street windows to keep the house privacy. The main spaces of the house will be visually connected with the courtyard which will be their focus point.  © David Benito Cortázar The existing valuable components which we wanted to restore formed the upper shell of the project: walls and roof. Owing to that the floor would be the new constructed element in charge of the space configuration. It becomes a magma that fills the whole base of the space. It creates open areas that are organized with the levels and objects generated.  © David Benito Cortázar First of all, it solves the conflict produced by the two entrances at different heights. It also gives a solution for the relation between the main level and the patio level which is depressed by 45cm. In second place, some of the fixed furniture of the house is raised from the floor. The living-room sofa, the kitchen tables and some of the bathroom sinks are brick-made, and covered with a concrete lining as the floor is.  Section In some of the main areas generated, space is organized with the use of closed boxes. They contain the more private uses of the house, such as bathrooms and dressing rooms. With its positioning, bedroom spaces are also generated, remaining separated from the daytime areas of the house. The layout singularity arises from the owner requirements. He wanted to have a small independent apartment for the frequent visitors he will have during the year. At the same time, this space will be used as his studio while no guests are in the house. That is the reason why house is conceived with two separated spaces that can be used independently if wanted.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ArchDaily Architect’s Holiday Gift Guide 2016 Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:00 AM PST  ArchDaily Architect's Holiday Gift Guide 2016 It's that time of year again to find the perfect gift for that special architect in your life. We're all aware of architects' peculiar habits and discerning tastes – meaning a last minute trip to store probably won't cut it for finding the right present. But not to worry, ArchDaily is here to help you out with a list of great items any architects would love to receive. Read on to see ArchDaily's top gifts for architects!  Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser / MUJI WHAT: Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser / MUJI If you're looking for a beautiful, minimalist gift that's practical too, Japanese home goods retailer MUJI is a great place to start. One of their most popular items, the ultrasonic aroma diffuser, will inject life into any space by emitting a wide variety of MUJI brand scents, including blends named Happy, Love and Energy. Hot tip: the diffuser is great for getting rid of that stale apartment smell before guests arrive. WHERE: $69.50 / $119.50 at MUJI  Brutalist Coloring Book / TM WHAT: Brutalist Coloring Book / TM
WHERE: €12 from TM  Blueprint Handkerchief / Cyberoptix WHAT: Blueprint Handkerchief / Cyberoptix
WHERE: €20.05 from Etsy  'Pochette' Caryall / Atelier YUL WHAT: Leather Carryalls / Atelier YUL Designed by architect Cece de la Montagne, this line of minimal leather carryalls contains space for large format papers, canvas, and prints with room for all of your essentials. WHERE: Prices range from $45 - $490 at Atelier YUL  Architecture Notecards / Wrytewood WHAT: Hand-illustrated Notecards / Wrytewood These sets of boxed travel notes feature hand-illustrations of architectural sites by M. Wood, printed on thick cream card stock and boxed in sets of 10 with matching envelopes. WHERE: $16 - $20 from Wrytewood  Ossidiana Espresso Maker / Alessi WHAT: Ossidiana espresso maker / Alessi Designed by Sicilian architect Mario Trimarchi, this stovetop moka espresso maker is the latest in the line of architect-designed products by Italian housewares company Alessi. Other architect-designed products include the 'Ribbon' Wine Rack by Ben van Berkel (UNStudio), the 'Fruit Basket' tea set by SANAA, and Michael Graves' classic 'Tea Rex' kettle. WHERE: $70 / $100 from Alessi  'Pebble' Wireless Charger / Oree WHAT: 'Pebble' wireless phone charger / Oree French company Oree makes a range of technology tools from the finest materials. Just place your phone on their latest product, the 'Pebble' wireless phone charger, and watch it charge cord-free. The 'Pebble' comes in tillia, walnut and white marble, and also includes an optional high end Bluetooth speaker for hands-free calls & music. WHERE: €159 / €179 from Oree  Kaleido Trays / HAY WHAT: Kaleido Trays / Hay & Clara von Zweigbergk
WHERE: $14 - $59 from A+R Store  Paper Cut-Outs / Zupagrafika WHAT: Paper Cut-out Architecture / Zupagrafika Another fun stocking stuffer, these collections of paper cut-out models were inspired by modernist architecture of the former Eastern Bloc and beyond. The most fun set might be the "Blokografia" set, which take the form of different letters of the alphabet. WHERE: €4.50 - €10 from Zupagrafika  Ceramic Bell / Cosanti Originals WHAT: Cosanti Bell / Paolo Soleri Studios Made at late architect Paolo Soleri's Cosanti studio in Scottsdale and his experimental city of Arcosanti, these bells were produced by Soleri to fund Arcosanti's construction and development. Both bronze and silt-cast ceramic bells are available, and feature unique hand carved patterns in Soleri's signature drawing style. WHERE: $28 and up from Cosanti Originals  Loop Candelabra / Black & Blum WHAT: Loop Candelabra / Black & Blum
WHERE: $32 from MoMA Store  Elephant Bottle Opener / Georg Jensen WHAT: Elephant Bottle Opener / Georg Jensen This classic was designed in 1987 by Jørgen Møller and his grandchild, and later went on to become a global favorite. At $50, it's a more affordable option from Georg Jensen, who recently collaborated with Zaha Hadid for a line of rings and cuffs shortly before her passing this past March. WHERE: $50 from George Jensen  2VR headset / Stimuli WHAT: 2VR / Stimuli The world's only VR device that will fit in your pocket, the 2VR headset fits most standard smartphones and is operated hands free, allowing users to feel fully immersed in the VR environment. WHERE: $29.99 from Amazon (US) and Indiegogo (Worldwide)  Bauhaus Chessmen / Naef WHAT: Bauhaus Chessmen / Naef For the chess loving architect, this set of maple chess pieces is manufactured exclusively by Naef for the Bauhaus Archive Association. WHERE: $320 from Amazon  This is a Designer T-Shirt / The Usual Designers WHAT: This is a Designer Tee / The Usual Designers We all know about architects' love of black, and of anything with Helvetica on it. This t-shirt does both, and is made from 100% cotton to boot. WHERE: $29 from Fab Need more ideas? Check out last year's gift guide here, or head over to Life of an Architect for more great suggestions.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Material Focus: Hacienda Niop by AS Arquitectua and R79 Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:00 PM PST  © David Cervera This article is part of our new series "Material in Focus", where we ask architects to share with us their creative process through the choice of materials that define important parts of the construction of their buildings. Niop Hacienda from AS Arquitectura and R79 is part architectural regeneration project part historical building involving the transformation of an abandoned industrial space into high-end tourist complex in the southeast region of Mexico. A desire to maintain the original feel of the place influenced the selection of the new materials (like steel, stone, chukum, wood and glass) in order to create new spaces for public and private use that meld with the existing structure. In this interview, we talked with Roberto Ramirez from R79 who explains more about how the material choice of the project contributed to the design and construction process.  © David Cervera What were the main materials used in the project? RR: Chukum, Wood, Glass, Steel, Concrete, Stone, Tile Mosaics, Bamboo (Bahareque).  © David Cervera In terms of materials, what were the major sources of inspiration and influence in selecting them? RR: We used materials that were neutral, timeless, and, depending on how we used them, could be viewed as modern or historical.  © David Cervera Describe how decisions on materials were considered within the conceptual design. RR: We were able to put together a wide range, so that what we're going to use for this project will in no way obscure the existing structure, but instead give it more strength, character and fill it with a revitalized glamor.  © David Cervera What were the advantages of these materials when constructing the project? RR: Each material offers different advantages, sometimes the steel for its lightness and how easy it is to build with helped us to reach decisions in our operation. In others, like the stone, used as floors coverings and cut on a regular basis helped us to give the feeling of connection and revitalization to the existing rock. The glass helped us to provide a close relationship between the exterior and the interior and, through some use of wood, this relationship was controlled or framed. Concrete helped us unleash the platforms and floors on which the buildings emerged in search of attention, serving as a neutral base to highlight what we wanted. The chukum was one of the elements who shook things up the most, this ancient technique of mixing resins to achieve a kind of living plaster, because after it is applied it ages in a very genuine way; it lets us cover some of the surfaces that were in better shape, causing the surrounding areas that had lost their finish to stand out like scars of time, with new and wonderful appeal.  © David Cervera Were there any challenges you faced due to the selection of materials? RR: Many, the main one was working with local materials, especially with the stone and the wood, that were either extracted and cut in the area or its surroundings; Or, certain tasks like using the metal, whether they were found pieces that we used to make tables or furniture, or to quickly train people on how to use them to create artisanal pieces.  © David Cervera Were any other possible materials considered for the project? And if so, how would the design have changed? RR: No other materials were considered.  © David Cervera How did you research and select the suppliers or contractors for the materials used in the project? RR: In relation to suppliers, the chukum was a supplier in Merida that has the patent in the area and has successfully marketed the product, we had already worked with them on several projects, we like the personal attention and the supervision that they give to their teams on jobs they work on and we have formed an interesting relationship. As far as choosing the other contractors, the client, who was greatly involved in the project, introduced us to many local artisans in Merida, and after meetings and sketches of the project, we found complementary and inclusionary ways to work together when looking for more fine-tuned solutions. It was a great team effort where the plans were merely guides, the will and the sense of belonging were the engine, and that has given us great results so far. * Recently Hacienda Niop was awarded the CEMEX 2016 Building Award in the Building category of the Mexico Edition. Niop Hacienda / AS arquitectura + R79  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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