Arch Daily |
- Parterre One / Focketyn Del Rio Studio
- Italo Calvino's 'Invisible Cities', Illustrated (Again)
- House L27 / DIONISO LAB
- Maunula House / K2S Architects
- Landform House / A61architects + YYdesign
- Cultural Center in Northern Haidian District / THAD
- NJ Villa / TOUCH Architect
- Santa Rosa Park / FD Arquitectos y Urbanistas
- 2016 Rio Olympic Sites, Six Months Later: Abandoned, Looted and Neglected
- Copine / Olson Kundig
- New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art Releases 375,000 Images for Unrestricted Use
- Richard Meier & Partners' Teachers Village Looks to Revitalize Downtown Newark Through Education
- W38th Residence / RUFproject
- Rural Houses Refurbishment in Trebilhadouro / André Tavares
- Biomimicry with Steel Sheets: Designing "DNA" Into Materials Can Create Architecture that Constructs Itself
- Tetra House / Bercy Chen Studio
- 5 Finalists Selected for the 2017 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award
- BIG Selected to Design San Pellegrino Factory and Headquarters in Northern Italy
- Watch How Urban Growth Can Dramatically Change the Landscape of a City
- Modular Units Create a Raised Garden Screen in this Structure in Spain
| Parterre One / Focketyn Del Rio Studio Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:00 PM PST  © Adrià Goula
 © Adrià Goula From the architect. Parterre One is in Kaserne Basel, a heritage protected ensemble in the heart of Basel. Kaserne used to be military barracks and has been converted into a cultural hub for the last 50 years, since the army left. Our client had a new vision for his corner: he had a restaurant, a bar, and a venue that were next to each other but never worked together. Our mission was to make one cultural and leisure pole with the three of them. Within this frame the project became an architectural geode: an existing building with refreshed facades and a surprising interior around a thunderbolt gallery. Meeting: It was obvious to us that the patio had to become a new central space: a meeting room of the different activities (eating, drinking, listening). The patio had always been there but was filled up to the point of becoming a hidden space: there is even a small tree that survived the different phases that now sits happily as a protagonist. We cleaned the patio and furnished it with a new dark-colored concrete landscape, not only solving the height difference to the existing floor but also offering sitting spaces. This new discovered space has a cozy touch and sitting benches made with tree trunks, just cut at the right height.  © Adrià Goula  © Adrià Goula Drinking: The bar needed to be split into two to create a wide smoking lounge and a small bar to order your cocktails (by the way, some of the best in town). This smoking lounge is a continuation of the patio, covered with a winter-garden roof that can be opened in summer. The vegetation flows along the space creating a green oasis with wood furniture, including a custom-made wood bench that becomes the star of the night's conversations.  © Adrià Goula Listening: The new venue has very high acoustical standards and provides a new venue for concerts and theater. Its characteristic gallery with broken edge that become meeting niches gives a new strong image, ideal for its use. The upper floor is hung from the new structure, creating a column-free space in the ground floor: almost as if the ceiling were floating. In the upper floor, a custom-made element solves the railing, offers a sitting bench, and ends in an extra bar.  © Adrià Goula The stage becomes the protagonist of the space, using the full height of the empty building and providing a very good acoustic to the musicians and audience alike. The lively line of the gallery is reinforced with a series of bulbs that extend behind the stage, making both the audience and the musicians part of the same experience, bringing them together.  © Adrià Goula Acoustic: As the building is under heritage protection, the shape of the building was given, couldn't be changed, creating a sort of "found space" that, nevertheless, interacts stunningly well with the new geometries inserted. This specific volume made very difficult to reach the high acoustical performance needed for its use. However, it was achieved with the careful insertion of absorption in curtains, vertical elements and projected cellulose in the ceiling: a new shape that plays with the gallery giving unexpected effects.  © Adrià Goula  © Adrià Goula Materiality: This venue sits next to housing blocks and requires a very good acoustic isolation. This was achieved with the existing thick walls and an 8cm layer of shot concrete. The concrete was left rough and very much defines the character of the upper floor, working together with the dark cellulose and in opposition to the red, shiny fix furniture. As small volcanoes, thickening of the shot concrete become isolated lightening points, creating some sort of constellations.  © Adrià Goula In the lower floor, metal elements define the space: a hexagonal perforated sheet makes the ceiling and row metal elements define the bar. Upstairs the color is given with the custom-made element, here is the floor that assumes the responsibility of warming up the space. On top of the bar, designed metal elements recall the Taraxacums of Castiglione, protagonists of the double space, while giving different light conditions at different moments of the night.  © Adrià Goula The entrance spaces and the two toilets become independent worlds with a singular materiality: the entrance is a dark space crossed by a ray of light, the man's toilet is completely in metal, including an inox mirror, and the women's toilet is a shiny pocket with indirect light.  © Adrià Goula The specific geometries of all the elements work as a symphony. They create a sequence of spaces (from the "easy" comfortable outside patio to the "fancy" representative venue) with simple naked materials (concrete, wood, metal) and can easily be transformed for concerts, banquets, drinking, or small cinemas. In this case the constrictions (a certain geometry, a certain outside materiality) became allies in the project, generating different spaces (outside, semi-outside, under the gallery, in the double space, on the gallery...) that provide multiple experiences in the same building, just like the client wanted.  © Adrià Goula Product Description: Shot Concrete: This venue sits next to housing blocks and requires a very good acoustic isolation. This was achieved with the existing thick walls and an 8cm layer of shot concrete. The concrete was left rough and very much defines the character of the upper floor, working together with the dark cellulose and in opposition to the red, shiny fix furniture. As small volcanoes, thickening of the shot concrete become isolated lightening points, creating some sort of constellations.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Italo Calvino's 'Invisible Cities', Illustrated (Again) Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:00 PM PST  Zobeida. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen Lima-based architect Karina Puente has a personal project: to illustrate each and every "invisible" city from Italo Calvino's 1972 novel. Her initial collection, which ArchDaily published in 2016, traced Cities and Memories. This latest series of mixed media collages, drawn mainly using ink on paper, brings together another sequence of imagined places – each referencing a city imagined in the book. Invisible Cities, which imagines fictional conversations between the (real-life) Venetian explorer Marco Polo and the aged Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, has been instrumental in framing approaches to urban discourse and the form of the city. According to Puente, "each illustration has a conceptual process, some of which take more time than others." Usually "I research, think, and ideate over each city for three weeks before making sketches." The final drawings and cut-outs take around a week to produce. In an interview with Kindle, Puente has stated how she finds cities "absolutely amazing," and even more so about metropolises and megalopolises. "I am interested in all of them, tiny, huge, historic, creative, problematic or cosmopolitan; every single one has something worth admiring. One of the things that deeply interests me is the powerful exchange of knowledge that happens in cities and the multiple and diverse sociocultural interchange we witness. The more hectic a city is, the more interesting for me. There is something magical about people living close together." Puente continues: "I could tell you about how I decided to make Anastasia, which is part of the chapter Cities and Desire. Anastasia is a city of deceit. Calvino talks about how you think you are happy living inside her but you really aren't – about that duality. So, I represented a city on top of another city. The city on top is a happy city, with kites and elevated streets, while down below there is a mining city, with no light and where you have to work all day long and are trapped. In this case, dreams and desires are represented on top and fear is represented underground."  Anastasia. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen
 Despina. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Diomira. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Dorotea. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Eufemia. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Fedora. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Isaura (1). Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Isaura (2). Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Isidora. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Maurilia . Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Tamara. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Zaira. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Zirma. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Zoe. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen  Zora. Image © Karina Puente Frantzen Italo Calvino's 'Invisible Cities', Illustrated  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 07:00 PM PST  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG From the architect. This family house is located in a suburban area of Póvoa de Varzim. It is inserted in a new masterplan characterized by a regular grid that suggests a central occupation of the plot surrounded by fragmented gardens and paved areas.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Section  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG One of the main premises for this project was to guarantee a strong sense of intimacy and relationship between exterior and interiors areas. Therefore, House L27 challenges the regular geometry of nearby constructions with a fluid gesture that sets the exterior area as the central space, organising the program around it.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The house is structured in two floors. The first one gathers the main social spaces and private areas and the second one is composed by complementary spaces such as a large living room, library, storage, and garage. A small access to the roof breaks the continuous line of the volume and invites the owners to enjoy broad views.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG To the street, the house is framed by its entrances and engages it with its cylindrical and central volume. It is also a glimpse of what is beyond, where the massing smoothly adapts between the central garden and the perimeter walls.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  First Floor Plan  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The patio is the protagonist of the house, the place where domestic energy resonates and a key element that inflates the interiors with unique atmospheres. Also, it enables interesting connections between different compartments, establishing constant dialogues and a sense of proximity amongst the family. Finally, expressing the passing time, trees will grow in this central garden and take part in the stories of the family.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Maunula House / K2S Architects Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:00 PM PST  Courtesy of K2S Architects
 Courtesy of K2S Architects Maunula House is the central cultural and learning hub of a neighbourhood being renewed. The building is located next to Maunula park in the center of the neighbourhood of Maunula. It is a center of public services to local residents of all ages. The adult education center, the library and the youth center cooperate seamlessly, enabling the co-usage and a high utilization rate of the spaces.  Courtesy of K2S Architects Maunula House has been designed as a part of the City of Helsinki Pilot Project for Local Democracy. Multiple workshops were arranged with the local residents even before a single line of the building was drawn. The workshops utilized inclusive working methods, for example a rolestorming method where participants empathized with the design through a given role. Local residents participate in the planning of the activities of Maunula House even after the completion of the building.  Courtesy of K2S Architects The building borders Pakilantie road in the north, Metsäpurontie road in the south, and Maunula park in the west. At the eastern side of the site, Maunula House has been built to attach to the façade of a new grocery store, which enables direct access between Maunula House, the grocery store and the parking spaces.  Floor Plan 01 The main entrance is located in the middle of the building on the side of Maunula park. The youth center has its own entrance at the southwestern side of the site. The library is located in the northern wing. The wooden, freeform ceiling gives the library hall a distinct character. The glass wall facing the park in northwest provides the library spaces with light and views. There is a direct access from the library to the grocery store.  Courtesy of K2S Architects The shared spaces of the users are placed around the main entrance in the middle of the building. The biggest one of these is the Metsäpuro hall. The shared spaces also include a café run by young employees.  Courtesy of K2S Architects The youth center is located in the southern wing. Its lobby is directly accessible from the main lobby area. However, when necessary, the youth center can be separated from the rest of the building with sliding doors.  Floor Plan 02 The spaces for the adult education center have been gathered around the main lobby in the top floor of the building. The lobby spaces are defined by a golden yellow skylight bringing space and light to the widest point of the building frame. The spaces are directly accessible also from the roof parking area of the grocery store.  Courtesy of K2S Architects The façades of the building are mainly of light-colored brick, built on site. The surfaces around the main entrance are clad with pine and treated with a translucent finish. The glass façade of the library and main lobby is made of triple-layer insulating glass elements with a steel frame and SG-seaming. The supporting structure of the building is made of reinforced concrete and steel. The wooden cladding of the folding ceiling continues as a visually uniform surface from the interior spaces to the exterior.  Courtesy of K2S Architects Maunula park will be renewed in the spring of 2017, becoming an extension for the activities in Maunula House and a stage for community events. The main feature of the park will be the artwork of the artist duo IC-98 (Visa Suonpää and Patrik Söderlund): Family Trees: Betula pendula (1948–2016). The work consists of old birch trees felled from the site and is divided into two parts: an apple tree grove in the park and graphic prints in the library hall.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Landform House / A61architects + YYdesign Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:00 PM PST  © Ilya Kruchinin
 © Ilya Kruchinin From the architect. Due to the fact that the residential building was intended as dialogue between architecture and a landscape, the last one has been chosen as a designing starting point.  © Ilya Kruchinin A main facade hides the whole capacity and scope of the object as its main part is subterranean. When getting near the entrance of the house, it loses its scale; a sense of a small dynamic volume appears. But there is a real space sense inside: two storey hall, numerous translucent apertures are creating an overall impression of the structure of the house. The internal space evolves along two stretched volumes, highlighting the different private facilities of habitants.  © Ilya Kruchinin  © Ilya Kruchinin The house opens onto the garden area and represents a well thought-out space-spatial structure, creating a comfortable and qualitative accommodation for an extended family. A typical forest environment and closeness to nature had suggested a facade decision – the house is "wrapped" up with a wooden bar that matches the environment. The roof made of high-test metal, in a combination with the warm wooden facade, complements a whole image, making it more dynamic. Panoramic roof windows, "flowing" in the walls of the house, create a maximum light and visually cut up the extended and monolithic plane roof surface, making composition accents.  © Ilya Kruchinin The main interior space design goals were to emphasize the cascading air space inside the house, invented by the architects, try not to overburden the interior with elements and materials, accentuate close connection with nature, unifying them to the minimalism aesthetics.  © Ilya Kruchinin Therefore, eco-friendly and highly aesthetic materials have been chosen for the interior spaces, such as wood, granite with a natural texture, metal, and glass. Because of the complex internal organization of public spaces, the concept of intersectional lighting with multiple scenarios has been developed.  © Ilya Kruchinin  Section  © Ilya Kruchinin Among the important accents of the house interiors are a minimalistic heating corner of a fireplace area and an open hi-tech "Ernestomeda" kitchen, made of natural materials, which has been combined with a dining-room.  © Ilya Kruchinin Product Description. -The panoramic roof windows "Velux", "flowing" in the walls of the house, create a maximum light and visually cut up the extended and monolithic plane roof surface, making composition accents. -The Ernestomeda factory has been chosen according to its up-to-dateness to the living area aesthetics with an ability to create complex volume architecture required to the project, using the eco-friendly materials and the innovative and technological solutions, and a proper contact of dealers and manufacturer with designers and architects as well. - Atlas Concorde factory & the Porcelanosa is the leading manufacturers of ceramic and granite tiles. The characteristics of each manufactory have been applied in the project and emphasized the common idea of an interior. -Duravit. In terms of quality and design it is one of the best manufacture that has been considered suitable for the project and found its use in the interior space of the house. The articles have been applied in the interior spaces of the house.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cultural Center in Northern Haidian District / THAD Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:00 PM PST  © Wu Jiming
 © Wu Jiming From the architect. Regional Location The project is located in Wenquan Town, Haidian District of Beijing City, close to Wenquan Road in the south, Baijiatuan Road in the west, Yangjiazhuang West Road in the east and stadium plot in the north. Wenquan Town is known for its hot springs with superior position of Beijing. Haidian District is 430 square kilometers in total with two divisions separated traditionally by Baiwang Mountain. The south is called Mountain Front with approximate 210 square kilometers that was built-up area. The north is named as Mountain Back, which belongs to New Haidian District, with about 226 square kilometers. New Haidian District, possessing graceful natural scenery with geological position of natural features of "One Mountain Three Rivers" of Xishan Mountain, Nansha River, Beisha River and Jingmi Diversion Canal, becomes an unparalleled rich wonderland in a favorable geographic location in Beijing City with the addition of full-bodied cultural atmosphere by Dajue Temple, Qiwang Tomb, Stone Buddha of the Northern Wei Dynasty and other large number of historical relics and historic sites.  © Wu Jiming  Master plan Venue The project occupies an area of 28,900 m² with relatively flat terrain. In the initial idea, there are only Haidian Archives and Wenquan Cultural Center with capacious layout. It turns out subsequently that four parts of Haidian Cultural Center, Haidian Library, Haidian Archives and Wenquan Cultural Center (hereinafter referred as to the Four) with a total structural area of 88,100m² are integrated into land use, of which, above-ground structural area needs to reach 57,800m² and under-ground structural area 30,300m² with less than 24m in building altitude and 41.5% in building density as well as more than 30% in greening rate. Each part of the Four must reach specific and rigid indexes. Both land use and various indexes suddenly become tighten up.  © Wu Jiming  Ground floor plan  © Wu Jiming  4F plan  © Wu Jiming Target Furthermore, as one significant project of government favorable to people, proposal of its target imposes further stress on the design.  © Wu Jiming In summary, the target is cultural center at the service of 400 thousands of citizens, new landmark in the formation of Mountain Back of Haidian District, public space still available for use of citizens as closure of the Four and green 3-star demonstrating building. The basic requirements of the Four are as follows: Haidian Library is composed of various open reading rooms, as first grade large-scale public library, holding 2 million of books. Haidian Cultural Center is equipped with 455 seats of cinema that is small size grade C traditional Chinese opera theater, above which there is a complete range of classroom of cultural center, activity room, and communal space and so on. Haidian Archives is comprised of archival repository, archives auxiliary room, external inquiry reading rooms, and exhibition rooms and so on, as class I archives at city level, with 2 million of collection of archives. Wenquan Cultural Center has six movie halls with the largest one owning 174 seats and 498 seats in total, belonging to small size grade B cinema, and is equipped with adequate cultural and commercial service facilities, including bookstores, restaurant chains, and boutiques and so on. Except for underground garages and machine rooms, abundant space for canteen, freight transport and property management needs to be arranged; in the meanwhile, unsatisfied above-ground structural area still needs to be provided for archives repository, cultural facilities and so on to meet various requirements of clients.  © Wu Jiming Strategy Design philosophy of four in one The functions of Haidian Library, Haidian Cultural Center, Haidian Archives and Wenquan Cultural Center are different and land using area is extremely limited. However, goverment and clients expect to demonstrate symbolic image of Northern Haidian District to citizens. Therefore, Four-in-one design turns into the ultimate option. The Four shares the sunshine lobby in a manner of interconnection through five-storey-height space, opening to the city in four directions, by which it can be accessed by citizens at the time of closure. In addition, establishment of independent entrance and exit for each of the Four is made for respective management. A good interactive relationship between architectural design and land takes shape as emphasis of associative perception is attached to.  © Wu Jiming Four Seasons Philosophy of "Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter"and streamline organization of "Dao" Three mountains and five gardens in Haidian District bring us spatio-temporal fantasy and we expect to integrate impression of landscape into character of architecture. Sense of accomplishment from reading in Haidian Library (Autumn · Fruit), sense of diversity of activities in Haidian Cultural Center (Spring · Flowers), sense of accumulation of enshrinement in Haidian Archives (Winter · Collection) and sense of happiness from watching movies and consumption in Wenquan Cultural Center (Summer · Vigor) are feature expressions of intrinsic attributes of the architecture that we have found. Shared sunshine lobby is none other than transformation point of integration of four seasons with characteristics of path of recombination (Dao · Cycle).  © Wu Jiming Correspondingly, we have found appropriate positions for layout of the Four. Haidian Library, as a lead of spirit, is located in the southeast where allows readers' activities of reading and exchanges to extend to outdoor garden. Haidian Cultural Center, located in the southwest, is a plane of flattening of main road. Haidian Archives is located in the northwest where is suitable for character of quietness and introversion. Wenquan Cultural Center is located in the northeast in correspondence to residential areas, which allows to make effective interaction and is convenient for contact. Courtyard is located in the middle, similar to a mean axis of windmill, and becomes a large sitting-room of citizens to receive favorably people.  © Wu Jiming Indoor design tries to embody characters of color space of spring, summer, autumn and winter in search for proper presentation under the restricted budget. It is quite a pity that many design drawings with details are left aside with no alternatives.  © Wu Jiming Function Functions of the four parts of the building are completely distinctive and four clients are comparable to four carriages to take a turn at any time in the discussion. By learning over working, function, room, facility and requirement are adjusted unceasingly. Architects repeatedly confirm or adjust their cognition of functions with each client. It seems that four projects are carried out in one breath. Variation of design runs through the whole progress of scheme, preliminary design and construction drawing. Special thanks shall go to general coordination of Development Office of Northern Haidian and Haidian Weikai Company as "Big client" whose strong support and timing control reduce variability of "small client", which gets architect out of swirl of difficulties to move even one step or making calf round. What needs to be emphasized is that excellent architecture derives from effective interaction and sincere cooperation of both sides. Function comes to be clear in the process of repeated implementation of each room. As a transitional region, people can go upstairs by escalator or enter respective frontal area of four parts through same floor and also have access to venues from outside through independent entrance and exit of each venue. Independent traffic streamline is available for each venue.  © Wu Jiming Facade Bamboo slip, writing material used in the period from Warring States and Wei and Jin Dynasties, is a long and narrow bamboo slip made by whittling (wood chip also available, referred as to bamboo slip). Tablet is wider and thicker than slip. Bamboo-made is named as bamboo slip and wood-made wooden tablet. Both of them are used for writing in Chinese brush. It is carrier of culture and history. Northern Haidian Cultural Center makes expression through cultural concept of "bamboo slip" and metaphor of "keyboards" of piano. Architectural image, guided in the cultural concept of "bamboo slip", representing rhythm of granite with thick and thin strip at the top of building, which dynamically connects with the constant vitreous of lower part of building in an oblique manner, conveys inherent implication of library and cultural architecture and possesses vibrant and contemporary feeling. In the meanwhile, vertical thick and thin strip implies the requirement of cultural center in the concept of white and black "keyboards" of piano. The protruding component with angle in vertical direction plays a role in sun-shade. Ultimately, architecture obtains delicacy of homogenized building expresses through expression of combination of narrow and wide strip.  © Wu Jiming Space Large-scale functional space of architecture is more, including great lecture hall and communal reading room of Haidian Library, small cinema and large dancing classroom of Haidian Cultural Center, cinema of Wenquan Cultural Center and so on, for which disperse and well-proportioned design methods are adopted. Due to maximum restriction of building density, great lecture hall is left no choice to ground floor where sunken plaza becomes new functional element serving as both space of frontal area and outdoor leisure space. In the meanwhile, in order to adapt non-column large space to great load as reading space is opened at the top and low part of building, structural design is demonstrated by unique staggered truss at the top to form entertaining space separating element. Rehearsal hall, as small theater at the same time, and its frontal area are located in the first floor, where is an area of Haidian Cultural Center with most dynamic vitality in future and large dancing classroom is located in leading position at the upper part. Contentiously emerging open space in our design is to adapt to intercourse of people and generate pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. It is a pity that open space at the 2nd floor is altered to closed and large-scale exhibition of comprehensive history of Haidian District under the circumstance that designer is unaware, as a result, free flowing space has no longer in existence.  © Wu Jiming Green The project acquires certificate of green three-star design. More than 16 items of technology are design highlights, including roof garden, adjustable external sunshade, outdoor permeable pavement, and all fresh air operating for transition season, architectural design with total energy consumption less than 80% of specified value, rainwater storage system and so on. Landscape It is attempted to express a landscape facing modern life and highlighting urban inclusion, relying on territory and arena and according to temperament of architecture, where is determined as culture sharing place of modern life. The several aspects are focused on as follow: First, means of broken-line road and garden path and pavement of extended architectural facades is utilized to make star plaza with atmosphere of unity of haven and man stand out, which presents design feelings using details and quality as influx and out-flux of large number of people is satisfied. Second, miniature flower and orchard garden embodies beauty of culture. The client Haidian Weikai Company and we make concerted efforts to reach a target that unified design of greenbelt of urban management outside red-line of the plot, southeastern part in particular, and greenbelt inside the plot is made to shape a little longitudinal extension of landscape, by which proper abundance can be infused. Third, platform-type miscanthus roof garden, full of structural design, makes broken-line form of architecture reappear at the fifth facades with bright and clear picturesque beauty of autumn grass looking upon moon and outline of distant mountain as background. In addition, we make an attempt to use rational vertical greening section for a resolution to discrepancy in elevation between the northern boundary and sports center to create symbiosis of dialogue. It is a pity that sports center does not accept it. Therefore, we have to employ boring railing fence as a separation as per their requirements.  © Wu Jiming Epilogue As a landmark building of development of northern zone of Haidian District and an important completed project of doing concrete things for the masses in 2015, Cultural Center of Northern Haidian District fills in the blank of this regional cultural facilities and attaches significance to cultural development of Haidian District. On the first opening day, spectacular event of 7,000 reading cards released by Haidian Library emerged. Haidian District received plenty of letters of thanks expressing citizens' high recognition of this Cultural Center. At present, the reading area of Haidian Library enjoys great popularity and first-floor theater of Haidian Cultural Center and side hall of antechamber have become favorite venues of people. Due to 24m of height limit, height of each floor in Haidian Archives is limited; however, better space sense exists in the use of it. Cinema of Wenquan Cultural Center, operated independently by theater, leaves sufficient hall and commercial space for staff of each venue to provide combination of comprehensive service. Integrated design of outdoor landscape and urban road greening expands effective depth of landscape and furnishes theme space for parents' break in the children's reading room of first-floor library. Roof garden offers a place for staff of each venue to take a rest and relaxation at noon. We are in anticipation of constantly opening more spaces that become popular with the people.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 11:00 AM PST  © Chalermwat Wongchompoo
 © Chalermwat Wongchompoo From the architect. NJ Villa is a private residence owned by a couple, Nun and Jea. The name of this house derived from objectives that this villa should serve their lifestyles, and also represent their characters.  © Chalermwat Wongchompoo Land area of the house is 100 square wah (400 sq.m.) which is located in Bangkok, capital city of Thailand. The site is surrounded by other single detached house which has only the front side facing south, public street. Architectural design challenges to follow the context harmoniously.  © Chalermwat Wongchompoo Since there is not much green space area in Bangkok, dwelling with nature is the most concern of creating space and form of the house. Instead of having front garden area, pushing the lawn inside and creating semi-U shape house which subtended the lawn in order to produce more privacy to the garden. It can be used for all activities, in terms of five senses, especially to see, to hear and to feel. To see the grass and trees, to hear the waterfall sound, and to feel the nature from inside. The backyard lawn is connected to fish pond which is located at the center surrounded by the house. Both the garden and the pond can be seen apparently by every space and corridor of this villa including upstairs level.  Section Accessibility to main entrance of the house has two, which are "pedestrian corridor" that is connected to public street covered by cantilevered concrete roof slab, and "car access" that three cars garage is connected with the same front entrance foyer. The backyard can also be seen from this entrance foyer since the straight line corridor insertion creates a see through sequence to inside when opening wooden solid door. Besides, taking off shoes and umbrella hanging before going inside the house is a must activity from eastern culture, thus, long bench with aperture underneath for storing shoes and wooden elements for hanging umbrella were merged into this entrance foyer.  © Chalermwat Wongchompoo The house is facing south which is the hottest direction for all day, functions inside was allocated that, circulation, staircase, and service area were placed at the south part, while, living, dining and master bedroom were placed at north east part, the coolest area of the house. Moreover, in order to avoid heat radiation from direct sunlight, adjustable wooden louvers were created at every facing part, especially front façade, yet allows for natural ventilation while closing. Furthermore, two layered roofing, concrete flat slab and asphalt shingle butterfly roof, not only prevent leaking from hard rain in Thailand, but it also helps protect from heat, since there is a gap between the two layers of roof which act as an insulation.  First Floor Plan  Second Floor Plan Inside the villa, double ceiling height of living area creates an airy space and also being exposed to 2nd floor passageway. It is also linked with dining area by using different floor steps and folding glass door in dividing function, while can see the connection of space when closing the door.  © Chalermwat Wongchompoo  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Santa Rosa Park / FD Arquitectos y Urbanistas Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:00 AM PST  © Eleazar Cuadros
 Plan The Santa Rosa Park was designed to solve, in proportion to its scale, the important deficit of public facilities in the neighborhoods in the northwest districts of of Lima. It had to become a center of urbanity, offering sporting, cultural and leisure facilities; and be recognized as an important urban landmark, strengthening the presence of the Municipality in the service of its citizens.  © Eleazar Cuadros As a physical condition, we find an arid, sloping terrain, with winds from the west. Given the scale of the equipment, the first work was to study the topography to analyze, together with the engineering issues, what were the optimal levels for generating the embankments. We concluded that we had to work on five levels: the upper level where we would locate the football field with an athletic track (which replaced by a larger open pool), the second level where we would locate the Sports Center, the indoor pool and the sports fields, the third level in which we located the outdoor swimming pool (which replaced the soccer and “frontón” courts) and the beach volleyball courts, the fourth level where we located the Cultural Center (CREA), and the fifth level where we located the “Plaza de las Ferias” next to the Urban Gardens (not built for having found archaeological remains).  © Aldo Facho Dede We proposed the main entrance through the square in front of the Sports Center, from where you can appreciate the sinuous form of the buildings of the Cultural Center (CREA), and the tensioned cover that protects the square.  © Aldo Facho Dede Between the sports complex and the CREA we developed with the architect Rafael Zamora an interesting landscape project, seeking to generate living, relaxation and shady areas, while providing the slope with soft ramps. The concept of the project was to merge the boundaries between the artificial and the natural, which is why it borders the vegetated hill.  © Eleazar Cuadros Finally, at the north-east corner of the park we locate the Open Amphitheater, which uses the topography to reduce the quantity of soil displaced. The whole is linked by a system of walks and squares that is accompanied by lighting, trees and outdoor furniture.  © Aldo Facho Dede Architecture and Materials The buildings had to fulfill the following characteristics: to be easy to construct, to have a low maintenance cost, and be durable and even resist acts vandalism. We thought that the best construction material to use would be reinforced concrete, which we decided to accompany with blocks and concrete lattices. For the upper enclosures we decided to use superboard panels with a flush concrete finish.  © Eleazar Cuadros  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2016 Rio Olympic Sites, Six Months Later: Abandoned, Looted and Neglected Posted: 15 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST  Via Bored Panda A mere six months after the torch was snuffed, the Brazilian Olympic sites that once hosted scores of locals, tourists, and athletes in a global celebration of athleticism and camaraderie now lie in ruin. This "ghost town" cost Brazil around $4.6 billion plus an estimated $1.6 billion in budget overages, according to reports by the Financial Times and Quartz. In stories recently published by The Guardian, Business Insider, Mashable and Bored Panda we can see the heartbreaking reality and aftermath in the disused venues. Rio's Olympic venues, six months on - in pictures Here is what the abandoned venues of the Rio Olympics look like just 6 months after the Games Rio's Olympic venues are already on their way to ruin Rio 2016 Olympic Venues Just 6 Months After The Olympics In August we published an article that asked what the legacy of this event may be, arguing that there are perhaps two legacies that emerge. Read the full article below. 2016 Olympics: Two Legacies for Rio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 07:00 AM PST  © Rafael Soldi
 © Rafael Soldi From the architect. The design of Copine frames the open kitchen, offering guests a view into the artistry behind chef Shaun McCrain's approach to contemporary American cuisine highlighted with classic French cooking techniques. Equal parts intimate and social, the space offers a scale of transparency throughout, allowing the food to take center stage.  © Rafael Soldi Located in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, the airy restaurant occupies a prominent corner of a new mixed-use building with large windows that draw in natural daylight on three sides. Traditional and contemporary furniture elements are combined with reclaimed and adapted materials to create a refined, warm material palette. Juxtaposed with new kitchen equipment, exposed systems and existing concrete, the space is a balance of old and new. Art walls, plants and reclaimed objects add a sense of personality and texture that ground the space in a human scale, and act as armatures for display.  Floor Plan The unfolding of the visitor experience—bar, dining area, chef's table—begins as guests are greeted at the entry foyer and marketplace area. Custom casework with open shelves reveal the dining area beyond, while the reclaimed wood cladding on the host station adds character and depth. The long bar, clad with reclaimed wood and topped with a deep metallic shade of Richlite, acts as an intimate space for dining and drinks. A rough-hewn Douglas fir trellis suspended over the bar adds atmosphere and texture. Strategically placed art walls painted in creamy white conceal building mechanical systems and lend a sense of privacy between dining zones. A live-edge elm slab bisects the space between the bar and main dining area; the slab transforms into a central serving station during events.  © Rafael Soldi  © Rafael Soldi For larger parties, the experience culminates at the chef's table and open kitchen—a unique opportunity for guests to observe the busy yet immaculate kitchen. Located off of the main dining space, the open design provides an intimate view into the process, tradition and attention to detail that characterizes McCrain's cuisine, which enhances the ambiance of the guest experience.  © Rafael Soldi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art Releases 375,000 Images for Unrestricted Use Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:15 AM PST  © Wikimedia CC user Fcb981. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Looking to add a beautiful piece of art to your render to really sell your project? Look no further. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced its new Open Access policy, which releases over 375,000 images of artworks from their expansive collection for free download, with absolutely no restrictions under copyright law – meaning you are completely free to copy, remix, or distribute any image for any use, including commercial. In partnering with institutions and companies including Creative Commons, Wikipedia and Pinterest, the new policy is written to help its collection be accessible to as many people as possible. To access the images, users can search through the Creative Commons database. Here, you can find drawings of historic architectural works like the Pantheon, as well as paintings from masters such as Vincent van Gogh. From there, you can create lists, add tags, or pin artworks directly to your Pinterest board. Images will also be available in Wikimedia Commons, where the museum's new in-house "Wikipedian in Residence," will work to pair images within the WikiProject WikiProject Metropolitan Museum of Art and other Wikimedia pages. Users are also welcome to search through the collection on the Met's webpage – though it's important to note that not all images here are included in the public domain; be sure to select the "public domain artworks" box in the search menu on the left. To learn more about the new policy and the rules for downloading images, click here. News via The Metropolitan Museum of Art. H/T Hyperallergic. MoMA Launches Online Database of 3,500 Past Exhibitions Columbia GSAPP Releases Online Catalogue of 20,000 Architectural Images to Students  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Richard Meier & Partners' Teachers Village Looks to Revitalize Downtown Newark Through Education Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:30 AM PST  © Tekten Richard Meier & Partners has completed 3 new mixed-use buildings as part of their "Teachers Village" master plan in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The development, led by RBH Group, centers around two Charter Schools completed by Meier & Partners in 2013, to provide a variety of retail spaces and 123 residential units marketed specifically at teachers.  © Scott Frances Located along Halsey Street in a 5 block area south of Market Street and west of Broad Street in the heart of Newark's downtown area, the Teachers Village development was envisioned as a vibrant new community that integrates seamlessly into the city's historic core. Each building has been designed relative to its context and in accordance with the Newark Living Downtown Plan, a set of guidelines and strategies developed in 2008 by SOM in partnership with then-mayor Corey Booker aimed at revitalizing the Newark city center. The new buildings meet these guidelines by adopting the scale and rhythm of their context; all of the new building facades along Halsey are four-stories tall, the same as those of the neighborhood's historic structures.  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances Residential units, completed at the relatively affordable price point of $220 per square foot, feature light-filled, spacious interiors fully compliant with accessibility guidelines, helping to foster a diverse community. Helping to establish a connection between the community and education, first priority for leasing has been given to teachers, not just from the two charter schools, but as well as teachers from surrounding public institutions. Further strengthening the bond, each building has been designed with flexible community spaces that are envisioned as areas where students can meet with teachers for outside-of-class tutoring sessions.  © Paul Rivera  © Scott Frances "Teachers Village is a unique addition to our office's design portfolio as these buildings have all together created a new community and neighborhood," expalins Vivian Lee, Associate Partner-in-Charge at Richard Meier & Partners. "We are proud to be part of the RBH team, in achieving an incredible development vision that will deliver both a social and economic impact to Newark's downtown district. With already a changing environment in this area with the schools, housing and businesses for Teachers Village, we look forward to continuing our effort in further contributing to future phases of this development, transforming and enhancing a part of the urban fabric."  © Paul Rivera The development is one of the first in the country to pursue the LEED Neighborhood Development designation by the US Green Building Council, which stipulates that a project achieve the highest possible levels of sustainable design while integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building strategies. One of the strategies implemented in the Teachers Village concerns an increase in density; several former parking lots have been razed to make way for the mixed-use buildings and publicly accessible outdoor spaces. To increase circulation around the charter schools, a new road divides the block into more comfortably-scaled partitions, helping to increase the perception of safety for students and residents.  © Paul Rivera The new buildings use many of Meier's signature architectural elements, with white stucco and aluminum panels arranged in a dynamic composition of private balconies and public terraces. One of the charter school buildings, however, represents a departure from the signature style – its brick facade representing Meier's first use of the material in 40 years (since the completion of the Bronx's Twin Parks Northeast Housing).  © Tekten "Teachers Village is one important component of several new development initiatives in New Jersey, and the construction of all these new buildings reflects our commitment to the revitalization of downtown Newark," commented Richard Meier. "Natural light has been a very important consideration and all the different apartments, classrooms and retail spaces will be full of natural light with various views to the neighborhood. Light touches every component and all the interiors of the various buildings bringing everything into a harmonious whole."  Site Sustainability Diagram. Image Courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners Dukho Yeon, Associate Partner-in-Charge, added: "We are especially proud to realize this project that we envisioned together with RBH group many years ago with modest means but ambitious goals; with architecture that is sensitive to context but purposeful in creating generous living spaces for teachers, and a vibrant new neighborhood in downtown Newark." The Teachers Village is the first project completed as part of RBH Group's "SoMa Newark" downtown revitalization plan, envisioned by Richard Meier & Partners. The SoMa masterplan comprises 79 parcels within a 23-acre area of downtown Newark, and is aimed at creating a vibrant, connected community integrated within the city's historical center. News via Richard Meier & Partners.  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:00 AM PST  © John Sinal
 © John Sinal From the architect. This house is a synthesis of West-coast and Eastern modernism, our client was an enthusiastic participant in the design process and brought with him influences from his travels in Bali and Thailand. The open concept layout of the home has an open flow of spaces, yet still defined as rooms with a continuous indoor-outdoor connection at all levels. Surrounded by water, bamboo and mature trees; the integration of the house into its surrounding landscape creates a sublime oasis within the city. Inside, the house is lined with white marble surfaces, integrated millwork, and carefully crafted details. Although simple in plan; the intricate overlapping of spaces creates an open plan with clearly defined rooms. The exterior timber slats on the outside of the home are in dark stained sapele wood mounted to a minimal steel frame suspended from the roof. The screen provides both solar shading and privacy to the large expanses of glazing; which resides on a south facing corner lot. This unique home is a "Jewel-box", with carefully crafted details, integrated millwork and luxurious materials to create warmth and surprise, while composed into a modest, minimal and homogenous whole.  © John Sinal  Ground Level  © John Sinal Product Description. We used a variety of stone within the design of the home; one of the unique applications was for the master fireplace; which floated large panels of translucent onyx over DLC Lumisheet; an edge lit acrylic panel system that was used to back light the entire fireplace itself. Technically it was challenging to ensure a consistent edge to edge glow across the entire fireplace structure without shadowing while maintain the illusion that the fireplace was stone column suspended from the ceiling. This was only possible through the extensive collaboration between the contractor; the electrician, lighting supplier; custom gas fireplace manufacturer; and the stone supplier & installer.  © John Sinal  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Rural Houses Refurbishment in Trebilhadouro / André Tavares Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:00 AM PST  © Arménio Teixeira
 © Arménio Teixeira From the architect. The presented project consists in the transformation of nine houses for tourism in a rural area, dispersed by the small village of Trebilhadouro which, given its reduced size and the proximity between constructions, sees most of its built heritage being subject for a joint rehabilitation.  Situation The village of Trebilhadouro is located on the west side of Serra da Freita, in Vale de Cambra, at about 625m altitude. Its strategic position provides a privileged view of the surrounding territory, in particular of the Ria de Aveiro.  © Arménio Teixeira It is a small village, where the buildings are located along a central route that crosses the whole township. This route, with access from the municipal road, crosses a series of agricultural terraces to reach a more stable height where Trebilhadouro is located. In the centre of the village there is a fountain and a small dam for watering the lands.  © Arménio Teixeira The buildings are small, mostly with two floors, built in stone masonry with roof structure, the intermediate floors are in wood and roofing is in ceramic roof tiles. The ground floor was mainly intended for animals and agricultural implements while the upper floor was reserved for housing. These are modest houses with very reduced areas and rudimentary construction, emphasizing the quality of the architectural aggregation and its implantation in the territory.  Sections The village was in a fragile situation, the buildings left in ruins had few memories of its past, becoming a necessity to rewrite one. Based on the existing constructions and with an analysis of the buildings in the region, an intervention principle was reached by focusing on recovering the characteristic architectural language of these constructions. The punctual extensions followed the primitive constructive principle, both on a material level and in its design. A homogeneous and coherent image was sought for the group of intervened houses.  © Arménio Teixeira The size of the village didn't allow for a great diversity and contrast of languages. The opportunity to recover much of the remaining buildings proved to be an enormous responsibility by constituting itself as a built body that could be used as reference for future recoveries, as it came to be.  Sections The program was shaped into the primitive compartmentalization, entrusting the reading of the interior space in its totality, concentrating service spaces in small "boxes". The reduced scale of the houses was preserved as memory and whenever necessary, the proportions of these spaces were reproduced.  © Arménio Teixeira Defining a hierarchy in the characterization of spaces was sought using two separate systems of detail: the first, in small buildings, characterized by the simplification of encounters between materials, using grouts with additives with iron oxide "burned" with a trowel, apparent stone masonry on the walls and apparent wood frameworks for the ceilings; a second, applied to more relevant buildings, using wood trims as skirting boards, door frames and ceiling coatings with a traditional wooden design. The hierarchy in detail, present in Popular Portuguese Architecture, is in this case related to the importance of the compartment.  © Arménio Teixeira For this project, the use of local materials was privileged, using the native eucalyptus and pine wood, among other materials like the yellow granite also present in the area. The labour involved, that was from the region, applied crafted construction techniques.  © Arménio Teixeira The stone trims used in the expansion of the volumes was originated from demolitions and were repurposed in this context, resulting in the reusage of a material and a better integration between the new and the more primitive masonry.  © Arménio Teixeira  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:30 AM PST  X-POD 138 pavilion structure, currently installed at the Omi International Arts Center in Ghent, New York. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani This article was originally published by Autodesk's Redshift publication as "Haresh Lalvani on Biomimicry and Architecture That Designs Itself." It's the holy grail for any biomimicry design futurist: buildings and structures that use generative geometry to assemble and repair themselves, grow, and evolve all on their own. Buildings that grow like trees, assembling their matter through something like genomic instructions encoded in the material itself. To get there, architecture alone won't cut it. And as such, one designer, Haresh Lalvani, is among the most successful at researching this fundamental revision of architecture and fabrication. (Or is it "creation and evolution"?) He employs a wildly interdisciplinary range of tools to further this inquiry: biology; mathematics; computer science; and, most notably, art.  Xurf (eXpanded sURFaces), a new invention using rotating platelets to self-rigidize curved surfaces. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani The cofounder of the Pratt Institute Center for Experimental Structures, Lalvani designs systems in which "matter will start encoding information" on how to shape itself—a bit like stem cells and genes do in every living thing. These biological systems, he says, are "the only place where software and hardware are the same thing."  Xurf Curved Space, 2008. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani Lalvani will tell you he's a long way from designing the first building that sprouts from the ground like a shrub. But after spending years traversing the broadest assumptions about art, science, and architecture, his prototypes have pointed to a concrete and humanitarian application. One use of this technology, which combines physical processes with shape-coding similar to genome systems that evolved over billions of years, could be for an inherently ephemeral building type: rapidly deployable disaster housing.  Xurf Ripples, 2007. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani As part of a long-running collaboration with metal fabricator Milgo/Bufkin, Lalvani has found a way to turn 2D perforated sheets of metal into rigid 3D structures. His process is proprietary to Milgo/Bufkin, but in general, it involves using a computer-controlled laser cutter to perforate the sheets in patterns that will allow it to be stretched into a 3D object. Some type of force is applied—sometimes just gravity—that pulls apart the spaces made by the perforations. (Imagine cutting a spiral in a piece of paper and watching the coil telescope down into three dimensions, and you've got the basic idea.) One project, for example, involved perforating a flat circular disk and then rolling a bowling ball across its surface until the seams between the perforations separated and formed a dome. "So we invented a new way of forming," Lalvani says. Some of Lalvani's installations bend to shape themselves into place in less than a minute. And because the raw material is just a flat sheet of metal, it's compact and easy to transport—both reasons this fabrication method could be ideal for disaster zones. It's easy to imagine flat-packed sheets rolling off a truck, stretching out, and being wrapped in a textile overlay with minimum physical labor (months before the first FEMA field office gets hammered together with wood and nails).  This self-shaping example from 2009—with its variable openings—has implications for building facades, ceilings, and wall systems. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani Whether it's at the scale of furniture or a small building, there's an intriguing sculptural quality to Lalvani's work (for which he uses Autodesk AutoCAD and other software) that owes as much to art as it does to architecture. Textures arise from the cross-hatched perforations, and hyperboloids and paraboloids stretch out like sci-fi tendrils.  A number code laser-cut into this GR FLORA series from 2012 established the self-shaping process. As Lalvani's team changed one number of the code, the perimeter edge increased in relation to the area of the surface, and it crumpled. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani Lalvani has already built pavilion-scale structures using this method, like his igloo-shaped X-POD 138 and the stalagmite-like X-TOWER 88.2, which stretches its metal strands to wispy threads. These installations look smoothly organic—a biomechanical synthesis that co-opts living matter's methods for growth to perpetuate something not quite living. It isn't too far from the truth. Even as an inert sheet of metal with some holes cut in it, these installations contain all the necessary information for self-shaping coded into their initial geometry—just as a gene in a cell contains the instructions for the assembly of an entire organism. The installations just need force to activate them into 3D forms. Lalvani disdains traditional metal-forming methods (like molds), not so much because of material or energy-efficiency concerns, but because mold-stamping processes are, comparatively, dumb.  The surface of this self-shaping project from 2008 undulates on its own under force, without heat or by using a mold. The self-shaping experiment reveals insight into how shells (such as beetle or crab exoskeletons) may grow in nature. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani With molds, you have a predetermined goal for what shape you want, and the materials themselves contain no information on what form the metal will take once it's slammed into a mold. "That means the intelligence of the form is outside the process," he says. "I want to let the intelligence of the process inform the form so that we really don't need a predetermined design shape. Let it design itself. We human beings grow without molds. Trees grow without molds. Nature has had to invent antigravity devices millions of years before us, and look how slender palm trunks are, yet they withstand hurricanes. It is only recently that we are seeing skyscrapers becoming slender."  A number code laser-cut into this GR FLORA series from 2012 established the self-shaping process. As Lalvani's team changed one number of the code, the perimeter edge increased in relation to the area of the surface, and it crumpled. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani There are still many remaining questions for Lalvani to answer. He wants to develop software that will automate the perforation process, allowing you to plug in a desired form, then have a computer-controlled machine make the necessary cuts and drive an automated process for applying force. He also needs better stretchable fabrics or infill materials to be used to cover the structures.  X-Table design, 2010. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani Answering these questions will continue to bounce Lalvani across the boundaries of humanities and the sciences. His willingness to cross borders, he says, is a throwback to simpler times. "When we are kids, we are all artists and scientists," he says. "We can't tell the difference."  Proposal image for an "instant architecture" outdoor pavilion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Pieces are shipped flat from the factory and expanded "live" on site—reaching a full height of approximately 14 feet. Image Courtesy of Haresh Lalvani Perhaps it'll be an architect that frees the world from the arbitrary boundaries that professions and formalized disciplines put up. Even beyond the fact that architecture uniquely and explicitly combines art and science, Lalvani calls it the "most porous discipline" because it can connect to almost any field. Certainly, if it's as porous as Lalvani's perforated, self-shaping metal sheets, a new world might snap into existence overnight.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tetra House / Bercy Chen Studio Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:00 AM PST  © Paul Bardagjy
 © Paul Bardagjy Tetra House is a single-family residence located in the lively neighborhood of South Austin. The project is unique in the client / tenant also being the builder, allowing the design process to be tightly integrated and informed by the construction process and details.  © Paul Bardagjy  Floor Plan 01  © Paul Bardagjy The house is designed to be inward-looking, centered around a small, intimate courtyard containing a pool and a gravel garden with Japanese maple trees. The design pulls from a range of inspirations, from the constructivist paintings of El Lissitzky to Mexican Modernism from the 50s and 60s. The house is envisioned as a series of volumes and surfaces that are layered and intersecting, but never quite coinciding. This has the effect of both minimizing the presence of the house along the streetscape and creating a series of strategic vantage points within and around the house.  © Paul Bardagjy As the client comes from a family of builders, his desire to utilize a longstanding craft within their company / family led to the use of poured-in-place concrete walls as one of the primary elements of the house. Additionally, as one of the primary inspirations came from Mexican Modernism (the client's wife coming from Mexico), this informed the strong emphasis on poured-in-place concrete and the courtyard house typology - central elements to that style.  © Paul Bardagjy For the interiors, we were interested in incorporating various shades of blue, through tiles, accent paint walls, and finishes, to echo the water courtyard around which the house is built and to blend the pop-up spaces into the sky.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 Finalists Selected for the 2017 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:15 AM PST  Five European projects have been selected as finalists for the 2017 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award. Chosen from a shortlist of 40 projects, the five finalists were lauded by the jury for their ability to "respond to the concerns of today's European society." "Our instincts could be summed up by the words of Peter Smithson: 'things need to be ordinary and heroic at the same time,'" said Jury Chairman Stephen Bates. "We were looking for an ordinariness whose understated lyricism is full of potential'." Through April, the jury members will visit each finalist project to evaluate the buildings firsthand and to see how they are used by the public. The Prize Winner will be announced in Brussels on May 16. The five finalists are: deFlat Kleiburg; Amsterdam, The Netherlands / NL Architects + XVW architectuur deFlat Kleiburg; Amsterdam, The Netherlands / NL Architects + XVW architectuur. Image © Stijn Spoelstra  deFlat Kleiburg; Amsterdam, The Netherlands / NL Architects + XVW architectuur. Image © Stijn Spoelstra Ely Court; London, UK / Alison Brooks Architects Ely Court; London, UK / Alison Brooks Architects. Image © Paul Riddle  Ely Court; London, UK / Alison Brooks Architects. Image © Paul Riddle Kannikegården; Ribe, Denmark / Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects Kannikegården; Ribe, Denmark / Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects. Image © Anders Sune Berg  Kannikegården; Ribe, Denmark / Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects. Image © Anders Sune Berg Katyn Museum; Warsaw, Poland / BBGK Architekci Katyn Museum; Warsaw, Poland / BBGK Architekci. Image © Juliusz Sokolowski  Katyn Museum; Warsaw, Poland / BBGK Architekci. Image © Juliusz Sokolowski Rivesaltes Memorial Museum; Rivesaltes, France / Rudy Ricciotti Rivesaltes Memorial Museum; Rivesaltes, France / Rudy Ricciotti. Image © Kevin Dolmaire  Rivesaltes Memorial Museum; Rivesaltes, France / Rudy Ricciotti. Image © Kevin Dolmaire "The Jury's selection consolidates the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award as a strategic element by which to promote research into, debate on and dissemination of contemporary architecture in Europe," explained Anna Ramos, Director of the Fundació Mies van der Rohe. "Issues such as collective housing, the complexity of the European city – both contemporary and historical – and the ability of architecture to create symbolic spaces provide us with the opportunity to extend the debate on the finalist works beyond architectural circuits, because they respond to the concerns of today's European society." Malgorzata Omilanowska, art historian, former Minister of Culture in Poland and member of the Jury, added: "social housing, memory and the problem of context and new constructions in the old city centres have proven to be important to us as a Jury. The finalist works show the problematic of our time; what has happened in the last year reveals the really deep problem of populism and the lack of memory. These 5 projects show the problem that we face as citizens, not only as architecture specialists, but as members of today's society." New for this year's awards program, the 5 finalists and the Emerging Architect award buildings will be opened to the public between May 20th and 28th to meet the architects and Prize organizers and get a chance to learn more about the projects. Established in 1987 by the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe – Barcelona, the 60.000€ Mies Van der Rohe award is one of the most prestigious and important awards for European architecture. The prize is awarded biennially to works that have been completed in the past two years. Previous winners have included the Barozzi / Veiga's Philharmonic Hall Szczecin (2015); the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik (2013), designed by the Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen in collaboration with the Icelandic practice Batteríið and the artist Olafur Elíasson; and the Neues Museum in Berlin (2011), designed by David Chipperfield Architects and Julian Harrap. Learn more about the Prize here. News via Fundació Mies van der Rohe.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| BIG Selected to Design San Pellegrino Factory and Headquarters in Northern Italy Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:10 AM PST  © BIG Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have been revealed as the winners of a competition to conceptualize and design a new headquarters and bottling plant for San Pellegrino, located in the terme of the same name in the Alps of northern Italy. Finalists included MVRDV, Snøhetta, and aMDL, each of whom presented their proposals in October last year.  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG The competition brief asked architects to renovate and expand the historic home of the company, the world's leading sparkling mineral water company, with a "truly innovative and technologically-advanced design" aimed at integrating into the natural aesthetic of the surrounding terrain, while responding to the iconic identity of the company's brand. It is reported that the 17,000sqm complex is expected to cost €90 million ($95 million / £76 million). According to the architects, the proposal "is an authentic extension of the rational and functional architecture of the existing factory from 1899, and an homage to the classic elements of Italian architecture and urbanism. The arcade, the viale, the piazza and the portico create an architectural environment where production and consumption, nature and architecture, outside and inside, and making and enjoying are accommodated in an integrated way to elevate the experience for visitors as well as San Pellegrino staff."  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG
According to BIG, they will collaborate closely with San Pellegrino and local architects Studio Verticale over the next four years, with construction slated to begin in 2018. The "first priority will be given to the construction of the bridge that will connect the bottling plant to Zogno, which will then connect to the parking structure for heavy vehicles." From 2019 on, the focus will be diverted to the offices, the northern wing of the Factory, and the "Experience Lab."  © BIG  © BIG  © BIG BIG, MVRDV, Snøhetta, aMDL Unveil Proposals for San Pellegrino Bottling Plant Competition  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch How Urban Growth Can Dramatically Change the Landscape of a City Posted: 15 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Artist and photographer Rob Carter shared with us a video in which, through montages and digital collages, shows the urban growth of the city of Charlotte, in the state of North Carolina, USA. The video, titled Metropolis, is "an abbreviated city narrative [...] that uses stop-motion animation to physically manipulate aerial imagery, creating a landscape in constant motion." Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the US and Carter's production features the changes that have taken place in recent years in its central region. Verticality and density of buildings (not necessarily people) continue to mark the urbanization of the city. You can check out more of Rob Carter's projects here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Modular Units Create a Raised Garden Screen in this Structure in Spain Posted: 14 Feb 2017 10:00 PM PST  © Marcos Morilla This project, by Spanish architects Longo + Roldán, turned out to be a great solution for an unused space that was unexpectedly getting a lot of attention in the interior of a quarry. Instead of building new buildings or remodeling existing cabins they designed an intricate metal lattice structure that forms a web of planters of different depths, containing various species of plants. This solution not only revitalizes the space but also protects existing buildings from the sun, improving their thermal conditions. From the architects: The construction is located in the industrial complex of Caleras de San Cucao, in Llanera, an industrial area dominated by the presence of buildings connected to the project.  © Marcos Morilla After constructing a staircase that connects the two levels of the quarry, a previously unused area, visible from both levels, housing several small structures forms part of the new walkway. This was the reason why it was necessary to create something that is visually attractive to visitors.  © Marcos Morilla Instead of setting up a new building to house the tasks currently associated with booths, it was decided to opt for a more economical and sustainable solution. Keeping each of them without altering their shape or appearance but hiding their presence beneath a raised garden, covering them visually and at the same time protecting them from the sun, would improve their thermal conditions.  © Marcos Morilla A complex structure of metal strips forms a weaved pattern where planters of different depths are distributed randomly, creating a composition when viewed from both in front and above. When it rains, the planters, which are like a kind of flowerpot made of geotextiles and perforated bottoms, filter the water.  © Marcos Morilla The choice of the different plant species, in collaboration with the gardener responsible for the maintenance of the industrial complex, was firstly made keeping in mind the ability to adapt to a hostile environment, with strong thermal fluctuations, frequent fog and solid particles in suspension. Secondly, it was chosen to take advantage of different flowering periods and shades of the leaves to generate some colorful contrasts.  © Longo + Roldán Architects We couldn’t use plants on the pillars to support the new staircase due to the lack of sun, so we’ve made a dry garden comprised of a sample of the minerals used in one of the companies located in the enclosure.  © Longo + Roldán Architects  © Longo + Roldán Architects  © Longo + Roldán Architects  © Longo + Roldán Architects  © Longo + Roldán Architects Architects: Longo + Roldán Architects (Víctor Longo Valdés + Ester Roldán Calvo)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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