srijeda, 15. ožujka 2017.

Arch Daily

Arch Daily


Adaptive Reuse of a Former School for Infants / ATELIER SPACE

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:00 PM PDT

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone
  • Architects: ATELIER SPACE
  • Location: Middelstegracht 5, 2312 TR Leiden, The Netherlands
  • Architect In Charge: Ronald van der Voort
  • Area: 694.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Brigitte Kroone
  • Contractor: Wassenaarse Bouwmaatschappij
© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

Recently, we completed the adaptive reuse of a former school for infants that was built in Leiden in 1925. The monumental school is now a residence. We maintained all the valuable and historical elements, such as the characteristic tiled floor in the corridor, the premises, the doors, and the sky lights.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

All the areas are 4 meters high, and the large windows let in a lot of daylight. What was formerly a children's playground has become a sunny courtyard.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

The old school transformed beautifully into a stunning residential space. No major changes were made to the overall structure of the building; all the main areas got a function that is perfectly suitable for that space. One classroom is divided into 3 bedrooms.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

In the areas adjacent to the main corridor, the thin concrete floor was replaced by an insulated concrete floor with underfloor heating.

Floor Plan Floor Plan

All the roofs have been replaced by insulated roofs. The sky lights were restored, and insulated glass was placed. Additionally, the glass in the wooden window frames was restored with special insulated glass for monuments.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

The house is heated and chilled by a heat pump, based on water and air, the electricity is provided by solar panels. The intelligent JUNG KNX building technology embeds living and working worlds into a network of communicating devices. In this way we conveniently regulate lighting, climate, blinds/shutters, security and multimedia.

Floor Plan Floor Plan

In the former gym, we created the living, kitchen, and dining areas. The spacious and light space connects beautifully with the courtyard. Because of the narrow profiles of the new steel windows and doors, a lot of light enters the living room, and there's a wide view of the courtyard.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

The black steel windows combine perfectly with the power-floated concrete floor.

On the first floor above the living room, we created a guesthouse. We placed the toilet, the technical area, and the storage room all on one side. The historic wooden rafters are still visible, which is important in creating the right atmosphere.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

In the courtyard, we developed a conversation pit with plastered brick banks and planters. This area is partly covered to make the pit more intimate.

© Brigitte Kroone               © Brigitte Kroone

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Fallow Land Project / PLAYstudio + YES studio

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:00 PM PDT

© David Frutos © David Frutos
  • Project Manager: Ronald Mischek ZT, Martin Lehner, Susan Glöckner
  • Constructor: Strabag AG Hoch- und Ingenieurbau
  • Design: YES studio + PLAYstudio
  • Structural: Ronald Mischek ZT, Michael Härtel
© David Frutos © David Frutos

“Dealing with Infrastructures” was the title of the thematic area under which the organizers of Europan 7 placed the site located in Vienna; in fact it was probably a kind of paradigmatic case study: a triangular plot, placed in the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a heavy traffic way, an elevated underground line and crossed by a middle tension power line… anything else? Actually it was the typical “leftover” ground generated by the trace of the infrastructures surrounding it. The social housing developers that arrived before us had already built the area, but they left the “rest” waiting for a second opportunity. This “rest” was not just a real estate opportunity, but an opportunity to generate new urban life in a neighborhood placed in the periphery of the city without a clear representative image. The Perfektastrasse 58 site was full of opportunities waiting to be discovered… to recognize them was the beginning of the project.  Due to the visibility given by the underground line, the plot was already part of the image of the city for a huge number of Viennese people in their way to the city center, so the project had to operate with it. Being close to Perfektastrasse U-bahn station pointed the plot as a proper place to increase the housing density, bringing more and more people and life into the area, following the theories proposed by the Transit Oriented Development. The plot had conditions to evolve into a new urban public space, a transit place in the way to the U6 station, but also a public space where celebrate collectively the everyday life. The absence of buildings on the other side of the elevated underground line allowed excellent views from the site to the landscape of Vienna when placed 8 meter high from the ground level. By last, the green condition of the plot while waiting for a “second opportunity”, gave an image to the context, but mainly a biodiversity, that could and should be preserved.

© David Frutos © David Frutos
Axonometric Axonometric
Axonometric Axonometric
© David Frutos © David Frutos

The project took advantage from these opportunities applying two main architectural strategies: the creation of 3 different levels and the importation of a landscape into the plot.

© David Frutos © David Frutos

In the lower level the project presents a clear public vocation where different common uses are placed surrounded by commercial activities. A place where improve social relations between neighbors and pedestrians in their way to the underground stop. Right above that level, a second one creates a kind of thick roof where different patio houses are located (a Mediterranean Typology that we propose for Vienna), that become two-story units on the Northern side of the new green area obtained under the trace of the power line; a place for those who wish to live close to the ground staring at the sky through their patios. And finally for those who wish to live in the heights, four towers with a profile that moves away from the power line, observe the city landscape.

© David Frutos © David Frutos
Section Section
© David Frutos © David Frutos

Concerning the plan configuration, the project alludes to the structure of the farmlands (fallow land) surrounding the city of Vienna, as a formal strategy capable to assume the multiple border conditions commented above. After 13 years of work, the strategy that in a beginning could have been considered in a formal way, resulted in an extremely operative one, allowing the project to assume multiple normative, programmatic and compositional changes. In addition, the allusion to the farmlands was not just a rhetoric question but a productive one, by the creation of orchards in the roofs of the patio housing to be cultivated by the neighbors… nevertheless 2003 was maybe too early to talk about edible or productive cities phenomena, so at the end intensive green roofs were built just as a measure to increase the environmental sustainability.

Floor Plan Floor Plan

Finally the project assumed the condition of being part of the city image for a considerable number of Viennese people (due to the visibility of the plot) and reinterprets a cultural condition from Vienna: the painted plaster façades. The result was to create a recognizable new image for the 23rd district by increasing the chromatic intensity of these colored façades… the Vienna lemons.

© David Frutos © David Frutos

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SHINBOHON・HOUSE・K / Yuichi Yoshida & Associates

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 03:00 PM PDT

© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa
  • Other Participants : ASD (Structural Engineers), Nao Uda (Enviromental Engineers)
© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa

It is a rebuilding of a house built in the suburbs of a local city. Each layer has a distinct three-layer structure with different characteristics as a composition. In order to pay attention to the surroundings, we stacked volumes that were slightly smaller than the building coverage rate in each layer while shifting back and forth and to the left and right. The first floor is closed because it is a block wall on the back and walls on both sides. The only open roadside is a built-in garage to alleviate the burden of winter snow shoveling. The second floor does not open to the side where scenery can not be expected, such as the laundry of the neighboring window or the solarium (in Kanazawa rainy in Kanazawa, which is installed in many houses) as laundry, this east side with the solarium It is open only. And it is open to the surroundings for the first time when it is the 3rd floor where visibility can be opened far. 

© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa

On the lower floor, opening of the vertical surface is small, instead of using the deviation of the volume, a top light is provided, opening in the air direction secures lighting rate according to regulations, the window gradually goes to the vertical surface as going to the upper floor By increasing it creates variations to the view. Exterior walls are used in all fields from galvanized steel plates called galvanized steel plates, air conditioning equipment, electric equipment etc. to various parts such as buildings, civil engineering infrastructure, electric appliances, automobiles, containers and fixtures, and are made of materials excellent in durability and processability Is used. Initially it has a gloss that reflects the surroundings, but zinc gradually dissolves out and becomes dull gray.

© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa
Section Section
© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa

Covering with material that can withstand harsh climatic conditions, versatility and changing in temporal continuity, it will continue to be renewed from now on as a residential area in a suburb of a local city I thought that I could get close to the environment of. As the interior, the first and second stories are filled with architectural furniture materials and details, trying to rewrite the existence of each boundary. There is a large one-room space on the 3rd floor, the stairs leading from there to the roof are semi-outdoors, using the same material as the outside wall. By pinching the boundary between the inside and the inside, inside and inside with a sense of incompatibility that slightly differentiated buttons, the place where it is now is not absolutely anywhere in the house that should be a clear composition, such as floating I feel a sense of feeling.

© Kenta Hasegawa              © Kenta Hasegawa

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Call for Submissions to 3rd Editiof of European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention AADIPA

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 02:00 PM PDT

Second Edition. Winner of the category A: Public library in Ceuta. Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos. Photo by Roland Halbe Second Edition. Winner of the category A: Public library in Ceuta. Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos. Photo by Roland Halbe

The Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention AADIPA, arises from the belief that heritage, as a vehicle for social integration and an economic vitalizing resource for the community, deserves to be appreciated and encouraged. In the current context, in which architectural heritage is considered not only to be a fundamental instrument of knowledge but also a first rate socio-economic resource for the sustainable development of the territory, the disclosure, distinction and recognition of works and quality projects contributing to the preservation of the collective memory is imperative.

With this third call, the registration period for which is open from December 2016 to April 14, 2017 at 24:00, the contest aims to consolidate itself as a catalyst and observatory of new challenges added to the conservation and intervention in built heritage by the globalization of contemporary architecture. All those experts involved in the interdisciplinary heritage value chain -architects, historians, archaeologists...-, can participate in a contest that will end with the awards ceremony taking place in June 2017 in the city of Barcelona within the framework of the International Biennial of Architectural Heritage that is organized with the support of COAC, AADIPA and the Government of Catalonia.

The call is divided into four categories:

Category A: Intervention in built heritage
All architectural, permanent or ephemeral interventions in architectural properties of heritage interest.

Category B: Exterior spaces
All interventions in the historic public space, in monumental and cultural landscape environments.

Category C: Urban planning
All planning work aimed at the protection, conservation and enhancement of architectural heritage.

Category D: Disclosure
Those initiatives, activities and actions that are aimed at disseminating the values of architectural heritage.

And as a requirement, all entries submitted must have been completed, carried out or published in the European geographical area and within the period from January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2016.

As in previous editions, the European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention AADIPA has an international jury for each category which, in its 3rd edition, will be formed by the architects: Inês Vieira da Silva (SAMI-arquitectos), Ignacio Pedrosa (Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos), Marc Aureli Santos (Ajuntament de Barcelona), Ian Mcknight (Hall Mcknight Architects), Celestino García Braña, Pere Buil (Vora arquitectura), Alessandro Alì (Ubi studio) and Carsten Hanssen (Atelier 27). Architects and urban planners: Carles Enrich and Fernando Cobos, the urban planner, Cristina Mata and the historian, Montserrat Villaverde.

The winners will be awarded a framed reproduction of an original photograph by Francesc Català Roca and finalists, a diploma of merit. The winning entries, finalists and submitted works will be part of the catalogue published for each issue to document the event.

Moreover, coinciding with the opening of registration, the organizing committee of the Award announces the publication of an international file on Heritage. A window to showcase all the works presented in the competition, as well as other interventions selected by a scientific committee of experts, which respond to criteria of good practice in the heritage field. An open file, which can be consulted on the web page of the award, aspiring to become a documentary benchmark on the state of affairs regarding European heritage intervention.

The European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention AADIPA, led by Ramon Calonge, Oriol Cusidó, Marc Manzano, and Jordi Portal, architect members of the group AADIPA, in its first edition, held in 2013, saw 200 team projects being presented from 8 countries, while in its second edition, held in 2015, it revalidated the number of works submitted and quadrupled international participation, with the number of affiliated countries increasing to 26.

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Padival House / Anahata

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 01:00 PM PDT

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J
  • Architects: Anahata
  • Location: Plot No. 19,Sy. No. 323, Majgaon Industrial Area, G.I.T. College Road,, Udyambag,, Udyambag Industrial Area, Udyambag, Belagavi, Karnataka 590008, India
  • Design Team: Puneeth Hegde, Mithila Manolkar
  • Area: 2290.0 ft2
  • Project Year: 2017
  • Photographs: Shamanth Patil J
  • Structural Consultant: Vinay Behre Associates, Belgaum
  • Fabrication: Bharat industries, Belgaum, SAM engineers and fabricators, Belgaum
  • Carpentry: Dharmendra Jangid, Belgaum
  • Painting: Ravindra Chauhan, Belgaum
  • Tiling: Tejpal Deegwal, Belgaum
© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

From the architect. A young couple and their 2 children, originally from Mangalore, a coastal city of south India, approached us to design their home. The brief was to build a clean modern contemporary house. Padival house is a private dwelling located in the south of Belgaum in a gridiron neighborhood with the streets running north-south. The site is rectangular, west facing with an 80 feet major road.

Sketch / Section Sketch / Section

In Mangalore, the courtyard was an integral part of a traditional house. We chose to vividly reflect the memories of a courtyard, readapting the vernacular typology to a house in an urban context. The program is organized into spatial compartments around the courtyard based on the function they are designed to serve. Each of these compartments further evolves into primordial geometric masses. The idea was to create a more pure form of architecture - of architecture stripped of its non-essentials, reduced only to its basic elements and the feelings that the space itself evokes.

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

Hortus conclusus

"Inside and outside, earth and heaven converge in the enclosed garden. The building is, so to speak, erected out of the mass of the earth, with the garden a cavity in that mass. The boundless space of the sky penetrates the garden and absorbs it. "

Aben, R., & De Wit, S. (1999). The Enclosed Garden, 10-11. Rotterdam: 010

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

The entrance lobby leads to the courtyard on one side and the living space on the other. The living space, a floor height of one-and–a-half storey, diminishes to single storey height as it flows into the courtyard, and thus resulting in a Library space on the first floor which looks into the courtyard on one side and the living space on the other. The transition from the living to other private functions of the house is through the well-lit dining area. The river finish tandoor flooring seamlessly connects the living and dining spaces to the courtyard.

Sketch / Section Sketch / Section

The Altar is a space floating in the air. Externally, the mass deliberately disconnects from the living room wall, giving an impression of a floating cube sliding out from within. The reduced floor height and the clerestory window invokes a mystical feeling. Stairs from the Altar lead to the Library and the family spaces. The one-and-a-half storey height of the living room leaves a clerestory window in the library exhibiting a dialogue between the courtyard and the terrace of the living room. The walls of the private spaces around the courtyard are kept low with glass continuing to touch the ceiling. The courtyard thus flows into the bedrooms, blurring the boundaries of the courtyard while establishing a connection with the internal spaces of the house. The spatial strategy is designed to visually connect spaces to allow a sense of communication. The concrete ceiling is left exposed to add a sense of informality in contrast to the smooth white plastered walls. 

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

A flight of sunbathed stairs from the family room lead to the 'Barsati' which transitions into the living room terrace through a semi open verandah. The 'Barsati' also acts as a pantry to serve for the terrace parties that the client usually hosts.

"The Sun does not realize how wonderful it is until after a room is made." - Louis Kahn

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

Light percolates into the building through strategically placed fenestration, in some places touching the roof, allowing an unobstructed flow of view to the outside. Two major light wells, the courtyard and the skylight above the stairs in the family space display a subtle, perpetual play of light and shadow creating a high sense of order and visual impression. Light as a building material is sculpted carefully to define spaces and their functionalities. As the sunlight changes throughout the day, the shadows make the space dynamic and ever-changing across all seasons. The perception of space varies depending on where one is standing in relation to the light wells.

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

Inspiration from the artist

The interiors and furniture designs are heavily inspired by contemporary Indian artist SH Raza. His approach to color, line, space and light, the geometries in his paintings, all reveal a deeper understanding of emotions. Concrete, white plaster, brass, wood and natural stone became the color palette for the interiors. An abstraction of the painting 'Tanava' on the floor using colored stone, adorns the living room. It rises into the third dimension with the floating pyramid stools and coffee table set in harmony. The shadows formed by the courtyard skylight empirically reinterpret the patterns of Raza paintings. The triangular book shelf in the Library, indulges in an amicable conversation with the light each time the sun renders the wall behind. The painting, 'White crosses' is sculpted in wood to form the wardrobes adding warmth to the bedroom interiors.

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

The house is an abstract composition of masses responding to the west sun. The sharp shadows move as the day progresses giving life to the facade. The compound wall is designed to resemble a fabric, very light and absent keeping the composition undisturbed. The house attempts to stand as a piece of art.

© Shamanth Patil J           © Shamanth Patil J

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ŌYANE / DO.DO.

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PDT

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota
  • Architects: DO.DO.
  • Location: 859-3701, Japan
  • Architect In Charge: Kei Harada
  • Area: 140.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Takumi Ota
  • Graphic: Hokuto Fujii
  • Pottery Product Cooperation: Kuntaro Abe
© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

From the architect. My client runs a shop and gallery of the famous Saikai porcelain of Hasami Town in Nagasaki, Japan.

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

My question when working on this project was: 'What can I do which can only be done with this client?' The answer was a total revamp of the internal and external structure while realizing the spirits of the artists using the materials of Saikai porecelain.

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

A new entrance was built to improve passage to the shop located on the B1 floor. Built in a wall of a storage space on the 1F, a large staircase and elevator guides visitors to the shop space, which consumes both floors.

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota
© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

A roofed-patio with restroom was placed on the outisde where markets and workshops can take place to promote the porcelain. Remnants of the porcelain artistry can be seen throughout the structure. The white cases called 'boshi', found near the counter and walls, were used for firing up the pottery in the old days. 

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota
© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

The lamps and signs throughout the structure were also created using porcelain. The roof of the main structure resembles that of a typical old factory found throughout this area. The floor contains pieces of porcelain which were mixed into the concrete.

© Takumi Ota © Takumi Ota

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Wyndham Central College / Brand Architects

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PDT

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere
  • Architects: Brand Architects
  • Location: 101 Shaws Rd, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia
  • Architect In Charge: Laurence Robinson and Gerard McCurry
  • Project Year: 2015
  • Photographs: Rachel Dere
© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

From the architect. Wyndham Central College is a transformational success story, going from an underachieving School with no sense of community or pride to the vibrant and connected campus it is today.  Located in Werribee, Australia – the College has undergone a rebranding exercise that has turned this government-run secondary school into something more akin to one of Melbourne's privately run colleges.  The revitalisation left no part of the school untouched, from the uniform, to the name to the physical buildings and landscape.

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

Before 2012, Wyndham Central College, then called Galvin Park Secondary, was a school in trauma.  Many of the buildings suffered severe storm damage and had to be closed, resulting in the need to bus students off-site for classes.  In 2010 an Extended Diagnostic Review of the College painted a picture of poor student learning outcomes, engagement and pathways, low staff morale and poor community perception.  The school was underachieving, in the 10th percentile of government schools. 

Diagram Diagram
Diagram Diagram

Brand Architects were appointed in mid-2012.  To begin the engagement process they took staff on guided visits to other leading Victorian schools.  The College community found this a fantastic beginning as it empowered staff to articulate their goals and aspirations for their new learning spaces.

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

It was the College's educational vision to endeavour to rebrand the entire campus within the fixed budget provided by the government.  New cladding materials, render over the old brown bricks and splashes of colour freshened the facades of the old 1970's buildings.  Existing buildings were steel-framed with concrete floor slabs, enabling them to be stripped and spaces repurposed to suit a modern curriculum. Through reusing, recycling and adapting, the embodied energy of this project was kept low.  

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

The refurbished buildings are now unrecognisable, their long, dark corridors with low ceilings have been eliminated and are now light-filled collaborative learning areas linking together teaching spaces and nooks for small group learning.  The old library was converted into a new Performing Arts Auditorium and Music Centre – arts is now a major drawcard for enrolments at the College.  

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere
Section Section
© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere
© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

Although most of the project focused on refurbishment, two entirely new buildings were constructed. At the most prominent corner of the College the new Administration building provides a welcoming fresh face for the College, and the Gymnasium, with its dedicated weights room, is very popular with the students.

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

New landscaped areas were created by the demolition of several buildings at the centre of campus, creating a new open air amphitheatre and planted woodland with raised boardwalk.  This became the new 'heart' to the school, a space that the whole school community can gather for outdoor assemblies, open-air learning and student recreation.

© Rachel Dere © Rachel Dere

Truly a success story, Wyndham Central College is now one of the most improved schools in the state of Victoria for VCE completion, up 10% in the last 5 years.  The change in student engagement is reflected in the strong data sets and extremely low levels of absenteeism.  Students feel a strong sense of pride in their school, knowing that their education experience is valued, and that their learning needs are being met.

Product Description. The use of Omniglaze painted surface on the landscape and the buildings has been instrumental in giving a new definition to the architecture of the school. The use of bright and bold colours such as blue, red and yellow aim to reinvigorate the look of the school and ties the whole precinct together in one coherent manner. The painted surface carries forward the architectural language expressed in the buildings around the school.

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This Instagram Account Explores the Beauty of Circular Plans in Architecture

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 09:00 AM PDT

"The circle . . . is the synthesis of the greatest oppositions. [It] combines the concentric and the excentric in a single form, and in equilibrium. Of the three primary forms [triangle, square, circle], it points most clearly to the fourth dimension."

This quote, spoken by artist and Bauhaus professor Wassily Kandinsky, helps to explain the obsession architects, from Palladians to Modernists, have long held with pure geometrical forms – chief among them the circle.

Inspired by this obsession, one Instagram account titled "Circular Spaces" has collected many of the best examples of circles found in architecture. The account tracks the geometries at all scales, from the planet-sized plan of the Death Star to the familiar intimacy of a round dining table. Check out a selection from "Circular Spaces" below.

Plan for the Wood Wharf Tower, London, by @herzogdemeuron, #circularspaces

A post shared by @circularspaces on

Plan for Torre Blancas, Madrid, 1964-69, by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza, #circularspaces

A post shared by @circularspaces on

plan for a circular table with six figures, #democracy, #CADblocks @cadblocks

A post shared by @circularspaces on

Plan for Piazza d'Italia, New Orleans, by #CharlesMoore, #built in 1975, #circularspaces

A post shared by @circularspaces on

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Front Lake House / Nicolás Pinto da Mota

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:00 AM PDT

© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik
  • Architects: Nicolás Pinto da Mota
  • Location: Nordelta Golf, Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Architect In Charge: Matias Cosenza
  • Project Team: Tadeo Itzcovich, Esteban Unjold, Agustin Aguirre
  • Area: 890.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Fernando Schapochnik
  • Project Manager: Matias Cosenza
© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik

From the architect. The Site

The house is implanted on a plot on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires, within a typical private neighborhood. A recognizable archetype, a rectangular base prism that controls its scale in an environment characterized by its strong relation to a lake . With a slight slope in the lot, the dwelling is positioned in the North-South longitudinal direction, evidencing its more favorable and permeable side. This starting point has defined the spatial configuration of an inner – outer relationship, which in this case is given by the orientation of lodges of various scales that compose a large volume.

© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik

The Shape

This theme is of vital importance, either by hollowing a solid, compartmentalizing a single volume, juxtaposing several or distributing the program into a series of separate volumes, all have the same purpose, to express the volumetry of the building in a humble and serene way. In this case the volumetric composition is achieved by a regular matrix that finds differentiated scales in the typical programmatic components of the dwelling. These components are expressed through the relation of the lodges that shape the volume. This intermittence identifies the scales

© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik
Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Plan
© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik

of the various domestic uses, lodges of four, eight; single or double, allow these spaces to have controlled visuals facing the lake, cross ventilation and fine sunlight. This controlled and precise system, evidences a spatial expression of great formal efficiency.

© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik

The Material

The mass architectural production of the region is tied to a workforce that has its greatest skills linked to brick masonry or in-situ concrete. These materials display monolithic aspects that due to their density and dimensions, better express the idea of permanence.This subject, as well as the use of a material in function of the geometric clarity of the spaces and the continuity of the same ones, are of vital interest. In this sense, the priority interest is not in what is built but in the space that is defined and shaped by this construction. Thus the fine finish and white color on all its surfaces determines the characteristic space of this dwelling.

© Fernando Schapochnik © Fernando Schapochnik

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Cornell Tech Unveils Snøhetta-Designed Hotel and Education Center for Its Roosevelt Island Campus

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 07:00 AM PDT

Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech has revealed that Snøhetta will be the latest firm to design buildings for its currently under-construction Roosevelt Island Campus, joining structures by top architects including Morphosis, Weiss/Manfredi, Handel Architects, and Skidmore Owings & Merrill. The two new buildings, the Verizon Executive Education Center and Graduate Hotel, will be the final part of phase one of the campus master plan, slated for completion in 2019.

Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech

The hotel and education center are designed to act as "the front door for the campus," according to the school's senior director of capital projects, Andrew Winters. The hotel will be managed by Graduate Hotels, a lodging chain with locations in college towns including Berkeley, California; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Bloomington, Indiana; and Charlottesville, Virginia.

Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech

The Graduate Roosevelt Island will contain 196 rooms targeted at housing visiting families, academics and those visiting for campus conventions and events.  In addition, the plan includes a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar, and 5,200 square feet of flexible event space.

The hotel design will "reference the history of Roosevelt Island," and provide a "comfortable residential aesthetic" with a full suite of amenities.

Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech
Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech Courtesy of Snøhetta via Cornell Tech

While the campus' complete three-phase masterplan won't be completed until 2043, the first few buildings on campus are scheduled to open this September.

Learn more about the project here.

News via Curbed.

New Images Unveiled of Cornell Tech's Roosevelt Island Campus

WEISS/MANFREDI's "The Bridge" Topped Off at Cornell Tech Campus

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Ogden Centre / Studio Libeskind

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 06:00 AM PDT

© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow
  • Architects: Studio Libeskind
  • Location: South Rd, Durham DH1, United Kingdom
  • Architect In Charge: Daniel Libeskind
  • Engineers: Arup
  • Area: 2478.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2017
  • Photographs: Hufton+Crow
© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow

From the architect. A spiral in plan, the Centre is designed as continuous, stacked and interlocking forms. Clad in a ventilated timber rain screen built from responsibly sourced Scottish larch, the dynamic façade is punctuated with linear bands of operable strip windows and a series of outdoor terraces. In addition, canted curtain walls on the north and south faces bookend the form of the spiral and provide spectacular views of picturesque Durham City and Durham Cathedral. The active form of the building unifies a rigorous, repetitive programme of private work spaces along its perimeter with a communal multi-story interior space activated by gathering spaces and a massive central skylight. A new identity has been created for the Centre resulting in unique individualized workspace that engenders a sense of connection and community.

© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow

Daniel Libeskind said: "This project is an example of how to design a highly-sustainable, dynamic building within tight programme requirements. Light and openness is at the core of the design; at every move in the design process we incorporated simple, yet robust materials and considered the users' experience to create this important building for Durham University."

© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow

Visitors to the Centre enter through a glazed lobby infused with light. The interiors employ a natural palette of soft grey concrete columns and ceilings, paired with warm wood finishes and frosted glass. Pushing the offices to the perimeter of the Centre allows each space to benefit from natural light and ventilation. In addition, glazed doors and screens further transmit light from the exterior to the central atrium. Generous roof terraces create spaces for impromptu meetings or places to simply relax and enjoy fresh air. Skylights marshal light into the central atrium and meeting areas. The entire programme of the building is wrapped around a series of flexible, communal spaces.

© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow

The ground floor areas are open and available to the public, with a seminar/meeting room (100 seats) that can be used for events. The second floor features a central social space where staff and research students can work together on an informal basis. This central area can also serve as a setting for formal dinners, fundraisers, presentations, or special announcements. Adjacent breakout rooms with videoconferencing facilities will allow group discussions and wider collaboration. The third floor houses additional office space and is open to the floors below. 

© Hufton+Crow © Hufton+Crow

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Alison Brooks Architects Designs First London Highrise for Greenwich Peninsula Development

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PDT

© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects

Alison Brooks Architects has revealed designs for their first London highrise as the project receives planning permission. The mixed-use scheme will consist of a cluster of 4 residential towers of varying heights, with co-work and leisure at the ground floor and podium levels, contributing community value to the regeneration of London's Greenwich Peninsula, the site of Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners' O2 Arena and a future £1 Billion Mixed-Use Project by Santiago Calatrava.

© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects

Located along the eastern edge of the site's Central Park, the new complex will house 400 residential units within four towers, connected at their bases by a colonnaded plinth. Each building will offer 360 degree views, colonnades, roof gardens and co-working spaces. A generous communal garden will sit within the block.

Responding to the curved edge of the park opposite, the four buildings radiate in plan, opening up views and allowing light to permeate the block. The taller of the towers, at 28 and 17 stories, will face directly onto Central Park, while lower buildings of 12 and 5 stories will anchor the northeast end of the site. The entire complex will be clad in a metal lattice evocative of the area's industrial heritage, such as the gas holders and cast iron clad chimneys of Greenwich Power Station.

© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects
© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects

The project is the latest announced by London developers Knight Dragon, who are spearheading one of London's largest single regeneration project on Greenwich Peninsula; 15,720 homes and 12,000 jobs are expected to be created within the new district, which consists of seven neighborhoods masterplanned by Allies and Morrison. Several projects have already been completed, including Marks Barfield Architects' Greenwich Gateway Pavilions and the Greenwich Peninsula Low Carbon Energy Centre, designed by C.F. Møller Architects.

© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects
© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects

Alison Brooks commented, "We're delighted to be working with Knight Dragon and that our designs received unanimous consent from the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Our intention was to create a robust, adaptable urban block with generous  proportions that reinforces the Peninsula's cosmopolitan identity."

Learn more about Knight Dragon's plans for Greenwich Peninsula here.

News via Alison Brooks Architects and Knight Dragon.

© Alison Brooks Architects © Alison Brooks Architects

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AD Classics: Gallaratese Quarter / Aldo Rossi & Carlo Aymonino

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 04:15 AM PDT

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

As the dust settled following the Second World War much of Europe was left with a crippling shortage of housing. In Milan, a series of plans were drafted in response to the crisis, laying out satellite communities for the northern Italian city which would each house between 50,000 to 130,000 people. Construction the first of these communities began in 1946, one year after the end of the conflict; ten years later in 1956, the adoption of Il Piano Regolatore Generale—a new master plan—set the stage for the development of the second, known as 'Gallaratese'. The site of the new community was split into parts 1 and 2, the latter of which was owned by the Monte Amiata Società Mineraria per Azioni. When the plan allowed for private development of Gallaratese 2 in late 1967, the commission for the project was given to Studio Ayde and, in particular, its partner Carlo Aymonino. Two months later Aymonino would invite Aldo Rossi to design a building for the complex and the two Italians set about realizing their respective visions for the ideal microcosmic community.[1]

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

Aymonino and Rossi had both made names for themselves in the fields of urban studies and morphology by the time they began work on the new development. Their interest lay not in solitary architecture but in urban communities with all the disparate elements required for a functioning society: residences, commerce, industry, and more. Gallaratese was, then, to be their chance to combine these elements and create a new community from scratch. The format they applied to the project drew its inspiration from a series of experiments conducted in the 1950s by a group of Modernist architects named "Project X." Starting with Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation, Project X added elements like open-air decks and interconnecting bridges to convert the isolated residential blocks into more unified urban districts.[2]

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

The two architects' utopian urban ideologies coalesced into a complex of five buildings: A1, A2, B, and C were designed by Aymonino, while D was Rossi's contribution. Inspired by the stepping forms, interior and exterior circulatory paths, and cellular spatial organization of Roman examples like Trajan's Market, Aymonino incorporated the same features into A1 and A2, the 8-story blocks which form the southern boundary of the site. At the point where the two meet at a shallow angle stands B, a 6-story slab which extends north from the intersection. This point of intersection is also home to an outdoor amphitheater; to either side, sheltered by the three apartment blocks, are two triangular piazze for communal use. Aymonino designed A1, A2, and B with a variety of different residential schemes, ranging from courtyard apartments accessible from a public concourse to units accessed from a single interior corridor as in Le Corbusier's example. Aymonino's final building, C, is a two-story connector linking D to the rest of the complex.[3]

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin
© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

In contrast to Aymonino's visually and formally complex designs, Rossi opted for uniformity so complete that it is almost startling. His inspiration came not from Ancient Rome, but from the 1930s – specifically, the paintings of Giorgio de Cherico. All the visible elements of the building are structural, with no ornamentation to distract from the repetition of identical windows and bays which run the full 200 meter (656 foot) length of the block. Each residential unit inside is accessible from a gallery, while an open arcade, as minimalist and unadorned as the rest of the structure, occupies the ground floor. Just as the morphological simplicity of D sets it apart from the variegation of the rest of the complex, so too does its white paint stand out against the muted reds and browns of Aymonino's units; only the amphitheater, painted bright yellow, approaches the same chromatic emphasis.[4,5]

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

Officially titled Monte Amiata Housing after its landowners, Aymonino and Rossi's creation was immediately subject to controversy and debate upon its completion in 1972. Pressure from Communist League groups saw the complex put to use as housing for the homeless, with the results proving so ruinous that the all the tenants had abandoned it by 1974. In the forty years since, however, Gallaratese has risen from the ashes, and is thriving under its current occupancy. The ideals of urban planning have evolved greatly since Aymonino and Rossi set to work in 1967; however, heedless of the passage of time, Gallaratese continues to serve as the bustling community its creators so eagerly envisioned.[6]

© Gili Merin © Gili Merin
© Gili Merin © Gili Merin

References
[1] Sherwood, Roger. "Gallaratese." Housing Prototypes. Accessed March 11, 2017. [access].
[2] Castex, Jean. Architecture of Italy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. p83.
[3] Sherwood.
[4] Castex, p84-85.
[5] Sherwood.
[6] Castex, p83.

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The Lookout at Broad Cove Marsh / Omar Gandhi Architect

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 04:00 AM PDT

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography
  • Architects: Omar Gandhi Architect
  • Location: Inverness County, NS, Canada
  • Architects In Charge: Omar Gandhi, Jeff Shaw, Peter Kolodziej, Amber Kilborn
  • Area: 2000.0 ft2
  • Project Year: 2015
  • Photographs: Doublespace Photography
  • Engineer: Andrea Don - caster Engineering
  • Structural Model: Ben Angus
  • Contractor: Joseph 'MacGee' MacFarlane
© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

From the architect. The Lookout at Broad Cove Marsh is situated delicately along a narrow piece of land between a tree-lined country road and a dramatic ocean-side cliff. The project is located on Broad Cove Marsh Road on the outskirts of Inverness, Cape Breton Island, a small coastal community popular among tourists and seasonal dwellers for to its sandy beaches and dunes, steep cliffs along the Cabot Trail, and world-class golf courses. 

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

The clients —a married couple from Toronto, and proud parents of three grown-up kids—purchased the long sliver of coastline for its expansive sunset views over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, its adjacency to the serene fairways and jagged cliffs of the Cabot Cliffs golf course, and to build a place to bring family together.

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

The seasonal residence is defined by a single loaded corridor running parallel to the length of the property, with a series of open and private spaces overlooking the ocean cliff. 

Axonometric Axonometric
Plans Plans

The corridor is anchored by an exposed concrete retaining wall on the exterior wall and a 48-foot continuous run of board-clad millwork, which slips seamlessly from exterior to interior and then continues again on the far side of the residence. 

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

Programmatically, one half of the dwelling is composed of an indoor/outdoor great room that includes areas for relaxing, cooking, and hosting. This open space is anchored by an 18-foot long island which shares food prep and dining. 

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

On the other end of the house, three repeating pod-like units slip past the ocean-side glazing to plug into the corridor, and thereby delineate the private spaces of bedrooms and bathrooms. In contrast to the concrete finish of the groundwork (retaining wall and floor slab) and the fine-grain natural finish of the wooden service bars, the pods are lined with white-washed locally sourced spruce boards of a wider dimensions. 

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

The south-west face of the dwelling (private side) opens to the views of the Atlantic with floor-to-ceiling glass, while the long strip of clerestory sitting atop the retaining wall (public side) allows a continuous run of gentle north-east light to peer in. A simple, reverse-shed roof floats the length of the building like a low-slung hat, shielding the interiors from the more intense summer sun while exaggerating the horizontality of the sea and landscape. Atop the kitchen, a portion of the roof lifts up like an open cassette deck to allow more light to trickle in—moderated a low-tech wood brise-soleil—and to punctuate the heart of the social space 

© Doublespace Photography © Doublespace Photography

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The Iconic Awards 2017 is Now Open for Submissions

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 03:30 AM PDT

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

Entries are open for architects, designers and manufacturers to submit projects for this year's ICONIC AWARDS, organized by the German Design Council.

The Iconic Awards honor superb examples of the interaction of all disciplines in an independent architecture and design competition which focuses on internationally outstanding construction projects, innovative interior and product design as well as compelling communication in an architectural context.

Architects, designers, the building sector and industry are once more invited to participate in the ICONIC AWARDS with their contributions. Applications for the competition will be accepted through 18 May 2017.

An independent jury composed of renowned representatives from the fields of architecture, interior design, design and brand communication, such as Michel Casertano (Atelier Brückner) and Dr. Louise Kiesling (COOP HIMMELB(L)AU) will choose the Winners and Best of Best of the ICONIC AWARDS in the categories Architecture, Interior, Product, Communication and Concept.

This year, special attention will be paid to the next generation and young architectural studios. With the Young Architecture sponsorship program and an endowed special prize, the award provides initial financial assistance to young architects, young people embarking on their careers and start-ups.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

Last year, the architectural firm Adjaye Associates was awarded the title of Architects of the Year. The London-based studio is responsible for the designs of such impressive projects as the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC and the MEMO Project in Portland in the United Kingdom.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

For the last year's special category of Project of the Year, the jury decided in favour of the Folk Art Museum in Hangzhou, China, planned for the China Academy of Art. The project was designed by the Tokyo-based studio Kengo Kuma & Associates. The theme of the award-winning project is human interaction, with the central focus being placed on the relationship between human beings and their natural habitat.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

The jury's pick for the title of Interior Designers of the Year was Faye Toogood who manages time and time again to produce fascinating atmospheres through her extraordinary interior spaces.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

The prize of honour Architects' Client of the Year, which honours the fostering of a holistic understanding of architecture on the part of a contracting company, was awarded to MUJI – Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. The Japanese company employs the talents of renowned architects and designers, such as Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa, for its designs. The company's latest series consists of three compact, mini prefab houses, each of which does justice to MUJI's high standards of quality, functionality and sustainability.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

Guaranteed to attract media attention, the awards ceremony will be held on October 4, 2017 in the architecturally renowned double cone of BMW Welt, an architectural icon conceived by the Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.

Courtesy of Iconic Awards Courtesy of Iconic Awards

For details about entry requirements and how to submit your work, visit the ICONIC AWARDS 2017 website.

  • Title: The Iconic Awards 2017 is Now Open for Submissions
  • Type: Competition Announcement (Ideas)
  • Organizers: German Design Council
  • Registration Deadline: 18/05/2017 12:00
  • Submission Deadline: 26/05/2017 12:00
  • Price: 180 Euros

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Dominique Perrault Proposes "Island Monument" Plan For the Île de la Cité in Paris

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 02:30 AM PDT

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

One of two islands in the Parisian Seine, the Île de la Cité is largely known to tourists as little more than the location of such popular destinations as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sainte Chapelle—a fate that belies the island's 2000-year history as the center of Paris. However, now there are plans underway to restore the whole island to its former importance: under Philippe Bélaval, the French Centre for National Monuments has selected Dominique Perrault Architecture to design a 25-year masterplan, titled Mission Île de la Cité, to bring back the island's relevance as something more than a dissonant collection of tourist destinations.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

From Roman times to the 1850s, the Île de la Cité was an active and evolving residential and commercial area, with its gradual, organic urbanization fueled by river trade and militarism. But in the 19th century, when Baron Haussmann's massive urban planning project in Paris demolished small, winding streets and built large blocks and avenues in their place, the island was not exempt from the overhaul.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

Today, few of the original residential and commercial communities remain. Arteries that move tourist traffic between landmarks are overcrowded with visitors, while the rest of the island, empty and undesirable to locals, experiences lifelessness and population decline. Haussmann's inaccessible public squares sit unused and hidden by large administrative buildings, and a lack of pedestrian pathways keeps locals from ever crossing the bridge onto the Île de la Cité. The legacy of 19th-century urbanism is the main reason behind the island's slow degeneration as a residential neighborhood, but it still holds some of its built history and sinuous alleys in a few untouched areas.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

The Mission Île de la Cité comes at a time when key administrative organizations, such as the Court of Justice, police headquarters, and Hôtel-Dieu, are planning relocations away from the island, meaning large footprints will be left behind for repurposing. Dominique Perrault Architecture was selected for their experience in similar heritage and regeneration work, including such projects as the Pavilion Dufour Château at Versailles and the Pont de Sèvres Towers citylights renovation.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

The final goal for 2040 is, in the words of the designers, to transform the area, "evolving the island of monuments toward an 'island monument.'" The design aims to represent the island's many layers of history, uses, and interest groups. The proposal is made up of 35 interventions of different scales and programs meant to regenerate locals' interest in the island, reclaim and reappropriate unused square footage and public space, and honor the area's historic architecture and urbanism.

© Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP © Dominique Perrault Architecture / ADAGP

In order to draw public attention to the proposal, the plan for Mission Île de la Cité is currently on display at the Conciergerie Museum until April 17th, along with a book, app, and online virtual guide to the island and its proposed interventions.

© Didier Plowy - CMN © Dominique Perrault Architecture DPA-ADAGP © Didier Plowy - CMN © Dominique Perrault Architecture DPA-ADAGP

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Olympia Place / Holst Architecture + DiMella Shaffer

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PDT

© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips
  • Development: Archipelago Investments LLC
  • General Contractor: Cutler Associates Inc.
Courtesy of Holst Architecture + DiMella Shaffer Courtesy of Holst Architecture + DiMella Shaffer

For this privately-developed student housing project in historic Amherst, Massachusetts, Holst referenced traditional New England academic architecture. Situated in a beautiful woodland setting, the mass of the structure sought to be minimized, and was dispersed into smaller volumes to form a cluster of gables, respecting and reflecting its natural surroundings. The student village's geometry forms informal gathering spaces and provides ample access to the outdoors.

© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips

Being one of the first modern student housing initiatives in the area, Holst worked closely with Archipelago Investments to reimagine the student living experience in Amherst. This collaborative design process translated into the student spaces, and in addition to the 73 units ranging from studios to 4-bedroom suites, the building provides a vast array of common spaces for socialization and collaboration.

© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips
© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips
© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips

Sustainability is a core element of Olympia Place. High efficiency mechanical systems, lighting, and appliances are paired with natural lighting strategies and healthy building materials to achieve a LEED Gold certification.

Floor Plans Floor Plans

Holst was the Design Architect for this project in conjunction with DiMella Shaffer as the Architect-of-Record.

© Christian Phillips © Christian Phillips

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New Timber Innovation Act Advocates for Nationwide Timber Construction in the United States

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PDT

Courtesy of River Beech Tower Courtesy of River Beech Tower

A new piece of bipartisan legislation has been tabled by The United States Senate and House of Representatives named the Timber Innovation Act. The bills were put forward to further the development of tall timber buildings in the US, thereby supporting the nation's considerable timber market and the rural manufacturing jobs it entails.

"The United States has an opportunity to bring new, sustainable mass timber technology to our construction industry, and the Timber Innovation Act directs technical assistance and research components already in place," said Robert Glowinski, President and CEO of the American Wood Council (AWC).

Courtesy of University of Washington: Buddy Burkhalter, Mingjun Yin, Connor Irick, Richard Mohler and Elizabeth Golden Courtesy of University of Washington: Buddy Burkhalter, Mingjun Yin, Connor Irick, Richard Mohler and Elizabeth Golden

The bills aim to create a focussed research and development program to aid in the advancement of tall wooden structures in the United States. Federal grants will be awarded to fund the research undertaken on state, local, university, and private sector levels. This includes the provision of education to architects and builders, in relation to timber construction.

"Mass timber technology is revolutionizing and disrupting the way buildings are being built around the world. Unfortunately, the United States has been trailing other markets in this regard. The Timber Innovation Act will significantly contribute to enhancing our industry's ability to close the knowledge gap and stimulate private sector investment," remarked general manager of the Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC), Cees de Jager.

Courtesy of Bates Smart Courtesy of Bates Smart

Additionally, the act will introduce educational and technical programs on timber design and applications, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and state foresters. Responding to continued job scarcity in the aftermath of the recession, retrofitting buildings in regions of high unemployment will create new positions in rural areas, while also addressing environmental concerns.

"Our nation's private forests provide extraordinary benefits to the natural and human environment," said Dave Tenny, President and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO). "Building larger and taller buildings with wood as envisioned under the Timber Innovation Act combines and magnifies these benefits by putting people back to work – especially in rural communities – and supporting forest investments that provide wildlife habitat, clean water, and fresh air."

News via: American Wood Council, H/T D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations.

Newly Discovered Molecular 'Glue' May hold the Key to Strong Wooden Skyscrapers

Bates Smart Unveils Plans for Tallest Engineered Timber Building in Australia

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Mecanoo’s Palace of Justice Nears Completion in Córdoba

Posted: 13 Mar 2017 11:00 PM PDT

© Fernando Alda © Fernando Alda

Back in 2006, Mecanoo placed first in an international competition with its winning proposal for a perforated courthouse in Córdoba, combining the area's historical character with a modern twist. Now, after almost a decade, the Palace of Justice is set for completion later this year, having broken ground in 2015.

Inspired by Córdoba's Moorish origins, the design balances a contemporary concrete mass with traditional exterior courtyard spaces; a reflection of the plan of the old city. These are faced by colored ceramic tiles, which break the façade's uniformity.

© Fernando Alda © Fernando Alda
© Fernando Alda © Fernando Alda

Programmatically, the courthouse creates ascending levels of privacy, with the open ground floor accommodating public courtrooms, marriage registry, and a restaurant. Below this level reside the archives and the jail cells, while high-security offices occupy the uppermost floors.

© Fernando Alda © Fernando Alda
© Fernando Alda © Fernando Alda

According to Mecanoo, the Palace of Justice will be completed mid-2017. In addition to these new images of the project, check out this intriguing video that offers a glimpse into the construction progress behind the courthouse.

News via: Mecanoo.

Mecanoo Breaks Ground on Spanish Palace of Justice

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