subota, 4. ožujka 2017.

Arch Daily

ArchDaily

Arch Daily


House in Challex / Zoomfactor Architectes

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 06:00 PM PST

© Lotfi Dakhli © Lotfi Dakhli
© Lotfi Dakhli © Lotfi Dakhli

From the architect. The plot for the house is located in Challex, in a low-density residential zone at the franco-swiss border. The house fades into the landscape by being dug into the slope and the vegetalization of the roof. It is organized around two levels, in one cohesive volume which allows us to reconcile the existing vineyard and a stunning southern view of the Mont Salève. The access for cars and pedestrians is situated on the north side upper level. The main floor includes a garage, studio, utility room, kitchen and living room.

© Lotfi Dakhli © Lotfi Dakhli
First Floor Plan First Floor Plan
© Lotfi Dakhli © Lotfi Dakhli

At the center of the plan is an open kitchen-dining-living area which is continued with half-covered terraces giving a sheltered outdoor area.   On the lower level, the three rooms are surrounded by the vineyard. Large bay windows offer southern exposure and a beautiful view of the Mont Saleve.   A particular attention was given to the creation of custom made furniture in natural materials, contrasting with the deliberate rough feel of the house. In the rooms and in the kitchen, mirrors reflect the landscape, unveiling it in every directions. 

© Lotfi Dakhli © Lotfi Dakhli

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Diyarbakir Yenisehir Municipality Building / Uygur Architects

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 02:00 PM PST

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden
  • Architects: Uygur Architects
  • Location: Diyarbakır, Turkey
  • Architects In Charge: Semra Uygur, Ozcan Uygur
  • Project Team: Necati Seren, Guliz Erkan, Emine Kirman, Huseyin Atakan, Ebru Can Bilhan
  • Area: 9.893 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Cemal Emden
  • Statics Project: Danyal Kubin - Prota Engineering
  • Mechanics Project: Hakan Yazman - Yazman Engineering
  • Electrical Project: Kemal Ovacik - Ovacik Muhendislik
  • Infrastructure: Barbaros Bicakci - Birim Infrastructure
  • Environmental Design: Can Kubin Promim Urban & Environmental Design
© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

From the architect. Diyarbakir, one of the largest cities of Turkey, is located on the Southeast region of the country. It is famous with its rich cultural and historical background. Even though the ongoing turmoil in the region is disturbing its population, the city keeps its vibrant life. 

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

In 2005, Uygur Architects won the national architectural competition organized for the design of the Diyarbakir Yenisehir Municipality new building. However the municipality changed the concept and the lot of the building in seven years time and Uygur Architects started to redesign it for the new lot and requirements in 2012. After the redesign, recently finished building opened to public in 2016.

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

The main design principle was to give enable the building to be used as "people's house" with a humble but sober three-storey square building. Interpretation of traditional iwan space to form social spaces on the ground floor was the main spatial gesture. 

Plan Plan

The diagonally placed public area on the ground floor has a multi functional conference hall attached on the East side while the municipality units used by citizens are located on the west side of this area. These functions create a rich spatial practice for the public thanks to the voids above, providing both shadow and air circulation. The shallow pool in the courtyard is designed as a visual and functional element that supports the microclimate of the space.

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

Gallery voids on the first floor create visual connections between floors while reflecting the traces of the volumes below. These voids also provide natural air circulation inside the building that is located in a hot climate.

Section Section
Section Section

The circular glazed council chamber is an interpretation of transparent and participatory democracy and it acts as the attraction center of the building. The corridors surrounding this hall are connected to the office rooms for the mayor, mayor's assistants and other officers. A small meeting room and dining hall is also located in this floor. 

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

Vertical sunshades attached to the office facades determine the characteristic appearance of the building. Thanks to these sun-shading elements, the building is easily air-conditioned during the hot days with low energy consumption.

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

Product Description. Soft textured white Marmara marble panels cover the whole building's façade while reflecting harsh sunrays. On the other hand, Diyarbakir basalt, a local natural dark gray stone, is used as floor coverings that contrast with the white façade. The harmonious relationship of the exposed concrete, glass, wood and basalt creates a neutral backdrop for the penetrating sunrays that create spectacles of light and shadow inside the building throughout the day.

© Cemal Emden © Cemal Emden

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Penghu Qingwan Cactus Park / CCL Architects & Planners + Co-Forest Environment Design Association

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PST

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming
© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

From the architect. Qingwan district is located at Penghu's Fongguei Peninsula. Surrounded by sea, it is abundant in marine resources and natural wonders. The basaltic landscape, diverse vegetation, and forts remained from the military days make Qingwan the perfect place for tourism development.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

Moreover, the project's landscape treatment work better enhance the district's condition for ecological diversity. Vegetation planting and air purifying also help. The integration of different parts within the district not only improves environmental quality but also creates more recreations. During the process of vegetation adjustment, water conservation is made possible due to the corresponding relation between low-lying land and highland, boosting Qingwan's capability of ecological restoration.

Site layout Site layout

In detail, the core zone of the project is to control and minimise any damages construction might bring. Outside of the zone, the projects aims to increase ecological diversity by reconnecting to mountains and sea and the areas nearby. The cactus park helps the preservation of the basaltic landscape and stresses the place's military background, facilitating the formation of different types of recreations. Setting up leisure activities along the coastline, such as the plan of bike lanes, then intends to broaden the scope of Qingwan's ecotourism. 

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

Practice

The project, consisting of the cactus park, artists village, and environmental landscape, possesses great sea views that relax people. The parks are mainly greenhouses designed with elements associated with cactuses.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

The artists village is located at an old coastal guard site by the sea. To revitalize the old buildings at the site and preserve their original looks at the same time, the design used is mainly placement and face-lifting. Environmental landscape is the green belt that connects the traffic flow of various greenhouses and creates the look and feel of a park. 

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

1. The cactus parks includes following spaces:

  • Big cactus greenhouse: integrated teak in the shape of the cactus wraps around the facade; large-sized windows facilitate ventilation and basaltic masonry retaining walls that feature prism grid fit the local environment.
  • Echinocactus grusonii cactus greenhouse: with bended steel as structure and white and transparent pc panels bringing in natural light, the greenhouse resembles the shape of the cactus and has a soft glow.
  • Basaltic-based greenhouse: the making of wall and roof is inspired by local masonry retaining walls; the use of integrated teak on the wall and roof softens the overall look.
  • Exhibition room: Basaltic masonry retaining walls with prism grid fit the local environment; tilted roof facilitates the growth of greenery, greeting visitors coming to the park. 
  • Shed at the entrance: Bringing the structure of masonry retaining walls and greenery to the roof of the shed situated on a slope, making the architecture coexist well with the surrounding landscape.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming
© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

2. The artists village includes the following spaces:

  • Workshop: the exterior walls are made of grey-black pebbles. Solid wood panels and dividing lines of the pebbles create a sense of rhythm on the wall. The interior walls preserve the original structure.
  • Accommodation: it features light blue steel shed and grey steel structure. The roof and interior compartments are placed without damages the original architecture. 
  • Bathroom: the old architecture made of masonry is fixed and a new architecture featuring wooden weatherboards is also built. The two are connected with a steel shed.
  • Plaza: curved masonry and seating of different height let the plaza connect with surrounding landscape.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming
© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

3. Landscape design

It primarily is to improve the landscape surrounding the greenhouses and the overall environment; to enhance water conservation by setting up rainwater conservation basin; and to help the growth of plants under the cold weather. After investigating the whole district, the design team finds the well-designed rainwater recycling system from Japanese-Occupied Period. It suggests the problem of water shortage and importance of rainwater collection. The team's take is to keep the water conservation design at the lowest point of the site and strengthen water conservation through infiltration, which in turn will facilitate the overall plant growth. To block the cold north-east monsoon that carries salt and interferes plant growth, the team develops windbreak inspired by the method used by local farmers. The windbreak of 180~240cm can help the growth of plants by the sea more effectively.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming
© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

Conclusion

After seven years' planning and construction, the park is not only a place where exhibits different types of cactuses but also a land that nourishes the cactus and dragon fruit business and creative works. Please come and visit.

© Lin Fu Ming © Lin Fu Ming

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Symphony Tor / Poonsook Architects

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 11:00 AM PST

© Supat Vongruttana © Supat Vongruttana
  • Structural Engineer: Rak Buranasing
  • Landscape Architects: Kernel Design Co., Ltd.
  • Contractor: Whitecon Quality Co., Ltd.
© Addicted 2 Photography © Addicted 2 Photography

'Symphony Tor' is the main entrance of Kunalai Symphony' -the private housing development project-,one of the cluster in 'Kunalai Westgate', which located in Bang Bua Tong, an area of Nonthaburi, Thailand. 'Symphony Tor' resists the residents to get away from public area to their calm comfort zone and facilities the juristic office for the housing community.

© Supat Vongruttana © Supat Vongruttana

Architectural characteristic of the main entrance is the rhythm of steel columns. This was inspired by its project name 'Symphony', which remind us of 'music box', an instrument that produces sound by the use of set of pins plucking the steel combs.

Floor Plan Floor Plan
Section Section

The steel columns serve in-terms of both architectural and structural. The large numbers of them affect light and shadow in architecture through time and create the transition of space.

© Addicted 2 Photography © Addicted 2 Photography

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Smith Optics Design Studio Headquarters / FFA Architecture and Interiors

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 09:00 AM PST

© Josh Partee              © Josh Partee
  • Architects: FFA Architecture and Interiors
  • Location: 220 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97214, United States
  • Design Team: Troy Ainsworth, AIA, Principal / Joe Zody, AIA, Project Manager / Erica Ceder, LEED AP BD+C, Project Architect / Mayumi Nakazato, Interior Designer
  • Area: 8710.0 ft2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Josh Partee
  • Consultant: Structural Engineering
  • Contractor: R & H Construction
  • Client: Smith Optics
© Josh Partee              © Josh Partee

From the architect. This FFA Architecture and Interiors adaptive re-use project is a three-story brick building that had previously served as a retail store, day shelter, and transitional housing operated by the Salvation Army from 1910 through 2010. Throughout its over 100 years of existence, there were several alterations to the exterior of the building. Still, important historic details remained intact - including original brickwork, cornices, and cast stone medallions depicting the Salvation Army's seal. The project scope included restoring and upgrading the exterior, as well as a complete renovation and build-out of the interior spaces.

© Josh Partee              © Josh Partee

Smith Optics came to FFA looking for high-end creative office space to which they could move their entire staff from their headquarters in Idaho to Portland, Oregon. The third floor of the historic Industrial Home Building in Portland's inner east-side offered the ideal combination of historic character, location, and room to express the client's brand and personality. Working closely with the client, the FFA team listened to their visions and aspirations for the space and also gave careful attention to the variety of day-to-day functions that needed to be accommodated.

© Josh Partee              © Josh Partee

As creators of high performance eyewear, goggles, and helmets for outdoor sports, the Smith Optics staff feel a close connection to nature and wanted to utilize materials to reflect the outdoors. It was equally important to provide an architectural environment that did not compete with the vivid colors of the products. The resulting workplace design balances the use of a variety of wood products and species while still providing an elegant, neutral backdrop for the display of product designs and prototypes. The design also takes advantage of the existing open floor plate, and provides flexibility which allows staff not only to work collaboratively together, but to choose how and where they work throughout the day.

Floor Plan Floor Plan

The design team developed a space plan that utilizes modular benching systems with adjustable height desks, as well as multiple flexible common areas for collaboration, and smaller quiet areas for concentration. Strategically-placed enclosed spaces and private offices are designed to sit lightly within the space and create transparency – allowing outside views and light to be shared. At the center of the office is a semi-private flexible conference area surrounded by custom wood sliding screen walls. This space is designed to function for meetings, collaborative work sessions, as well as office social space. It embodies the type of active workplace environment that is a key component of Smith's culture.

© Josh Partee              © Josh Partee

Product Description. A key component to the design is a custom wall of pivoting panels with slat-wall display on one side, and magnetic white board on the other. It allows side-by-side display of working design drawings and product prototypes. The 180° pivots provide multiple configurations of display surfaces to accommodate various types of projects and activities and creates a canvas for creative brainstorming.

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These Beautiful Architectural Sketches Show Hand-Drawing is Alive and Well

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 08:15 AM PST

via Adeleena Gareeva via Adeleena Gareeva

Despite the rush of new technologies available to architects to express their designs, the humble art of hand-drawing is still alive and well. And when sketching are drafting are done well enough, they can become their own artifacts for inspiring architectural thought.

The work of architecture student Adelina Gareeva is one such example. Studying at Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering (KSUAE) in Russia, Gareeva produces incredibly detailed architectural drawings, from carefully constructed perspective drawings of St. Basil's Cathedral, to travel sketches to more abstract architectural compositions that draw similarities to Zaha Hadid's Suprematist paintings or the Cubist works of Georges Braques. Check out some of her best sketches below.

Pantheon, France. Perspective, details. May/15, KSUAE, Tutor - Ilnar Akhtiamov

A post shared by Adelina Gareeva (@adelina.gareeva) on

To see more of Gareeva's work, follow her on Instagram, here.

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Monte da Silva / Pedro Mendes

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 07:00 AM PST

Courtesy of  Pedro Mendes Courtesy of Pedro Mendes
  • Architects: Pedro Mendes
  • Location: 7250 Alandroal, Portugal
  • Area: 257.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2010
  • Photographs: Cortesia de Pedro Mendes
  • Collaborators: Patrícia Horta, Ana Barros, Tiago Marcelino da Cruz
  • Structure: ARA, Alves Rodrigues & Associados, Lda., Fernando Rodrigues
  • Water Installations: Acribia
  • Electrical Installations: Ruben Sobral
Courtesy of  Pedro Mendes Courtesy of Pedro Mendes

Passing by Alandroal, on a territory marked by scattered settlements and the proximity of the Alqueva dam, we arrive to Monte da Silva. The house, whitewashed, emerges on top of a small hill overlooking the other side of the border. A chimney, somehow unscaled, and a cover in roof tiles accentuate the silhouette of the building in the landscape.

Courtesy of  Pedro Mendes Courtesy of Pedro Mendes

The proposal approached the idea of reusing the existing house and builds a new backer. The intervention focused on the adaptation of the existing house, keeping its spatial and formal identity.

Planta Planta

The project stems from the interpretation of the evolution of the existing house: a simple gable house built in two phases. The final proposal (C) develops a relationship of continuity with the existing one. In the main house is added a new body plastered in white and covered with red roof tiles. Two patios and an outdoor yard establish mediation with the surrounding landscape.

Courtesy of  Pedro Mendes Courtesy of Pedro Mendes

Something must be said about the project process. Six proposals were developed that stand out the A, B and C. Between the beginning of the crisis (2008) and its confirmation, the area of the house was decreasing. Between sketches, models, emails, desires and wishes the work was being drawn by the contingency of these years.

Proposal Axonometric Proposal Axonometric

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RCR Arquitectes' Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library, Photographed by Pedro Kok

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 06:00 AM PST

Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok

Following the announcement on Wednesday of the winners of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, which was awarded to architects Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta of RCR Arquitectes, architectural photographer Pedro Kok has shared with us a series of photographs of the Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library, located in Barcelona, Spain.

As with many of the Catalan trio's work, the library stands out for its materiality and careful construction, making intense use of transparency and light.

Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok
Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok
Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok
Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok
Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library / RCR Arquitectes. Image © Pedro Kok

See Kok's photoset in the gallery below, and learn more about the photographer's work on his official website

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Blue School Middle School / PellOverton Architects

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST

© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama
  • Structural Engineer: Silman
  • Mep Engineer: ADS Engineers
  • Green Roof Consultant: Future Green Studio
  • Lighting Designer: Derek Porter Studio
© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama

From the architect. Blue School recently initiated a middle school program, expanding their South Street Seaport facility into an adjacent, 1940's-era frozen seafood warehouse. The adaptive reuse of this older structure presented both preexisting challenges and unique opportunities to design a contemporary learning environment while preserving much of the building's original Seaport character. 

© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama
First Floor Plan - Second Floor Plan First Floor Plan - Second Floor Plan
© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama

Through the careful connection between buildings and the insertion of new programming - including classrooms and informal learning spaces, recreational and instructional outdoor space, and a large STEAM lab - the programmatic and material transformations of the warehouse both support and reflect an educational philosophy of project-based, creative inquiry.

© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama
Section Section
© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama

Product Description. A new maker-space has been created at the ground floor, putting the creative production of this maker-space on stage for the neighborhood at large. Large, operable storefront windows on the street façade allow the creative production of the school to be directly visible and accessible to the surrounding neighborhood. Similarly on the interior, the STEAM lab is framed by a Cascade Coil curtain that provides spatial separation without hindering visibility of the activity within, while alluding to the industrial history of the building. These elements allow for a transparent boundary between school and neighborhood in the spirit of the school's ethos as an outward-facing community of learning.

© Mikiko Kikuyama © Mikiko Kikuyama

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Mexican Architects Gabriela Carrillo and Rozana Montiel Win AR's 2017 Women in Architecture Awards

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 03:05 AM PST

Works by Gabriela Carrillo (left) and Rozana Montiel (right) Works by Gabriela Carrillo (left) and Rozana Montiel (right)

The Architectural Review and The Architects' Journal have announced two Mexican architects as winners of their 2017 "Women in Architecture" Awards. This year's Architect of the Year is awarded to Gabriela Carrillo of Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, while Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura's Rozana Montiel was named the winner of the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture. Both women were selecting for demonstrating "excellence in design and a commitment to working both sustainably and democratically with local communities."

Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque

"The judges were impressed with Gabriela Carrillo's ability to design flexible spaces, and work with light and shadow to such compelling effect. And they were inspired by Rozana Montiel's sensitive and perceptive approach to community buildings," said Christine Murray, founder of Women in Architecture and editor-in-chief of The Architectural Review and The Architects' Journal.

The award organizers explain in a press release: "Carrillo, co-founder of aller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, seeks to find a balance between the language of existing buildings and contemporary architectural expression – considering how to insert a new building in the historic layers of a city without destroying these layers, and still make an impact.

Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque
Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque Gabriela Carrillo,Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Juzgados en Pátzcuaro, México. Image © Onnis Luque

The jury was particularly impressed with Carillo's Criminal Courts for Oral trials in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán in Mexico, a stone oval building featuring sloped tiled roofs that respond to the region's high precipitation rate. According to the judges, the building "skilfully answers a brief to design flexible spaces, comply with strict security rules and improve transparency in the judicial process."

Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México. Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México. Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel

As founder of Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Rozana Montiel works across both built projects and design research. Particular attention in her work is given to urban rehabilitation and low-cost interventions that engage with local people.

The jury citation highlighted Montiel's Veracruz Cancha (a sports court), San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional (a housing complex) and the Tepoztlan House as examples of "sensitive engagements with communities that activate simple architectural forms."

Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México . Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México . Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel

Montiel says: 'All architecture is political. We can read in daily spaces the political priorities of our society. Architecture has the power to shape civic behaviour because, more than laying bricks, it lays the founding principles of public and social exchanges.'

As winner of the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture, Montiel will receive a £10,000 prize named for former director of design at the V&A Moira Gemmill. The fund will go toward support Montiel's continuing professional development.

Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México. Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Veracruz Cancha, San Pablo Xalpa Unidad Habitacional y Casa Tepoztlan, México. Image Courtesy of Rozana Montiel

Also celebrated in the 2017 Women in Architecture Awards are Jane Drew Prize winner Denise Scott Brown and artist Rachel Whiteread, this year's Ada Louise Huxtable Prize recipient.

Christine Murray said: 'Denise Scott Brown's wonderful architectural writing and thinking, her work and her wit have been an inspiring force for change. This honour squares the circle. Rachel Whiteread is an important influence and inspiration to the profession and richly deserving of the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize.'

News via Women in Architecture Awards.

9 Female Architects Shortlisted for AR's Women in Architecture Awards

Rachel Whiteread Wins 2017 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize

Denise Scott Brown Wins 2017 Jane Drew Prize

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Katyn Museum / BBGK Architekci

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 03:00 AM PST

Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci
  • Architects: BBGK Architekci
  • Location: Warsaw, Poland
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Courtesy of BBGK Architekci
  • Spatial Solution Authors: Bzozowski Grabowiecki Architekci; Jan Belina-Brzozowski, Konrad Grabowiecki 

  • Competition Authors: Jan Belina-Brzozowski, Konrad Grabowiecki, Jerzy Kalina, Krzysztof Lang - with teams


  • Co Authors: Joanna Orłowska, Marek Sobol, Emilia Sobańska, łukasz Węcławski, Agnieszka Grzywacz, Ewelina Wysokińska, Jacek Kretkiewicz, Tomasz Pluciński, Maciek Rąbek, Marcin Szulc, Barbara Trojanowska, Jolanta Fabiszewska

Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci

From the architect. Katyn Museum is there to commemorate a painful episode of Polish history which took place during the World War II when over a twenty thousands of Polish military officers and state officials were brutally murdered by the Soviet Secret Police.

Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci
Site Plan Site Plan
Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci

Katyn Museum lies the southern part of the fort - the Warsaw Citadel consisting of three historical buildings. The whole foundation is a park with  symbolic Katyn Forest in the centre of it. The entrance is located at Nowomiejska Gate, the extension of the Old Town route. The museum exhibition has been designed on two levels of Kaponiere - old artillery. The third building is the arcade gunrest building, which consists of five glassed arcades which locate plaques with the names of the murdered officers.

Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci

Stained concrete also becomes a mean of architectural expression, wherever exhibition narrative demands it; personal belongings, such as letters, elements of ammunition of the victims were used to leave prints on the concrete. The history of Katyn in its cruelty and evil immensity is much too difficult to comprehend. 15 plaques commemorating the 21 768 victims located in the historic gunrest raises questions about the meaning of the concepts of evil, good, forgiveness. At this point, we have consciously given the architecture  powerful expression. The gap between high 12 meters walls slitting the Citadel shaft leads us in two directions -  down to the gunrest arcades where the plaques with the names of the victims are; and up, opening the perspective of the sky. On the axis of the stairs among the trees stands an oak cross - the epilogue of our narrative about Katyn.

Courtesy of BBGK Architekci Courtesy of BBGK Architekci

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A Virtual Look Inside the Case study house #12 by Whitney R Smith

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 01:30 AM PST

Courtesy of Archilogic Courtesy of Archilogic

In designing his (unbuilt) house for the Arts & Architecture Case Study program, Whitney Smith, like Richard Neutra, prioritized the connection to outdoor space. His motivation, however, was more specific than a desire to extend the living area of a small house. Rather, he wanted to create a highly personal space, geared to the passion of his hypothetical client. Seeing conventional plans as a straitjacket for residents who craved appropriate working space within their home (be it a sewing studio or a photography darkroom), he aspired to fit this house to the needs of a keen horticulturist.

Taking his cue from the lath houses used by gardeners to provide shelter from sun and wind, without entirely enclosing growing plants, Smith placed two such structures at either end of the long living area: one at the main entrance, one behind the fireplace opposite. Moving through the 3D model created by Archilogic, one can see how this arrangement ensured that a lavish array of plants would always be visible, from any position in the living/dining room. Smith was excited about the rich contrasts this afforded – forest-like shade against sun and fire – and the inviting transition from outdoor to indoor space. This long room would provide a sense of "openness and shelter" corresponding to the function of the lath house, as well as greenery.

The other wing of the house – branching off from the main entrance at 90 degrees to the lounge – offers a distinct functional zone, with bedrooms facing a sun terrace and isolated from the living zone by indoor planting as well as cupboard placement. Further retreat is possible with the "extra room": an entirely separate unit, linked only by the covered car port and enjoying its own bathroom and walled garden, making it suitable for anyone from a housekeeper to a teenage child itching for independence.

Smith designed the house to sit on, and exploit, a gently sloping site. Variation in ground level would enhance the separation of different zones, with the passageway to the bedrooms reached via a few downward steps. Materials were chosen to ensure continuity with the environment and the lath-house motif: a rock-and-mortar retaining wall; wood-frame construction, with horizontal laths on the sun terrace fence as well as the actual lath houses, which formed key visual elements, from the first approach to the back of the house. And, of course, the familiar expanses of glass sliding doors maximize light and enjoyment of the outdoor space, in both the living and private zones.

House #12 is another striking example of the Californian modernism so prevalent in the Case Study program, an aesthetic that broke with decorative tradition to emphasize sleek, underdesigned open spaces and celebrate the sunny Los Angeles landscape. This outdoorsy, light-filled concept was enormously influential in the subsequent decades; but, being tied so strongly to situation, it arguably betrays the "Case Study" concept. Despite their powerful appeal, these are not houses that could easily be transplanted to other locations. And this house, relying so strongly on a gardener's passion, is one of the least translatable of the whole series. All the more fun, then, to walk through the virtual model and enjoy it for what it is – a fantasy. Or perhaps, with Archilogic's model, you could redecorate it to suit a non-plant-lover?

Don't miss Archilogic's other models of Case Study Houses and seminal projects shared on ArchDaily—click here to see them all!

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Casa Mirasierra / Juarranz & de Andres

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PST

© Miguel Fernández-Galiano © Miguel Fernández-Galiano
© Miguel Fernández-Galiano © Miguel Fernández-Galiano

From the architect. Nowadays, life demands a really flexible architecture beyond the strictly functional one. The archetypal being of the house is to become the stage for each act of the daily life of its inhabitants: from the ordinary to the extraordinary ones. Casa Mirasierra is an essential house, where server elements are reduced in order to maximize free served spaces, with cross ventilation and natural lighting, looking for a real adaptability of its use overall time.

Axonometric Axonometric

This idea is translated to the exterior into a clear volume open to north and south, so that the distant view of the Madrid Mountain Range is always the background of the house.

© Miguel Fernández-Galiano © Miguel Fernández-Galiano
Plan Plan
© Miguel Fernández-Galiano © Miguel Fernández-Galiano

The design gives a special attention to energy saving and sustainability criteria. On one hand, passive strategies, such as an excellent form factor (Surface/Volume=0.37), thermal insulation, the good orientation, lighting and cross-ventilation of all rooms or a flexible sun screens system reduce the energy demand. 

Diagrams Diagrams

On the other hand, active strategies based on the use of geothermal energy for hot water and the floor heating system, combined with the use of an enthalpy recovering air vent for the mechanical ventilation, get reduce the energy consumption of the building as much as possible.

© Miguel Fernández-Galiano © Miguel Fernández-Galiano

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New Map Celebrates Paris’ Brutalist Architecture

Posted: 03 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PST

Les Choux de Créteil. Image © Nigel Green Les Choux de Créteil. Image © Nigel Green

Adding to its regular releases of city guide maps, London-based publisher Blue Crow Media has now produced the Brutalist Paris Map, in collaboration with Nigel Green and Robin Wilson of Photolanguage. Having previously covered Washington D.C.'s most prominent Brutalist buildings, the latest map highlights over 40 Parisian examples of Brutalist architecture.

Courtesy of Blue Crow Media Courtesy of Blue Crow Media

"This map not only guides the reader to discover many of Paris's boldest and exciting post-war buildings, it also provides a different way to experience Paris as a city, to explore areas not usually on the tourist itinerary and to encounter some genuinely radical urban environments," said Robin Wilson, co-founder of Photolanguage and lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture.

Bourse by Travail. Image © Nigel Green Bourse by Travail. Image © Nigel Green
Les Damiers. Image © Nigel Green Les Damiers. Image © Nigel Green

Some of map's more notable projects include Maison du Brésil, and the Communist Party Headquarters, designed by big names such as Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer. The work of influential French architects Jean Renaudie, Renée Gailhoustet, and Gérard Grandval, among others, has also been featured, including 'Les Choux de Créteil', and 'Les Damiers' apartments.

Les Bleuets. Image © Nigel Green Les Bleuets. Image © Nigel Green
Telecommunications UFO. Image © Nigel Green Telecommunications UFO. Image © Nigel Green

More obscure landmarks also make it into the spotlight, like Marius Depont's concrete Church of Saint André and Pierre Vivien's Telecommunications Building.

Post-war Brutalist architecture embodies the French term le béton brut, meaning 'raw concrete', while providing manifestations of various formal compositions, through experimentation with the economical, structural and material properties that concrete possesses. Despite being the focus of many a debate over the years, the style has been seen in a more favourable light as of late, and the map intends to further maintain this positive perception.

Les Etoiles at Ivry sur Seine. Image © Nigel Green Les Etoiles at Ivry sur Seine. Image © Nigel Green
Courtesy of Blue Crow Media Courtesy of Blue Crow Media

The bilingual map is Blue Crow's sixth guide dedicated to 20th century architecture, all of which can be purchased through the publisher's website, here. The Brutalist Paris Map is priced at $10 USD (£8 GBP) plus shipping, and provides architectural details and photos for each of the buildings featured.

News via: Blue Crow Media.

New Map Celebrates Washington D.C's Brutalist Architecture

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Manufacturing Utopia - How Assemble is Creating a Model Factory at A/D/O

Posted: 02 Mar 2017 10:00 PM PST

The installation is set at A/D/O's courtyard in Brooklyn. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon The installation is set at A/D/O's courtyard in Brooklyn. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon

London-based architecture collective Assemble is set to transform an outdoor courtyard at A/D/O in Brooklyn into a 'model factory' to explore utopian ideals of work. The Turner Prize-winning architects will use their first site-specific installation in the U.S. entitled 'A Factory As It Might Be' to depict a vision of how society should build and function using abundant, malleable materials.

A workshop within the factory will allow clay tiles to be produced for the factory's facade. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon A workshop within the factory will allow clay tiles to be produced for the factory's facade. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon

'A Factory As It Might Be' will operate from February to April 2017 at A/D/O's 23,000 square-foot-space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a space allowing the public to work, explore, and participate in design exhibitions and events. Assemble's installation forms part of the inaugural Design Academy at A/D/O, themed 'Utopia vs. Dystopia: Designing Our Imagined Futures.' The installation's name was inspired by the title of an iconic essay by social activist William Morris, who imagined a factory where work, leisure, and education can interplay in an environment jointly operated by humans and machines.

The factory workshop contains a clay extruder and electric kiln. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon The factory workshop contains a clay extruder and electric kiln. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon
Assemble have instructed the A/D/O team in tile production. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon Assemble have instructed the A/D/O team in tile production. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon

Assemble's installation centers on a 'factory' constructed from galvanized steelClay tiles to clad the factory will be steadily manufactured by a team within the building using a single industrial clay extruder and an electric kiln. Assemble has instructed the A/D/O Design Academy and its collaborators in the tile manufacturing process, enabling them to produce additional items such as planters and tiles for the A/D/O courtyard, and dinnerware for their restaurant. Over the course of its operation, 'A Factory As It Might Be' will see worktables and shelving added, further expanding the factory's ability to produce objects, host events, and display pieces of work.

A range of objects can be produced from the factory to enhance the A/D/O courtyard. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon A range of objects can be produced from the factory to enhance the A/D/O courtyard. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon
Shelving will be added to allow for object display. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon Shelving will be added to allow for object display. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon

With 'A Factory As It Might Be', we are interested in how utopian ideas can be applied to the very practical reality of construction, and how building elements – and their method of production – can become an expression of social, economic and political aspirations – Lewis Jones, founding member of Assemble.

Assemble have instructed the A/D/O team in tile production. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon Assemble have instructed the A/D/O team in tile production. Image Courtesy of Sam Nixon

News via: Assemble.

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Cabin Ustaoset / Jon Danielsen Aarhus MNAL

Posted: 02 Mar 2017 09:00 PM PST

© Knut Bry © Knut Bry
  • Contractor: TG-Bygg Geilo
© Knut Bry © Knut Bry

From the architect. A cabin for use all year. Situated 1066 meters(3,500 feet) above sea level, mid-way between Oslo and Bergen, at the foot of the mighty Hardangervidda – one of the greatest mountain plateaus in Europe. With no road connection, materials for the build was flown in with helicopter. The groundworks were done manually to preserve the slow-growing vegetation one finds at such altitudes in Norway. The foundation consists of pillars standing on the bedrock. The outside of the building had to be finished during the short summer months. The rest was completed mid-winter, when materials for the interior could be transported in with snow scooter. The cabin is clad in pine, inside and out. 3-layer, insulating and solar protected glass panels take in the view of the Ustevann(lake), Hallingskarvet(mountain formation) and Hardangerjøkulen(glacier), all in the same panorama.

© Knut Bry © Knut Bry

With this view in mind; the idea for the main room was to create the experience of being outside – exposed to the shifting scenery. To achieve this, the entire view-facing wall is made of glass. The ceiling is tilted, attempting to "explode" the room even more. The tilted ceiling, in combination with the "open" wall, alludes to the gapahuk, a Norwegian ur-type of improvised shelter used when hiking: two posts with a horizontal log on top, and a layer of branches leaning on it, making a makeshift roof and leaving one side of the structure open.

Plan Plan

Above the ceiling mentioned is an attic for storage. The cabin has altogether 13 sleeps, with two separate rooms, a small flexible living room, and lofts. Polycarbonate fillings in the interior doors let light seep through.

© Knut Bry © Knut Bry
© Knut Bry © Knut Bry

An existing cabin of 29 m2 now functions as an annex, and together with the new cabin creates a sheltered outside space.The main entrance is placed toward the dominant wind-direction, to keep it clear of snow which will accumulate on opposite side of the building, so the windows here are placed rather high up on the wall. The blocking wall at the bottom of the west facade, in front of the cabin, prevents sheep from getting in under the building. The eaves are generous to keep frost, falling from the sky at night, away from the windows - which can be a problem with insulating glass at certain temperatures. As no windows open, the eaves also conceal openings for ventilation. 

© Knut Bry © Knut Bry

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Santiago Calatrava on Ground Zero, Design Philosophy and the Greenwich Peninsula Project

Posted: 02 Mar 2017 08:00 PM PST

Earlier this month, Hong Kong-owned developer Knight Dragon revealed plans for an billion-dollar urban-development scheme that will completely transform London's Greenwich Peninsula. In this edition of Section DMonocle 24's weekly review of design, architecture and craft, the team speak to Santiago Calatrava—who will be designing the core of this grand new project—about this and his public-spirited design philosophy. Why, they ask, has he's always wanted to leave a mark on the "Big Smoke?"

© Uniform © Uniform

Find out more about Monocle 24's Section D here.

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