Arch Daily |
- Traspinedo City Hall Refurbishment / Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez
- Sberbank Office / IND Architects
- A Eulogy to the Sunlight / YU YA CHING Interior Design
- Aesop Jackson Square / Tacklebox Architecture
- Learn About Large-Scale Timber Construction With reThink Wood's Online Library
- Mosman House / Rolf Ockert Design
- Quooker Company Innovative Workspace / Studio INAMATT
- US News and World Report's Best Job Ratings Find "Very Solid" Outlook for Architecture
- Emoticon Facade / Attika Architekten
- The World’s Best Architectural Photographs Selected by 2017 Sony World Photography Awards
- Riverdale Townhomes / Studio JCI
- Michelle Obama Joins List of Keynote Speakers for 2017 AIA National Convention
- JN2678 Building / Estudio Cubero Rubio
- Casa Verne / Zeller & Moye
- 5 Zaha Hadid Buildings Seen From Above
- Fluid Luminosity: The Architectural Lighting of Zaha Hadid
| Traspinedo City Hall Refurbishment / Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez Posted: 31 Mar 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez
 © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez From the architect. Analogy, contrast and addiction of elements were the concepts always present during the planning process of the town hall refurbishment of the municipality of Traspinedo. We wanted to recreate a new urban space inside the old Republican School that during the democracy turned into the City Hall. Our purpose: make simile of streets, squares and buildings, contained in a sky composed of wooden beams and an horizon bounded by rough stone walls.  © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez We intervened emptying the entire building, baring the plaster of the walls, eliminating the false ceilings that covered the original wooden structure. We set a new floor; limestone of Campaspero, as used in most places in the surrounding villages. We set small constructions inside the building, white, light, establishing a contrasting dialogue with the environment of stone and wood, coarse, heavy, patinated by time, which should serve as sky, ground and horizon. We designed elements that established a relationship of complementarity rather than replacement or recreation. So the new windows are inserted like drawers, without touching the existing limits; for this reason, the small constructions have abstract formal references against the vernacular condition of the enclosure; the door is retracted inward, juxtaposed, added to the lower surface of the thick wall of masonry.  © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez  Plantas  © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez The spaces between the small white constructions are treated as streets, open to the traffic of neighbors. On the first floor, the plenary hall is conceived as a large square, the agora where neighbors exert the community through dialogue. Its limits are simple: a large white wall, which rests on the wall of rough stone, houses the entire set of technical facilities; in the background, a large window behind the corporation, reminds the neighbors the public function of the city councillors: to serve a municipality that is framed behind them; a small construction. reminiscent of a housing, serves as offices for the various groups of the consistory and closes this illusionistic space reinforcing the concept of urban analogy.  Corte Energy efficiency was also part of the project strategy. The air conditioning of a restoration is always a problem for its peculiar constructive and volumetric characteristics. The difficult conditions imposed on the air conditioning helped reinforce the idea of projecting small autonomous buildings. The low budget available forced the reuse of the old existing heating system, but for a volume three times higher than the former space. The solution of separated boxes, with lower height, allowed to isolate their enclosures optimizing the performance of the equipment and getting an ideal temperature for the development of offices. The rest of the building, although is heated, maintains a more consistent temperature for conexion areas.
 © Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sberbank Office / IND Architects Posted: 31 Mar 2017 07:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of IND Architects
 Courtesy of IND Architects 'The City of Opportunities'—that's how we've named our project, one of the storeys of Sberbank's new office. The concept was inspired by Moscow and its beautiful districts, atmosphere, residents, and dynamics that many capitals of world's leading countries would envy. The parts of the office are connected by a 'ring road.' The office itself is divided into six 'districts' designed on the basis of landmark sights of a relevant Moscow district: Sokolniki Park, Arbat, Krymskaya Embankment, Gagarin Square, VDNH, and Red Square. In addition to special design, there are meeting rooms in every 'district' of the office named after famous Moscow landmarks, like 'lisya Nora' (Fox Lodge), 'Skvorechnik' (Nesting Box), 'Attraktsyon' (Amusement Park), and other sights of Sokolniki Park. Not only does the concept of the office deal with its meaningfulness and visual content, but it facilitates navigation, too. For instance, the 'ring road' helps one easily find their way around in this rather big (7,000 sqm, no less) office, quicker find a meeting room needed or reach coworkers.  Courtesy of IND Architects  Axonometric  Courtesy of IND Architects Sberbank's office was designed in Agile format, and this is literally a huge step up in the country's financial environment. The design provides for all the conditions needed. It streamlines the performance of bank's staff, facilitates communication, and hastens the processes. Agile is more than design. It's a special approach to work when cross-functional teams are put together to work on a specific task or product in an effective and prompt manner. Each of six office parts has everything needed for productive work: a coffee point, a reception zone, various kinds of meeting rooms, common and work areas, and many other things. Agile work format is good for executives, too. Agile does not suppose large private offices. Executives seat together with staff members in an open-plan area and use all the services in the same way as their teams do. Such changes in the office space idea are likely to make a difference in corporate culture.  Courtesy of IND Architects  Floor Plan  Courtesy of IND Architects Two large areas are arranged in the midst of the office to do presentations, with multi-purpose sofas that can be used to work with laptops, and stacking chairs and tables. A game zone, a kitchen, meeting rooms, and leisure zones are arranged here, too. We've provided for various zones: small meeting rooms for quick meets, big meeting rooms for focused discussions, individual rooms for calls, and workspaces with cushioned furniture. Comfortable and diverse furniture adds to concentration and productivity, like high armchairs that enfold you almost all round. Carefully designed details create warm ambience that encourages effective work and creativity. Offices in financial sector are starting to look more like IT companies with their usual atmosphere of certain freedom, creativity, and self-expression, says Sberbank's CEO. This is what we were keeping in mind when designing the office for Russia's lead bank.  Courtesy of IND Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A Eulogy to the Sunlight / YU YA CHING Interior Design Posted: 31 Mar 2017 03:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design
 Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design From the architect. The traveler awakes from the sunlight, and the space is open for the sunlight. The sunlight shines over and refracts within different corners of the house, forming uprises falling at the next moment and footprint. As the building of duplex and row with the adjacent house, it is located in the narrow alley of four meters. The designer makes use of the ample sunlight, bringing in large amounts of the natural light into the dark house.  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design It is bright enough without any electric lights in the daytime. The sunlight casts into the house from the irregular rectangles of solid wood grille made by ironwood in the front yard. With the passage of time, it reflects a distinct variety of light and shadow. The visual effect activates the building. At nighttime, a variety of light sources construct a natural and serene atmosphere for the indoor chamber.  1F plan Stay for some days, riding with light and shadow, travelling and living pleasantly with the sun and moon alongside.  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design From the first floor to the second floor, the front yard to the indoor chamber, the gradient arrangement of grille and ladder has its rhythm and beat. The entrance door open to the front yard greets the sunlight, conforming to the local characteristics of hospitality and tranquility. From the concept of designing to the process of construction, the designer endeavors to interact with the neighborhood, bringing the local human touch into the house.  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design The wide space of first floor can be taken as the meeting or meditation ground for relatives or friends. The solid wood desk with large surfaces of joggle-joint and the floor of finished cement, supplemented with the old paper-cutting which could be seen through the window, revealing its mild and calm characteristics.  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design Following the theme of "light and shadow" and "rhythm,"there are closets and cabinets of geometrical shape on the second floor, bringing the users artless surprises. The ceiling above the interlayer retains its original structure of roof beam, creating some skylights for the sunlight falling upon the wall of second floor as the shape of rhombuses or rectangles changing with time and cast through the whole houses from another angle.  2F plan Stable, joyful and tranquil, germinating imagination in the corner. Writing stories in the corner, dreaming in the corner. Nestling in the corner, embracing the scene of sun and moon and the warmth of human touch.  Courtesy of YU YA CHING Interior Design  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Aesop Jackson Square / Tacklebox Architecture Posted: 31 Mar 2017 01:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of Aesop
 Courtesy of Aesop From the architect. Our latest collaboration with Aesop is defined by 41 solid copper shelves embedded within a hand raked plaster wall terrain. Located on Jackson Street, in San Francisco's historic waterfront district, the design pays homage to the tenacious spirit of the San Franciscans who first settled the Bay Area.  Courtesy of Aesop  Floor Plan  Courtesy of Aesop In line with Aesop's customary architectural approach – to work with what is already in place, weaving a discreet presence into the fabric of the locale – fault lines and natural rifts within the area's geological timeframe were key influences, expressed through a prominent raked wall of plastered texture and form. Bracing, stitching, and splicing the surface of the wall terrain, forty-one solid copper shelves bridge the in-between, bearing intended reference to the copper stills used to produce the whiskey in A.P Hotaling's warehouse, once the West Coast's largest whiskey repository.  Section This space is situated in one of a handful of structures that survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, owing to the quick-thinking firemen and hundreds of citizens determined to protect the stores of Hotaling's Whiskey, an endeavor that fortuitously preserved the architecture of neighboring blocks.  Courtesy of Aesop  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Learn About Large-Scale Timber Construction With reThink Wood's Online Library Posted: 31 Mar 2017 12:30 PM PDT  Cortesía de reThink Wood In recent years, timber construction has surpassed its previous limit of two or three stories to create buildings of much greater height. This is not only due to wood's intrinsic strength, stability, and flexibility, but also to a number of new technologies that have further increased its performance, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam). In order to inform architects, engineers, developers, industry professionals, students, and other interested parties, reThink Wood has launched the reThink Wood Research Library, an online and open resource that will be updated frequently with information about the latest product and timber construction systems around the world, as well as showing where there are gaps that could be covered in the future.
In the main menu of the library, users can find a research search engine, a gallery of projects, design tools, and educational resources. In addition, the library includes a series of videos with comments from experts, which in recent editions has discussed fire safety, seismic resistance, and durability. Explore the tool here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mosman House / Rolf Ockert Design Posted: 31 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Luke Butterly
 © Luke Butterly From the architect. Seen from the street the house appears minimal. Set on a large block falling towards the harbour beach reserve many layers of living spaces are revealed as one progresses through the house.  © Luke Butterly Private rooms, sauna and gym are housed in the southern pavilion, opened to natural air and light via a landscaped courtyard, also revealing some of the rock all this depends on.  Floor Plan The family spaces are in the northern pavilion, connected to its southern counterpart by a walkway framed with sculptural copper fins filtering the light and allowing glimpses.  © Luke Butterly The kitchen and dining are on the top floor, while below the entry level, due to the steep fall of the site now sitting high, offering fantastic views.  © Luke Butterly Below this the large living room, empowered by the topography to a dramatic double height space, reaching to the reserve via a large deck, sunken fire pit and waterfall edge pool.  © Luke Butterly In addition to the nowadays mandatory sustainability measures such as Rainwater tank, high level insulation, low energy lighting etc the house has been, from its initial concept design, conceived to minimise energy use. The grouping of rooms around the courtyard plays an important role by providing provides significant exposure to natural light and air flow to all living rooms, minimising the need for use of airconditioning and artificial lights. The provided cross ventilation will make the use of air-conditioning unnecessary for all but a few days in the year. The high-mass solid construction in conjunction with the ubiquitous planting contributes to a natural control of the micro-climate.  © Luke Butterly A green roof is not only pleasant to look onto but also efficiently insulates the roof while at the same time greatly increasing the landscaped area.  © Luke Butterly The glazing, indispensable in order to connect the house visually to its magnificent setting, has been restricted to the North and South facades and relies on the latest low-e and double glazing technology. The articulation of the facades optimises natural shading in summer while maximising solar gain in winter.  © Luke Butterly Heating is provided by way of an energy efficient low-heat under floor gas hydronic system, providing gentle background heat throughout the living areas.  © Luke Butterly A battery system harnesses the solar generated electricity, effectively making the house energy independent.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Quooker Company Innovative Workspace / Studio INAMATT Posted: 31 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Inga Powilleit
 © Inga Powilleit From the architect. Quooker approaches studio INAMATT in 2015 to develop the interior design for the new architectural wing of the companies' Ridderkerk home base.  © Inga Powilleit For the vast space that measures approximately 3.000 m2 and runs 14 meters high, we created a minimalist yet soft integral design solution that kept the space as open as possible, while avoiding the noisiness of an open space and keeping with intimacy for good working results.  © Inga Powilleit With it's 1.500 m2 solar panels that provide energy the entire building; custom-made office cubicles that absorb sound through their textile panelling and can be adjusted to the personal need of each employer; a vast staircase element, that spans the entire height of the building, creating sight lines throughout the different layers and also functions as storage, canteen and exposition space; light plan that creates the illusion of daylight anywhere by using smart reflecting ceilings; the new office reflects the design principles of Quooker and is noisefree on all levels.  © Inga Powilleit  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| US News and World Report's Best Job Ratings Find "Very Solid" Outlook for Architecture Posted: 31 Mar 2017 09:05 AM PDT  The Offices of ALA Architects. Image © Marc Goodwin The US News and World Report has released their 2017 list of "Best Jobs," based on a variety of criteria including salary, employment rate, growth potential, future job prospects, stress level and work-life balance. Despite describing the job outlook for architects as "very solid," overall, architecture finished outside out of the top 100, coming in 7th (out of 8) in the "Engineering Jobs" category. Find out the expected salaries for architects and which cities pay their architects the best, after the break. The report found the median annual wage for architects to be $76,100 (over the survey period of 2015), with the top 10 percent in the profession bringing in about $125,520, and the bottom 10 percent making approximately $46,080. Architecture rated well in employment, with an unemployment rate of just 1.9%. Under the categories of Upward Mobility (Opportunities for advancements and salary) and Flexibility (Alternative working schedule and work life balance), the report rated the profession as "average." Stress levels, on the other hand, were rated as "above average." The report also listed the best paying cities for architects, which tended to be located in dense municipalities in the most populated states. The top five were as follows:
To see the report in full, visit the US News and World Report's website, here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Emoticon Facade / Attika Architekten Posted: 31 Mar 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Bart van Hoek
 © Bart van Hoek From the architect. The town centre of Vathorst, in a new suburban development near Amersfoort, has developed along an existing, scenic ribbon. It is characterized by a lively mix of functions. Together with a library, a theatre and a school, this project with shops and apartments forms a square around a 150 year old oak tree.  © Bart van Hoek The project consists of two buildings that are closely related in architecture, but differ because of their specific conditions. One has an elongated façade along the square, the other is visible from afar, attracting attention with a clock.  © Bart van Hoek The architecture has a continuous grid of brick piers and white concrete beams. The intersections are decorated, on the clock building the intersections consist of 22 emoticons.  Diagram Attika Architekten has worked on the Centre of Vathorst since they designed the Master Plan in 2004. The town centre grows along with the growing amount of people. Phase 1 was completed in 2008. Currently Phase 3 is being constructed.  © Bart van Hoek  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The World’s Best Architectural Photographs Selected by 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Posted: 31 Mar 2017 06:50 AM PDT
The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the winners of the architectural category of their 2017 Open Category awards program. Taking home the top prize was Tim Cornbill of the United Kingdom, for "Oculus," his capture of a geometric concrete facade found along the River Spree in Berlin. "As an architect, I'm passionate about capturing buildings, and I'm always on the lookout for photogenic designs. I was really struck by the sheer scale of this façade and the visual impact of the circle, which I hope I've been able to convey in this everyday street scene," ," said Cornbill of his winning image. "I am truly thrilled to have been recognised in the world's largest photography competition and it will be amazing to see the photo exhibited in London." Available to enter for any photographer, the Open competition received more than 105,000 entries across ten categories ranging from wildlife to street photography. Check out all the shortlisted images for the architecture category after the break. Winner: Oculus / Tim Cornbill, UK 1st Place: Oculus / Tim Cornbill, UK. Image © Tim Cornbill, United Kingdom, 1st Place, Open, Architecture, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: Having just arrived in Berlin on a bright summer's day, my wife and I decided to take a morning walk along the River Spree. We soon came across a large concrete building, and I was immediately struck by its geometry and scale. Across the river, I positioned myself for a single point perspective and waited for the right moment to capture it. A couple came into the viewfinder and I noticed the cyclist out of the corner of my eye. I waited for them to move into the frame and hit the shutter to try and balance the composition. ShortlistedPhoenix / Barry Tweed-Rycroft, UK Phoenix / Barry Tweed-Rycroft, UK. Image © Barry Tweed-Rycroft, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: While wandering around in downtown Phoenix, Arizona on the 27th January 2016 I captured this image in a pool of water (Puddle). It was early morning and the stillness and strong reflection of the classic building in the pool along with the warm sunlight caught my eye. the shot is handheld. Lights Arches / Claudio Cantonetti, Italy Lights Arches / Claudio Cantonetti, Italy. Image © Claudio Cantonetti, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: I've got this image of Square Coloseum building in Eur district in Rome just after sunset at end of march. A cold and windy evening with the lights of arches that brights in the night. the very difficult task has been to compose carefully and avoid the crowded traffic in the zone Multiexpo-london / Frank Machalowski, Germany Multiexpo-london / Frank Machalowski, Germany. Image © Frank Machalowski, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: This is a image from my long-term project 'multiexpo.' In this series I show analog multiple exposures of european cities' sightseeing hotspots photographed from several positions on one frame. The buildings, structures and sculptures are taken from different perspectives, as well as the different visitors they look. The multiplication and intensification of positions and fields of view appears to distort the structures and reduce them to their core. They literally vibrate under the attempt to capture the time even in the pictures. This image was taken in London at the Olympic Park in October 2016. Dimensions / Franklin Neto, Portugal Dimensions / Franklin Neto, Portugal. Image © Franklin Neto, Brazil, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: "Dimensions" is the most intimate representation of the Fatima Sanctuary, inserted within the architectural body, frequented by missionaries, priests and nuns. It reveals to us the coming and going of the people inside temple, the movie of the lives of the faithful. Singapore at Dawn / Lester Koh Meng Hua, Singapore Singapore at Dawn / Lester Koh Meng Hua, Singapore. Image © Lester Koh Meng Hua, Singapore, Shortlist, Open, Architecture, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: The rustic charm of one of Singapore's Oldest Public housing with very simple geometric design of squares and circles somehow intrigued me. On my first visit during the day, I took a few shots but was not satisfied. I decided to check out what it would look like at dawn and discovered that the mixed warm and cold corridor lighting added more appeal to the image. My next thought was how to show that this scene was taken in Singapore. So on 14th August 2016, during Singapore's 51st National Day celebration month, I proceeded to the location at dawn and saw Singapore flags proudly displayed by the residents in front of their apartment. This was the scene I had envisioned and happily clicked away. Skeet Hall / Nick Frank, Germany Skeet Hall / Nick Frank, Germany. Image © Nick Frank, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: Largest skeet hall all over Europe Röntgenarchitektur / Oscar Lopez, Germany Röntgenarchitektur / Oscar Lopez, Germany. Image © Oscar Lopez, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: There is more to see in a building than one can see with the naked eye: stories being played in the inside while the world continues turning around in the outside. This image shows the office building called Dockland in Hamburg, Germany and was taken in summer of 2016. The View / Robert Walker, UK The View / Robert Walker, UK. Image © Robert Walker, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: View from Switch House at Tate Modern towards the Shard Ysios / Ute Scherhag, Germany Ysios / Ute Scherhag, Germany . Image © Ute Scherhag, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Architecture (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Image Description: This image was taken at the 31.5.2016. It shows the facade with entrance of the winery "Ysios". Bodegas Ysios is a Spanish wine cellar in Laguardia in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The cellar building was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. The building is designed to integrate into the hilly landscape of the Sierra de Cantabria. With the victory, Cornhill will receive a Sony α7 II with lens kit, and will continue on to compete for the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards' Open Photographer of the Year. Results of the Open Photographer of the Year and the Professional competition will be announced on April 20. To see all of the winning and shortlisted photographs from all categories, visit the World Photography Organisation's website, here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Riverdale Townhomes / Studio JCI Posted: 31 Mar 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Scott Norsworthy
 © Scott Norsworthy From the architect. These live-work townhouses are the first of two small developments on a quiet street in the neighbourhood of Riverdale, in the South of Toronto. The development consists of five two-bedroom units, each with a mezzanine studio, a large recreational room, and an interior garden.  © Scott Norsworthy Each of the five townhouses is organized around two voids formed by a stairwell and a lightwell. The lightwells offset the building's depth by allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the interior of each unit. Because of their generous lighting, they also provide the opportunity to grow private gardens and cultivate lush greenery. Working in conjunction, the voids divide each townhouse into two halves linked by a small bridge. This arrangement generates a variety of distinct spaces and relationships which stand in stark contrast to the rigid plans of conventional townhouses.  Axonometric A unique condition of the site is its landlocked nature. As it is bound by residential and industrial buildings on three sides, the deep setback at the rear and interior lightwell are used to bring in light and air. The size and materiality of the development respects the urban character of the context while remaining modern in its expression. In spite of its density, the development follows the domestic scale of the area. While the dark brick of the façade reflects contemporary aesthetics, it also speaks to the material culture of its Victorian neighbours. The large roof terraces provided for each townhouse offer intimate views of the street below and sweeping panoramas of the city beyond.  © Scott Norsworthy The townhouse typology provides a means of urban densification without the environmental and infrastructural strains typically associated with larger developments. Additionally, large walls of high performance glazing with operable windows allow for ample daylight and natural cross ventilation, reducing overall energy consumption. The additional lighting and ventilation offered by the internal voids further decrease the need for extensive electrical or mechanical systems. The completed townhouses acknowledge the economic realities of development without compromising spatial quality or architectural expression. They represent a sustainable model of incremental growth which simultaneously considers both the city's past and future.  © Scott Norsworthy  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Michelle Obama Joins List of Keynote Speakers for 2017 AIA National Convention Posted: 31 Mar 2017 04:45 AM PDT  © Flickr user usdagov. Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the addition of former First Lady Michelle Obama to the lineup of keynote speakers presenting at the 2017 AIA National Conference on Architecture in Orlando, Florida. Obama will participate in Day 1 of the conference, on Thursday, April 27. Her event is billed by the AIA as "A Conversation with Former First Lady Michelle Obama," where it is expected she will speak about the key initiatives she led during her time in the White House. Obama joins an esteemed list of speakers including Alejandro Aravena, Nora Demeter, Dr. Eve Edelstein, Elizabeth Diller, Michael Ford, Francis Kéré, and Michael Murphy, among many others. The conference will take place over three days from April 27 to 29, 2017. Read more about the announcement on the 2017 AIA Conference's official site, here.
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| JN2678 Building / Estudio Cubero Rubio Posted: 31 Mar 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Ramiro Sosa
 © Ramiro Sosa From the architect. The Jorge Newbery 2678 apartment building project results from two volumes of four levels each placed in front and the back of the lot.  © Ramiro Sosa Twelve apartments take place in those two volumes, with units of 1, 2, and 3 rooms that are divided into 6 units each. The main volume, placed in the front of the lot it´s crowned with a green terrace of common use to all the building. These volumes are linked to each other through a system of walkways that determine an inner-outer circulation connected to a large virtual center that satisfies the needs of lighting next to a visual integration of nature and the built urban environment, redefining the way of living the contemporary housing of medium density.  Isometric The apartments are synthetic, refined and contemporary, some of them have a balcony-terrace as the element of direct extension towards the urban space, while others have terraces witch are conformed as the building withdraws in order to adequate to the construction code.  © Ramiro Sosa The materials that conform the building are the result of a research based on the elements with which our city is composed; reinforced concrete, bricks and steel. Faithful materials that together give durability and validity.  © Ramiro Sosa Towards the main façade, the balconies are contained into a frame of a mobile metallic lattice that not only acts like an esthetic characteristic of the building, but also it is an efficient tool to shade theintense incidence of the north-west sun, as well as it conforms a needed limit between the balcony and the complex urban space.  © Ramiro Sosa  Fourth Floor  © Ramiro Sosa The building suggest the subtle condition of anonymity, meanwhile seek to reconfigure, from its material and programmatic sincerity, the already accepted characteristics of the contemporary human habitation.  © Ramiro Sosa  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 31 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Omar Muñoz
 © Juan Carlos Garza From the architect. Una mansión de los años 30’s ubicada en un tranquilo emplazamiento dentro de un patio común justo en el centro de la Ciudad de México es transformada en un hogar para una familia. La casa se organiza verticalmente en tres niveles, cada uno con un carácter distinto: espacios funcionales de servicio en planta baja, vida familiar en el primer nivel, y un retiro de privacidad en el nivel de azotea. A townhouse from the 1930s, situated in a quiet setting inside a shared courtyard right in the centre of Mexico City, is transformed into a family home. The house is vertically organised along three levels, each with a distinct character: functional service spaces on the ground level, family life on the upper level, and retreat to privacy on the roof garden level.  © Omar Muñoz  Section  © Omar Muñoz A derelict existing structure was freed from excessive internal walls to create generous living spaces. Patios and openings for roof lights were cut into the building to maximize daylight in the previously dimly lit lower levels. A new floor was added to the top of the existing building by introducing a large overhang roof made of white concrete, providing shadow for the fully glazed interior spaces that benefit from softly moderated daylight. The new rooms are designed with minimal features to enhance the presence of the green roof garden. Full height sliding glass screens all across the top floor open up panoramic views into the rich greenery giving the impression of a secluded oasis within the buzzing city centre.  © Omar Muñoz  Second Floor Plan  © Omar Muñoz All new additions are realized in white marble concrete to achieve a contemporary environment with a fresh character. Besides the new roof the entire flooring is realized from cut marble pebbles in direct reference to Mexico City's lost river beds and lakes that used to form the landscape before the city was established. Furthermore an in-situ concrete bench and table were cast into a niche within the garden. A new spiral stair connects the art deco lower floors with the contemporary garden level letting daylight pass down from roof lights above the stairs. Spaces within the existing structure were joined and revamped with new window openings, wooden flooring, a new fire place, built-in furniture and brass lamps specifically designed for the project.  © Juan Carlos Garza  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 Zaha Hadid Buildings Seen From Above Posted: 31 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Galaxy Soho en Beijing, China. Image © Deimos Imaging This week marks the first anniversary of the death of Zaha Hadid, the most successful and influential female architect in the architectural discipline. Born in Baghdad (Iraq) in 1950, Hadid became the first woman to receive the Pritzker Prize in 2004, and twelve years later received the gold medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Hadid's untimely death left a fascinating and inspiring legacy. Meanwhile her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, continues to work on nearly a hundred projects worldwide. To remember her legacy, Spanish company Deimos Imaging has shared a series of photographs focusing on Hadid's work in five countries. The images were captured by the Deimos-2 satellite, which was launched in 2014 and designed for very high-resolution Earth observation applications, providing multispectral images of just 75 centimeters per pixel. Hadid's incredible works take on a new dimension when you contemplate their proportions from the sky—or rather, from a satellite. Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion |
| Fluid Luminosity: The Architectural Lighting of Zaha Hadid Posted: 30 Mar 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Leeza SOHO, construction 2017, Beijing / China. Image © MIR Zaha Hadid's projects are remarkable not only for her innovative way of handling tangible materials but also for her imagination regarding the medium of light. Her theories of fragmentation and fluidity are now well-known design techniques which enabled her form-finding. However, her advances in using light to render her architecture have often been neglected—even though they became an essential element in revealing and interpreting her architecture. The three-decade transition from minimal light lines at her early Vitra Fire Station to the world's tallest atrium at the Leeza SOHO skyscraper, which collects an abundance of daylight, shows the remarkable development of Zaha Hadid's luminous legacy.  Guangzhou Opera House, 2010, Guangzhou / China. Image © Iwan Baan Light closes the gap between architecture and our perception. We sense forms and materials with our eyes not directly but through the reflected light. Zaha Hadid's use of light might appear graphical at first sight with her light lines. Nevertheless, the grand dame operated very skillfully to enhance her architectural imagination. Luminous lines—either as luminaires or windows—characterize her early work, whereas luminous fields and a play of brilliance emerged later.  Vitra Fire Station, 1993, Weil am Rhein / Germany. Image © Christian Richters Deconstructive Lines of LightDecisive non-parallel lines mark the explosive energy of her first building: The Vitra Fire Station (Weil am Rhein, 1993)—a lucid expression of tensions with in-situ concrete walls. Light lines in the ceiling, or between wall and ground or between the wall and the flying roof reinforce the linear architecture with sharp edges. In the interior, the light gaps between the wall and ceiling deconstruct conventional building structures as well. Even the design of the distinctive sun blinds intensify the linear pattern language. The precise light lines emerge as built manifestations of her suprematist paintings. Although the edges of the interior luminaires echo the sharp concrete lines, the soft, diffuse inside and outside illumination in a way counteracts the energy of the building's forms.  Hoenheim-Nord Terminus, 2002, Strasbourg / France. Image © Frank Dinger, www.becoming.de Transforming Urban Lines into Luminous StripsZaha Hadid's explorations with abstract paintings have led to several graphical interpretations of lighting and luminaires. In order to interweave the surrounding landscape with her new structures, Hadid analyzed abstracted urban transport patterns and transformed them into luminaire patterns. At Strasbourg's Hoenheim-Nord Terminus and Car Park (2001), she became fascinated by the white road markings and converted them into white linear diffuse luminaires—either integrated as strips in the concrete roof or as tilted poles for the car parking spaces.  Phaeno Science Center, 2005, Wolfsburg / Germany. Image © Werner Huthmacher Coherent Forms Flow From Windows to CeilingThe Phaeno Science Centre (Wolfsburg, 2005) was a decisive turning point in Hadid's lighting imagination. The windows and luminaires in the building's surface share the same form, creating a holistic design approach and thus moving on from Hadid's earlier period of lines and sharp corners. The elevated concrete structure generates a large shaded area, with the view to daylight on one side intensifies the impression of a dark void. As a counterpoint, diffuse ceiling luminaires intervene in the dim atmosphere. The diagonal building structure has been translated into rhombus-shaped windows for the façade. In contrast to earlier projects with sharp edges, Hadid's forms here took on curved shapes, marking a transition to fluid designs. In order to form a coherent exterior surface, the rhombus contour has also been applied to the underside of the elevated museum. Thereby the visitors perceive a holistic formal approach encompassing both daylight and artificial lighting.  Nordpark Railway Station, 2007, Innsbruck / Austria. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hungerburgbahn-Bergstation.JPG'>Wikimedia user Hafelekar</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Introducing Shining Landscape ReflectionsThe Nordpark Railway Station (Innsbruck, 2007) initiated a new period of light and fluidity in Hadid's oeuvre. Here, light is not absorbed by concrete but is instead reflected by glass. Inspired by local glacial moraines and ice formations, Hadid has significantly increased the reflectance of her surfaces for stunning mirror images. Therefore the structure does not stand isolated in the landscape but has features of the local landscape embedded in it. While moving toward and around the station, complex mirror images stimulate the viewer's perception. Illuminated at night, the station radiates an energetic glow. Years later, the glossy surfaces at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery (London, 2013) are reminiscent of the floating ice structure in Innsbruck.  MAXXI Museum, 2009, Rome / Italy. Image © Iwan Baan Enhancing Fluidity With Daylight and LightingWhile Hadid generally applied her virtuous flowing forms mainly to the exterior of buildings, the interior of the MAXXI, the Museum of XXI Century Arts (Rome, 2009) surpassed the spatial energy of its façade. She developed a characteristic feeling of unison between fluid forms, daylight, and lighting at the Italian Museum. Linear louvers follow the conceptual grid and filter the sunlight—ensuring a soft light for the structural curves. Electrical lighting is concealed wherever possible. The black stairways create an intense contrast with their white luminous underside. Diffuse light flows through the building and builds a calm counterpoint to the dynamic lines and the black and white material contrast.  Guangzhou Opera House, 2010, Guangzhou / China. Image © Hufton + Crow Golden Glamor and a Splendid Starry SkyAfter a period of raw, cool, concrete buildings, Hadid turns for the first time to a warm, golden and glossy atmosphere with the Guangzhou Opera House (China, 2010). The design of the auditorium is driven by fluidity and seamlessness. Thousands of light pixels in the ceiling remind the audience of a dream-like starry sky. Light patterns on the cascaded balconies evoke the impression of reflections in waterfalls. These waves stand in a clear contrast to the crystalline exterior with the triangular façade pattern.  Heydar Aliyev Center, 2013, Baku / Azerbaijan. Image © Hélène Binet Maintaining Fluidity by Day and NightStriving for homogeneity at the Heydar Aliyev Centre (Baku, 2012) led to a softer graduation of light and shadow. During the day, the volume reflects the light and the overall shadow pattern of the sun dominates, with no sub-textures interfering in the smooth surfaces. The flat glass facades mirror the surrounding environment. At night, the interior light flows onto the exterior surfaces and exterior floodlights enhance the building geometry. Consequently, the fluid lines in the auditorium reveal soft brightness graduations as well. In opposition to the starry-sky luminaire arrangement at the Guangzhou Opera House, the lighting in Baku is subtly integrated into the wooden ceiling and walls—almost out of view of the audience. Additional cove lighting underlines the diffuse play of light on the fluid forms. However, in the lobby, the scattered light lines irritate with their strict edges when compared with the continuous flows of the rest of the structure.  Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre, 2016, Nanjing / China. Image © He Shu Pixelated LuminosityThe recent Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre (Nanjing, 2016) demonstrates not homogeneity like the Heydar Aliyev Centre, but instead a dynamic transition from vertical glass towers to a horizontal concrete podium. Rhomboid panels—reminding us once again of the patterns at the Phaeno Science Centre—gradually transform from transparent glass to fiber-concrete panels. The interior presents another advancement of fluid luminosity. In contrast to the grand halls at the Heydar Aliyev Center and Guangzhou Opera House, where the illumination was discretely integrated into the ceiling or looked liked a starry sky, the Nanjing Centre shows an almost offensively luminous surface. Hundreds of small holes in undulating lines follow the dynamic interior geometry for illumination. The dotted ceiling in the grand hall signifies a distinct luminous pixel aesthetic, in which the star ceiling at Guangzhou turns into luminous discs in Nanjing. Quite obviously the relationship of solid to luminescent surfaces have shifted towards the side of light here.  Port House, 2016, Antwerp / Belgium. Image © Hufton + Crow Sparkling Facets Break the VolumeWhile Hadid has worked with glass-enclosed buildings before, like in the fluid language of the Nordpark Railway Station, her newer Port House (Antwerp, 2016) introduces a fragmented interpretation of a floating glass volume. Most of the triangular facets on the building extension are transparent, with just a few being opaque. In combination with its rippling surface, the façade conveys a very vibrant image—changing dramatically in different daylight situations. From her matt in-situ concrete walls at the Vitra fire station, in Antwerp Hadid has arrived at a sparkling appearance for the façade. Still she breaks the volume with fragmentation, but this time not only by means of form but also by reflection.  Dongdaemun Design Plaza, 2013, Seoul / South Korea. Image © Virgile Simon Bertrand Looking back at the career of Zaha Hadid, we can identify a decisive turning point regarding her design strategy, manifest in the Nordpark Railway Station, where continuity and fluidity pushed her deconstructivism and fragmentation aside. This step was also translated into a new language of light. Matt façade surfaces were then supplemented or replaced by reflections and the architecture started to mirror its surroundings. Similarly, her interiors changed from raw concrete, via a purist white to glamorous gold for key spaces. Deep-rooted in the visual language of suprematist paintings, Hadid often converted geometrical lines into diffuse luminous light lines and respectively curves. Thus, her earlier lighting looked more like an expression of graphic design than an exploitation of the full potential of light to interpret architecture. Meanwhile, her diffuse illumination created a soft atmosphere, in which the energy of the space stems from the fluid forms. But she did not use dramatic grazing light to render forms or texture more vibrantly.  Guangzhou Opera House, 2010, Guangzhou / China. Image © Iwan Baan / Courtesy of Perry Rubenstein Gallery It is worth mentioning that she withstood the temptation to use luminaire design to heighten visual effects and rather concentrated on the light itself as an important dimension of architecture. While some of her contemporaries have investigated dynamic forms and reached out to media facades to explore new types of dynamic urban scenario, Hadid constrained her design parameters to form and reflectance. Surprisingly, while pushing numerous formal and technical boundaries, Hadid hardly ever translated the movement of her paintings into dynamic lighting for her architecture. Her temporary installation Parametric Space (Copenhagen, 2013) represents a dreamy exception in which light patterns react to the flexible movement of a membrane and are embedded in her parametric architectural language. But although many of her buildings played with solid volumes, her late Leeza SOHO skyscraper in Beijing visualizes an opposite strategy. In this project, the desire for natural light will lead to the world's tallest atrium. The translucent chasm between the two building halves aims for a life with daylight all around. Through this, and all of her previous projects, she has traced a remarkable path from fragmented light lines to a luminous fluidity by day and night. Light matters, a monthly column on light and space, is written by Dr. Thomas Schielke. Based in Germany, he is fascinated by architectural lighting and works as an editor for the lighting company ERCO. He has published numerous articles and co-authored the books "Light Perspectives" and "SuperLux". For more information check www.erco.com, www.arclighting.de or follow him @arcspaces.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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