Arch Daily |
- SkyCity Challenge 17
- Black Box House / TAKATINA LLC
- Sunshine Beach House / Shaun Lockyer Architects
- New Scotland Yard / Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
- eVolo Announces 2017 Skyscraper Competition Winners
- Copenhagen Architecture Festival to Debut with World Premiere of "BIG TIME" on April 26
- Oaxaca's Historical Archive Building / Mendaro Arquitectos
- This Glass Bottomed Sky Pool is Suspended 500 Feet from the Ground
- Binh House / Vo Trong Nhia Architects
- Copenhagen's Latest Piece of Cycle Infrastructure Is a "Stupid, Stupid Bridge"
- Villa in Debrecen / Archiko Kft.
- The Reality of the Architect-Client Relationship Told Through Comic Strips
- Meet Ava - The App to Transform Interior Design
- Apartments on Forchstrasse / Kyncl Schaller Architekten
- The Singularity of the Skyscraper: Studies in Form and Façade
- House Z-M / Dhoore Vanweert Architecten
- Garden / Azovskiy&Pahomova architects
- The Qiyun Mountain Tree House / Bengo Studio
- Crown 515 / Smart Design Studio
- Pho Da Cafe / hausspace
| Posted: 11 Apr 2017 12:30 PM PDT  SkyCity is pleased to invite architects, designers, artists, engineers, scientists, conservationists, ambient warriors, tribesmen, digital nomads, craftsmen or basically anyone with great ideas from around the globe to take part in SkyCity Challenge 17. Our climate is changing, squalor, nationalism, and inequality are rising, people are constantly moving into cities and the demand for a better and more sustainable living in urban areas continues to grow. The current ways are very limited and outdated and with the modern technology available we are able to create far better and more sophisticated spaces that could affect the very way of our living in the future … SkyCity envisions a world that purposefully uses its technology and communications for the best support of the environment and people, which allows all life to be in thriving harmony together. With the attention SkyCity had in the past, as a symbol of big scale solutions for the future we ask the following questions: "How can we leave our planet more beautiful for the next generations? How can we create a space where all nationalities can communicate as if it were a true collective? Perhaps we can create a progression of the United Nations – UN 2.0? How can SkyCity create a new way for housing and community building that has a positive impact globally? The Challenge is an experiment on how a vertical community in larger numbers of members could coexist in the future.  Established in 2015, BROAD Town is one of the world's most modern communities. We recognize the need to redefine skyscraper design implementing new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics and spatial organizations. Along with studies on globalization, adaptability, the digital revolution, environmental impact, and cooperative relations between communities, we see an opportunity to inspire humanity on moving forward on a progressive path. It is a hub that examines the relationship between co-living and community set within the natural world, the skyscrapers and the city. We hope SkyCity will be one of many expressions of it's kind around the globe, with each location representing unique culture and meeting its needs, while weaving threads of strengths and inspirations from outside communities, to further produce an elaborate web of sustainable cooperatives around the world. We invite you to co-create SkyCity with us, your submission will help SkyCity define itself! AWARDS:
* We will be dividing $25,000 USD altogether for the best ideas. The 17 winners will be then invited to co-live with us during the SkyCity Orientation Week in Changsha set in late February of 2018. We will also grant each team with additional $1,000 USD as traveling allowance and fully cover their stay during SkyCity Orientation Week in China. Background Objective Eligibility Schedule
Register for the competition at here. For more information and FAQ please follow our Facebook page and youtube channel where we will be broadcasting live videos and add documents about the process of the challenge.
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| Black Box House / TAKATINA LLC Posted: 11 Apr 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Mikiko Kikuyama
 © Mikiko Kikuyama From the architect. The Black Box House, designed for an international fashion buyer and his family of four, sits in a hilly suburban residential district with detached houses, about 15 miles west of Tokyo. The elevated 1,862 sqft/173 sqm corner lot is surrounded by light colored stucco houses with roadside windows covered by curtains which are a common suburban scenery in Japan.  © Mikiko Kikuyama Rejecting this outside scenery while creating an introspective microcosmos filled with natural light and wind became the main concept of this house. Due to the adjacent north side street descending and zoning restriction, fenestration was gathered mainly at this side to disperse a soft glow throughout the day without any window treatment for privacy. Large sliding door connects the main living area to a secluded south facing garden terrace which creates a buffer zone to the adjacent house while the vertical slot window on the west captures the sky and sunset. Inspired by Carl Andrea's minimalist art, the two story monolithic volume and plane creates a geometric composition to organize a public first floor, a private second floor, garden and parking space.  Floor Plan  Floor Plan Interior space extends beyond its volume with this careful fenestration arrangement and enjoys play of light while creating a barrier from the suburban landscape.  © Mikiko Kikuyama The black industrial galvanium panel commonly used for factory and warehouse was erected to cover this simple volume without any ornamentation to meet the budget and client's affection for machine-like aesthetics. The buiding height was coordinated with maximum panel size to eliminate horizontal panel joint and window plane was moved to the exterior panel face. These details further emphasize its monolithic appearance. Insertion of unornamented polished concrete plinth and freestanding wall completes the exterior composition of the metal box.  © Mikiko Kikuyama The client had formerly lived in lofts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for ten years before settling back to Tokyo with his family.  © Mikiko Kikuyama His desire to live in an open space is reflected on the first floor loft space which features a 11'/ 3.35m ceiling height with exposed wood framing. The palette of white walls, polished concrete, dark stained exposed wood framing creates a calm contrast within the space which is inspired by the Japanese "Minka", a traditional farmhouse that originated in the early 1600's. A custom folded wood stair floats weightlessly within the space and becomes a sculptural background for the client's favorite Grete Jalk designed chair from Denmark.  Section Elegantly hung Poul Poulsen pendant lamp marks the dining area in front of the Donald Judd inspired island with stainless steel counter top. This design reflects the client's transcultural interest and creates a canvas for his amazing art and mid-century furniture collection.  © Mikiko Kikuyama The second floor, covered in walnut hardwood flooring, has a more domestic atmosphere with modest ceiling height and comprises the study, master bedroom, children's bedrooms and bathroom. Olive green canvas drapery was installed with a hidden track to create a flexible space arrangement in the children's bedroom and study area for future modification. Custom study desk with iron leg was carefully placed in front of the large picture window to overlook the mountain view.  © Mikiko Kikuyama  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sunshine Beach House / Shaun Lockyer Architects Posted: 11 Apr 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Scott Burrows
 © Scott Burrows From the architect. The Sunshine Beach House explores the coastal aesthetic through the use of greying timbers and natural materials in a bold, but equally eclectic, architectural expression. The formal expression of the home is defined by a timber skin of Australian hardwoods that mirrors the irregular shape of the site in plan form. This skin vacillates between permeability and solidity in its function and associated construction. The base of the house is grounded with the use of stone offering a resonant juxtaposition to the ephemeral top.  © Scott Burrows  Ground Floor Plan  © Scott Burrows The house is planned around a sequence of courtyards (north and south) that offer a very comfortable year-round lifestyle and deal with seasonal change. A large centrally located void punctuates the internal space and brings light deep into the home.  © Scott Burrows  First Floor Plan  © Scott Burrows Built by Wade and Claire Jenner, who are both friends of the architects and the builders of the home. This relationship afforded us a wonderful opportunity to develop and craft ideas on the project what we had been considering for a long time (with someone who trusted us enough to make them real).  © Scott Burrows  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Scotland Yard / Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Posted: 11 Apr 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Timothy Soar
 Courtesy of BAM From the architect. AHMM's design for New Scotland Yard is a radical remodelling and extension of the Curtis Green Building, a 1930s building on the Thames Embankment, which was an earlier home of the MPS. The core objectives of the brief were to create modern, flexible and efficient office environments, extend available floor space and facilitate agile working with more interaction between staff. The design has transformed the building with the addition of an elegant curved glass entrance pavilion and rooftop pavilions and a reworking of the existing accommodation. The scheme has expanded the building's floor area from 8,691sqm to around 12,000sqm through extensions to the rear, roof and front concourse.  © Timothy Soar  Elevation  © Timothy Soar The contemporary design of these complements and enhances the architectural features of the original building and the materials, colours and proportions of neighbouring Whitehall buildings. Inside the building, AHMM has created a flexible office environment to facilitate collaboration and interaction. The rooftop extension provides multi-use conference space and terraces, and is illuminated to give presence at night, symbolising the 24/7 nature of the building along with its civic purpose. A brick 'carpet' in the landscape outside the entrance references the distinctive striped brickwork of the neighbouring Norman Shaw North building, while the Eternal Flame has been set within a contemplation pool south of the entrance pavilion.  © Timothy Soar  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| eVolo Announces 2017 Skyscraper Competition Winners Posted: 11 Apr 2017 07:30 AM PDT  First Place: Mashambas Skyscraper / Pawel Lipiński, Mateusz Frankowski. Image Courtesy of eVolo eVolo Magazine has announced the winners of its 2017 Skyscraper Competition. Now in its 12th year, the annual award was established to recognize "visionary ideas for building [high-rise] projects that through [the] novel use of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations, challenge the way we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments." This year, 3 winners and 22 honorable mentions were selected from a pool of 444 entries. Among this year's winners are a modular educational center and marketplace for sub-Saharan Africa, a vertical stack of factory and recreational space, villages embedded in mountains and even a skyscraper built within a giant sequoia. First PlaceMashambas Skyscraper / Pawel Lipiński and Mateusz Frankowski  First Place: Mashambas Skyscraper / Pawel Lipiński, Mateusz Frankowski. Image Courtesy of eVolo Mashambas is a movable educational center, which emerges in the poorest areas of the continent. It provides education, training on agricultural techniques, cheap fertilizers, and modern tools; it also creates a local trading area, which maximizes profits from harvest sales. Agriculture around the building flourishes and the knowledge spreads towards the horizon. The structure is growing as long as the number of participants is rising. When the local community becomes self-sufficient it is transported to other places. The structure is made with simple modular elements, it makes it easy to construct, deconstruct and transport. Modules placed one on the other create the high-rise, which is a form that takes the smallest as possible amount of space from local farmers.  First Place: Mashambas Skyscraper / Pawel Lipiński, Mateusz Frankowski. Image Courtesy of eVolo  First Place: Mashambas Skyscraper / Pawel Lipiński, Mateusz Frankowski. Image Courtesy of eVolo Second PlaceVertical Factories in Megacities / Tianshu Liu and Lingshen Xie  Second Place: Vertical Factories in Megacities / Tianshu Liu and Lingshen Xie. Image Courtesy of eVolo This is the vision we have for the cities of tomorrow: factories will be dissolved into small pieces and then be stacked together into high-rise vertical factories. By bringing factories back to the city, we can achieve zero CO2 emissions, be energy efficient, and provide higher quality of life to the inhabitants. Due to the large population in Manila, a great amount of organic waste is produced daily. This waste will be the resource of the new vertical factory. All the waste will be dumped at the bottom level of the factory, and then they will be transformed into valuable products including water, fertilizer, heat, and electricity. We use these products to create different kinds of natural environment. The landscape is shaped according to the scale and shape of factories. Organic waste then can be turned into new city landscape while factories hide beyond natural surfaces. The main concept of this design is to let people be aware of the truth that the natural environment is a loop, everything you produce will then form the new world. Instead of criticizing the pollution problem we create the most ideal way for people to understand the best interaction between human and nature.  Second Place: Vertical Factories in Megacities / Tianshu Liu and Lingshen Xie. Image Courtesy of eVolo  Second Place: Vertical Factories in Megacities / Tianshu Liu and Lingshen Xie. Image Courtesy of eVolo Third PlaceEspiral3500 / Javier López-Menchero Ortiz de Salazar  Third Place: Espiral3500 / Javier López-Menchero Ortiz de Salazar. Image Courtesy of eVolo Espiral3500 is situated in "La Albufera", an agricultural natural park which has been subjected to speculation based development and expansive growth. Tourism has become the main force of attraction. With it, it has produced an urban sprawl, which has disfigured the landscape. Tourism in the area causes an increase in population density of up to 1000% in some localities, turning them from ghost towns in winter to areas of high most density in summer. The main investigation of this project is to understand the relationship between and the role played by private and public spaces within the skyscraper. Here, I use a spiral system in which the public spaces (namely the different types of streets) form rings that rest on a structural element. Spaces for private use hang from this structural element. This "inverted street" system allows for an immediate linking of public and private, while allowing for sufficient dissociation to grant desired privacy.  Third Place: Espiral3500 / Javier López-Menchero Ortiz de Salazar. Image Courtesy of eVolo  Third Place: Espiral3500 / Javier López-Menchero Ortiz de Salazar. Image Courtesy of eVolo Honorable MentionsArch Skyscraper / Wenjia Li, Ran Huo, Jing Ju  Arch Skyscraper / Wenjia Li, Ran Huo, Jing Ju . Image Courtesy of eVolo The Forgotten Memorials: The Utopian Future of Urbanization / Zhonghan Huang, Wen Zhu  The Forgotten Memorials: The Utopian Future of Urbanization / Zhonghan Huang, Wen Zhu. Image Courtesy of eVolo Pod Vending Machine Skyscraper / Haseef Rafiei  Pod Vending Machine Skyscraper / Haseef Rafiei. Image Courtesy of eVolo Heal-Berg: Reverse Climate Changing Machine / Luca Beltrame, Saba Nabavi Tafreshi  Heal-Berg: Reverse Climate Changing Machine / Luca Beltrame, Saba Nabavi Tafreshi. Image Courtesy of eVolo Adaptive Capacity: A Socio-ecological Vertical Community in Tanzania / Adriann Jeevananthan  Adaptive Capacity: A Socio-ecological Vertical Community in Tanzania / Adriann Jeevananthan. Image Courtesy of eVolo Mountain Skyscraper in Yosemite / Ryan Ibarra  Mountain Skyscraper in Yosemite / Ryan Ibarra. Image Courtesy of eVolo Giant Sequoia Skyscraper / Ko Jinhyeuk, Cheong Changwon, Cho Kyuhyung, Choi Sunwoong  Giant Sequoia Skyscraper / Ko Jinhyeuk, Cheong Changwon, Cho Kyuhyung, Choi Sunwoong. Image Courtesy of eVolo Acupuncture of Urban Traffic Structure / Kristina Rykova  Acupuncture of Urban Traffic Structure / Kristina Rykova. Image Courtesy of eVolo Earth Port One / Catherine He, Celia He  Earth Port One / Catherine He, Celia He. Image Courtesy of eVolo The Silver Lining: Reconstructing Post-War Syria / Rebecca Nathalie Wennerstrand, Mayank Thammalla, Robert Haejun Park  The Silver Lining: Reconstructing Post-War Syria / Rebecca Nathalie Wennerstrand, Mayank Thammalla, Robert Haejun Park. Image Courtesy of eVolo Flexible Materials Skyscraper / Fu Hao, Zhang Yunlong, Yang Ge  Flexible Materials Skyscraper / Fu Hao, Zhang Yunlong, Yang Ge. Image Courtesy of eVolo Human Castell / Tamin Song, Jin Woo Kuk, Sun Hee Yoo, Bruce Han, Gangmin Yoo, Jun Sun Baek  Human Castell / Tamin Song, Jin Woo Kuk, Sun Hee Yoo, Bruce Han, Gangmin Yoo, Jun Sun Baek. Image Courtesy of eVolo Sustainable Urban Mining Factory Skyscraper / Maciej Kasperek  Sustainable Urban Mining Factory Skyscraper / Maciej Kasperek. Image Courtesy of eVolo Vertical Traditional Chinese Village / Zhang Bo, Liu Shuman  Vertical Traditional Chinese Village / Zhang Bo, Liu Shuman. Image Courtesy of eVolo The Scaffold of Babel / Yutan Sun, Tongda Xu, Luojia Zhang, Dinglu Wang, Tianjun Wang  The Scaffold of Babel / Yutan Sun, Tongda Xu, Luojia Zhang, Dinglu Wang, Tianjun Wang. Image Courtesy of eVolo Genesis Mars Skyscraper / Arturo Emilio Garrido Ontiveros, Andrés Pastrana Bonillo, Judit Pinach Martí, Alex Tintea  Genesis Mars Skyscraper / Arturo Emilio Garrido Ontiveros, Andrés Pastrana Bonillo, Judit Pinach Martí, Alex Tintea. Image Courtesy of eVolo Wind Skyscraper / Shenghui Yang, Xu Pan, Yue Song, Yingxin Cheng, Binci Wang, Yuerong Zhou, Yaying Zheng, Shiman Wang  Wind Skyscraper / Shenghui Yang, Xu Pan, Yue Song, Yingxin Cheng, Binci Wang, Yuerong Zhou, Yaying Zheng, Shiman Wang. Image Courtesy of eVolo City Skyscraper / Jitendra Sawant  City Skyscraper / Jitendra Sawant. Image Courtesy of eVolo In Two Minds: Magnetic Cemetery / Marine Joli, Judith Haggiag  In Two Minds: Magnetic Cemetery / Marine Joli, Judith Haggiag. Image Courtesy of eVolo Data Cemetery Skyscraper / Joanna Targowicz, Mateusz Binkowski  Data Cemetery Skyscraper / Joanna Targowicz, Mateusz Binkowski. Image Courtesy of eVolo  High Density Urban Order / Lisa Albaugh, Ben Bourgoin, Jamie Edindjiklian, Roberto Jenkins, Justin Oh. Image Courtesy of eVolo Parallel Manhattan / Zhiyong Dong, Jiongcheng Mou, Xiuping Han, Xingyu Liu  Parallel Manhattan / Zhiyong Dong, Jiongcheng Mou, Xiuping Han, Xingyu Liu. Image Courtesy of eVolo This year's jury consisted of:
Learn more about the competitions and read detailed project descriptions, here. News via eVolo.
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| Copenhagen Architecture Festival to Debut with World Premiere of "BIG TIME" on April 26 Posted: 11 Apr 2017 06:30 AM PDT  Courtesy of Copenhagen Architecture Festival Denmark's largest architecture festival Copenhagen Architecture Festival opens its fourth edition Wednesday, April 26th with a wide program spread over three cities and with the opening film and world premiere of "BIG TIME" on Bjarke Ingels. This year, the festival will feature more than 150 architectural events in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Aalborg. The festival takes place over 11 days. The more than 150 events provide a variety of approaches to architecture and through film screenings, exhibitions, lectures, debates, walks, concerts and conferences there are enough to choose from again this year - both for 'feinschmecker' and the general public. Again this year you can meet experts from home and abroad who will contribute to the audience to get a glimpse of the world of architecture. In 2015, the festival was the largest of its kind in the world with its focus on architecture and film. This year the festival offers one overarching theme: "Architecture as identity" with four events which the organizers want to direct a particular focus on: Experience the world premiere of 'BIG TIME' - a new portrait film about Bjarke Ingels and more than 40 other architecture-related films, a major international conference with visiting architcets such as Charles Renfro and Barozzi Veiga and a new exhibition of Lacaton & Vassal, Druot and Hutin in both Aarhus and Copenhagen or be guided to the latest architecture on the bike of the city architects of Copenhagen and Aarhus - in Copenhagen as part of the festival's collaboration with the municipality on this year's building awards. The festival is organized into 11 sub-themes distributed across the three cities. The audience can, among other things, look forward to an exciting theme of Danish colonial architectural trail - both in Denmark in Copenhagen and in the former colonies around the world under the title 'colonial traces, a dissection of the city's various layers in a series of events, which is about how we use the city and who uses it - under the theme titled 'The city in use', or the ratio of 'plan and life' in the cities and their architecture under the theme of the same name or get a glimpse of friends Dan Stubbergaard's and Henrik Vibskov's selection of five films that have inspired each of them in their work. Festival Director Josephine Michau says: "I hope that the festival can help to unfold how architecture helps to create qualities in everyday life at a local, national and global level and to do it in an unpretentious, curious way that can bring a new look at the architecture and make it widely communicated. The festival is both for professionals and for the 'amateur', and there is indeed something for both audiences. " The purpose of CAFx 2017 include exploring how architecture is to shape and reflect values in our lives or cities, and especially how we as individuals, groups or nations are reading us into the surroundings. How can architecture express our identity and values, and how do we link ourselves unconsciously to their nature or expression? What is it eg. that makes us feel at home? Opening Film and Local Volume: The festival, which this year runs for 11 days, opens Wednesday April 26th at 7pm with red carpet and drinks at the Grand Theater's cinema and foyer. Festival Director Josephine Michau welcome you to this year's opening film, BIG TIME, directed by Danish Kaspar Astrup Schröder, who has followed world star Bjarke Ingels for five years. The film gives audiences access to both the private and the professional Bjarke Ingels - the film will have its national premiere on May 3rd in more than 50 cinemas across the country (via DOXBIO). The festival also includes Aarhus Architecture Festival (AAFX) and Aalborg Architecture Festival (ALAFx). Especially Aarhus gets an extra focus this year - on the occasion of the European Capital of Culture - and Aalborg has added a lot to the program since its premiere last year. To see the entire festival program, please visit: www.cafx.dk/presse. Press release via Copenhagen Architecture Festival
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| Oaxaca's Historical Archive Building / Mendaro Arquitectos Posted: 11 Apr 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Élena Marini Silvestri
 © Élena Marini Silvestri From the architect. The main detonator of the building process was the absolute and urgent need to preserve all the documentary richness of Oaxaca's heritage, which was scattered in many places and on the brink of destruction.  First Floor The "Las Canteras" Park, as it is known by Oaxaca's people, is without any doubt, the ideal location to build the City of Archives. It is a highly symbolic site, because most of the green stone used to build the city of Antequera, as was known the city of Oaxaca under the Spanish rule and which gave the city its proud name of Verde or Green Antequera, came from this site. This fact enriches the site and makes the architectural challenge more transcendent. The building, rising in the middle of the Park, generates the impulse to modify the whole of it (12 hectares) and galvanize the area which is located in the outskirts of Oaxaca City  © Élena Marini Silvestri The urban-environmental project takes advantage of the Park excellent location, accessible means of transport and urban services, plus two main features that will give meaning to this new vision: green and lacustrine ranges with large ecological potential and recreation areas intensively used by the population.  Section  Section The main function of the Archive building is to preserve and protect the documentary collection; therefore the process of safe file keeping will somehow mark and guid its architectural design. Any document reaches the repositories after a complex control. It must be analyzed, selected, organized and cataloged after its due restoration. All these specialized tasks and its associated needs must be harbored by the building. But the project should also include a space for the students who will research these collections; and to honor them, a special hall of researchers had to be designed.  © Élena Marini Silvestri  Section  © Élena Marini Silvestri The topography of the place demands different heights, so the areas are distributed in four levels. The first level was designed for the public activities and to give access to the documentary collections; the higher levels were destined to the specialized activities proper to the archive. In the innermost part of the building, the documents repositories occupy the largest surface.  © Élena Marini Silvestri Users and visitors of the Archive, as well as the site natural beauty, should mingle harmoniously out, with and within the buildings. So the public ways, leading to the auditorium, classrooms, libraries, exhibition halls and cafeteria, must intertwine inside the building without interfering with the work world of file collection, organization and restoration tasks.  © Élena Marini Silvestri The volumes that make up the buildings set were distributed respecting the existing trees, generating a set of buildings connected to each other by courtyards and interior corridors. The inner patios peppered within the project, besides allowing cross ventilation, capture a significant amount of rainwater and feed the water network replenishing the existing pools in the Park. The two accesses of the building, with a topographic jump of four meters, are the beginning and end of a pedestrian route. The intention of these two levels of access is that the building be closely linked to the Park and that it could become, de facto, one more of the many pedestrian routes already winding through the Park.  Details  Details The buildings are built of smooth concrete finished walls painted in ocher, alluding to the color of the lands of the Mixteca Region. Oaxaca Architecture teaches us about the importance of walls and light and shadow chiaroscuro play in architecture volumes and in the sequence of courtyards. It is a wise architecture which fuses weather and climate with sun and vegetation allowing breathing transparencies come alive, and it shows masterfully in this remarkable contemporary architectural work.  © Élena Marini Silvestri  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Glass Bottomed Sky Pool is Suspended 500 Feet from the Ground Posted: 11 Apr 2017 04:00 AM PDT From the soaring infinity pool on top of Marina Bay Sands to a glass-bottomed pool hovering over a mountainous Italian landscape, it's safe to say death-defying swimming elements have emerged as the most high-adrenaline trend in luxury accommodation. Now, a new pool at Houston's Market Square Tower is upping the ante even further with a transparent plexiglass wading pool that projects out 10 feet past the end of the building – and 500 feet above the busy street below. The new apartment building, designed by Houston-based Jackson & Ryan Architects, is packed to the gills with amenities, including a sauna, golf simulation room, children's playroom, adult game room, basketball court, poker den and movie theater, as well as a more traditional pool on the fourth floor terrace for less adventurous residents. But the rooftop "sky pool," located on the building's 40th floor, stands out as the signature element. A massive, 8-inch-thick piece of curved plexiglass spans between two concrete cantilevers to create seamless, transparent views down to the streetlife below. The view out isn't bad either, with a perfectly framed shot of the Houston skyline looming beyond. Learn more about the building here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Binh House / Vo Trong Nhia Architects Posted: 11 Apr 2017 03:30 AM PDT  © Hiroyuki Oki
 © Hiroyuki Oki From the architect. Under the rapid urbanization, cities in Vietnam have diverged far from their origins as low density tropical green space. Newly developed urban areas are losing their connection with nature. Binh house is one project in the "House for Trees" series, a prototypical housing design, providing green space within high density neighborhood.  Perspective The Inhabitants is a family of three generations. Therefore, the challenge is to create spaces which allow its residents interact and communicate despite their differences.  © Hiroyuki Oki Gardens located on top of the vertically stacking spaces; bounded by sliding glass doors. This strategy not only improves the microclimate by using natural ventilation and daylight in every room, but the alternately stacking openings also increase visibility and interaction between the family members.  Plan Level 1  Plan Level 2 Living, dining, bedrooms, study room are continuously opened. From one room, people's sightlines can reach beyond to the other rooms via the gardens.  © Quang Dam Service areas such as the kitchen, bathrooms, stairs and corridors are located in the west to limit heat radiation exposure towards frequently occupied areas. The vertical variation of spaces creates a lopsided pressure difference. Thus, when the surrounding houses are built, natural ventilation is maintained. Thanks to these passive strategies, the house always stays cool in the tropical climate. Air conditioning system is rarely used.  © Hiroyuki Oki The roof gardens host large trees for shading, therefore reducing indoor temperature. Vegetables can also be planted to serve its resident's daily needs. This vertical farming solution is suitable for high-density housing whilst also contributing to Vietnamese way of life.  Plan Level 3  © Hiroyuki Oki  Roof Plan Using sustainable materials such as natural stone, wood, exposed concrete combined with the microclimate, this house reduces greatly operational and maintenance cost. Up to date, residents have never used furnished AC. The architecture is not only to meet the functional and aesthetic concerns, but also as a means to connect people to people and people to nature.  © Quang Dam  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Copenhagen's Latest Piece of Cycle Infrastructure Is a "Stupid, Stupid Bridge" Posted: 11 Apr 2017 02:30 AM PDT  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/newsoresund/30488229724/'>Flickr user newsoresund</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> This article was originally published on the blog of Copenhagenize Design Co, titled "Copenhagen's Fantastic & Stupid Bicycle Bridge Inderhavnsbro." It's no secret that Copenhagen continues to invest massively in bicycle infrastructure like no other city on the planet. The network is already comprehensive and effective but the City continues to add important links, especially over the harbor and the canals. One of the more recent additions is the Inner Harbor Bridge—Inderhavnsbroen in Danish—that spans Copenhagen Harbor at a key, strategic and iconic point. It links the city center at the end of the postcard picture perfect Nyhavn with the Christianshavn neighborhood and the southern neighborhoods beyond. It is one of a series of 17 new bridges or underpasses for bicycle traffic that have been added to the City's transport network in the past few years. The Inner Harbour Bridge was riddled with problems and was extremely delayed, as you can read here. Now, however, it's been open since July 2016. Let me be clear: I'm thrilled that we have a new, modern link over the harbor to accommodate bicycle traffic and pedestrians. I am over the moon that the number of cyclists crossing daily exceeds all projected numbers. The City estimated that between 3,000–7,000 cyclists would use the bridge but the latest numbers are 16,000. It's a massive success. But sometimes you can see the forest for the trees. I'm sorry, but Inderhavnsbro is a stupid, stupid bridge. It fulfills its primary function of allowing people to cross a body of water. But it is a cumbersome, beastly thing that is completely and utterly out of place in the delicate urban, historical, and architectural context of its location, and a fantastic overcomplication of the simple, timeless art of bridges that open and close. Designed by an architect named Cezary Bednarski from an architecture bureau with roots in two countries where cycling is no longer mainstream transport, it has failed miserably in respecting the basic concepts of bicycle urbanism and the established standards for infrastructure and facilities. By the looks of it, Studio Bednarski didn't even bother to understand them.  © Copenhagenize Design Co The nickname for the monster is the "kissing bridge" and it is flawed in so many ways. After millennia with perfectly functional designs to cross water like drawbridges and swing bridges, this architect decided to overcomplicate the concept. The bridge meets in the middle, where the two sides "kiss." A nice, giggly idea on a distant architecture office desk but quite stupid in practice. It proved incredibly difficult to make the giggly idea work. Crossing the bridge by bicycle involves two sharp turns—two chicanes. Cyclists are shunted sharply and rudely towards the middle of the bridge and back out to the side again. Perhaps the idea of getting the two sides to "kiss" was too difficult with the length of the bridge or the width required to make the kissing part work. The quirky kissing idea is the primary objective, at the expense of common sense. The primary visual gimmick is that the glass panels change color as the bridge opens. Oooh. Wow. For a century, Best Practice standards for details like chicanes have been in place. We know what curvature works best for comfort and for safety. These chicanes pose serious problems that are clearly visible for anyone to see. You can see from the bicycle tracks when it rains that people just cut the corners of them.  © Copenhagenize Design Co A more serious concern is the many skidmarks you see on the bridge as you head downwards in either direction. I stop and study them every time I cross. Have a look when you cross. There are always fresh ones. They stop before the glass barriers, but I figured out why, as you can see in the photo, above. People crown the bridge in the middle and then speed up, but many people fail to realize that the architect wasn't capable of a straight line and they slam on the brakes and hit the glass. I don't know if anyone has gone over the edge into the water, but the physics provide a perfect storm.  © Copenhagenize Design Co Look at the glass barrier in the above photo. The City has realized there is an issue and have slapped up a large, red and white warning sign to try and help people realize that it's a dead-end. If you need to put warning signs on a design, it is basically a crappy design. Period. The grade to get up the bridge also ignores Best Practice standards for bicycle infrastructure. In this article, you can read how most standards were established in the 1920s and 1930s. The architect probably thought "bike" and a spandex-ed dude on a race bike popped into his head. I have seen a few people get off and walk up the incline, but most just muscle their way up. The bridge is too steep. It is not designed for a mainstream bicycle city and the architect didn't bother researching the fact that we have 40,000 cargo bikes filled with kids and goods in Copenhagen.  © Copenhagenize Design Co On all the other bicycle bridges in Copenhagen, a simple boom will drop to the sound of a simple ringing bell to stop cyclists and pedestrians when the bridge is opening. Compare that simple design to the huge, groaning barriers that rise like creatures from the black lagoon on the Inderhavnsbro. Comical overcomplication. Another detail is that there are no ramps on the stairs on the pedestrian side—unusual in Copenhagen—but necessary. That is easily fixed, compared the rest of the nightmare. Is using municipal funds to experiment with giggly, freestyle designs really a good idea? The bridge was also funded by a philanthropic fund—but does that mean that we don't have to be rational when we get free stuff? I can easily and rightfully criticize the architect who failed miserably at his task, but lest we forget there was a jury of Copenhageners who actually looked at this and voted "yes," so there are many fools at this party.  © Copenhagenize Design Co There are so many moving parts that breakdowns will be inevitable. It's already happened a number of times. Ships have been stuck on the wrong side because it couldn't open. The little tent, above, appeared suddenly and was in place for more than a week. That's hardly good for mobility. A fancy-schmancy bridge in Kiel, Germany, ended up having so many problems that another bridge was built next to it, to be used when the fancy bridge breaks down. Is that where we are heading in Copenhagen? The bridge is nothing more than "magpie architecture": a shiny object that attracted the favor of the people who selected it, seduced by bling and fake innovation instead of being guided by timeless rationality and basic design principles. It follows in the sad tradition of Squiggletecture, where bridges and facilities are designed by architects who don't understand the users.  © Copenhagenize Design Co What's more, in an attempt to appease the wealthy sailboat crowd, the City of Copenhagen agreed to let the bridge open 30 times a month—far more than the six times a month that the other main links over the harbor, Knippelsbro and Langebro, open. This bridge will be unreliable as a transport option for people who are just trying to get to work or education once the sailing season starts. The basic principles of Danish Design—practical, functional and elegant—were sadly forgotten in the choice of this bridge. The shine will wear off and, I fear, we'll be faced with more expensive problems. Mikael Colville-Andersen is an urban design expert and CEO of Copenhagenize Design Co.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Villa in Debrecen / Archiko Kft. Posted: 11 Apr 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Tamás Bujnovszky
 © Tamás Bujnovszky From the architect. The building is located in the former rural outskirts of Debrecen. The site was formed by merging three narrow parcels – this defined the design concept of the house. The building was divided into three main volumes. The middle unit serves as the main „family" area of the villa, providing a seamless transition between interior and exterior spaces. It also connects the more private living spaces of the northern unit to the kitchen, study and library in the southern volume. A similar tripartite division of the interior functions is a noticeable characteristic of the century-old houses in the inner city.  © Tamás Bujnovszky On the outside, the building presents two faces. The facade looking onto the street was intentionally left blind while the opposing side on the rear opens to the garden. Here, the central axis is accentuated with a patio and pool on the outside. The living room in the center becomes a transitional space between the inner courtyard and the garden.  © Tamás Bujnovszky Instead of traditional windows, glass walls and skylights fill the interior with natural light. The large wood panels can be rotated, opening the otherwise solid facade walls.  © Tamás Bujnovszky  Floor Plan  © Tamás Bujnovszky  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Reality of the Architect-Client Relationship Told Through Comic Strips Posted: 11 Apr 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Tristán Comics Despite being aimed toward a common goal, the different perspectives of the architect and the client can sometimes lead to a tense working relationship. But where there is conflict, there is humor – in these strips, Tristan Comics manages to address the topic in a truthful yet humorous way. They say laughter is the best medicine, and through comics, Tristan manages to shed light on those pertinent issues that all those in the world of architecture can relate to.  Courtesy of Tristán Comics  Courtesy of Tristán Comics  Courtesy of Tristán Comics  Courtesy of Tristán Comics  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Meet Ava - The App to Transform Interior Design Posted: 10 Apr 2017 11:00 PM PDT Today, app developer Morpholio has unveiled the newest addition to its collection of architectural aids. Ava, short for Automated Visual Assembly, aims to streamline the interior design process by allowing the user to navigate seamlessly between visually-appealing presentation boards and detailed, editable data spreadsheets. Ava seeks to reform the status quo for interior design projects, which often involves the separate creation of visual presentation boards for clients, cut sheets and specs for drawing sets, and product lists for purchasing. Ava has been invented to package images and information more intelligently, optimizing beauty, clarity, and ease, and allowing designers to navigate neatly from process, to presentation, to project delivery.
Ava not only allows designers to work more intuitively, it also becomes a powerful presentation tool. With a single tap, Ava hides all editing functions, and turns boards, lists and spreadsheets into a dynamic presentation for either a tablet or larger screen. Against the backdrop of a white minimalist interface, designers can navigate through materials, décor and patterns, whether at a client meeting, site visit, or design session. With Ava intelligently collating lists, details and graphics, Morpholio gives the user more time and energy to invest towards the design process.  Courtesy of Morpholio
Ava has been designed to work collaboratively with well-known programs and brands. A Pinterest Portal allows images and ideas to be pulled seamlessly from Pinterest. Ava also supports photo editing with Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing the user to send image files from within the app to the desktop version of Adobe Photoshop CC. In addition, the Board Gallery is selectively curated to contain thousands of products and designs from various brands such as Knoll, Herman Miller and Blu Dot. Ava is now available for purchase on the Apple App Store here. News via: Morpholio.
 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apartments on Forchstrasse / Kyncl Schaller Architekten Posted: 10 Apr 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Eric Schmid
 © Eric Schmid From the architect. The existing residential building on Forchstrasse in Zurich consisted originally of four floors with an apartment on each floor and a double level Attic. While the facades have been kept and restored, the whole interior was demolished and newly planned to accommodate two apartments on each floor and a maisonette apartment on the Attic floor. As an extension to the existing building, a new four-floor building with Attik hosts retail on street level, lofts and a maisonette on the floors above. These are accessed through the existing renovated building.  © Eric Schmid  Floor Plan  © Eric Schmid The Stuecheli House on Hammestrasse is a listed modernist building by the renown swiss architect Werner Stuecheli and has been restored faithfully in all its parts.The main entrance on Hammerstrasse is maintained and an additional access within the building on Forchstrasse has also been provided.  © Eric Schmid  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Singularity of the Skyscraper: Studies in Form and Façade Posted: 10 Apr 2017 09:00 PM PDT  New York. Image © Florian W. Mueller Florian W. Mueller's Singularity series is, in the photographer's own words, "just the building – reduced to the max." These deceptively simple shots of the summits of skyscrapers from around Europe and North America, each set against in infinite gradient of sky, are symbols of architecture's effort to reach ever higher in evermore unique ways. For Mueller, who is based in Cologne, they are an attempt at abstraction. In isolation—and especially when viewed together—they are remarkably revealing as studies of form and façade.  Dresden. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Hong Kong. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Lisbon. Image © Florian W. Mueller  New York. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Dusseldorf. Image © Florian W. Mueller  New York. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Madrid. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Dusseldorf. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Hong Kong. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Cologne. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Cologne. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Cologne. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Dusseldorf. Image © Florian W. Mueller  New York. Image © Florian W. Mueller  Berlin. Image © Florian W. Mueller  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House Z-M / Dhoore Vanweert Architecten Posted: 10 Apr 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Tim Van de Velde
 © Tim Van de Velde From the architect. The house is located in a residential park. One of the most important conditions was a maximum footprint of 250m2 to build in this wooded area. Since the client is a butterfly collector, the design of floor plan is based on the morphology of a butterfly. The body and the two wings are translated into a zone to cook and eat, a relaxing or living area and an office area on the ground level. The facades that face the street are relatively closed in contrast to the facades that face the garden. These are completely open, glazed facades that embrace the garden.  © Tim Van de Velde  Ground Floor Plan  © Tim Van de Velde The first floor, which houses the sleeping areas, is wrapped in reflective glazing to mirror the trees and clouds. This way, the house blends into its environment as much as possible. Behind the glass a dark red lacquer is used. It reveals itself depending on the position of the sun. This detail has a surprising and playful effect and is also a reference to the bark of the pine trees in the area.  © Tim Van de Velde The project is completely based on a grid size of 1,2m. Every wall and floor tile in natural stone, as well as every seam of the exterior joinery, is aligned with the grid. Every height is 60cm and every width 120cm or a multiple thereof.  © Tim Van de Velde  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Garden / Azovskiy&Pahomova architects Posted: 10 Apr 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Andrey Avdeenko
 © Andrey Avdeenko From the architect. The decision about stylistic direction of the gastrobar came to us, when the name and the concept had been confirmed. The customer wanted us to create light and bright space with sophisticated shades. The main goal was to arrange seating places on 49 sq.m. and to embody the concept of the green garden. That's why we used a lot of ivy pots, which will be complemented by other plants. The main salt is a big amount of daylight, which permeates into the space. Every detail of the design, from the lightning to wall decoration, complements the style of this location.  © Andrey Avdeenko  Floor Plan  © Andrey Avdeenko The main material is a floor tile. We really like it. It became a starting point of the design concept. The drawing of the tile gave a pace for whole interior. And it is a beautiful decoration of the restobar Garden.  © Andrey Avdeenko  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Qiyun Mountain Tree House / Bengo Studio Posted: 10 Apr 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Chen Hao
 © Chen Hao From the architect. The Qiyun Mountain Tree House is located in the region of Xiuning County which is 33 kilometres south of Huangshan City, Anhui Province. As a part of the Qiyun Mountain Scenic Area, the tree house is surrounded by a sea of red cedars.  © Chen Hao The 11-metre-tall tree house is of the same height as its neighboring mature-age red cedars. The house is a superposition of seven rooms as large as six to nine square meters, i.e., the entrance hall, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, the living room and the landscape room. The two sets of bedrooms and bathrooms are separated by the entrance hall, thus available for two families to live in at the same time without disturbing one another. The living room and the landscape room are built at the top of the house as public space. All seven rooms are connected by a spiral staircase in the center.  © Chen Hao The house invites the guests in from the glass glazed gallery in the central layer leading to the entrance hall before they go upstairs/downstairs to the two sets of rooms. The guests get to each room by climbing up/down climbing 1.6 meters up/down the central spiral staircase. As they move to different parts of the house, a panoramic view of the forest is guaranteed, offering a unique visitor experience of enjoying the forest scene at different heights.  © Chen Hao The rooms in the tree house are not big at all. In fact, they were designed to be extremely small. Yet, the glass window at one end of the room is as big as the entire wall that faces the view. Though the guests stay in a small room, their attention is drawn to a great expanse of forest outside the window.  © Chen Hao The house is a steel-structure piece. The structural core of the central spiral staircase was first built, joined by the cantilevered room structure. Given the concern that wood from other regions might cause plant disease and insect pest to this area, red cedar wood was chosen as the façade material for the tree house.  © Chen Hao  概念图  © Chen Hao  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Crown 515 / Smart Design Studio Posted: 10 Apr 2017 01:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio
 Courtesy of Smart Design Studio From the architect. On a prominent corner in Surry Hills, Crown 515 presents a dynamic form to the street, reinterpreting the traditional terrace in a contemporary design of angular shapes and shimmering tessellated tiles.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio A large ground-floor commercial space is envisioned as a restaurant, destined to be part of the local food scene, while five apartments on the upper two floors offer bespoke residences.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The character of the building is formed by two distinct but related architectural gestures that create a dialogue on either side of an existing free-standing terrace house, making use of an empty block to one side and a small triangular parcel of land on the other.  East Elevation Derived from the pitched roof forms of the surrounding structures and with a conscious nod to the vertical portals of the adjoining terrace typology, the architectural language of the building represents a challenge to the conventional terrace row. Viewed from Crown Street, the acute angles of the southern facade exaggerate the perspective of the corner site, lifting up to reveal an active public corner.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio This facade is clad in gloss white tessellated mosaic tiles that reflect and refract their surroundings, catching and amplifying the southern light. Along the row, in the new infill terrace, the same tiles line the internal reveals of the portals, offering a consistent yet distinctive character to the external finish of the building.  Exterior Detail The design 'gives back' to the street by creating an outdoor dining terrace, raised comfortably above street level but still very much a public zone. Paired with the promenade along Crown Street, this creates a social space the transitions smoothly into the Surry Hills context.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The restaurant is accessible from both Crown Street and Miles Street to the rear, allowing flexibility of use, while the tiled southern facade lifts up at the corner to reveal a secondary entry point, subtly activating this corner of the site. This portion of the building recognises the scale of its neighbours with a tall street wall, punctuated by only one strip window above ground floor. The two facades to High Holborn Street are unpunctuated by openings, with strong, graphic elevations that offer the strength of form required to balance prominent architectural neighbours Hiscoes Gym and St Peters Church.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio An infill terrace to the north of the site connects the heritage building to its northern neighbours, continuing the familiar vertical rhythm of rectangular forms cut with residential balconies. Infused with the Surry Hills character, this bespoke, contemporary interpretation of a classic building type features proportions and function driven by the terrace typology.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The residential entry to the building is completely removed from the site's commercial activity and is located at the rear of the development on High Holborn Street. Residents access each of the five apartments over two floors via a central stair and lift.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio The apartments make clever use of the existing terrace, retaining its key structural walls and weaving space around them. Apartments to the west feature large north-facing balconies with the privacy of a rear lane aspect, while the more lively Crown Street-facing apartments make use of existing and new terrace balconies. Individual apartments also boast design features: apartment three has a large window revealing the tall raked ceiling of the dining room, and the upper-level eastern apartment features a very large deck, set back to avoid street presence and offer acoustic privacy.  Ground Floor  First Floor  Second Floor The building observes the fundamental principles of energy efficiency and sustainable design. Thick composite walls provide insulation from outside temperatures, while windows with recessed reveals provide natural light without excessive heat gain. Generous ceiling heights permit plenty of solar access in winter and exclude hot sun in summer. The strategic placement of operable windows reduces the reliance of interior spaces on air conditioning, and further engages the building with its site.  Courtesy of Smart Design Studio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 10 Apr 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Dung Huynh
 © Dung Huynh From the architect. Located in Lagi, a coastal town in central Vietnam, with diverse tropical terrain consisting of mountains, forests, rivers and sandy beaches. The project is the initial phase of renovation for an existing local restaurant.  © Dung Huynh The owner has limited budget, so we expect a slow renovation process with multiple stages to completion and expected gaps in between while his business must stay operational. This demand requires slow, natural transitions that sustain as the business grows. Therefore, we envision the first phase harmoniously blends with its natural surroundings and existing construction made from bricks and cement. The new space should feel modern yet inviting to the current users.  Floor Plan With this approach, we created a functional, open space for a cafe that is also intimate with nature. We choose to make the roof light and inexpensive by using a modest steel structure. The main support system replicates the familiar wood frame observable at the current restaurant, keeping harmonious rhythms between the new and the old, between the open and the enclosed spaces. Inspired by the colors and forms of the nearby dam, and riverbed rocks, we keep the roof, floor, and walls neutral and let the wood elements be featured intermittently through the space. It provides the guests with the usual comforts yet does not take away their intimate connection with nature.  © Dung Huynh  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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