Arch Daily |
- These Maps Show Why It's a Bad Idea To Make Things Up
- Workshop AWEL Andelfingen / Rossetti+Wyss architects
- Suzhou Chapel / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
- House in Minami-tanabe / Fujiwaramuro architects
- Sembawang House / Atelier M+A
- Kant K / DATT + koyori
- Américas 1500 / Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos
- Take a Tour of the Recently Completed Visual Arts Building at University of Iowa with Steven Holl
- PACCAR Environmental Technology Building / LMN Architects
- Peter Zumthor Unveils Designs for Beyeler Foundation Addition
- 150 North Riverside / Goettsch Partners
- MYS Architects Designs Tel Aviv High-Rise with Environmental-Ornamental Brise-Soleil
- Rural Church Community Hall Malawi / Architecture for a Change
- Be a Voyeur in Christian Grey’s Revamped “50 Shades” Penthouse With This 3D Model
- House in Mantiqueira / Una Arquitetos
- 5 Architectural Landmarks and Their Identical Twins
- Spotlight: Jane Jacobs
- Behind The Scenes at Studio Gang
- MFH Dali Rain / dolmus Architekten
| These Maps Show Why It's a Bad Idea To Make Things Up Posted: 04 May 2017 09:00 PM PDT It's difficult to imagine an uncharted world. Today, GPS and satellite maps guide us around cities both familiar and new, while scanning and mapping techniques are gradually drawing the last air of mystery away our planet's remaining unexplored territories. At one time, however, cartography was based on little more than anecdotal evidence and a series of educated guesses. But map-making in the 16th and 17th Centuries was an art nonetheless, even if these examples testify to the fact that just because you're missing important facts, total fabrication may not be the best way forward. The First Map of the North Pole (1606) Septentrionalium Terrarum. Image © Gerard Mercator (Public Domain) The Septentrionalium Terrarum, completed in 1606 by Gerard Mercator (of projection fame), presents the North Pole as an enormous mountain surrounded on all sides by sea and four giant land masses. Without any information about what lay "up there," Mercator also described particular characteristics for each tectonic plate; according to Atlas Obscura, "the one in the lower right is supposedly home to 'pygmies, whose length is four feet' – likely another reference to the Inventio Fortunata, which described groups of small-statured people living in the polar regions." The First Map of the American Continent (1550) Tabula novarum insularum, quas Diversis respectibus Occidentales & Indianas uocant. Image © Sebastian Münster (Public Domain) The Tabula novarum insularum, quas Diversis respectibus Occidentales & Indianas uocant or, to put it more concisely, the first map of the American continent, by Sebastian Münster (1550) is the earliest known map to present all of North and South America in a "true" continental form. While North America suffered immeasurably from a lack of understanding of both scale and distance (a large ocean inlet is seen to cut between what might now be the USA and Canada), the outline South America is slightly closer to reality. An Early Map of the African Continent (1573) Prester John, or, a map of the Abyssinian Kingdom. Image © Abraham Ortelius (Public Domain) The Prester John, or, a map of the Abyssinian Kingdom by Abraham Ortelius (1573) is on the one hand a relatively geographically accurate depiction of a portion of Africa, but that's where it ends. The map was intended to depict the lands assumed to have been ruled over by the legendary, and inordinately wealthy, Christian King Prester John – a figure of folkloric status for 16th Century Europeans. This mythological monarch did not actually exist but, given the scale of the continent, we have to hand it to Ortelius for his technical prowess.
 The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps See more "Mistaken Maps" on 1843 Magazine inspired by The Phantom Atlas (Edward Brooke-Hitching).  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Workshop AWEL Andelfingen / Rossetti+Wyss architects Posted: 04 May 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Jürg Zimmermann
 © Jürg Zimmermann "The workshop is a statement of reduction of means, creating a sculptured body made of piled up load-bearing elements. Everything that is necessary is there, with nothing superfluous added. The only wooden structure relates to the oldest buildings in Switzerland and is AAA sustainable. The timber used regrows in Switzerland in 18 minutes". Mark Aurel Wyss, Rossetti+Wyss architects, Zurich, Switzerland  © Jürg Zimmermann The Canton of Zurich wanted to add a new building to its waterways engineering operations center to house vehicles and machines and to serve as a workshop for carrying out detail work. The concept for the building draws on traditional agricultural construction while at the same time, so to speak, realizing a childhood dream: stacking up and layering simple wooden blocks to build an elementary structure. The workshop is made up of 36 solid wood elements. Each element has its own structural effect, protecting the space and forming part of the whole. Everything that is necessary is there, with nothing superfluous added. The solid timber support structure is visible both inside and out. Restraint is the creative byword here. But the simplicity is anything but ordinary.  © Jürg Zimmermann  Section  © Jürg Zimmermann The workshop draws on the principles of log construction – taking it to new and undreamt-of dimensions. The wooden elements can be interconnected on the building site in only two days, so that what are for the most part soft components come together to form a stable structure. The timber used regrows in Switzerland in 18 minutes.  © Jürg Zimmermann  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Suzhou Chapel / Neri&Hu Design and Research Office Posted: 04 May 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Pedro Pegenaute
 © Pedro Pegenaute From the architect. The chapel is a feature building within the larger Village zone. As such, it occupies a prime location visible from the main road and along the waterfront. Its architectural language is derived from similar elements found elsewhere in the project, such as the undulating brick walls and floating white volume—but they are here, taken to another level of articulation. The brick walls begin to break down to an even more refined scale, where different heights of walls interweave with each other to create a choreographed landscape journey leading into the building itself.  © Pedro Pegenaute  © Pedro Pegenaute The white volume also receives special treatment, here, it is composed of two layers. The inner layer is a simple box punctuated on all sides with scattered windows, while the outer layer is a folded and perforated metal skin, a "veil" which alternatively hides and reveals. In the daytime, the white box emerges shimmering gently in the sunlight, subtly exposing its contents. In the night, the white box becomes a jewel-like beacon in the project, its various windows emitting a soft glow in all directions.  © Pedro Pegenaute  Sections  © Pedro Pegenaute Inside the building, visitors continue on their guided journey through the pre-function area and then into the main chapel space, which features a light-filled 12m high space. There is a seamless integration with the surrounding nature as picture windows frame various man-made and natural landscapes. A mezzanine level hovers overhead to accommodate extra guests, and includes a catwalk encircling the space, allowing 360 degrees of viewing angles. The mezzanine is integrated into a wood louvered cage element which wraps around the whole upper part of the room. A grid of glowing bulb lights and delicate bronze details give a touch of opulence to the otherwise quietly monastic spaces. Custom wood furniture and crafted wood details compliment the simple material palette of gray brick, terrazzo, and concrete. Another feature of the chapel building is a separate staircase alongside the main space, which allows visitors to gain access to the rooftop for unrivaled views across the scenic lake. Various openings along this stair ascent give unexpected views both internally and externally.  © Pedro Pegenaute  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House in Minami-tanabe / Fujiwaramuro architects Posted: 04 May 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Toshiyuki Yano
 © Toshiyuki Yano From the architect. The existing row house on this long, narrow property measuring 3.75 m across and 16.92 m deep was torn down to make way for a new residence. The design adapts to the distinctive site by playing up deep lines of sight. Segmented split-level floors overlap with one basement and three above-ground floors, providing visual outlets in a number of directions. The basement contains a multi-purpose space, the first floor an entryway, the second floor a combined living-dining-kitchen area and desk space, the third floor bedrooms and bathrooms, and above that there is a rooftop area.  © Toshiyuki Yano Scattered staircases connecting the split-level floors create multiple up-down circulation routes, giving form to an image of wandering through the house rather than moving monotonously within it. The nature of the site is ill-suited to gazing at exterior views, so we approached the interior as a landscape of its own. Residents are able to stand or sit at various spots inside the house and enjoy this interior landscape. The idea was not simply to design a place for spending time but rather to think about time.  © Toshiyuki Yano  Section  © Toshiyuki Yano Outside, a stainless-steel chain curtain hangs across the façade. It can be closed to gently deflects prying eyes or opened to provide a feeling of expansiveness. While people tend to associate stainless steel curtains with the hardness of metal, when used on a building-sized scale, they flutter in the wind and convey a surprisingly soft impression. The result is a façade that lets in light while maintaining privacy during the day, and at night turns into a glittering veil illuminated by the interior lighting.  © Toshiyuki Yano  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 May 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Masano Kawana
 © Masano Kawana From the architect. The owners are a young couple with two toddlers who love to hold frequent family gatherings and thus had requested for spacious interior space and outdoor garden space for communal activities.  © Masano Kawana  First Floor Plan  © Masano Kawana Our aim of the design is to create a home where the family and their children could move, roam and play freely within the house and into the garden. We abandoned the concept of a formal entrance and allow one to enter the house freely from the full width sliding glass doors lining the living and dining space. The sliding glass doors are also recessed from the second storey wall to provide a shaded outdoor space for activities during the day. The front and side garden are turfed and landscaped with lush tropical plants that add to the enjoyment of outdoor activities.  © Masano Kawana  Section  © Masano Kawana The house is designed to response to the tropical climate in Singapore. The shaded outdoor spaces such as patio and the deck terrace enable the residents to enjoy the outdoor activities yet can be protected from the strong sun and tropical rain.  © Masano Kawana The house is organized with a simple layout. The Living and Dining are the focal points of the house as the owners hold frequent family gatherings. The Living space has a double-volume height and is surrounded by rooms and lined by a bridge-like corridor on the second storey. The eight-metre high ceiling space welcomes you upon entering the house, and the high ceiling space connects multiple interior spaces horizontally and vertically to promote interaction among the family. A skylight punctuates the ceiling and brings light into the deep interior space. The terrace on the second floor along the corridor helps to bring in light while it generates breeze and ventilation across the house.  © Masano Kawana The exterior of the house is characterized by a gently-pitched tile roof with a timber-cladded facade. The gentle pitch roof keeps the form of the house low and intimate, and the timber cladding adds a warm touch to the house and blends well into the abundant greenery of the suburb area of the island.  © Masano Kawana  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 04 May 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Shohei Yoshida
 © Shohei Yoshida From the architect. A residential complex located in Muko city, Kyoto. The building is facing to a historical street. The location is mixed with historic sites and countryside sceneries as well as the modern shops and apartments, making the area rather unarranged.  Site Plan Thus, we aimed not just to meet the requirements as a preferable rent but also aimed to make the architecture have positive effects to the townscape when to design this apartment. We first came up with the size of the apartment – three stories with reinforced concrete - based on the legal requirements then made all rooms facing to south.  © Shohei Yoshida We used the least foundation walls within the residential space and streamlined the equipment area to enable the possible layout changes in the future. To reduce the pressure of the size, the building is set some distance back from the road and has a semi-outdoor public space as a buffer zone surrounded by thin structural walls that are designed like under-eaves space of the Japanese traditional townhouse called Machiya. Furthermore, 2ft-width exterior wall parts are used for outer walls and its slim ditch pattern contributes the large structure settles into the scales of neighbor residential houses. And a black water-repellent coating helps the apartment fits into the houses with Japanese tiled-roofs in the area. (By finishing the surface uneven, it also delays the degradation of the materials over time.)  © Shohei Yoshida  © Shohei Yoshida We believe a townscape well represents the way of thinking of local residents. We expect our intention to inherit the good local traditions - not just to pursue the economic approach - will be taken over in this area.  © Shohei Yoshida  © Shohei Yoshida  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Américas 1500 / Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos Posted: 04 May 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Rafael Gamo
 © Rafael Gamo From the architect. This mixed-use project for offices and a hotel is located in the heart of the city of Guadalajara. Its formal, emphatic, and unified volumetrics express its iconic nature.  © Rafael Gamo The formal concept arises from the mixed-use character it will acquire, consisting of four stacked geometric volumes. Two of these are slightly offset, and exactly aligned on the rear face. These gestures of displacement are designed to interrupt the robustness of the building and express an elegant sense of movement. The lowest volume houses the hotel, and the three volumes above it are allocated to office use by three different corporations, each occupying one volume in its entirety.  Secciones As a response to its urban context, adjacent to one of the city’s most significant urban highways, Americas Ave., the building presents a façade resembling a double skin, enveloping it for its protection.  © Rafael Gamo The solar gain the building will receive on three of its four sides was one of the most significant design challenges. For this reason, the faces respond to this need with recessed aluminum framing, in the style of a curtain wall, specifically designed at the correct angle to create shadows and avoid excessive solar gain. On top of this, the building uses double glazing offering a high degree of solar protection. The purity and repetition of the lines of the façade grant it unique and timeless qualities that enhance its iconic character. As a result, it is the first building of this type in the west of the country to receive LEED certification.  © Rafael Gamo The ground floor is conceived as a plaza, a large public space, providing access and transit for the building’s various uses.  © Rafael Gamo  Planta Baja  © Rafael Gamo A triple elevator core facilitates the operation of the hotel, offices, parking lot, and services. The vehicular and pedestrian entrances are set in a large plaza with textures and vegetation giving pedestrians priority over cars. The dominant textures used in the floor surface are natural limestone, which continues the geometry of the façade across the ground, with randomly-placed areas of paving.  © Rafael Gamo Torre Américas 1500 is the first stage of development of a whole complex. This first stage is located on a site measuring 4,116 m², with a built area of 29,461 m² distributed over 26 floors from the ground floor to the last office level, below the heliport. There are 7 basement levels covering a total of 28,509 m². The structural design is based on post-tensioned concrete slabs and a central circulation core.  © Rafael Gamo  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Take a Tour of the Recently Completed Visual Arts Building at University of Iowa with Steven Holl Posted: 04 May 2017 09:00 AM PDT Steven Holl Architects' new Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa, completed last fall, has already begun to make its impact on the school's social environment, pairing Art Building West (also designed by SHA, in 2006) to create a revitalized Arts Quad with public spaces the whole campus can enjoy. These two videos give an in-depth look at the new building. In the video above, Steven Holl and Senior Partner Chris McVoy tour the school while providing commentary about their design process, as well as the history of the site and the building's construction. Also check out the video below to see all the spaces in action. Videos via Steven Holl Architects.
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| PACCAR Environmental Technology Building / LMN Architects Posted: 04 May 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Ed LaCasse
 © Ed LaCasse From the architect. The $52.8 million PACCAR Environmental Technology Building at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington brings to life the vision of WSU's Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture and the pursuit of interdisciplinary research related to sustainability concerns. The 96,000-square-foot project is a collaboration between designers LMN Architects and general contractor Skanska. The four-story building serves five of WSU's long-standing research and development centers, all dedicated to tackling multi-faceted environmental issues through interdisciplinary collaboration. "What's exciting about this project is how it sums up so much of what contemporary education is about—collaboration, exploration…a true interdisciplinary approach—the whole project is essentially one giant laboratory," notes Mark Reddington, FAIA, Partner at LMN.  Site Plan Conceptually, the building merges the spirit of collaboration with the exploration of materiality. Functionally, the building is formed by two distinct elements: a "workhorse bar" housing secure laboratories, offices, and student workstations; and a "showcase bar" that presents the program's work to the campus community with transparent program spaces, including a heavy materials lab, a double-height seminar room, and a flexible design studio. The intersection of the two bars creates a "Town Square," a lounge and cafe that serve as the social hub of the program and where the general public and researchers can intermingle and enjoy views of the campus, the Palouse, and the active spaces.  © Ed LaCasse  © Ed LaCasse The western portion of the building, including the Simpson Strong-Tie® Research and Testing Laboratory, is framed in engineered wood products including cross-laminated timber (CLT), as well as glue-laminated timber and laminated-veneer lumber. The history of these engineered wood products is intricately tied to WSU. One of the research centers, the Composite Materials and Engineering Center (CMEC), is the modern successor to the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, which was founded at WSU in 1949 and was instrumental in the development of the billion-dollar industry of up-cycling wood waste from the timber industry. "It is exciting to be involved in a project that, at its essence, is about pushing the boundaries of what the future holds for building materials." says Reddington.  © Ed LaCasse  Diagram  © Ed LaCasse Captured rainwater satisfies 85 percent of the non-potable water demand, and daylight is calibrated through digitally-modeled sunshades making glare-free, panoramic views possible. Occupying a key site in the future growth of WSU's academic core, the building sets a precedent for the character of the university's built environment destined for this part of campus. The design emphasizes a neighborhood feel that promotes walkability, street-level encounters, and connections to the natural landscape. The project is LEED Gold Certified.  © Ed LaCasse  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Peter Zumthor Unveils Designs for Beyeler Foundation Addition Posted: 04 May 2017 07:00 AM PDT  House for Art and Pavilion (right-hand side), View from the Berower Park. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner Atelier Peter Zumthor has revealed conceptual designs for their CHF 100 million ($100 million USD) addition of the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen, Switzerland, just outside of the city of Basel. Located on land formerly off-limits to the public, the extension will add an array of new event and gallery spaces to the existing museum, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and opened in 1997. Drawing from the "village-like character" of Riehen, the addition will consist of three, relatively small new buildings that blend harmoniously into the museum's nature-filled setting: a stoic building for administration and service, a glass pavilion for events, and a grand House for Art. Together, their arrangement will help to create a subtle link between the new and old areas of the site.  House for Art, View from the Iselin-Weber Park. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner "I want to create buildings that are loved," commented Peter Zumthor. "Having the chance to do so in Basel, the city of my youth, is a particular honor for me."  House for Art and Pavilion, View from the west along the Bachtelenweg in the direction of Baselstrasse. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner "Peter Zumthor brings great experience to the construction of cultural buildings and has the necessary sensitivity to build a museum of outstanding quality in this very special spot in the heart of Riehen," said Sam Keller, the Director of the Fondation Beyeler. "The interaction between human beings, nature, art and architecture that has always characterized the Fondation Beyeler will be as successfully achieved as it was twenty years ago by Renzo Piano."  House for Art, Exhibition Space. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner  House for Art, View from the Iselin-Weber Park. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner The full project, including acquisition of the land and existing buildings, funding of the new building, and ten years of operating and maintenance costs, is being privately financed, and is expected to cost CHF 100 million budget. Half of that amount has already been committed. Learn more about the project here. News via The Beyeler Foundation  House for Art, View from the Iselin-Weber Park. Image Courtesy of Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner
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| 150 North Riverside / Goettsch Partners Posted: 04 May 2017 06:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Goettsch Partners
 Courtesy of Goettsch Partners From the architect. The sliver of land today known as 150 North Riverside sat vacant for decades. Wedged between the Chicago River to the east, active Amtrak rail lines to the west, and Lake and Randolph street viaducts to the north and south, the lot is only 85 feet across at its widest point. Prior to the project's completion, developers, for decades, believed it was impossible to build on a site with such constrictive features. Despite this long-held belief, client-developer Riverside Investment & Development saw an opportunity to purchase the parcel and structure a unique acquisition of two adjacent parcels of largely air rights above the rail lines. This combined three-parcel site allowed the design team to create a 54-story office tower directly on the riverfront, in conjunction with a surrounding public park and riverwalk.  Courtesy of Goettsch Partners  Courtesy of Goettsch Partners Utilizing a core-supported structure, the design features a small building footprint that opens the ground plane and allows for a dramatic, light-filled lobby while supporting efficient, column-free office floors above. Taking cues from the river, vertical mullions undulate along the building's east and west facades to help activate the exterior. The north and south faces divide into three vertical planes that accentuate the slenderness of the tower, with the center plane recessed to create additional corner offices. The largely open nature of the base offers the majority of the two-acre site—more than 75%—as a landscaped public park with pedestrian pathways overlooking the river. Building amenity spaces include a restaurant, bar, fitness center and conference center—all with water views.  Diagram The 1.5 million-square-foot building is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, including a number of sustainable elements designed to maximize energy efficiency and provide ample natural light and open spaces on the interior. The project also features an extensive green roof system, covering the entire structure.  Courtesy of Goettsch Partners  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MYS Architects Designs Tel Aviv High-Rise with Environmental-Ornamental Brise-Soleil Posted: 04 May 2017 05:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of MYS Architects MYS Architects has been selected to design a new mixed-use high-rise in the northern business district of Tel Aviv, an area home to the city's urban skyscraper belt. Called the "Egged Tower," the project consists of a 65-story tower rising from a commercial podium, constituting one of the largest current construction projects in the city. The tower will be clad in a unique panelized facade system that employs techniques developed in the "Function of Ornament" research course led by Farshid Moussavi at the Harvard GSD.  Courtesy of MYS Architects Located at the center of several of the city's primary circulatory arteries, the project site is wedged between a major highway to the east, a prominent road with an underground light rail line under construction to the west, an intersecting road linking the city to its eastern neighborhoods and pedestrian corridors connecting the Midtown development to the north and the Azrieli Center to the south.  Courtesy of MYS Architects Situated within the developing high-rise northern business district of Tel Aviv, Egged Tower and complex continues the urban skyscraper belt positioned between a major highway to the east, a prominent road with an underground light rail line under construction to the west, an intersecting road linking the city to its eastern neighborhoods and pedestrian corridors connecting the Midtown development to the north and the Azrieli Center to the south. The 65 floor tower and complex program continues the mixed use character of the district with the addition of commercial space at ground level, a hotel above and residential apartment development on top.  Courtesy of MYS Architects "One of the dominating urban features of the scheme consists of an elevated garden plinth above street commerce and hotel amenities," explains project architect Guy Re Moor. "The resulting mass of the raised slab unifies the eclectic program, while its juxtaposition funnels a widening street path to a future Azrieli plaza, light rail station and tower. Moreover, at ground level, the interior pedestrian routes give way to composed courtyards or "urban rooms" framed by the garden scene above that emphasize particular experiences of the monolithic tower and provide a respite from city life."  Courtesy of MYS Architects  Courtesy of MYS Architects The design of the Egged Tower draws inspiration from the vernacular of Tel Aviv modernism, utilizing a tilted-panel brise-soleil adaptation that infuses the environmental and ornamental. "In addition to its local climatic attributes, a key feature of the tower scaled skin deals with its changing perception. At a faraway glance, the tilting panels reflect sunlight more acutely on the upper residential block then on the lower hotel counterpart. When one comes close, the lower hotel scales dominate as a result of a larger viewed surface area in relation to their upper residential contraries," explains Re Moor.  Courtesy of MYS Architects  Courtesy of MYS Architects "The resulting façade flip hones an accentuated shifting experience of the volume in relation to scale, program, city and street while the complex at large echoes a sense of place, the global & local, the iconic & the mundane, giving way to a newly defined Tel Avivian tower identity." News via MYS Architects.  Courtesy of MYS Architects  Courtesy of MYS Architects
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| Rural Church Community Hall Malawi / Architecture for a Change Posted: 04 May 2017 04:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change
 Courtesy of Architecture for a Change From the architect. The community of Chimphamba have been gathering for years in a church building that was near to collapse. The community has also outgrown the dilapidated building.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change  Plan  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change As part of Youth of Malawi's involvement in the village in Chimphamba they discussed the possibility of erecting a new space for community gatherings. These types of public buildings are extremely important in rural communities, as they must facilitate regular community gatherings to discus important matters such as food security, community challenges etc. Along with the chiefs of the village, Youth of Malawi asked A4AC to design and manage the build of a new church / community hall.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change Our main aim was to create a building that could be built by the community builders themselves, but still to pose a challenge to them. We looked for inspiration within the community – elements of safety that the community could relate to -. Through our analysis of geometric shapes in the community it became evident that cylindrical forms resonate with safety and protection. The people of rural Malawi create cylindrical protection walls around small trees to protect them during initial growth from animals. Cylindrical bird / chicken coups are made from woven sticks. One of the most evident cylindrical shapes seen in the community is maze storage structures that the people store their harvest in.  Exploded Isometric These cylindrical structures are associated with a sense of protection & safeguarding. This was used as a metaphor for the design: as space that will protect and safeguard the sense of community in Chimphamba.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change Essentially the building is a round cylinder, with three boxes that have been inserted into it. The boxes are constructed from local brick, to match the existing structures in the village. The 1st box serves as a foyer into the building, and the 2nd taller box serves as a ventilation tower. The circular shape of the building is also beneficial for acoustics. The ventilation tower generates natural ventilation through the concept of a heat stack. The tower is heated by the sun. This leads to hot air rising towards the top of the tower. In return this will create a suction at the bottom, drawing fresh air from the exterior.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change The climate in Chimphamba allows for the walls to remain breathable throughout the year. This allows for enhanced natural ventilation. The light openings inside the wall was inspired by the previous church. The structure had many small holes in the decaying roof. Although this was not created intentionally, the resulted in small beams of light entering the space. This memory was replicated in the new church.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change The main religion in the area is Christianity. The roof of the building symbolize a cross. The cross shape is roofed by opaque roof sheeting too allow for a sufficient level of natural lighting.  Courtesy of Architecture for a Change In 2014 A4AC built a school along with the community of Chimphamba. Our involvement in this 1st phase was major. We concentrated on skills transfer during this phases in 2014. This time around the community could erect the new structured by themselves!  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Be a Voyeur in Christian Grey’s Revamped “50 Shades” Penthouse With This 3D Model Posted: 04 May 2017 02:30 AM PDT The interplay of tantalizing eroticism continues within Christian Grey's luxury tower in the recently-released film sequel, Fifty Shades Darker. In the first film, Grey's plush apartment played an integral role in undressing the personas of Anastasia Steele, who liberates herself from her chaste existence, and Christian, who exposes the seething and fiery carnal desires and fetishism behind his glorified masculine beauty, charm, and appearance. Grey's penthouse, which resonates with his unyielding and intimidating Heathcliff undertones in the first part of the trilogy, turns over a new leaf in the sequel. There is ambient warmth in the penthouse; nevertheless, the high level of sophistication prevails in his penchant for singular tastes and fastidiously-selected objects and it remains unapologetically lush. As you exit the elevator and walk on the glistening marble floors of the apartment, you are ushered into the uninterrupted space of the great room. There's the Minotti Seymour Serpentine Vis a Vis Sofa, Richard MacDonald's "Angelic Crystal" column sculpture, and a Fazioli grand piano with a price tag of $250,000.  Courtesy of Archilogic The unattainable price tags of his objects of desire continue throughout the apartment, with iconic works of art like the sensual painting of the Madonna by Edvard Munch in the master bedroom or the classic icon of modern design by Charles and Ray Eames, La Chaise, which costs a whopping $11,295. He also ensures there is enough feminine grace in the boudoir (or "Ana's room")—and of the 16 other women who stayed there, only lucky Ana gets her own walk-in closet. Talk about taking big steps, Christian!  Courtesy of Archilogic The spatial explicitness and openness of the penthouse with the sweeping views of Seattle also provide room for candidness. In this retreat, both characters open up to each other and shed their inhibitions and begin their journey of sexual exploration. The (painful) pleasures that await Ana in his play room which she refers to as the "red room of pain" is indeed a Pandora's Box which unleashes sadistic pain, pleasure (at times) and eventually doubts and anger for her. The room, decked with neatly arranged leather studded whip racks and kinky toys, is where Grey's absolute belief in "I do not make love" becomes an unfortunate yet expected reality for Ana; at least in the first film. Archilogic has created a realistic 3D model in which every detail of the apartment is precisely recreated—except you do not have to worry about rules or signing a nondisclosure agreement, and there are no keys needed to unlock the playroom. At least visual pleasure is easily attainable here. Enjoy an uninterrupted tour of the apartment. For now, it's "Laters Baby!"  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House in Mantiqueira / Una Arquitetos Posted: 04 May 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Nelson Kon
 © Nelson Kon From the architect. The house is built on top of Mantiqueira, a 500 km mountain range that crosses the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.  © Nelson Kon  © Nelson Kon Its site is almost totally surrounded by woods, placed in an existing glade, gently sloping and facing a stream.  © Nelson Kon  Planta - Cobertura  © Nelson Kon Project’s main intention is to establish multiple dialogues with the site and its many views across the uneven and astonishing landscape.  © Nelson Kon  © Nelson Kon A concrete shear wall construction, conforming the ground floor level, aimed to acomodate itself to the land slope. It defines a platform, detaching from the upper bound, rising, and folding itself in order to create a patio, wich connects two bedrooms, living and dining room, kitchen and storage area.  © Nelson Kon  © Nelson Kon Perpendicular and suspended over the structure below, a second volume accomodates two bedrooms at each end and a studio with a terrace, each with diferents openings orientations. The waggon metallic structure, supported by two concrete pilars, covers a 12 meters span above the patio, both rooms corresponding to the structure cantilever. It was brought to the ground in small pieces, easily assembled and welded on the ground and finally suspended by crane (in exact 15 minutes), avoiding undesirable temporary structures and impacts on the site.  Axonométrica  Corte Between the platform and the suspended waggon, was designed a open terrace deck, with aquatic gardens and a swimming-pool. This level is also the same as the nearest treetops. Here, as well as at severals others points of the house, spaces were created within their dialogue with the natural context.  © Nelson Kon  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 Architectural Landmarks and Their Identical Twins Posted: 04 May 2017 01:00 AM PDT  A replica Tower Bridge at the Window of the World Theme Park, Shenzhen, China © Flickr user volvob12b. Licensed under CC0 1.0 Architectural landmarks can define a city. A mention of Paris conjures images of the Eiffel Tower, whilst no description of Sydney is complete without mentioning its inspiring Opera House. How disorientating it must be, therefore, to encounter a familiar architectural wonder far removed from the city, or country to which it belongs. As it happens, many of our most famous structures have identical twins you may not have been aware of. Tower Bridge, London The original Tower Bridge in London © User: Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA-4.0  Tower Bridge's identical twin in Suzhou, China via CCTV In March 2017, we reported on a copy of London's famous Tower Bridge, which emerged in the Chinese city of Suzhou. Although completed in 2012, the replica of London's Victorian landmark has recently been doubled, to accommodate a five-lane highway. Big Ben, London The original Big Ben in London © Flickr user htakashi. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0  Big Ben's identical twin in Kolkata, India © Flickr user trekpedition. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 Located in Kolkata, India, this 1/3 scale replica of London's iconic Big Ben clock tower was opened in October 2015. A result of the Bengal Chief Minister's dream of making Kolkata as glorious as London, the 30m tall tower has attracted a wave of criticism from local residents who perceive the project as a waste of public money. The Colosseum, Rome The original Colosseum in Rome © Flickr user mattkieffer. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0  The Colosseum's identical twin in Macau, China © Flickr user 11020833@N02. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 On New Year's Eve 2006, the Macau Fisherman's Wharf in China was opened to the public. Amongst its 18th century inspired hotels, boulevards, and casino, there exists a replica of Rome's famous Colosseum. Equipped with 2,000 seats, the amphitheater serves as an outdoor concert venue, with a semi-ruined structure taking inspiration from its identical Roman twin. The River Arno, Florence The original Grand Canal in Florence © Flickr user bcreative. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0  The Florentine Grand Canal's identical twin in China © Flickr user portablematthew. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 The appropriately-named Florentina Village in China contains 200,000sqm of classical architecture inspired by the picturesque Italian city of Florence. Amongst the stone bridges, fountains, and plazas, a Grand Canal imitates the banks of the River Arno in Florence, complete with gondoliers for a Venetian touch. Moai Statues, Easter Island The original Easter Island statues © Flickr user jzielcke. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0  Easter Island's identical twins in Beijing, China © Flickr user jedstr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 In a business district of Beijing, China, a row of Easter Island's famous Moai statues line a pedestrian walkway. The replicas were erected in 2011, in contrast to the Easter Island originals, which date between 1250 and 1500AD. Fortunately, only 12 of the 887 ancient originals have been replicated. Bonus – Window of the World Theme Park, China A taste of Paris at the Window of the World Theme Park, Shenzhen, China © Flickr user jlcalgary. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0  A replica Taj Mahal at the Window of the World Theme Park, Shenzhen, China © Flickr user jlcalgary. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 As opposed to replicating one architectural masterpiece, the Window of the World theme park in Shenzhen, China has taken a step further. The 48Ha park contains 130 replicas of some of the most famous architectural landmarks in the world, including the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and Leaning Tower of Pisa.
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| Posted: 04 May 2017 12:00 AM PDT  Jane Jacobs, then chairperson of a civic group in Greenwich Village, at a press conference in 1961. Image <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jane_Jacobs.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a>, photograph by Phil Stanziola (Public Domain) Throughout her career, social activist and urban writer Jane Jacobs (May 4, 1916 – April 25, 2006) fought against corporate globalization and urged post-war urban planners and developers to remember the importance of community and the human scale. Despite having no formal training, she radically changed urban planning policy through the power of observation and personal experience. Her theories on how design can affect community and creativity continue to hold relevance today—influencing everything from the design of mega-cities to tiny office spaces. In The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), her most well-known publication, Jacobs critiqued the short-sightedness of urban planners in the 1950s and argued that their assumptions about what makes a good city are actually detrimental to the human experience. For example, she contended that the creation of automobile infrastructure results in the unnatural division of pre-existing neighborhoods, creating unsafe environments and thereby severing community connections. In the years leading up to her death, she discussed ways in which communities could recover what they lost as a result of poor foresight in earlier city planning efforts. Besides her written works, Jacobs is known for her urban activism, in particular her criticisms of New York's masterplanner Robert Moses, who at the time was engaged in a wholesale modernization of the city with car-led infrastructure, slum clearances and Le Corbusier-inspired housing blocks. The feud between these two arch-rivals is dramatic enough that there is now an opera based on the story.  Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, which Jacobs saved from Robert Moses' plans for the Lower Manhattan Expressway. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_-_Washington_Square_Park.JPG'>Wikimedia user Jean-Christophe BENOIST</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY 3.0</a> Perhaps the most high-profile part of this battle was Jacobs' campaign to save her own neighborhood of Greenwich Village, which was designated by Moses for slum clearance and a new expressway. After a popular campaign of social activism—which included Jacobs' arrest—Moses' plans were largely abandoned, signaling a victory for Jacobs' ideals, if not exactly a personal victory; following her arrest, she left Greenwich Village and moved to Toronto. Greenwich village is in many ways an effective case study not just of Jacobs' ideals at the time, but of the results of her theories. Many have criticized her ideas for apparently ignoring—even incubating—the processes of gentrification which in the intervening years have become one of the central challenges for cities. However, others have countered that when she made her arguments, in the era of modernization and suburban expansion, it was inconceivable that preservation of old neighborhoods would eventually lead to an increase in desirability and value. After her first book, Jacobs broadened her scope and began to look at topics such as economics, morals, and social relations to create an oeuvre that approached a complete theory of what makes a city. Here is a complete list of her publications:
Read more about Jane Jacobs via the ArchDaily articles below:
New Documentary to Explore the Life and Legacy of Jane Jacobs
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| Behind The Scenes at Studio Gang Posted: 03 May 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Aqua Tower. Image © Victor Delaqua Last year I had the opportunity to visit Studio Gang, one of the most prestigious and inspiring firms around led by architect Jeanne Gang. I was able to talk with her team about the workspace, some of her projects, about the future of architecture, the role of women in the profession and even about the inspirations behind the United States Embassy in Brasilia. Studio Gang's headquarters in Chicago is housed in a building that was built in 1937 and was once a community center for Polish immigrants that, among other functions, contained a bank that acted as a major anchor for the Polish community in the United States and was later at risk of being demolished.  Studio Gang HQ - Chicago. Image © Victor Delaqua  Studio Gang HQ - Chicago. Image © Victor Delaqua That was the reason the office bought the building to be its new headquarters in Chicago. Today, the entire space has been cleaned out and remodeled to accommodate the needs of a large architectural firm: a floor plan with big enough space to display their models, workstations, meeting tables and an open air rooftop space that offers yoga classes for the staff, lectures and other types of events that are open to the public.  Studio Gang HQ - Chicago. Image © Victor Delaqua Opening the building for community activities allows more people to access the historic building and learn to respect the memory of their city through living with the space. Most of the activities take place outdoors, on the roof, which has been landscaped using local vegetation in order to attract regional fauna, similar to something the firm did in one of their most celebrated projects, the Chicago Zoo Park.  Chicago Zoo Park. Image © Victor Delaqua Alongside the proposal for the zoo, Studio Gang is responsible for several iconic buildings in Chicago. Most of their projects generate discussions around what occurs in the daily office routine: the coexistence between people and the dialogue with the city. It's clear that the design practice there doesn't seek to create parks, skyscrapers or icons for a city, but spaces that people can live and experience. Some examples would be the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park and the Aqua Tower, which is the largest skyscraper ever built that was designed by a firm headed by a woman. The project was completed in 2010.  WMS Boathouse in Clark Park. Image © Victor Delaqua
The firm's success comes from the research that they do to conceptualize their designs along with working across multiple disciplines through conversations with other specialists like sociologists and anthropologists. Each project gets its own bibliography and different consultants. In the case of the National Aquarium, the team collaborated with animal psychologists to understand how to design a contemporary aquarium and search for new ways to change the way we imagine these buildings and what the resident animals' lives should be like.
Throughout its history, the office has gained international prominence and it now has architectural pieces located in several countries, addressing local surroundings when designing, highlighting the importance of the initial research process to understanding and collaborating with communities where they'll be building. Keeping in mind that the firm doesn't try to impose an architectural style, on the contrary, they absorb different references in order to blend the architecture into its environment. This may have been the secret to the company beating out other big names in the contest for the US Embassy in Brasilia. They still can't talk about the project itself, but the fact that Jeanne Gang has already been to Brazil several times makes her fairly familiar with the country.
Lina Bo Bardi, whom they describe as a genius, is a great inspiration to them. Among the qualities that Brazilians are already more accustomed to seeing in Lina's work, they highlight the way she explores materials, and the process and the manner in which she expresses them next in their location. In addition, they draw attention to the openings that Lina creates in her projects, which make for incredible spaces and serve as a guideline for the project. Another small clue about the future project comes in the form of respect and admiration for the work of Burle Marx, who did the landscape for the US Embassy - which will be preserved with the new project. They mention, among other things, the monumental scale of Brasilia, which surprised them with its distances and how different the pedestrian infrastructure is when compared to the rest of the city. Which is something they couldn't tell from looking at pictures and realized once they went to the Brazilian capital in person. This is ultimately not a good thing for the city. When asked how they imagine the future of architecture, they said that people will be the most important, actual face-to- face, non-virtual interactions and that architecture will promote this change.
Lastly, I asked how they feel as women in the field of architecture. Claire Cahan, Studio's project manager, agrees that there is still no equality in the architectural market, not even for Jeanne Gang. They believe that the best response to machismo is the quality of their work - which is increasingly recognized - and also at conferences and universities when they teach that women can be very successful and deserve respect in architecture. Special thanks to Elizabeth Krasner and Claire Cahan who quickly welcomed me into Studio Gang and shared some of their wisdom with me.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MFH Dali Rain / dolmus Architekten Posted: 03 May 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Aytac Pekdemir
 © Aytac Pekdemir  © Aytac Pekdemir From the architect. The densification on the main street is carried out by a volumetrically structured building. The North facade leans against the street space in the same degree as the historic buildings. The south facade with the staggered balconies is free of any formal conditions.  © Aytac Pekdemir  Section  © Aytac Pekdemir  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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