Arch Daily |
- Le Haut Perché / Studio Weave
- City Balcony / bob-architektur
- Upcycling Gemert / Denkkamer
- The House of Pagona / Smyrlis Architects
- Movable Shinto Shrine / Kikuma Watanabe + Environmental Design System Laboratory
- CERAMICA SURO / MO+G taller de arquitectura
- Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater Damaged from Flooding
- Bench Accounting Office Interiors / Perkins+Will
- SOM Wins Competition to Master Plan Port City Colombo in Sri Lanka
- Catacombs of Paris Entrance / YOONSEUXarchitectes
- The UK’s Best Contemporary Architecture Celebrated in New Stamp Series
- NALU / Studio Saxe
- When Architecture and Tourism Meet: La Grande Motte's Pyramids by the Seaside
- Underhill / Bates Masi Architects
- Jan Gehl: "The Modern Movement Put an End to the Human Scale"
- Custom Bamboo Skylight Illuminates the Interior of a Historic Building in China
- Faber Headquarters / Geza Gri e Zucchi Architetti Associati
| Posted: 21 Jul 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Yvan Detraz
 © Yvan Detraz From the architect. About Refuges Périurbains: The fringes of Bordeaux remain relatively unknown. As is common to this periphery in most cities, these areas are often overlooked, experienced from afar by car rather than as destinations in their own right. Bridging city and wilderness, peripheral urban sites also o er their own magic and potential. The Refuges Periurbains project encourages the exploration of Bordeaux's fringe sites by creating a network of stay-over shelters on the edge of the city. Each shelter accommodates up to 9 people and is free to stay in.  Elevations About Le Haut Perché: Situated amidst woodland and streams, Le Haut Perché sits quietly atop a Bordeaux Jalle. The site is peaceful, lost in the heart of Le Parc des Jalles. It is accessed by a singular path that goes no further. Le Haut Perché sits amongst watermills Le Moulin du Moulinat, collectively perched over one of Bordeaux's main water sources. Here, water is extracted to serve the city. Comprised of timber and weathering steel, the shelter references the traditional water tower through its materiality and form. The refuge rests atop a slender neck peering over its Jalle. The arching platform captures focused sounds and vistas of water and woodland. Each opening is composed to frame a particular moment, some to be experienced lying down, others stood or sat-up.  © Yvan Detraz  Floor Plan  © Yvan Detraz  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| City Balcony / bob-architektur Posted: 21 Jul 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Conné van d' Grachten
 © Olaf Rohl From the architect. Coming from the Kennedy bridge you reach the peak of the plot with the town hall square, a green space with high quality tree stock, but also strong visual and audible traffic load borders in the back.  Bird's-eye View The further development was the formation of character of the place through the working out of existing but hidden qualities to promote a clear identity of the place and its design basis. Existing rooms to be taken and differentiated visual links and paths cleared and created space edges.  © Olaf Rohl This intention forms a three building ensemble, which vary in size and form, shape and utility, but they all belong to the atmospheric concep of urban live which is created.  © Espendiller + Gnegel The open spaces continue to flow around the new building and are not constrained by this. These are extended by a green inclined plane, which now unite the buildings with the greem space parts and brings them in an interesting relationship. This fluid level is of central importance. In part, provided with slope and slopes, they will be expanded and pushed along the towering building structure A over the base, to its edge. There it ends and forms a terrace, the new "City Balcony".  Ground floor plan  Floor plan 02 From here you can look over the Konrad-Adenauer-Plaza across the Kennedy Bridge. In this flat surface leads from the foot of the pedestal a large staircase. So this area is the interface between green space and room space. It contains various proportions in both green and stone surfaces.  © Espendiller + Gnegel The "City Balkony", next to a restaurant with views of the Kennedy Bridge, is an attractive feature for both the visitors as well as an eye-catcher for the Kennedy Bridge, is the central point of the re-arranged place.  © Conné van d' Grachten For the facades a silver brick was especially designed. It developes the existing facade and still seem a relationship to the environment. This particular brick is used on the entire area in component A, component B and the parking entrance. Overall 36500 bricks were used for this facades.Windows are installed flush, in some areas with a screen print of the triangular structure, into the building. On the ground floor to the supermarket, glass facades are created from a post and beam construction. Aligned to the Konrad-Adenauer-Platz, overlooking the Kennedy bridge, a glass facade is revalued by a screen printing and so it enhanced the entrance to city of Bonn. This special feature of the facade design is intended to support the specificity of the place and re-emphasize.  © Olaf Rohl As a counterpart across is the component B, which is also planned as a medical center and is seen as a further important point of orientation. Here is also the same silvery brick facade planned as a counterpart to structure A.  © Olaf Rohl Together with component A, the second largest building B forms a kind of gate, which invites the arriving passengers to pass through to get to know the new location. About this new square design and a pavilion component C, which contains a restaurant, constituted another place of public interest, which is now also directly connected to the Konrad-Adenauer-Platz.  Section 01 Thus an urban "address" of the Beueler city center is formed and furthermoreb a high quality open space was created.  © Espendiller + Gnegel  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Jeroen Kuppens
 © Jeroen Kuppens From the architect. The initiators developed a process in which spent mushroom compost from mushroom cultivation is upgraded and turned into a valuable soil improver. They do this by biologically drying spent mushroom compost in so-called tunnels. By adding a small amount of concentrated manure, a popular soil improver rich in nitrogen, phosphate and potassium is created. The spent mushroom compost is not only upgraded to a popular soil improver but it is also made lighter in specific weight. As a result, fewer freight transports are needed to deliver the product. A large amount of heat is released naturally during the biological drying process. This heat is used to provide the neighbouring existing mushroom nurseries with heat and consequently natural gas-fuelled boilers are no longer required. The surplus heat is distributed to nearby crop growers.  Diagram The design of the installation comes from the ambition to bring visibility to the way it functions. The installation consists of two main elements: the tunnels in which the product is biologically dried and the process technique behind it. The three individual drying tunnels are completely closed and made out of poured and prefabricated concrete. They have been made visible by repositioning them in relation to each other.  © Jeroen Kuppens Due to the limited plot dimensions we chose to superimpose the processing technology and the biofilter over the tunnels. Just like the tunnels, these elements are designed as closed volumes in precast concrete. The superimposed volumes are cantilevered over the translucent service areas at the front of the tunnels. The exchange air ducts, storage tanks, plenums, ammonia scrubber and heat exchangers are located in these translucent service areas.  Plan 01  Plan 02 By superimposing the biofilter and exchange air ducts over the tunnels and polycarbonate service areas, the building is given a dynamic appearance. This is further enhanced by adding a horizontal line at two-thirds of the façade, which connects the service areas to the top of the tunnels at the end. A pattern of diagonal lines running over the façade blurs the positions of the actual seems in between the prefabricated concrete panels, which are sealed with a grey coloured sealant.  © Jeroen Kuppens The process that takes place inside the tunnels is made visible by lighting-up the translucent service areas by means of LED lights as the biological drying process progresses and the temperature rises up to 80°C. That way, passers-by can determine what stage the process is in and see how it develops. In addition, the reduced amount of CO² is expressed in kilos and projected onto the translucent facade using matrix displays.  © Jeroen Kuppens ABOUT THE PRODUCTS  © Jeroen Kuppens  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The House of Pagona / Smyrlis Architects Posted: 21 Jul 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Irini Giotopoulou
 © Irini Giotopoulou From the architect. The house of Pagona transforms the market limitations of a low cost construction as well as certain typical wishes and regional references of its inhabitants into architecture.  © Chrissoula Voulgari The residence is situated at Vari, a coastal suburb of Athens, beyond the Attica Basin, near the foothills of Mt. Hymettus. With a local climate of mild winters and hot summers, and a flat topography of an ancient salt-bed surrounded by hills, the building is surrounded by low density, contractor-built, single-family residences.  © Irini Giotopoulou The design of the project is defined by low-cost, sustainability and low-energy use requirements. It uses the materials and standard construction techniques of local contractors in non-standard ways.  © Chrissoula Voulgari The project uses low-energy consumption and storage systems based on a time- vs. cost-effect ratio. Its environmental design is based on passive exposure and protection systems supported by solar energy collection and storage. The building volume is laid out so as to manage – protect from, expose and filter – direct solar radiation.  © Irini Giotopoulou As a result, the inhabitants experience vertical and horizontal sequences of different types of spaces, through various opening mechanisms. There are no surrounding exterior or typical garden spaces in the house of Pagona, only a variable progression of oriented, potential exterior, covered or uncovered spaces.  © Chrissoula Voulgari  Basement Level Plan  © Irini Giotopoulou The architecture of the House of Pagona stands against the Modern movement: it translates the desires, needs and possibilities of specific individuals into a complex spatial sequence of experiences and an architecture of the everyday, sensually exciting, responding to the seasons through forms, proportions, scale and movement. It can be different space, every day.  © Chrissoula Voulgari  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Movable Shinto Shrine / Kikuma Watanabe + Environmental Design System Laboratory Posted: 21 Jul 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Kikuma Watanabe
 © Kikuma Watanabe From the architect. This is a self-built portable shrine in a depopulated village in the moutain region of Kochi in Japan. In 2015, the pre-existing shrine called Kanamine-jinja was deeply injured by a heavy typhoon that hit the village. The Kanamine Shinto shrine had two architectural components: one is the front shrine dedicated to worshipers while the other was the rear shrine, where main shrine was set.  Concept Sketch The original shrine had its architectural axis geared towards mount Gozaisyo-yama — a sacred mountain located ten kilometer from the shrine. The shrine's site was too narrow and had partly collapsed which resulted in a building that could no longer be maintained anymore. As a solution, we decided to divide the building into two smaller shrines: the frontal area is a housing area for inhabitants and the worshipers while the rear shrine is set in front of the original shrine in the forest. Before demolition of the original shrine, the main shrine set in the original shrine was transferd into the rear shrine.  Structure Both front shrine and rear shrine have to be set on the axis toward mount Gozaisyo-yama, according to the axis of the original shrine. However the rear shrine was set in the too narrow and limited site in front of the original shrine, so it could not be set on the axis toward the sacred mountain. After clearance of the broken original shrine, we have to transfer the rear shrine into the site where the original shrine was set, and locate the rear shrine on the axis toward sacred mountain. So the rear end features eight wheels attached to the bottom of the structure, rendering it portable.  © Kikuma Watanabe  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| CERAMICA SURO / MO+G taller de arquitectura Posted: 21 Jul 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Lorena Darquea
 © Oliver Lopez From the architect. This project consists in the restoration of two old industrial warehouses with the purpose of hosting a ceramic factory. In their original state the ships were deteriorated , and in spite of their abandonment, their formal character, their spatiality and their constructive system were unique and extremely interesting. For these reasons we decided to preserve them.  © Lorena Darquea  Section  © Lorena Darquea  Plan The program has three main areas, two of which are dedicated to production and one functions as an administrative area serving as a linking space for the whole complex. The productive spaces are subdivided into an area of preparation of matter and molds, a baking area and a decorating area.  © Lorena Darquea The ships were independent and seemed to refuse each other, thus, we decided to integrate a spatial dialogue between them. The structure is based on a rhythm of bended iron elements forming a series of mid point arches covered with metallic sheets forming two solid canons. Having these bodies strictly defined, and independent from each other, our proposal pursued the idea to integrate a nucleus of intercommunication between the two. This module had to be a defined geometric volume, a cube, in order to generate a visual contrast with the existing structures making these last ones stand out even more. Implementing the same modulation of the two existing bodies, the cube is formed from a steel structure, which allows the user to perceive the rhythmic sequence of the ships. The cube is characterized by a central patio and houses the administrative area allowing the entrance of light and ventilation into the production area located further inwards into the complex.  © Lorena Darquea  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater Damaged from Flooding Posted: 21 Jul 2017 09:30 AM PDT  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/pablosanchez/3145407730/'>Flickr user pablosanchez</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous house, Fallingwater, was the recipient of minor damage after heavy rainfall caused the creek that gives the house its name, Bear Run, to flood last weekend. According to Fallingwater director Lynda Waggoner, a fallen log picked up by the overflow rammed into the stone wall of the lower plunge pool, breaking off the wall's capstone and dislodging one of the home's signature sculpture pieces, the Jacques Lipchitz's "Mother and Child." The cast bronze sculpture was selected for Fallingwater by Wright, and installed soon after its completion in 1939. "It's one of our most significant works here at Fallingwater," Waggoner told the Associated Press. "It's one that the house has come to be identified with. The first view, when you're on the bridge, looking at the house — it's right there." Following the events, representatives for Fallingwater and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, who operate the home, released a statement ensuring no damage was done to the building's interiors and that festivities planned for the 150th Anniversary of Wright's birth will continue as planned. News via the Associated Press, WTOP.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bench Accounting Office Interiors / Perkins+Will Posted: 21 Jul 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Ema Peter
 © Kim Muise From the architect. Bench Accounting, a rapidly growing technology company that provides service-focused bookkeeping solutions, engaged Perkins+Will to provide interior design services for their new 50,000 square foot office space in downtown Vancouver.  © Ema Peter This fast-paced project saw the delivery of all design phases—from schematic design to construction documents—completed within seven weeks. The design team immersed itself in Bench's culture, quickly gaining an understanding of their workforce and project goals. This relationship allowed the design team to make informed and accurate recommendations that resulted in a successful project on an ambitious schedule.  © Ema Peter To allow for a smart and effective economic design, the team's strategy was to channel the majority of resources into social spaces. This particular design focus resulted in a unique lounge and fully serviced kitchen on each floor. Additionally, the existing concrete slab was sealed and the exposed ceiling was retained, adding to the raw aesthetic of the space.  © Kim Muise In order for Bench's employees to excel in client service, the office seeks to act as a space that "services" its own employees through an emphasis on wellness, choice, and culture. Sit-stand options, focus rooms, telephone rooms, informal and formal collaboration spaces, conference suites, and hospitality and lounge spaces encourage both spontaneous collaboration and private, heads-down work. Ultimately, the scheme provides 24 different typologies of workspace apart from individual workstations, equating to a ratio of 0.8 alternative work locations for every dedicated workstation.  First Floor Plan  Second Floor Plan  Thrid Floor Plan Survey results found that 83% of Bench employees experienced a maintaining or significant increase in unscheduled collaborations, and 85% maintained or increased their workplace happiness.  © Ema Peter The founders of Bench believe that their physical space is an artifact of their corporate culture rather than a definition of it. Aligned with this thinking, Bench's culture of innovation, collaboration, and community support is clearly reflected throughout its workplace design.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| SOM Wins Competition to Master Plan Port City Colombo in Sri Lanka Posted: 21 Jul 2017 07:00 AM PDT  © SOM | Meshroom Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), in collaboration with landscape architects Grant Associates, has been selected as the unanimous winner of the International Urban Design Ideas Competition for the Financial District and Marina District of the Port City Colombo, Sri Lanka. An extension of the existing Colombo Central Business District (CBD), the new Port City district will comprise a whopping 269 hectares of development, transforming the area into a hub for commerce, tourism, and culture.  © SOM | Meshroom Recognized by the jury for its exceptional ecological and cultural sensitivity, SOM's master plan consists of a series of urban elements – squares, canals, gardens, a park and harbor – that draw from Sri Lanka's unique geography and ecology. A central civic plaza features shaded promenades inspired by hanging gardens, which extend around the perimeter of the new marina. "The locally resonant design approach is also apparent along the canal edge promenade, where inlets of varying character reference the lagoons of Sri Lanka's rich and articulated coastline," the architects explain.  © SOM | Meshroom  © SOM | Meshroom A waterfront cultural venue located adjacent to the CBD of Port City Colombo will also draw people toward to marina, as well as serve as an iconic backdrop for gathering and events. The various towers designed for the plan will come together to create a "striking, legible" skyline that presents itself toward several key points throughout the city.  © SOM | Meshroom The master plan has been developed within a sustainable development framework that will allow the the district to grow and adapt to future concerns. A timeline for construction estimates the project to complete by 2041. News via SOM.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Catacombs of Paris Entrance / YOONSEUXarchitectes Posted: 21 Jul 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Pierre L'Excellent
 © Pierre L'Excellent From the architect. From Denfert Rochereau place to the new way out, settled in Avenue René Coty, Catacombs of Paris consists of two kilometers underground galleries of the former quarries, that cover the biggest human being ossuary ever seen (more than six million skeletons).  © Pierre L'Excellent The pavilion is about replanning the entrance, the path up to the outside. From narrow lanes, composed of bones galleries, the project aims to guide visitors toward the brightness of the outside. Formal simplicity of the project intents to put forward the way out.  Floor Plans The glazed porch roof, tenses toward the avenue, diffuses an opalescent light from the top of Catacombs and creates a new transition; a return to light. Whiteness of incised walls, plenty of light after darkness, the emerging of this impressive volume, those elements contribute to this "in-between" before reaching the pathway.  © Pierre L'Excellent  Section B Going out of this twilight, the visitor is finally invited to the final experience of the course; a suspended bench that led us try the softness westerly light from the entrance in this harmonious scene. Relaxing space from the outside is conceived to offer a break time. The project staging tag a mark in the urban profile of René Coty avenue.  © Pierre L'Excellent  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The UK’s Best Contemporary Architecture Celebrated in New Stamp Series Posted: 21 Jul 2017 05:30 AM PDT  Courtesy of Royal Mail The UK's postals service company, the Royal Mail, has launched a new special stamp series celebrating 10 buildings "that represent the renaissance of contemporary architecture in the UK of recent years," including Zaha Hadid Architects' London Aquatics Center, Herzog & de Meuron's Switch House addition to the Tate Modern and Mecanoo's Birmingham Library. "The past two decades has seen a surge in the construction of new public buildings in the UK," explain the Royal Mail in a press release. "A great many of these adventurous and innovative structures, serving culture, sport, government and business, have since become popular and integral parts of their local landscapes, often playing a part in regeneration." Philip Parker, Stamp Strategy Manager, Royal Mail, added: "These new stamps celebrate visionary buildings which combine stunning architecture with great engineering." Tate Modern Switch House / Herzog & de Meuron Tate Modern Switch House / Herzog & de Meuron. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail The Eden Project / Grimshaw Architects The Eden Project / Grimshaw Architects. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Everyman Theatre / Haworth Tompkins Everyman Theatre / Haworth Tompkins. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Giants Causeway Visitor Centre / Heneghan & Peng Architects Giants Causeway Visitor Centre / Heneghan & Peng Architects. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Imperial War Museum North / Studio Libeskind Imperial War Museum North / Studio Libeskind. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Library of Birmingham / Mecanoo Library of Birmingham / Mecanoo. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail London Aquatics Centre for 2012 Summer Olympics / Zaha Hadid Architects London Aquatics Centre for 2012 Summer Olympics / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail National Assembly for Wales / Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners National Assembly for Wales / Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Scottish Parliament Building / EMBT Scottish Parliament Building / EMBT. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail SEC Armadillo / Foster + Partners SEC Armadillo / Foster + Partners. Image Courtesy of Royal Mail Learn more about the new stamp collection, here. News via Royal Mail  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2017 04:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Studio Saxe
 Courtesy of Studio Saxe From the architect. Studio Saxe has completed a boutique hotel and yoga studio set into the tropical landscape of Nosara, Costa Rica. The project is another in a long line of sustainable buildings from the practice that blend contemporary design with local craftsmanship, embracing the natural environment that surrounds and frames the architecture.  Courtesy of Studio Saxe  Floor Plan Module A  Courtesy of Studio Saxe  Floor Plan Module B  Courtesy of Studio Saxe Nosara has become a destination for visitors from around the world for health, wellness and surfing and so the owners of Hotel Nalu-Nosara, Nomel and Mariya Libid, wanted a design that reflects the attitude of their guests. The yoga studio, which has also become incredibly popular as a multipurpose gym space, is enveloped by lush vegetation on all sides and therefore becomes a jungle retreat for exercise and relaxation.  Courtesy of Studio Saxe  Floor Plan Yoga  Courtesy of Studio Saxe Guests at the hotel are provided with individual pavilion 'homes' rather than rooms, located just a few minutes walk from the ocean. By breaking up the mass of the traditionally monolithic hotel, the architects were able to scatter living spaces amongst the trees and create a sense of privacy while surrounded by the natural world. Each pavilion has been carefully positioned following meticulous research into wind and sun patterns, while ensuring they are all provided with an individual view out to the landscape. Overlapping timber roofs project out over each pavilion providing shade from the intense equatorial sun. These roofs are made of recycled Teak planks, creating uneven patterns that further emphasise this tension between local craftsmanship and modern design. Rooms are connected via corridors that filter dappled sunlight down from the pergola roofs above and frame more views out the lush surroundings.  Courtesy of Studio Saxe Architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe said: "Our project Nalu represents the power of simple, low-key, modern tropical architecture. It has quickly become a town favourite, which shows that there is a real desire to occupy spaces that bring people closer to nature, while addressing the needs of contemporary life."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| When Architecture and Tourism Meet: La Grande Motte's Pyramids by the Seaside Posted: 21 Jul 2017 02:30 AM PDT  © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ville-architecturale-de-la-Grande-Motte.JPG'>Wikimedia user Jjoulie</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Given a chance to realize the architect's dream of creating his own utopian city from a blank slate, French architect Jean Balladur was inspired by lost civilizations of the past. His designs recall the architecture of grand Mayan ruins with some added flair from the 1960s, all in the form of a seaside resort village in southern France, La Grande Motte. Balladur devoted nearly 30 years to his life's work, which today welcomes over 2 million tourists annually.  "La Grande Pyramide". Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grande_motte_02.jpg'>Wikimedia user Alain Caraco</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> La Grande Motte was constructed as part of the Racine Project; Balladur was chosen by General de Gaulle to develop one of five "tourist units" along France's Mediterranean coastline to increase tourism in the region. The Project as a whole was given 3 billion francs and an objective to create 500,000 new tourist beds among the five locations to draw tourists from throughout France and northern Europe.  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/tmauch/6658440239/'>Flickr user tmauch</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> Jean Balladur was a philosopher as well as an architect and his philosophical interests shine through in La Grande Motte. Balladur's buildings relate to the human scale, full of small details that illustrate his interest in his guests' well-being. Using human measurements and the golden ratio to derive dimensions, Balladur ensured that spaces would be comfortable to inhabit. Also integral to comfort, the layout of the buildings themselves was arranged to control the (sometimes harsh) winds, blocking them and providing more sheltered areas. Balladur prioritized pedestrians and cyclists by providing large, shaded lanes protected from cars.  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexbaranov/5231503058/'>Flickr user alexbaranov</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> But Balladur didn't have grandiose ideas. He knew the challenge he was facing, once writing, "[t]here is no dreamer crazy enough to try to believe he can build a city," when that was precisely the assignment he was undertaking. Balladur also felt strongly that the city needed to relate to history, that it would not be successful if he imagined it from nothing, with no ties to the rest of humanity. This belief is what led to La Grande Motte's distinctive, homogenous aesthetic.  Public domain image <a href='https://pixabay.com/en/modern-architecture-france-beach-620035/'>via Pixabay user Jackmac34</a> A few months before being hired to design La Grande Motte, Balladur had taken a trip to Teotihuacan, an ancient Mesoamerican city near modern day Mexico City. Teotihuacan was once the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, and many truncated pyramids remain today. Impressed by the vast scale of the archeological site, Balladur later drew inspiration from Teotihuacan for the vast landscape awaiting him at La Grand Motte, eventually creating an architecturally cohesive whole that spans over 400 hectares (almost 1,000 acres).  Teotihuacan. Image public domain <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SSA41434.JPG'>via Wikimedia user BrCG2007</a> The style of La Grand Motte's buildings directly recalls the truncated pyramidal forms of Teotihuacan, mixed in with the optimistic futurism of the 1960s and '70s. The shape of the buildings is advantageous, providing the opportunity for large terraces, giving as many visitors as possible access to sunlight and views, as well as helping control the winds mentioned earlier. Balladur designed every detail at La Grande Motte, even including the urban furniture, the electrical transformers, traffic lights, light fixtures, and signage; his goal was to create a complete aesthetic work, wholly unified.  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/129231073@N06/29881134525/'>Flickr user Fred Romero</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> Balladur's master plan for La Grande Motte included zones for camping, a town center, a marina, and a city park. Envisioning a green city, he collaborated with landscape architect Pierre Pillet to choose plant species that would tolerate the marine climate and held development back from the beach (while keeping the beach a walkable distance from apartments) to protect the natural landscape while also creating a pleasurable experience for visitors. Large open spaces surround the main buildings and the city also includes public squares and parks, sports and leisure services, a marina, and water sports facilities. Balladur made a distinct effort to celebrate and safeguard nature while also harnessing the region's natural resources just enough to enhance visitors' enjoyment.  © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/sjdunphy/301116181/'>Flickr user sjdunphy</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'<CC BY-SA 2.0</a>  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Underhill / Bates Masi Architects Posted: 21 Jul 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Michael Moran / OTTO
 © Michael Moran / OTTO From the architect. Socially and professionally a couple desired to live in an urban environment. However, living in the city didn't afford the lifestyle they wanted for their children as they approached school age. To compromise between remaining close to the city while raising their family, they relocated to the suburbs. Their goal was to create a strong sense of place in an environment with close neighbors on all sides of their property. The history of the community they chose, an early Quaker settlement, inspired the solution. Based on the Quaker tenants of simplicity, humility, and inner focus, the house is broken into a series of modest gabled structures, each one focused inward on its own garden courtyard instead of out to the surrounding neighbors.  © Michael Moran / OTTO  Floor Plan  © Michael Moran / OTTO The simplicity of each courtyard distills the experience of nature, encouraging one to appreciate its subtleties. Every interior space is connected to the exterior on two sides. The layering of spaces from exterior to interior to courtyard collapses the boundaries between them. From selected vantage points, one may see across multiple spaces and courtyards to framed views beyond. Each volume has a sculpted roof that funnels light and air into the center of the structure.  © Michael Moran / OTTO The detailing of materials accentuates the central courtyard. The oak floor and weathered oak ceiling boards both radiate outwards from the center. The floor and ceiling boards are custom cut in width and mitered to trace continuously and concentrically around the courtyard. Weathered metal straps on the ceiling further emphasize this geometry and act as a device to organize lighting and audiovisual equipment throughout the house.  © Michael Moran / OTTO  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jan Gehl: "The Modern Movement Put an End to the Human Scale" Posted: 21 Jul 2017 01:00 AM PDT On Thursday 29 of June, Jan Gehl the Danish architect and urban planner, spoke at the Conference “Thinking urban: cities for people” organised by UN-Habitat and the Official Architects College of Madrid (COAM as it is abbreviated in Spanish) about the urban transformations that have occurred in Copenhagen as a result of the errors of the modernist movement and the challenges facing the cities in the 21st century. In a prior discussion with José María Ezquiaga (dean of COAM), and José Manuel Calvo (councilor of the Sustainable Development Area at the Madrid city council) at the Conference, Gehl highlighted the urban paradigm at the time of his student years, which is referred to as the Brasilia syndrome.
According to Gehl, the Brasilia syndrome is a reflection of the main flaws of the modernist movement:
See Jan Gehl’s complete presentation and the prior discussion in the video above.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Custom Bamboo Skylight Illuminates the Interior of a Historic Building in China Posted: 20 Jul 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Cortesía de Atelier Archmixing In response to the overwhelming growth of cities and neighborhoods in China, architects from Atelier Archmixing’s Shanghai office, have developed a series of proposals that seek to return value to sensitive interior spaces and improve the user’s quality of life through design. The project consists of an interesting light fixture; a bamboo structure similar in shape to an umbrella, that lets natural light and fresh air into the building.  Cortesía de Atelier Archmixing The building is called “Zou ma lou” and comprises of an indoor covered patio and a balcony. The client wanted to transform the interior of this typical local building into a lobby lounge, upgrading its residential quality.  Internal layout of the building The house has 2 floors and is of a modest size. However, the interior patio is relatively large, surrounded by beautifully sculptured beams. In order to better use these elements and their features, an incredible transparent structure has been designed in the center of the patio where visitors can relax without worrying about the change in weather.  Cortesía de Atelier Archmixing The structure is made of bamboo with polyurethane sheets that can be opened in order to let in sunlight and fresh air.  Axonometricx: Open / Closed The technical intervention solves all the challenges posed by the client, including air conditioning, rainwater capture, daylight and ventilation. The installation revitalises a historic building of great spatial and architectural value and strengthens its liveability qualities.  Structural display Architects Atelier Archmixing / ZHUANG Shen, REN Hao, TANG Yu, ZHU Jie  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Faber Headquarters / Geza Gri e Zucchi Architetti Associati Posted: 20 Jul 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Massimo Crivellari
 © Massimo Crivellari Faber Industrie Spa are world leading manufacturers of steel cylinders.  © Massimo Crivellari Two Volumes  © Massimo Crivellari Two Open Courtyards  Section C-C  Eastern and Western elevation The Section and Head Fronts  © Massimo Crivellari Two Materials  © Massimo Crivellari The prefabricated concrete walls and the glazed front cells alike are horizontal, 4 meters wide and 70 centimeters high. All elements are connected with the same method, i.e. 20 millimeters wide open joints. This gap element governs all installations of the front parts, groundline and skyline, horizontal and vertical separations, change in materials, and corner solutions.  Detailed section The black skin of Faber building is a product of the designers' research on abstraction. Although the building is about 100 meters long, it looks "small" as compared to other huge industrial plants.  © Massimo Crivellari Thanks to the subtle nuances created by four different types of glass and five different types of concrete, the building maintains the rigorous shape and layout of an industrial facility. Then, it will not stand out from the context because of its shape, but only because of the lightness generated by one color getting degraded as it relates with the surrounding grass, tarmac, manufacturing plants, the sky and the people.  © Massimo Crivellari Black concrete is also the main feature of the most important area inside the building: the entrance hall has a large black-on-black terrazzo floor, a "liquid" element helping mirror and connect the two green courtyards together.  © Massimo Crivellari Functional Specifications  Ground floor The two blocks merge through a central volume serving as hall/reception, waiting area and functional connection of all areas. All open spaces are lined with hedgerows of black poplars, which serve as standing "landmarks" to match the front wall panels. The hedgerow contour alternatively moves towards the inner or outer boundary of the area to hide the car park or highlight the perspective views.  © Massimo Crivellari  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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