Arch Daily |
- South Coast of Landes House / PARGADE Architecte
- V&A Museum / AL_A
- Fire Station for the Sri-Charleroi / SAMYN and PARTNERS
- The Mango House / Studio PKA
- Newtown House / Kohei Yukawa + Hiroto Kawaguchi
- Beijing Cidi Memo iTown / Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects
- Modelia Days GOKOKUJI / Sasaki Architecture + Atelier O
- IVRV / SCI-Arc + Darin Johnstone Architects
- Mies van der Rohe's Other Illinois Home, the McCormick House, to Undergo Restoration
- Bassins-à-flot / Mateo Arquitectura
- OMA Unveils Urban Study and Strategy for Manifesta 12 in Palermo
- Kurumim House / PM Arquitetura + Bruno Pimenta
- What Construction Can Learn from the Tech Industry's Economies of Scale
- Grândola Meeting Center / Aires Mateus
- The World's Most Expensive Cities in 2017 (And Why They Are So Expensive)
- Maggie’s Oldham / dRMM
- Let Light in: 17 Projects Using Polycarbonate
- MVRDV Breaks Ground on Creative Office Hub in Amsterdam
| South Coast of Landes House / PARGADE Architecte Posted: 03 Jul 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Sergio Grazia
 © Sergio Grazia From the architect. The « South Coast of Landes » house is located between the marine lake and the sea on a dune planted with pine trees and cork oaks.  © Sergio Grazia In fact, this is the transformation of an existing house of which we've kept only its built-in basement in the slope of the site.  © Sergio Grazia The new construction made in wood and steel, to be as light as possible, leans on a concrete slab of distribution built on top of the existing basement. The square plan organizes the living room, the open kitchen and two bedrooms around a patio. The two floors communicate via a central staircase. The planted roof is accessible from the patio by another staircase  © Sergio Grazia  Ground Floor Plan  © Sergio Grazia The square is emphasized by a gallery surmounted by a protective overhanging porch roof which is surrounding the whole house. The gallery is embellished with sliding trellises.  © Sergio Grazia  Section  © Sergio Grazia The materials are uniform everywhere: Burgundy stone for the floors, larch wood for the ceilings and the joinery, Red Cedar for the trellises and concrete for structural elements of underfloor and bracing.  © Sergio Grazia  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Hufton + Crow
 © Hufton + Crow From the architect. The V&A Exhibition Road Quarter took six years to realise and transforms the V&A's former boilerhouse yard on London's great cultural artery, Exhibition Road. This new entrance connects the Museum with its neighbours, reinforcing the Albertopolis vision of intellectual ambition and innovation and creates a sequence of major new spaces.  © Hufton + Crow The Sackler Courtyard is the world's first all-porcelain public courtyard, and comprises over 11,000 handmade porcelain tiles, inspired by the rich tradition of ceramics at the V&A. This new public space for London also houses a café with furniture designed for the space by AL_A and manufactured by Moroso. The Sackler Courtyard reveals architecturally significant façades and details that have never previously been seen by the public. These include sgraffito decoration on the side of the Henry Cole Wing – a decorative Renaissance technique using multiple layers of coloured plaster created by the first art students at the Museum, in the late 19th century. The stonework of the Aston Webb Screen retains the damage that World War II inflicted on the Museum, which is reflected in 11 sets of new metal gates, designed by AL_A. The gates have been manufactured with a pattern of perforations tracing the imprint of the shrapnel damage on the stonework as well as the Royal Crest in the central gate  © Hufton + Crow  Section  © Hufton + Crow The Blavatnik Hall is a new space that will transform how visitors experience and discover the Museum and collections. Connecting the newly displayed Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist Art and the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Sculpture Galleries, The Blavatnik Hall gives views through to The John Madejski Garden, leads to a new shop, and connects to the historic Ceramic Staircase as well as the Sackler Centre for arts education, which reopens featuring the new John Lyon's Charity Community Gallery.  © Hufton + Crow The versatile, 1,100m sq column-free Sainsbury Gallery is one of the largest temporary exhibition galleries in the UK. This flexible exhibition space sits above a floor dedicated to art handling, conservation and preparation space. The new spaces reach as far as 18 metres below ground, directly beneath the Western Range of the V&A's Grade I listed buildings: a daring engineering and construction challenge that is made visible to the public by steel columns and a beam painted in vivid international orange that are literally holding the weight of history and the Museum's priceless collections above.  © Hufton + Crow  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fire Station for the Sri-Charleroi / SAMYN and PARTNERS Posted: 03 Jul 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Marie Francoise Plissart
 © Simon Schmitt From the architect. Easy access to the nearby motorway is essential for the station's location. It is therefore crucial that the selection of this site is reinforced by the fast and safe transport of vehicles and people in case of emergency. Consequently, all efforts are made in order to reduce the response time of the fire station.  © Marie Francoise Plissart  Implantation  © Ghislain André The location of the building is the result of a study aimed at combining the responses to the constraints given by the site: large drop, neighbourhood, driveways, low ground bearing, wind direction, solar orientation, etc.  © Marie Francoise Plissart The location of the building, in the upper and flattest part of the ground, limits the excavation and backfill associated with the construction. The two existing driveways, the first used for emergencies and the second for personnel and visitor access, are positioned in order to limit the length of the roads. The hollow made by the south access creates the entrance to the building at ground level (pedestrians, bicycles and cars), as well as an area accessible to delivery vans. Access to the west, which is higher, establishes the first level of the building as the emergency level. This level is surrounded by an emergency ring road, allowing each truck to leave independently from the others by a sectional door assigned to it.  © Marie Francoise Plissart  Sections E and F  © Marie Francoise Plissart The true backbone of the project is the north-south axis, naturally indicated by the access to ground level. This is the main horizontal circulation, punctuated by all the vertical circulations, thus defining the building's orientation.  © Marie Francoise Plissart  Ground Floor Plan  © Ghislain André The drill tower, situated across the emergency road at the junction of the north-south axis and the emergency vehicle access road, is visible from this axis. It is surrounded by a concrete exercise area to the north, allowing trucks to easily turn around the tower and to simulate fires. The site report suggests establishing the area for fire drill exercises to the north of the field, in order to avoid smoke drifting toward the neighbouring houses.  © Marie Francoise Plissart The south-east area follows the uneven ground in order to limit, as much as possible, the construction footprint on this green site. It naturally joins the outdoor sports field, established as a continuation of the delivery area. The site is fully secure, thanks to a continuous barrier, with only three separate and secure access points: the "emergency" access point, the "entrance" access point and the "delivery" access point. To the south, a red wall of perforated plates emblazoned with the Regional Fire Service shield, separates the car park from the delivery area and extends up to the road, marking the entrance to the site.  © Quentin Olbrechts  Section of Facade  © Charly Dean The round form of the plan issues directly from the flow of emergency vehicles. Indeed, two circulation driveways are planned: the first, internal, for return from emergencies and the other, external, for departures. The round form is an obvious means to avoid any crossing between the two flows and to ensure that no manoeuvre is performed both inside or outside the great hall. All functions are housed in this 90 m diameter and 5 level high cylinder. The compactness of this volume reduces external exposed surfaces and thus minimizes energy loss. Before putting renewable energy systems in place, it is essential to save energy at the source, reducing energy loss and maximising free gains from the architecture and its installation.  © Marie Francoise Plissart  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2017 05:00 PM PDT  © Amit Pasricha
 © Amit Pasricha From the architect. The Mango House is the physical manifestation of a quest to connect with the natural environment. The essence of design here is simplicity in thought and expression through the form, material and décor of the structure. The organic nature of construction successfully connects the outside with the inside and thus manages to convey an earthy feel through its free-flowing plan. The house is a blend of various elements & building materials that are 'azonic', lending simplicity to the design.  © Amit Pasricha Since mango trees dominated the plot, the house clearly gets its definition from them to ensure that the basic value of being organic or adopting green culture was exercised. These 70-80 year old inhabitants of the plot became the deciding and guiding factors for the design and concept for the house. The mango trees in the north, south and east directions demarcated the boundary of the house.  © Amit Pasricha The aim was to be able to view the surrounding landscape from any point within the abode – along the north-south as well as the east-west axes. This led to an entrance on all four sides for an uninterrupted view of the verdant softscape outside.  © Amit Pasricha There were some certainties that were a given – the entrance to the north; as there was space for a driveway, and the kitchen to the east; to catch the early morning sun.  Ground Floor Plan There was a need for a balance between the open and covered spaces. With the restrictions imposed by the trees on the construction, the only solution was to go a level up but stay true to the village like feel.  © Amit Pasricha The house reflects a free flowing and uninterrupted connect with its surroundings without losing the proportion in design.  First Floor Plan Creating volume was an important aspect of the structure and with the sloping roof one gets about 35 feet at the highest point. This is emphatically accentuated at the suspended staircase as it sweeps up to the first floor. A skylight here and another over the dining area allow light to filter in and underscore the feeling of vastness.  © Amit Pasricha This vastness of space and its uninterrupted connect with the surroundings is the highlight of the house.  © Amit Pasricha Alluding to the vernacular, a rich sense of culture and tradition is ever present - The Mango House helps the city-dwelling family to connect with nature by being organic in both spirit and content.  © Amit Pasricha  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Newtown House / Kohei Yukawa + Hiroto Kawaguchi Posted: 03 Jul 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Yohei Sasakura
 © Yohei Sasakura From the architect. The clients wanted a house that they can enjoy a nice views as well as good communicating with people around. From there, we can see the sky and cherry blossoms and before building the house,there used to be the place many children were playing and parents were talking there.  © Yohei Sasakura First, we arrange the spaces of the house for "Parent`s house","Everyone`s house","Housework and children`s house". Placing moderately closed "Parent`s house"and "Housework and children`s house"in the north and south, extremely open "Everyone`s house" in the center, we make it compatible with keeping privacy and making an open house.  © Yohei Sasakura We design a house that residents feel as "living in the landscape"because by the series of house-type volumes, it become a series of landscapes ranging from houses to newtown to mountain ranges.  Section "Everyone`s house"is a continuous space both inside and outside ,and has floors and steps at various levels with different meaning to each. They are not only as a space but also functions as a chair, table and storage, planning to be able to be used for each heuristically in everyday life by combining with the surrounding environment such as light, wind, sense of distance.  © Yohei Sasakura A large space named "hall"which is the essence of "Everyone`s house"becomes a continuous field from the newtown, becoming a playground of the children around, becoming a study room of the family, and becoming a city living room of newtown by accepting the growth of the family and newtown at that time doing.  © Yohei Sasakura The inclined ceiling by wood in each "house"is made continuous or torn, so that the human space and the scaled out space coexist. At the boundary of the "house"the ceiling is low and it is the human space, at the center the ceiling is high and it becomes the space scaled out. With the slope of the ceiling, the human scale scales out seamlessly and connects to the outside via the balcony, so that people feel that mountain ranges on the east and newtown in the west are not "cutted out and relativized exterior "but"exterior felt as extension of body". It is as if living in "wooden window"where comfort and openness coexist, and it will be a new type of connection to the outside.  © Yohei Sasakura In newtown "house"s, by rearranging and reconstructing the spaces of the house, we created a new relationship of "people, houses, newtown, landscapes"with how appearance is, how to use the space, how to feel the space. And the overlap aimed to produce a rich life.Also, I hoped that such new relationship would help to realize that houses is more free, even for newtown with uniform town houses.  © Yohei Sasakura  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Beijing Cidi Memo iTown / Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects Posted: 03 Jul 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Zhu Siyu
 © Zhu Siyu From the architect. The project is located between Beijing's 4th East Ring Road and 5th Ring East Road. Serval Railroads intersect and divide the site into fragments. We call the site the unculivated land, isolated and forgotten, while the rest of the urban fabric undergoes a rapid development. Her primitive vitality is hidden in these broken warehouses and we saw the possibilities to become a secret garden in the urban desert.  © Xia Zhi The site, covering an area of 140,000 square meters, will be revitalized though bringing in cultural and creative industries.As the first to intervene on this site, we were involved in the building renovation on 'Startup Block' and interior design on the Sales Office. The Startup Block contains three zones, Zone A as sales office and boutique hotel, Zone B as mockup office, Zone C as restaurant, the totall area is 6,000 square meters.  Zone A Ground Floor Plan  Model. Image Courtesy of Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects  Diagram One of the greatest challenge for the concept design is tailoring the complex warehouse space to fit for the new purpose, as well as increasing the overall F.A.R without alter the building footprint. We connected these warehouses, restructured the spacial ogranization and infused public program as the heart of the 'Startup Block'.These strategies brings forward the resulting 'Station' space.  © Xia Zhi Steel structure enabled us with greater creative flexibility, and naturally became our first choice for renovation project. The silver vaulted carriage-like design is driven from the image from the passing train. the vault is also a reflection of the historical archetype of temple, library and stations. In the sales office, a variant of the vault is design to house a floating mezzanine. The arc element is also applied in elevation design as well as door and window details, giving the rough industrial mass a more refined and humane touch.  © Xia Zhi  Zone A Elevation & Section  © Xia Zhi The composition of the facade is the composition of the old structure and the new, the composition of heavy masonry and light curtain wall. We used volanic rock, grey brick and red brick to underline the heaviness and roughness of the original masonry. On the added volumes, curtain walls with different scale of translucency, ranging from grey steel sheet, polycarbonate panel to glass, is applied. The white floating mezzanine is the spirit of the sales office, theatricalized with lightings and materiality. The spotlight washing the silver acoustic ceiling, along with linear light embellishing the mezzanine, injects an artistic fantasy into the otherwise demure architecture.  © Xia Zhi The 'Station' as an expended space from the sales office, is reserved for business talks.The nine-meter high west curtain wall faces the central rail track, giving the 'station' space its name. We placed a triangular terrazzo bar and a double-sided clock as the center piece.The ceiling is finished with backlit corrugated polycarbonate, adorned with clock and spherical pendant lamps. Inside the 'station', with the train roams pass by occasionally, we imagine a sureal retro experience.  © Xia Zhi The project stared from Christmas 2015. With one year's time, the 'Startup Block' is fully finished and the sales office has entered operation.  © Xia Zhi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Modelia Days GOKOKUJI / Sasaki Architecture + Atelier O Posted: 03 Jul 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Bauhaus Neo
 © Bauhaus Neo From the architect. This apartment building is in the Otowa district of Tokyo's Bunkyo ward, very close to Gokokuji temple, which was established in the Edo era (1603-1868) as a place of prayer for members of the shogunate. Although the neighborhood is located in the city center, it retains traces of that older era.  © Bauhaus Neo In order to avoid direct lines of sight between the apartment building and the residents of the single-family homes lining the other side of the narrow road on which it sits, the windows are shifted slightly off-center. This arrangement of windows brings breezes and natural light into the building while also giving the heavy concrete a lighter feeling.  Section The windows appear sufficiently large from inside, but the exterior surface surrounding each one slopes in at an angle, creating a recessed "frame" that heightens the impression of lightness. In addition, some of the sloped surfaces are covered with hot-dip galvanized steel sheets, while on the interior side, wooden frame-like shelf placed in the same position echo the rectangular shape of the recessed frames. This creates a loose connection between interior and exterior.  © Bauhaus Neo The interiors of the units are composed entirely of white walls and unadorned concrete. All unnecessary elements have been eliminated from the simple details and style. This minimalist design, which seeks the simplest possible form for an apartment building, is intended to link to a lifestyle unburdened by superfluous material possessions. We envision the minimal elements of the apartment enabling a freer lifestyle for its residents. For example, the storage space enclosed only by freestanding walls can also become a compact office, while the spacious concrete kitchen counter can serve as a desk.  © Bauhaus Neo The windows and wooden frame-like shelf in this building make abundant use of squares. Once we have freed ourselves from convention of modern design that dictates either a horizontal or a vertical window, squares may be the purest and most primitive shape for these openings.  © Bauhaus Neo  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| IVRV / SCI-Arc + Darin Johnstone Architects Posted: 03 Jul 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Joshua White
 © Joshua White From the architect. The IVRV house is the result of a collaboration between Southern California Institute of Architecture and Habitat for Humanity. It represents the mergence of two complimentary missions; to educate Architects who will imagine and shape the future and to provide simple, decent, affordable housing for all. The house is intended to challenge the status quo of sustainable / affordable housing in both form and content. The student designed and constructed house strives to answer a typical residential program in an unexpected way. The collaboration began with a studio at SCI-Arc in September of 2014. Through a kind of competition process the IVRV design was selected from a field of 16 student projects. The student designed, developed and constructed project, led by faculty member Darin Johnstone, was completed in the spring of 2016.  © Joshua White The site in South Los Angeles is in an area where chain link fences line the perimeter of homes to deter crime. The primary functional concept of IVRV was to maximize protected livable area (inside and out) while maintaining the square footage of HFHLA's typical single-family homes. (3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath in 1200 s.f.) To achieve this, the house captured the allowable width of the lot as a two-story gabled block that outdoor spaces were 'subtracted' from. The traditional form was challenged through a series of operations to make it work differently than a conventional house. The south end (rear of the house) is tilted to thicken the wall for added insulation and to provide shading for the inset windows. The north end roof (front of the house) is cut to provide northern top light into a balcony, bedroom and entry courtyard. The resulting uniqueness of the design is not mere novelty. It is form following purpose through process.  Gorund Floor Plan At the entry court, a multilayer 'eco-screen' was developed to enclose the garden space. This came from a desire to create a protected outdoor environment within the gabled volume of the house so the family could enjoy the full benefits of the California climate and lifestyle. The design strives to synthesize sustainable features into an overall aesthetic; The 'eco-screens' protect the entry court with a new kind of trellis that shades the courtyard, captures energy and cleans the air.  © Joshua White  Section  © Joshua White Hopefully the project can lead by example and make a difference in the city. It is one tiny project that embodies the idea that design innovation is imperative to creating housing that is affordable, sustainable, safe and beautiful. According to the principles of Habitat for Humanity 'every man woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live'. In imagining the future the students at SCI Arc set out to think beyond decency to something that is also delightful, wondrous and inspiring.  © Joshua White  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mies van der Rohe's Other Illinois Home, the McCormick House, to Undergo Restoration Posted: 03 Jul 2017 09:05 AM PDT  © Heritage Architecture Studio, LLC and LP Studio Inc. Via Curbed As Mies van der Rohe's adopted city, Chicago and its surrounding area are home to more of the Modernist architect's projects than anywhere else in the world, from Crown Hall to Federal Center to the Farnsworth House. Perhaps for that very reason, the McCormick House, located in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, is one of the lesser known projects in the architect's' oeuvre – despite being one of just three single-family homes in the United States completed by Mies. Built in 1952 for Robert McCormick Jr. – the owner of the land where Mies' 860-880 N. Lake Shore Drive was constructed – the house was moved down the street in 1994, where it was attached to the newly built Elmhurst Museum of Art via a 15-foot-long corridor. While its relocation allowed the building to remain in good care over the next 23 years, it also obscured the home's front facade, "camouflaging one of the most prized objects in the museum's collection." But that's all about to change, thanks to an upcoming restoration that will remove the offending corridor, allowing the original architecture to shine once again.  © Flickr user iainb. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Unlike the custom, site-specific Farnsworth House, the McCormick house was envisioned as a prototype for the suburban home, repurposing details first designed for 860-880 N. Lake Shore Drive for a single-family setting. The restoration project will highlight these elements, as the house will again be able to be approached from its original entrance. The original carport will be reconstructed, and complementary landscaping will replace existing hardscaped areas. Previously used as the museum's administrative wing, the restored house will be transformed into flexible exhibition space. Led by Elmhurst-based Heritage Architecture Studio and Berglund Construction, the project is estimated to cost between $350,000 to $400,000, and is scheduled to complete later this year. Check out the video below to learn more about the history of the McCormick House. News via Chicago Tribune. H/T Curbed.
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| Bassins-à-flot / Mateo Arquitectura Posted: 03 Jul 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Luc Boegly
 © Luc Boegly From the architect. In the Garonne river port, Bassins à flot, Bordeaux. As though washed up here by nearby waters, rises the hulk of the World War II submarine base.  Model 1  Model 2 Beside us, other remains of the shipwreck: some small constructions that have to be integrated into the project (A). The water table is very high. We cannot excavate to build car parks.  © Luc Boegly  Second Floor Plan  © Luc Boegly We build two storeys right across the plot, introducing the car parks at the centre and arranging dwellings around them, with services along the front. In this case, the floor is porticoed, drawing the perspective from the street towards the old submarine base. Three volumes are arranged on this platform.  © Luc Boegly (B) is very low (2 floors), and metal. A small, shiny animal that accompanies the existing dwellings. (C) at the corner, a small tower with four façades. Two metal faces, two timber faces.  © Luc Boegly (D) A concrete-walled block that follows the limits of the plot and defines the urban from towards its sides. (E) The centre is an open, communal garden, offering views and sunlight to the dwellings behind.  © Luc Boegly The whole, seen from the old port, is mobile and rather jaunty. Like the old ships that are beached there, waiting to be broken up.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| OMA Unveils Urban Study and Strategy for Manifesta 12 in Palermo Posted: 03 Jul 2017 07:00 AM PDT  Palermo Atlas announcement, Teatro Garibaldi, Palermo. Image © CAVE Studio, courtesy Manifesta Manifesta 12 creative mediator OMA has revealed the Palermo Atlas, an interdisciplinary urban study of Palermo that will inform the organization of 12th edition of Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, that will be held next year in the Italian city. Led by OMA partner Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, the project outlines a blueprint for Palermo "to plan its future and as a research framework to ensure that Manifesta 12 achieves a long-term impact for the city and its citizens."  Mediterranean System of Flows, Palermo Atlas. Image Courtesy of OMA "Palermo Atlas represents a novel creative mediation model proposed by Manifesta that focuses on transforming a nomadic art biennial into a sustainable platform for social change, rooted in holistic urban analysis and determined to leave a tangible legacy for every host city," explains OMA. "It is the first time that Manifesta has invited an architecture firm as the creative mediator, with the goal to provide outside expertise and a new perspective to the host city and find new ways to unlock its potential in collaboration with citizens and local grassroots organizations."  Veduta di Palermo, Francesco Lojacono, 1875; Palermo Atlas. Image Courtesy of OMA  Strategy of Intervention, Palermo Atlas. Image Courtesy of OMA With a foreword written by Pestellini Laparelli, the Atlas seeks to map the trajectory of Palermo by acknowledging the city's complex cultural history and understanding that there is "no fixed way to approach or define Palermo." "The city cannot be reduced to a single statement or to a precise definition. It is rather a complex mosaic of fragments and identities emerging out of centuries of encounters and exchanges between civilizations," explains Pestellini Laparelli. "Its material archeology, cultural legacy, somatic traits and ecosystems are the tangible evidences of a long lasting syncretism." "Today, the city can be considered an archipelago of the global: not a globalized city per se, but rather an incubator of different global conditions. It acts as a node for an extended geography of networks and systems that reach far beyond the EU-Mediterranean Area – from Sub-Saharan Africa to Scandinavia, from South East Asia to Gibraltar and America."  Palermo Atlas announcement, Teatro Garibaldi, Palermo. Image © CAVE Studio, courtesy Manifesta  Basile Archive, Palermo Atlas. Image Courtesy of OMA "Offering the city of Palermo a reflection of great value, Palermo Atlas shows the story of the city's past and recent history through the perspective of the future," added Leoluca Orlando, the Mayor of Palermo. "Palermo Atlas captures the complexity of Palermo and its inhabitants, as well as historical and current connections between the city, the Mediterranean and Europe. The study shows the joint commitment of the City Hall and Manifesta to develop a biennial that is truly engaged with Palermo's cultural richness, its history, hospitality, spirit of peaceful co-existence and the city's vision for the future."  Palermo Atlas announcement, Teatro Garibaldi, Palermo. Image © CAVE Studio, courtesy Manifesta Palermo Atlas was presented at the recently re-opened Teatro Garibaldi in Palermo, a venue which is serving as a temporary office for Manifesta 12 and will become of the key venues for the biennale in 2018. The Manifesta 12 program will be determined by Director Hedwig Fijen along with four interdisciplinary creative mediators, including Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli; Dutch filmmaker Bregtje van der Haak; Spanish architect and scholar Andrés Jaque; and Swiss contemporary art curator Mirjam Varadinis. The European Nomadic Biennial will open in the Sicilian capital on June 15, 2018. Learn more about the Palermo Atlas, here. News via OMA.
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| Kurumim House / PM Arquitetura + Bruno Pimenta Posted: 03 Jul 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Adriano Escanhuela
 © Adriano Escanhuela From the architect. The premisse given by the clientes was to develop a project with the best cost and benefit relation. However, not giving up a construction with great quality with a contemporary architecture that, at the same time, does not deviate from the other existent houses from the condo, creating a cozy atmosphere. The clients are a young couple with three children. Another thing they asked was to create a house thinking about the children’s conviviality: wide rooms with generous spaces for the children to run and play and with the best view of all the social and external areas so they could keep na eye on them. In function of the requests, restrictions of the condo and limitations of the field with slope, we developed the project.  © Adriano Escanhuela Since the firsts studies, we thought about a L implantation, dividing in two distincts modules, uniting the edifications by the social areas. We located the vertex of the L at the superior right corner of the field and, with that, we could leave a generous space on the center and left side of the field, where we created the pool, sauna, changing room and the garden.  Site Plan For the edification, we opted for brickwork closure that did not need the use of plaster and painting, gerating significant savings in the construction phase and eliminating future repairs. But, for that, it was fundamental to utilize a high quality workmanship because the coatings chosen were external and internal finishing.  © Adriano Escanhuela Therefore we opted to use the apparent structural concrete block in the two-floor module that is destinated to the home theater and two guests suites at the ground floor and one master suite, two bedrooms for the children with a common bathroom and one support suite at the upper floor.  © Adriano Escanhuela At the social module, only with a ground floor and one meter above the structural module, we used wood structure, demolition brick that we found by the region and tile roofing, creating a conection with the other houses of the condo. To give it a contemporary atmosphere, instead of using a convencional plasterboard lining, we chose to use OSB lining and apparent electrodes for electrical installations.  © Adriano Escanhuela The social module contemplates: living room, dining room, kitchen, service area, bathroom and service room. The external barbecue area is almost integrated to the kitchen’s counter, only separated by big wood and glass frames. At the external area we created a place for hammocks with a beautiful tree beside the dining table where they can rest after the meals. In front of this area, is the pool with infinity edge and, next to it, the “wood box” that locates the sauna and changing room. We wanted that this “wood box” interfered the less possible on the view, so we buried it on the ground creating a softer and more harmonic volume on the field. That gave us the possibility to use it’s roof for contemplation at night, creating the right spot for the external fireplace, developed by us. As far as we know, the clients love this place, where they can spend the winter nights with the children, telling stories and watching the stars.  © Adriano Escanhuela  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What Construction Can Learn from the Tech Industry's Economies of Scale Posted: 03 Jul 2017 05:15 AM PDT  <a href='http://https://www.pexels.com/photo/tower-crane-on-top-of-building-29106/'>undefined</a> It's one of the core tenants of manufacturing – first, build something useful, then, figure out how to build it cheaply. Throughout the tech industry's brief history, the philosophy of economies of scale have helped to achieve the widespread adoption of the latest gadgets across the globe; according to Wireless Smartphone Strategies' Global Smartphone User Penetration Forecast, an estimated 44% of the world's population are current owners of an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or other smartphone. On the other hand, over the past 60 years building construction costs have essentially remained flat, despite the fact that the price of materials and components for nearly every other consumer object has dropped. Architecture is inherently a bespoke process, making streamlining its production difficult. But finally, technologists believe they may have found a solution. In the past few years, a batch of new construction start-ups have emerged that use the big data logistics and IT knowledge learned from the tech industry's supply chain operations to manufacture computer-optimized prefabricated and modular building components. One of these companies, Katerra, uses BIM information to produce fully outfitted prefabricated walls that already contain all of the windows, insulation, wiring and plumbing within. These components are then sent via a streamlined shipping process to a job site, where they can be snapped together like LEGO pieces. Further increasing efficiency, Katerra is involved from a building's concept design to finished product, allowing cost estimation to be introduced earlier in the process and giving the company the ability to purchase materials in bulk, reducing costs. Modular systems are also making their way into tall building design, with the world's tallest modular skyscraper, SHoP's 461 Dean Street in Brooklyn, having opened this past fall. Not only was 90 percent of the construction completed off site, but it also ended up costing developers 20 percent less than traditional methods. That structure was completed by Forest City Ratner's modular division (now Full Stack Modular). Other industry leaders include Capsys Corp, who helped complete MyMicroNY, a micro-apartment building designed by nArchitects. Learn more about the burgeoning trend at the Wall Street Journal (paywall).
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| Grândola Meeting Center / Aires Mateus Posted: 03 Jul 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Nelson Garrido
 © Nelson Garrido From the architect. The context in its distances, alignments, proportions, define the mass. The program determines the project. A meeting centre for large gatherings or small groups.  © Nelson Garrido The ceiling, in its variations and geometry answers the program. A complete horizontal clearness outlines the space as a whole, which as atmosphere opposes to the weight of the vertical voids.  © Nelson Garrido  Section  © Nelson Garrido The support functions deepen the external and peripheral wall. The final image is determined by the interaction of internal space and occupied façade.  © Nelson Garrido  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The World's Most Expensive Cities in 2017 (And Why They Are So Expensive) Posted: 03 Jul 2017 02:30 AM PDT  As anyone who has recently attempted apartment-hunting in a major urban area will know, reasonably-priced housing can be difficult to come by for many and salaries don't always seem to match the cost of living. This gap is contributing to housing crises in developed and developing countries worldwide. People are simply being priced out of cities, where housing has become a commodity instead of a basic human right. Financial speculation and states' support of financial markets in a way that makes housing unaffordable has created an unsustainable global housing crisis. Earlier this year the 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey was released for 2017, revealing that the number of "severely unaffordable" major housing markets rose from 26 to 29 this year; the problem is getting worse. The study evaluates 406 metropolitan housing markets in nine of the world's major economies and uses the "median multiple" approach to determine affordability. By dividing the median house price by the median household income of an area, this method is meant to be a summary of "middle-income housing affordability." If the price of housing continues to rise at the rate that it has, it could have drastic consequences for our cities. Unfortunately, while a collective paradigm shift may be necessary to address the overarching problem of how governments and investors approach housing, often each city also has other unique factors influencing its housing market, so there is likely not a one-size-fits-all solution to the crises. Unattainably high housing prices should not be considered an indication of a city's success or desirability, but instead as a failure to respond to its given conditions and to provide the housing its citizens need. In this article, although home prices in one city may be higher than another, that city may be considered relatively "less expensive" because of residents' income. Below is a list of the top 9 least affordable cities for 2017, each of which scored over a 9.0 using the mean multiple approach—meaning that the median home costs 9 years' worth of the median person's income. Of course, in each city the main question is: "why?" 9. San Francisco: Why is San Francisco so expensive? #9. San Francisco. Median Price: $835,400, Median Income: $90,400, Median Multiple: 9.3. Image © Aaron Logan <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lightmatter_sanfrancisco.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/deed.en'>CC BY 1.0</a> Median Price: $835,400 USD Beginning with the best of the worst and moving towards the most expensive, as the 9th most unaffordable city San Francisco suffers from many challenges that are causing its high housing prices, from well-meaning zoning laws and restrictive land use regulations, to the recent influx of tech companies. San Francisco's location on a peninsula means that its only real option for adding housing supply is to go vertically. However, in most of San Francisco the zoning laws prohibit any buildings over 40 feet tall, and most existing buildings are not even close to that limit. San Franciscans are concerned with maintaining their views, their parks, and their residential areas, which has made high-rise development outside of downtown virtually impossible. Another problem seems to be the city's priorities in the housing that does get built, having met and nearly doubled the amount of luxury housing in demand and yet only providing 18.1% of necessary middle-class housing. The demand side of the equation is also complicated by the tech companies moving to the area, whose well-paid employees can afford higher rents and are thereby gentrifying neighborhoods where other groups are being priced-out entirely. 8. Los Angeles: Why is Los Angeles so expensive? #8. Los Angeles. Median Price: $593,900, Median Income: $63,900, Median Multiple: 9.3. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DowntownLosAngeles.jpg'>Wikimidia user Pintaric</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Median Price: $593,900 USD Los Angeles sees more frequent luxury high-rise development than San Francisco, and yet that may not be the major problem in its housing market. Instead, what Los Angeles suffers from is an extremely low vacancy rate, the lowest in the United States as of 2016, at 3.1%. So in fact, the luxury high rises are helping to meet demand, but obviously they won't do the job alone. Like many of these expensive cities, Los Angeles is in desperate need of more middle class housing as well. In past years housing prices have risen consistently all over the city, not only in areas with increased development, which points to the lack of vacancy as the underlying issue. People who are determined to live in the city may have such a hard time finding a place that they're willing to pay upwards of 50% of their income on housing; a low vacancy rate means all the power resides with the landlords and property owners who can set the prices where they like knowing they'll find someone to pay it. 7. Honolulu: Why is Honolulu so expensive? #7 Honolulu. Median Price: $745,300, Median Income: $78,900, Median Multiple: 9.4. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/9397412@N06/4553640310'>Flickr user Geoff Livingston</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> Median Price: $745,300 USD Another city with a difficult supply and demand problem like San Francisco is Honolulu. Being an island, Hawaii of course has very limited space for development and expansion as well as some of the most restrictive land use laws to protect the natural landscape. Development can take years to complete and meanwhile people need homes. Home prices in Hawaii have always been significantly higher than the mainland United States, starting around World War II. Once it was cheaper to fly to Hawaii, the tourism market boomed and demand for people who wanted to move permanently to the islands increased with no supply boost to match. Today what's influencing Honolulu's housing prices is an extension of the same situation; it has become one of the most desirable places for the wealthy international "1 percent" population to buy property. Honolulu lacks affordable housing for locals, and Hawaii is the only state in the US where the housing prices are not directly determined by the incomes of the people who live there, but instead by outside demand. 6. Melbourne: Why is Melbourne so expensive? #6 Melbourne. Median Price: $740,000, Median Income: $78,200, Median Multiple: 9.5. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melbourne_Skyline_and_Princes_Bridge_-_Dec_2008.jpg'>Wikimedia user David Iliff</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY 3.0</a> Median Price: $740,000 AUD While we'll see Sydney higher up on the list, Melbourne is quickly catching up to its rival in unaffordability—one competition the locals probably wouldn't mind losing. Often voted the most livable city in Australia and known for its culture and community, Melbourne is quickly gaining popularity and, with it, a sharp population increase. In fact, Melbourne is projected to overtake Sydney as the largest city in Australia by 2050. This phenomenon has triggered the now-familiar supply and demand struggle we're coming to see as a pattern on this list, and one thing that makes Melbourne particularly expensive to live in is that it's particularly expensive to build in. In fact, Melbourne is one of the most expensive cities to build in worldwide, thanks in part to a long history of powerful trade unions, which have protected workers' rights but also increased construction costs. Another factor contributing to the high construction costs is Australia's geographic isolation, as there's less private sector competition to drive prices down and many construction materials must be imported. 5. San Jose: Why is San Jose so expensive? #5 San Jose. Median Price: $1,000,000, Median Income: $104,100, Median Multiple: 9.6. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San_Jose_CA_Downtown_aerial_view_photo_D_Ramey_Logan.jpg'>Wikimedia user Don Ramey Logan</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en'>CC BY 4.0</a> Median Price: $1,000,000 USD The award for the most expensive housing market in the United States goes to San Jose, California, beating out the more infamously unaffordable cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Speculation development seems to be a particular problem in California and specifically in San Jose, wherein developers see housing more as an investment than as a resource for the city's population. San Jose, like San Francisco, is affected by its proximity to Silicon Valley and therefore the increase in employment in the area led to an increase in demand and consequently housing costs. San Jose is also seeing interest from many international migrants, since it's a desirable place to live. All of this likely contributes to the amount of short term investments in property in the area, beneficial to the developers but not actually solving the problems of the local population's need for housing. 4. Auckland: Why is Auckland so expensive? #4 Auckland. Median Price: $830,800, Median Income: $83,000, Median Multiple: 10.0. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/5642240317/'>Flickr user ronmacphotos</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY 2.0</a> Median Price: $830,800 NZD In the case of Auckland, New Zealand, the specific factors considered in the Demographia survey had an impact on landing the city so high up the list. Because the survey took into account home price in relation to income, the relatively moderate income in Auckland compared to its high housing prices gave it a very unaffordable rating. The problem in Auckland is that while housing prices have increased in recent years, wages have remained relatively stationary. Auckland is considered New Zealand's only major housing market for the purpose of the report—"major market" in the report's terms indicates an area with over 1 million people—and its unaffordability factor has nearly doubled since the annual survey began in 2004. As a desirable destination, Auckland is another city suffering from increased population and insufficient supply, as well as speculation and house-flipping for a profit. 3. Vancouver: Why is Vancouver so expensive? #3 Vancouver. Median Price: $830,100, Median Income: $70,500, Median Multiple: 11.8. Image © Andrew Raun <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:English_Bay_Vancouver.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> Median Price: $830,100 CAD Vancouver seems to have a very specific problem in that much of its real estate is being bought by foreign buyers, particularly from mainland China. This may sound like an odd phenomenon, but Vancouver is what's considered a "gateway city," a title shared with Sydney and Hong Kong, the only two less affordable cities on the list. Gateway cities have high immigration-driven population growth as well as a huge amount of foreign investment, which leads to skyrocketing home prices. As in Honolulu, the market is being driven by something other than owner-occupiers, specifically offshore investors in the case of Vancouver. While these investors, who come in wealthy and continue to make huge salaries outside of Canada, mostly buy luxury housing, it has the effect of raising housing prices across the market and geographically across the city, thereby affecting many middle- and lower-income Vancouverites as well. 2. Sydney: Why is Sydney so expensive? #2 Sydney. Median Price: $1,077,000, Median Income: $88,000, Median Multiple: 12.2. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S%C3%ADdney-Australia30.JPG'>Wikimedia user Diego Delso</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Median Price: $1,077,000 AUD Second place for the least affordable city goes Sydney, the second Australian city to make the top ten. Sydney's mean multiple score of 12.2 means that on average a home costs over 12 years' wages. Unlike areas with limited real estate like Honolulu or San Francisco, Australia certainly has no shortage of land, so that can't be what's driving prices. In fact, Sydney could benefit from more decentralization in terms of its housing costs, with more than 4.8 million of the 7.7 million people in all of New South Wales living in greater Sydney. This density is at least somewhat intentional however: the Demographia report cites urban containment as Sydney's biggest problem in terms of affordability. Urban containment policies try to limit urban sprawl and protect greenfield land by encouraging density in existing housing areas. While there are benefits to urban density, its most notable effect in Sydney has been higher land prices and therefore higher home prices. Sydney also has the lowest unemployment rate of any state capital in Australia and like with other cities on the list, the increase in population created by these jobs is not being met by the housing stock, as the restrictions on land use are making it difficult to meet demand. 1. Hong Kong: Why is Hong Kong so expensive? #1 Hong Kong. Median Price: $5,422,000, Median Income: $300,000, Median Multiple: 18.1. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_hongkong_panorama_victoria_peak_2011.JPG'>Wikimedia user chensiyuan</a> licensed under <a href='http://https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 4.0</a> Median Price: $5,422,000 HKD And finally, the number one least affordable city, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Hong Kong by a long shot. Even compared to number two, Sydney, Hong Kong's mean multiple score is almost 6 points higher at 18.1, which is actually down from 19 last year. Multiple factors influence Hong Kong's housing costs, including the ubiquitous supply/demand refrain and, of course, the incredibly high density and scarcity of land. The Government controls and leases most of the remaining developable land, and unfortunately there's not much incentive for the government to try to decrease the cost of Hong Kong's housing because a large amount of its revenue comes from land sales, which allows the tax rate to remain so low. If property values were to drop, the government would lose revenue, and if they dropped too much, it could possibly even have to reevaluate its tax system.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Alex de Rijke
 © Alex de Rijke From the architect. Maggie's Centres seek to provide 'the architecture of hope'. They offer free practical and emotional support for people affected by cancer. Built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, the centres are safe and welcoming spaces. They lift the spirits and set the scene for people to draw on strengths they may not have realised they had in order to cope.  © Jasmin Sohi  Ground Floor Plan  © Alex de Rijke The design of Maggie's Oldham is all this and more – less about form and more about content. A simple yet sophisticated wooden box of surprises. Supported on slender columns, the building floats above a garden framed by pine, birch and tulip poplar trees. From a central oasis, a tree grows up through the building, bringing nature inside. On entering, the visitor is met with a space, light and unexpected views down to the garden below, up to the sky, and out to the Pennine horizon.  © Jasmin Sohi  Longitudinal Section  © Jasmin Sohi The use of wood at Maggie's Oldham is part of a bigger design intention to reverse the norms of hospital architecture, where clinical institutionalised environments can make patients feel dispirited. In wood there is hope, humanity, scale and warmth. Maggie's Oldham is the first permanent building constructed from sustainable tulipwood cross-laminated timber, following on from dRMM, AHEC and Arup's development of this material. All of the walls and roof are visibly structure and form an exquisite natural timber finish internally. The tulipwood CLT has been carefully detailed to bring out its natural beauty – it's fine, variegated finish is more akin to a piece of furniture than a construction material. The slatted ceiling was created from wood left over from the CLT fabrication process, ensuring no waste.  © Alex de Rijke We have considered the use of wood at every opportunity. As those undergoing chemotherapy sometimes feel pain on touching cold objects, oak rather than metal door handles have been used. Wood fibre insulation ensures a breathable, healthy environment whilst the huge window frames are American white oak. Externally the building is draped in custom-fluted, thermally modified tulipwood, like a surreal theatrical curtain.  © Alex de Rijke Maggie's Oldham is a carefully made manifesto for the architecture of health, realised in wood. The Centre has been made possible by the enormous generosity of the Stoller Charitable Trust, which has fully funded the Centre.  © Jasmin Sohi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Let Light in: 17 Projects Using Polycarbonate Posted: 03 Jul 2017 01:00 AM PDT Thanks to its strength, lightness, and easy installation, polycarbonate is fast becoming our generation's everyman material. Used to let light in with its translucent properties, buildings built with polycarbonate can appear permeable by day and glow from within by night. Its inherently prefab -nature makes it a strong contender in both small and large projects. Through its use in schools, offices, libraries and even museums, the man-made polymer has earned its place by being as efficient as it is expressive. Check out 17 of our favorite polycarbonate projects below: L'Architecture est dans le Pré / Claas architectes © Myriam_Heaulme Shed Roof House / Hiroki Tominaga-Atelier © Takumi Ota Miyagawa Bagel / ROOVICE © Akira Nakamura Nest We Grow / College of Environmental Design UC Berkeley + Kengo Kuma & Associates © Shinkenchiku-sha COOOP3 / Domino Architects © Gottingham House of 33 Years / ASSISTANT © Tadasu Yamamoto House in Shinkawa / Yoshichika Takagi © Yuta Oseto Casa Triângulo / Metro Architects Associates © Leonardo Finotti Schoolgarden "De Buitenkans" / RO & AD Architecten © Katja Effting House D / Fouquet Architecture Urbanisme © Philippe Ruault Charvot House / Hérard & da Costa © Philippe Ruault Sports Complex in Bussy-Saint-Georges / Martin Duplantier Architectes © Yohan Zerdoun House C / HHF © Tom Bisig Sewage Treatment Plant of San Claudio / padilla nicás arquitectos © Mariela Apollonio Seasonless House / House Cases © José Hévia Baan Nong Bua School / Junsekino Architect And Design © Spaceshift Studio Polycarbonate Cabin / Alejandro Soffia © Juan Durán Sierralta  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MVRDV Breaks Ground on Creative Office Hub in Amsterdam Posted: 02 Jul 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of MVRDV MVRDV have broken ground on a 3,700 square meter creative office project in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Named "Salt," the new flexible workspace is part of the Minervahaven port redevelopment located on the city's harbor. Conceived as a response to the lack of flexible workspaces in Amsterdam, Salt aims to provide small, high-quality offices geared towards the demands of creative industries. The building contributes to Minervahaven's ambition to redefine itself as the city's new creative hub.  Courtesy of MVRDV
 Courtesy of MVRDV Rising to a height of 5 stories, Salt is a 30m x 30m x 20m cube-shaped volume with concrete frames stacked on top of each other. Windows are arranged in a random order so that the buildings' distinct glass and concrete façade offers a different view on each side of the building. The loft-like interior spaces are deliberately sparse: no hung ceilings exposed materials such as concrete, aluminum and steel, and flexible floorplans. The building aims to generate a portion of its own energy through a solar-panelled roof. Companies can rent spaces ranging from small units to an entire floor. A private roof garden acts as a social gathering area on the south facade of the building while the full height lobby featuring a grand staircase connects the various levels.
The Salt Office project is set to complete construction by January 2018. News via: MVRDV.
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