Arch Daily |
- Examining the Constructed World of the Blockbuster Movie "Ghost in the Shell"
- Sälsten / Skälsö Arkitekter
- Tour Lumière / Jacques Ferrier Architecture
- Ana House / Kochi Architect's Studio
- No.66 Lanman Hutong Renovation / BWAO
- Brick House / Andrew Burges Architects
- Vance Tsing Tao Pearl Hill Visitor Center / Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
- Native Hostel and Bar & Kitchen / un.box studio
- HASSELL's Sweeping Entertainment Development to Become New Gateway to Sydney CBD
- Elementary School Edlach / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten
- Hyperloop One's Autonomous Pod Completes Inaugural Test Run
- Helen Street / mw|works architecture + design
- Artist Alex Chinneck Installs Ripped Brick Facade on London Building
- RISING Exchange Conference: How Architecture Can Help Solve Societal Challenges
- Conservatorium – The Set Hotels / Lissoni Associati
- A Brief History of the Impoverished Culture of Architectural Research
- Stephanie & Kevin / Atelier Vens Vanbelle
- ArchiPorn: A Guide to World Architecture
- This Cantilevered Wooden Staircase is Constructed Without the Use of Fixings
| Examining the Constructed World of the Blockbuster Movie "Ghost in the Shell" Posted: 02 Aug 2017 09:00 PM PDT  Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine In this article, originally published by Strelka Magazine and translated into English by Alexandra Tumarkina, Anton Khitrov sits down with Julia Ardabyevskaya to analyse the urban environment and spectacular world that the blockbuster movie Ghost in the Shell creates. Ghost in the Shell, a new sci-fi blockbuster starring Scarlett Johansson, is based on a 1992 manga comic and a more famous 1995 anime adaptation. In the film, humans are presented as obsessed with high-tech prosthetics, spending vast amounts of money on "self-improvement". The story proceeds to show that the next step for humanity will be complete robotization; this new generation of human machines is represented by the movie's heroine – a female cyborg with an organic brain but a synthetic body. The action takes place in a futuristic city in which almost every surface is covered in holograms the size of a skyscraper, each and every one an advertisement.   Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine The characters of Ghost in the Shell inhabit an overpopulated and wealthy megalopolis that chooses to solve the problem of land shortage by constructing ever more tall buildings. While this does seem like an appropriate solution in the contemporary world, in the future that the film is set in, skyscrapers will by no means be the only possibility for hyper-densification. What if an advanced type of high-speed public transport emerges, allowing for a decrease in population density? What if cities dissolve into nature?  Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine Architecture Adapted to the Needs of AdvertisingJulia Ardabyevskaya: This city covered in huge holographic images reminds me of contemporary Hong Kong – a place unimaginable without billboards: they are almost like it's second skin. In architectural theory, this relationship between the built form and advertising hasn't been studied enough; the only famous example that comes to my mind is the theory of Robert Venturi – one of the founding figures in Postmodern architecture. Before writing Learning From Las Vegas, Venturi and his students made a trip to Las Vegas to study the phenomenon of architectural communication. There, the group analysed casino and hotel signs, many of which turned out to be larger than the casinos and hotels themselves. In his book, Venturi argues that Modernist "boxes" made of glass and concrete are ill-suited for displaying messages such as advertisements and signs. In his opinion, Modernist architecture can work only in lifeless, sterile environments. One large logo mounted on the roof of a skyscraper, such as Mies Van der Rohe's Seagram-building, may look grand and stately, but ordinary advertising does no favours to modernist architecture. Venturi himself aspired to create buildings that signs, antennas and air conditioning couldn't spoil. The city in Ghost in the Shell was created with the same goal in mind: advertisements do not taint the buildings; they contribute to their individuality. Those gigantic holograms are almost like gods overlooking the city from above, not unlike the Asian Buddha statues.  Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine Social Stratification and "Ghetto" BuildingsJA: Judging by the apartments that Ghost in the Shell characters live in, social stratification remains an issue: wealthy citizens live in futuristic boxes, while the lodgings of the poor have seen little change since the beginning of the 21st Century. But it's hard to say who is happier: the modest houses have laundry drying and cats running around – compared to them those luxury houses look lifeless. The obvious references here are Jacques Tati's comedy films Mon Oncle ("My uncle", 1958) and Playtime, 1967 – important architectural statements that demonstrate the artificiality of life amidst Modernist decorations. But if we ignore its run-down state, the well-house that the poor citizens inhabit in the film can be considered decent, at least as far as its form goes: it's the kind of structure that architecture students often come up with. But there's something threatening about it, too: it's reminiscent of the panopticon as described by Michel Foucault – an ideal prison that creates a sense of permanent surveillance for its inhabitants. We could compare this building to the social modernist residential projects that were popular several decades ago: later many of these districts had to be demolished following their ghettoization.  Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine Residential UnitsJA: Two types of apartments are present in the film. One of them is more familiar: an empty box that can later be filled with everything you need. The other is more futuristic (although considered traditional in Japan), where all the necessities are already incorporated into the architecture: surfaces merge into each other, forming beds, benches, and window sills. I'm not sure that this is comfortable housing, but it's a popular fantasy. The word "apartment" doesn't exactly describe the place where the main heroine lives – "residential unit" seems more fitting here. It's not the kind of space that we are used to; some of its functions, for example, the kitchen, have almost certainly been moved outside and located elsewhere, just like in the Moisei Ginzburg's Narkomfin house.  Still from "Ghost in the Shell" (2017) directed by Rupert Sanders. Image Courtesy of Strelka Magazine A New Kind of CemetaryJA: The film also briefly touches on the subject of architecture for the dead: at one point the main heroine visits an unusual-looking cemetery, built in the shape of a huge amphitheatre. Judging by our planet's demographic situation, a cemetery is a type of form that will inevitably go through transformations in the future. And the Japanese are probably going to be pioneers in this sphere, considering that they have only a limited amount of land and quite a flexible attitude to the concept of death. There has already been a design competition in Japan dedicated to new types of cemeteries built in the contemporary environment. However, the cemetery that we see in the film does not economise land: its levels are not stacked on top of each other; instead they are descending like a staircase. It seems that the makers of this film wanted to include an original and futuristic structure in this scene, but not necessarily a functional one. And this is the main reason why the future as depicted in Ghost in the Shell presents little interest from the architect's point of view. Any traditional institution—be it an apartment or a cemetery—can be reviewed and reevaluated, and that is what is going to happen in the future. But the film doesn't reflect on this, offering only a slightly more advanced version of the familiar order of things. This article was copy-edited from the translation by ArchDaily's Editorial Team.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Stefan Bergkvist
 © Stefan Bergkvist  Floor Plan  © Stefan Bergkvist From the architect. Renovation, extension and additional garage building for an old coastal villa outside of Härnösand in the northern part of Sweden.  © Stefan Bergkvist  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tour Lumière / Jacques Ferrier Architecture Posted: 02 Aug 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Luc Boegly
 © Mathieu Ducros From the architect. A residential building with 89 flats over 17 levels (ground floor + 16 storeys). The project includes social housing for rent and for sale, as well as standard housing for sale, over the 17 levels of the building.  © Mathieu Ducros  Site Plan  © Mathieu Ducros Architecture Le Galion, a combined architectural project, is characterised by a unique landscape that blends in seamlessly with the banks of the Cher river. The project, which includes an office building, a residential building (La Tour Lumière) and a company restaurant, is built around a garden that extends like a belvedere over the Cher river. With its transparent façades, the company restaurant offers panoramic views of the river. The Tour Lumière acts as an urban landmark owing to its height and unique cylindrical shape. Subtle white and metallic reflections bring the building's façade to life, providing a sense of lightness and clarity that vary according to the natural light. The building offers panoramic views over the river, the city and the surrounding landscape. The Tour Lumière provides social housing for rent and for sale, as well as standard housing for sale. A balcony runs around each floor. This unique residential building is the highlight of the mixed-use plot. Offices are located to the south, around the garden. The landscape runs seamlessly into the office buildings. This horizontal design is emphasised by the panels of the brise-soleil and the terraced layout.  © Mathieu Ducros  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ana House / Kochi Architect's Studio Posted: 02 Aug 2017 05:00 PM PDT  © Kazuyasu Kochi
 © Kazuyasu Kochi From the architect. Overcrowded spatiality It is a small house for a family of four who is built on the flagpole site surrounded by houses in Tokyo. After the war the field spread in this area became population and land price increased, became the current high density residential area. The flagpole site is the smallest unit of land division. And the house will be divided into even smaller rooms. I started designing with a desire to discover overcrowding spatiality by drilling holes in the grid.  © Kazuyasu Kochi  Plans  © Kazuyasu Kochi Building with a hole is the third one. In order to create "high-density scenery" where you can see plenty of places, I set the formula "spatial density = number of rooms / volume". If you can see many rooms in a smaller space, the space density will rise.  Section In the case of Apartment house (2014), I painted 4 colors to emphasize difference between each groop of rooms. Ana house has 7 colors to emphasize difference between each rooms. To give space density, this is the operation to increase the number of space which is a molecule.  © Kazuyasu Kochi The shape of the hole appears as the set of the opening in a wall and a floor. I show you figures below ( fig. Shape of hole ). The holes in Kame house and Apartment - house were polyhedron as a volume, but the hole in Ana house changes to an overlapping of the plane opening such as a square or a triangle on the wall or the floor, making it difficult to recognize it as a volume. Those which were 3D holes subordinate to the 3D grit so far changed to 2D holes which exist autonomously in 3D grit here. This appears in the interior of the Ana house at the intersection points of straight lines at the walls and floor openings.( fig. interior of hole ) This point is a place where the cut surfaces of the four rooms can be seen, three depths in front - middle - back are adjacent to one point, and a high - density scenery compressed volume which is the former denominator of the former is made I can say that.  © Kazuyasu Kochi This is an architecture that built a hole simultaneously in the grit. If I want to make high-density scenery, Is it possible that two or more spaces overlap and exist simultaneously? It can not be made in the space integrated into the grid. The cubism painting disassembled the integration by visual parsing, and multiple viewpoints were placed side by side in one picture. It acquired simultaneity and transparency and discovered the freedom of the receiver and the new depth. On the architecture, the scenery in the hole of Ana house that autonomously built in the daily grit of the conventional wooden frame could be the cubism in architecture?  © Kazuyasu Kochi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| No.66 Lanman Hutong Renovation / BWAO Posted: 02 Aug 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Bao Wei
 © Bao Wei From the architect. No.66 Lanman Hutong Renovation is sited in a typical courtyard that is occupied and shared by many households. This project started with two traditional houses and one privately-built house. The traditional houses are located to the south and are built with timber roof structures that rest on lateral brick walls. However, there is only lighting from the north, without any southern exposure. The privately-built structure is located to the north and needs to be reconstructed.  © Bao Wei West house is reserved for the hosts. It was inserted with a volume that extends the living space from within. The interior space is reshaped by programs that are situated along the edges, such as a triangular cabinet, a sitting window area, and a bathroom. A small kitchen volume is attached with this living volume via a transparent roof canopy at the top, separated by a public passageway.  Ground Floor Plan East house is reprogrammed for their son's home and studio. A full rectilinear volume is inserted into the east house, partitioning it into a studio on the ground floor and a bedroom on the second floor, maximizing its spatial potential. A large working desk dominates the studio space to the north, with a wide open glass window looking to the north wall. Surrounding the old date tree that grows to the east of the house, a volume is attached to hold a small sitting space that overlooks the tree and a bathroom that can be closed off entirely. This volume also serves as a small terrace that can be accessed from the east window of the bedroom on the 2nd floor.  © Bao Wei  Diagram  © Bao Wei The house to the north is designated as the dining room that can be shared by both houses. Since it is very close to the east house (only a 1m wide public passageway), it's impossible to get light through a wall mounted window. As a result, the south wall of the dining room is completely sealed off for service area, open counter and cabinet as such, with only a 750 square opening for ventilation. Rather, a full-sized clerestory window is introduced to get full access to natural light to the south. This 3mx1.1m single-paned window not only brings maximum light to the space, but also frames the sky, the old tree, and the roof of the traditional house into the picture. An entrance door and a small high window are opened on west wall, the latter of which brings the tree canopy in the neighboring courtyard into the view. With all these different views, the dining room has become a spiritual citadel for family activities rather than merely serving as a place to dine.  Section  © Bao Wei  Section  © Bao Wei  Section  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Brick House / Andrew Burges Architects Posted: 02 Aug 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Peter Bennetts
 © Peter Bennetts From the architect. Our brief for this new two storey dwelling was for a family home of 5 bedrooms, a study and associated living rooms set within a tightly scaled streetscape of detached houses and apartment buildings in North Bondi, Sydney.  Scheme Conceptual Framework – From 'macro geography' to 'micro geography'  © Peter Bennetts Our project attempted to overcome this dilemma by actively constructing a micro geometry on the site in terms of climate, amenity and connection to sky and landscape. The key project elements in creating this geography are a subtle, varied topography of the ground plane, a brick base of varied heights according to the outlooks they are opening or screening, and an upper level consisting of three 'bridges' spanning the brickwork, creating an internal rhythm of bedroom volumes and double height skylight voids that define the interior.  © Peter Bennetts Spatial and Material Resolution  © Peter Bennetts  Ground Floor Plan  © Peter Bennetts  First Floor Plan  © Peter Bennetts Project Materials  © Peter Bennetts Sustainability  © Peter Bennetts  Sections  © Peter Bennetts  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Vance Tsing Tao Pearl Hill Visitor Center / Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Posted: 02 Aug 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © He Lian
 © He Lian From the architect. Vance Tsing Tao Pearl Hill Visitor Center is developed in Qingdao, the most high-end international Mid-Levels villa project, close to Zhushan National Forest Park, surrounded by mountains, south to the sea, the natural environment is excellent.  © He Lian Vanke Qingdao small town tourist center is the largest single domestic heavy wood structure project. Project pre-function is as a Vance Tsing Tao Pearl Hill Visitor Center, due to its unique design and space flexibility, the project will be used as a small Pearl Hill Park Visitor Center. The architectural design of the project was designed by Robert Miller, designer of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects, and the structural design of the building was designed by Fast + EPP. The project started in May 2012 and opened in October of the same year.  © He Lian The biggest feature of the whole building is its unique structure, the use of "wooden truss roof structure + tree heavy wood structure", undulating roof, echoed with the trend of the mountain, the building and the mountain formed a dialogue, making The building is truly integrated into the natural environment. Unique tree structure, to the architectural form and structure of a high degree of unity, as the load at the same time, rhyme sense of the tree structure of people on the forest association, which at a higher level into the natural  Diagram The building is also a highlight of its three-dimensional surface of the wooden roof design. The roof ceilings are made of Canadian Class J SPF wood and are supported by SPF glued wood. The roof structure of the roof can make its roof without additional steel beam support.  © He Lian  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Native Hostel and Bar & Kitchen / un.box studio Posted: 02 Aug 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Chase Daniel
 © Chase Daniel From the architect. The Native Hostel, Bar & Kitchen is a boutique hostel, bar, cafe, and event space designed for the epicurean traveler and locals alike. It is nestled in an existing 2-story late 1800's stone building and a mid-century brick warehouse right in the middle of the upcoming transit-oriented development adjacent to downtown.  © Chase Daniel  Ground Floor Plan  © Chase Daniel We sought to preserve the history but create something culturally conducive for the current and future generations. By merging all periods and styles, we were able to create something that feels timeless; a place that could have been relevant many years ago is relevant today and will be relevant for many years to come.  © Chase Daniel  © Chase Daniel The Native concept is focused around social activity including music, arts, socializing, food, and entertaining. Our efforts were focused around designing for a 'culture', rather than a 'business', and to encompass a diverse set of activities for a diverse and inclusive audience.  © Chase Daniel We utilized a rich palette and textured materials, a theme aptly referred to throughout the design process as 'dark and stormy'. We were trying to balance out more authentic and traditional materials and ideas with modern construction and concepts. The result is a truly unique communal experience that offers affordable rates with impeccable style at the nexus of development in Austin.  © Chase Daniel  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| HASSELL's Sweeping Entertainment Development to Become New Gateway to Sydney CBD Posted: 02 Aug 2017 09:00 AM PDT  © Bloom Images. Courtesy of HASSELL HASSELL has unveiled the design of a striking new building to be located along Sydney's Darling Harbour. Known as The Ribbon, the $700 million mixed-use development will rise between two elevated highways, connecting visitors between the city and the waterfront and becoming the new gateway to the western end of Sydney's central business district.  © Bloom Images. Courtesy of HASSELL The pebble-shaped building is envisioned as a new entertainment hub, offering a 400-room hotel, 1,800 square meters of retail stores and an abundance of recreational spaces along with office floors. The building will envelop an existing IMAX theatre on-site, improving access and creating new public spaces at the ground level. Additionally, the building will improve sightlines over the harbour and create pedestrian links across Cockle Bay to Darling Quarter. In total, the scheme will add 10,000 square meters of public spaces to the waterfront.  © Bloom Images. Courtesy of HASSELL When completed, the Ribbon will become a key node of Sydney's harbour precincts, connecting the new Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct and the Barangaroo development. News via HASSELL.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Elementary School Edlach / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten Posted: 02 Aug 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Bruno Klomfar
 © Bruno Klomfar From the architect. New pedagogical concepts ask for new architectural forms. To transform the elementary school in Edlach into a contemporary cluster school, the new building arranges the master classes and group rooms as small units and offers a wide range of spatial configurations. The circulation space is reduced to a minimum.  © Bruno Klomfar  First floor plan  © Bruno Klomfar Parallel to the existing gym, the 70-meter-long new main building arranges the teaching rooms on two levels. The classes open to a glazed central core, generously flooded by daylight. It expands in some places and defines zones for group work and for relaxation. Roofed, wood-clad, incised balconies on the narrow sides also serve as outdoor classes. The link between the school and the gym is the glazed, multifunctional hall, also the main entrance to the school. On the ground floor there are a library, special classes, meeting and teacher rooms as well as wardrobes and toilets. Two free-standing concrete staircases lead to the classroom level.  © Bruno Klomfar  Section  © Bruno Klomfar Wood is omnipresent – in the framework, the cladding of the facade and the interior design of the classrooms. The gymnasium, whose façade is also clad in silver fir panels, has undergone thermal upgrading. The use of natural products and the attention to detail make this building a harmonious and cheerful place of teaching and learning.  © Bruno Klomfar  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hyperloop One's Autonomous Pod Completes Inaugural Test Run Posted: 02 Aug 2017 07:00 AM PDT The world's first operational Hyperloop system, Hyperloop One, continues to push forward, testing their prototype pod in the test track environment for the first time. Travelling nearly the full length of the 500-meter-long (1640-foot-long) test track 500 meters at 310 kilometers per hour (192 mph), the successful run marks significant progress from Phase 1 testing completed in early July. "This is the beginning, and the dawn of a new era of transportation," said Shervin Pishevar, Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Hyperloop One. "We've reached historic speeds of 310 km an hour, and we're excited to finally show the world the XP-1 going into the Hyperloop One tube. When you hear the sound of the Hyperloop One, you hear the sound of the future." Hyperloop One uses an electric motor and magnetic levitation to propel the pod through a near-vacuum tube depressurized to the equivalent of air at 200,000 feet above sea level. By levitated above the track, the pod is able to glide along at airplane speeds for long distances thanks to minimal drag.  Courtesy of Hyperloop One  Courtesy of Hyperloop One "We've proven that our technology works, and we're now ready to enter into discussions with partners, customers and governments around the world about the full commercialization of our Hyperloop technology," said Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd. "We're excited about the prospects and the reception we've received from governments around the world to help solve their mass transportation and infrastructure challenges." Read more about the testing, here.
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| Helen Street / mw|works architecture + design Posted: 02 Aug 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Andrew Pogue
 © Andrew Pogue From the architect. The clients were living on a rural property east of Seattle but found themselves drawn back to the growing vibrancy and culture of the city. They loved the peaceful setting of their old home with its quietness and easy indoor/outdoor living but it was oversized for two people and two small dogs. The new project would distill their way of living into a smaller footprint, specifically tailored to their tastes and activities.  © Andrew Pogue Helen Street is on the north edge of the Madison Valley neighborhood abutting the fringe of the Washington Park Arboretum, but within easy walking distance of the village center. Early design discussions focused on a simple modern structure with a purity of materials and a quiet palette constructed on a modest budget.  © Andrew Pogue The home should be open, light filled and private but also transparent and open to views to the landscape. Above all, the owners described a quiet design integrated with landscape that would create a tangible calmness in the home.  © Andrew Pogue  Main Floor Plan  © Andrew Pogue The concept grew from this premise, drawing complexity from the opportunities and constraints of an urban corner lot. A courtyard in the center of the site brings light and private outdoor space deeper into the site and serves as an organizational hub for the home. The sunnier south and western fringes of the site are reserved for gardens. Territorial view corridors helped identify where the building could be very transparent and where privacy was more important.  © Andrew Pogue The material palette was simple with a largely glassy main level with solid volumes crisply detailed in cement panels. Floating above, the roof plane and master suite are clad in naturally weathered cedar planks. Anchoring the house around the courtyard, the outdoor chimney and garden shed are clad in heavy reclaimed timbers, stacked and blackened.  © Andrew Pogue By working closely with the owner, who also managed and built the project, the design concept and execution were closely integrated from concept through fabrication. The limited construction budget was focused on key spaces and experiences while others were kept more straightforward. With a shared understanding of project goals there was a great economy of communication and efficiency in realizing the built work.  © Andrew Pogue The outcome is a project that is simple but very intentional and serves as a backdrop to the landscape and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. A true collaboration.  © Andrew Pogue  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Artist Alex Chinneck Installs Ripped Brick Facade on London Building Posted: 02 Aug 2017 05:30 AM PDT  © Faruk Pinjo The work of artist Alex Chinneck is grounded in architecture. From melting buildings to a slumping facade to a structure ripped in half and hovering, Chinneck's work plays with the expectation of materials and tectonics, resulting in captivating mind-bending illusions. His latest work (and first permanent sculpture), Six Pins and Half a Dozen Needles, continues this exploration, taking the form of a large brick wall ripped down the center.  © Faruk Pinjo Located on top of an office complex in Hammersmith in west London, the installation was constructed from more than 5,000 custom-made bricks and 1,000 stainless steel connection pieces to create a sculpture described by the artist as "cartoon-like" and "endearing."  © Faruk Pinjo  © Faruk Pinjo "The work was conceived to engage people in a fun and uplifting way," explains Chinneck. "I set out to create accessible artworks and I sincerely hope this becomes a popular landmark for London and positive experience for Londoners." Check out the photos of the installation, courtesy of photographer Faruk Pinjo.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| RISING Exchange Conference: How Architecture Can Help Solve Societal Challenges Posted: 02 Aug 2017 04:01 AM PDT  Courtesy of RISING Architecture Week / The Architecture Project RISING Exchange Conference is bringing the architecture industry and its stakeholders together to highlight the potential of architecture to help solve future societal challenges. Through keynotes and workshops within the topics of urbanization, inclusion and designing for life and future skills, the conference aims to inspire the participants by actively involving them in the development of solutions for some of society's most pressing challenges. The participants will have the opportunity to play an active role in our 'Playgrounds'. The Playgrounds comprise a wide range of workshops where the participants will work in cooperation with keynote speakers to design responses to the topics at hand. Keynote lecturers include: Daan Roosegaarde (Studio Roosegaarde)Daan's designs explore and implement technological innovations. He will share his perspectives on how to design for life in a world that is constantly changing. John ThackaraThis inspiring sustainability pioneer will discuss how unpopulated rural areas can benefit from urbanization. Jan Gehl (Gehl) & Rob Adams (City of Melbourne)These leaders in the field of urban design will get together on stage to discuss how to develop sustainable, liveable cities in the current age of urbanization. Tinna C. Nielsen (Young Global Leader, WEF)Tinna is an anthropologist, innovator and behavioral economist who strongly believes in the power of inclusion, which will be the topic of her talk. Shajay Bhooshan (Zaha Hadid Architects)The expert in the production and conception of architecture from Zaha Hadid Architects will discuss how architects can exploit the digital future to solve societal challenges. RaumlaborThe creative, activist group of architects from Berlin will hold a keynote talk about the potential of temporary action and how it can spark new currents in smaller communities. RISING Exchange Conference is part of the architecture biennale RISING Architecture Week 2017, an official Aarhus 2017 – European Capital of Culture event.
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| Conservatorium – The Set Hotels / Lissoni Associati Posted: 02 Aug 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Amit Geron
 © Amit Geron From the architect. The Conservatorium is set within a former music conservatory, a century-old building, designed by Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel.  © Amit Geron  Section 4  © Amit Geron Lissoni embraced the hotel's limitations, creatively crafting 129 guest rooms within the original footprint and giving each a unique layout.Working within strict preservation regulations, a 20-meter high glass atrium was built on the former patio. On the ground floor the lobby and the brasserie are capped by a glass-and-steel roof: the light-filled atrium, Lissoni says, reimagines the classic English garden while tapping into "the double life of indoor-outdoor spaces."  © Amit Geron Much of the furniture is by Lissoni himself, mixed with masters of design pieces and objects trouvés. A sculptural steel staircase links the lobby with the rest of the hotel, creating a catwalk like transition.  © Amit Geron  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A Brief History of the Impoverished Culture of Architectural Research Posted: 02 Aug 2017 02:30 AM PDT  Courtesy of Common Edge This article was originally published by Common Edge as "The Confused and Impoverished State of Architectural Research." For a discipline that thinks of itself as learned, scholarly research eludes the architectural profession. This is a long standing problem. "Failure," John Ruskin wrote in his 1848 introduction to The Seven Lamps of Architecture, "is less frequently attributable to either insufficiency of means or impatience of labor, than to a confused understanding of the thing actually to be done." Roughly 150 years later, Harry Nilsson—surely singing to architects—opined in his song, Joy that if you're unable to find the answer to a question, you may not have a question worth asking (and probably don't have a problem worth solving). In between Ruskin and rock and roll, is William Peña, the author of the architectural programming guide, Problem Seeking, who nearly a half-century ago wrote that "you can't solve a problem unless you know what it is." For what it's worth, architects and the academy agree on the need for research. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) calls it "vital to project success." The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) recognizes "the intimate relationship between research and design innovation." The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture's stated mission "is to lead architectural education and research," and the European Association for Architectural Education "advocates stronger links between theoretical and practice-based research." All well and good, but there is a massive disconnect. Architects are largely unschooled, untrained, and unaware of research fundamentals. In 2014 RIBA issued a report on research-based architectural knowledge and concluded: Architects, more than any other profession, appear to accept the primacy of "knowing- in-practice": while they create an "immense" body of knowledge it is largely shared informally, and rarely codified into organizational or industry memory. Attitudes to research and knowledge exchange appear to be rooted in architectural education, learning styles and preferred communication methods, which are primarily visual and peer-to-peer. This is a problem unknown in other disciplines that similarly cherish the creation, validation, and consumption of new thought. Rigorous investigation is institutionalized in the natural sciences, social sciences, and much of the humanities. How to create research studies and perform systematic searches are emphasized in undergraduate education, continue through advanced degrees, and follow into practice. Approaches vary by field but are hard-coded as orthodoxy. There are long-held scholarly traditions of refereed journal publication and critical analysis. Because of this, formalized research attracts funding, public and private, which has built vast literatures, upon which anthropologists, archaeologists, astronomers, attorneys, economists, geologists, health professionals, historians, mathematicians, political scientists, psychologists, physicists, and sociologists rely. Instinctively, the first task when tackling a new problem in these fields is a "lit review." Such is not the case in architecture, where research may be no more than background-gathering of site data, a building code analysis, or photographing neighboring buildings for context. For some architects, critical investigation begins and ends with ephemeral form and material studies. For others, research is simply a post-occupancy evaluation to be filled out, filed, and forgotten. And then there are architects who, in the words of Jeremy Till, believe in research "myths." He writes: "The first myth is that architecture is so different as a discipline and form of knowledge, that normal research definitions or processes cannot be applied to it." It's an ivory tower position of autonomous architecture existing beyond the forces that impact other disciplines. Till's second myth contradicts his first. Some architects believe "in order to establish itself as a credible and 'strong' epistemology, architecture must turn to other disciplines for authority." Although architecture is inclusive of art, engineering, science, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, communications, and literature, Till advises architects not turn to other disciplines for reference, wary of straitjacketing design inquiry. Pablo Picasso is alleged to have said, "I never made a painting as a work of art. It's all research." Myth #3—"designing a building is a form of research in its own right"—is the same false argument. Architecture is bigger than any one building. It "exceeds the building as object," Till says, "just as art exceeds the painting as object. Architectural research must therefore address this expanded field."
Instead of falling victim to myths, or conflating research with fact-finding, or focusing solely on the beginning, middle, or end of the architectural process, Till proposes a new research model, one based on increased communication between academia and practice. Unfortunately, details are sketchy, suggesting more research on architectural research is needed, which leaves the profession perplexed, still. Confusion similarly reigns in architects' traditional references. In 2007, AIA's Architectural Graphic Standards 11th Edition added a chapter on research, classifying systematic inquiry as for, into, and through. The British educator Christopher Frayling was the first to describe the framework, categorizing the study of materials, technology, and building systems by manufacturers and universities as research for architecture. Research into architecture referred to investigating building use through historical examples, performance studies, and post-occupancy evaluations. Research through architecture treated the act of design as inquiry, a process through which discoveries are made via serendipity and intuition. Frayling's categories make logical sense, but for reasons unexplained, Architectural Graphic Standards withdrew the chapter in the 12th edition, published in 2016. The AIA's Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice 15th Edition, released in 2013 and still current, includes a new in-depth section on research. Chapter 14: Research in Practice describes methodology, integration with practice, and evidence-based design (a concept borrowed from medicine) in a schema that separates research into basic, applied, and developmental. Basic research in "building typology, practice issues, or materials and methods of construction" is underpinned by science. This is what other fields call primary or original research. Applied architectural research is putting knowledge gleaned from basic research into use and (presumably) studying its efficacy. In the sciences, this might be called secondary or review research. Developmental research converts applied research into general knowledge to be used by practitioners, educators, and students—dissemination, in the words of traditional researchers. Basic, Applied, and Developmental is a good model, and not far from other fields' venerable practices. Of note, it incorporates the time-proven, well-documented approach to basic research, The Scientific Method. And that poses another riddle. In the May 1948 issue of Yale Scientific Magazine, Vincent Scully asked, "Is the Scientific Method Applicable to Architectural Design?" Thirty-six hundred words later, he concluded no, the Scientific Method did not apply to buildings. Scully defined architecture as "neither concepts nor intentions, but buildings, each of which is absolute in itself but which at the same time exists in a relative relationship to other buildings and to other works of art." Like art, the nature of architectural creation, he said, was "inexplicable." Christopher Alexander disagrees. He came to architecture with the perspective of a scientist with Notes on the Synthesis of Form (1964) and elaborated in the 1970s in A Pattern Language. Architecture and science are intimately related, in Alexander's view. He considers architectural experiences not only derived from physical science but (based on computer scientists' adoption of A Pattern Language as their own) architecture also a contributor to science. The confused state of architectural research would be an interesting sidebar to practice and education if not for its impact. One consequence is the profession's collective shrug, which allows anything presenting itself as architectural research to be treated as such. Another effect: because there is no deep culture of formal research in architecture—despite the profession being as old as other research-based disciplines—the architectural literature is thin, especially compared to medicine. The need for shelter and health are as old as humankind. Architecture and medicine became licensed professions around the same time in the US, between the 19th and 20th centuries. Both fields have seen numerous advancements in theory and technology. The National Library of Medicine's PubMed database of health profession journal articles has almost 24 million entries and adds 500,000 new records each year. The architectural equivalent of PubMed is BRIK, the AIA's Building Research Information Knowledge Base, which holds around 1,900 articles. The paucity of architectural research articles compared to medicine is reflected in research funding. Healthcare in 2016, for example, was nearly 18% of the US economy. Querying USASpending.gov for Government grants using the search term "health research" finds 12 billion 2016 research dollars. (In fact, the value was higher. The National Institutes of Health 2016 grant budget alone was over $17 billion). Building construction represented approximately 4.5% of American GDP in 2016, suggesting government research grants might have totaled one-third of healthcare, or $4 billion. However, searching for "construction research" funding yields less than $500 million. A query for "architectural research" is even more depressing—only $7 million, or less than 1% of healthcare research funding. Julia Robinson, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture, argues for a science-based approach to design, if nothing else than for survival. At a time when the profession is in competition with a growing number of para-architects (design-builders, engineers, building designers, interior designers), "the architect's expertise has to be validated, which is not possible if the proposal is seen as arbitrary." Echoing her sentiment is the University of Arizona's Barbara Bryson, who writes, "Architects have not built a foundation of rigorous original research and knowledge as have other professions." She adds, "We cannot prove why one building adds more value than another. We cannot prove why we add value." Research is a version of inquiry with the distinction of being organized and structured, "the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions," according to Oxford Dictionary. Within this scope is a smorgasbord of research methodologies: quantitative, qualitative, empirical, non-empirical, linear, and iterative. The building industry develops new technology and materials using variations of The Scientific Method. Architectural historians employ versions of the Comparative Method to interpret or reinterpret the past. Problem Seeking is used to program buildings. And art-based research allows guided or unguided exploration. None of these techniques are mutually exclusive or self-limiting. Multiple approaches can be used on a single project. To the confused-but-inquisitive architect, the choices are as exciting as they are bewildering. It is tempting to think architecture falls into the domain of wicked problems, that is, filled with issues that are ill-defined and contradictory. The theory of wicked problems was developed to describe issues that could not be fixed without changing basic human nature. As if peeling an onion, each wicked layer reveals another incorrigible layer, and then another, on and on. Problem Seeking provides a detailed starting point for a building project, but a design's ultimate success may depend on wicked factors, such as behavior, politics, and the economy. By definition, solutions to wicked problems cannot be tested or measured for efficacy. There are no correct or incorrect answers, no opportunity to learn from history. If architecture is by nature wicked, the best lit review in the world won't help. Fortunately, modifying human behavior is eminently possible through building design, suggesting most architectural problems are solvable. A more likely basis than wickedness for research confusion is education. The profession's misunderstanding of rigorous investigation could be cultural, not procedural. The National Architectural Accrediting Board requires architecture school graduates to "build abstract relationships and understand the impact of ideas based on the research and analysis of multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural and environmental contexts." The statement is nebulous, boilerplate, and impossible to enforce. Investigative techniques and methodology are unacknowledged, and therefore, rarely taught. The paradoxical result is students growing into architects who think themselves to be researchers, but also believe research is what-everrr. What would happen, though, if architecture schools taught formal classic research methodology and required students to design and execute a formal research project every year? How fast would BRIK grow if the number of published papers on an architect's resume became a new coin of the realm in addition to design awards? There is another interpretation of the word wicked—awesome. Richard Buday is an architect, writer, and educator with 20 years experience in behavior research. His Houston-based firm, Archimage, has won dozens of awards for buildings, interiors, short films, broadcast television commercials, and interactive media.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Stephanie & Kevin / Atelier Vens Vanbelle Posted: 02 Aug 2017 02:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle
 Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle From the architect. The plot is situated at the end of a dead end street. Next to the plot the landscape begins to slope and you can enjoy a beautiful view. At the side and the back of the plot there is a footpath that is used sporadically by hikers. On the plot there is sun all day long. The house is built with split levels, which creates intriguing relationships between the various spaces.  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle The living space was provided on the first floor, on a volume made of concrete blocks. Inside this plinth there was a spacious, semi-underground basement/workstudio; half a level higher - on the ground floor - there is a covered outside entrance, an entrance hall and a storage room/laundry.  Section  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle  Section The living space is conceived as a stage towards the environment. The space is glazed on three sides, so the sun comes in all day long and gives you the feeling that you are in close contact with the environment. To provide the necessary intimacy to this space, both floor, wall and ceilings were covered with parquet. Four cabinets were placed in the middle of this space. These are functional but also provide privacy in the seating area. The slim columns that carry the closed yellow volume also form a subtle buffer to the environment. It is a space that perfectly balances between open and closed.  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle Three bedrooms and a bathroom were integrated in the yellow volume. From the open hallway you can enter the roof terrace. Through the window next to the terrace additional sunlight enters to the depths of the house.  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle The building volume is highly readily materialized, so that the layer-ness of the building is also readable from the outside. There is a dialogue between the house and its environment which makes daily life interactive without compromising the sense of privacy.  Courtesy of Atelier Vens Vanbelle  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ArchiPorn: A Guide to World Architecture Posted: 02 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Screenshot from http://www.archipornguide.com/ Developed in 2008, "ARCHIPORN" is a world architecture guide by architects Marcio Novaes Coelho Jr and Silvio Sguizzardi created with the aim of identifying, gathering and sharing information about architectural works around the world by renowned professionals to emerging talents in the field. The online guide is composed of a world map punctuated by the works, which are divided by historical periods ranging from before the industrial revolution to the present decade. The map also highlights architecture-oriented institutions including the Canadian Center for Architecture in Montreal and the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam as well as bookstores such as Livraria Vilanova Artigas and William Stout Architectural Books (San Francisco, USA). The guide is organized according to the following chronological criteria: 2010- onwards: Recent works
Explore some of the greatest architectural gems on the ARCHIPORN map here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Cantilevered Wooden Staircase is Constructed Without the Use of Fixings Posted: 01 Aug 2017 11:00 PM PDT  © Gustavo Frittegotto Designed by architect Rafael Iglesia for the home of the Del Grande family in Rosario, Argentina, this staircase is the result of a system of counteracting forces. The structure's wooden elements are held in place only by the friction and pressure that is produced between the pieces of wood that make up the system.  © Gustavo Frittegotto The missing fixings are replaced by wooden wedges inserted at ceiling level that generate sufficient pressure between all the other pieces; with this method, the steps remain in cantilever without touching the nearby wall. The wood used in the construction is red quebracho, a very hard, heavy wood that is extremely resistant to rot.  © Gustavo Frittegotto The resulting staircase demonstrates the signature ideas of its architect, whose work centers on themes of simplicity of materials. In Iglesia's work, architecture arises through the way that parts are combined and connected together, with parts supporting the whole through the way their forces act together. Architect: Rafael Iglesia  Axonometric  Axonometric  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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