Arch Daily |
- Creche Ropponmatsu Kindergarten / Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design
- Pavilion Ponderosa / Paolo Cucchi Architects
- Raffles City Hangzhou / UNStudio
- White Church / LAD
- Asahi Kindergarten Phase I & Phase II / Tezuka Architect
- Shanghai Sunrise Polymer Material Office / CCDI GW Design
- Casa Crisp / buck&simple
- Zaha Hadid Architects' Light Projection Show Transforms 18th Century Baroque Palace in Germany
- Glicinas Courtyard / Amelio-Ortiz
- Amanda Levete: Crossing Thresholds is the Essence of Architecture
- Natural Pool Support Pavilion / Gaudenzi Arquitetura
- Jeanne Gang Selected as Winner of 2017 Marcus Prize for Architecture
- 13 Weird, Surprising Architecture Facts You've Probably Never Heard
- Climbing House / Leo Romano
- How Architects Dress vs How Normal People Dress
- Inside Vancouver's Brock Commons, the World's Tallest Timber Structured Building
| Creche Ropponmatsu Kindergarten / Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design Posted: 18 Sep 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Daisuke Shima
 © Daisuke Shima From the architect. Creche Ropponmatsu is a kindergarten located in a residential area in Fukuoka city, accepting capacity of 90 children, age between 0 to 5 years old. Emmanuelle designed the architecture, interior space, logos and graphical signage, with a vision to open a new kindergarten where children can grow up freely in mind and body. Running behind the colorful grove, this kindergarten gives opportunity for children to raise rich sensibility by feeling many colors wherever they are.  © Daisuke Shima Collections of colors jump into the eyes in one glace, as many colors are used in the facade and in the interior space. On the facade, there are 22 colors used in 63 multi-colored trees of 4 m in height extend the branches rhythmically and wrap the building. While giving full-sized glass with a feeling of openness, by wrapping it with colorful trees, gives a sense of distance to the outside, and visually protects the children in gentle gesture. In the nursery room, 200 colorful boxes in 25 colors are lined up on the wall, where each one of them belongs to every child to stock their personal goods. Every time children use their own tools or get changed, they find and pick up the box of their color.  © Daisuke Shima The stairs that connect the 4 floors uses 18 colors, where children are surrounded by many colors as the colors of wall changes as they travel up and down the stairs.  © Daisuke Shima  Section  © Daisuke Shima The colorful trees are also incorporated in the logo of the kindergarten. The logo is also used on other areas such as Children's uniforms and bus, to give a sense of unity.  © Daisuke Shima Spending time in colorful environment helps to maximize the sensitivity of children and bring out the personality of each child. Surrounded by many colors, touching many colors, living with many colors – the kindergarten wishes to develop rich sensibilities and individuality of children. With this hope in mind, the colorful grove watches the growth of children every day.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pavilion Ponderosa / Paolo Cucchi Architects Posted: 18 Sep 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Virginia Cucchi
 © Virginia Cucchi From the architect. The project develops on about 0,86 acres and is located in the North-East of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, inside a high-end gated area, just next to a prominent golf course, surrounded by abundant greenery. The client, the owner of two adjacent plots of land, approached us asking to organise the parcel facing his existing bungalow with swimming pool, tennis court and pavilion.  © Virginia Cucchi He expected an extroverted building able to release expansiveness as well as to guarantee privacy, an escape that could help to feel well after a day of work and at the same time a place to share with friends. Architecture and landscape, closely blended together, offer a harmonic ensemble where water, greenery, and light play the primary role of regeneration. Essential modern idiom, material and visual contaminations between outside and inside maximize the sensorial experience to live closely connected with the beauty of nature, and its calming and soothing power.  Drawing  Concept Drawing Compact and porous, the pavilion, nestled on a strip of current water, opens up at the center, offering the feeling to sit immersed in the tropical context. Glass voids break the travertine envelope and glimpses of the garden invade the internal space. The rhythm of running water, from the sprightly jets along the granite wall fence, performs a miracle of freshness, provoking and renewing emotions. Attentive combination of light, natural and artificial, rhythmically enhances the belt of fluidity that embraces and nurtures as vital lymph the composition.  © Virginia Cucchi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Raffles City Hangzhou / UNStudio Posted: 18 Sep 2017 05:00 PM PDT  © Jin Xing
 © Hufton + Crow From the architect. Designed by Ben van Berkel / UNStudio, CapitaLand's new Raffles City is a sustainable urban hub for living, working and leisure located in Hangzhou, one of China's most picturesque cities. It forms the eighth Raffles City development in China.  © Hufton + Crow Situated in Qianjiang New Town near Qiantang River, this mixed-use development becomes a major landmark along the green axis of the city's new CBD. A rich mix of 24/7 functions occupies almost 400,000m2 within two streamlined towers set atop a podium and landscaped plaza. Conceived as a lively vertical neighbourhood and transit hub and featuring stunning views of the river and West Lake areas, the sixty-storey, 250 metre-tall highrises contain residential units, Grade A offices, the Conrad Hotel and a rooftop helipad; the 116,000m2 six-storey podium accommodates retail, restaurants, leisure facilities and parking and has a direct underground connection to the metro.  © Jin Xing Ben van Berkel:"Raffles City Hangzhou will be a point of confluence, a hub for business conduct and a new destination for visitors and residents alike; an 'all-in-one' destination for working, living and leisure in a highly sustainable environment." Capital of Zhejiang province, the city is steeped in tradition with a view to the future. Located 50 minutes by high-speed train from Shanghai, Hangzhou has become an economic powerhouse within China today thanks to a strong tech sector.  © Hufton + Crow While the city's heritage focuses on the picturesque UNESCO heritage-listed West Lake, its future points to a new economic, political and cultural centre orientated towards the river. With strong future ambitions especially concerning sustainability, economy and livability, Hangzhou is a city on the move.  © Hufton + Crow Mixed-use. Healthy future cities In light of the impacts of urbanisation worldwide, UNStudio posed the question: How can we utilise a dense, mixed programme as part of a transit-oriented development to stimulate sustainable living and improve quality of life?  Program The project furthers the practice's ongoing research into Superliving, in this case into (integral) strategies to create sustainable, healthy cities that offer a high quality of life, while addressing future needs for greater efficiency and density in cities in times of rapid urbanisation and growth.  © Hufton + Crow The building is designed with a carefully considered mix of programmes - like those found in a good city - that bring together a wide range of users. Besides working and living at Raffles City, people can stay at the hotel, or pick up groceries, enjoy a meal, do exercise, watch a movie or even get married there, all in one interconnected environment. As such it not only provides residents and those working or staying in the complex with a healthy and socially integrated environment, it also ensures that programmes are active around the clock, creating a safe and lively neighbourhood for all. Landscape Informed by the city's famed natural landscape, UNStudio's design creates a local identity for Raffles City, while celebrating its trademark 'city within a city' concept. Reflecting the movement in the river, the tower design features a wave-like motion. These concentric waves increase in their dynamism, starting calmly at the base and building up more vigorously along the vertical axis. These formal expressions enabled us to connect the wide variety of programmes throughout the building into one seamless flow.  Green Facade The design contributes to the landscape character of this green city. Situated diagonally opposite the civic centre, the corner site borders both the urban built-up context and green axis/city park that connects West Lake to the Qiantang River.  © Hufton + Crow The architecture of the two towers consolidates these two contexts in one gesture whereby the urban face of the building twists towards the landscape, while the landscape aspect, in turn, acknowledges the urban context. The towers are not identical but, rather, complementary, as if engaging in dialogue.  © Seth Powers The plan is organised as two diagonal and intersecting figure-of-eights. Positioned on opposite corners, each tower consists of an 'urban facade' that frames the urban corner of the site, and a horizontally articulated 'landscape facade' that descends into the inner courtyards at podium level.  Concept Design Diagrams The main entrance to the south appears as a prominent gateway from the city park and civic centre. The east-west orientation of the towers minimises overshadowing while maximising daylight for the residences and offices.  © Hufton + Crow Articulation The design of the tower and podium facades interplay contrasting textures. Clad in a shimmering scale-like skin of aluminium tiles, the podium facades reflect the building's activity and landscape to offer pixelated perspectives. The towers feature an outer layer of rotated, vertical solar shading fins, placed atop the curtain wall system. Accentuating the tower's characteristic twist, they also frame internal views.  © Seth Powers Interior Situated at the centre of the retail spine, a spectacular atrium forms the organisational and visual focus of the podium interior. The atrium is designed as a spiral of overlapping layers, creating seamless connectivity and extensive sightlines between the spaces.  © Seth Powers As a feature detail the bamboo handrail echoes the building's curvilinear form. Winding its way around the podium as a continuous ribbon, it adds an element of tactility and natural contrast with the futuristic interior.  Central Voiud From here two diagonal voids ascend seven storeys through the opposite wings of the retail spine. As an intuitive finding device, the voids guide visitors along each wing that spans almost 150 metres in each direction. Abundant daylight streams through the atrium and voids right down to the lowest floors, introducing a unique outdoor quality to the podium interior. Looking up through the skylights, the towers are always visible from the main atrium, changing appearance depending on the viewing point.  © Hufton + Crow As the scale of the fluid forms transition from the architecture to the streamlined interior and winding handrails, this results in a cohesive spatial experience – as if outside merges with inside.  © Hufton + Crow Sustainability Raffles City Hangzhou has achieved Gold LEED certification. An inclusive approach to sustainability is integral to UNStudio's design philosophy. The incorporation of natural ventilation, solar gain and daylighting principles tailored to the local context, efficient structure and the ways in which materials are employed all work in concordance with one another to lower the energy and material demands of the building. Raffles City Hangzhou is the first retail mall in China to use natural ventilation on a large scale. With social sustainability in mind, the programme mix creates a dynamic, continuous 24/7 cycle of activity that encourages public participation and engagement.  Facade Shading Module Parameters  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Sep 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Sunbenz AD
 © Sunbenz AD From the architect. This project is located in the public park at city center. Through research into the city population structure and the spiritual and cultural background, LAD discovered that fickle era made people expect to have a peaceful and bright space, whether they are followers or not. Under this background, the stylist took into account of the economic cost of client and the local culture, to establish this White Church as a building of spiritual symbol.  © Sunbenz AD The White Church was inspired by the asymmetry of the original architecture. Original space was destroyed, with column and steel structure added in, to build symmetrical internal structure. The main reconstructive intervention is to equip the architecture with rational function definition and new architectural aesthetics, to change the church into a soul-cleaning space in accordance with modern design language on the original basis.  © Sunbenz AD Most areas of the project are in interference-free right, to make the space away from noisy visually. The main body is an independent main church, which is a comprehensive area integrating multi-purpose activity house and reception, to separate two different demand spaces totally apart, to ensure free and independent operation.  © Sunbenz AD From the waiting hall to the space, with high generalization of a beauty in order in traditional churches, the designer makes people feel quiet gradually, and then lead people into solemn and saintly space, combined with sheer symmetric space and natural light. The extension of white in exterior corridors enhances the sense of space structure and orderly sense. Skylight of geometric turret style at the top make the light immersed at the corner space, without bringing cumbersome feeling and abnormal change. Brisk and transparent building itself is a constant open space.  Second Floor Plan For the environment, the view of the designer is to take advantage of scenery to build a new relation between the nature and architecture. Outdoor glass house extends the space with changing lights and shadows in the organ-style decoration. The white main body of the church is reflected in the pool to make us find the common order in the visible real image visible and invisible virtual image, and infer a new logic of the land - building.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Asahi Kindergarten Phase I & Phase II / Tezuka Architect Posted: 18 Sep 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Tezuka Architects
 © Tezuka Architects From the architect. The original Asahi Kindergarten was lost in the Tohoku earthquake on 11 March 2011. Tezuka Architects, funded by Japan Committee for UNICEF, designed and reconstructed the Asahi Kindergarten on a highland area by using the huge trees that killed by the salt water of 2011 tsunami. These trees have meaningful symbols for the local villagers as they were planted along the approach to Daioji Temple, the main temple on the hill which its height is just enough to elude tsunamis in the long history. Many villagers survived because the priest of the temple used to teach them to escape to the temple.  © Tezuka Architects Our aim for the project was to express that the tree was not only the building materials used to construct the school but it is where it is home to the spirit of the town people. Reusing the killed trees to create a new kindergarten for the next generation of the town reaffirms hope held by everyone in Tohoku or Japan.  Site Plan  © Tezuka Architects  Section Every piece of the building including structure, floor and handrail, was curved out from these trees which planted after tsunami in 1611, exactly 400 years before the tsunami in 2011. Traditional joinery and wedges without any metal joints were used, because these old techniques have made Japanese traditional architecture survive more than 1300 years. There is a massive column with sectional dimension of 600mm x 600mm erected on the building as how it originally stood on the ground. The project bears a message for those children who will likely encounter a tsunami in the next 400 years.  © Tezuka Architects Phase II Five years have already passed since the earthquake, more children have returned to Minamisanriku Town. The first phase building became insufficient and the kindergarten decided to carry out the second phase of construction in a hurry.  Detail Unfortunately, the area around the site is now completely transformed. There are hasty large-scale development accompanying earthquake recovery. The lush landscape has been losing. The hill is greatly scraped, only the surrounded garden area remains its original altitude. The site became a landscape like a castle tower built in a flat residential area.  © Tezuka Architects The second phase construction is very much like a temple complex with a pagoda on the slope of the mountain. It is the result of being conscious of the Daiouji temple which is the mother of this kindergarten. There are now three additional buildings with deep eave, and a long staircase is connecting these buildings together. The garden of the first phase building stays on top of the hill.  Detail Since the big promenade trees have been used up, large sectional column cannot be made anymore. It was decided to construct economically with rational sized materials. However, the message to children after 400 years has to be kept. All joints are still designed as traditional interlocking so it stands over a long period of time.  © Tezuka Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Shanghai Sunrise Polymer Material Office / CCDI GW Design Posted: 18 Sep 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Lu Fei
 © Lu Fei From the architect. This is a story about how to create a chemical space. The company is originally located in Shanghai Xuhui functional materials industrial park. Consider its long-term development and the requirement of change, the company choose Shanghai Pingfu Road Poly Xin Park Industrial Park as its new address.  © Lu Fei 01 / CLEAR HEAD  © Lu Fei The popularity of the iteration can't compare with the simple and timeless aesthetic. The purpose of the design is very clear: maintain the space's advantage, enlarge its visual perception, create information commons and sharing is exist all the time.  © Lu Fei Total plane --- the original building is like a rectangular block and its area is about 2100 square meters. The space include reception area, conference area, brand 109 cafe which founded by college students , alumni home, experimental area, polymer office area and office area of its partner —— Fang Tai.  © Lu Fei Three sides of the space are all large windows from north to south. In order to fully optimize the space environment, to get enough light enter the space and to have a full field of vision, large area of glass facade was used and penetration was set as the foothold to do the design. Fully transparent office is a sensual crossing space. A strict and rational science laboratory is on one side, and a passionate inspiration working area is on the other side. The glass separated these two different areas. Office area, conference area, terrace area and recreation area, these essential combination of different modules not only bring diversification to working forms , but also create unlimited possibilities for stimulating inspirations here.  © Lu Fei In order to create an transparent space from south to north, a large area of floor glass was designed as the central wall. When walking in the pure facade, the reduction is the essence of thinking - "from empty to full." Designer extract elements and tones from the enterprise-specific chemical properties. Rational simple lines, black and white gray tone relationship, together marked the firm's rigorous attitude and rational thinking of the strategic direction.  © Lu Fei 02 / CLEVER HANDS  © Lu Fei Practice is greater than empty talk. Chemical experimental area covers a quarter of the entire area of the office. A 1800mm wide walkway connects the office area and laboratory area. Through the transparent glass, chemical experiment could be watched from the working space and the entire office area could also be seen from the experimental area.  Plan The entire experimental area can also be viewed from the office space. Through the window, large tracts of green plants can be appreciated from the seats. It not only create a beautiful scenery and at the same time ease the the staff's visual fatigue. Small hexagonal irregular lamps are made to pay tribute to the chemical formula and to echo the space theme.  © Lu Fei The use of ultra-white luminous glass, making the dark walkway becomes clearer and brighter. Ultra-white glass was designed to intersperse in the office area as a crowning touch. The Sunrise company's founder - Dr. Cheng was graduated from Tianjin University, as the Captain of the Tianjin University Alumni Association, the new office space should not only work in the reality, but also need to create a dream. The alumni home was defined as an incubation space. It not only carry the branch of Tianjin University Alumni House in Shanghai, but also lead the students to explore their future in the wave of the entrepreneurial tide.  © Lu Fei 03 / CLEAN HABITS  © Lu Fei Located in the middle of the executive office and open office area, the leisure conference area become both the supply station for the staff and a convenient temporary discussion venue. The discussion area which located beside the open office area enriched the space language and provide different communication space for all the staff.  © Lu Fei Fully opened and semi-private environment combined to abandon the traditional office model. The new era of office space has already broken the constraints of the grid, which represented the company changing from traditional model to new model.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Sep 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Simon Whitbread
 © Simon Whitbread From the architect. Casa Crisp is the transformation of a modest 1.5 bedroom brick veneer cottage into a light-filled, environmentally inclusive home for a young family of 6. The original cottage has been transformed into a modern beach house with a sophisticated interplay of natural materials and considered volumetric arrangement. A rectilinear timber form now sits atop the original brick veneer podium keeping much of the existing dwelling intact.  © Simon Whitbread  Ground Floor Plan  © Simon Whitbread The site is unique, in that it is a battle-ax lot with a tight 180sqm of usable land, however, the minimal outdoor area is compensated by a short walk to the sand at Warriewood Beach. Previously 1.5 bedrooms, the addition of 2 more bedrooms and 2 bathrooms makes it suitable for the current family of 6. North facing and with 8 neighboring dwellings, the site offers surprising vistas from the new first-floor addition of unobstructed natural features in multiple directions including glimpses of the ocean beyond. The modest envelope ensured every nook has been considered and formed into functional space in order to create variation in the space and best utilize the site.  © Simon Whitbread Blackbutt timber is the principal material for external areas with the first-floor cladding, carport, and entry screening being made out of the locally sourced Australian hardwood. Blackbutt was a natural choice as it grows locally, is fast growing, is naturally termite resistant, and not susceptible to lyctus borers.  © Simon Whitbread Lower floor windows are also made from blackbutt where they are easily reached for maintenance, whereas, upper floor windows use white aluminum frames to reflect heat and avoid maintenance of high-level glazing. The upper floor is clad in large sections of vertical blackbutt cladding forming a continuous rain screen which has been laid similar to decking boards and fully ventilated behind to allow heat to dissipate before entering the outer skin of the facade. Lower floors retain the existing brickwork finished in naturally heat reflective white paint.  © Simon Whitbread The design utilizes passive environmental systems and materials chosen in consideration of their environmental impact. Upstairs rooms utilize cross ventilation and high-level operability to create a stack, or chimney effect, drawing cool air through the house in summer. Priority has been given to the use of timber in the structure, cladding, windows, and joinery to create a carbon bank, and on a small scale, contribute to the support of the plantation timber industry.  Section There is deliberately no artificial heating or cooling and temperature regulation is achieved with solar penetration onto thermal mass in winter and operable shading and ventilation in summer. External adjustable louvers and awnings are positioned over large areas of glazing, allowing the home to be "trimmed" to the weather conditions like a yacht.  © Simon Whitbread A "timber on white" aesthetic is continued indoors with concrete, tiled or oak floors and timber details accentuated by white walls creating a clean, robust, relaxed coastal environment. It is an ambitious goal to house a family of 6 in a 140sqm home, however, with attention given to the social dynamic and quality and variation of the spaces within, Casa Crisp is up to the challenge.  © Simon Whitbread  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Zaha Hadid Architects' Light Projection Show Transforms 18th Century Baroque Palace in Germany Posted: 18 Sep 2017 09:00 AM PDT
An 18th century baroque palace in Karlsruhe, Germany has become the canvas for a dazzling light mapping projection in the latest project by Zaha Hadid Architects. Named "Behaviour Morphe," the projection display was created in collaboration with composer Max Cooper and leading digital artists Andy Lomas and Mubbasir Kapadia for the city's 2017 Schlosslichtspiele Festival, exploring how digital spatial concepts could shape the living spaces of the future. Projected onto the 170-meter-long front facade of the castle, the light show was calibrated to react to the palace's unique architectural elements, revealing and obscuring areas based on real-time data. "The projection on the castle's façade reveals its interiors as digital laboratories of human behavioural simulation, demonstrating the circulation and congregation of digital actors programmed with artificial intelligence that interact with the spaces of the castle and each other," explain the architects. "Dynamic new virtual spaces are defined by using real-time data to interpret the virtual actors' interactions. These digital spaces are then explored with iterative growth systems that emulate the evolutionary process of nature, demonstrating the potential of metamorphic simulations and digital morphogenetics." The project was produced by ZHA's Computational Design research group (ZH CODE), which is exploring how to "apply exciting and contemporary research to address locally relevant issues and to understand and assimilate traditional wisdom." "ZHA's ideas and work fit well with my musical approach, being based on human/machine boundaries, and emergence of biological forms from simulated systems of behaviour," said Cooper. "I drew on a couple of tracks which fit the visual style and the development of the piece, which goes from a playful exploration of human interactions with an architectural space to a barrage of cellular forms and audio-visual intensity. "I spent a lot of time working on the sound design to score each tiny event and ripple of visual processing to sync with the mapping across the front of the castle. From my perspective, the crux of the piece is in this synchronisation, bringing the sound to life through the painstaking and in-depth simulation and generative computational approaches of the visuals." News via Zaha Hadid Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Glicinas Courtyard / Amelio-Ortiz Posted: 18 Sep 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Claudio Manzoni
 © Claudio Manzoni From the architect. In a privileged environment, a creative project brings together eight apartments around a central courtyard. An old mansion of the last century was recycled with an architecture that retains the charm of tradition and generates in turn a comfortable and convenient space.  © Claudio Manzoni  Ground and Underground Floor Plan  © Claudio Manzoni  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Amanda Levete: Crossing Thresholds is the Essence of Architecture Posted: 18 Sep 2017 07:15 AM PDT
In this video for CNN Style, architect Amanda Levete, founder of London-based practice AL_A, discusses the importance of identifying and creating thresholds in design, in both the literal and abstract definitions of the term. Working at a wide variety of scales, AL_A strives to react to larger societal issues in their designs, creating points where perceptions and emotions can transform.  <a href='http://http://www.archdaily.com/796913/maat-al-a'>AL_A's MAAT Museum in Lisbon</a>. Image © Joel Filipe "Architecture at its most distinctive is the boundary between the built form and where it begins and where it stops. In every piece of architecture, in every building, there are metaphors for thresholds – there are portals, there are archways, there are doors – and those moments signify the moment at which things can change." Levete further explores the idea of the threshold as guest-editor of CNN Style, commissioning pieces from artist Cristina Iglesias, former British MP David Miliband and novelist Olivia Sudjic on topics ranging from sculpture to refugee rights to the real versus the virtual. Read those articles as well as a piece by Levete on "celebrating what unites us," here. Via CNN Style.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Natural Pool Support Pavilion / Gaudenzi Arquitetura Posted: 18 Sep 2017 06:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Gaudenzi Arquitetura
 Courtesy of Gaudenzi Arquitetura From the architect. This Pavilion should support the operation of the natural water swimming pool, close to a small river, with a dry sauna, rest room, kitchen, toilet and large storage room, providing space for gym activities for a small number of people, both indoors and on the roof top, which still has a barbecue.  Courtesy of Gaudenzi Arquitetura  Site Plan  Courtesy of Gaudenzi Arquitetura The insertion of the project into the landscape and its dialogue with existing rocks, trees and vegetation were decisive in the choice of materials, lightness, and transparency.  Courtesy of Gaudenzi Arquitetura  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jeanne Gang Selected as Winner of 2017 Marcus Prize for Architecture Posted: 18 Sep 2017 05:00 AM PDT _Hedrich_Blessing.jpg?1505749276 "Writers Theatre. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing") Writers Theatre. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing American architect and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Marcus Prize. Awarded every two years by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning in partnership with the Marcus Corporation Foundation, the $100,000 prize was established to recognize architects from around the globe currently "on a trajectory to greatness." In addition to the cash prize, the award will support an upcoming design studio at the school led by Gang. Previous winners of the award include Joshua Prince-Ramus (2015); Sou Fujimoto (2013), Diébédo Francis Kéré (2011); Alejandro Aravena (2009/2010); Frank Barkow, Barkow Leibinger (2007); and Winy Maas, MVRDV (2005).  Jeanne Gang. Image © Sally Ryan Gang was selected from a pool of nominees from 16 countries across 4 continents, all of whom were required to demonstrate a minimum of ten years of "proven, exceptional practice." "[Gang] is adept at outstanding design for all scales--from the neighborhood and urban scale to the detail of buildings and interior elements," commented jury member John Czarnecki, Editor-in-Chief of Contract Magazine. "Her practice combines design thinking about the impact of architecture and urban design on cities as well as the creation of beautiful buildings rooted in context that will stand the test of time". _Ronald_Leon_Hale_-_Diner_en_Blanc_Chicago_2014.jpg?1505749688 "Diner en Blanc Chicago 2014 at Lincoln Park Zoo's Nature Boardwalk. Image © Ronald Leon Hale") Diner en Blanc Chicago 2014 at Lincoln Park Zoo's Nature Boardwalk. Image © Ronald Leon Hale _Hedrich_Blessing.jpg?1505749243 "WMS Boathouse at Clark Park. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing") WMS Boathouse at Clark Park. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing Recent and ongoing projects by Studio Gang include an exhibit for the US Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale, the extension of New York's Museum of Natural History, and "Hive," the latest installation for the National Building Museum's Summer Block Party program. See more of Studio Gang's work, here. _Hedrich_Blessing.jpg?1505749257 "Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing") Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing _Tom_Harris.jpg?1505749667 "University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons. Image © Tom Harris") University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons. Image © Tom Harris  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 13 Weird, Surprising Architecture Facts You've Probably Never Heard Posted: 18 Sep 2017 02:30 AM PDT  The history of humans building shelters goes back over 10,000 years. Over this time, the human need to build was distilled into the profession of architecture, and in the process it attracted all manner of eccentric, visionary, and stubborn individuals. In light of both architecture's long history and its abundance of colorful characters, it's no surprise that it's full of surprising and unlikely stories. From Lincoln Logs and the Olympics to Ouija boards and 9/11, here are 13 architecture-related facts you may not have previously known. 1. Architecture Was Once an Olympic Sport The Olympic Stadium designed by Jan Wils for the 1928 Games earned the architect an Olympic Gold in architecture. Image <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olympic_Stadium_Amsterdam_1928.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> in public domain During the first four decades of the modern Olympic Games, 151 medals were awarded for music, painting, sculpture, literature, and architecture. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who revived the modern games and founded the International Olympic Committee, considered art an essential part of the competition. The one caveat: every submission had to be sports-related. 2. Frank Lloyd Wright's Son Invented Lincoln LogsNot all iconic Lloyd Wright designs can be attributed to Frank. Lincoln Logs were the brainchild of John Lloyd Wright, son of the legendary architect. An architect in his own right, John was inspired by the interlocking beams of the foundation below Lloyd Wright Senior's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. 3. Girih Tiles, Used By Islamic Architects for Hundreds of Years, Are Mathematically Similar to Penrose Tiling, Discovered in the 1970s Girih tiles on the ceiling of the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, Iran. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roof_hafez_tomb.jpg'>Wikimedia user Pentocelo</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY 3.0</a> Penrose tiling was named after mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose, who experimented with a set of five differently shaped tiles in the 1970s to create patterns with special geometric properties. Islamic architects created Girih tiles over five centuries ago, but it wasn't until 2007 that physicists Peter J. Lu and Paul J. Steinhardt demonstrated they share many mathematical properties with Penrose tiling. 4. LEGO Used to Make Special Bricks for ArchitectsWhen Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, son of the LEGO founder, tried to make a Lego model of the house he was building, it didn't come out to scale, because Lego bricks have a 5:6 width-to-height ratio. This led to the creation of Modulex, a much smaller brick that was based on perfect cubes, in 1963. Unfortunately, the bricks were discontinued in the 1970s. 5. Maya Lin Is the Niece of One of the Most Famous Female Architects in Modern Chinese History Lin Huiyin. Image <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lin_Huiyin_10.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> in public domain Lin Huiyin is considered the first female architect in modern China. Alongside her husband, Liang Sicheng, she helped launch the architecture department at Northeastern University in Shenyang. Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, is Huiyin's niece. 6. The Cooper Union Foundation Building in NYC Included an Elevator Shaft, Even Though Modern Elevators Hadn't Been Invented YetElisha Otis first demonstrated his safety elevator in 1852 in London, and installed the first successful passenger elevator in the 5-story E V Haughwout Building in 1857. However, neither of these developments included a modern shaft; they were left open in case of failure. Putting his faith in elevator technology, in 1859 Peter Cooper had a cylindrical shaft included in the Cooper Union Foundation Building, with a custom-made elevator later added by Otis. 7. A French Postman Spent 33 Years Building the "Ideal Palace" With Stones He Collected During His Daily Round © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:076._Palais_id%C3%A9al_du_facteur_Cheval,_Hauterives.JPG'>Wikimedia user Otourly</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a>. Image © Wikimedia user Otourly licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 French postman Ferdinand Cheval spent 33 years picking up stones while delivering mail—not just any stones, mind you, a special type of hardened sandstone molded by time and water into wondrous shapes. With these stones he built the fantastical Le Palais Idéal, in Hauterives. The building is considered a prime example of naïve art, and in 1969 was designated a cultural landmark. 8. "The Sims" Was Originally Designed as an Architecture SimulatorThe Sims, which debuted in 2000, is one of the most popular video games around. But before it became a life simulator, the original concept had the game working more like SimCity: players would design a house, and autonomous characters would test the design's success. 9. The Empire State Building Generates More Revenue from its Observation Decks than from its 85 Floors of Office Space The Empire State Building. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/jiuguangw/5135516166'>Flickr user jiuguangw</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> The Empire State Building might be the most famous office landlord in the world, but it's the view from the 102-story skyscraper that's the real moneymaker. In 2013, the building's owner Empire State Realty Trust became a publicly-traded company, meaning that their quarterly and yearly earnings reports are a matter of public record. In 2014, while the building's two observation decks generated $111 million (40% of total revenue), its office space leases netted just $104 million (37% of total revenue). 10. One of the Leaders of the 9/11 World Trade Center Attack Was an ArchitectMohammed Atta, who crashed the first plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, had degrees in architecture and urban planning. He considered the construction of high-rises in Cairo and other ancient Middle Eastern cities a shameless embrace of the West that would destroy their character. 11. The City of Cincinnati, Ohio Has an Abandoned Subway System Which Was Never Used Race Street Station, part of Cincinnati's abandoned subway network. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_Subway_-_Race_St._Station.jpg'>Wikimedia user Jonathan Warren</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Hidden beneath the streets of Cincinnati is the largest abandoned tangle of tunnels and stations in the United States. Proposed in the 1910s as an upgrade of the city's streetcar system, the project was interrupted by World War I and later abandoned because of inflation and political infighting. 12. The Supervisor of the Ouija Board Company Fell to His Death From the Roof of a Factory that the Board Told Him to BuildWhile many designs for Ouija-style boards emerged in the 19th century, the most popular design, and the name, was patented by Kennard Novelty Company. The company's supervisor William Fuld made his fortune selling the boards, and opened up a number of new factories; in 1927 one of these factories, which Fuld claimed the board told him to build, was the scene of the business magnate's death when he fell from its roof. 13. More Time Passed Between the Start and End of Construction on the Great Wall of China than Between the Start of Christianity and Today © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelourplanet/9762488256'>Flickr user travelourplanet</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY 2.0</a>. Image © Flickr user travelourplanet licensed under CC BY 2.0 The idea of a single, unified wall to protect China from invaders began when Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China (221–206 BC) connected various fortifications built between the 8th and 3rd centuries. Construction continued through 1878, meaning that, including the original fortifications, the wall was under construction for over 2,600 years.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Sep 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Edgard César
 © Edgard César From the architect. The ground, in slope, is located in a very beautiful place of Goiânia. Immersed in a private condominium, on a dead-end street facing the woods, the residence proposes a harmonious dialogue between architecture and nature, observing the physical and topographical conditions, as well as the solar orientation and the winds. The volume of the house was defined from the choice of concrete as the main building element.  © Edgard César  Measures Floor Plan  © Edgard César The daring of the 434m² project reflects the will of the owners couple to have an address with personality, aesthetic autonomy and free spirit, but fully enjoyed in every corner. To respond to the demands, the first measure of the Architect Leo Romano was thinking a structure without hierarchy stiffness between social rooms. According to the professional, everything is interconnected and relaxed, without very strict divisions.  © Edgard César As in Niemeyer's remarkable dwellings, symbiosis with topography and landscape was also prioritized here. This interaction provides a sensory walk for visitors. On the way, started at the entrance of the condomonium, the guests walk through a garden and through a tunnel of palm trees before arriving at the Ipê deck with swimming pool through which the residence is accessed.  © Edgard César Those who arriving by car can enter the service area or have the possibility of climbing a ladder connecting the garage and the balcony. What is easy for shoppers is to use the service area access and do not have to go through the outside of the house - on a rainy day you get a circulation,  City Hall Sections The garage, as it has the wall of stairs, ends up serving as a training space, guaranteeing a certain autonomy for the space. The ladder wall fixed to the bottom and roof of the garage has MDF finish painted with the appearance of corten steel.  © Edgard César The challenge of the project was to adapt the structure to the need, because the initial idea was to have only two round pillars. As the house needed four supports, the architect designed concrete pillars with "Y" format. The curved slab was molded in loco so that the final result was faithful to the proposal and the fact of being curvilinear made the process more challenging.  © Edgard César The metal brise-soleil delimit all the part of the suites. All of them are sliding, so that the residents can open or close. The house, in sober tones, has burnt cement floors and black frames. Only the kitchen reveals degrade of pink, blue and a little green.  © Edgard César By opting for the moderate use of coatings, the proposal assumes the natural and rustic appearance of the materials. The decoration is well despoiled, with some furniture of the residents and others typical Brazilian. Highlight for Sérgio Rodruigues' "Mole" armchair and Oscar Niemeyer's "Alta" armchair.  © Edgard César The libertarian expression of construction is still another manifestation in the climbing wall installed in the garage. "The resident has taught this modality. The couple and the two young daughters practice the activity inside the house", says the Architect.  © Edgard César  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How Architects Dress vs How Normal People Dress Posted: 18 Sep 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of The Leewardists "Does this come in black?" is probably the most used phrase during any architect's shopping trip, but nobody really knows why. Search the internet for the reason that architects wear black, you will find that numerous people have written about the subject,—there's even a book about it! The fact is that other people don't quite understand how many shades of black there actually are like you do. And it's also a common misconception that wearing black is all in the name of convenience, since looking for a specific item in your wardrobes takes 5 times longer when everything looks the same. In short, architects will continue to wear black... at least until something darker comes out. Centuries of civilizations built on structures designed by architects and yet, their voice is lost among the countless stories of rulers and armies and sometimes wondrous monsters. The Leewardists are rewriting the contemporary history of our civilization through the voice of this elusive being, The Architect. For more of The Architect Comic Series follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or visit their website.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Inside Vancouver's Brock Commons, the World's Tallest Timber Structured Building Posted: 17 Sep 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of naturallywood.com "Plyscraper," "woodscraper," call it what you will, but the timber age is upon us. Brock Commons Tallwood House, the recently completed student residence building at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, now occupies a prominent position within architecture: the tallest timber structured building in the world.  Courtesy of naturallywood.com Designed by the Canadian practice Acton Ostry Architects Inc., the project was a collaborative effort of a number of leading companies and consulting firms including Fast + Epp, Austria-based Architekten Hermann Kaufmann, and GHL Consultants Ltd., along with the renowned manufacturer of mass timber products and packages, Structurlam. "We found that working with wood, we could reduce timelines for construction. The assembly of the wood structure went up incredibly quickly, faster than we even expected", explained John Metras, Managing Director of Infrastructure Development at UBC.  Courtesy of naturallywood.com  Courtesy of naturallywood.com Stretching up to a height of 53 meters, the building houses 404 students and comprises a mix of one-bedroom and studio units, study and social spaces, and a student lounge on the topmost floor. With the design and construction team working in tandem from the very beginning, the process was streamlined by a thorough testing of wood-to-wood connections on a two-story mock-up prior to on-site construction. This not only allowed the team to test structural stability, but also helped perfect the timeline of the project. Even more pertinent to the pre-fabrication process was a detailed 3-D model, which helped various departments to collaboratively discuss and apply ideas prior to finalizing them for actual fabrication or construction. Owing to meticulous planning and the efficient integration of construction and design processes, Brock Commons was completed within a mere 70 days after the prefabricated components were ready for assembly – considerably shorter than the amount of time it would have taken to complete a concrete building of the same size.  Courtesy of naturallywood.com Surprisingly though, despite wood being the main material used throughout the structure, the interior does little to reveal it. The structure is concealed behind drywall and concrete topping, mainly to comply with the accepted fire-safety codes and consequently speed up approval from building authorities. While Brock Commons could attract some criticism due to this particular aspect, the pros of the mass timber model still seem to outweigh the few cons. Not only is it economically viable, but when coupled with sustainable forest management, represents an altogether environmentally friendly method of building. It is light-weight and hence less prone to damage during earthquakes, but most importantly, due to the prefabricated elements involved, it is a speedy, hassle-free construction process contributing next to nothing to on-site traffic, pollution and noise. Recent technological developments have certainly allowed for more efficient building processes and materials. More and more architects now rally for timber instead of concrete and steel, persuaded by its proven success and in reaction to the ever-mounting issue of climate change at hand. Several mass timber projects are already underway across the world including Shigeru Ban Architects' plans for Terrace House in Vancouver. Once complete, the structure will surpass Brock Commons to become "the tallest hybrid timber structure building in the world". For more details of materials and the construction process of Brock Commons Tallwood House, check out our coverage of the project from last year:
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