Arch Daily |
- Villas Winterberg / Third Skin
- Robust Extents House / ICONCAST
- Magnolia Building / CHT Architects
- Cube Club / On Office
- CONSORCIO Antofagasta Building / +arquitectos
- Barão Geraldo Residence / Vasco Lopes Arquitetura
- Apple's First Town Square Retail Concept Opens in Chicago
- Cockrell School of Engineering - Education Research Center (EERC) / Ennead Architects
- First Photos Revealed of Amenity Spaces at Zaha Hadid Architects' High Line Residential Tower
- Paris School of Architecture Launches Competition for "Brexit Monuments"
- Eden d’Ardennes Housing / ateliers O-S architectes
- Turkish Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale to Host a Series of Student Workshops
- Against All Odds, Photos Show Qatar's Determination to Construct World-Class City
- FS Residence / Pablo Dikenstein
- Bamboo U: Build and Design Course, Bali
- Brooklyn's Tallest Building Revealed in New Renderings
- Spotlight: Sir Christopher Wren
| Villas Winterberg / Third Skin Posted: 20 Oct 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Steffi Rost
 © Steffi Rost From the architect. This project with their sloping roofs and angled shapes can be an excellent example of a structure built with its own and strong sense of identity and modern functionalism that stands out from the normal ski villa, but that also relates to its surroundings in a respectfully contextual way.  © Steffi Rost  Site Plan Layout  © Steffi Rost Villas Winterberg is a thoughtful and sustainable project, capturing the best in contemporary architectural and interior design. It's both beautiful and liveable.  © Steffi Rost  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Robust Extents House / ICONCAST Posted: 20 Oct 2017 03:00 PM PDT .jpg?1508409878 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala
.jpg?1508409943 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala From the architect. The simple geometry of the robust form was devised to merge with the developing sub-urban context of Koswatte, Battaramulla. The design attempts efficient and optimum use of land, space and its construction materials; built on a 12 perch block of land bordering a bustling road on two sides; the foot print of the house is contained in under 6 perches; excluding allowance for road and rear space reservations by regulation.  Plans The Living space and its adjacent garden are raised 4 feet from the existing ground level; allowing the eye-level to be above the boundary walls of the road; thus borrowing the visual space of the road and neighboring gardens at a higher elevation; permitting privacy. The living opens up to the garden through frameless glass doors and the entire width of the site is visible from any given spot of the Living space. The design of spacious volumes inside are formed by one large hall space on the first floor at the center of the mass shared by common activities of the home; the dining, pantry and TV lounge are all open to one another; visually and physically borrowing and sharing space with each other and the garden; resulting with free flowing space with the illusion of larger area despite the restricted footprint. .jpg?1508410181 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala The steel and timber staircase with its lucid lines; rises from ground level to the second floor beside large glass openings to a marsh pond outside. The visual lightness of the stairs amplify the openness of space in the central volume while the connection with the outdoors turns the otherwise mundane task of climbing up and down the stairs a pleasant walk. .jpg?1508409867 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala The road facing façade to the West responds to solar orientation to cut down heat gain during the day; the façade is composed of blank brick walls, timber louvers and porous exposed brick avoiding the use of glass; incorporating cross ventilation and reducing thermal gain from direct sun. The ground and first floors are buffered from the West with thick foliage and all bedrooms avoid walls to the west and are offered North and South facing windows. .jpg?1508410158 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala All service pipes, except the storm water down pipes of the mono-pitched roof are concealed within the structure with minimum spatial interruptions allowing for an optimum lucid aesthetic, integration and comfort. The roofs down pipes however are unapologetic for their appearance on the front façade and double up as a feature framing the main entrance. .jpg?1508410051 "© Gihan Muthugala") © Gihan Muthugala The second floor is an open tranquil area with increased sky view and cross ventilation as it is unobstructed by neighboring structures that reach only up to first floor. It is in this release of space where the two family bedrooms are perched atop the floors below; with views across the distant vicinity. The design of a timber screen between roof and wall on the top floor bedrooms and the tall inter-floor space on lower levels, allows cross breeze and light to infiltrate all spaces.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Magnolia Building / CHT Architects Posted: 20 Oct 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Christine Francis
 © Christine Francis From the architect. Our client purchased the site with a predefined building envelope. This envelope formed the cornerstone of the brief along with the client expectation of a greater design outcome and increased internal amenity.  © Christine Francis Our design process began by refining the existing envelope from what was essentially a large cube by dividing the podium and tower into 4 elements, generating a ratio over the building and enforcing this through contrast in material, texture, and colour; therefore creating a different experience from each corner of the building  Ground Floor Plan Our client purchased the site with a predefined building envelope. This envelope formed the cornerstone of the brief along with the client expectation of a greater design outcome and increased internal amenity.  © Christine Francis Our design process began by refining the existing envelope from what was essentially a large cube by dividing the podium and tower into 4 elements, generating a ratio over the building and enforcing this through contrast in material, texture, and colour; therefore creating a different experience from each corner of the building.  12th Floor Plan This rationalisation and reduction in mass allowed us to reimagine the building, deconstructing the form to increase access to views, amplify natural light, and reflect the intention of the client to achieve a building that maximises liveability and creates spaces that provide a greater experience to occupants and visitors alike.  © Christine Francis The internal amenity of the development has benefited from this process as well, with all apartments gaining greater access to natural light and ventilation and through carefully designed interiors they have an abundance of liveable space.  © Christine Francis This rationalisation and reduction in mass allowed us to reimagine the building, deconstructing the form to increase access to views, amplify natural light, and reflect the intention of the client to achieve a building that maximises liveability and creates spaces that provide a greater experience to occupants and visitors alike.  © Christine Francis The internal amenity of the development has benefited from this process as well, with all apartments gaining greater access to natural light and ventilation and through carefully designed interiors they have an abundance of liveable space.  © Christine Francis  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 20 Oct 2017 12:00 PM PDT .jpg?1508323234 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari
.jpg?1508323374 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari Tochal is a recreational place in Tehran that had remarkable development plan in recent years, thus the design of Cube Club was offered to us. .jpg?1508322978 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari In this project we encountered with many challenges such as special design terms, client visions, financial and time constraints and special requirements of construction, after the mentioned items, opportunities and constraints becomes the main influential factors in design process.  Site Plan By visiting the site, strengths and weaknesses Drew attention, lying on the mountain range and the nobility to the city was considered to be the characteristics of the site, preservation of the city's view and existing vegetation were among the factors influence the locating. .jpg?1508323274 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari Construction Criteria of Tochal complex only issued the license for light and temporary structures. Hence, in order to find a suitable solution to the challenges, The Initial ideas of using the shipping containers were formed. In addition to having a lightweight construction, using of containers was accelerating the process of construction. .jpg?1508323248 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari Therefore, in order to maintain and tribute the natural environment against the artificial setting and also based on sustainable architecture paradigms and the Necessity of using recyclable materials and reducing the costs of construction, constructing with the used containers was proposed to client and After reviewing the details, it got on the agenda. .jpg?1508324037 "Diagram") Diagram Shipping container architecture gets a lot of encouraging coverage in the design world as a trendy green alternative to traditional building materials, and seems like a smart choice for people looking for eco-consciousness. .jpg?1508323171 "© Zahra Behbahani") © Zahra Behbahani According to the challenges and items mentioned, initial design formed with emplacing shipping containers beside each other with minimum interference in their basic structure and thus, containers as a modular unit with special standards becomes the main element of project in its architectural and structural design. .jpg?1508323069 "© Zahra Behbahani") © Zahra Behbahani Locating the main forms on the site according to shape of the ground, view of the city, preservation of existing building, required applications and accesses was determined in three major zones, that the eastern zone includes coffee shop and restaurant, the southern zone includes manager office, service areas and crate climbing and the western zone is considered for escape room's game. In each part above, forming and planning of project has been done according to achieve the best view, climate, sunlight direction in different seasons and pedestrian path. With the rotation of the upper containers in eastern side, the city view becomes the main spectacle and make pedestrians invited and attracted to the project and city's view by creating an opening on the ground floor, on the other hand the independence of different sections of the project and its relation with Tochal complex is preserved, therefore spatial diversity achieved by creating open, semi open and enclosed spaces.  Ground Floor Plan In order to achieve integration of inside and outside of the building, Maintain industrial identity of containers was considered as a principle in interior design and also due to the metallic nature of the crusts, some of containers were painted with vivid colors to confront cold and industrial atmosphere. .jpg?1508323096 "© Hamidreza Khansari") © Hamidreza Khansari  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| CONSORCIO Antofagasta Building / +arquitectos Posted: 20 Oct 2017 10:00 AM PDT  Cortesía de +arquitectos
 Cortesía de +arquitectos From the architect. The project is destined for public attention and offices of CONSORCIO. It is located on a site of 12 meters front and 38 meters deep, near to the Plaza de Armas, on the waterfront of the city in front of the classic Antofagasta Hotel. Being within the historic conservation area, it has a series of normative regulations like continuous façade (excluding in this the curtain walls) and fixed maximum height in the building line, allowing 4 additional meters in a second plane.  Long Section  Cortesía de +arquitectos  Long Section Thus, the main façade is divided in 2 planes, generating an open access courtyard that, taking advantage of the temperate climate of the city, concentrates the vertical circulation, the entrance to the commercial area of Consorcio (Levels -1 and +2, communicated by an internal staircase) and to the upper floors for offices (open plans), delivering protection to the west façade from radiation with a laminated wood solar control screen that gives the identity to the building. Given the narrowness of the site, the parking lots were placed in the back part of the access level, occupying the -1 level with offices and technical rooms.  Cortesía de +arquitectos  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Barão Geraldo Residence / Vasco Lopes Arquitetura Posted: 20 Oct 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Maira Acayaba
 © Maira Acayaba From the architect. Renovation of a one floor house implanted on a square flat terrain in an urban lot. The main intervention was to integrate the social area with an open kitchen, a dining room and a living room, all in sequence.  © Maira Acayaba Wooden frames with large glass panels allow the integration with the external garden with minimum visual interference. A wall made by hollow concrete elements and the decorative floor titles displays triangular and diagonal forms. The reference to raw materials, with the use of concrete, rustic wood, and apparent pipes and beams create a simple and comfortable atmosphere.  © Maira Acayaba The concrete slabs that composes the flaps of the house protect its frames and provide shade for the interior areas. In another block are situated the office and a porch with barbecue pit, constituting the external ambiance that faces the swimming pool area, located four steps bellow.  © Maira Acayaba  Floor Plan  © Maira Acayaba  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple's First Town Square Retail Concept Opens in Chicago Posted: 20 Oct 2017 07:45 AM PDT The first in a new generation of Apple stores has opened in the heart of Chicago. Designed by Foster + Partners, Apple Michigan Avenue employs the tech giant's "Town Square" concept, which subverts the typical retail experience in favor of a community-inclusive approach.  Courtesy of Apple "When Apple opened on North Michigan Avenue in 2003, it was our first flagship store, and now we are back in Chicago opening the first in a new generation of Apple's most significant worldwide retail locations," said Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of Retail. "Apple Michigan Avenue exemplifies our new vision where everyone is welcome to experience all of our incredible products, services and inspiring educational programs in the heart of their city. We can't wait to welcome the community for opening weekend, and to launch 'The Chicago Series' with our incredible local partners on Monday."  © Patrick Lynch  Courtesy of Apple Apple worked closely with the city to select a high-impact site that could contribute to the revitalization of the Chicago River. Entering from historic Pioneer Court (adjacent to the Chicago Tribune building), the building creates a link between the city and the riverfront by becoming a part of the landscape. "The whole idea from the very beginning was a half-landscape concept – how could we get the plaza to gently step down to the river's edge," said Stefan Behling, Senior Executive Partner, Foster + Partners. Continuing the architectural language employed in Apple Park's Steve Jobs Theater, Apple Michigan Avenue employs an extremely transparent facade system, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor. The 111-by-98 foot Macbook-shaped roof is built from carbon fiber for minimal thickness, allowing it to hover above the 32-foot-tall glass walls, touching down on just four interior pillars.  © Patrick Lynch  © Patrick Lynch  Courtesy of Apple "Apple Michigan Avenue is about removing boundaries between inside and outside, reviving important urban connections within the city," said Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer. "It unites a historic city plaza that had been cut off from the water, giving Chicago a dynamic new arena that flows effortlessly down to the river." Interiors are centered around the "Forum," an amphitheatre-like space where Apple's new community programming, Today at Apple sessions, will take place. The Michigan Avenue store will host "The Chicago Series," which will invite the public to participate in events ranging from seminars by local artists to technology demonstrations. "This is not a store," said Behling. "This is an urban renewal idea." Check out the gallery for exclusive images from the media preview.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cockrell School of Engineering - Education Research Center (EERC) / Ennead Architects Posted: 20 Oct 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Aislinn Weidele
 © Aislinn Weidele From the architect. Over seven years in the making, the EERC defines a new approach to engineering education through the integration of undergraduate project-based learning and interdisciplinary graduate research, with state-of-the-art classrooms, large-scale labs, and maker spaces.  © Aislinn Weidele It includes the 23,000 square foot National Instruments Student Project Center, designed to place the most advanced tools in engineering research into the hands of undergraduates, the James J. and Miriam B. Mulva Auditorium and Conference Center, the Cockrell School's largest event space, the Texas Instruments teaching and project labs, and the Center for Innovation, the school's first space dedicated to entrepreneurship and moving revolutionary ideas to market at a faster rate.  Section The building's design, centered around the idea of "Transparency and Unification," defines a new paradigm for engineering education and research through the integration of undergraduate project-based learning, interdisciplinary graduate research, and a Center for Innovation focused on entrepreneurship. Given the school's strategic and programmatic needs, the building is organized into two nine-story limestone and glass towers, acknowledging the substantially different requirements for labs, offices, and workspaces of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and interdisciplinary graduate research.  © Aislinn Weidele The two towers, with inwardly-oriented glass curtain wall facades, are connected by an enclosed three-story atrium with a folded glass and steel roof, creating a vibrant, light-filled public space, which is the social heart of the building meant to facilitate "productive collisions" between faculty, staff, students and campus visitors.  © Aislinn Weidele Bridges and staircases create circulation paths throughout and join the different research environments. Prominently visible through floor-to-ceiling glass along the north wall of the atrium is the National Instruments Student Project Center, dedicated to project-based interdisciplinary learning. Its honest expression of raw concrete, fully exposed mechanical systems and glass walls from room to room puts engineering, and engineering education, on full display.  © Aislinn Weidele Architectural gestures throughout the building were designed to elevate and celebrate engineering principles – from the steel truss systems spanning the towers to the intricate spiral staircase, from the delicate "V" column underneath the staircase to the sky bridges connecting the floors. .jpg?1508394362 "Courtesy of Ennead Architects") Courtesy of Ennead Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| First Photos Revealed of Amenity Spaces at Zaha Hadid Architects' High Line Residential Tower Posted: 20 Oct 2017 05:15 AM PDT  © Scott Frances Now open to residents, the first photos of the lobby and amenity spaces at Zaha Hadid Architects' New York residential tower, 520 West 28th Street, have been revealed by developer Related Companies. Rising 11 stories next to the High Line in West Chelsea, the building houses 39 bespoke residences, interiors of which were revealed for the first time earlier this year. Now, the building's spectacular common spaces are complete, including a 75-foot-long skylight-lit pool; an entertainment lounge with complete kitchen; a fully equipped gym; a 24-hour juice bar; and a spa suite containing a hot tub, rain showers, treatment beds, a plunge pool, sauna and steam room. But perhaps the most unique feature is the 12-seat IMAX theaters, one of the first private IMAX theaters in the world. The space will be able to be reserved by residents for film watching, parties or video game tournaments.  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances  © Scott Frances Other spaces not shown here include a private outdoor terrace facing the High Line and a landscaped courtyard featuring a green landscape wall and water installation by Future Green Studio. High-tech storage spaces will also be offered throughout – a robotically-powered parking garage will use an automatic valet to quickly retrieve vehicles, while a Swiss bank-vault inspired home storage system will provide secure, easily-accessible auxiliary space for each unit. Nearly fully sold, the building opened to the first residents this summer.
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| Paris School of Architecture Launches Competition for "Brexit Monuments" Posted: 20 Oct 2017 04:30 AM PDT  As part of Paris School of Architecture's 2017/18 research theme, which is discussing the infrastructural implications of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the institute has launched an international architecture competition seeking Brexit Monuments. The Eurotunnel (providing rail services connecting London to Paris and Brussels), constructed between 1988 and 1994, is an important example of European infrastructural cooperation that emerged from a political ideologue that appears to become increasingly distant, or even impossible to imagine today. Brexit Monuments proposes an architectural engagement with this particularly loaded political issue, a monument to Brexit, located next to the Channel Tunnel entrances in either (or both) France or the UK and visible to travellers using the Eurostar service between London and Paris. The competition brief is straightforward; to design a monument, architectural structure, or piece of public art that discusses the themes of lost European co-operation. However, the issued raised in these topics can be highly political and even emotive, and entrants should be fully aware of the implications of their proposal. There are many examples of such projects, where architectural object become landmarks adjacent to transport infrastructures. Your proposed monument may be constructed from any material. Although this competition has been designed to provoke thought and debate around this topic, the School is able to fund the construction of a modest design, not in excess of €20,000, subject to the agreement of landowner(s) of the sites proposed (note that any sites selected that are owned by either the British or French States or Eurotunnel will not be taken forward. There are a number of private landowners (predominantly agricultural) that would be more suitable.
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| Eden d’Ardennes Housing / ateliers O-S architectes Posted: 20 Oct 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Cyrille Weiner
 © Cyrille Weiner From the architect. The 38 housing project is located in Charleville-Mézières next to the Belgian border. This is made up of collective apartments of different sizes, superimposed and overlapping.  Sketch A Neighborhood Scale  © Cyrille Weiner The public space is organized around four buildings whose location ensures respect for the landscape quality of the site thanks to visual breakthroughs. Indeed, the project unfolds over the entire surface of the site, in reaction to the building of 100 dwellings in the west side of the site that obstructs space.  Ground Floor Plan The west and east parts of the project are aligned along existing footpaths. The two others are parallel to the street. Between these « islets », are organized the parking lots, common spaces and small individual gardens. The character of the project is given by a horizontality punctuated of urban framing towards the distant landscape.  © Cyrille Weiner The 38-units program is organized by "household" of two superimposed units. We have 2 T2, 18 T3, 12 T4 and 6 T5. All the T4 and T5 have their living rooms on the garden level, while the majority of the T3 and the two T2 are articulated on the upper floors. Access to housing is made from the garden for dwellings on the ground floor and from the public road for the others.  Housing Type Density is one of the quality of this urban form offering spaces to potential open and multiple uses for a shared neighborhood life.  © Cyrille Weiner Architectural Principles  © Cyrille Weiner The facades are covered by a thick mineral coating with a special application technique: hand made vertical strips reinforced the façades.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Turkish Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale to Host a Series of Student Workshops Posted: 20 Oct 2017 03:15 AM PDT  © IKSV Following an open call, a selection committee coordinated by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has revealed Vardiya (The Shift) as the theme of the Turkish Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. Curated by Kerem Piker, the exhibition will propose "a spatial organisation for meeting, encountering, and architectural production." According to the curators, the Turkish Pavilion will welcome architecture students, who will be hosted by İKSV in shifts throughout the course of the Biennale. "Following an international open call, undergraduate and graduate students of architecture will be expected to visit the Biennale, participate in the designated workshop programmes, and contribute to architectural production with using various media." The exhibition content is expected "to derive and flourish from this programme of workshops, performances and the participants' individual contributions in situ." Cansu Cürgen, Yelta Köm, Nizam Onur Sönmez, Yağız Söylev and Erdem Tüzün will act as assistant curators.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Against All Odds, Photos Show Qatar's Determination to Construct World-Class City Posted: 20 Oct 2017 02:30 AM PDT  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro The history of the Qatar Peninsula—or Catara, as first labeled on an ancient map drawn by the Greco-Roman polymath Claudius Ptolemaeus—dates back to the Paleolithic Age. By the 1930s, the tiny Gulf state was struggling to maintain its position as the center of the pearl trade, but soon after, in the 1940s, it found itself at the forefront of economic growth and progress after the discovery of its vast oil reserves. Today, Qatar is the world's richest country per capita; its capital Doha an ever-growing crop of shiny high-rises, with occasional buildings by the world's most sought-after architects thrown in for effect, its skyline flecked with tireless cranes, and its suburbs strewn with bulldozers, machinery, and endless mounds of displaced sand. Seen in these photographs by Manuel Alvarez Diestro is a record of the country's impatient race towards an extravagant desert dream—but perhaps it can also be read as a subtle nod towards Qatar's sheer determination to forge ahead, despite being steeped in controversies and crises during recent years.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro In late 2010, much to the majority of the world's outrage, Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Immediately deemed "the biggest football joke of all time" by the Norwegian paper Dagbladet, criticism and comments revolved around the country's soaring summer temperatures and lack of adequate sports infrastructure for a large-scale tournament. But what had won the decision committee over was the meticulous master plan drawn up by the Germany-based architecture and urban planning firm, Speer and Partners, renowned for its expertise in sustainable, human-centered design and planning. As critics delight in pointing out, the firm's founder Albert Speer Jr, who passed away in September, was the son of Albert Speer, the chief architect behind Adolf Hitler's grandiose architectural pursuits—an irrelevant yet uncomfortable fact that Speer Jr had sought to distance himself from throughout his own career.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro For the 2022 World Cup, Speer Jr proposed a plan that could be easily assimilated into Qatar's existing Master Plan 2030 drawn up in 2008; the main features of his proposal were eight new modular stadiums that could be dismantled and shipped to developing countries after the tournament ended, building temperatures regulated by absorption cooling, and an overall focus on sustainability. And so, as Qatar set aside a budget of over $200 billion for the World Cup, and the country saw itself seized by a construction boom greater than it had ever witnessed before. It also faced a sudden swarm of charges for bribery and corruption related to the bid it had just won—a mere speck compared to what was to come later in the shape of allegations of human rights violations.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro Over 70% of Qatar's total population, and 94% of the workforce today, consists of migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Egypt—a glaring imbalance made all the more harrowing as one imagines the majority of those 2 million workers toiling away in the heat while the privileged 300,000 or so native Qataris are comfortably ensconced in air-conditioned glass towers or driving around in air-conditioned SUVs.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro In 2014, Qatar was called a "country without a conscience" by the International Trade Union Confederation in a report highlighting the archaic Kafala system, mass deaths of migrant workers, squalid living conditions, delayed or minimal wages, poor diet and water supply, incredibly long work hours, and confiscation of passports, with workers forced to seek "black-market" jobs, or worse, ending up trapped in a foreign country. Previous investigations carried out by The Guardian, DLA Piper, and Amnesty International had already sparked anger all over the world, and in 2015, the BBC reported more than 1200 deaths of Nepali and Indian laborers between 2011 and 2013 alone. While Qatar responded with a promise to introduce improved reforms, The Guardian reported its "ongoing indifference towards systemic abuse and appalling treatment" in 2016, and more recently, the Human Rights Watch urged the government to pay proper attention to the matter.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro When asked about how a city where "[...]members of the ruling class have their servants walk behind them, carrying their Dior bags" would shape up, Speer Jr remarked "We make proposals. We don't have much say." As the workers' deaths escalated, it raised some pertinent questions in the architectural world: "can architecture wield its influence to do anything to improve working conditions?" Do architects possess the agency to change anything or are they merely a bunch of worker bees at the mercy of influential clients or powerful governments? Should they even be bothered about it at all? Many of these conversations stemmed from Zaha Hadid's sharp comments about the incessant scrutiny applied to her Al-Wakrah stadium project. In response to these sentiments, among many other takes, Fran Tonkiss wrote about "the architect's duty to construction workers," and 1week1project expressed its stance through a powerful design for the hypothetical Qatar World Cup Memorial.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro Perhaps most interesting of all though is Laura Diamond Dixit's discussion on Qatar's oft-forgotten slave history linked with the pearl trade, and how superficial references to the pearl divers' traditional dhow (boat) in the design of Hadid's Al-Wakrah and Speer's Al-Shamal stadiums only serve to reinforce the buildings as "monuments to a long history of maritime labor." "Hadid has famously claimed that "it's not my duty as an architect" to think about labor," she wrote, "but the labor histories associated with the dhow can be projected back into the architectural form she has given us."  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro In a somewhat similar vein, critics are quick to point out how Speer Jr, who spent a career trying to escape the dark shadow of his father's work, unknowingly ended up being the chief planner for a project that would forever be associated with human rights violations. But it's also interesting to note how the architect's fundamental belief in work respecting human scale, local culture and the environment, or more importantly, something that is not "statement architecture," now stands violated as Doha's suburbs rapidly transform into the antithesis of his ideas. At the same time, it is quite hard to believe that Speer Jr did not foresee all of this—while he never built "statement buildings" in the strictest sense, it can be argued that he readily provided the blueprint for what was obvious as, from the outset, more a display of power and wealth than an innocent building project for a football tournament.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro However, parallel to this, the Qatari vision also aims for a "lasting economic legacy," with sport being "part and parcel of the Qatar National Vision 2030" according to the Minister of Economy and Commerce. Strictly from an economic perspective, the merits of this rigorous exercise in development cannot be understated; with Qatar now relying less on its natural resources for revenue, and the infrastructure boom bringing with it countless investment or job opportunities, the economy will benefit. The recent diplomatic crisis, though, has brought on multiple trade or travel bans among other things, and economists are already weighing the impact that the crisis could have, in case it goes on for too long. The government, on the other hand, seems undeterred, and has utilized alternative routes for importing building materials and equipment.  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro  © Manuel Alvarez Diestro The great, big dream for a world-class city forges ahead, albeit slightly slower than before. The Al Bidda Tower, better known as the "Tower of Football," is "fitted out with Italian furniture, bespoke etched glass paneling, a state-of-the-art toilet that washes, dries and has a heated seat." Proposals for floating hotels are reviewed, giant causeways are laid out, man-made islands with water taxis, sprawling golf courts, climate-controlled stadiums, shopping malls, water parks, aquatic centers, luxury villas, 60,000 hotel rooms with spectacular views... Whether or not Qatar will get to host the 2022 World Cup is still up for speculation. For now, the country pullulates with newborn buildings and real-estate poetry.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| FS Residence / Pablo Dikenstein Posted: 20 Oct 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Nicolas Saieh
 © Nicolas Saieh From the architect. The residence is situated in a closed landscape. The application begins with the search for a deteriorating property that was located in the eastern wing, taking into account a low budget, both for the purchase of the property and for the intervention.  © Nicolas Saieh A few main factors were considered in the drawing, such as being able to provide capacity for 3 cars in the front yard (the original property had the capacity for only one car in this space), three dormitories, large common spaces and wood facades, protecting the residence in relation to security.  © Nicolas Saieh  Cross Sections  © Nicolas Saieh Originally the residence was one level, facing north, with the masonry structure. The challenge was to respect as much of existing structure as possible so we kept the reinforced concrete and some brick walls. The non-structural partitions were demolished and part of the main structure of the eastern wing of the existing residence where the facade was recessed and a front garden was created with space for three cars.  © Nicolas Saieh It was sought to create an integral functional area that was the center of the program where it would gain the greatest amount of space capacity to create the feeling of being in a large, lively space with a good exchange of air and lots of light. The residence arises around this space that was designed contemplating the kitchen, the dining and living rooms.  Floor Plans On the same level is incorporated the main bedroom with bathroom, guest bathroom, pantry and space with independent service access. On the first floor are two bedrooms with closet, a bathroom, office and terrace.  © Nicolas Saieh The connection between these dormitories takes place through a bridge that works with the space disorder of the common zone and creates openings for the access of the ground to the north from the superior level. In this place, openings are obtained in both facades (north and south) to grant cross ventilation with the first level.  © Nicolas Saieh The chosen materials reflect the story that one wishes to expose when living in the residence, to "feel out of the city" giving a modern rustic aspect, using mainly wood in treated and contrasting pins, concrete and glass are used.  © Nicolas Saieh The residence integrates the light, the space opening, the nobility of its materials and the minimalist / contemporary style in a space with limited resources, presenting a new way of inhabiting the daily space.  © Nicolas Saieh  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bamboo U: Build and Design Course, Bali Posted: 20 Oct 2017 01:00 AM PDT BambooU(niversity) was an idea originally conceived to help teach professionals about the potential of bamboo as a green building material. In its current form it is a design and bamboo build workshop in Bali hosted by The Kul Kul Farm at the Green School; facilitated in collaboration with the bamboo design firm, IBUKU. Bamboo U is a unique opportunity to design and build alongside some of the architects, designers and craftsmen who built the Green School. The group will investigate the available sites and hear from Elora Hardy, her team at IBUKU and John Hardy, co-founder of Green School. Participants will engage in a series of on-site workshops and experience first-hand the potential of bamboo. A couple of days will be spent modeling and the bulk remainder of the time will be given over to building 1:1 structures with guidance from skilled local craftsman. Interspersed will be talks/discussions about bamboo's building properties. Students will leave understanding the life cycle of bamboo from being a seedling to a home, and will gain key insights into the gifts and challenges of what it takes to build in bamboo. Join us! Registration is already open and fills up fast.  Bamboo U: Build and Design Course, Bali Prominent features and skills to develop include:
The workshop is open to ages 18+, and those working or studying in the fields of architecture, engineering, construction, carpentry, or design. No specific software requirements. Included in the course fee are all meals, materials, tours and boutique camping accommodation.
 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Brooklyn's Tallest Building Revealed in New Renderings Posted: 20 Oct 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Williams New York Brooklyn Point by Kohn Pederson Fox will hold the title of Brooklyn's tallest building - although for a short while as the downtown developer craze competes for the next top spot. The mixed-use skyscraper is the final step in the City Point mega-development and is the first of Extell Development Company in the borough After being in the design process for the past three years, construction of Brooklyn Point began this summer; it is only now that Extell is releasing the details of the tower in a new render that displays the extent of the façade. The double-height stacked frames of the exterior will form a sculptural relief, further accentuated by the corners and crown angled upwards on the northeast and southwest. Light falling on the building will create patterns from the shadows upon the custom curtain walls behind as well as emphasizing the frames and distinguished silhouette. The overall appearance and quality of the tower will sit nicely against the other City Point buildings such as COOKFOX's City Point Tower, associated with their luxurious outlook.  Courtesy of Williams New York The skyscraper will include 458 residences, ranging from studios to three-bedroom luxury apartments over its 68 stories, starting from $840K up to $4million – a fair price compared to Extell's previous one 57. 720 feet in the air, it will shortly be taken over by JDS's 9 Dehlab Tower nearby that will surge over 1000 feet. Still not giving away too much, Extell have confirmed that the 40,000 square feet of amenities will include 'abundant entertainment areas' and 'unrivalled outdoor amenities.' The skyscraper is located at 1 City Point (previously 138 Willoughby Street) so residents will also be able to enjoy Willoughby Square, a one-acre park under development next door. KPF's designs have always defined exuberance and ambition, being responsible for the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building and 5th tallest in the world. Their other buildings have also gained titles due to their excessive heights, including One Bayfront Plaza which is Miami's joint tallest tower and One Vanderbilt, the second tallest in the city of New York. News Via: Curbed.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Spotlight: Sir Christopher Wren Posted: 19 Oct 2017 11:00 PM PDT  Old Royal Navy College, Greenwich. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickschooley/6758847925'>Flickr user nickschooley</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> Sir Christopher Wren (20 October 1632 – 25 February 1723) is one the most significant architects in British history, and was a recognized astronomer, scholar, and physicist-mathematician. Wren was classically trained at the University of Oxford in physics and engineering where he developed his interest in architecture. He is perhaps most famous for designing London's iconic St Paul's Cathedral, however he is credited with the design of dozens of other churches, government buildings, and hospitals in England. Wren was knighted in 1673.  Portrait of Sir Christopher Wren by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Image <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christopher_Wren_by_Godfrey_Kneller_1711.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> (public domain) Wren received his first architectural commission in 1663 from his uncle, the Bishop of Ely, to design a new chapel for Pembroke College in Cambridge. After the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city in 1666, Wren seized the opportunity to redesign the burned areas with a network of wide boulevards. His proposal was rejected, in part due to difficulties in establishing the owners of the land after such a huge disaster, but he succeeded in building 52 churches across the city, including St Paul's. Shortly thereafter, Wren was appointed surveyor of the Royal Works by King Charles II, tasked with supervising all government buildings and royal palaces in Britain.  St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/locosteve/8287719102'>Flickr user locosteve</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> His career in architecture quickly took off, receiving contracts to design the Royal Observatory in Greenwich; A hospital for retired soldiers Chelsea and a hospital for sailors in Greenwich; Trinity College Library in Cambridge; and a significant rebuilding project at Hampton Court Palace in London, which was originally constructed during the reign of King Henry VIII. In addition to his work in architecture, Wren was a lecturer at University of Oxford and Gresham College, and a co-founder of the Royal Society, a prestigious organization devoted to the study of science.  The Fountain Court at Hampton Court Palace, London. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hampton-Court-E.jpg'>Wikimedia user Michal "Cronwood" Babilas</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Wren is buried in St Paul's cathedral. In Latin, his grave reads: "If you seek his memorial, look about you." 15 Architects Who Have Been Immortalized on Money  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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