Arch Daily |
- MK5 House / ORTRAUM
- House in Alcalar / Vitor Vilhena Arquitectura
- Sala delle Capriate at Palazzo della Ragione / CN10 architetti
- Bloomberg's European HQ / Foster + Partners
- T House / KIENTRUC O
- Cheongun Residence / Hyundai Kim + Tectonics Lab
- FPT University Administrative Building / VTN Architects
- Terrace House yul-dam / modo architect office
- Babylon Garden Condotel / ALPES GDB
- Snøhetta and Clark Nexsen Selected to Design New Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
- La Casita / Tres Más Dos Arquitectos
- Saudi Arabia Plans $500-Billion Futuristic City Billed as "A Startup the Size of a Country"
- This Captivating Parametric Dessert Celebrates the Discovery of a New Type of Chocolate
- Domain of Biar Reception Room / Brengues Le Pavec architectes
- Call for Entries: Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Core Area Urban Quality Improvement International Design Competition Announcement
- The Top 10 Predicted Cities for Amazon's HQ2 (And Why HQ2 Will Be a Major Urban Catalyst for the Winner)
- MT House / Telles Arquitetura
- Sir David Adjaye and Ron Arad Architects Selected to Design UK's New Holocaust Memorial in Central London
- Arkitema Architects Designs 30 Shipping Container Apartments in Roskilde, Denmark
- London's Architectural Association Seeks New Director
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Marc Goodwin
 © Marc Goodwin From the architect. MK5 is the latest project of ORTRAUM Architects, built for one of the partners of the office and his family of five. The house is placed on a south-west sloping 500m2 site, located on the Jollas Peninsula east of the Helsinki city centre. The architecture features a central kink inplan, which (according to the Finnish tradition) avoids a direct view towards the neighbours, andleads the main spaces to face the ocean towards the west. The building's relationship to the natural surroundings inspired the diverse placement of the windows, framing the changing views and daylight qualities in each direction. The open-plan living room is accessed from the north and located on the ground floor, sauna functions and building services are placed in the basement. The four bedrooms are located upstairs. The geometric layout of the plan accumulates on the mezzanine level, where the three children's rooms and the master bedroom connect in the centre point of the building, allowing for multiple consultation options before bedtime.  © Marc Goodwin  Section  © Marc Goodwin The structure of MK5 consist of highly customized CLT elements. In addition to the building's electrical system, the ventilation system and lighting fixtures are fully integrated into the CLT elements. Siberian Larch timber is used for the façade, the flooring, and the furniture. Custom fabricated copper parts frame the windows. The façade materials are chosen to allow the building to patinate naturally and age gracefully with time. On the south side of the building vertical wires are stretched from the building eaves to the terrace deck below, designed for hops climbers to grow to create a "green screen", providing an extra curtain of privacy from the road.  © Marc Goodwin ORTRAUM Architects focus in their practice on working thoroughly with the client and the context, always with the aim of creating a unique solution for each of their customers. In addition to this personal engagement ORTRAUM also pursues a strong research approach in each project, specializing in the development of new prefabricated element typologies, and stretching the possibilities of element design.  © Marc Goodwin  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House in Alcalar / Vitor Vilhena Arquitectura Posted: 24 Oct 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG From the architect. Located in the south of Portugal, in an area that serves as a transition between the Sea and the land. It is located in the village of Alcalar, a few kilometers from Portimão, where 5000 years ago was settled an important Prehistoric community. Based on the importance of the location of the land and its relationship with history, we decided that the image of the house would have to seek the organic relations that refer to the Monument that appears in the history of the area.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The image of the house is constituted by several curves that consist in the separations provoked by the surroundings. The topography is gently sloping, and the surrounding is characterized by a traditional style single-family dwellings from the 80's. The land confines with a municipal street, which defines the entrance of the house. The project develops on a single floor (above the street level) with the intention of minimizing the visual impact of the viewer from the street and its implementation takes into account the better use of the solar orientation of the interior compartments and the best views that the site provides.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Ground Floor Plan  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The natural topography of the terrain promotes the creation of a lower floor facing South. Following this orientation was created an outdoor seating are a thatre latest o the terrain and the landscape. This space is covered in order to protect and control the solar orientation of the facade. The southern elevation benefits from a strong relationship between the interior and exterior, inviting permeability situations, namely its relation with the terrain, vegetation and views.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The villa consists of 2 floors, the groundfloor which is at the level of the entrance, and which comprises 4 bedrooms, living and dining area, kitchen and service areas, complemented by a car parking. The lower floor develops in the result of the natural slope of the terrain and integrates a living area, directly related to the pool. This lower floor benefits from an out o or covered area where the pool is located, creating very interesting relations between the interior and exterior.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sala delle Capriate at Palazzo della Ragione / CN10 architetti Posted: 24 Oct 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Gianluca Gelmini
 © Gianluca Gelmini From the architect. The project provides for a new set-up of the "Sala delle Capriate" in the "Palazzo della Ragione" of Upper Bergamo. The building dates back to the XII century and represents the physical and functional center of the historic city. It is the core of a system of open public spaces and it directly relates to them on different sides. Once the building stopped to host the municipality, the upper room changed a series of different functions. Today its walls are covered with a significant review of art pieces collected over time from different buildings of the city.  © Gianluca Gelmini  Axonometric  © Gianluca Gelmini The result is a minimal intervention made of a suspended system of hexagons, intended as gazes over the city: like the circles drawn on the embroidery of the colored windows, the suspended structure puts on display the excellence of the territory. This is exactly as it occurs in the cellars of the beehive, where the repetition of the hexagonal frame becomes the structure where life happens. Similarly, the hexagons of the project can become light, sound, image, space. It is a dynamic system of possible configurations that transform the room according to the given event and program.  Render The hexagonal mesh is dimensioned coherently with the pace of the wooden trusses. The result is a simple and modular composition, made out of the combination of beams and joints. The beams incorporate in their own structure the technological solutions necessary to set in the room different arrangements. They host indeed the technical devices like lightning, both fixed and movable, sound and video systems, motorized projection tarps and hooks to hang panels and other equipment. The fixing system that allows hanging the hexagons to the trusses is located on the joints.  © Gianluca Gelmini The whole structure can be easily lowered thanks to a motorized solution, in order to guarantee fast changes of setting, a simple maintenance and a better management of the space. The new set-up is completed on the ground floor by a system of hexagonal structures with the same dimension of the suspended one, that can be freely arranged in the room. They are made of modular elements that increase the number and the complexity of the different configurations of the room.  © Gianluca Gelmini  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bloomberg's European HQ / Foster + Partners Posted: 24 Oct 2017 06:00 PM PDT  © Nigel Young
 © Nigel Young From the architect. Bloomberg's new European headquarters is respectful of its location in the heart of the City of London, close to the Bank of England, St. Paul's Cathedral and the church of St. Stephen's Walbrook. In its form, massing and materials, the new building is uniquely of their place and time – a natural extension of the City that will endure and improve the surrounding public realm. It is a true exemplar of sustainable development, with a BREEAM Outstanding rating – the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development.  Sketch © Norman Foster Occupying a full city block, the 3.2-acre site comprises two buildings united by bridges that span over a pedestrian arcade that reinstates Watling Street, an ancient Roman road that ran through the site. Bloomberg Arcade is now a key route for people moving around the City, with restaurants and cafes at ground level, set back behind an undulating façade under a covered colonnade. Three public plazas, located at each end of the arcade and in front of the building's entrance, provide new civic spaces in the heart of the Square Mile.  © Nigel Young Its striking façade is defined by a structural sandstone frame, with a series of large-scale bronze fins that shade the floor-to-ceiling glazing. The fins give the building a visual hierarchy and rhythm as they vary in scale, pitch and density across each façade according to orientation and solar exposure, while being an integral part of the building's natural ventilation system.  © Nigel Young Art plays a central role in the project, with major site-specific commissions in and around the building. Cristina Iglesias' water sculpture in three parts, 'Forgotten Streams' – a homage to the ancient Walbrook River that once flowed through the site – defines the public spaces at each end of Bloomberg Arcade. The new Bloomberg building also returns the archaeological remains of the Roman Temple of Mithras to the site of their original discovery, with a new interpretation centre and cultural hub designed to give visitors an immersive experience of the temple and bring the history of the site to life.  © Nigel Young  © Nigel Young The main entrance to Bloomberg is defined by a substantial porte-cochère, where the building forms two sides of a new formal city square. Arriving at the main entrance, everyone passes through the reception lobby before being drawn into the Vortex – a dramatic double-height space created by three inclined, curving timber shells. From here, high-speed fully-glazed lifts with a unique concealed mechanism – another innovation developed specifically for the building – carry everyone directly to the sixth floor.  © Nigel Young Central to Bloomberg's ethos, the double-height 'pantry' on the sixth floor is the heart of the building, reflecting the importance of sharing and collaboration at the company. Everyone passes through this animated space, increasing the likelihood of chance meetings and informal discussions.  Cutaway A distinctive hypotrochoid stepped ramp, characterised by its smooth continuous three-dimensional loop, flows through the full height of the building, adding to the drama of the space. Clad in bronze, the ramp is designed and proportioned as a place of meeting and connection, allowing people to hold brief impromptu conversations with colleagues, whilst not impeding the flow of people.  © Nigel Young  © Nigel Young The notion of teamwork and collaboration flows into the desking systems and layout of each floor. Bespoke height-adjustable, radial desks are laid out in clusters and pods for up to six people, allowing for privacy, personalisation, wellbeing and collaborative working. The ceiling is another unique and innovative element developed for the building, inspired by the pressed metal ceilings of New York. Its distinctive polished aluminium panels of 'petals' perform multiple roles – ceiling finish, light reflectors, cooling elements and acoustic attenuation – combining various elements of a typical office ceiling into an energy-saving integrated system.  © Nigel Young  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 05:00 PM PDT  © Hiroyuki Oki
 © Hiroyuki Oki From the architect. We were commissioned to design and renovate an old house in a small alley that branch off from Pham Ngoc Thach St, historically known as Duy Tan. The 161m2 house was finished in 2017.  Section Our focus when shaping this space is to create an environment that provoke emotional interactions with the architecture. It is expressed in a continuous reel of functional relationship between spaces that are stringed together from inside the house to the alley and back. This is a kind of architectural newness that set us apart from our typical design method.  © Hiroyuki Oki The concept embodied the free and limitless character of space resulting in a humble and provocative sense of spatial purposes hinting toward the center of architecture being the subtle personal connection between the occupants, planters, furniture, and the garden.  © Hiroyuki Oki We believe this shift in our design thinking will provide opportunities to refresh the residents' perception toward their living experience that encompass the overlapping relationship among the interior, the envelope, the garden, the alley, and the neighbors.  © Hiroyuki Oki  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cheongun Residence / Hyundai Kim + Tectonics Lab Posted: 24 Oct 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Kyungsub Shin
 © Kyungsub Shin Site  First Level Plan Demolition  © Kyungsub Shin Beginning    Order  © Kyungsub Shin  © Kyungsub Shin Centralized Organization  Section 2 Material and Form  © Kyungsub Shin To deal with the spiritual aspect of materiality, the arch was chosen as the conceptual and structural technique. An arch in a form of a vault guides visitors through the foyer to the parlor. At the central void of parlor and living room, two consecutive arches add a series of filters to maintain a temperate and calm atmosphere. Arches of the living room, conservatory, and veranda frame the garden landscape and protect the central space from the harsh weather. The Cheongun Residence is located in the most historic district of Seoul, which involves the paradoxical coexistence of traditional, colonial, and contemporary architectural scenes. An arch may be the metaphoric interpretation of coexistence, preserving collective memories of the neighborhood's patinated materiality  © Kyungsub Shin The frontality of the Cheongun Residence arises from the centralized organization, symmetric order, and contextual relationships of the house. The north wall of the house, perceived as podium, includes the rhythmic and symmetrical placement of a canopied porch and two vehicle entrances. The symmetricity becomes obvious at the receded north elevation, with a central axis between the main entrance and the arch window of the staircase on top. The south elevation facing the main garden has a semi-symmetrical order with a series of arch windows. The frontality and symmetricity of the house is a clear manifestation of the centralized organization and proportioned programs, ultimately resulting in a state of tranquil equilibrium harmonizing the complexities and contradictions inherent in life.  © Kyungsub Shin  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| FPT University Administrative Building / VTN Architects Posted: 24 Oct 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Hiroyuki Oki
 © Hoang Le From the architect. The FPT Technology building is part of the first stage of a larger master plan to convert the university to a globally competitive environmentally conscious university. The building acts as a gateway to the campus and the green façade clearly dictates the future direction of the campus. Since FPT University offers Information Technology (IT)-related courses, the campus is designed to maintain a healthy balance between physical and virtual environment, as well as to improve our relationship with nature. As the building is the first stage of the expanding university it has been designed to be adaptable in it program to accommodate the varying programmatic requirements of the future.  © Hiroyuki Oki  Concept  © Hiroyuki Oki This University is situated in an area of Vietnam that experiences frequent energy shortages. Passive design is employed to reduce the buildings dependence on active systems so that during blackouts the building is able to function on minimal generated backup power. A shallow plan allows copious natural light into the building reducing the need for artificial lighting.  Ground Floor Plan The trees within each window opening operating as a green skin to reduce direct heat transfer through the windows. The building is orientated to the prevailing breezes and employs cross ventilation for cooling. The green skin of trees and adjacent lake help to reduce the air temperature.  © Hiroyuki Oki  Section  © Hoang Le The façade has been designed as simple modules that express the simplicity of the sustainable design. The structure is built out of affordable concrete construction, the standardized modules allow higher quality finish to be achieved together with economical time.  © Hoang Le  Elevation  © Hiroyuki Oki The increased urbanization and densification of Vietnamese cities are having a large impact on urban vegetation and what was once the urban population's strong connection with the environment. Due to current situation, the building design ensures that the students are exposed to greenery and maintain the connection with nature even when they are away from home. The trees in each room and outdoor gardens allow a constant connection with nature. And there are also trees beside open spaces with void, students use these space freely. Landscape is also integrated at the top of the building to form a public stepped garden for the students and staff members. This connection helps raise awareness of the environment through the constant reference and experience of the benefits of a sustainable passively designed building.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Terrace House yul-dam / modo architect office Posted: 24 Oct 2017 12:00 PM PDT .jpg?1508814148 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim
.jpg?1508814113 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim From the architect. The site located at the heart of Seoul. In the Japanese colonial era, the area was organised as a detached housing district with evenly divided lots. Thus, it was filled up with low-rise detached houses for a long time but is now occupied by multi-family housings and neighbourhood living facilities. The project started based on the detailed requests of the client couple who wanted to build a beautiful house giving life to alleys which still display a strong image as a residential district but are sparsely dotted with office. .jpg?1508814629 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim It was late fall of 2015 when I visited the original detached house for the first time. The house's large southern courtyard was covered with the dense leaves of a decades-old persimmon tree, and its terrace on the 2nd floor was draped with a bamboo blind for privacy reasons. While designing a new house after demolishing this house of the 1970's, I thought the new house using the 4th and 5th floors should contain the languages of a detached house. This new house will be able to enjoy a southwestern view over Namsan Mountain in the distance. .jpg?1508814178 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim Adjoining a 5m-wide road on the north, the narrow rectangular site belongs to a class 2 general residential area allowing for a building coverage ratio of 60% and a floor area ratio of 200%. The proposed building is planned to have neighbourhood living facilities on its 1st and 2nd floors and 4 multi-family housing units on its 3rd to 5th floors.  Section 03 One neighbourhood living facility positioned on the front side of the 1st floor is designed as a duplex connected with internal stairs. The other facility on the rear side is a small space of 5 pyeong, yet its large windows linked with an outdoor deck and a courtyard relieve its sense of confinement. A terrace is added to a neighbourhood living facility on the 2nd floor, and it enables natural lighting and ventilation while minimising interference to neighbouring houses. Wood louvers on the front and right facades on the 2nd and 3rd floors protect privacy and give warmth to the blue old brick exterior, 2 units with 1.5 rooms on the 3rd floor and 1 studio on the 4th floor are fully furnished with sinks, built-in wardrobes, fridges and washing machines to provide a practical living space. .jpg?1508814673 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim A duplex unit occupying the 4th and 5th floors has a main entrance on the 5th floor and provides a living room, dining, kitchen, children's room and study with high ceiling along with an attic. The 4th floor is arranged as a private space with a master bedroom, bathroom and laundry. The 5th floor has a terrace which becomes a green lounge connected with the dining room, providing a view over Namsan and the sky. The living room works as a playroom for twin sisters who were born during construction, and it is linked with their room, it is designed as an open space so that the whole space can be seen even from the kitchen on the other side.  Section 02 What is required most when designing 1 studio, 2 units with 1.5 rooms, 1 residence for the client and 3 neighbourhood living facilities for the site of about 50 pyeong was giving each one of them a separate access to out-door spaces like courtyard or terrace. The courtyard and terrace which are carefully positioned on each floor turn into as a wide-open lounge and scenic observatory. .jpg?1508814342 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim The outdoor terrace connected with the comfortable interior space becomes another room where users can enjoy a relaxing time in downtown. Also, while greeting each other with neighborhoods on the terrace, they will be able to feel a bond with the community. .jpg?1508814734 "© Jae-Kyeong Kim") © Jae-Kyeong Kim  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Babylon Garden Condotel / ALPES GDB Posted: 24 Oct 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Hiroyuki Oki
 © Hiroyuki Oki From the architect. Babylon Garden is located in a crowded coastal hotel zone near the most popular beach in Danang. Set 25 meters down a small street; it is alluring due to its modern green appearance as an oasis while everything nearby is big and mundane. It offers a serene natural experience while only a few steps from the hustle and bustle and every service travelers require. The challenge of the design for Ho Khue Architects (ALPES Green Design & Build) was to build something special, close to, but off the "main drag" that was highly visible and beautiful.  Green Terraces Axonometric Babylon Garden's location in the alley off Ha Bong was at first not favorable because the land is surrounded on 3 sides with old residential low-rise buildings. The solution by Ho Khue Architects (ALPES Green Design & Build) was to build high, include a combination of reflective glass, balconies, and plantings. It is natural among concrete. An oasis of allowing guests to experience the fresh sea air, green plants, and feel comfortable coming back to this natural hotel during the hot summer. The 6-storey hotel features 13 exquisitely appointed guest rooms that are efficient and the highest quality in every detail. There is a restaurant, a Koi Fish Lake Café surrounded by walls of plants, billiards, and a gym. Although more rooms were possible, we designed each room to be in a corner offering two views and great natural sea air ventilation for each room.  © Hiroyuki Oki The 1st floor and mezzanine has floor up plantings and vining plants hanging from the restaurant planters on the second floor. Specialized vertical planting cases are used to accomplish this beautiful effect. The frontal area is cramped by the alley, yet the view and feeling inside are expanded by the vertical plantings, Koi Lake, natural ventilation on the back wall, and very high ceiling. Everyone recognizes an unusual or soothing architectural landscape. We feel them unconsciously. Ho Khue Architects (ALPES) requires that our projects satisfy light and ventilation requirements in addition to creating landmark high-rise buildings in urban spaces that elicit feelings.  © Hiroyuki Oki Each bedroom is attached to a relaxing balcony that houses a large variety of trees and a balustrade, which changes its position with each floor. The "dancing" of the balconies around the building offers an unusual beauty we feel as motion. Ho Khue Architects (ALPES) wants to build great and strong buildings that also focus on the emotions of users. Incorporating trees and plants with natural stone and decorative concrete contribute to elicit a positive perception of the buildings as a natural environment. Babylon Garden is a modern hanging garden that connects people with nature, just steps from the hustle and bustle of the tourist area.  © Hiroyuki Oki  Section A  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Snøhetta and Clark Nexsen Selected to Design New Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Posted: 24 Oct 2017 09:15 AM PDT  Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Image Courtesy of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Photo by Robert Christopher The team of Snøhetta (design architect), Clark Nexsen (architect-of-record) and brightspot strategy (community engagement and space programming) has been selected to design the new Main Building for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. The team will work to incorporate the creative vision created by the library and its community through a multi-year planning process. Envisioned as a "public commons," the building will aimed at becoming a catalyst for urban revitalization, becoming a new hub of culture, education and community connection for the city.  Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Image Courtesy of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Photo by Robert Christopher "The Clark Nexsen/Snøhetta/brightspot team brings strength in design, execution and community input and engagement, along with their prior experience working together," said Library CEO Lee Keesler. "We believe they are a great fit for our unique design opportunity." The team will continue to work with the community through a series of Town Hall meetings, surveys and workshops. Funding for the project will be split between public and private sources.  Ryerson University Student Learning Centre. Image © Younes Bounhar & Amanda Large | DoubleSpace Photography  James B. Hunt Library at NCSU. Image © Jeff Goldberg / Esto Snøhetta has a strong history of designing libraries, such as Hunt Library at NC State University; the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre in Toronto; and Bibliotheca Alexandrina, one of the firm's most important early projects. The firm also has several library projects currently in progress, including the Calgary Central Library and a new library at Temple University in Philadelphia. "Libraries are more popular today than they have ever been, serving a wider range of needs than access to books only," commented Craig Dykers, founding partner of Snøhetta. "The architecture of libraries is also changing and Charlotte's new library will lead the way in showing how a city and its core of knowledge can be open, welcoming and intriguing for decades to come."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| La Casita / Tres Más Dos Arquitectos Posted: 24 Oct 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía
 © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía From the architect. The concept of design for a project can start from different bases, specifically in this residential project, the conceptual axis emerged as a response to various conditions that the location of the project represented, the first is the size of the property and the second the context.  © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía The property is located in one of the neighborhoods with the largest history within San Pedro Garza Garcia, it could be said that the Colonia del Valle is one of the colonies with which the municipality began to develop, this first factor results in an architectural form in a context of classic style housing. The second factor is the size of the property. Having 4.61 meters in front by 22.77 of length, results in a narrow space, as a consequence, the adjoining constructions hindered the entrance of natural light and ventilation, in addition to lacking attractive views.  Ground Floor  Top Floor In response to the conditions mentioned above, we decided to create a space that would represent the center of the house; a nucleus that became the main axis and where the rest of the areas of the house would turn from this to enjoy it visually and take advantage the virtues that this offers. This nucleus is represented by an inner courtyard that naturally ventilates and illuminates the different areas of the house and at the same time aesthetically becomes a main focal point having a sculptural element that nature gives us as it is the Papelillo tree, that turns the patio into a space not only of transition, but habitable, of contemplation, and rest.  © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía On the facade, a large-scale steel latticework with a regular pattern was designed to create full and empty visual effect and create a pattern of light and shadows. The lattice is accompanied by a concrete wall in natural touch in order to accentuate the beginning and principle of this work.  © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía Since the beginning of this project, we were convinced we wanted to make a home visually connected between all the spaces through transparencies, with the commitment that the user would enjoy the total control of the space and enjoy a spatial sensation of greater scale. Because of this, the interaction was more effective and direct among the users that inhabit the space. It is a house that tells the truth, without losing its functionality.  Section The materials that were used had to tell the truth by the nature of their properties, beautiful by creation, so that the natural texture of the material was used as a final touch.  © Galleta Studio / Erick Alán Abrego Ambía In order to foster an intimate relationship with the urban context, we implemented vegetation and some natural materials from the region.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Saudi Arabia Plans $500-Billion Futuristic City Billed as "A Startup the Size of a Country" Posted: 24 Oct 2017 07:45 AM PDT The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced ambitious plans to build a $500 billion technological megacity "the size of a country" that will be run entirely of renewable energy sources. Known as NEOM, the innovation hub will cover a 10,232-square-mile (26,500-square-kilometer) area in the northwest of the country along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. The city is planned to extend into neighboring Egypt and Jordan, making it the first private zone to span three countries.  NEOM's site boundaries. Image via NEOM Envisioned as a center for technology and business, NEOM will focus on nine economic sectors for innovation: Energy and Water; Mobility; Biotech; Food; Advanced Manufacturing; Media; Entertainment; Technological and Digital Sciences; and 'Living as NEOM's Foundation.' Building the city will require the ground-up construction of all new infrastructure system, which will be geared toward maximum efficiency and sustainability. One of the city's core pillars, mobility, will encompass the construction of a 100% green transportation system and the King Salman Bridge linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Located in an optimal area for harvesting solar and wind resources, the city is to be powered entirely by green energy sources. Not simply a tech park, NEOM is being billed as a luxury lifestyle community, with top-of-the-line restaurants and entertainment options. The website even mentions plans for "glittering marinas," "record-breaking themeparks," "endless parkland," and "the world's largest garden."  via NEOM In addition to meeting goals outlined by Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan, NEOM will also focus on developing six main 'Futuristic Concepts':
The project will be funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and a range of private and international investors. While specific designs and plans for implementation are still vague, according to an infographic on NEOM's website, construction on the project is already underway, with completion of the first stage slated for the end of 2025. See the full website, here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Captivating Parametric Dessert Celebrates the Discovery of a New Type of Chocolate Posted: 24 Oct 2017 04:15 AM PDT  Image <a href='http://www.dinarakasko.com/algorithmic-modeling-cakes/'>via Dinara Kasko's website</a> Ukranian pastry chef Dinara Kasko is creating architecture so small, it fits on your dessert plate. Her newest creation, the Algorithmic Modeling Cake, is a celebration of chocolate and geometry worthy of your best china. The edible masterpiece was made in honor of the creation and unveiling of an entirely new type of chocolate—Ruby. After over a decade of development, earlier this year cocoa producer Barry Callebaut successfully produced what is claimed to be the first new natural color for chocolate since white chocolate was created over 80 years ago. Pink in color, it is right on trend, fitting in perfectly with both the popularity of "millennial pink" and with social media's brightly-colored food craze including obsessions such as rainbow bagels and Starbuck's Unicorn Frappucino. Algorithmic Modeling Cake is a dynamic, shifting and tasty sculpture. Inspired by the work of Matthew Shlian, Kasko desired to create a set of cakes which come together to form a single composition. To accomplish this, she used Grasshopper, the algorithmic-based Rhino add-on to generate 81 unique cakes. Collectively, they form a bewitching dessert celebrating the arrival of the food world's newest addition.  via Dinara Kasko Kasko approaches each pastry as an architect approaches design—it is no surprise her imaginative and unique approach to baking began with a pursuit of architecture. She studied and graduated from the Kharkov University Architecture School, and after working in the field for 3 years decided to follow her true passion—pastry making.  via Dinara Kasko Kasko's architectural background is evident in each one of her creations. By connecting pastry and architecture, she has crafted herself a niche within the food world. The results are beautiful small-scale models with clean lines and captivating geometric forms which are sure to provide both your eyes and your mouth with a treat.  Image <a href='http://www.dinarakasko.com/algorithmic-modeling-cakes/'>via Dinara Kasko's website</a>  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Domain of Biar Reception Room / Brengues Le Pavec architectes Posted: 24 Oct 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © RBrengues Photos
 © RBrengues Photos From the architect. The imposing grand ballroom of the 18th century Folie de Montpellier, emits a light and contemporary note. Following several years of restoration by the château's owner, the Domaine de Biar is identifiable by its historical and prestigious character. The renovation of the new reception hall is a highlight, offering visitors a dialogue between past and present.  © RBrengues Photos  Floor Plan  © RBrengues Photos The use of materials and textures such as steel, glass, wood and concrete complement the nobility of the original materials. The absence of a visual link between the new and the old spaces underlines the humility of the project. The wide openings in the great hall, provide a strong connection to the estate's park and its English garden.  © RBrengues Photos The brightness of the concrete flooring contrasts with the texture of the stone. At the far end of the hall, an area clad in black, conceals the bar and the kitchen on the ground floor and the bathroom on the floor above. While in the hall, the monumental fireplace imposes its majesty. The golden staircase is used to access the first floor where a glass footbridge leads to an area for the orchestra, offering a view of the entire space. Lightness and humility are the watchwords of this project  © RBrengues Photos  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 03:30 AM PDT .jpg?1508145447) In the future Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone will use information and communications technology, and technological creative industry as its engine, together with Longhua Center, Qinghu Sub- center, Shenezhenbei Railway Station business center, to develop jointly and become a demonstrative area that unites technological business, industry incubation, and service, merges industrial and urban qualities. 1. Project Description1.1 Project Name 1.2 Competition Sponsors, Organizers, and Supporting Agencies 1.3 Region Overview and Competition Background Information  Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Regional Transportation Analysis in the Scope of Shenzhen International renowned enterprise—Huawei's headquarter is in Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone, Longgang, Shenzhen. Because there are a group of high-tech and creative enterprises led by Huawei headquarter congregated here, they have pushed forward rapid development of Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone.  Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Strategic Orientation Analysis in the Scope of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau Bay Area In recent years, under the strategic background of Shenzhen eastward strategy, the municipal government has increased investment in the eastern area of Shenzhen. Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone as "the precursor demonstrative zone of Shenzhen Eastward Strategy", together with Shenzhen Qiaanhai, Houhai headquarter base, East center, and Guangming Phoenix City have constituted key development area of Shenzhen.  Location of Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone in Shenzhen Proposed in Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Urban Design International Consultation and Planning Implementation Scheme a Already completed, Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone led by high-tech creative enterprises and as Huawei takes the lead, will become a "strategically important zone leading the Pearl River Delta creative industry participating in global competition and collaboration".  Employment Population density  Population density (Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone is right next to the urban center of the Pearl River Delta—Shenzhenbei Railway Station, half an hour commute time from Hong Kong central area West Kowloon, which is helpful for gathering technological and creative talents from Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, can effectively connect regional creative talents and local "Silicon Valley in the sense of hardware equipment" industrial environment, and stimulate more creative enterprises.)  Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Creative Elements Distribution Analysis Map (Ban Xue Gang surrounding area is starting to aggregate motivational elements for creation—like Maker Space, Incubator, and other research institutions, making that area the important bearer of Shenzhen creative industry moving northward, and becoming the new origin of creativity.) 1.3.2 Competition Background Information Under the strategic instruction of this guideline, this international competition is held according to orientation of Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone required by the municipality of Shenzhen to make it "the precursor demonstrative area of Eastward Strategy", "the key area of Shenzhen urban quality improvement", and Shenzhen's objective of creating the "Cleanest City of the Nation" and "World Renowned Flower City", and building "National Forest City" work arrangement, and in order to improve quality of the core area of Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone, improve sub-district environment, promote sub-district image, and support sustainable and healthy development of the industry at Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone, and at the same time connect to the overall urban planning execution plan of Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone and ensure periodical results are enacted. 1.4 Competition Overall Goal At the same time, through improvement in spatial quality, drive local cultural quality to improve, strive to reach the realm and height of "express local essence through culture", gradually reach the development goal of "city-industry integration, green and humane smart city pioneer demonstration area". 1.5 Competition Principles
1.6 Competition Content (After each Design agency submit formal sign up form, competition implementation agency will send detailed competition file of each project via email to the email address of signed up agency. ） 2. Competition RulesThe rules of this competition will be divided into two categories depending on the projects that competition agencies choose. Category one is planning and design, including three projects:"Bantian in the Forerst" Surrounding Characteristic (Suburban) Parks Holistic Conceptual Design Plan International Competition, Ban Xue Gang Art Center and Surrounding Block Architecture Conceptual Design Plan International Competition, Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Streets and Nodes Greenery and Landscape Improve Design International Competition; ( DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1sloKI5n ) 2.1 Competition Rules of Category One 2.1.1 Phase One: Open Sign up and Qualification Examination Methods of qualification examination. Qualification Examination Committee will use disclosed ballot method to examine qualification, achievement, prospective project team, project plan of participation teams, and conceptual design plan, and based on the ranked scores, determine the top 8 teams that will get design compensation, and 2 alternate teams (also to be ranked), if any of the top 8 teams drop out of the second phase of competition, then alternate teams can substitute according to their rank. 2.1.2 Phase Two: Design Competition Participating teams should submit final files that meet the requirements of design assignment. Plan Examination Committee will examine all submitted design plans, and choose the top 2 teams, provide review, and recommend to the sponsors. The sponsors will research and determine the rank of the top 2 winning teams on the basis of fully respecting expert review opinions. The design team gets the first prize will, base on expert review, be responsible for uniting competition results and deepening conceptual plan design, and hold at least 2 workshops. In the end complete deepening conceptual plan design; the conceptual plan design after deepened should reach the depth of a plan design. The design team gets the second prize should send a core designer participating in the 2 workshops held by the design team that wins, and participate in uniting competition results and deepening conceptual plan design. 2.1.3 Requirements for Design Outcome
2.1.4 Qualification Examination File Submission Requirements Required qualification examination files
☆ If applicant is a team, each agency of the team provide materials stated above separately and fill in the sign up form. All materials above should be seal affixed. Qualification examination files compilation
Qualification examination files submission 2.4 Competition Rules of Category Two (Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Urban VI and Application Design International Competition Rules)( DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1qXGWLBm ) 2.4.1 Phase One: Directional Invitation and Sign up 2.4.2 Phase Two: Competition Critique Participating teams submit final files that meet the requirements of design assignment. Plan Examination Committee will examine all submitted design plans, and choose the top 2 teams and 8 nominees, provide review, and recommend to the sponsors. The sponsors will research and determine the rank of the top 2 winning teams selected by the committee, on the basis of fully respecting expert review opinions. 2.4.3 Phase Three: Public Vote 2.5 Outcome Copyright and Law
3. Basic Information on the Four Competition Projects3.1 "Bantian in the Forest" Surrounding Characteristic (Suburban) Park Holistic Conceptual Design Plan International Competition ( DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c1DXvRM )  Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Holistic Urban International Consultancy and Planning Implementation Plan Ecological Layout and Greenway Planning Structure Map 3.1.2 Project Goal  Conceptual Plan Research Scope Map 3.1.3 Competition Design Range and Main Design Content  Key Design Range and Nodes Distribution Map Node 1: Gangtou Technology Park Entrance Node  Node 1: Gangtou Technology Park Entrance Node Range Map Node 2: Ma An Tang Entrance Node  Node 2: Ma An Tang Entrance Node Range Map Node 3: San Lian Suburban Park Entrance Node  Node 3: San Lian Suburban Park Entrance Node 3.14 Overall Requirements of Competition
3.1.5 Sign up Requirements Business documents:
Conceptual proposal: 3.1.6 Phase One Qualification Examination Principle  3.1.7 Competition Award Prizes and Related Fees  Design Compensation Payment of Award Prizes and other Related Fees Others 3.2 Ban Xue Gang Art Center and Surrounding Block Architecture Conceptual Design Plan International Competition( DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1i45FKVF ) Competition Goal 3.2.3 Competition Design Range and Main Design Content Design range has three layers: Among these, the main functions of the art center is suggested to include but not limited to content below:
Gross floor area of all functions mentioned above is suggested to be 80 – 100 thousand squared meters. 3.2.4 Overall Requirements of Competition
The design plan should emphasize the combination of architectural space and park green space, and combination with current geology. 3.2.5 Sign up Requirements
Business documents:
Conceptual proposal: 3.2.6 Qualification Examination Principle  3.2.7 Competition Award Prizes and Related Fees  Design Compensation Payment of Award Prizes and other Related Fees Others 3.3 Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Streets and Nodes Greenery and Landscape Improve Design International Competition ( DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1kV89JpX ) 3.3.2 Competition Goal  3.3.3 Competition Content Functional features of the four roads and location characters of the nodes:
Street Cross Section requirements:  Along Wuhe Boulevard: Design length 9.39 kilometers, road red line width 60 meters, green belt width 26 meters;  Along Banli Boulevard: Design length 4.99 kilometers, road red line width 100 meters, greenbelt width 33 meters;  Along Beier Road and Jihua Raod:  Beier Road: Design length 2.02 kilometers (Meiguan Highway—Banlan Boulevard), road red line width 70 meters, green belt width 24.5 meters;  Jihua Road: Design length 2.32 kilometers, road red line width 70 meters, green belt width 14 meters.  Design Requirements: 3.3.4 Sign up Requirements Business Documents
Conceptual Proposals: 3.3.5 Qualification Examination Principle  3.3.6 Competition Award Prizes and Related Fees  Design Compensation Payment of Award Prize and other Related Fees Others 3.4 Ban Xue Gang High-Tech Zone Urban VI and Application design International Competition (DOWNLOAD FILE: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c165TzM ) 3.4.2 Competition Goal 3.4.3 Competition Content
3.4.4 Overall Requirements of Competition
3.4.5 Design Work Requirements
3.4.6 Sign up Requirements Sign up Documents:
3.4.7 Sign up files submission 3.4.8 Competition Award Prizes and Related Fees Payment of Award Prizes and other Related Fees Others 4. Competition Sign up MethodDesign agencies that have intention to sign up can fill out the sign up information form from now (see attachment) and send it to competition committee email (BXG_Q2017@163.com ) to sign up formally, so that we can inform project progress in time and send detailed competition files. Each competition announcement file and formal sign up form (see attachment)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 02:30 AM PDT  Amazon's current campus in Seattle. Image© <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/35438852205/'>Flickr user joebehr</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-ND 2.0</a> The bidding process for HQ2, Amazon's second headquarters in North America, reached a crescendo last week as the submission deadline drew close. While 238 American cities scrambled to submit proposals and run campaigns in the hope to woo Amazon—or as Slate witheringly described the process, "The Bachelor: Corporate America Edition"—the internet abounded with all sorts of discussions on the project. Does our city have what it takes to house the second headquarters? How would HQ2 affect the selected city? Why are smaller cities submitting proposals when they clearly don't meet the criteria? Can we predict which cities are more likely to make the cut?  Amazon's current campus in Seattle. Image© <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/37039556922/'>Flickr user joebehr</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-ND 2.0</a> To pinpoint possibilities, some analysts studied biographical details of current Amazon employees, such as where they went to school; others calculated travel times from the Seattle headquarters to 40 closest participating cities. Similarly, metro analysts at Moody's Analytics used a data-driven approach to draw up a list for the top 10 cities and here's what it looks like:
You can read a detailed reasoning behind each of the choices here; but what's the big deal about HQ2 anyway? And how will it help the winning city? In September, when Amazon announced its decision to expand and build a second base outside of Seattle, it also promised investments worth $5 billion ("an amount that could build a small Gotham," in the words of CityLab writer Andre Perry), 50,000 high-paying jobs, and a campus with the potential to expand to up to 8 million square feet (750,000 square meters) by 2027. This automatically meant that the chosen city would get to see hundreds of thousands of job opportunities, both during and after HQ2's construction, as well as ambitious development projects in the surrounding areas. Through its previous investments in Seattle, Amazon added $38 billion to the city's economy. Simply put, HQ2 would be a giant urban catalyst in terms of workforce development, investments in various sectors like education and technology, as well as improvements in existing amenities. It would also help attract foreign and local companies and businesses, encouraging them to invest or expand. But what would a second Amazon city look like in terms of urban design? Presently, Amazon is the proud proponent of "sustainable, thoughtful design," renewable energy, and a focus on walkability and connectivity in the spaces that have sprung up around the Seattle campus. Their requirements for the second headquarters suggest that they are planning more of the same, as their RFP outlines a need for mass transit access directly at the site of the new campus. Apart from the general advantages of being the home for HQ2, there are some that are city-specific or proposal-specific. Detroit, for example, would witness a complete regeneration. Baltimore, with its economic troubles and the decline of its shipping industry, would be prevented from falling into further decline. With Ontario proposing investments in the education sector in return for HQ2, it would mean a strong, skilled workforce. But in spite of all of this enthusiasm, there are also plenty of people ready to question American cities' feverish courting of the technology giant. A sudden influx of high-paid workers can stress a city's housing supply and transit systems, and risks gentrification and displacement. One only needs to look to Northern California to see that a high ratio of technology-sector workers does not automatically create a perfect city. And, as CityLab writer Kriston Capps mentions in his tongue-in-cheek bid for Amazon to open HQ2 in his one-bedroom DC apartment, "Hosting Amazon's HQ2 means grappling with serious issues in housing supply and affordability, transit planning, access to education... Like most cities, I am not taking aggressive steps to address these problems. I'm completely unprepared for tens of thousands of workers moving into my apartment. I am bidding anyway."
Much has been written about the hundreds of proposals and publicity stunts—some practical, some impossible and some downright preposterous—that cities of all shapes and sizes put forward. And although the bidding is over, it is only the beginning of all speculation and commentary, since Amazon's announcement of the winner is not expected until sometime in 2018. For now, the saga continues to provide ample opportunity to discuss what, exactly, makes a city appealing—to both corporations and people.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © André Scarpa
 © André Scarpa From the architect. The project is situated in an area with beautiful vegetation to the rear in an environmental preservation area and located in the municipality of Campinas. The sloping topography was organized through the execution of three plateaus in the center of the terrain between two large embankments in order to minimize the movement of land.  © André Scarpa The house is arranged over three levels with the garage and the entrance on the intermediate level. Stairs lead to the intimate area located on the upper deck and to the convivial space below.  © André Scarpa Two blocks of a metallic structure shelter the lower levels which are articulated by an inflection in the area of vertical circulation turning the house towards the rural landscape and thus bringing the vegetation of the garden area to its interior while it partially divides the convivial area for a greater intimacy for the family.
A third block, made in structural masonry, houses the laundry, kitchen and barbecue areas where the latter two communicate directly with the convivial area, but at a slightly lower level.  © André Scarpa  Cross Section  © André Scarpa The result was a lean construction, with compact and fluid spaces, but with a certain independence between them. On the ground floor the objective was to create the transparency necessary to communicate with the street on one side and the landscape on another.  © André Scarpa  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2017 01:25 AM PDT  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects A proposal by Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects, with Gustafson Porter + Bowman, has been announced as the successful design for the UK's new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center. The landmark will be located on the banks of the River Thames and adjacent to the Palace of Westminster, and will honor the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and all other victims of Nazi persecution, including Roma, gay, and disabled people. Two honorable mentions were awarded to heneghan peng architects with Sven Anderson, and Diamond Schmitt Architects. The announcement comes after competition organizers Malcolm Reading Consultants revealed 10 shortlisted design proposals, which included teams comprising Caruso St. John, Allied Works, Foster + Partners, Studio Libeskind, and Zaha Hadid Architects. Adjaye and Arad were selected "unanimously" as the winning team by a jury including the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor of London, the UK's Chief Rabbi, experts from architecture, art and design, and both first and second generation Holocaust survivors.  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects A co-located Learning Centre will "contextualize the Memorial above and use the stories and facts of the Holocaust to explore anti-Semitism, extremism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and other forms of hatred and prejudice in society today." According to the competition organizers it will, from its location next to Parliament, "ask questions about the role of society and its institutions in encouraging respect for others and preventing hatred."  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects Sir David Adjaye, speaking on behalf of Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad and Gustafson Porter + Bowman, acknowledges that "the complexity of the Holocaust story, including the British context, is a series of layers that have become hidden by time." He continues:
 © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects Description of the Chosen Concept "The winning design concept was inspired by research into the site, Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament, with Sir David Adjaye describing the location as a "park of Britain's conscience". The Memorial links with the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst, the Burghers of Calais and the Buxton Memorial: all four recognising injustice and the need to oppose it."  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects "In order to keep the park as a park and to maintain the green space, the team placed its Holocaust Memorial at the far southern end of the Gardens, embedded in the land. Accordingly, a visitor approaching the Memorial would see a subtle grass landform with only the tips of the Memorial's fins "bristling in the distance", its intriguing design giving a sense that something is happening underground and encouraging people to find out more."  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects "The design concept takes visitors on a journey that culminates in confronting the 23 tall bronze fins of the Memorial, the spaces in between representing the 22 countries in which Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust. Entering the Memorial would be a sensory experience. While the outside and inside space emphasises collective gathering, the 23 bronze fins require the visitor to enter in an isolated, solitary way, each pathway planned as a different experience. Each path eventually leads down into the Threshold – a generous hall which acts as a place of contemplation and transition into the Learning Centre below ground. The Learning Centre includes a "hall of testimonies" and a "Contemplation Court": a silent, reflective space with eight bronze panels. On leaving the Memorial, the circulation route ensures visitors will emerge to see the classic uninterrupted view of Parliament – and the reality of democracy."  © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects The jury comprised of:
 © Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects The winning concept will now undergo further development through discussion with Holocaust experts, survivors and other victim groups, and local residents, Westminster City Council, Historic England, Royal Parks and other statutory consultees. The British Government has committed £50 million for the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation to take forward the recommendations of the Commission. Completion is slated for 2021.
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| Arkitema Architects Designs 30 Shipping Container Apartments in Roskilde, Denmark Posted: 24 Oct 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Arkitema Architets Beat Box: 30 apartments in 48 containers to transform the Danish neighborhood of Musicon, adjacent to the famous Roskilde Festival area. Designed by Arkitema Architects and constructed by Container Living, Beat Box is an integral part of Roskilde's goal to revamp Musicon over the next 15 years by adding 1,000 jobs and 1,000 homes. In an effort to create more sustainable architecture, recycling material has become increasingly popular. Shipping containers are at the forefront of the sustainable revolution. In addition to being eco-friendly, containers have that industrial, yet creative, aesthetic; which is exactly the look Roskilde, Denmark needs to transform their previously industrial neighborhood into an avant-garde community.  Courtesy of Arkitema Architets  Courtesy of Arkitema Architets "Beat Box is a fun and challenging project. We are working within the very specific and set shapes of the container but are still able to transform them into something different and new. By preserving every containers exterior appearance, and placing them on the concrete base and the significant steel structures, we are providing Musicon with a whole new and authentic residential building. These apartments will match the simple and rough appearance of the area perfectly," says Rolf Kjær, Head of Business Area at Arkitema Architects.  Courtesy of Arkitema Architets The concrete ground floor will be met with panoramic windows, connecting the historic neighborhood to its new residents. The containers will sit in a steel frame that extends up from the concrete base. Most containers will be assembled in pairs to create either one 60 square meter apartment or two 30 square meter apartments while 90 square meter apartments will also be available. While shipping containers have some dimensional restraints, they offer many opportunities. The rugged exterior will remain, and the interior will be finished. Construction will be quick and easy - with the added ability to move the apartments later in their lifespan. Three blocks of apartments will be constructed in a half circle shape, with their facades facing the two central most streets of Musicon.  Courtesy of Arkitema Architets All containers were inspected to make certain they meet housing requirements. Residents of shipping container apartments will have everything you would expect any normal apartment to have. Apartments will have doors, windows, and even balconies to bring light into the living space. A rear stairwell will lead residents from their indoor living space to community outdoor grilling facilities and bike parking. "I am sure, we will see a lot more container houses, both in Denmark and internationally, in years to come," said Rolf Kjær. News via: Arkitema Architects.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| London's Architectural Association Seeks New Director Posted: 24 Oct 2017 12:30 AM PDT  Bayley Street to Bedford Square, 2008-10. Image © Kevin Sheppard London's Architectural Association (AA) have announced that they are seeking a new Director, to be appointed by March 2018. The call comes following the departure of former Director Brett Steele, who has since taken up the Deanship of UCLA.
The AA School is led by the AA Director, who is elected by the School Community and formally appointed by the AA Council, which bears the overall responsibility for the Architectural Association Inc. The new Director must "provide intellectual, strategic and operational leadership as the AA charts its way through what will be an exciting yet challenging period in its history." According to the school, the ideal candidate will be "a respected figure" in the field of architectural education or practice with "the leadership skills and abilities to navigate organisational complexities and be a compelling communicator." In addition, "they will have a commitment to transparency and to maintaining and developing the AA's distinctive model of participatory democracy." The first stage of the application process is fully confidential and includes candidates applying for the position, exploring the role with our search consultants, longlisting by the Search Committee, and the conducting of interviews. The second stage is short-listing, which is publicly announced. A unique aspect of the AA School and its search for a new Director is that all short-listed candidates will be required to present their vision to the AA School Community. If short-listed, each candidate will be asked to spend a day at the AA School meeting with students and staff during a series of discussions and events. The third and final stage is a vote. The AA School Community, which consists of current students, academic and administrative staff and all Council Members will take part in voting for the new Director. For full information, including how to apply, the school asks interested candidates to refer to Saxton Bampfylde citing job reference "EAVDA". Applications should arrive not later than noon on November 20, 2017.
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