Arch Daily |
- Independent Place / MWArchitects
- Cheese Dairy De Tijd, Westbeemster / Bastiaan Jongerius Architecten
- Yugok Dong Housing Market / ON Architecture
- Naked Gallery — Ecological Creation Technology / Xiaohui Designer Studio
- One Place at Riverfront Crossings / Neumann Monson Architects
- Rocio's Hospital / Manoel Coelho Arquitetura e Design
- Connexion / Patrick Tighe Architecture
- YIMBY's 2018 Construction Report has Seen a Decrease in the Height of Buildings
- House in Intermares / Manoel Farias Arquitetura
- Neave Brown, RIBA Gold Medalist Winner, Sadly Passes Away Aged 88
- Fort Worth Museum of Science and History / LEGORRETA
- Postmodern Post-Mortem: Why We Need To Stop Using Architecture's Most Misunderstood Word
- San Isidro Residence / Valls Arquitectos
- LEGO® Invites You To 'Release Your Inner Architect'
- Why Working Long Hours Won't Make You A "Better" Architect
| Independent Place / MWArchitects Posted: 11 Jan 2018 07:00 PM PST  © French + Tye
 © French + Tye Text description provided by the architects. The client wanted a new extension which was of a similar size to the existing conservatory, but with a bit more climatic stability, a little less glare and more privacy whilst still retaining light and the relationship to their modest Dalston garden. The clients were keen to embrace a unique design solution.  © French + Tye MW Architects, in close collaboration with Structure Mode, designed a lightweight roof comprised of a lattice of beams which curve in both directions, with a stressed plywood skin. The roof is supported along the rear edge and on six square steel columns.  After Isometric The design utilises the existing conservatory foundations and retains the floor slab including underfloor heating and tiles - a cost effective and practical strategy.  © French + Tye To control solar gain and glare, the roof peels upwards to take advantage of low winter sun and maximise the visual connection to the garden. The roof overhang shades the glazing from the high summer sun thereby creating an effectively insulated space with a tactile exciting roof.  After 3D render The roof dips down along its western edge to respect the adjoining neighbours' view by matching the eaves level of the old conservatory. A clerestory all round lifts the roof so it appears to float.  © French + Tye A series of 3D models were developed using BIM, and then used to laser cut 1:10 scale models. The physical models and connections within were analysed and assembled to inform the design and construction process. The final model drawings were used as the full-size CNC template.  © French + Tye Curved roof beams were cut from LVL timber panels and then bolted together on site. This careful material choice enabled the beams to be small enough to maintain head room, whilst each structural grid connection is self-reciprocating - the curving edges provide stability to the cantilevering eaves.  © French + Tye The result is a unique calm space. The roof is tactile and well within reach at its lowest points. It encourages visitors to touch it and look at it. The curve draws the eye outwards and upwards. It is an uplifting space that feels connected to the outside but isn't overexposed as the previous fully glazed conservatory was. The light and temperature is now well regulated, making it a functional and enjoyable space to be in.  © French + Tye  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cheese Dairy De Tijd, Westbeemster / Bastiaan Jongerius Architecten Posted: 11 Jan 2018 06:00 PM PST  © Luuk Kramer
 © Luuk Kramer Text description provided by the architects. CONO Cheesemakers wished in 2006 to replace the current cheese dairy and stay in the Beemster Polder, after all the production of the Beemsterkaas belongs in the Beemster Polder. Beemster (1612) is most famous Dutch reclaimed land, since 1999 a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The design for the cheese dairy had to be indebted to the DNA of the polder.  © Luuk Kramer A world heritage is to be "a masterpiece or characteristic of an important period in history." The new building should be able to compete with the core qualities associated with the design of the Beemster, it says in the guidelines of UNESCO. Aldous Huxley wrote in 1926 as an outsider in his travels striking about the Beemster Polder: "In a country where the ideal plane meets geometry books, roads and locks are the shortest distance between two points. (..) Inevitably lead the laws of perspective, the long roads and the shining water to a vanishing point. (..) What the farmhouse fits perfectly into the geometric system! (..) "  © Luuk Kramer The reclaimed land was developed in 1612 and based on the ideas at the time of the Renaissance. In Italy, at that time the texts of Vitruvius studied from Roman times and reinterpreted by architects and urban planners. Surveying and the central perspective invention set makers are able to draw a perfect plan and visualize spatial. Perspective, the key instrument in this surveying and cartographic timeframe is highly utilized in the design for CONO Cheesemakers.  © Luuk Kramer  Plan  © Luuk Kramer On the polder scale the design of the cheese dairy serves the openness of the landscape.  © Luuk Kramer The farm house, the building piece of the Beemster, composed upon the characteristics of the Beemster polder, as the geometry in the construction of the square with the pyramidal roof and the proportions of the golden section. The farmhouse is part of the landscape, but reversed the farmhouse enhances the landscape. The design of the cheese dairy tries just as in the farmhouse to establish the synergy of the use, the geometry of the structure and the connection with the landscape in its own way. The depth of the lot is used for a series of functions: the public functions (reception, cheese shop, boardroom) are located at the front on the road and production parts with the cheese dairy, the brine room, the warehouse and the shipping are organized in the depth of plot.  Sketch Product Description: CONO Cheesemakers has the ambition to be the most sustainable cheese dairy in the world. Design and sustainability come together in the colonnade, talking in a modern way the language of the Renaissance and at the same time functions as the blinds of the glass facades, which completely let daylight in. With the choices for the materials, the environmental print has been mapped. The colonnade is built from laminated wood with FSC label. The glass facades are mounted beneath the overhang and finished with a rubber profile. The roof is finished with PVC, 30 years maintenance free.  © Luuk Kramer  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Yugok Dong Housing Market / ON Architecture Posted: 11 Jan 2018 02:00 PM PST  © Yoon, Joonhwan
 © Yoon, Joonhwan Text description provided by the architects. This is a project looking for another architectural alternative to the housing market located in the innovative cities that are currently being developed. The building site that is located in the Innovation City is located in the T intersection. The location of shopping mall is good, but for the location of the house is unsecure of the privacy. To solve this problem, we use the cube block as a screen device on the residential sector.  © Yoon, Joonhwan  Site plan  © Yoon, Joonhwan As a commercial building, at night, it had an unique lighting feeling and gaining awareness became an advantage. Also, it's located about 15m lower side of the road and the opposite side has an advantage of the view of urban landscapes and mountains. Considering this surroundings, at the 1st floor was external court and the entire floor was glass mass to give an enjoyment to the users. But, the biggest problem is that if the street block is form as a commercial type house only, then the 2nd floor and 3rd floor has a problem of lighting. A house should to be bright and naturally ventilated to maintain comfort. To secure the privacy of 1st to 3rd floor to the south, we formed a cube block as a screen device and on 3rd floor, we made sky garden in external court for the lighting and natural ventilation.  © Yoon, Joonhwan  Section 01 Especially, on 3rd floor, between 2 external court can be a living room, dining room, or home bar and by placing a wall in kitchen, it can be an independent space or one space. Also, in this multi-purpose space, we installed a folding door around the external court to make as a another one space. The kitchen is the center space when the owner of third floor generation comes. The kitchen communicates with the sky garden, multi-purpose space, and living room. The attic separates the 2 areas into 2 spaces and make as a connecting passages. This connecting passage connects the attic with the bridge between the external court and the external deck and connects with the sky garden too. Through the center of the sky garden, various spatial program can be form and hopefully there will be new ways of communicating amongst family members too.  © Yoon, Joonhwan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Naked Gallery — Ecological Creation Technology / Xiaohui Designer Studio Posted: 11 Jan 2018 12:00 PM PST  Tea Art Pavilion. Image © Youkun Chen
 Naked Gallery. Image © Youkun Chen From the architect. Naked Gallery is located in naked Stales, a resort at the foot of Moganshan. It is made up of four special pavilions, of which the Tea Pavilion is the largest one built along the lake. The Bamboo Art Pavilion and the Pottery Art Pavilion are places for guests to experience the traditional handicrafts. The Project Pavilion is the demonstration center of naked Gallery. It is a principle of naked Stables to give priority to the environmentally-friendly design concept. The designer interprets the ecological concept by combining traditional materials with modern waste materials. "Three 75%" ecological design idea is proposed, that is including 75% of sustainable and renewable materials, 75% of recyclable materials and 75% of work by local craftsmen.  Site plan 1. Ecological creation strategies Construction materials of naked Gallery include stones, rammed earth, moso bamboos, and steel joists. Stones are from where naked Gallery is located, while rammed earth is the earth excavated from the other sites in the resort. This can effectively resolve processing of part of the earth and form an ecological cycle for the architecture, namely "get from the soil, shape by the soil and return to the soil". Moganshan is abundant in moso bamboos. Being tenacious, flexible and easy for assembling, these moso bamboos are perfect materials to form the supporting structure of the architecture. Use of natural materials allows the architecture to return to the earth by the end of its service life. This lives up to the concept of ecological architecture from the earth.  Project Pavilion. Image © Youkun Chen
The materials of the formwork and the joist of naked Gallery are collected from the waste materials of other architecture in the resort. According to the formwork, the architecture forms a natural circle. Use of waste materials realizes efficient recycling of resources, reduces generation of rubbish, and alleviates the influence on natural environment. The project employs local craftsmen for its construction. Apart from saving cost, it can also increase construction efficiency. The local construction technology can give full play to the material performance and endow the architecture with the countryside aesthetic characteristics.  Local craft work. Image © Youkun Chen 2. Rammed earth walls The designer has designed four different rammed earth walls to skillfully cater to every pavilion as a display space. The Pottery Art Pavilion adopts the traditional rammed earth construction technique to enhance the primitive and plain sense of the space, and arouse people's deepest complex about soil. The Bamboo Art Pavilion gives full expression to the coexistence between two natural materials, namely bamboo and cement.  Pottery Art Pavilion. Image © Youkun Chen  Pottery Art Pavilion. Image © Youkun Chen Walls of the Tea Art Pavilion and the Project Pavilion combine cement, bamboos and waste steel framed formwork. By doing so, the designer attempt to suggest that the waste materials and the traditional materials can co-exist with each other in a reasonable and renewable model.  Pottery Art Pavilion wall. Image © Youkun Chen 3. Bamboo structure roof truss The bamboo structure roof truss of naked Gallery is characterized by favorable material performance, easiness of construction, and low construction cost. The traditional technology is adopted to achieve the antiseptic effects. Bamboos are boiled to eliminate oil, and then roasted above the fire. During the heating process, the bamboo softens. The external force bends it to form certain shape. It is difficult to put joints between each bamboo due to the cylindrical shape of itself, therefore screws are used for connections. The light and strongly antiseptic bamboo top branches are the best covering materials for the roof.  Bamboo structure roof truss . Image © Youkun Chen The bamboo and the rammed earth set off each other to endow naked Gallery with a unique and primitive texture, and perfectly shows the rational value and economic efficiency of every material. During the construction process, the transportation fees and the construction rubbish are both cut by 90%.  Bamboo structure roof truss . Image © Youkun Chen  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| One Place at Riverfront Crossings / Neumann Monson Architects Posted: 11 Jan 2018 11:00 AM PST  © Integrated Studio
 © Integrated Studio Text description provided by the architects. Artfully tuned for efficiency and comfort, this six-story 56,000 sqf office building houses operational functions for a growing bank. The ground level accommodates a mortgage center and drive-through personal banking. The two floors above coordinate regional operations. Levels four and five are reserved for future tenants, and a penthouse accommodates indoor and outdoor events. The building harnesses passive and active energy concepts currently more prevalent in Europe than in the US.  Site Plan  © Integrated Studio The building's orientation maximizes northern and southern daylight while minimizing eastern and western exposure. A narrow width, tall ceilings, and full-height glazing invite natural light to penetrate deep into the building, minimizing artificial lighting. Geothermal and photovoltaic systems further mitigate energy consumption. An advanced thermally-activated concrete core derives heat and cool from encased hydronic piping, providing added comfort. The result is a healthier environment that downsizes the building's mechanical systems.  © Integrated Studio  Floor Plans Form ever follows function in the building envelope's expression. The exterior skin consists of a patterned clear glass of calculated densities that address various solar orientations—denser to the east, west, and south, and open to the north. The custom frit pattern, derived from the dollar bill's elegant 'guilloche' engraving pattern, subtly and performatively communicates the building's banking program.  © Integrated Studio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Rocio's Hospital / Manoel Coelho Arquitetura e Design Posted: 11 Jan 2018 09:00 AM PST  © Nelson Kon
 © Nelson Kon Text description provided by the architects. Located in Campo Largo, in the metropolitan area of Curitiba, Rocio Hospital is a private hospital with over 50 years of experience providing medical services. Its new main building is used for providing priority service (around 90%) to patients in the Public Health System (SUS), besides offering private practice and servicing private health plans. The hospital is already nationally renowned for certain procedures such as pediatric heart surgeries, and holds the title of largest ICU in the country (300 beds).  Site Plan The general concept of the project seeks to organize areas and hospital flow according to function, prioritizing qualification and the humane factor of internal spaces.  © Nelson Kon With this in mind, the hospital construction seeks intensive natural light optimization and explores maximum connection between internal and external environments, such as views for the external naturally preserved forest of araucaria, typical pine trees from Paraná. The landscaping project also includes nearly 5 thousand square meters of garden tiles to enhance internal movement and visuals of work and hospitalization environments.  © Nelson Kon The complex can be accessed through 3 distinct entrances – general, service, and outpatient treatment – which organize the various types of users through an internal transport system for accessing different areas: main, outpatient and service.  © Nelson Kon The project takes into account divisions and control of flow by planning separate areas and wide waiting rooms, considering the large number of people that go through the hospital every day, amounting to nearly 6,000 people. Independent receptions and entrances distribute users to different sectors within the hospital. The structure is comprised of 1,100 beds: 700 for hospitalization, 100 for observation, and 300 for the ICU. The neonatal and pediatric ICU only encompasses 1,000 m2, with 30 beds and more than 70 incubators.  © Nelson Kon  © Nelson Kon The service structure includes 2 image and diagnosis centers for performing exams, 2 emergency units, a surgery ward with more than 30 rooms, and an outpatient department which is expected to provide 30 thousand consultations per month, among other services. There is also an auditorium for 350 people that can be used to host medical congresses and other events.  © Nelson Kon The project is structured in two main parallel circulation axes which split the complex, dividing and organizing public from workers and service circulation.  © Nelson Kon These axes lead the main hospital services to be performed on the ground floor, including an emergency unit, an image and diagnosis center, ICUs, surgical centers, a sterile services department, a general pharmacy, a cafeteria, etc. The upper levels encompass the areas of hospitalization such as apartments and en-suites, as well as administrative areas and an auditorium.  Elevations Due to the immense dimensions of the building, ambiance and signage projects adopt distinct colors for each specific area of the hospital in order to break the monotony of spaces and better instruct its users.  © Nelson Kon In addition to the architectural project, MCA was also responsible for developing all environments, including interior decoration, visual communication, signage and landscaping.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Connexion / Patrick Tighe Architecture Posted: 11 Jan 2018 07:00 AM PST  © Matthew Momberger
 © Matthew Momberger Text description provided by the architects. Driven by an enlightened urbanism that proposes a mutually enriching intersection of commercial uses, as well as access to public transportation and green space. Connexion is an office campus located in the heart of downtown Burbank that offers an optimal environment in which to create and collaborate, to work, meet and relax.  © Matthew Momberger  Lobby  © Matthew Momberger Our scope of work for this project consists of the renovation of a series of common spaces that unites two existing disparate nondescript office buildings. We were hired by Lincoln Properties as part of a rebranding effort to refresh the tired office campus. The new interior interventions provide a dynamic environment for new creative professional tenants.  © Matthew Momberger  Lobby  © Matthew Momberger Product Description: A layering of building materials, pattern, light and shadow define areas of activity and circulation. A material palette that consists of perforated steel panels, plywood surfaces and various lighting strategies energize the spaces and unify a series of shared social spaces. The interventions transform the existing, banal office lobbies. The result is a series of more connected vibrant social areas that provide a welcoming and impactful impression for the newly revitalized office campus.  © Matthew Momberger  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| YIMBY's 2018 Construction Report has Seen a Decrease in the Height of Buildings Posted: 11 Jan 2018 06:00 AM PST  The 2020 skyline, photo by Andrew Campbell Nelson, rendering by Jose Hernandez. Image Courtesy of YIMBY 2017's building applications has seen a rise in both Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to YIMBY's construction report on New York. Despite a drop within Manhattan and Queens, the number of new building applications over the five boroughs seems to be stabilising; 2016 saw the number of multi-family units decrease by over 40% to 19,356, a pattern which fortunately appears to have stopped as 2017 saw fillings for 19,180. After the last two years of massive drops, this couldn't be more welcomed by New York. It's not just the number of building applications YIMBY have studied, overall there has been a decrease in the applications' height, structures over 500 feet has halved in 2017 from ten to five, whilst there wasn't a single application for a supertall skyscraper. The full report is available to download in excel format on their website, covering 2,030 new building applications last year. YIMBY's prediction for 2017 last year appeared to criticise New York's governor Andrew Cuomo for being "disconnected from reality":
Cuomo seemed to grant the predictions to be true last week, issuing further improvements for the city, including a tunnel between Long Island and Westchester to pass underneath Long Island South. However, a continuous push by Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York, for social housing is to thank for the re-organisation of the City Council for a speaker keen for new housing in the future. News Via: YIMBY  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House in Intermares / Manoel Farias Arquitetura Posted: 11 Jan 2018 05:00 AM PST  © Manu Franca
 © Manu Franca Text description provided by the architects. This house was designed for a young couple with two children, whose intention was to build a small house, practical and welcoming. The clients wanted a fluid home that would favor the interaction of the family: the couple often receives their families on the weekends. In their speech, they expressed the desire to have "a house that conveyed the idea of shelter, comfort, warmth ...".  Perspective The small site and its solar orientation led to the implantation: the lot has its front oriented to the west, so the house turns to the back, to capture the predominant ventilation and ensure the privacy of the spaces, in relation to the street . Leisure was also leased at the back of the site, exploring the idea of privacy. The social and intimate spaces were distributed in a volume parallel to the street, on two floors, which opens generously to the back of the site, seeking to capture the dominant ventilation and the visual relation with the leisure spaces. The service program was leased in two volumes perpendicular to the first, in a single floor, whose configuration generates the space of the garage, arranged to the center of the site and covered with wooden pergolas and translucent cover, loose of the main volume, trying to print a sensation of fluidity and lightness, and visually enlarging the open areas of the house, to avoid the feeling of excessive occupancy of the building, since the site is small. Thus, the house, even predominantly closed to the street, due to the insolation, proposes a spatial continuity between public and private spaces, whose connection is fluid, established from the entrance walkway that is the extension of the public walk.  © Manu Franca The visual identity of the house is marked by the use of materials such as wood, which covers the ground floor of the main volume, associated with the leaked elements that protect the circulation of access to the rooms on the upper floor and added to a panel of tiles that seals the master bedroom bathroom, in a gesture that seeks a synthesis between regionalism and contemporaneity.  Ground Floor Plan  © Manu Franca  First Floor Plan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Neave Brown, RIBA Gold Medalist Winner, Sadly Passes Away Aged 88 Posted: 11 Jan 2018 04:00 AM PST  Neave Brown 2017. Image © Garath Gardner The celebrated modernist architect and innovator of social housing, Neave Brown, has sadly passed away following his battle with cancer. Born in New York in 1929, he was best known for his post-war housing schemes in London and his investment in the local community. Recognised for his pioneering efforts and concern for the well-being of the residents of social housing, Neave Brown was presented with the RIBA's 2018 Gold Medal for Architecture last October, on behalf of HRH The Queen. Ben Derbyshire, RIBA President, paid tribute to Brown who unfortunately left us on the 9th of January. "The architecture community has lost a giant," said Derbyshire, "he showed us how intellectual rigour, sensitive urbanism, his supreme design skill and determination could deliver well-being to the local community he served so well in Camden." "Neave's contribution to architecture will not be forgotten. His vision and ideals live on in the generations of architects, whom he has inspired. All his UK projects are listed. That they are loved by their communities is clear."  Designed in 1968 by Neave Brown of Camden Council's Architects Department, this multi-family, 8-storey council housing estate, properly known as the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, was built between 1972 and 1979.. Image © Eric Firley / RIBA Collections  Designed in 1968 by Neave Brown of Camden Council's Architects Department, this multi-family, 8-storey council housing estate, properly known as the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, was built between 1972 and 1979.. Image © Martin Charles / RIBA Collections Alexandra Road estate was one of Brown's most well-known projects. Build in the 1970s by London's Camden Council, the low-rise high-density housing provided a private space outside for all the residents. It still stands as a prototype for social housing today, particularly after the unfortunate events this year of Grenfell Tower – an issue he was particularly passionate about upon receiving the medal last October. Three weeks after Neave Brown was awarded the RIBA's Gold Medal for Architecture, a sold-out audience of nearly 1,300 attended an event organised by The Architecture Foundation to hear him speak at the Hackney Empire Theatre in East London. You can watch the full interview below: Read the RIBA's President, Ben Derbyshire's full tribute here and other tributes on the Architects' Journal.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fort Worth Museum of Science and History / LEGORRETA Posted: 11 Jan 2018 03:00 AM PST  © Lourdes Legorreta
 © Lourdes Legorreta Text description provided by the architects. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is located at Fort Worth's Cultural District among very important 20th-century architecture such as the Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Kahn, the Modern Art Museum by Tadao Ando and the Amon Carter Museum by Phillip Johnson. The original Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was built in 1954, afterward completed by the Noble Planetarium in 1955 and then the OMNI Theater in 1983 which has been preserved and integrated into the new building complex connected by the Omni Link. The relationship within the existing site elements was an important design concern. Visitors access the New Building passing by a tree-shaded plaza that connects to the Main Access and also to the Cowgirls Museum designed by David M. Schwarz.  © Lourdes Legorreta  Ground Floor Plan  © Lourdes Legorreta The plaza is overtopped by a main emblematic Tower/Lantern, signalizing the entrance of the Museum. The New Facility consists of several components interacting constantly with each other. An important element is the Museum School since the educational part of the exhibitions is a strong statement. Spacey and illuminated classrooms are facing a courtyard. Other elements of the architectural program are the Experimental Studios; ExploraZone; an outdoor DinoDig. Furthermore, there is Children's Museum, as well as pleasant outdoor areas like for instance a terrace, pergola area, reflected pool, and a shadowed courtyard gives the opportunity to entertain the youngest visitors of the Museum.  © Lourdes Legorreta The design focused on creating spaces that are easy to understand for children and accessible for school groups. Other main spaces of the Museum are the large open spaces that house the Dinosaur Collection, ExploraZone and the Energy Exhibition, additionally the Cattle Raisers Museum, a Temporary Exhibit Area and the Fort Worth History Exhibition which is integrated into the circulation space to give the visitors a unique experience. There is also a new Noble Planetarium linked to the Cattle Raisers Museum. Besides the Exhibition areas, there are Commercial areas such as a Restaurant, Retail Store and a Special Events Space which is adjustable to diverse programs. Office areas are two; Museum School Offices and Executive Offices.  © Lourdes Legorreta  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Postmodern Post-Mortem: Why We Need To Stop Using Architecture's Most Misunderstood Word Posted: 11 Jan 2018 01:30 AM PST  © Giacomo Pala We were hoping for it to happen in the early 2000s. We saw it coming with the opening of the exhibition "Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970 – 1990" at the V&A in London in 2011. But now, after recent discussions on the umpteenth supposed "postmodern revival," it is finally sure: the word "postmodernism" is back and it's here to stay. But as clear as it is that the word "postmodernism" is once again fashionable, it is not really clear what we mean when using it. Indeed, this word has been used to imply every possible meaning: architects have used it to describe fashionable and "cute" designs, some critics have used it to categorize everything that is colorful, while some theorists have been using it to affirm that, because of this concept, architecture has surrendered to technology or form, becoming nothing more than a caricature of its own presupposed moral values. Whether we agree with such commentaries or not, there is one thing that we still need to discuss: what does "postmodern" mean? And, even more urgently: what could it mean today? After all, if we have to deal once again with one of the most misinterpreted and contradictory words ever introduced in our field, we should at least discuss what it means, before using it.  Adam Nathaniel Furman, Identity Parade, 2013. Image © Gareth Gardner Historically speaking, the word "postmodernism" has been used in architecture with a double meaning: as both a simplified notion of postmodernism as a style, or alternatively the idea of the postmodern as an attitude. As a style, postmodernism refers to a series of poetics that emerged from the 60s onward, and then cyclically came back into fashion. Since then, by putting elements of postmodernist style (ironic effects, decorative elements, historical quotations, and symbolic shapes) through a mixing process, many architects fascinated by this word have continued to emphasize postmodernist style's elements, producing a constant reassembling of shapes, symbols, and forms. Yet, this ironic use of architectural language, focused on the past only as a way of producing new forms, tends to avoid the production of any innovation. It couldn't be otherwise: by looking at "postmodernism" as an architectural genre, every re-actualization can only be stylistic and, beyond a certain point, fetishist. The second interpretation of "postmodern" seems much more encouraging in order to understand and theorize what is happening in architectural discourse and, maybe, in order to finally move beyond the word itself. In order to explain this position, allow me to ask one question: since any architecturally strong position is partly born as a critique of the one that precedes, what were postmodern architects criticizing with their work? They were trying to reinvent architecture's cultural landscape and to develop new techniques in order to overcome late-modernism's rhetoric and the impasse at which the movement had found itself.
From this point of view—and although postmodernism is often spoken of as an epoch or as a style preceded by an ideologically blunt modernism and followed by an ineffable "contemporaneity"—we should envisage the "postmodern" as a general attitude rather than as a determined style or a historical period. In other words, since postmodernism emerged as a kind of ethos against the cultural stagnations of its time, we might reconsider the term "postmodern" as a form of critical culture rather than a bunch of shapes, symbols, and forms. In this sense, the postmodern becomes first of all a way of playing against the rules: a form of avant-garde putting forward the unexpected and the estranged against the dictatorship of the commonplace. In the same way as the Vanna Venturi House destabilized modern architecture's boring certainties, so did Gehry's own residence or Koolhaas' Villa dall'Ava, and so today's architecture might still do, even against the apparently surprising (but somehow boring) eccentricities of today's "avant-garde." Clearly, this is an idea in which "postmodern" has nothing to do with the notion of style. From this point of view, to be postmodern does not mean to be part of a new age, or refer to a particular style; it is the ethos of questioning the unsatisfactory circumstances of today, without refusing either the presence of past or the understanding of today's new cultural conditions and technologies. But, if that's the case, what is the difference between postmodernism and the early 20th-century avant-garde? Very little, even though there are two main differences that are as subtle as they are important.
First, this kind postmodern does not ground itself on the ideology of "timeliness." By refusing the dogma of the "Zeitgeist" (architecture as the expression of the age of something), the postmodern looks for a complexity of thought where multiple times, narratives and forms can all play a role while looking for the new. Secondly, this interpretation avoids the formulation of a theoretical system where new formal operations and stylistic elements are put forward in order to define a style and an overall ideal based on methodological prescriptions. In other words, if the theorists of postmodernism and the early 2000s revivalists have (more or less consciously) attempted to construct a stylistic unity based on canonical elements, with the result of removing almost all room for critical experimentation, a new sense of the postmodern has to rise up to combat the "common sense" notions, including postmodernism itself. To be postmodern must be ultimately intended as a way of creating new content while avoiding cultural clichés: it is a form of counter-culture meticulously involved in critically engaging our own mainstream cultures. In other words, we have to consider the idea of a "postmodernist" style as a mistake, in the same way as the concept of "Modernism" (capital M) was: as ways of silencing the experimental ethos of architecture. To be postmodern, today, must be something necessarily different from the stylish and banal idea of "postmodernism." To be postmodern might mean to be directly involved in the constant destabilization and critique of ourselves while looking for alternative and new ways to deal with the complexity of our culture and our environment. Even though some might think that what has been written here until now is just "playing with words," there are many examples of this new sort of avant-garde attempting to rethink architecture, in the work of many young architects who are attempting to acknowledge the heterogeneity and plurality of our culture. They are, in fact, architects and designers who, by avoiding categorizing preconceptions, are focusing on specific topics, themes, and content, by looking at our future without forgetting our past and while being solidly grounded in our time.  Andreas Angelidakis, Troll Building, 2012. Image Courtesy of Andreas Angelidakis This ensemble of experiences seems to be highlighting a new path for the definition a different notion of "postmodern" that might finally be of interest today. It would be a way of playing with language, values, and concepts, refusing to seek a consensus on common taste which can lead to nostalgia. It could encompass revivals as well as easy-minded futurisms, opting instead to deal with specific disciplinary, cultural and political issues. Still, in order for this concept to work, the idea of the postmodern has to get rid of its silent name: "postmodernism" has become an empty word and we need to trash it. Ultimately, to be either modern or postmodern is like having an orgasm: the more you wonder and worry about it, the less likely you are to achieve it. Giacomo Pala is an independent architect and proud academic at present based in Innsbruck, Austria. His interests lie in the area of theory and composition. At the moment he is working on a research on Giovanni Battista Piranesi and the notion of time, parachronism and Ernst Bloch's notion of "multiverse" in architecture. Pala has taken part in different research programs at the Architecture department of Genoa's University and, in the last years, has published papers and participated in international conferences. Since 2013 he has been a member of Burrasca: an independent cultural association for which he has co-edited some issues of the homonym magazine.
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| San Isidro Residence / Valls Arquitectos Posted: 11 Jan 2018 01:00 AM PST  © Leonardo Izaguirre
 © Leonardo Izaguirre Text description provided by the architects. The residence, located in Guatemala City, overlooks San Isidro's golf field. It has a contemporary and innovative design intended to be modern and timeless at the same time. Surrounded by vegetation in a peaceful and natural environment, we took advantage of its scenery and integrated the gardens and the natural views to be part of the interior spaces; which resulted in a blending between the interior and the exterior space.  Diagram Due to the strong slope of the site, the spaces are arranged in three different floor plans, creating an entrance to the underground garage, while leaving the main spaces in the higher point of the site to take advantage of the surrounding views. In the first floor plan there are the service spaces, the public and private spaces. These spaces are interconnected by two perpendicular corridors as the main axes of the design, which arrange and divide the spaces in four: two public and two private spaces.  Floor Plan  © Leonardo Izaguirre  Section  © Leonardo Izaguirre The final form is a result of the interlace of extended concrete planes, which combined with regional wood and stones cladding from Guatemala, create contrast between the materials and enhancement between the volumes. The extensive use of tempered glass as a transparent element aids to the better integration of the interior with the exterior.  © Leonardo Izaguirre The interior spaces, finished with natural textures, invites to relaxation and creates a cozy and serene atmosphere. Furthermore, the four natural elements of fire, water, air and earth are integrated to the entire design in the form of chimneys, water mirrors, natural ventilation in all the spaces and the use of local natural materials.  © Leonardo Izaguirre  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| LEGO® Invites You To 'Release Your Inner Architect' Posted: 11 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST
It's hard to find an architecture enthusiast who wasn't obsessed with LEGO as a kid. Many of us would spend hours carefully placing the small, colorful blocks to make our crazy, imaginary environments in our heads a reality—well, somewhat. Whether it was building a dream home for your dolls or simply trying to construct the tallest tower, LEGO was certainly responsible for the first flirtations with the profession. It is no question this tool unleashes our creativity, and this can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. For this reason, we searched our archive for some architects which highlight the creative and innovative ways LEGO is being used in adult-life. From a few pieces of the LEGO® Architecture Series to the appropriation of some important offices such as Zaha Hadid Architects and MVRDV, urban interventions are being inspired by toys and even serving as a furniture mold. New architecture LEGO kits make you feel like a master model-maker while letting you embrace your inner child. Build your own mini Neoclassical dome or Prairie House by Frank Lloyd Wright!
Have you ever wanted to feel what it is like living inside a LEGO creation? Airbnb teamed up with LEGO to offer fanatics a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night in no other than BIG's LEGO House in Billund, Denmark.
LEGO doesn't have to be limited to the imaginary world—it can be used for real-world problems too! Artist Jan Vormann uses the colorful blocks to mend crumbling walls and masonry around the world.
When it comes to LEGO architecture, there is nothing worse than having a smooth, slippery base. This new LEGO-compatible tape can transform any surface into the perfect LEGO construction zone.
Need some new coffee tables in your living room? Embrace your inner brutalist and try casting your own using LEGOs as your mold.
Herzog and De Mueron's Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg took over nine years to build,—with 20,000 pieces, the LEGO replica by Brickmonkey may have taken just as long.
We all know LEGOs can trigger a person's inner architect, but what about one's inner urbanist? "The Collectivity Project," an interactive exhibition at the High Line, used LEGOs to facilitate interest and discussion on urbanization issues.
Forget the Building of the Year Award—which Stirling Prize Winning Architecture Firm won the Pritzker Prize of LEGO building?
Imagine having the New York, Berlin, or Venice skyline right at your own desk. Make it a reality with LEGO's new Architecture Skyline Collection.
Archi-LEGO lovers rejoice! Over the past few years, LEGO has developed their Architecture Landmark Series with additions such as the Eiffel Tower and U.S. Capitol Building. Here are some of our favorites.
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| Why Working Long Hours Won't Make You A "Better" Architect Posted: 10 Jan 2018 10:00 PM PST .jpg?1504180123 "Architects are known for pulling all-nighters.") Architects are known for pulling all-nighters. This article was originally published on Brandon Hubbard's blog, The Architect's Guide. In a previous article, Should You Become An Architect?, I touched on the issue of long working hours within the profession. Since this is such a common talking point for architects, I decided to expand on the topic. First, let's define what is a "better architect." Is it being more productive? Regularly promoted? Highly paid? Someone who produces excellent design solutions? Usually, all of these characteristics tend to flow together. If you are a skilled designer you are likely to be compensated and promoted accordingly. So if being good at your job leads to fame and fortune, is productivity the key to excellence?
Often the idea of productivity contrasts with the design world. The word "productive" congers up images of a production line stamping out widgets as fast as possible. Here is the basic definition of productive: Hmmm, doesn't really sound like a dream job does it? As you can see the definition and the general public view of being productive revolve around the idea of production. It is all about quantity over quality. Obviously, architecture has deadlines like every profession. However, the architecture school culture leans toward the idea that if there is an hour left, it should be used.  DeadlinesDoes rushing to the last minute create a better product? Does pulling all nighters result in a more refined design? There is the psychological benefit to working up to the last minute. "Well, I couldn't do anymore since I ran out of time." The belief is that you will have fewer regrets in the future when you know there was nothing more to be done. Speaking from personal experience, working long hours for years on end can be very draining, both physically and mentally. Just because you are logging the hours does not necessarily translate to a superior final design. Is it Friday yet?Can you get more done in a focused 8-hour day versus a meandering 12-hour day? What about a 6-hour day? Sweden recently announced that they are shifting to a 6-hour work day. Linus Feldt, CEO of Stockholm-based app developer Filimundus explained the reasoning. "I think the 8-hour work day is not as effective as one would think. To stay focused on a specific work task for 8 hours is a huge challenge. In order to cope, we mix in things and pauses to make the work day more endurable. At the same time, we are having it hard to manage our private life outside of work." To cope with the significant cut in working hours, Feldt says staff are asked to stay off social media and other distractions while at work and meetings are kept to a minimum. "My impression now is that it is easier to focus more intensely on the work that needs to be done and you have the stamina to do it and still have energy left when leaving the office." While I could go on to debate the health effects or lack of work life balance, the purpose of my article is to focus on the quality of the final work. Office CultureMany employees at "starchitect" offices often pride themselves on putting in all nighters and late nights for years on end. While this may be the culture, does staying until midnight achieve consistent results? I am not speaking about the occasional long day but rather the consistent 60+ hour weeks. Personally, I found that while I was able to get work done, it wasn't really much more than I could have done in a traditional 8-hour day. When you are tired and mentally exhausted the creative process is much more labor intensive. This creates a vicious cycle. I am tired so I work slower, so I get less done, so I have to work more which makes me tired. "We architects are artists"No one can tell an artist how something should be done. Architecture design is certainly a complex task with many moving parts and is filled with inefficiencies like any other profession. According to a Salary.com survey, 69% of the people surveyed said they waste time at work every single day.
The trend in recent years seems to be longer hours, especially for salaried workers. I believe this is not because of an increase in workload but rather the increase in distracting apps, websites, and social media sites. This was obviously not an issue back in the days of drawing boards and drafting chairs. My generation of "millennials" seems to get the most criticism for this distracted work ethic. However, there is a belief among my peers that our work and personal lives are becoming one. This concept was covered in a recent article, Is Work Becoming The New Church?
Working hours seem to be increasing, this is especially true for white collar workers (architects included). While we are still in the early stages of research on the topic, the issue seems to be more about staying focused than a result of increased workload. Why does architecture have long hours?Looking back on my architecture school experience, it really created a model for time-wasting. An open, collaborative space with a group of mostly friends. While this is great and is a fun time, chatting for hours rarely gets much done. This culture ultimately carries on into the professional world. Some may argue that there just isn't enough hours in the day, usually, it is a case of misdirected focus and lack of planning. Is pure design talent the key?There is some truth to the fact that some people have a natural eye for design. However, it is a muscle that can be developed, it just takes more "effort" for some than others. I don't believe great architects are born but rather through years of consistent, focused work can develop the skills and connections required to succeed. This is why long hours are often associated with younger architects. Not only do they feel the need to "prove themselves" but also they haven't seen many of the design problems before. Therefore they need to learn each solution for the first time. What can be done?Without getting into too much detail on how to be more productive (perhaps for a future article) there are a few things you can do to try and minimize your hours. 1. Come in earlyThis may sound completely counter-intuitive but many people, myself included, can get more done before the rest of the office is in and the phone starts ringing. Also, working out an hour early departure time with your supervisor would be ideal for this situation. 2. Turn off email pop upsThis can be very distracting. Having the urge to stop what you are doing to answer emails can be quite unproductive. I usually try to only check email once an hour or less if possible. 3. Put your phone awayYou can check it at lunch or after work. Just like the email pop ups, the countless notifications on your phone will easily eat up your day. 4. Make a to-do listCreate a list of tasks for yourself each morning. This will help keep you on track and give you a sense of accomplishment when you can check each one off.  Final thoughtsDepending on your office culture it may be near impossible to change your working hours. However, a simple rule to keep in mind is to work while you are at work. The office isn't a country club or your living room, treating it as such will only hurt your career in the long term. There is nothing wrong with working hard when required, just don't make it your lifestyle. To help you with your architecture job search, I've created a mega-pack of free resources that includes architecture resumes, cover letters, and an extensive collection of application documents. Click for a free download.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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