Arch Daily |
- Mill Humenné / Atrium Architekti
- Hua Fai Youth Center / Estudio Cavernas
- Cheshm Cheran / ZAV Architects
- Cheomdan Badminton Court / JHW IROJE architects&planners + The Sa-ram Architects
- Brick Kiln Folk Inn & Museum - Interior Design / H DESIGN
- The BSTONY / PILDONG2GA Architects
- V&A Gallery / Values of Design
- Canto dos Ventos / G Arquitetura e Urbanismo
- Prinzi an Office Between Warehouses / Cotignola - Staricco - Tobler
- Diamond Heights Renovation / Michael Hennessey Architecture
- TERRANORTE Plaza / Boyance Arquitectos
- Oslo's Barcode Project Showcased in Stunning Photo Series by Rainer Taepper
- John’s Prairie Operations Center / TCF Architecture
- How to Request/Write a Letter of Recommendation for Architects and Architecture Students
- Tel Aviv's World Record Breaking LEGO Structure
| Mill Humenné / Atrium Architekti Posted: 01 Jan 2018 09:00 PM PST  © Martin Pitoňák
 © Martin Pitoňák Text description provided by the architects. The dilapidated object of the old non-functional mill was given a new face, according to a project from Atrium Architekti studio. A new feature comes with her hand. The building was awarded the National Architecture Prize - the Dušan Jurkovič Prize 2017. Logically, the flats have supplemented the existing structure of solitary family houses and the medium-high ossampler building of residential buildings near the nearby elementary school. The street line, as well as the distance to the neighbouring land, are given by the existing buildings. Local service communications from the north side lead the site. The terrain of the building site is considered south by a slight decline. An object with a rectangular plan is located in its northern part.  © Martin Pitoňák  Elevation and Floor Plan  © Martin Pitoňák On the ground floor, there will be two apartments with access to private gardens separated from the surrounding green hedge. Among the apartments, there is a boiler room and common areas with cellars. On the second and third floors, there are three apartments. On the fourth floor are three maisonette apartments, the upper, 5th floor of which has two outbuildings on the open terrace. The roof is designed as a tin-zinc titanium with slots on open terraces. It is to be said that anything in the place of a broken-down building would be better. New apartments, however, have the potential to truly and truly revive the building. To the investor's point of view, he also did not use the popular formula: the old burst and rebuild and modern.  © Martin Pitoňák  Sections  © Martin Pitoňák Architects did not miss the original volume and interior layout. They do not try to completely overlap it and rework it; their intervention, however, involves the former mill in the new facade and represents a new arrangement of holes, but there is still a hint that it is not a new building. The interventions can be compared to a clean and uncompromising cut that will allow rapid and effective treatment. Simple windows and tent roof in the slope that refers to the original shape of the roof are reminiscent of the original fill of the object. The design works with titanium zinc roofing. Sure, it is not the cheapest idea, but any other material would taste refined reconstruction either from a functionally functional point of view (in the case of titanium substitution for a cheaper coloured sheet) or aesthetic (any other cover).  © Martin Pitoňák Balconies in the form of sloping drawers and the old-fashioned element of the gallery give the project a joke and smut. The use of hook could be considered as another reference to the production past. However, the shape of the pavlax itself and the vertical communications, which are without barriers admitted to the exterior as a new element added, are purely contemporary, almost timeless. The playfulness and ease of input reveal even the inevitable accentuation of the input by pulling one panel out of the treble, replacing it with a transparent glass railing. On a monochromatic palette with white plaster and grey metallic elements, the agate wood on the extended balconies and outdoor applications and interiors blended.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hua Fai Youth Center / Estudio Cavernas Posted: 01 Jan 2018 07:00 PM PST  © Alejandro Sanchez
 © Alejandro Sanchez Text description provided by the architects. Just a few kilometers away from the Thai-Burma border, adjacent to a natural reservoir, lies a youth center providing educational services to Karen migrant youth. The youth living in this center are drawn to this location due to its close proximity to institutions offering immigrant communities the opportunity to further their education through technical and vocational training programs. The design of Hua Fai transgresses conventional designs of such institutions which maximize utility with little regard for the complex social needs of the youth inhabiting these spaces. The design of Hua Fai with its triangular structure and cascading vertical gardens provide youth with their own private space to flourish and pursue their educational goals.  Masterplan The objective of the Hua Fai project was to expand existing facilities to accommodate the increased number of youth accessing education programs in the community. The expansion involved the building of eight sleeping units, a communal open area and washroom for the use of the students. Five independent units were built, four of them were divided symmetrically to create eight independent spaces to be used as private rooms, and a fifth unit, a washroom (hygiene facility), houses the showers and toilets.  © Alejandro Sanchez The arrangements were premised upon two main objectives:  © Alejandro Sanchez • To create a public space, achieved by orienting the access of the private area into an open space, which acts a gathering area. The arrangement, following a similar spatial design used by Karen villagers, encourages interaction among dwellers.  © Alejandro Sanchez The volumetry derives from the original concept of Estacion Espacial Arquitectos "Casa Techo", an aproach to a solution for emergency housing that states that "a roof is a house". The emergency unit concept was modified to adapt to the permanent nature of this facility, accounting for the environmental and social conditions of this context. Due to increased deforestation in this part of South East Asia, old houses are carefully dismantled in order to retain the undamaged pieces of timber which are later sold in a second-hand market. This reclaimed wood was used to build the structure and flooring of the units. Three vertical frames act as the skeleton of the construction, holding the weight of the roof and dividing the inner space, while two inclined frames on each side help to protect the terraces sitting in front of every unit. Given the extreme weather conditions of this area, prone to heavy rainfall during monsoon season, it was mandatory to elevate the building to avoid water damage to the structure. A single steel profile anchored to light foundations was used in order to raise the timber frames from the ground.  First Floor Plan  © Alejandro Sanchez  Second Floor Plan The roof design borrows elements from local construction found in this area, which maximizes the use locally available materials. The roof is comprised of three layers; An inner layer of aluzinc, screwed to the timber structure to make it impermeable to rain, a middle layer of eucalyptus trunks placed vertically to create ventilation, and an upper layer of sugarcane leaves locally assembled within the community. Horizontal floor level openings of fiberglass panels were used to bring light into the ground floor of the rooms.  Longitudinal Elevation 01  Longitudinal Elevation 02 The washroom unit is built with the same strategy and geometries. Since it is a wet area, steel profiles were used to form the skeleton, a triple layered roof and concrete block walls which delimitate the four small divisions inside. All four facades have different functions; four doors leading to either showers or toilets. Facing the rice field, the open sink area. A seating zone on the long side facing the gathering space and a vertical garden is built on the wall facing the access to the complex, welcoming the kids when accessing the land.  © Alejandro Sanchez The construction process used combined the professional training of the migrant workers with a deep understanding of conditions on the ground. The team consisted of immigrant construction workers in training, from marginalized communities, supervised by a construction engineer and an architect. The techniques and materials utilized for construction were carefully selected in order to accommodate the skills of the workers and the limited tools available for construction.  © Alejandro Sanchez  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cheshm Cheran / ZAV Architects Posted: 01 Jan 2018 06:00 PM PST  © Parham Taghiof
 © Parham Taghiof Text description provided by the architects. The site is vast. It is located down the Minoodasht hills and has a moderate downward slope. The design of the project is very much informed by simple questions: Is it possible to preserve and enhance the site's natural character, while appropriating it as an inhabitable locale? Can we ignore the temptation of putting an architectural volume on this fascinating field and instead, focus on capturing its stunning views?  © Soroosh Majidi The architectural volume is placed on a forgotten patch of land next to the rainwater reservoir and its positioning enables it to benefit from a panoramic view of the project's greater context. To secure maximum connection with nature, the conventional circulation and spatial diagram for rural and sub-urban constructions is challenged.  Isometric Diagram Circulation and social spaces of the house are combined and misplaced to be situated around the habitation units as an elevated open space called "the Platform or Joy Lounge", which was the result of our endeavor to impose the minimum intervention on the farm land that appears as a duplicated and elevated piece of land. As such, each and every environmentally conditioned spatial pocket, or the habitation units, is endowed with independent access and view. Underneath, a continuous landscape is in full operation.  © Parham Taghiof  Section B  © Parham Taghiof The constructed landscape of the site, follows the natural contours and the initial geo-morphology of the land. As such, the landscape is a continuation of the farm and the hills, while the architecture, the elevated platform, operates as a viewing apparatus both for the natural and the constructed landscapes.  © Soroosh Majidi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cheomdan Badminton Court / JHW IROJE architects&planners + The Sa-ram Architects Posted: 01 Jan 2018 04:00 PM PST  © Youngkwan Kim
 © Youngkwan Kim Texture of the Earth_ The plan began with concern about how to represent something of the texture of nature, which has a different character from the scale of the indoor stadium. We wanted the soft red-brown colour of the Youngsangang riverbank to continue throughout the mass.  © Youngkwan Kim The Structure and Ceiling of the Stadium_ The long span space is usually secured by the structural form of the interior space or the steel-frame structure, but it also causes a visual distraction due to exposed structural material and equipment facilities. For this stadium, the structural limit of the interior form and the concrete long span beam was supplemented by the PT beams. A seven-sided court was planned inside the 50x20x 12m (H) concrete box, which is a wall structure that does not allow any column exposure. The indirect light enters the building during the day as the PT columns are placed in a consistently proportioned module and placing the ceiling between the modules. Also, a 50m long projected window filters in additional light. The long horizontal window is wrapped around four sides of the stadium, which contains the low and deep scenery of the exterior park space.  © Youngkwan Kim  Sections 1 + 2  © Youngkwan Kim Ectype and the Path of Concrete_ The main structural bearing wall has a coloured exposed concrete finish. A pattern was revealed by engraving the quadrisect cylinder shaped larch. This ectype texture was intended to engrave the horizontal path of the moving shuttlecock on the surface of the concrete. Plywood and perforated plywood was cross-placed and used as the interior finishing material to absorb sound, which minimizes sound during the games. The finish of the interior floor and wall was made up with wooden patterns, which continues the coloured concrete pattern on the exterior wall, creating a warm texture and atmosphere in the stadium.  © Youngkwan Kim  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Brick Kiln Folk Inn & Museum - Interior Design / H DESIGN Posted: 01 Jan 2018 02:00 PM PST  Brick kiln Museum Exterior Staircase. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian
 Brick Kiln Inn Exterior View. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Text description provided by the architects. Jiangnan of China, has enjoyed the"earthly paradise"reputation since ancient times of its staggered rivers and lakes, vertical and horizontal waterways, small bridges and tasteful towns. A typical canal town named Jin Xi, located in the picturesque scenery of Jiangnan, known as "the hometown of Chinese folk museum" with two thousand years of history.There is an old saying here before "thirty-six bridges must have seventy-two kilns." Lots of kilns were produced golden bricks in the past, and the brick kiln culture is so profound and indispensable for the town.  Italy MT-Emanuele Restaurant. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Zhu Jiadian village is located on the west side of Jin Xi, still exists more than ten ancient brick kilns of Ming and Qing dynasty, although most of them have been abandoned, but a few are still in use. As the scale of production shrinks dramatically, the trend of hollowing out of the village becomes increasing seriously, the bustling land has lost the glory of the past. In order to make this historical and cultural village newborn, H DESIGN was invited to be responsible for the interior renovation of an old large-scare brick kiln including a cultural museum and a folk inn.  Brick Kiln Museum 1F Plan Brick kiln cultural museum was built along waterfront, facing the direction of Changbai swing, provides a pleasant hydrophilic environment. The ground floor is mainly planned as light dining area and a small-sized theme classroom; the first floor contains brick-cultural exhibition area, a large meeting room and other functional spaces where people can feel a relaxed, natural and tranquil spacial atmosphere.  Brick Kiln Inn Second Floor Corridor. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Under the corridor of the ancient brickkiln culture hall, H DESIGN reorganized multi-functional space while preserving original architectural style, injecting new functions and formats such as water bars and conference rooms, where people can enjoy leisure time and meanwhile concerning the ductile learning of traditional culture. In the future, it will also serve as a training center for exchange of ideas among rural make-ers, boosting local rural development.  Brick Kiln Inn First Floor Corridor. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Particularly worth mentioning that is an Italian restaurant called Emanuele,located in the ground floor,the designer combined with unique geographical conditions of Jinxi's ancient kiln to create the first klin restaurant in China setting dining area, wine cellar, cigar bar and other functions, providing a charming gathering leisure place for people. The second phase of the project is the new-built folk inn facing brick kiln museum across the water. It totally has 10 small single buildings of 20 rooms with light steel frame system, which is the typical Jiangnan residential construction structure.  Brick Kiln Museum Conference Hall. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian The main theme of the interior design is extended with the index of architecture, extracting Jiangnan taste, brick culture and Chinese classical garden culture, aims to achieve the harmony and unity between modernity and tradition.  Italy MT-Emanuele Restaurant. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian To echo architectural style of the local village, the folk inn and its courtyard are designed in keeping with the surrounding environment, retaining original courtyard space and reworking the new functions.In addition, the designer puts auxiliary space turning to outside and open, creating a dynamic street space, so the streets and lanes these original traffic space can undertake a wealth of public activities.  Brick Kiln Inn Lobby Cafe Shop. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian For materials' using,the designer chose native materials such as brick and bamboo, breakthroughly combining and matching, to embody modernity of design while return to simplicity of material.Especially,large amount of low-carbon bamboo endows the space a sense of clarity with its fresh and natural characteristics, intending to express a modern spirit that focusing on nature and humane care.  Brick Kiln Inn Reception. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Some parts of spaces use local brick as decorative surface, to express respect for the history of Zhujiadian burning brick. In lobby area, except for using floor-to-ceiling glass, the designer set up several skylights to bring in more natural light to the interior. With time changing, light and shadow would be enjoyed indoors.The smallpox is created by  Brick kiln Museum Second Floor Terrance . Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian The smallpox is created by bamboo mat and wood structure, which adds a few natural and simple flavors for the whole space. Rooms are designed with various spatial layouts like tatami mansions and studys with different themed display, aim to make Jiangnan culture has a delicately extensive and profound unfolding.  Original logo of the second floor Brick kiln Museum. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Through flexible design techniques and innovative collocation ideas, the designer wishes brick kiln culture could be presented to the world in a more intelligent way, just as he said: "We hope to keep original architectural style through its internal form , meanwhile continue the connotation and value of brick culture, so that people coming and going would remember that every story of the brick kiln here. In the future, it will be stationed in more formats and become the starting point for more township and village builders. "  Brick Kiln Inn Second Floor Corridor. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian Brick kiln's Newborn of JinXi Town is not only the carrier of Zhuzhian's klin culture, but also the successor, when the first rays in the morning sun shone on the water, shining with the architecture, people can not help sighing with emotion of a city, a skill, one side smart and heritages so far.  Brick Kiln Inn Architecutral Landscape. Image © Qilin Zhang, Xiang Qian  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The BSTONY / PILDONG2GA Architects Posted: 01 Jan 2018 12:00 PM PST  © Kyung Roh
 © Kyung Roh Text description provided by the architects. Project BSTONY lies on Dolsan Island, an island off the coast of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The island's coastal route passes through small villages housing the lives and livelihoods of island locals. A twenty-minute drive down this road leads to an unassuming structure.  © Kyung Roh At the first meeting, the client requested a café with a garden and minimal housing capacity for mangement. The site was located at the bottom of Cheonwang Mountain and retained the natural slope of the foothills.  Diagram. Image Courtesy of PILDONG2GA Architects Starting the design was surprisingly simple, given the client's request and site conditions. After visiting the site, the architects decided on two major strategies.  © Kyung Roh First, the café's structure would not go against the topography of Cheonwang Mountain. As Dolsan Island gets more and more tourists each year, accommodation and commercial facilities have sprung up indiscriminately along the coastal road. Most of the new facilities each stands out on its own but are inharmonious. The project would add yet another structure to this scene. After deliberating over how to minimize damaging the natural landscape, the architects decided to minimize architectural conduct construction.  © Kyung Roh Second, the café's material would not go against the scenery of Dolsan Island's beautiful coastline. The architects chose finishes that would go well with the natural surroundings so that the café would remain congruous with its environment over time.  © Kyung Roh Because of the land's slope, the café from outside the higher level looks as if it is buried underground. But the stairs inside open up to a spacious garden and panorama windows that show a picturesque view of the landscape, touching the hearts of onlookers like a serene watercolor painting would. The architects plotted a dry area between the retaining wall and cafe area on clear days, opening up the window fittings expands the area and allows for ambiguous space. Moreover, the dry space keeps the ground's humidity from entering the café's interior.  © Kyung Roh An important aspect in conceptualizing the project was the continuity of the interior and exterior space. The scenery out the windows would naturally draw the circulation of someone enjoying her coffee indoors outside. Anyone enjoying her coffee outside within the scenery would feel as if they were indoors. The architects designed around the concepts of continuous circulation, line of sight, and optimization of outdoor space, a rarity in urban areas. Stepping inside, the café's interior space is quite simple. The café and garden (greenhouse) sit on a long 10m30m mass. Beyond the mass, the outdoor area is arranged in layers, the boundaries marked by materials. For example, for the café's indoor area, the architects used a concrete finish; from where the café ends and garden begins, they selected wood. The outdoor space shares the same wooden finish as the indoor garden, but the open roof reveals much of the surrounding environment, magnifying the feeling of being outside. In addition, to emphasize directionality, the architects installed pendant lighting direction to focus the viewer's line of sight. The space could have felt somewhat plain, but by filling it up with furniture, artwork, plants, and other décor, the architects made the potentially rigid space flexible.  © Kyung Roh  Section Detail  © Kyung Roh By providing an inviting entryway and building a comfortable space for visitors who travel to the café, the architects intended to create a pleasantly surprising space, rather than merely present a physically imposing building. As a result, the structure, though potentially modest in appearance from the outside, houses a space inside where diverse areas coexist, providing comfort and serenity to those who visit the café. .jpg?1514348788 "© Kyung Roh") © Kyung Roh  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| V&A Gallery / Values of Design Posted: 01 Jan 2018 11:00 AM PST  © Chao Zhang
 © Chao Zhang Text description provided by the architects. V&A Gallery opens today at Design Society in Shekou, Shenzhen, as part of a unique international collaboration 2 December – A unique partnership between a major UK national museum and a Chinese state- owned company has come to fruition, with the opening of Design Society, including the V&A Gallery, in the vibrant and fast-moving design city of Shenzhen, China.  © Chao Zhang Design Society in Shekou, Shenzhen, is a new cultural hub dedicated to design that features the V&A's first international gallery, alongside several other exhibitions and cultural spaces. Its launch marks a major milestone for the pioneering international collaboration between China Merchants Shekou Holdings (CMSK) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. The V&A Gallery opens with the site-specific exhibition, 'Values of Design', designed by the Sam Jacob Studio, featuring over 250 objects from the V&A's collections. It is located inside the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (SWCAC), a new purpose-built cultural destination operated by Design Society and designed by renowned Japanese architecture firm Maki & Associates. Design Society aims to connect China to the world through its collaborative work, and will explore how design, society, industry and everyday life interconnect.  Plan The collaboration is the first of its kind between an international museum and a Chinese partner, and is the latest and most ambitious initiative to result from the V&A's long-standing relationship with China. As part of the partnership the V&A has given professional advice, consultancy and provided training to help establish Design Society as a new cultural platform. It has developed the V&A Gallery and the exhibition 'Values of Design', and has committed to feature two touring exhibitions from the V&A at Design Society in the next few years.  © Chao Zhang In developing the exhibition 'Values of Design', the V&A has expanded its collection to reflect this dialogue with the wider design world, adding forty-five new objects over two years. One such piece is the version of WeChat (Weixin), the most widely used social platform in China, displayed in 'Values of Design'. The addition of WeChat, announced in September 2017 and complemented by a display in South Kensington, makes the V&A the world's first museum to collect a social media application. Other key acquisitions, developed in Shenzhen, include a Phantom drone from DJI, a company which has revolutionized UAV-technology by making it affordable and easy-to-use, and the Seeeduino Microcontroller by Seeed Studio, who have become a key advocate for maker culture in China.  © Chao Zhang Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta is one of the fastest growing design and technology hubs in the world. The V&A has been embedded in Shenzhen for the past three years as part of an international knowledge exchange programme. Since the project was initiated in 2014, the V&A, in close collaboration with Design Society team, has been working extensively to build a local network and engage with creative practices, museum professionals, educators and the wider local community to ensure the collaboration would be unique, significant and responsive to its context. V&A and Design  © Chao Zhang Society staff have worked with university design schools, local and international schools, makerspaces, museums and designer studios in Shenzhen as well as in other cities such as Guangzhou, Shantou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, interviewing key players and taking part in classes and workshops. Since 2014, the V&A, together with Design Society has collaborated with approximately 25 local and international schools, eight university design schools, ten maker spaces and many more of Shenzhen's designers, studios and community groups. As part of the research activity in the region, the V&A presented the exhibition 'Unidentified Acts of Design' at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale (UABB) in 2015 and the exhibition was featured at the V&A as part of London Design Festival in 2016. The V&A and Design Society teams hosted the first maker in residence in Shenzhen as part of Design Society pre-opening activities and the British Council's 'Hello Shenzhen" project in March and October 2017. Training has been provided to 140 volunteers from Shenzhen University and the broader community recruited to support the public programme at Design Society during and after the opening.  © Chao Zhang Tim Reeve, Deputy Director of the V&A, said "We are extremely proud to celebrate the opening of the new V&A Gallery with its first exhibition 'Values of Design' at Design Society today. Our role as founding partner of Design Society marks an important milestone for the V&A's history of international engagement, as well as the design community of Shenzhen, with this the most significant international collaboration in our history. The UK's creative industries continue to be one of Britain's greatest and most enduring achievements, and we are delighted to be sharing our 165 years of experience and expertise with the wider design world. Our inaugural exhibition is the result of three years of extensive research and cross-cultural dialogue between the V&A team, Design Society team and academic, museum and creative professionals in China. The V&A has a long history of working with China and we will continue to explore future creative collaborations, with local relevance and always aiming to inspire and engage new audiences with the world of design."  © Chao Zhang Luisa Elena Mengoni, Head of the V&A Gallery at Design Society, said "Over the last three years, we have been thrilled to expand and strengthen our network in the city and engage with the local community, gaining valuable knowledge and expert advice, widening our experience in China and fostering an inspiring dialogue about design, museum practices and learning approaches. Practice- based research and experimentation conducted by our Learning Manager Sarah Green in close collaboration with DS Learning team have provided a strong foundation for the development of the V&A Gallery's exhibition and public programme, as well as for innovative learning opportunities and interventions that will continue to be tested and developed in the future." Ole Bouman, Director of Design Society, said "After three years of close collaboration, the moment of unveiling to the public has come. We are very proud to offer our audiences a slice of the vast design collection of the V&A to help people understand the power and value of design. We can even be prouder that this is embedded in the Shenzhen context. We look back to a collaboration that brings fresh ideas, new acquisitions, expanded networks and site specific narratives for Design Society and the V&A. This will be a catalyst for Design Society's role to elevate creative industries and help the public in China to learn, appreciate and enjoy design."  © Chao Zhang  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Canto dos Ventos / G Arquitetura e Urbanismo Posted: 01 Jan 2018 09:00 AM PST  © Eduardo Moody
 © Eduardo Moody A Crystal in the Chapada Diamantina National Park  © Eduardo Moody  First Floor Plan  © Eduardo Moody The construction of the house in two levels was adjusted to the slope and 'rest' on it. The rooms open or separated thought to be side by side, in a continuous way, horizontally, which creates some separation while maintaining a sense of openness, following the needs of the family or other requirements. In this way, the volume was incorporated into the terrain and landscape, obeying a rational organization of spaces, giving the architecture of the house, lightness and transparency, open towards the valley. The steel constructive system: pillars, beams and steel deck slabs, allowed the reduction of the cost and time of the work (the mounting lasted 15 days).  Section A and B The structure appears, and it shows the constructive method and the formal expression of the architecture. The aesthetic pursued was conclude with wood frames and clear glasses panels, bringing the natural light from the open-viewed facades, providing the interior space brightness and transparency. Balconies and eaves protect the facades and the interior space from rain or wind. In addition to steel and wood, other materials were used, many of them are local materials, such the apparent stones or the bricks. The house emerges from the site, evoking the mineral diversity from the region, like a crystal in Chapada! The project was the winner in the category Architecture Building in the 2016 IAB's Award.  © Eduardo Moody  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Prinzi an Office Between Warehouses / Cotignola - Staricco - Tobler Posted: 01 Jan 2018 07:00 AM PST  © Marcos Guiponi
 © Marcos Guiponi Text description provided by the architects. The office functions as an element that connects and structures the compound of warehouses and sheds that are property of Prinzi S.A.  Axonometric View The project was commissioned by a firm engaged in the import and export of products for the meat packing industry, which wanted to relocate its offices to its distribution center set in the traditional “La Comercial” neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. This is how the old industrial area became a logistics hub capable of centralizing the client’s operations.  © Marcos Guiponi The proposal focuses on articulating the various warehouses and sheds to become the operational center of the physical plant’s 2,500 sqm. This is achieved thanks to the central location of the lot destined to offices, within the existing group of constructions belonging to different periods, of varied size and purpose.  Ground Floor Plan  © Marcos Guiponi  Section The design for the new offices partly reuses these constructions, namely the areas that used to house the locker rooms and dining spaces of the old industrial center. The existing ducts running along the facade—which originally sustained the service areas of the factory—allow to conceive a ‘deep’ facade, thus tending to one of the client’s main concerns: to separate and give intimacy to the offices without surrendering light-filled workspaces. Once the issue of connection has been resolved—which is the purpose behind the entire intervention—, the proposal is simply defined by means of a staircase and two patios which connect and illuminate the office’s two open-plan levels. Cotignola, Staricco, Tobler is an architecture studio founded in 2013 and based in Montevideo. The company maintains a diversified practice within the realm of architectural design, especially in the field of housing and commercial offices. The members share their practice with a committed teaching activity at different Institutes and Design Studios of the Universidad de la República in Uruguay.  © Marcos Guiponi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Diamond Heights Renovation / Michael Hennessey Architecture Posted: 01 Jan 2018 05:00 AM PST  © Joe Fletcher
 © Joe Fletcher Text description provided by the architects. How does one renovate an existing 1965 Eichler in a meaningful, respectful way? This is a difficult question, given the abuse that Eichler buildings have faced over the years with an overly-aggressive renovation industry applying the current style of the day to these prized structures.  Upper Floor Plan We decided to strike a balance between the positive, inherent qualities of an Eichler structure with modern improvements that enhance rather than compete with the existing building. The existing post & beam structure is accentuated, creating a layered composition of structure, wood veneer, concrete, and tile elements. New full-height sliding glass panels increase the energy efficiency of the building while visually expanding the space towards the distant view.  © Joe Fletcher The kitchen is relocated to connect more directly with the living area, and the decks are re-built as extensions of the interior spaces. A balance is struck between new and old in a meaningful way.  Lower Floor Plan The Diamond Heights Renovation received the top prize for Architectural Interiors in the Builder's Choice & Custom Home 2017 Design Awards, a nationally recognized awards program.  © Joe Fletcher  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| TERRANORTE Plaza / Boyance Arquitectos Posted: 01 Jan 2018 03:00 AM PST  © David Cervera Castro
 © David Cervera Castro Text description provided by the architects. The land is located in the Francisco de Montejo, on the periphery, north of the City of Mérida and has an area of 10,000m² where the project was developed in 2,900.00m² of commercial buildings that were modularized creating ease for the client by choosing the size and height of the place depending on your needs, and with this, cover more market.  Ground Floor Plan The existing vegetation was respected, using it as a cushion for the road traffic of the City's peripheral, as well as a view of the interior of the plaza as a large park.  © David Cervera Castro A metallic structure with zero slab roofs and facades of corrugated sheet and other types was used to recycle as much as possible of the preexisting nave, thus leaving the oxidized sheet as a representation of it.  © David Cervera Castro This project was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2nd Biennial of Young Architects; in the category of Commerce; contest that is organized by the Arquitecture Federation of the Mexican Republic.  © David Cervera Castro  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Oslo's Barcode Project Showcased in Stunning Photo Series by Rainer Taepper Posted: 01 Jan 2018 01:30 AM PST  © Rainer Taepper Situated behind Snøhetta's iconic Oslo Opera House is another set of buildings which mark out Oslo as a cutting-edge architectural hub. The Barcode Project is a masterplanning project consisting of a row multi-purpose high-rise buildings which largely make up the skyline of Oslo. Each of the buildings is the creation of different combinations of European architecture firms; however, together they form an enticing composition with the gaps between them creating the impression of a barcode—hence the project's clever nickname. Each of the resulting buildings pushes the idea of what a high-rise building can be. Whether they take the form of a giant staircase or resemble a 3D version of Tetris, each of the buildings has its own peculiarities. The firms involved in the project included Dark Arkitekter, A-lab, MVRDV, and Snøhetta adding their stamp on the architecture of Oslo. Read on to see German architectural photographer Rainer Taepper's stunning set of photographs on the Barcode Project.  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper Deemed the "champagne apartments," the Barcode Project proved to be a controversial scheme by adding high-rise buildings to a mostly low-rise city. However, the overarching principle was to relieve the pressure of Oslo's rapid growth and reshape the urban landscape without diminishing any existing green space. Unbuilt spaces between each of the buildings were to be at least 12m wide, which would not only guarantee green spaces, but also contribute to openness, light penetration, and transparency in the built-up area.  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper  © Rainer Taepper Interested in seeing these beautiful photos of the Barcode Project on your coffee table? Rainer Taepper has offered ArchDaily readers an opportunity to win 1 of 10 limited edition, signed books about the project. Simply fill out the form below by Monday 15th January to enter!  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| John’s Prairie Operations Center / TCF Architecture Posted: 01 Jan 2018 01:00 AM PST  © Pete Eckert
 © Pete Eckert Text description provided by the architects. Mason County PUD No. 3's new administrative, maintenance and operations facility unites all of the PUD's functions within a state-of-the-art, highly professional campus. The staff of the John's Prairie Operations Center and citizens of the surrounding community are pleased to have contributed toward the improvement of County infrastructure by supporting those who maintain local electrical utilities.  © Pete Eckert At the onset of the project, a comprehensive study weighed the impacts of maintaining existing conditions - a widely-dispersed collection of aging structures and leased office space – with the benefits of building new. As a part of the cost-benefit analysis, operational procedures and interdepartmental logistics were studied, including daily work tasks of line crew, technicians, customer service, administrative, vehicle maintenance, and warehouse personnel.  © Pete Eckert  First Level Plan  © Pete Eckert The culmination of this phase made apparent to the design team the economic and cultural benefits of creating a single facility on a centrally-located County-owned parcel. As a result of substantially improved labor time and fuel/energy efficiencies, as well as increased productivity, the cumulative savings between a consolidated operation and decentralized, separate facilities, was estimated at more than $60 million over a projected 50-year period  © Pete Eckert Design of the $25 million, five building, 146,000 sqft operations campus followed, providing a new home for over 115 staff and crew on a 22-acre parcel. Treading lightly, the John's Prairie Operations Center responds to the County's goals for low-impact site development, and conservation of water and energy. Harvested rain supplies water for irrigation and toilet flushing. A 225 kW photovoltaic (PV) array atop shop building "D" harvests the sun's rays, supplementing electricity within the power grid. Infrastructure is in place for the eventual conversion to Net Zero Energy through additional solar panel installation.  © Pete Eckert Architecturally, the campus utilizes the durable and regionally-appropriate materials of concrete, steel, masonry and heavy timber. A stately civic building serves as the "front door" to the campus, with a high-volume, two story entry mass separating the public and private zones. Comprised of more industrial materials for industrial functions, the private zone is clad in masonry and steel, while the public area is characterized by its ample use of wood finish. The auditorium, framed by heavy timber reminiscent of the area's timber industry, offers the use of community gathering space and safe shelter in the event of an emergency.  Section Perspective Beyond the walls of the administration building, thoughtful planning provides visibility and transparency in and among the material staging and warehousing, specialty workshops, vehicle and equipment storage and the fuel /wash spaces; simple, logical, building and site circulation place user safety at the forefront. Crew facilities - such as dispatch, locker and mud rooms –promote daily interaction to enhance worker morale, which in turn, leads to increased productivity and employee retention.  © Pete Eckert Quality detailing and consistent use of materials throughout the campus provide a professional, elegant atmosphere for all department members. Interiors are awash in daylight, and the local, renewable and non-toxic attributes of finishes help create a healthy, productive work environment for all PUD employees.  © Pete Eckert  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to Request/Write a Letter of Recommendation for Architects and Architecture Students Posted: 01 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST  via Unsplash Letters of recommendations are strange in that we all know what they are, but save for the people who are actually using them to evaluate a candidate, what happens with the letter is shrouded in mystery. Can a stellar recommendation letter make up for a less-than-stellar transcript? Are you going to be removed from consideration because your recommender didn't make you sound like Captain Awesome? It all depends—but as long as these letters are required for admissions processes and grants and other things, we'll shed some light on how to ask for (and/or write) a letter of recommendation. Whether you're on the asking end or the writing end, there are some basic tips and rules that should be followed. (Why should you trust me? Because I've asked for letters and written letters and things have worked out pretty well for all involved parties.) Asking for a letter of recommendation:- Choose the right person to recommend you: An accurate, sincere recommendation from someone who is familiar with your work is much more valuable than a stock recommendation from someone who is well-known. If you're applying for a position at an architecture firm and you interned at OMA for 6 months and sat in a room with Rem Koolhaas one time, he is not the person to ask. (He's not going to say yes either, so save yourself from being turned down). Ask someone who can attest to all that you invested in your professional endeavors. Sure, we tend to value the opinions of the "famous," but change starts right here.  via Unsplash - Give your recommender plenty of time: No one likes to work under pressure, so make sure you line up your recommenders ahead of time and also ensure that you are giving them enough time to craft a letter that will get you noticed. Most people who have been asked for recommendations work off of a general template; the more time you allow, the less "template-y" and more personal your recommendation will be.  via Unsplash - Don't expect to see the recommendation: While you should bank on the fact that the recommender that you've chosen will write a glowing review of yourself and your achievements, you may not ever see the recommendation— and that's ok. After all, in order to keep recommenders honest and for the process to be worth a damn, there are sometimes going to be recommendation letters that aren't so… nice? Plus, most university recommendation systems are going to ask you to waive your right to see the letter. - Be aware of the level of your recommender's tech-savvy: Make sure to do your homework so that your recommender is fully aware of the way in which they need to submit their letter. Most universities have streamlined the process; you'd have to be exceptionally technology-challenged to not be able to follow instructions. But some fellowships and grants follow less-obvious rules for submitting letters. Just make sure that all the bases are covered during your request. It's not just about writing the letter but also about getting the letter to its intended destination.  via Unsplash - Don't sound so desperate that the recommender won't be able to say no: Maybe the recommender needs to say no because there just isn't enough time to write you a respectable letter of recommendation, but won't because your request comes off like some dying wish. Or maybe your chosen recommender has nothing to say about you. It's good to give them a way out.  via Unsplash - Ask in person or via written request?: This is going to require a bit of social savvy but depending on your personality and the personality of the recommender, an in-person request may be either awkward or rewarding. It essentially comes down to this—if you're fairly certain that this person will write you a glowing recommendation, go ahead and ask them in person; they will be pleased to know that you would like him/her to comment on their work. But whether you ask in-person or decide not to YOU MUST put your request in writing. It's 2017. There's texts and Facebook messages and Instagram and god knows how many ways to get in touch with people. Get an email address and set up some sort of automatic reminder so that you can re-confirm the status of your letter as the deadline approaches. (I hear you asking…but what if my professor/mentor/sensei doesn't use computers or the internet? If this is the case, make sure you get verbal confirmation and try to get the information of an assistant or someone who works for said sensei so that he/she can be guided through the process and deadline). Writing a letter of recommendation:- I've been asked to write a letter of recommendation and I have no idea what I'm doing: The last time you wrote a "letter" was in 1998 during your 8th grade English class? Or did you swear off writing once your diploma was in your sweaty, greedy little paws? Fear not. Letters are actually really easy to write because they are really close to speech. So, the first piece of advice is, don't say no because you think you're a sh*tty writer or you think that the process is going to be a hassle. Remember, someone wrote you a recommendation letter, so keep the circle of life in bloom.  via Unsplash - Start with a list: You may be able to start at "Dear" and end with "Sincerely" without any kind of hesitation or pause but most normal people stare at a blank document with a mixed sense of panic attack and "ughhh." Don't worry, start with bullet points. What do you want the school/grant committee/prospective employer to know about this candidate? Focus on what makes the candidate exceptional. Platitudes about being a good employee won't get anyone noticed. Make sure to include specific projects or examples in your letter. Your reader will say, "Oh wow, he/she must really know Billy because he/she has great recall of that time Billy went above and beyond." Got it?  via Unsplash - Include examples, stories, anecdotes and details: Yes, I said this in the above paragraph but I'm going to say it again because 80% of letter-writers are just going to google "recommendation letter template" and swap out the name. Pretend you are writing a letter to your dear granny and you want to tell her about that time that your student/employee really made you proud.  via Unsplash - Write first. Edit later. This advice applies to 100% of writing but I'm assuming you're here because you need to write a letter of recommendation and you need words of encouragement. Just put it all out there and then organize it. Bonus points if you have a willing and able friend who will take a look at the letter before you send it out.  via Unsplash - Don't Google "architecture recommendation letter" and use one of the templates you find on some SEO-optimized website: This is probably the hardest thing to do—to be original in your letter. We don't want to let down the people who have asked us to write a letter, but if you're a manager in your early 30s why on earth should your letter read (or look) like a recommendation from a dude/dudette who went to college in the 70s?! Original content is always going to stand out over regurgitated boilerplate. Do yourself and your mentee a favor and just write that letter to grandma (as I explained in point number 2).  - If you're going to say no, be honest: It's going to happen sometimes: you receive a request for a recommendation and your first reaction is going to be "what the…?" How do I know this? In my senior year of college I panicked and asked someone who taught me a seminar on social housing to write me a letter of recommendation for Medical School (yes, Medical School) because I was experiencing an existential crisis. The request was not fulfilled and it was never spoken of again, but it would have been nice to be told, "Hey Becky, this seems like a pretty left-field request—not because you want to change your professional focus, but because I don't know enough about you or what you want to recommend you."  via Unsplash Maybe you just mean "no" for now, and you end up spending more time with, and learning more about, the person who came to you for a recommendation in the first place. Like true love, sincere recommendations can't be rushed or faked, so don't say yes when you really won't contribute anything positive.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tel Aviv's World Record Breaking LEGO Structure Posted: 31 Dec 2017 10:00 PM PST  via Instagram Thousands of people in Tel Aviv put together over 500,000 plastic building blocks to create the tallest LEGO structure in the world. The project was created in memory of 8-year-old Omer Sayag, who loved the toy blocks before he was taken by cancer in 2014. Tel Aviv City Hall and Young Engineers, an advocate group for learning through model construction, sponsored this nearly month-long event. From December 12th to the 24th, over two dozen community organizations created their sections of the tower. Their names appear on the creation in Hebrew and Arabic. For two days, the unique sections were stacked together in Tel Aviv's city center, Rabin Square. It stands at 35.96 meters (117 feet 11 inches). The measurements, along with drone photography, are to be submitted to Guinness to validate the record-breaking feat.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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