Arch Daily

Universita Luigi Bocconi / Grafton Architects
Biovet Headquarters / Atelier Serafimov Architects
Residence Rabbit / BOONDESIGN + T.R.O.P : terrains + open space
A "Hairy" Facade Conceals a Beautiful, Calm and Serene Workspace Dedicated to Focus
Stone Pavilion Uses Traditional Form And Technology To Connect Past to Present
House Between Trees / AS Arquitectura
The 50 Most Popular Architecture Photographs of 2017
Photos Capture the Luxurious Life Inside Herzog & de Meuron's Beirut Terraces
Apartment with Partitions / Casa100 Arquitetura
4 Must-Have Skills Architects Need to Tackle Turbulent Times
Historic House Renovation in Suzhou / B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

Universita Luigi Bocconi / Grafton Architects

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 07:00 PM PST

Architects: Grafton Architects
Location: Milan, Italy
Area: 45000.0 m2
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Frederico Brunetti

Project Managers: Progetto CMR
Structure And Civils: Studiio Ingegneria E.Pereira
Mechanical And Electrical: Amman Progetti
Environmental Consultants Competition Stage: BDSP
Acoustic Consultant: Arpservice S.p.a
Model Makers: Paul Harrison, City Models

Text description provided by the architects. Awarded the 2008 World Building of the Year Award, the Luigi Bocconi University is thought of as a large market hall or place of exchange. The Building's hall acts as a filter between the city and the university.

The northern edge of the site fronts onto the artery of Viale Bligny, with the clatter of trams, the rush of busses, general traffic, people passing. It addresses the throbbing urban life of Milan, weaves into the mesh of the city. This frontage becomes the architectural opportunity to have a 'window' to Milan, a memorable image to confirm the important cultural contribution that the Bocconi University plays in the life of this city. For this reason, the public space of the aula magna occupies this frontage, asserting a symbolic presence and a register of the prestigious status of the University.

The building is set back from the Viale Bligny & Via Roentgen edges to make a public space 18m x 90m inspired by the space forward of Hospital Maggiore. This new deep 'finger' of space reaches out to the city and beckons the visitor into the heart of the interior. This public space continues into the building, bringing with it its stone surface, the floor of the city.

In order to make this grand place of exchange we thought about the research offices as beams of space, suspended to form a grand canopy which filters light to all levels. The offices form an inhabited roofscape. This floating canopy allows the space of the city to overlap with the life of the university and internal and external public spaces to merge.

Spatially the underground accommodation is solid, dense and carved. We tried to establish a continuity between the 'landscape' of the city and the 'made landscape' of this undercroft.

The external wall to the sunken Aula Magna reaches the full height of the building with the upper level offices inhabiting it's roofscape /attic. The full bulk and scale of this great room 'the embedded boulder' sits directly on the street edge and is the anchor for the totality of the building.

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Biovet Headquarters / Atelier Serafimov Architects

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 06:00 PM PST

Architects: Atelier Serafimov Architects
Location: 4550 Peshtera, Bulgaria
Lead Architects: Radomir Serafimov
Area: 3298.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Aleksandar Novoselski

Client: Biovet Peshtera

Text description provided by the architects. The concept of the building is to represent the identity of a pharmaceutical company through a functional and yet very simplistic architecture. The shape formation subordinated by this simple and orthogonal structure is ensuring excellent functional distribution of the floors vested in a clear network which gives emblematic silhouette not only to the company but also to the city. The geometrical concept of the facade has been inspired by the hexagonal structure of the benzene nucleus of aromatic hydrocarbons. This is the fundamental structure of the organic chemistry and pharmaceutical industry.

This concept shows delicately the modern and innovative technologies in the pharmaceutical field where the company grows. Moreover, into the modular element of the facade is also integrated the company logo. The building rises up to six floors with the first two floors dominated by an impressive entrance hall. It serves as a small covered square area in continuation to the representative area in front of the building. Opposite to the entrance of the building is the reception for admission of visitors on the wall of which, within a natural green environment. All of it is thought to represent also the company vision of doing business aligning with the Earth's eco-system.

Next to the entrance hall is the central vertical communication unit with an abundantly glazed staircase which is part of the facade assembly. On the first floor are the conference hall, recreation zone and the administrative areas for immediate connection with the visitors. The next four office floors have been designed to meet the everyday workflow needs of the company. The final, sixth, floor has been separated as multi-functional conference block with mobile telescopic walls assuring the multi-functional reorganization. All specific needs of the company have been projected in respective recreation and service zones.

The separation of the panoramic offices has been designed with glass modular partition walls allowing reorganization of the premises whenever needed. The building has been projected to have raised installation floor and suspended ceilings assuring clear height of 3.00 m for the maximal comfort of the residents. In order to create the desirable working atmosphere the offices have been provided with acoustic materials and surface finishes for the floor, ceiling, and walls. Special attention has been given to the acoustics in the conference hall on the sixth floor where the most important meeting is taking place.

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Residence Rabbit / BOONDESIGN + T.R.O.P : terrains + open space

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 12:00 PM PST

Architects: BOONDESIGN
Landscape Architects: T.R.O.P : terrains + open space
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Built In: BOONDESIGN
Area: 420.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: W Workspace, Funkatonik BK

Loose Furniture: Pok Kobkongsanti

'Residence Rabbits' is a home of a landscape architect, his wife and their young son. Because the owner is a landscape architect, his brief to the architect was that he needed 'a house with a series of courtyards. The architecture was created within basic design principles to deal with Thailand's extreme climate. Series of white walls were proposed in the East+West axis. The solid walls create blockage to the strong afternoon sunlight from the South. Rooms are integrated between those walls. With full glass windows, every room has 2 garden views towards the East and the West. The house has two and a half stories with double volume at living and dining area. Two study rooms, for the owner and his wife, were placed on top of a guest bedroom and main restroom. Two bedrooms were located above the living room and the dining room. Between the living room and the main restroom, 'V' shape court was strategically proposed to bring light and space into the house.

The garden was designed not only to echo the architecture language, but also to compliment the local climate. The East court, located in front of the parking lot, offers a warm welcoming area for entry experiences. Here the residents can view sunrise in the mornings and waxing moon phases during the nights. Behind the walls, service quarter, including maid rooms, thai kitchen and laundry area, was built separately from the main house but still connected with the covered walkway. At the West side, the private forest help filtering the strong sunlight in the afternoon. Layers of leaves provide shades for areas underneath where the residents can enjoy their afternoon outside as well as appreciate everyday's sunset. A series of long wooden decks were designed to compliment the architectural language of the house, allowing space and activities to seamlessly flow inside out and outside in. The 'L' shape pool enclosed the house, with green plantings in between. Shallow area for the son was built along the South facade. On the West side, lap pool was proposed to get maximum sunlight to warm the water.

Overall, the courtyards creates a variety of connections between the house and the garden. The white walls act like a big canvas where the sunlight and the layer of leaves creates changing patterns throughout each day. Not only for spatial purposes, the courtyards also help enhancing the movement of the air through the house. Basically, 'Residence Rabbits' was designed to compliment the South East Asia's climate. Together, the house and the garden create pleasant microclimates for the residents and their guests.

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A "Hairy" Facade Conceals a Beautiful, Calm and Serene Workspace Dedicated to Focus

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 08:00 AM PST

"Hairy" isn't typically a term used to describe architecture. However, a "hairy" exterior is perhaps the defining characteristic of this micro-office by 2hD Architecture Workshop in the UK—the outer facades are entirely clad in natural coco-fiber broom heads.

The details and junctions of the broom heads are largely concealed as to let the broom bristles interlock, providing a continuous and visually diffuse surface. This hides any clue as to what is occurring on the interior—the structure existing merely as an object of intrigue.

Nicknamed "Mission Control," the project is an exercise in teleportation, designed to take users from the everyday hustle-and-bustle to another world, one of calm, quiet and focus. The intention was to create an antithesis of a "contemplation space with landscape views and flowing inside-outside space." In contrast, it is an almost monastic cell, removed from physical context and worldly distraction—perfect for tackling a day's worth of tasks.

Entering the enclosure is a focused, ceremonial process symbolic of one's daily commute—a time to mentally prepare for the day ahead. The small ritual to enter requires interaction and concentration, creating distance from whatever else is on your mind: one must find the 'secret panel' broom head, slide back the heavy screen door and push through a solid leaf behind.

Inside, "Mission Control" is a comfortable, serene space. The interior walls and ceilings are clad with whitewashed plywood and wrapped with sheep's wool insulation, create a healthy, natural feeling environment which is easily heated by body warmth and waste heat computers. A single skylight illuminates the space, and in the middle are nested two back-to-back desks.

As the door clunks shut behind you, the box seals itself and the separation is complete. Let focus begin.

Architects: 2hD Architecture Workshop
Lead Architects: Thibaut Devulder & Tom Hughes
Location: Nottingham, UK
Year: 2017
Area: 7 m2
Photography: Thibaut Devulder, Tom Hughes

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Stone Pavilion Uses Traditional Form And Technology To Connect Past to Present

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 06:00 AM PST

New Fundamentals Research Group, in partnership with S.N.B.R., designed and fabricated a stone vaulted pavilion for Rocalia, a natural stone fair held in Lyon last month. At a total area of 36 square meters and 3.20 meters in height, Flux reconnects the past to the present by combining traditional sculptural design with contemporary fabrication processes.

The structure's foundation is a network of catenary curves which inform the vaults. Complex milling forms and joint cutting operations were completed with the assistance of a robotic arm. However, because the blocks are lightweight and there are few support structures, assembly is simple. In order to connect the stone voussoirs to one another, metal plates are glued with epoxy resin to each concave segment and then fastened together using a bolt system. Piece by piece, the digital 3D model successfully came to life.

The catenary curves serve a dual purpose by ensuring the structure is supported by compressive forces while visually creating aesthetic continuity throughout the design. A micro-cement "roof" completes the form. Flux manages to demonstrate the technical ability of modern-day CNC machines with traditional building materials such as this natural stone.

Architect or Architecture Firm & lead architects: New Fundamentals Research Group, Lead architects: Giuseppe Fallacara, Maurizio Barberio
Location: Eurexpo, 9 Avenue Louis Blériot, 69680 Chassieu, France
Scientific Coordinator: Giuseppe Fallacara
Digital Design: Maurizio Barberio
FEM Analysis: Daniele Malomo
3D Printing: Giuseppe Scaltrito (Apulia Makers 3D)
Year: 2017
Area: 36 m2
Photography: GaZ Blanco, SNBR

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House Between Trees / AS Arquitectura

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 05:00 AM PST

Architects: AS Arquitectura
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Project Architects: Alejandra Abreu Sacramento, Xavier Abreu Sacramento
Project Area: 550.0 m2
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: David Cervera

Text description provided by the architects. The house is approximately 550 m2 located on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. It is a contemporary house designed with the concept of spatial fluidity, always seeking the integration of exteriors and interiors through the creation of a central courtyard that links spaces and allows views to flow through it to the rest of the site that preserves endemic vegetation without alterations.

The location of the project responds to the conservation of existing vegetation, taking areas with less vegetation to develop the program, and forming the main courtyard around a group of trees as a linchpin.

The concept of fluidity is achieved by opening all the spaces to the main courtyard, integrating the outside with the inside and vice versa, creating virtually larger, more lit and naturally ventilated spaces where all the spaces of the house enjoy views outside. This opening allows for the spaces to operate with natural lighting and ventilation throughout the day, reducing the need for electric power consumption.

Formally the house is a large slab perforated in the center that embraces a body of significant trees, delimits the interior spaces and connects public and private spaces. This slab rests on a series of walls that direct the views onto the central courtyard and to the rest of the site, framing them in a harmonious way.

Moreover, local materials were used for the finishes, like stone placed by craftsmen taking inspiration from the earthworks of the Mayan houses, and which serve as the main structure of the large slab. We also used concrete stucco combined with chukum tree resin that, besides having waterproof properties, achieves greater harmony with the existing elements in the site and provide a naturally warm color.

The house gives the user a feeling of spaciousness through the use of light and contact with nature, allowing a greater sense of comfort and increasing the quality of life of the user. The organic architecture of the house turns the vegetation into the main character of the project, perfectly camouflaging the project with the context.

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Posted: 07 Jan 2018 04:00 AM PST

At ArchDaily, we're lucky enough to know a fantastic network of architecture professionals, allowing us to share the world's best architecture with our audience. But our articles wouldn't be the same without the many photographers who dedicate themselves to making incredible, inspiring images. For that reason, here we present the 50 most popular architecture images of 2017.

Jo Smith

Back Country House / LTD

Iwan Baan

Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects

Rafael Gamo

Next Hydroponic Plant / CC Arquitectos

Rasmus Hjortshøj

Park ‘n’ Play / JAJA Architects

Aedas

Unilever Headquarters / Aedas

Timothy Soar

Caroline Place / Amin Taha Architects + GROUPWORK

Laurian Ghinitoiu

TIRPITZ / BIG

Martin Gardner

The Quest / Strom

SAM

House W / KC Design Studio

Shinkenchiku-sha

Nest We Grow / College of Environmental Design UC Berkeley + Kengo Kuma & Associates

Hufton+Crow

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre / Zaha Hadid Architects

Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Red House / extrastudio

Jack Thompsen

Concrete Box House / Robertson Design

Hiroyuki Oki

Binh House / VTN Architects

ArchSD

Kai Tak Primary School / ArchSD

Hiroyuki Oki

House in Chau Doc / NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS

Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Huangshan Mountain Village / MAD Architects

Chen Hao

The Qiyun Mountain Tree House / Bengo Studio

Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman

skinnySCAR / Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman

Tom Blachford

Courtyard House / FIGR Architecture & Design

Sophie Mayer

Rural House / RCR Arquitectes

Hiroyuki Oki

Apartment in Binh Thanh / Sanuki Daisuke architects

Ramiro Sosa

Pueyrredón 1101 Building / Estudio Pablo Gagliardo

Quang Dam

TH House / DANstudio

Terrence Zhang

Parc Central / Benoy

Mike Sinclair

Shelton Marshall Residence / El Dorado

Doublespace Photography

The Lookout at Broad Cove Marsh / Omar Gandhi Architect

Shannon McGrath

Armadale House / Robson Rak Architects + Made By Cohen

Michael Sinclair

Silver House / Hyde + Hyde Architects

Iwan Baan

Beirut Terraces / Herzog & de Meuron

Beer Singnoi

Flagship Building / Geodesic Design

Nic Lehoux

The Bear Stand / Bohlin Grauman Miller in association with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Liky Photos

Work-Studio in a Plant-House / O-office Architects

Agnese Sanvito

Gallery House / Neil Dusheiko Architects

Kevin Scott

Cabin at Longbranch / Olson Kundig

NAARO

Villa Ypsilon / LASSA architects

Åke E- son Lindman

Atrium House / Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

Song Yousub

Stratum House / stpmj

Rasmus Hjortshøj

The Silo / COBE

URBANTAINER

Common Ground / URBANTAINER

Daisuke Shima

Creche Ropponmatsu Kindergarten / Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design

Julien Lanoo

International Bamboo Architecture Biennale

Krzysztof Strażyński

Apartment For A Guy And Even Two Of Them / Metaforma

ASSISTANT

IT IS A GARDEN / ASSISTANT

Ilya Kruchinin

Landform House / A61architects + YYdesign

Hufton+Crow

Harbin Opera House / MAD Architects

Iván Casillas

Casa Concreto / Grupo MM

art4d magazine / Ketsiree Wongwan

Forest House / Studio Miti

Rasmus Hjortshøj

Krøyer Square / Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects + COBE

Shu He

Huangshan Mountain Village / MAD Architects

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Photos Capture the Luxurious Life Inside Herzog & de Meuron's Beirut Terraces

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 01:30 AM PST

In the rapidly burgeoning city of Beirut, the post-war building boom is far from over. Much like its middle-eastern neighbors, it boasts of a plump share of designer architecture—as critic Oliver Wainwright refers to it, "a diverse shopping list". It is here that the Beirut Terraces, a residential complex designed by Herzog & De Meuron, rises up to 119 meters, occupying a prominent place in the city's skyline. In this collection of photographs by Bahaa Ghoussainy, one sees the Beirut Terraces from within, getting a glimpse of both the interior, as well as the multiple, unique views offered from inside the building.

Ghoussainy's photographs capture the clever layering that the design revolves around. By shifting and stacking the many slabs of the building, the architects play with varying degrees of privacy, a sense of openness or enclosure, light and shadow, vegetation, as well as remarkable views looking outwards towards the surroundings and the sea beyond.

Read a full description of the project here, or check out more on Herzog & De Meuron here.

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Apartment with Partitions / Casa100 Arquitetura

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 01:00 AM PST

Architects: Casa100 Arquitetura
Location: Vila Mariana, São Paulo - State of São Paulo, Brazil
Architect In Charge: Diogo Luz, José Guilherme Carceles
Wood Work : Uzuni Design
Area: 65.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Gui Morelli

Constructor : Chapolim Reformas

Text description provided by the architects. The first request made by the resident of this apartment, was to have a minimalist environment, with references to Scandinavian architecture. She did not want many colors and not much information in the apartment. Architecture should speak for itself. The apartment originally had 2 bedrooms, and two bathrooms. With the changes made in the project, the master suite got bigger, and where the 2nd bedroom was, it turned into a large closet, which is a kind of entrance hall of the suite, and where the restroom is located. In the bathroom the idea was to join the 2 shower cabins turning into just one larger, for the suite, since the smaller one now turned into a restroom. The open kitchen to the living room has received a support counter which also serves as a dining space for 2 people. The air conditioning machine on the terrace was hidden by a perforated metal plate, and on it, the wooden shelf receives some plants for everyday uses. To maintain clarity throughout the apartment, and not visually diminish the room, the division between social and intimate wing was done with a dotted glass, allowing the good use of the natural light but also maintaining the privacy of the enclosed environment. The materials follow a more sober line, so we have plenty of white, wood in American oak leaves, and copper tubes that are shelf structures in the kitchen, living room and bedroom.

Interior design follows the same line of architecture. Lightweight, neutral, minimalist and with Scandinavian references. This way we have a great presence of the colors white and gray and also some pastel colors. There are not many furniture in the apartment by a request from the resident who sought a space without much information.

Regarding materials, we basically work with apparent concrete on the slab and countertops, white slatted porcelain flooring, paneling wood and cabinets, and copper tubes, elements that have structured the support shelves. The lighting is all made with apparent piping, and in the suite the electrical structure serves as well as a support for the spots, and also they become luminaires with led strips on the top, working as a guide by the light reflected in the slab, from the closet to the bathroom of the suite.

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4 Must-Have Skills Architects Need to Tackle Turbulent Times

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST

© Nicolás Valencia, using image © <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Hokusai">Katsushika Hokusai</a> - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>, online database: entry <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45434">45434</a>, licensed under, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2798407">Link</a> + <span>autor desconocido</span><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718"></a> -. See <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63016">Link</a>

These are interesting times. There is in the English language a curse, purported to have been translated from the Chinese, but most likely of British origin: “May you live in interesting times.” The meaning, of course, is that it is better to live in uninteresting times of peace and stability than to experience the curse of living in “interesting” times of conflict and flux. Such a fate would only be wished on one’s enemies. So, yes, it might indeed seem that we have had the misfortune to live in very interesting times. We are confronted with multiple, intertwined crises of great complexity: climate change, political instability, mass migrations, hunger, and social polarization, just to name a few.

There are no easy solutions to these complex problems, but there are many energetic, talented, and intelligent people trying to address them, from a range of academic backgrounds. Architects, however, have largely been excluded from the conversation, or have, in fact, chosen to exclude themselves. The general public cannot be expected to turn to architects for solutions to today’s complex problems if we, ourselves, do not insert ourselves into the conversation. Following the examples of heroic figures in architecture, both past and present, we often understand the legitimate path of the architect to be a narrow one, limited to the built environment. After all, one might reason, that is what we’ve been trained to do. Isn’t it?

No. That most certainly is not it. At least that’s not all. The work of Pritzker Prize winning architects like Shigeru Ban or Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, suggests that architects can in fact play a vital role in addressing the challenges we confront. Ban is an extremely skilled architect and has produced work in what one might call “conventional architecture,” with ordinary clients, budgets, and programmatic requirements. Yet Ban has also worked closely with the UNHCR, developing new approaches to building with paper, cardboard, and local materials to help address refugee crises and provide shelter after natural catastrophes. Ban has used his architectural skills to solve complex problems that transcend architecture and help provide dignified, economical, and quickly assembled shelter in emergency conditions. Aravena has, as well, addressed the issue of social housing from a novel perspective. His work engages local communities and clients, allowing owners to not merely occupy a social housing unit but to make it theirs, to become part of the design and construction process.

This is not to say that the design of a single building, or even of many buildings, can alone resolve complex global issues. Even the socially-engaged work of Ban and Aravena can be located within the somewhat narrow boundaries of the built environment. Might more be possible? Perhaps the unique skills that the architect possesses may be useful in addressing today’s crises, whether or not these skills are applied to the design of buildings. What are these skills? How can they be applied?

1. Teamwork

The vision of the lone architect genius has given way to a more collaborative model, in which the architect leads a team of experts in a wide variety of associated disciplines; mechanical and structural engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, specialty consultants, sociologists, artists, and graphic designers may all work together on a given project. The architect knows he or she doesn’t know everything. That’s ok. Architects conduct the symphony, they draw out the best of each expert to produce a rich, complex response to complex situations. Most other fields work in teams, of course. That, in itself, is not novel. But the architect’s ability to converse intelligently (we hope!) with experts in a variety of related fields may be an important asset. It is often said that the architect knows a little bit about a lot. When working in diverse teams of experts, this generalist approach may make the architect a useful team leader, capable of pursuing a collective goal by searching out experts and synthesizing their voices into a concrete proposal.

2. Interactive Thinking

Architects assume there are many good answers to a question. But these answers don’t emerge quickly or automatically. That’s why architects tinker, experiment, try and try again. For many architects, an iterative process is an important way of working, a way in which multiple acceptable options are developed in parallel. The resulting battle of ideas and approaches strengthens the final result. When faced with complexity, the architect sees many possible ways forward.

3. Synthesis and Seduction

The architect often is forced to distill complex ideas into a single project image or slogan. In doing so, architects make the abstract concrete and can make a direct appeal to the senses or to emotions. Many of the crises we face today seem abstract or distant. Architects’ ability to visualize and make visible may help a broader population understand the true scale of these challenges. And when it’s time to propose a response, architects have the technical and creative skills to make seductive, clear, and direct explanations and images of what’s being proposed. The current media environment is saturated in images. It can be difficult to break through the "noise" and make a single clear visual statement. Yet architects have long been using graphic tools to make an argument, to convince, to propose. This disciplinary skill is today more relevant than at any other time. We can synthesize, communicate, and seduce through images. When problems are complex, these may be important skills needed to interest and mobilize a populace seemingly glued to their black screens.

4. Project-Based Logic

Architects approach their work as projects: distinct, although occasionally related, episodes with a beginning, middle, and an end. If we hope to address the problem of climate change, for example, the task may seem impossibly remote and complex. Unending. An architectural way of working may help break down this complex challenge into distinct, actionable phases, and to respond to a systemic problem through coordinated but true and tried actions. Architects can help.

To be sure, the traditional model of architecture and the traditional role of the architect will continue to be valid and useful: humane and innovative shelter is also an important part of our collective future. But I would suggest that architects themselves may not have fully embraced how we can also play a role in solving a broad range of issues, and that once we begin to distinguish the tools of the architect from the traditional work of the architect, then we can apply them to some of the most pressing problems we face, working alongside others with the same goals.

As the director of an architecture program, I am lucky to work every day with young, idealistic, and ambitious students of architecture. Many tell me that they have always wanted to be an architect, that they never considered any other path. Others have had a more circuitous path to architecture school, and even now are not entirely sure that they wish to practice architecture, in the conventional sense. Yet the current generation, no matter how wedded they might be to the architectural profession, no matter how clear or cloudy their professional plans, seem in many cases to be more advanced than the professors in that they do not necessarily see a clear line between what is architecture and what is not. Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to get these students to make a building, as their interests are often sociopolitical, and not always related to buildings.

This presents its own challenges, I admit, but I do believe that the students may, in fact, be showing us a way forward. Many of these architecture students find the image of the heroic, superstar architect to be somewhat outmoded, perhaps even a bit silly. Instead, some of these students see the architect as a creative problem solver, a coordinator of teams, and someone who can inspire. And while the results are not always perfect, the students’ ambition, creativity, and concern with the state of the world is itself inspiring to me every day.

Architecture may, therefore, provide more than just shelter in these turbulent times, and the architect may contribute more than we may have known possible. The challenges we face are significant but are by no means insurmountable. Architects can help. The students seem to know this, intuitively. A growing number of architects, as well. When we architects try to join the conversation, and when our voices are brought into the conversation, perhaps we might move one step closer to addressing our complex challenges. We may come to see that it has been a challenge and a privilege to have lived in times that are, indeed, very interesting.

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Historic House Renovation in Suzhou / B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 09:00 PM PST

Architects: B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio
Location: No29 Jinli Road , Gu Su District, Suzhou, China
Lead Architectus: Shuhei Aoyama, Yoko Fujii, Lingzi Liu, Liman Wei, Shiting Zhang, Guang Yang
Area: 2500.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Eiichi Kano

Text description provided by the architects. Located in the core of the historic town of Suzhou, China, the site covers about 2,500 sqm, once was the residence of family Bei. The traditional Chinese garden consists of four ancient wooden structure architectures with courtyards built in the Qing Dynasty, dating back over a hundred year of history, and other four buildings built in the 90s of concrete structure. The renovation project aims to transform the historical house into a modern apartment.

For the renovation of the four old houses, all the original wooden structure is preserved with simple reinforcement and restoration. Since the lack of maintenance, the building status no longer suits modern lifestyles, the main focus is to resolve functions that can meet the needs of modern daily life, such as air conditioning, heating system, shower room etc. The red paint from the original wood structure is removed and changes to black paint using the traditional lacquer process, together with natural wood frame of the windows and doors, reflect the beauty and elegance of the old architecture. Materials with natural textures such as stones, walnut wood are used for the interior space, setting a simple and natural tone.

For the renovation of the concrete structure buildings, the design goes for a more relaxed and modern atmosphere using pure and minimalist language. Comparing to the old houses, materials with lighter color are used such as oak wood and light grey terrazzo floor. By boldly introducing the modern design into the historic garden, the juxtaposition of old and new shows an interesting dialogue between the tradition and the modern lifestyle.

The main theme of the design is to inherit the spirit of the historic house not just by preserving and restoring its appearance but most importantly by recreating its spatial experience. Even though the house is to be transformed into a modern apartment, we do not want it to be separated into several isolated rooms, in fact, more than half of the space is used as public space, such as shared kitchen, shared study room, art galley, public bars and spa… Apart from the private room, the guests will also have the whole garden as the extensions of their home where they can communicate with the others. The definition of home have been expanded both in terms of concept and space.

The renovation of courtyard is another focus of the design. For the rooms had no courtyard in the original plan, we also set a space used as a garden or terrace, the open relationship between the courtyard and the interior diffusing the boundary between the indoor and outdoor space and at the same time achieved the transition from public to private.

The design of the courtyard at the entrance also takes inspiration from the classical garden which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, we transformed the original parking lot into a modern waterscape courtyard with a sunken seating area in the middle of the water, bringing people closer to the nature and creating a unique view and experience.

The house renovation project is an experiment and exploration of urban regeneration of historic area, by introducing new and high-quality lifestyle into the old architectures, offers an opportunity for the historic town to revive under the modern context.

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ponedjeljak, 8. siječnja 2018.

Arch Daily

1. Teamwork

2. Interactive Thinking

3. Synthesis and Seduction

4. Project-Based Logic

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