Arch Daily |
- Ensaio 04 / FAHR 021.3
- Centre for Plasma Physics and Lasers / Sparch Sakellaridou - Papanikolaou Architects
- Asia Pacific Youth Exchange Center of Fudan University / W&R GROUP
- Gwanggyo House / JYA-RCHITECTS
- Hauser & Wirth Pop-up Bookshop / dongqi Architects
- Pioneer Village / aLL Design
- C57-4 Building / Boué arquitectos
- 152 American & 2 International Architects Elevated to AIA College of Fellows for 2018
- House in Scotch Cove / FBM Architecture | Interior Design
- dRMM’s 2017 Stirling Prize Winner Hastings Pier Seeks New Owner After Charity Folds
- City Hyde Park / Studio Gang Architects
- Gehry's Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum Designs Revealed in New Video
- Benjamín Romano: "I Focus on Improving the Building"
- Bridge House / LLAMA urban design
- What Is Architecture Without Clients And Money? ArchDaily Editors Talk
- High School and Community Centre Project Tests the Limits of Timber Log Construction
| Posted: 23 Feb 2018 09:00 PM PST  © José Campos
 © José Campos Text description provided by the architects. Ensaio 04 is a geometric study of a curved surface built through straight planes of poplar wood, resulting in a perspective deformation.  © José Campos  Elevations and Plan Details  © José Campos The exercise proposed by FAHR presents a scenic element related to the theatre, which is also an exercise of scale since it relates the building with the public space, creating a temporary urban scenery.  Horizontal Elevation Views Details Besides, Ensaio 04 is a strange object due to the illusion that it creates to the human eye, and because of the relations of shadow/light, full /empty that change during the day.  © José Campos Ensaio 04 takes part in a set of geometric experiments developed by FAHR and was developed from a challenge of the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim for the celebration of the 3rd anniversary of the reopening of the Garrett Cinema-Theater.  Vertical Elevation Views Details  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Centre for Plasma Physics and Lasers / Sparch Sakellaridou - Papanikolaou Architects Posted: 23 Feb 2018 06:00 PM PST  © Erieta Attali
 © Erieta Attali Text description provided by the architects. The 2500 sqm new facilities for the Centre for Plasma Physics and Lasers CPPL, an advanced research and educational building housing sub-femtosecond lasers, are located in a magnificent area in Rethymnon, Crete.  © Erieta Attali A requirement for vibration isolation due to the high-tech lasers, the steep slope of the site and the horizon with the view of Aegean Sea, led the architects to a concept that brings together three themes: the technological aspect, the program and the landscape.  Ground Floor Plan In a dialogue among them, these three themes convergeto a building that consists of: a solid base, the horizon traced through the transparency of an essentially void ground level and a linear floating 'beam', a suspended white line that is framing the horizon. The concept is translated to a synthesis between the concrete / dark / solid / earthy on one side and the metal / white / technological / floating on the other, with the horizon trapped between the two.  © Erieta Attali The base touches firmly on the ground. Following strict requirements, it is isolated from any other element of the building. It houses the laser laboratories and auxiliary areas. Inside the labs, specialized devices ensure stable temperature and humidity conditions, as well as high indoor pressure, achieving a dust-free environment. Special care has been taken for the anti-vibrational laboratory floor, which is completely isolated from the rest of the building.  © Erieta Attali  © Erieta Attali The base is an independent structure, while the V geometry of the metal structure generates grid subdivisions optimizing the anti-seismic and anti-vibrational behavior of the building. The linear 'beam' houses offices and support facilities like a conference room, meeting rooms and a library, With its metal structure that generates openings and grid subdivisions, it stands out in its white color and frames the view, while a 'void' ground floor houses the entrance lobby and the restaurant.  © Erieta Attali  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Asia Pacific Youth Exchange Center of Fudan University / W&R GROUP Posted: 23 Feb 2018 02:00 PM PST  © Yijie Hu
 © Yijie Hu Text description provided by the architects. The project is located in Beiyuan Life Park, Fudan University Handan Campus. The original building is a two-story student shower room. South of it is the Yangpu District. East side the nursing home. The northwest is the student restaurant. West of the student apartments, the northeast side of the park close to the garbage dump.  © Yijie Hu With the improvement of sanitation facilities in the student residences in the park, the bathroom is currently out of use. In order to be able to recycle waste building, the school decided to renovate the building into a student communication center.
For privacy reasons, the building exterior is illuminated and ventilated with only a few lateral high-windows. The entire building is like an enclosed and lonely box. Sunlight, rain, trees and passersby's eyes are cut off by the solid wall with no communication.  © Yijie Hu The surrounding environment seems to have ignored its existence, especially as its function slowly fades. When we are going to open the façade where it has never been opened, the first thing to think about when a dialogue is suddenly initiated in an otherwise closed relationship is how to establish a new relationship with the surrounding environment. In any case, we hope that through a medium, we can ease the relationship between such a sudden change.  © Yijie Hu We incorporated the open space between the south side and the nursing home, the open space between the east side and the refuse collection site, and the open space between the west and the road into our design area, setting the wall as the boundary and forming a filter between walls and indoor buildings, which not only extends the indoor space to the outdoors, but also reduces the influence of the external environment on the privacy of the interiors.  1F Plan We hope to bring as much as possible courtyard views and greens to the interior, so we used a lot of floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor of the façade. The height of the second floor has no protection of the wall, thus the window-opening cannot seem to be so willful. It is necessary to meet the indoor lighting, ventilation and landscape requirements, but also reduce the impact on the external environment.  © Yijie Hu  © Yijie Hu The level of the scattered, the size of the hole, as the main window form the second floor of the outer walls, like a frame, to capture the outdoor landscape, standing in the light and shadow of the room, like being in a collection landscape Art Museum in general. As the night approaches, the room is filled with warm light, revealing from the scattered window, the entire building was like magnificent like a light container. The fuzzy boundaries of the indoor and outdoor integration, subtle and harmonious, are her new relationship with the environment.  © Yijie Hu  © Yijie Hu The new function is mainly the unitized activity room. We hope to leave as much lighting as possible to the activity room, and as much deep interior space as possible for the traffic space. The two main floors at the main entrance of the north side of the original building did not improve the interior space and lighting much. Instead, they are very incompatible with this small volume of building space and the stairway has a better lighting.  © Yijie Hu So we moved the stairs to the south in the middle of the building and designed a skylight ceiling to improve the lighting in the room. At the same time the hall pick-empty two-storied floor, set into the activity room. Due to the increase in floor space and the increase in floor space, we were able to offset this area by adding a two-story patio and an outdoor staircase to the two-story rooftop terrace was added to the patio.  © Yijie Hu This new spatial relationship has basically taken shape. A main traffic lane connects each room space in series and leads to a rooftop terrace, where each room can enjoy day lighting, natural ventilation, and outdoor views.  © Yijie Hu  © Yijie Hu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Gwanggyo House / JYA-RCHITECTS Posted: 23 Feb 2018 12:00 PM PST  © Hwang Hyochel
 © Hwang Hyochel Text description provided by the architects. A couple visited the JYA office and shared their wish to build a house on a sunlit ground facing a cozy park in its south. With nice gentle smiles, they naturally displayed modesty and warmth. As to show their affection for people, they dreamed of a house that is 'open to people'. To them, the house had both 'internal' and 'external' meanings: a place where their family and relatives get together and share lives as well as a space where their friends and neighbors casually come by and chat together. For that reason, they wanted spaces like open lounge or daecheong, a Korea's traditional main floored room and wished to capture the characteristics of such open spaces in their new house.  © Hwang Hyochel As such, our work started from imagining all the necessary spaces for the family. We first thought of a family room where people could meet one another, take rest, read books or play together or individually. The room would absorb sufficient sunlight and capture the view of a beautiful sunset as well as that of a little park and a hill in front of the house. Next was the spacious structure of the house that would allow family members to simultaneously engage in various activities. An ideal example of this was numaru, a balcony-like raised veranda that would give an enjoyably nostalgic and serene sentiment. Based on the numaru concept, we reinterpreted its spacial characteristics, captured them into inner space of the new house and started to unravel the rest of spaces.  © Hwang Hyochel In turn, the family room was to be located at the center of the 2nd floor, along with a main bedroom and kids' bedrooms on each side. It would act as a place that connects and disconnects parents and children. They would enjoy reading books from shelves that fully cover the wall or take a nap on a window bench facing south. At the center of the room, there is a staircase that leads to the 1st floor. The staircase creates a downward flow, divides the family room into big, small, wide and narrow spaces and further blocks any unnecessary gaze. Following the staircase down to the 1st floor, a kitchen and dining room that face a front yard come into sight.  © Hwang Hyochel The most important spaces on the 1st floor are a kitchen, dining room and a small living room, all of which are connected to the front yard. The dining room leads to a small toenmaru, then to the front yard while a big wide door of the living room is linked to a daecheongmaru, a main floored room that captures the whole sight of the front yard. Such structure resembles that of Korea's traditional front yard, making it possible to watch kids play in the yard and greet neighbors passing by. Children could play not only in the yard but also in the park right outside the house by simply going out through its side door. As such, this open yard would genuinely act as a place of play and exchange—at least to those joyful children.  © Hwang Hyochel The house that embraces these spaces is built in a rather simple form. Its exterior is also finished with bricks in subtle color that reflects the modest taste of the client. Nonetheless, an exposed structure of its living room creates a dynamic diagonal line, interestingly adding different images to the house from different angles.  © Hwang Hyochel The couple and their three sons who dreamed of a house 'open to people' encounter and exchange with a far more people than we expected. The three kids are all over the attic, the family room, the living room and the bathroom, and their new friends are welcome to the house anytime. The parents now spend more time in the house and meet more people more often.  Elevation  Section As a house would 'resemble' people who reside in it, we wanted build a house that resembles the client family—a simple modest house that warmly embraces and welcomes people. With sincere hope and no doubt, anything that has not yet been captured in the house will be eventually filled with the family's fullness and richness of their daily lives.  © Hwang Hyochel  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hauser & Wirth Pop-up Bookshop / dongqi Architects Posted: 23 Feb 2018 11:00 AM PST  © Raitt Liu
 © Raitt Liu Text description provided by the architects. dongqi Architects designed the Hauser & Wirth Publishers' pop-up bookshop located within Modern Eye, the art space of Modern Media Group in central Shanghai. The pavilion is assembled in the 3-story-high space facing the main entrance to communicate the ethos of Hauser & Wirth by showcasing H&W publications, selected artist products and the story of the Hauser & Wirth gallery and farm in Somerset, England.  © Raitt Liu The pavilion with sloped roof takes its inspiration from the the Granary Shed - a traditional English grain store which sits elevated by Staddle stones at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Somerset, England. Traditionally used to store grain reaped from the land, and to protect it from the elements, the Granary Shed concept at Modern Eye has been reinterpreted.  © Raitt Liu To echo the grain stores' simple shape and form within the bookstore space, on the one side array oak columns while mirror-finished stainless steel columns on the other side. The columns rise up to 3.5 metre high and then tilt as sloped roof until interposing with each other on the rooftop.  © Raitt Liu  Detail 3mm-thick mirror-finished stainless steel sheets spacing 400mm, serving as bookshelves interpose with the columns. The steel sheets horizontally bind up with the columns and help to stabilize the whole structural system. The stairs and platform are designed to be interposed with the main structure. Grasses and flowers are planted on the two existing tables to illustrate the landscape of Durslade farm in Somerset, England.  © Raitt Liu The mirrored stainless steel sheets reflect the surroundings and merge into the space, which contrast with the material of oak. Meanwhile, display the different views and details of books through multiple reflections. Dialogue between void and solid, finite and infinite runs through the whole concept of the pop-up bookshop. The concept of the structure creates dialogue between reality and virtuality, tangibility and imagination, nature and civilisation, precision and infinity.  © Raitt Liu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 23 Feb 2018 09:00 AM PST  Courtesy of aLL Design
 Courtesy of aLL Design Text description provided by the architects. IBI Group is the architect of record for both Finch West and Pioneer Village Station, based on the scheme de signed by Will Alsop, in joint venture with LEA Consulting Ltd. and WSP. Light Spell was designed by Tim and Jan Edler of realities:united  Site Pioneer Village station straddles the border of York Region, beneath the intersection of Steeles Avenue West and Northwest Gate, anchoring a corner of York University Campus. The station will serve as an integrated regional transport hub serving up to 20,0 00 subway passenger trip s daily, providing 1 ,881 commuter parking spaces and two separate regional bus terminals. The location is otherwise under developed and it is intended that the station entrances and bus terminals will create a public focal point that will serve the future development of the surrounding area, beginning with Steeles Avenue West.  Courtesy of aLL Design The subway station's entrances were designed as a pair of sculptural structures; their height exceeding that necessary, to increase their visibility - 'We learn a lot from cathedrals ,' said Will Alsop. Rendered in weathering steel, these two structures mirror each other in shape and scale. The bus station canopy – also Corten steel – has a huge cantilevered roof, the surface of which is planted with meadow grasses , to create a 'green - roof' and to provide shelter for waiting passengers.  Courtesy of aLL Design  Plans  Courtesy of aLL Design Both Pioneer Village station and Finch West station (below) comprise beautifully executed concrete work – in Pioneer Village the interior walls are faceted, highly - polished concrete and the supporting columns along the length of the platforms are angled and ovoid in section .  Courtesy of aLL Design  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| C57-4 Building / Boué arquitectos Posted: 23 Feb 2018 07:00 AM PST  © Marcos Betanzos
 © Marcos Betanzos Text description provided by the architects. The entrance to C57-4 building is through a lobby with restrained design highlighted with details in wood and forge welcoming the inhabitants and leading them towards the vertical circulations formed by lifts and service staircase. In the interior of each floor, all of the units structural level was reconditioned to generate wide corridors dominated by an inside patio —that works also as a meeting point and relaxing area— with a red brick carpet down the shade of a tree.  © Marcos Betanzos Each apartment uses a very specific material palette with neutral colors to promote a great visual field amplitude linked to a pure architecture with no staging resources that allows to appreciate the virtues of the original construction at the same time that facilitates a respectful intervention with the preexistence.  Plan 1 The project is crowned with a roof garden that has been created as a common area for all the inhabitants. This natured rooftop, with views to historical buildings, was set up in two different levels resulted from the original architecture.  © Marcos Betanzos The exterior lighting plays a main role not only for the building, but for its corner location, from where it is possible to observe how the building has a new value and is being lived through its balconies, windows and structural elements that brighten the street giving security to the pedestrians and transforming a discrete building in a paradigm for all the streets in this area of the city.  © Marcos Betanzos  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 152 American & 2 International Architects Elevated to AIA College of Fellows for 2018 Posted: 23 Feb 2018 06:00 AM PST  Claremont University Consortium Administrative Campus / LTL Architects. Image © Michael Moran The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the names of the 152 member-architects who have been elevated to its prestigious College of Fellows for 2018. Limited to members who have made "a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession," approximately 3 percent of the AIA's total membership of 90,000 are recognized as fellows.  Marwen's Expansion / Wheeler Kearns Architects. Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing The designation is given to architects with at least 10 years of AIA membership who have been nominated in one or more of the following categories:
Some notable names from this year's list include:
The full list of this year's fellows can be found here.  36 SML House / LEVENBETTS. Image © Michael Moran / OTTO The AIA also has selected 2 international architects to become honorary fellows for "their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society on an international level." This year's list includes:
More information on this year's recipients can be found here.
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| House in Scotch Cove / FBM Architecture | Interior Design Posted: 23 Feb 2018 05:00 AM PST  © Julian Parkinson
 © Julian Parkinson Text description provided by the architects. Designed for an active couple in their seventies that will never retire, and their extended grown-up family, this house embraces living well while aging in place. It subscribes to timeless ideals about making good architecture. It is responsive to siting for placemaking while emphasizing light and views. It creates spatial richness within a modest program and budget. Structure is used as an organizer of shelter and space. The architecture combines materials that are climatically and culturally responsive.  © Julian Parkinson Consisting of a main house and an out-building containing a dwelling and a workshop, the project understands work, of many types, as an integral part of living. The program of the main house includes two bedrooms; a living space that is a changing gallery that celebrates family artists; space for gathering and games; a kitchen where cooking and canning are multi-generational activities; a large dining area for family celebrations; and a sewing room for elaborate crafts. Centred around evolving family activities the home supports everyday culture that evokes what is best about daily life.  Axonometric Lightly sited within a meadow in Scotch Cove in East Chester, Nova Scotia at the edge of the ocean, the dwelling frames the spectacular views of Graves Island and the Tancooks. In conjunction with the out-building a sheltered forecourt is formed for parking cars, washer toss, and croquet. Within the out-building, the second storey dwelling space peeks above the house's vegetated and metal roofs to ocean views.  © Julian Parkinson Multiple elements within the house extend dwelling out into the bucolic ocean landscape. The interior concrete floors reach outside to create an at grade patio complete with kitchen herb garden. The roof and cedar soffit float above a clerestory with continuous views of the sky around the home, important to the sailors in the family. The stone element, housing the indoor and outdoor fireplace, slides out of the façade to create interior and exterior sitting areas. The laminated timber structure marches through the building and across the site shaping the spaces under it to form a covered barbequing area to the south of the home.  © Julian Parkinson Sustainability is an integral part of the project as an evolving container for living and by prioritizing local materials and trades. Environmentally, the building has overhangs to calibrate solar gain. Thermal mass within the concrete floors absorb winter sun for passive heat. The triple glazing and increased insulation enhance the thermal envelope. While the narrow cross section and high and low operators increase ventilation from ocean breezes.  © Julian Parkinson The collaborative relationship among architect, client, and builder facilitated the entire process. Founded upon shared values that included: siting the building together to enhance views and minimize earth disturbance; understanding the intimacy between craft, materials, and details; and a respect for budget and schedule.  © Julian Parkinson Mediating between traditional materials and modernity, the home celebrates placemaking and everyday Nova Scotian culture, evoking what is best about family and daily life.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| dRMM’s 2017 Stirling Prize Winner Hastings Pier Seeks New Owner After Charity Folds Posted: 23 Feb 2018 04:00 AM PST  Courtesy of dRMM Just four months after winning the 2017 Stirling Prize, the UK's top honor for architecture, dRMM's Hastings Pier is now up for sale, as the charity that owned and operated the structure was declared insolvent for failing to reach self-funding status.  © Alex de Rijke The Hastings Pier Trust announced that they had been unable to raise the £800,000 ($1.1 million USD) per year required to keep the Pier running, as outlined by their three-year business plan developed in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council. The Trust had hoped to capitalize on the Pier's design recognitions to make the structure self-supporting as an events venue and visitor attraction. The Pier is now listed for sale by British independent commercial property agency GVA, though it has not put a price on the structure, as they recognized the unique structure would be likely to fetch a wide range of offers based on the purchaser's long-term vision for its use. The project, a renovation of the fire-destroyed original pier, had cost £14.2 million ($19.8 million) and was completed in 2016.  © James Robertshaw  © Alex de Rijke The listing has already attracted the interest of some high profile figures, including Sheikh Abid Gulzaro, owner of the nearby Eastbourne pier. "I am 100 per cent serious about Hastings Pier and we have expressed our interest," he told The Argus. "It is clear Hastings Pier needs to become viable. At present it isn't and that's why it has gone into administration. It's quite simple. There needs to be more on Hastings Pier which brings money in."  © James Robertshaw The Pier will remain open to the public through the year, as the Hastings Pier Trust has already allocating funding for the 2018 season. News via BBC, The Argus, Hastings Pier Trust
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| City Hyde Park / Studio Gang Architects Posted: 23 Feb 2018 03:00 AM PST  © Tom Harris
 © Hedrich Blessing Text description provided by the architects. Located at a busy commercial intersection near Lake Michigan and adjacent to a commuter rail stop, City Hyde Park is designed to become a pedestrian-friendly hub that helps encourage the greater urban evolution of its neighborhood. When complete, the 500,000 sf mixed-use project will bring new options for living, shopping, and outdoor recreation and leisure to its full-block site, formerly an underused parking lot and strip mall. At street level, the building's retail arcade, multiple lobbies, and wider, improved sidewalks create a dynamic, walkable community scene. Above, a residential tower with a transparent amenity level and outdoor gardens and fitness areas rises from the plinth. Its design emphasizes its structure, with a playful array of stacked concrete panels forming columns, bays, balconies, and sunshades–creating a visually-exciting exterior and multiple opportunities for residents to socialize outdoors and connect with the surrounding city.  © Hedrich Blessing _Studio_Gang.jpg?1519382024 "Diagram") Diagram  © Hedrich Blessing  Details  © Hedrich Blessing  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Gehry's Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum Designs Revealed in New Video Posted: 23 Feb 2018 02:00 AM PST  via MassLive Frank Gehry's designs for the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum have been revealed, and as its name implies, the museum is about to take miniature trains to the maximum. Located on an 83,000 square foot site in North Adams, Massachusetts, just a few blocks away from contemporary art museum and artist residence Mass MoCA, the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum looks set to become the preeminent playground for architects and model train enthusiasts alike. At the center of the new institution is its 670-foot-long gallery, where a system of over 100 model trains will navigate its way through a landscape of some of history's most significant architectural marvels. Replicas of projects by more than 70 architects will represented, from architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan to contemporary marvels such as BIG's VIA 57 West and 6 of Gehry's own greatest hits. These models are anything but miniature, however, with the tallest entry (the Empire State Building) planned to rise to a height of 35 feet. Mezzanines will offer bird's eye views of the set-up, while visitors will have the chance to walk beneath replicas of famous bridges (such as the Brooklyn Bridge) that cross over the circulation path. The gallery will also embrace some high-tech features. Instead of painted backgrounds typically seen with miniature displays, the walls will be clad in a continuous rear-projection screen that will allow curators to change the weather, seasons and time of day, transforming the space into a totally immersive experience. At the center of the hall, a 150-foot-wide by 30-foot-tall imax-like screen will give visitors a look at the control center, showing the locations of various trains and providing additional information about the displays. The $65 million museum is expected to open to the public in 2021. See more photos of the museum design and some of the architectural models, here.
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| Benjamín Romano: "I Focus on Improving the Building" Posted: 23 Feb 2018 01:30 AM PST  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand Visiting Mexico City several times in recent months enabled me to get to know a number of leading architects there. In the process, I was in turn directed to other architects that were new to me, whom I then discovered were, in fact, the leading and most revered architects in the country according to the local architectural community. I am particularly referring to Alberto Kalach and Mauricio Rocha, whose interviews were published in this column last year, and Benjamín Romano, whose name came up when I asked a number of architects to cite their favorite building from recent years in Mexico City. Along with the absolute favorite, Vasconcelos Library by Kalach, another structure stood out: Torre Reforma, a 57-story office tower, the tallest building in the city. The following conversation with Romano, its architect, took place inside this unusually powerful and inventive structure.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand Vladimir Belogolovsky: Just to start—is there one particular question that you would want to be asked? Benjamín Romano: I was asked a number of times this question: Why do I have so few projects and why am I not building internationally? Here is the answer—I focus on improving the building. I like both design and construction, and I like to be involved in everything about the process. I like the idea of making improvements and having total control over the architecture that I am creating. For that reason, I like working on one project at a time; I enjoy it. Lately, I am working on a book called Doing, which is about documenting the process of creating a single building—this building, Torre Reforma. I have thousands of photos from during the construction and I will present the story of this building both along the process of thinking and construction. VB: What projects are you currently working on? BR: At this time, I have four projects, all in Mexico and even if you were to invite me to do a project in the Middle East I wouldn't go. Most of my current projects are right here in Mexico City, including an office building and a residential development designed as part of the new studio and cultural center of contemporary artist Javier Marin, and there is a commercial center in Guadalajara, which will be built over an existing historical house.  Torre Reforma. Image Courtesy of LBR + A VB: I think it would be fair to say that your Torre Reforma here is the most iconic building in Mexico City today. Was this your intention, to create a new iconic form for the city? BR: Not at all. In fact, when I started the project I was advised to do a straightforward square building, and the historical house on the site was going to be simply enclosed within the new tower. Only during the planning stages did I realize the potential of this site urbanistically. In any case, there was no particular preconceived image. All of the design decisions were based on very specific conditions and requirements. For example, the uninterrupted height without a setback could be twice as high as Paseo de la Reforma is wide, the building's kink reflects that; it was not purely an artistic gesture. Also, the building's floor plates are shaped by structural considerations. In my projects I always follow the codes, structure, and other factors that I then manipulate. My compositions always come out of urban conditions. I think it is every architects' responsibility—first to recognize the restrictions and respond to them before allowing any kind of personal gestures. VB: You said that architecture is not about having inspirations. BR: Absolutely not.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: You said architecture comes out of analysis of the site, program, structure, and so on. But how can that be true with Torre Reforma? Wouldn't you agree that if you asked ten architects to design a tower on this site you would have ten completely different solutions? Which means that the design comes from the architect, and all other things only contribute, however greatly, but they don't define the work. That's why I suggest that there is always a preconceived vision driven by a particular inspiration. BR: Not in my case and not in this case. I am very certain of that. But first, let's define what is an inspiration? An inspiration is a metaphor and it can come from anywhere. I believe in solutions, not inspirations. Again, the site here is a square—40 by 40 meters; the historical house in the corner forced me to come up with triangular floor plans in the tower above. But then the floor area would be very small and not useful for companies. That's why I proposed to cantilever the building over the historical house and extend the floor plates with chamfered corners. We already talked about the height limitations and the kink. And finally, I knew that eventually, more buildings are going to be built all around here and for that reason I oriented most of the views toward the park. Then there are structural considerations—I hate having columns in the space, which led to a very expressive structure on the outside. There are so many conditions that come before any design decisions. I have to admit that I like triangles and I often use them in my designs. Still, I don't believe in inspirations that come from nowhere; I believe in solutions that come from real life. VB: You may be right that inspirations come from nowhere, but they also come for particular reasons. You know, your Torre Reforma profile reminds me of Torres de Satélite by Barragan. BR: Sure. I like those structures and perhaps they were reflected in my design but if that's the case, that happened subconsciously. As far as specific proportions, they are not only based on codes but on the Golden Section that I always try to incorporate. I believe in the power of proportions. I believe in order and clarity. People may not be able to read a particular rationale behind a project but I think having an internal logic helps to appreciate it visually. Rem Koolhaas said at one point, "Fuck the context." But even if I wanted to agree with him, the reality is very different. We, architects, don't have that kind of freedom. Our buildings are conditioned by so many circumstances conditioned by the city, street, program, structure, and so on. My architecture is a product of context.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: You said you see your buildings as powerful and structural expressions. Could you touch on that idea? BR: I like taking risks. As I mentioned, in Torre Reforma, the idea was to avoid having columns. To achieve that I had to hang the building. And when I started hanging the building I could not foresee the necessary strength of the structure. I love the result and the expression of the structure's power. There are some towers that may have similar impressions but I believe this one is different because the whole tower is literally hanging. I like that this building is not just about projecting a particular image but to express an incredibly powerful force. VB: What do you think about signature architecture? For example, Wolf Prix said, "I love when people give buildings nicknames. A city must feature identifiable and iconic buildings." Do you agree and does Torre Reforma have a nickname? BR: Yes, I agree. I am not sure our building has a nickname but some people call it the Tetris Building because of the characteristic window patterns in two solid walls. But if you ask me, I would love this building to be known as obelisk. I do love nicknames because it means that people have noticed the architect's work.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: You are a developer in addition to being an architect. Why is that? BR: When I graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana here in Mexico City there were no jobs for architects. Just during my personal professional career, Mexico went through four economic crises and one major 1985 earthquake. Each of those five cataclysmic events was followed by years of total stagnation; there was no new construction of any kind. That's why architects here are forced to act as our own clients. 1984 was the final call for many Mexican architects because that year's crisis came just two years after the 1982 crisis. It was then that I came to a conclusion that I no longer could afford to sit and wait for a phone call. I decided to become a developer. I had no choice and many other Mexican architects didn't have a choice, and even today many architects prefer this model. VB: Do you like being both architect and developer? Does that situation give you greater creative freedom? BR: I think it is better to be just an architect. Absolutely. This is because as developers, we find land, we see the potential, then we look for lenders, and we promise to develop a particular project with a certain quality for x amount of money. We take upon ourselves responsibilities for thousands of people. So, I need to do such excellent work to carry my reputation... That is insane. Isn't it better to be just an architect?! But I would not survive simply as an architect. Still, today, I have more opportunities and I can choose to work on some projects as an architect only. I like that more.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: Do you have a favorite building anywhere in the world? BR: That would have to be the Ford Foundation on 42nd Street in New York by Kevin Roche. I love the atrium, the structure, the strength of the building, the peaceful contrast inside to the unbearable noise of Manhattan, and the offices upstairs are fantastic. It is also very discreet, and I bet very few people in New York ever heard of it. Its presence on the street is very minimal but the minute you go in—wow! VB: What about your favorite building here in Mexico City? BR: I have my favorite spots, from which a number of buildings can be seen. I love modernist buildings here that are very powerful. But to choose one building it would have to be Camino Real that was built for the 1968 Olympics, designed by Ricardo Legorreta.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: What single words can you name that describe your architecture best? BR: Structure, plumbing, piping, which has to go through somewhere, and it is very important to find the right flow. Also, fluidity, functionality. VB: You teach architecture here in Mexico and internationally. How? BR: I believe that you can understand buildings only by visiting them. I take my students on trips to visit buildings that are well built, as well as the ones that are badly built to learn from both.  Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VB: Some people told me that you are different; you are not like other Mexican architects. What do you think they mean? They told me that you are not quite inside of the architectural community here. BR: I am outside and I like it that way. I teach, I come to my office, I work. I have several architect-friends; we travel together twice a year to see architecture. But architecture is not what my life is all about. I am invited to give talks sometimes—I come, I do my talks, and I leave. [Laughs.] Honestly, I don't really follow any trends. That's how I entirely missed Postmodernism. I am convinced that architecture is not just about ideas; architecture is about solutions. And the solutions have to come from you, the architect. They have to be your solutions, not what you saw in magazines. VB: Do you have a personal agenda in architecture? BR: What I can tell you is that when I am invited by clients that expect a certain look, I definitely don't accept their invitations. I need to see and understand the site. I can't imagine a situation in which someone would ask me to look at another project as a prototype. If you come to me, it will be my project, so do I have an agenda? I think I answered your question. .jpg?1519324980 "Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand") Torre Reforma. Image © Alfonso Merchand VLADIMIR BELOGOLOVSKY is the founder of the New York-based non-profit Curatorial Project. Trained as an architect at Cooper Union in New York, he has written five books, including Conversations with Architects in the Age of Celebrity (DOM, 2015), Harry Seidler: LIFEWORK (Rizzoli, 2014), and Soviet Modernism: 1955-1985 (TATLIN, 2010). Among his numerous exhibitions: Anthony Ames: Object-Type Landscapes at Casa Curutchet, La Plata, Argentina (2015); Colombia: Transformed (American Tour, 2013-15); Harry Seidler: Painting Toward Architecture (world tour since 2012); and Chess Game for Russian Pavilion at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale (2008). Belogolovsky is the American correspondent for Berlin-based architectural journal SPEECH and he has lectured at universities and museums in more than 20 countries. Belogolovsky's column, City of Ideas, introduces ArchDaily's readers to his latest and ongoing conversations with the most innovative architects from around the world. These intimate discussions are a part of the curator's upcoming exhibition with the same title which premiered at the University of Sydney in June 2016. The City of Ideas exhibition will travel to venues around the world to explore ever-evolving content and design.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bridge House / LLAMA urban design Posted: 23 Feb 2018 01:00 AM PST  © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn
 © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn The Bridge House is located two hours north of the city of Toronto, on the shores of Mary Lake in Port Sydney, Ontario.  © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn Placed over a ravine, between two large maple trees, the volume has a minimal impact on the site. It sits across the steepest part of the slope, drawing a 38-metre-long horizontal line that acts as a counterpoint to the landscape. This simple gesture celebrates the experience of the place, not only as one walks through the house, over and across the ravine, but also when heading down to the waterfront, underneath the house, as one would cross a portico that heightens the monumental scale of the landscape.  © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn The house has two main facades. One faces the lake, acting as a sort of balcony that opens up towards the landscape, 6 metres above the ravine, placing the user at the height of the tree canopy. The other faces the forest and has a large opening which follows the form of the structure, mirroring the natural outline of the ravine.  © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn The house hangs from an inverted V–shaped glulam structure that also supports the exterior stairs, connecting the interior social area with the roof deck. The ensemble produces a sense of lightness that frames the landscape from the interior, allowing the exterior to cross through the house.  Diagram  Floor Plan A carefully crafted wooden finish, using only local woods, produces a contrast that resonates with the surrounding landscape. The exterior is clad in unstained cedar siding that runs horizontally, emphasizing the directionality of the volume on the site. The interior is clad in large panels of maple plywood, acting as a backdrop or projection screen to the subtle movements of nature. Here, the play of light and shadow created by the movement of the trees is complemented by the lapping sound of small waves on the beach.  © A-Frame studio/ Ben Rahn  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What Is Architecture Without Clients And Money? ArchDaily Editors Talk Posted: 23 Feb 2018 12:00 AM PST  Would BIG and Thomas Heatherwick have designed a huge, adaptable tensile structure for any client other than Google?. Image © Google In January, we covered an interview with Bjarke Ingels where he spoke of the role that clients play in architecture. In the article, Bjarlke Ingels mentioned that "In the world of architecture there are many more things beyond an architect's control than are under his command." The post started a debate among our readers as well as our editors at ArchDaily. Many readers bemoaned the demise of architecture at the hands of clients with big pockets. Some of us talked about how IT giants not only control our digital world, they are now also encroaching upon our urban environments. Several readers blamed big clients for creating starchitects who build grand buildings and, as they allege, cause an "infantalisation" of architecture in the process. Here at ArchDaily, our editors got to thinking: Can architecture exist without a client? Or is it just a service, a capitalistic exchange? And really, are clients such a bad thing for the field? We talk to some of our editors to get their perspective. Can architecture exist without a client?Romullo Baratto, architect, photographer, and editor at Archdaily Brasil: Well, what can be considered architecture? If one thinks about architecture as solely built things that exist in the physical realm, the client is an important determining parameter that architects must respect. The blank page is somehow terrifying for all creative professionals and the client has an authoritative role to play in defining strict guidelines to the project. However, I truly believe in the potential of architecture as a tool for discussion, questioning and thus transformation. In this sense, architecture doesn't necessarily need to be something of the physical realm - it can rely in the sphere of imagination and representation to foster some change within the field. To use the same word Ingels used, architecture doesn't need to be "built" to be architecture; and the guiding parameters can be found elsewhere rather than the client's needs and desires – be it society, theory or even the architects' questionings.  Fun Palace, from Cedric Price, conceived as as laboratory of fun and a university of the streets, was more a manifesto rather than an actual project. Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation. Image © MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art Nicolás Valencia, architect, professor and editor at Archdaily en Espanol: The responses to Bjarke Ingels' statement have been very revealing. Probably the statement would sound perverse if Patrik Schumacher said it; or pragmatic, in the case of Alejandro Aravena; and sensible if it were the request of a neighborhood community – yes, we need clients to build our projects! What does this reflect? Our practice is limited by the client - people such as almighty real estate owners, or millionaires clients with unique tastes. There is architecture without a client: there are investigations, self-assignments, experimental works. But of course, architecture is also a service often associated with the exploitation of the city, by those who want to and can invest in it. We know that architecture shapes our cities. What can we do? Support different clients and different architectural practices. Take a community-centric approach: get the middle and working classes involved in constructing their own cities. Do not always go for the big-money clients. The more diverse the clients, the better! .jpg?1519072467 "In-progress: 'Dreamcatcher' project, designed and built by Natura Futura + Ruta 4, alongside architecture students in Canoa, a town affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. Image © Nicolas Valencia") In-progress: 'Dreamcatcher' project, designed and built by Natura Futura + Ruta 4, alongside architecture students in Canoa, a town affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. Image © Nicolas Valencia Is architecture just a service for the client?Pedro Vada, editor at ArchDaily Brasil, architect, urbanist, and professor: I want to highlight two points. Firstly, in this interview, Bjarke is concerned about the client in the most common sense, as someone who hires a service. We have to realize this. Client, here, is different from user. Reading through the responses to the post, I see that the main criticism is that the practice suffers from reductionism imposed by those with capital. The interview calls these people with capital "predators" and treats us architects as mere service providers. Saying that architecture only exists if you have clients to pay for it is to be purposefully ignorant of a whole range of architectural skills outside of the built product. Architects design, and this design is a multidisciplinary and multi-step process. Sure, the client can play a part in the design process, but our design-thinking is not just a product to be sold. So let's think about this: why does a good project have to be built? Or, is a good project only worthy when we build it? Bjarke reasons that as architects, we are but players in the client's court. After all, no matter how great you are as an architect, if you play against the flow, you will never have a building built. I disagree! I think: So what? What about the process!  Très Grande Bibliothèque, Competition 1989. Honorable Mention. Great exemple of an amazing project, never built. Image © OMA  Très Grande Bibliothèque, Competition 1989. Honorable Mention. Great exemple of an amazing project, never built. Image © OMA This interview reminds me of many decades of discussions over questions like "Does architecture only exist if it is built?" In a world with both physical and virtual realities, with social issues and a capitalist system, the speech glorifying only built architecture no longer makes any sense. I get that we can't save the world with our buildings, and we can't just sell clients our "luxury" service. But the project is a complex process and we have a valuable and significant part to play, whether or not the project is realized in a built form! It seems that within the design process, there is potential for conflict between the architect and the client. Do clients often make things difficult for architects?Jose Tomas Franco, architect and ArchDaily Materials Editor: The big problem for many architects today is to see the client as a hindrance to their own ideas, when it should be the fundamental condition that guides and informs design. It makes sense for me to change the question to: "Can (good) architecture exist without the client?" My answer in this case would be no. I think it is absolutely necessary that there are parameters that define the development of our designs so that architecture can appear correctly and appropriately in the real world, and even in an experimental or utopian level. In this sense, the client would be the most important parameter to consider; the most valuable 'informant' in our quest to achieve the best architectural project possible. Even better if the client is also the user of the building. That there is –always– a counterpart that will be affected by our decisions, for good or for bad, makes our discipline have meaning and value. This implies a very high level of responsibility because we are doing something for someone. We have to learn to observe and guide the client.  In this 'DesignLab', created by C.F. Møller, the architects invite the clients to evaluate the spaces in cardboard before being built. Image Courtesy of C.F. Møller Bjarke Ingels says that 'In the world of architecture there are many more things beyond an architect's control than are under his command.' Maybe that's true but I think we have at hand the most important opportunity: the possibility of connecting with the client, of understanding and guiding their specific requirements, and proceeding in a precise and efficient way, without excesses or faults. Can we bring people and clients into our world in order to save our practice?Fabian Dejtiar, architect and editor for Argentina at ArchDaily: While it is true that it is necessary to bring architecture to the non-architects, such as clients, we should not do so just because because clients are necessary to feed our industry. We should do so because we ourselves want to approach the meaning of our discipline. We need architects to be everywhere, and they have to be proactive in spreading our discipline and our commitment to good architecture. I think the more people are involved, the better. The more people can think like architects, the better our practice will be. From Alberto Campo Baeza: if you are thinking about making a house, and you want it good, beautiful and cheap, you have to call an architect, a good architect.  6-year-old Samuel proposes architecture as a refuge in this Spanish project called "Chiquitectos". The project hopes to bring architecture to non-architects, and to increase children's and young people's interest in architecture. This is an example of what we need to do, as a whole, within our discipline. Image Courtesy of Chiquitectos  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| High School and Community Centre Project Tests the Limits of Timber Log Construction Posted: 22 Feb 2018 10:00 PM PST  Interior Render. Courtesy of AOR AOR Architects, a young practice based in Helsinki, have won the commission to design Monio High School and Community Centre in Tuusula, Finland. The project explores an innovative use of timber log building and will be the largest timber log school building in the world after its completion. Consisting of a high school, music institute, and community college, AOR's proposal combines these different programs in a multi-functional learning and community environment.  Exterior Render. Courtesy of AOR In their design for the Monio High School and Community Centre, AOR Architects have applied contemporary wood construction to traditional building methods. The use of timber log construction creates a durable and environmentally friendly outcome, leading to decreased carbon emissions both in the construction stage and through the building's lifespan. By generating an interesting textual quality in the façade and interior of the building, the use of timber log adds to both the architectural experience of the building as well as improving the acoustics and airflow by being an organic and breathable material.  Model. Courtesy of AOR Set in the former garrison area of Hyrylä, the design draws inspiration from the old barrack buildings of the area. The design of the high school and community center consists of 5 intersecting log houses that mirror the scale of the past buildings, as well as referencing the characteristics of the historical buildings of the area through façade and the shape of the roof. In the words of the architects, the project attempts to capture "the order and vigorous spirit of the former garrison area", transforming it into a multi-functional, shared space.  Elevations. Courtesy of AOR By combining the typology of a school and a community center, the project creates a sense of community and collaboration. Instead of the typically insular world of a high school, the hybrid typology allows for interaction between various demographics, opening up the school to share resources and spaces with the community. It represents a new type of learning environment, one that emphasizes spatial openness, collaboration, flexibility, and multi-functionality. The spaces for learning are not only generic classrooms but rather ambiguous areas of the lobby spaces where it can be used not only by students but by different users of the building for a variety of activities.  Exploded Axonometric. Courtesy of AOR The placement of the five timber log houses creates an internal network of meandering streets, in which the lobby spaces are situated on three levels. This evokes the sense of a miniature city within its wooden walls, where the porosity of the design creates the impression of a layered urban environment. By moving along the internal 'streets' and across the bridges, the inhabitants of the high school and community center can see and interact with each other.
News via: AOR.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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