Arch Daily |
- Amini House / Shoresh Abed
- Tri-Tessellate / AKDA
- Hefei Wantou & Vanke Paradise Art Wonderland - Phase1 / ASPECT Studios
- NOMAPS / DRTAN LM Architect
- James Cook University – The Science Place / HASSELL
- Call Me MOSAIC Bookstore / TurtleHill
- Goergen Institute for Data Science / Kva Kennedy & Violich Architecture
- Studio Gang's Curved Mixed-Use Tower to be their First Project in Los Angeles
- Palm Springs Dome House / Pavlina Williams
- The World's First Commercial Hyperloop is Coming to Abu Dhabi in 2020
- Bright Building Manchester / BDP
- Can Architecture Save China’s Rural Villages? DnA’s Xu Tiantian Thinks So
- Cidade Jardim House / Perkins+Will
- See Dubai-Based Architecture Firms Through the Lens of Marc Goodwin
- Garitage Park Complex in Bulgaria is the Epitome of "Mixed-Use"
| Posted: 20 Apr 2018 10:00 PM PDT  © Farshid Nasrabadi
 © Farshid Nasrabadi Text description provided by the architects. The main purpose was this house as a pattern for urban construction in low population Kurdish city, namely Bukan, which is located in a rocky mountainous area with cold climate. -Different but with local specifics (minimum number of openings and maximum use of rock) to reminiscence of the past memories to passersby. Moreover, due to the entrepreneur's overseas profession, the transnational aspects of the project were also important.  © Farshid Nasrabadi The collage-like arrangement of simple volumes with direct lines as assorted pieces— concurrency of reminiscence of bygone architectonic features of the region with nowadays architecture and technology— drew us closer to the original idea. Hereof Peter Holly paintings could helpful for us. .jpg?1523507806 "Exploded Axonometric") Exploded Axonometric 1. To make legal use of the mountainous rocks of one of the neighbor villages, as a dominant historical material of the region, to cover ground floor, yard, and parts of the first floor.  © Farshid Nasrabadi 2. Use of fiber cement on other parts that unlike rocks, was an industrial material with specified sizes, segments and numbers ordered from Belgium by the entrepreneur. Fiber cement acts as a counterpart for natural rock. Pieces of fiber cement joint with aluminum punches that with pieces of rock infuses a coldness sense.  Perspective Section 1 3. To design an enclosed exterior façade with the minimum numbers of opening due to the high slope of eastern pathway which might let passersby see the interior parts of the building, we decide to install flexible and fixed wooden louvres before the main wall's openings, let inhabitants have sufficient light and as well as have more view control. Moreover, extending the louvers to a higher level as a parapet, made the south-eastern courtyard a safe site to the inhabitant, and also was helpful to infuse a rigid sense of the building form.  © Farshid Nasrabadi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 20 Apr 2018 07:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of AKDA
 Courtesy of AKDA Tessellate (verb) "tocover (a plane surface) by repeated use of a single shape, without gaps or overlapping." The persistence of zoned industrial areas surrounding growing cities is a vestige of Ebenezer Howard's conceptualization of an ideal city. Howard understood that the production of goods was vital to the economy but couldn't bring himself to harmonize the idea that manufacturing could exist within the city. Generations of successive urban planners have laid out industrial areas far removed from the dense city centres where they once prevailed, choosing to mistakenly empathize with the needs of the urban elite, rather than with the blue collar working class, whose commute remained an unessential component of the decision making process.  Courtesy of AKDA The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (or Noida), is one of the few municipal organizations in the world where the city agency has actually lent it's acronym to the very city it services. Noida, as the region to the south-east of Delhi's Yamuna, is colloquially known, is home to one of the largest "planned" areas in the region. A vast swathe of seemingly boundless grids has been overlaid over the landscape, with sector numbers running into triple digits. Connected via an immense highway to the south is Greater Noida, an equally ambitious planning exercise that is home to institutions, multi-storey residential buildings and even, an erstwhile formula one racing track. Nestled in the midst of this conurbation is the Hosiery Complex, an industrial hub allocated to the garment manufacturing business. Twenty years in the making, the surroundings still very much feel like a work in progress, as smaller industrial units give way to denser, vertical factories contained in multi-storey configurations.  Concept 2  Concept 1 To articulate a meaningful architectural response to such an insipid context, it was necessary to delve deeper into the intrinsic, to create a pattern, as it were. Fabrics are about patterns, often repetitive and the facade of this building uses layers (another garment reference), to create a multiplicity of surface textures. Cool grey glass is combined with a gradation of blue, grey, and white aluminum panels that seem to emerge with solidity from the ground, and eventually dissipate into the horizon. The exposed ends of the framework peek out from behind the top of the finished cladding, not unlike the tassels of a carpet, proud of their necessity in the process.  Courtesy of AKDA The building is laid out to maximize the efficiency of manufacturing processes that are housed within. Pallets of fabric make their way down ramps to the storage areas in the basement, where they are cut and bunched into bundles, complete with accessories. These make their way to the upper floors, where lines of stitching machines produce the semi-finished product. The final touches of packaging, labelling, quality control and dispatch are handled on the ground floor. The office space dominates the first floor, with the largest areas allocated for the sampling section and a work space for the designers. This work space was designed as a white space, a blank canvas to encourage creative freedom, while reducing strain. A showroom and a few private offices line the perimeter, while a corridor provides the requisite access to the rear fire escape stair.  Section The name of the building is derived from the visual complexity of the facade. To tessellate is to repeat a pattern so as to create a plane. The unit chosen here is the triangle, the proportions so chosen for the ability to extract exactly four equal four-foot side pieces from a single 8x4 sheet. Apart from the longevity, the idea that material must not be wasted is a key component of our approach to sustainability. While the glass panels may appear randomly sprinkled, their positions are the result of interior daylighting requirements. The colours of the panels themselves have been chosen for better light absorption at lower levels, with higher levels of reflectivity closer to the top of the building. A tubular aluminum frame supported on robust metal brackets underpins the facade. Diagonal cross bracing support the glass and aluminum panels on the peripheries, creating the precise six sided joints.  Courtesy of AKDA As the city inexorably grows to encompass these peripheral industrial areas, it's architecture would also need to be responsive to this growth and migrating population. Creating workplaces that appear more welcome, would not only ensure better working environments and further better productivity, but also a much needed change to the decade-old context.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hefei Wantou & Vanke Paradise Art Wonderland - Phase1 / ASPECT Studios Posted: 20 Apr 2018 03:00 PM PDT  © arch-exist
 © arch-exist Text description provided by the architects. A new style of socially orientated community design brings an open plaza to the people of Hefei by the team at ASPECT Studios Shanghai. Wantou & Vanke Paradise Art Wonderland is located in the core area of the Xin Zhan District's southwestern zone, with Shao Quan Lake and the civic green belt nearby. The vibrant and developing district is popular with millennials that have an appreciation for design and a unique pursuit for a high end modern living environment.  © arch-exist The landscape design vision was forged on the principle of providing residents with the diverse and dynamic experience of modern urban living within a singular location, offering a reflection of different urban environments such as urban plazas and civic parks, pocket parks, play and sports recreation all spaces are programmed to provide a range of experiences and offer a diverse range of facilities and activities for all ages, all structured to encourage social and community connectivity, as places to come together.  © arch-exist The overarching design reflects elements of the local community and culture, with the flower of the city – the Pomegranate - providing a strong source of inspiration to the design of the community social space, guiding the form, color and composition to create an energetic colorful, and bold experience. Combined with a dynamic socially orientated landscape program to meet the needs of the community and its people while encouraging interaction, connection and communication.  Masterplan The initial phase consists of three main programmatic zones, urban pocket park, children's play and community park, within each area creating different experiences as places where children, adults and the elderly can come together to enjoy the fun of play, the diversity of lifestyle, and the vibrancy and energy of the urban environment.  © arch-exist Standing as the centerpiece of the urban pocket park is the Pomegranate Flower, a light sculpture inspired by the stamens of the pomegranate flower, reaching high to create both a landmark and identity within the surrounding urban context. On the surface, rhythmic paving represents the wind and the shape of bespoke planters represent the petals blowing in the breeze with the active seating edges providing calm and comfortable clusters for people to rest, stay and connect. The compacted and layered arrangement of the pomegranate fruits provide reference for the shade shelters, creating an interesting shadow play on the ground whilst providing a backdrop to the entire space; allowing visitors and residents to rest in comfort during the hot summer months.  © arch-exist The children's play space offers a diverse play and learning experience. Mountain-shaped play mounds with layered tonal change imitate the gradual changes and layers of the rock strata, while raising from a blue and green carpet represents the river and forest. Integrated within the spaces are the opportunities for children to come together and build essential social and physical skills: areas of free play and fixed play are all designed to encourage social interaction, sports, activity, challenges and development.  © arch-exist Community gatherings and public events all take place in the grand community park. The open public park is complimented by a collection of spaces for people to come together in smaller social groups. Within the spatial compositions there are large open multi-functional lawn, pergolas and feature seating to create a semi-enclosed space while small plazas, with tree clusters, form a multi-functional shaded space for group gathering.  © arch-exist  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 20 Apr 2018 01:00 PM PDT  © H.Lin Ho
 © H.Lin Ho Text description provided by the architects. Nomaps is a flash-packer hostel re-crafted from an old double storey pre-war shop-house situated in the heart of Malacca's UNESCO World Heritage Site. .jpg?1524066330 "© H.Lin Ho") © H.Lin Ho Designed for the adventurer, Nomaps provides an opportunity to transform a piece of history into a contemporary piece of art for the senses. Efforts were made to preserve the character of the existing building interspersed with new architectural interventions.  Floor Plans This transformation is not just superficial mimicry to restore old glory, but rather is metamorphic to address modern day needs. The new contemporary DNA can be defined as light and airy, simple yet complicated, fun and lively.  © H.Lin Ho The refurbishment brief for the old pre-war building demanded the creation of a new and easily recognizable spatial identity. Key elements comprise the off-form concrete reception counter, juxtaposed with old water-well at the lobby, new bathrooms with pendulous vintage lights, and a large trestle timber table made from re-used old floor joist at the dining hall, the 170 feet long meandering hallway with patinaed walls that offer an adventure in art and design.  © H.Lin Ho The building is ventilated by 3 air-wells, hence minimal mechanical air conditioning is required. The roof is reconstructed using terracotta Marseille and V-Tile profiles which were the original tiles used in the 18th century houses. The party walls were preserved in its original form with the old layers of plaster and patina exposed, whereby each layer represents a piece of history of the former house.  © H.Lin Ho The traditional rear façade brise soleil is made from modernised Malaccan vintage window frames. The vivid colored frames are arranged to illustrate a contrasting giant art piece where modernity and vintage converge.  © H.Lin Ho The project coordinated the design of all interior elements including furniture, light fittings, artworks & murals. With a modest budget existing materials were re-used to rejuvenate the interior while preserving the core values of the former house. A brickwork collage becomes feature wall at one of the courtyards which is a now a favorite chill-out section for guests. Nomaps is a hidden gem where the old and new merges in a tight series of interior-scapes. .jpg?1524066152 "© H.Lin Ho") © H.Lin Ho  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| James Cook University – The Science Place / HASSELL Posted: 20 Apr 2018 12:00 PM PDT  © Andrew Rankin
 © Andrew Rankin Text description provided by the architects. The interactive, purpose-driven design of The Science Place at James Cook University immerses students, staff, and visitors in a world of scientific discovery and innovation. The open facility celebrates, supports and reveals science in cutting-edge facilities. The Science Place has been designed to transform scientific research, undergraduate education, and postgraduate training at James Cook University's Townsville campus in tropical northern Australia.  © Andrew Rankin The building is the instantly recognizable 'home of science' on the campus. It links current and future scientists – previously dispersed around the campus in inefficient facilities – in one concentrated, central hub that's bursting with activity and primed for growth. The Science Place brings together the university's chemistry, biochemistry and biology research cohorts for the first time, fuelling more innovative, multi-disciplinary scientific research. The building combines research-led learning on the lower two levels with dedicated scientific research on the upper two floors – all linked by stacked atrium spaces and a central open stair accessible to all.  Ground Floor Plan The building forms a key node on the central academic green activated with a cluster of cafés and a lecture theatre, connected to the building's extensive informal learning hub on the lower levels. This hub – which gives science students a place to call their own – connects problem-based learning studios and the super labs above. A two-story aquarium of tropical fish from the adjacent Great Barrier Reef provides a living lab example to the focus of many of their studies.  © Andrew Rankin The building's cutting-edge infrastructure includes two 150-seat 'super labs' for chemistry and biology – able to accommodate varying simultaneous class sizes and subjects, dramatically increasing space utilization. The common prep and storage area supports speed and flexibility of configuration. Flexible research labs, which are physically and visually connected to lab support areas and open offices, give the university spaces that can be adapted to meet changing needs over time.  © Andrew Rankin The building's north facade is defined by an expansive three-dimensional lattice screen, a deep overhanging roof and an eye-catching design that provides deep shade and softly filtered light in this dry tropical climate. Timber battens enclosing the building's verandas offer warm materiality and patterned light in the external gathering places. The Science Place is a standard setter in sustainable design, earning Australia's first LEED Gold rating for an education building. The building recovered and recycled 96% of all the previous building materials – a new record for a large development in Townsville.  First Floor Plan The energy efficient design includes extensive sun-shading and high-efficiency active systems, which are appropriate to the tropical environment, improving on standard campus energy performance by 30%. Special concrete reinforcement in paths, using JCU's own research results sees recycled plastic fiber technology replace steel reinforcement, significantly reducing the high embodied energy of metal and hence the environmental impact.  © Andrew Rankin  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Call Me MOSAIC Bookstore / TurtleHill Posted: 20 Apr 2018 10:00 AM PDT  © Jason Guo
 © Jason Guo Text description provided by the architects. Call me MOSAIC, a pioneer bookshop brand focuses on every readers and to re-imagine the possibilities of space, content and individual by means of interactive forms that are popular among young people. The bookshop emphasizes user-oriented book selection strategy to respond every individuals' reading requirements. Applying the same methodology, the interior design of the bookshop is carried out by closely addressing reading experience.  © Jason Guo  Design process  © Jason Guo One's reading interest is unlikely to be limited to a specific type of book. Instead, it would grow from one point of interest to several related fields. Also, when people do their reading, they probably have something at their hands. It might be snacks or stationery. Therefore, the reading experience Call me MOSAIC emphasizes is always conducted in a multi-dimensional scenario.  © Jason Guo As the studies on reading behaviour, the C-shaped shelves are devised as the module. Shelves of varied length stacking in space generate a complex and bursting book wall just like the multi-dimensional space illustrates in scenes of Interstellar. People can experience horizontal reading when receiving information from different directions at the same time.  © Jason Guo  Axonometric  © Jason Guo The design of bookshelves is inspired by the live commenting which gains phenomenon success in video social media. The C-shaped units boost from the back wall, overhanging in the space and coloured vivid amaranth. Standing in between these shelves, customers can find books they are interested in and other products highly related.  © Jason Guo  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Goergen Institute for Data Science / Kva Kennedy & Violich Architecture Posted: 20 Apr 2018 08:00 AM PDT  © John Horner
 © John Horner Text description provided by the architects. The new Institute of Data Science at the University of Rochester is the signature focus of the University of Rochester's Strategic Plan to foreground information technology in a new educational model for cross-disciplinary research and innovation. Designed to LEED Silver standards, the 61,000 square foot building program includes smart classrooms and faculty offices, robotics, science, computation and environmental labs, a 160-seat auditorium and the Goergen Institute, a new public resource for information technology.  Collaboration Space and Public Circulation Diagram The massing of Institute of Data Science is created from a simple rectangular volume that is "broken" to unite two campus geometries: it offers a new public face to the Genesee River and completes the Science & Engineering Quadrangle transforming exterior vehicular roadways into a new 2-acre pedestrian and bicycle- oriented campus landscape.  © John Horner The public circulation sequence is expressed on the exterior facades, with large vertical glazed bays that "breakthrough" the brick envelope to reflect double-height collaboration zones and shared overlooks that admit natural light deep into the building interior. A double height curtain wall on the first and second levels interlocks with the figure of hung brick on the upper floors and expresses the Institute's mission to create an open and collaborative research culture that engages the green space of the renewed Science & Engineering Quad.  © John Horner Brick and Data Science  © John Horner Collaboration Spaces  © John Horner  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Studio Gang's Curved Mixed-Use Tower to be their First Project in Los Angeles Posted: 20 Apr 2018 07:00 AM PDT _Studio_Gang.jpg?1524241991 "Courtesy of Studio Gang") Courtesy of Studio Gang Studio Gang has released details of their first project in Los Angeles, a 26-story mixed-use tower designed in collaboration with local development partner Creative Space and European lifestyle brand MOB. The scheme places an emphasis on community spaces, with a curved form creating dynamic public plazas at street level, forming a link between Chinatown, the recently-opened LA State Historic Park, Union Station, and El Pueblo. Located on 643 North Spring Street, the scheme will provide 300 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, and a 149-room hotel operated by MOB. Emphasizing the importance of community space and interaction, the residents and hotel guests will share a rooftop amenity deck with landscaped terraces on the second and third floor, as well as a gym, coworking spaces, rentable offices, pop-up stores, a rooftop swimming pool and bar, and space for outdoor cooking.
The scheme will feature undulating concrete floor plates supporting high-performance glass walls, creating terraces with sweeping views of the city and mountains. With a width of only 55 feet, the scheme's massing permits fresh air and sunlight for every unit, with set-back windows providing shade in the summer months. A Site Plan Review package of the scheme has been submitted to the Los Angeles City Planning Department, with community meetings expected to take place in the coming months. News via: Studio Gang
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| Palm Springs Dome House / Pavlina Williams Posted: 20 Apr 2018 06:00 AM PDT  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design
 © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design Text description provided by the architects. Escape it all at this fascinating vacation home rental in Palm Springs. Resurrected from neglect and disrepair by an LA-based architect this unique compound has been creatively restored with a stylish mid-century inspired aesthetic. Full of fun geometric structural patterns of the dome, the thoughtful attention to detail, and the mesmerizing desert views. Set within a spectacular five-acre property, this thoughtfully restored geodesic dome house sits on a hilltop with spectacular desert, mountain, Joshua Tree and Coachella valley views from virtually every angle. Its complete solitude interrupted only by the hypnotic wind turbines that lend an otherworldly beauty to the already dramatic desert landscape. One of the three major wind farms in California, the giant sentinel-like windmills stand silently harnessing the power of the wind from the San Giorgonio Pass, rhythmically turning throughout the day and flickering at night.  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design Rescued from neglect by LA-based architect Pavlina Williams, this vacation home rental is a labor of love that has been reimagined from its basic structural roots to a modern showplace with distinctive mid-century styling. The soaring twenty-six foot ceilings of the dome feature a spacious open plan living area with panoramic views from multifaceted windows and the first of the three bedrooms in the loft space above. Studded with skylights and the triangular facets of Buckminster Fuller's ingenious geodesic design, the space is relaxing and dreamy. The ground floor master bedroom has a separate seating area and features amazing views of the Joshua Tree National Park Mountains and desert landscape while the third bedroom offers complete privacy with focused views of Mount San Jacinto. There is an office adjacent to the landscaped atrium and a large open kitchen and dining area well equipped for entertaining. Head out to the covered patio and dining area next to the atrium or sink into the spa and relax under the stars with the city lights of Palm Springs twinkling in the distance.  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design As a licensed architect and construction hobbyist in Los Angeles, Pavlina and Carter Williams are accustomed to finding the potential in long-neglected properties. The two spend their weekends renovating finds, and when they discovered a gem tucked away in the Coachella Valley that hadn't been occupied for nearly a decade, they decided to update it as an homage to mid-century modernist design. Originally built in 1956, the home has sweeping views of the desert and an eye-catching dome addition that the pair rightfully agreed was its greatest asset. But, it needed a lot of work. The couple spent a year ripping out carpet and vinyl linoleum and knocking down walls that blocked the desert sun from inside. Then, they gave the dome the finish it needed to really stand out: a puzzle of geometric windows. "Being here really calms you down and stimulates your creativity," Pavlina Williams said. And although the duo is already working on their next Palm Springs upgrade, she said that this reimagined address is still her favorite work to date.  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design Before the renovation, the home didn't showcase the desert scenery. Now that the property features 360 views, guests can enjoy the landscape, which includes the area's famed white windmills in the distance. Triangular and trapezoid-shaped windows are all custom-created from various brands, including Jeld-Wen and Milgard. The floors are polished concrete. To soften up the feel of the living room, they placed this rug from CB2 in the center. The metal and wood staircase is from Fontanot. The couple painted the walls an eggshell white from Sherwin Williams to accentuate the natural light. This also allowed them to decorate with playful colors.  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design When furnishing the home, the couple focused on finding mid-century modern pieces that were bright and cheerful, much like the space itself. For the kitchen, they purchased appliances from Sears, a faucet from LightInTheBox, and paired the pieces with Ikea furniture. The home was in rough shape when the Williams's bought it. By stripping the home down to its basics, like the study's brick walls, they were able to uncover the property's simple beauty. Although the home was built in the 1950s, the dome wasn't added until about two decades later. The outside garden, which features a variety of shapes, helps to unify the two eras of architecture.  © Krista Jahnke Photography + Design  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The World's First Commercial Hyperloop is Coming to Abu Dhabi in 2020 Posted: 20 Apr 2018 05:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of HyperloopTT Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) has released details of their plan to create the world's first commercial Hyperloop system in Abu Dhabi. Situated on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in close proximity to both the Al Maktoum International Airport and World Expo 2020 site, the HyperloopTT will begin with the construction of six miles (ten kilometers) of infrastructure, with future development potentially creating a commercial Hyperloop network across the United Arab Emirates and beyond. While the concept of magnetically-levitating Hyperloop has existed for decades, the ability to construct an operational system has only emerged in recent years, spurred in 2013 by Elon Musk's opening of intellectual property to any company which could develop the technology. If implemented and developed, the Hyperloop will connect people and goods at extremely high speeds, potentially up to the speed of sound (760mph), thus tackling key challenges facing the built environment, including overpopulation, traffic congestion, and pollution.  Courtesy of HyperloopTT  Courtesy of HyperloopTT
 Courtesy of HyperloopTT  Courtesy of HyperloopTT In the development of the UAE project, HyperloopTT began construction in April of the first full-scale passenger and freight prototype system in Toulouse, France. Once assembled and optimized in Toulouse, the capsules will be implemented in the UAE, where the project will be complemented by the construction of the HyperloopTT's XO Innovation Center and Hyperloop Visitor Center. The HyperloopTT system is powered by a combination of alternative energy sources to enhance sustainability, with potential for excess energy production made possible through solar panels located along the lines and stations, and energy recovered during regenerative braking.  Courtesy of HyperloopTT  Courtesy of HyperloopTT
 Courtesy of HyperloopTT  Courtesy of HyperloopTT The first phase of HyperloopTT is expected to be completed in time for the World Expo 2020 in the UAE. You can learn more about the project's infrastructural components on the HyperloopTT official website here. News via: Hyperloop TT  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bright Building Manchester / BDP Posted: 20 Apr 2018 04:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of BDP
 Courtesy of BDP Text description provided by the architects. The is the new headquarters for CityVerve - Innovate UK's Internet of Things city demonstrator. The Bright Building is the first building in our masterplan for Manchester Science Park and is home to various tech and start up businesses providing offices, meeting areas, laboratories, restaurant facilities and a gym. Communal spaces occupy the majority of the ground floor and supports the delivery of events for up to 200 users.  Courtesy of BDP Achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating, the building incorporates cutting-edge technologies including hyper-location services and environmental sensors.  Courtesy of BDP The building is designed with a solid brick clad block that surrounds a light- weight transparent plinth as well as other glazed areas.  Courtesy of BDP Lighting is key to the building, which offers 24/7 access for its users. An internal lighting installation in the atrium can be viewed from the inside, but is also seen externally from surrounding areas including the University of Manchester campus. A mix of intimately lit and large open spaces alongside the specially lit landscape allows for flexibility.  Courtesy of BDP  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Can Architecture Save China’s Rural Villages? DnA’s Xu Tiantian Thinks So Posted: 20 Apr 2018 02:30 AM PDT .jpg?1524158335 "Bamboo Theatre. Image © Wang Ziling") Bamboo Theatre. Image © Wang Ziling Travel seven hours by car in a Southwest direction from Shanghai and you will arrive in Songyang County. The name is unfamiliar to many Chinese people, and even more foreign to those living abroad. The county consists of about 400 villages, from Shicang to Damushan. Here, undulating lush green terraces hug the sides of Songyin river valley, itself the one serpentine movement uniting the lands. Follow the river and you will see: here, a Brown Sugar Factory; there, a Bamboo Theatre; and on the other side, a stone Hakka Museum built recently but laid by methods so old, even the town masons had to learn these ways for the first time, as if they were modern methods, as if they were revolutionary. And maybe they are. Songyang County, otherwise known as the "Last Hidden Land in Jiangnan," may look like a traditional Chinese painting with craggy rock faces, rice fields and tea plantations, but it has also become a model example of rural renaissance. Beijing architect Xu Tiantian, of the firm DnA_Design and Architecture, has spent years surveying the villages of Songyang, talking to local County officials and residents, and coming up with what she calls "architectural acupunctures." Xu Tiantian's story is an interesting one about inspiring rural self-confidence and turning provincial attitudes towards outsiders into welcoming, open arms through her architecture. She explains how she did it, and why this is important to China, in the exhibition "Rural Moves—The Songyang Story." "The real China is in the countryside." Aric Chen of M+, Hong Kong, remarked in his opening piece for Rural Moves—The Songyang Story. For thousands of years, the core tenets of Chinese design were built upon feng shui and the use of natural elements such as clay and wood to encourage positive flow through the built space. But when Deng Xiaoping opened China up to the world in the 1970s, he also spurred the migration of more than half of China's 1.4 billion people to cities for work. In Shanghai and Beijing, construction companies were frantically building skyscrapers with bright signboards and big names a-dangling, to the fascination of the Chinese people. At the same time, there was a sense that the "real" China was fast disappearing and must be saved without being "Disneyfied," as so many of China's towns and villages have in the name of tourism. This is what gave Xu Tiantian her raison d'être to bring her architectural practice to Songyang. Yet when Xu first arrived a few years ago, she had some difficulty mediating between what people see in cities and what should be developed in the rural areas. She said, "They [the residents] always come up with 2 different impressions of architecture. One is the ancient buildings, like you know, the local Min, Qin Dynasty style, and the other type is something modern looking, just like Beijing, Shanghai, or like Hangzhou." But Xu was headstrong in her design process. The history of how structures were built in each village was too unique to be erased and plastered over with modern designs. So, she insisted. "With this individual acupuncture... we try to convince them it should be a language addressed to their own traditions," she said in an interview, "All these buildings are not about a form or about a iconic image, it's rather becoming a media or a translator of this history and heritage of the village" The countryside has long been the origin and conduit for human civilization. As Aric Chen of M+ explains:
HAKKA INDENTURE MUSEUM Hakka Indenture Museum. Image © Wang Ziling Take the Hakka Indenture Museum in Shicang village for example, a sublime museum of fieldstone walls bracketing an existing irrigation channel, constructed with local stones through traditional techniques. This museum building also became an opportunity to restore the traditional methods of building: three masonry experts have trained a dozen young workers into skilled masons. "This kind of work was done in the ancient times and the technology gets lost since decades" says Lin Mingsheng, Mason of Shantou, Shiken Village. "Now for carrying on this project, we have to learn it again by doing." "The biggest challenge was the stone building itself. At present, no such houses are being build in Shicang" said Chen Zhongwu of the Construction Office. "I have not studied and didn't know this job very well. Now I have the inspiration and knowledge to appreciate this kind of art." Xu designed a linear opening in the roof so that sunlight would fall on the water curtain and form a rainbow. This temporary phenomenon has attracted endless curious visitors, who then travel to neighboring villages. As a result, the cultural museum and scenic village landscape have attracted investments to renovate the adjacent village houses as new tourism programs. BROWN SUGAR FACTORY.jpg?1524158744 "Brown Sugar Factory. Image © Wang Ziling") Brown Sugar Factory. Image © Wang Ziling On the central level of the Songyin River, Xing Village is a key spot for the cultivation of sugarcane and the production of brown sugar, which is also the village's primary source of income. Xu Tiantian designed a Brown Sugar Factory with an open-plan ground floor so that the work zones can be connected to the fields and the neighboring village. As sugar production only takes place between October and December, the building can also be used for daytime tea meetings, film showings and local puppet theatre performances. TEAHOUSE AT DAMUSHAN TEA VALLEY.jpg?1524164629 "Teahouse, Damushan Tea Valley. Image © Jiang Xiaodong") Teahouse, Damushan Tea Valley. Image © Jiang Xiaodong In Damushan, Xu Tiantian designed a black-dyed concrete teahouse around five Sycamore trees that would offer visitors views of the pool and the planted bushes that extend over the ridges. Xu nested the teahouse between the edge of the pool and the tree canopy so that it would disappear in the natural topography. Inside, the pool reflects sunlight and enlivens the interior space, which has small courtyards and private rooms for tea ceremonies. Of the teahouse, Meng Xuefen, Manager of Songyang Damushan Tea House, commented in a video interview: "2015, when the building of Professor Xu was completed, I came over here to this teahouse and liked it very much. By walking around here, I realized that this is the atmosphere and way of life I want. Looking at the building you feel relaxed, happy and comfortable." BAMBOO PAVILION.jpg?1524158077 "Bamboo Pavilion. Image © Zhou Ruogo") Bamboo Pavilion. Image © Zhou Ruogo To get between the tea fields in the Damushan area, visitors can glide through paved paths with electric vehicles and bicycles. Along the path, Xu developed a system of bamboo pavilions, each resembling historical hamlets, and designed to be transparent to provide an expansive view of the tea fields around. Xu's pavilions amplify the figure of the tea plantation as an ambassador for the appreciation and renewal of the area. Watch a video here. BRIDGE AT SHIMEN VILLAGE.jpg?1524163483 "Bridge at Shimen Village. Image © Wang Ziling") Bridge at Shimen Village. Image © Wang Ziling Xu's bridge in Shimen Village was even more necessary: it links two villages, Shimen and Shimenyu, which were previously separated by the Songyin River. Not only did she provide a link between two communities, the wooden bridge features a square in the middle that is planted with trees to encourage the pedestrians to linger and share a cultural space together. A villager laughs as she stands with her friends and recalls:
PINGTIAN VILLAGE CENTRE.jpg?1524163374 "Pingtian Village Centre. Image © Wang Ziling") Pingtian Village Centre. Image © Wang Ziling Xu's Pingtian Village Centre is situated on a mountain ridge. The outside looks like an agglomeration of rammed earth structures, while the inside reveals traditional wood construction. To turn this into a village center for handicrafts, Xu Tiantian installed a new skylight, which not only served as a bridge between two older, more traditional houses, it expanded the space and provided the perfect lighting for crafts. Her influence was not only limited to the built environment; her design and aesthetics also inspire others in the local community. "Her concept and aesthetics are totally different from us normal people," said Wu BingSong, a local craftsman. "After finishing the work the whole town talked about this kind of concept and the people appreciate it very much. I learnt a lot about aesthetics by studying her designs. In fact I am now working with the style of Professor Xu." Some of her other work include Wang Jing Memorial Hall, Pine Park Pavilion, and Bamboo Theatre, a mountainside "theater" made by interlocking living stalks of bamboo. WANG JING MEMORIAL HALL.jpg?1524163665 "Wang Jing Memorial Hall. Image © Wang Ziling") Wang Jing Memorial Hall. Image © Wang Ziling The old building was made of rammed earth and had an internal wood structure, but was in poor condition. Xu Tiantian renovated the building with open concrete elements at the seventeen corners of the layout and the life of Wang Jing is presented on seventeen scenes, with natural light illuminating each one. PINE PARK PAVILION.jpg?1524163900 "Pine Park Pavilion. Image © Wang Ziling") Pine Park Pavilion. Image © Wang Ziling The pavilion stands along the Songyin river to accommodate cyclists and hikers who have come from the village of Huangyu. The structure is made of prefabricated elements and was assembled on site. It hosts an art installation that presents how pine resin was historically produced in the village of Huangyu. BAMBOO THEATRE.jpg?1524158283 "Bamboo Theatre. Image © Han Dan") Bamboo Theatre. Image © Han Dan Once installed, the growing dome requires little regular maintenance: younger bamboo sprouts are woven into the existing dome and old poles are removed. This bioorganic architecture in natural surroundings facilitates activities ranging from village opera performances to individual meditation in nature. * Xu Tiantian's pieces respect the natural ecology of the villages by making logical use of local building materials and using traditional methods to extend the use of these materials to present-day demands. These subtle interventions can extract and elevate the cultural characteristics of each village and provide a space for residents and visitors to enjoy the "new countryside." In his closing remarks, Wang Jun had nothing but praise for Xu and what she has accomplished. He said:
Rural Moves—The Songyang Story presents nine projects that have been realized and elucidates them with models, plans, and photographs as well as by means of a film installation. The exhibition shows that changes in society, the economy, and ecology are possible by means of many small steps and active engagement, and that architecture and committed architects play an important role in the process. More Information at www.aedes-arc.de.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cidade Jardim House / Perkins+Will Posted: 20 Apr 2018 02:00 AM PDT  © Daniel Ducci
.jpg?1524198339 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci Text description provided by the architects. Located in São Paulo, the Cidade Jardim Residence was designed by Perkins+Will to offer a perfect balance between nature and construction. .jpg?1524198725 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci Built in an approximately 1200m² terrain with considerable declivity, the project uses solutions commonly found in country homes to create a soothing atmosphere in the turbulent, chaotic scene from the big city. The connection between the house’s well defined volumes and it’s broad garden is the major agent in this design’s conception. .jpg?1524198528 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci No térreo, o primeiro volume concentra as áreas comuns como sala de estar, cozinha, churrasqueira, piscina e jardim. Apoiado perpendicularmente no primeiro, o segundo volume abriga as áreas íntimas, como quartos e suítes.  Lower Level The second pavement’s facade faces the east direction, receiving the morning sunlight, vital for the residentes well-being and life quality. Caractherising this facade was also a primordial need in this project. The wood pannels that stand across it can be completely opened - enabling the connection with the exterior’s natural elements – or closed, privileging privacy. .jpg?1524198164 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci Privacy, by its turn, was a main point in the organization of the ground floor program. The cars and guests entrances are located in the house’s underground, directly connected to the street. The ground floor is located nine feet above the street level as a strategy to prevent inconveniences like noise and pollution, or even the need for big security walls that would confine the space. .jpg?1524198616 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci Entering the house, the visitors go up a staircase that leads to the main entrance in the ground floor, where they can find not only the guest receiving area, but also the staircase to the private pavement. The staircase by itself is one of the design’s highlights in this project, combining metalic structure with wooded steps alongside a concrete hollow brick wall that allows the entrance of natural light.  Section B-B The project used materials such as wood, slatted concrete, plaster and soapstone to create a warm, pleasant environment without loosing the the sofisticated visual proposed by the volumetries. .jpg?1524198683 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci Designed by Gil Fialho, the landscaping opted for an exuberant vegetation with local species, contributing directly to the main goal: to create an urban residence with countryside traits. .jpg?1524198764 "© Daniel Ducci") © Daniel Ducci  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| See Dubai-Based Architecture Firms Through the Lens of Marc Goodwin Posted: 20 Apr 2018 01:00 AM PDT  Jumeirah Lake Towers From Barcelona to Bejing, Marc Goodwin is capturing architectural workspaces around the world. Goodwin's latest endeavor: Dubai. Scroll down to get a glimpse of where architects like the ones at RMJM and EDGE work in the "City of Gold." The Yard Al Serkal Avenue The Yard Al Serkal Avenue Cultural Engineering
 Cultural Engineering SVENM
 SVENM  SVENM X-Architects
 X-Architects Dubai Design District (d3) Dubai Design District Grimshaw
 Grimshaw RMJM
 RMJM T.ZED Architects
 T.ZED Architects Al Quoz Al Quoz ANARCHITECT
 Anarchitect Jumeriah Lake Towers (JLT)Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP)
 Design Worldwide Partnership Deira Deira, Dubai Ibda Design
 Ibda Design Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road ARCHIDENTITY
 Archidentity Dabbagh Architects
 Dabbagh Architects EDGE
 EDGE Godwin Austen Johnson
 Godwin Austen Johnson Hopkins Architects Dubai Limited
 Hopkins Architects Dubai Ltd U+A
 U+A Look Inside a Collection of Barcelona-Based Architecture Offices, Photographed by Marc Goodwin
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| Garitage Park Complex in Bulgaria is the Epitome of "Mixed-Use" Posted: 19 Apr 2018 11:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of MBB Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects (MBB) has recently revealed its competition-winning design for the final phase of Garitage Park, a 41-acre complex in a growing district of Sofia, Bulgaria. The extensive mixed-use development by Garitage Investment Management, among several other major multinational companies developing nearby, will provide residences, a school, office, commercial, retail and event spaces to a large international population of residents.  Courtesy of MBB  Courtesy of MBB The two 270,000-square-foot residential towers showcase east and west "active facades" that incorporate a system of sliding perforated metal screens, providing controlled daylighting to the residences as well as framed views to Bulgaria's snow-capped Vitosha Mountains.  Courtesy of MBB  Courtesy of MBB A 538,000-square-foot commercial tower located at the main entrance to the site houses various shops and restaurants with event spaces at the base. The way the buildings engage the ground plane on multiple levels is meant to "concentrate activity and invite community participation," says Taylor Aikin, AIA, an Associate at MBB.  Courtesy of MBB Within the winning design, there is also a combination of gathering spaces like lawns, a skating rink and play fountains. Key design objectives include creating "a grand point of arrival, a sense of enclosure and human scale between the towers and to design the towers themselves with a focus on the pedestrian experience" without compromising the quality of the spaces themselves.  Courtesy of MBB  Courtesy of MBB The master plan and first phase of the complex were designed by Stephen George International, and the second and third phases designed by Sofia-based Planning Architectural Studio. MBB has acted as design architect for the new K-8 school in the third phase of the project and will also collaborate with Planning Architectural Studio as the architect of record for the fourth and final phase.  Courtesy of MBB "The preceding phases, currently under construction, include 375,000 square feet of midrise commercial development, 235,000 square feet of midrise multi-family apartments and townhouses, a 32,000-square-foot sports complex and a 215,000-square-foot international K-8 school." News via: MBB.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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