Arch Daily |
- School for Curative Pedagogy HPT Biel / bauzeit architekten
- SNODO / Gruppo Building + Boffa Petrone & Partners
- Andalan Automotive Gallery and Office / Studio SA_e + Sindhu Hadiprana Design Consultant
- Lost&Found Store / C+ Architects
- CAL Architects Studio / CAL Architects
- Meroma Restaurant / Oficina de Práctica Arquitectónica
- University of Washington West Campus Utility Plant / The Miller Hull Partnership
- Hip-Hop Architecture Camps Use Rap Music to Inspire a Diverse Generation of Future Architects
- Praia da Torre / SQ+ Arquitetos Associados
- Carlo Ratti's Writing Robot Transforms Your Wall into an Artistic Canvas
- CASAPLATA / Lucas y Hernández-Gil
- Translucent, Breathable Facades: 8 Tips for Incorporating Metal Meshes into Your Building
- School Conversion into Housing Units / ACBS Architectes
- Barcode Architects Brings New Triangular Residential Tower to Rotterdam's Skyline
- What It’s Like to be an Architect who Doesn’t Design Buildings
- Holm Oak’s House / Aranguren&Gallegos Arquitectos
School for Curative Pedagogy HPT Biel / bauzeit architekten Posted: 06 Apr 2018 10:00 PM PDT
School for Curative Pedagogy HPT Biel, extension and total refurbishment 2015-2017 The school for curative pedagogy HPT Biel is a special school for children aged 4 to 18 years who need a special learning environment due to their mental and/or physical disabilities. With 116 children, it is one of the three largest special schools in the canton's Bern. The school building from 1974 has been extended on three sides. The extensions are based on the existing basic grid of equilateral triangles. Wooden façade with furnishing system A special feature of the project is the new glass façade designed with solid oak wood, which can be individually equipped inside with an integrated furniture system. The kit, which is also consistently made of solid oak, consists of benches, work tables, frames, suspension devices and other elements. It's very easy to handle with a practical hanging system of oak cones, which fit into the holes of the façade posts provided for this purpose and can be hung around at any time without tools. Towards the outside the façade, used in this way, creates a lively image within the quiet main grid. The design of this façade is on the one hand the response to the desire for abundant natural light and a strong relationship between interior and exterior, and on the other hand the wish to be able to use the façade surfaces. Meeting areas, vestibules with cloakroom system The interior design is based on the philosophy of reduction to a few "perceptible" materials: oak wood in combination with exposed concrete walls and ceilings. Doors, furniture, mobile and fixed partitions are made of oak. For the corridor and cloakroom walls, cement‐bonded wood‐based panels were chosen, which are mechanically very resistant and do not require any additional impact protection or skirting boards and are also suitable for the cloakroom system; this consists of a set of 4 oak cones per pupil, which can be used in the perforated wall grid according to its height. Specially designed felt bags for shoes are also hung on the wall. Mobile, hexagonal stools with compartments for boots complete the personalized access areas in front of classrooms. Collaboration with artist and students In order for children to understand the changes and feel at home again in the renovated building, the idea was born to let them participate conceptually in a project week. Together with the teachers, they developed sketches for the subsequent conceptual design. This was reflected in the development of ornamental patchworks and drawings, which were subsequently taken up by the artist Susanne Dubs for her work. This ornamentation was used with a functional purpose, used as visual protection in the glass doors, as collision protection for the big glazing panels in the corridors, as fine patterns on curtains and for the window furniture as an ephemeral play of light and shadow. The skylights are kaleidoscope‐like with interchangeable elements that project wandering plays of shadow and coloured light onto walls and floor. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
SNODO / Gruppo Building + Boffa Petrone & Partners Posted: 06 Apr 2018 07:00 PM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. The aim of the project is to preserve and respect the existing industrial atmosphere of an incredible historical architecture such as the "OGR" (the former railway repair workshops from late 19th century). The interiors design refers to the style of the early 20th century when the "OGR" was the beating heart of a city that was thriving on industrial development. Where the building itself was the core of innovation and technology. Snodo is in the middle of the building, in the place where the trains could pass from the north to the south area. Snodo is the space dedicated to culinary arts, designed trying to find a bond between innovation and tradition, between the material used in the early 20th century such as rough wood and coarse iron with nowadays innovation and technology such as led lightings and projections. Ironic faces lamps as a reference for futurist sculptures stand on the corridor where the train used to pass through and where now there is a 25 meters wood and iron social table. Contemporary projections on the wall behind the bar play with the lights during the evenings and giant floor lamps stare at you while you sit on wood and iron armchair. These are some of the many atmospheres you can find inside Snodo, which is both physically and symbolically the passageway where the contamination between creativity and innovation in the design as in the culinary and enogastronomic arts takes place. Five distinct areas form an all-around enogastronomical experience: the restaurant, the top lounge area, the premium restaurant, the cocktail bar and the smart bar area. Snodo has the spirit of a handcrafted design died a long time ago and reborn nowadays with the help of the technology. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Andalan Automotive Gallery and Office / Studio SA_e + Sindhu Hadiprana Design Consultant Posted: 06 Apr 2018 03:00 PM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. Studio SA_e collaborated with sindhu hadiprana design consultant designing the headquarter of Andalan Finance Indonesia. In general, Andalan Finance is working on financing and servicing new car and used car. Located in BSD, South Tangerang, This building is planned to have an office unit followed by functional showroom. There are two things that become a good point for the architect to be developed, the first is a very strategic location which is facing the arterial road in BSD, the second is the function of the building as a car showroom. The building is divided into two functions, the showroom facing directly to the bsd artery road as the representative of the finance mainstay and the main office on the opposite side. With the result that it has two special entrance gates for office employees and guest showrooms. Concept As it is functioned as museum or gallery, a good visualization has become one of the most important sense which is showed to present a work. So does This building, visualization is very important since it is considered as one of business strategies. As a-5 story building, the architect incorporates and utilizes natural light element into the 'gallery', optimizing natural light for every floor to be illuminated by the lights by arranging the layout using metamorphic analogy of block engine Chevy Big-block V-8s. In result, each floor shaped 'v' with a different dynamic angle. The v-shape of the floorplan layouts has an imaginary meeting point. This point is associated to be a vista point which is being the point where visitors can see the exhibit as far as 180 ° with the car on the right-hand by the V-shape. A panoramic lift shows, creating a space experience, drowning the visitors on the aesthetics of the car arrangements. With the result that it becomes an indirect live-in étalage. Illuminated by the lights and visited freely by the visitors who are being able to see the exhibition to every side are two of many effects of krowakisme method used in the building. The krowakisme itself is a method which is now developed by the architect, Ario Andito, to develop the design. By utilizing the natural elements and managing the rooms is to reduce the solidity, so that the original look of a building is still appeared with a different result of a free forms which make an interaction by the eye to the building elements. Office on the back side of the showroom becomes a supporting function. The office is 8story building. The office building faces a quieter street, as one of the strategies to create peaceful workplace, as well as the selection of a facade that is not too transparent to create a conducive atmosphere. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Lost&Found Store / C+ Architects Posted: 06 Apr 2018 01:00 PM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. As an attempt to expand the brand, the client Lost&Found decided to open its latest offline store in Chaoyang Hopson One Shopping Mall. C+ Architects has been entrusted with interior design work. This store on the second basement floor of the mall covers an area of 205 square meters. The Lost&Found hopes it can continue its brand philosophy, and to make breakthrough in the multi-format retailing. Therefore, in addition to meeting basic functional needs, the architect also tries to find "past" building materials, hoping to create dialogue with the brand's furniture products through material practices and to awaken the emotion of cherishing good things. The division and unification of space A load-bearing wall divides the store into two spaces. The inside part featured Lost&Found furniture collection, and the outside part sells small pieces like tablewares and lifestyle goods. When customers enter the shop from south side, the open display table with plant decoration, window space and the wall of chairs can be seen at once. The east entrance is adjacent to the café area, to facilitate the diversion of the people with different demands. After the space is defined, the two main sales spaces are unified through rows of arched ceilings. The intersection of the two arches combines smoke detectors, sprinkler system, air conditioning vents and spotlights, making the arches purer. Hidden LED on both sides of the arch illuminate the shops with diffuse light. The glowing arches highlight the sense of order of the ceiling and immerse the entire store in the soft atmosphere. Quality and comfort for long-term use Nowadays, people familiar with this old-fashioned approach are getting fewer and fewer. The workers said it reminded them of the scene of a house built in their childhood. The washed stone wall is natural and unique, it appears more textured as the environment changes and traces of time can be clearly seen. This recyclable eco-friendly material also fits quite well with the wooden products in the store. However, it is very challenging to get washed stone as the wall material in the mall. In general, the normal operation procedure is to embed stones in the wall, and then wash with plenty of water. But the site doesn't have such water conditions. In order to achieve the desired result, workers adopted a similar prefabricated way. First of all, glue the mixed stones to the PVC mesh, then cover the walls with those pieces and fill the gap of the stones with cement, finally, wipe the walls clean. After the completion, the finished wall gives people a feeling of touching. The architects chose warm color gravel mainly based on brown color. Hopefully, the new wall full of sense of volume will make the store stand out from the gray tone environment, and harmonize the color of the furniture inside the store at the same time. Moreover, the signboard is made of profiled steel plate with hidden lights inside. The plates are welded and polished seamlessly and oxidized at last. Looking through the aisle, the slender steel plate looks like a ribbon surrounds the shop. The metal contrasts with washed stone walls and echoes the metal components in the furniture of the brand. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
CAL Architects Studio / CAL Architects Posted: 06 Apr 2018 12:00 PM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. This is a simple building with a five-year tenancy term. With so many unfavorable conditions—a limited budget, no historic value of the factory, an old wall that cannot be dismantled—how can a unique office space be created? We considered the key issues of how to balance the setting and the relationship between old and new. It is easy for designers to envision a project with a limitless budget or desirable location, but it is difficult to combine materials and environment to convey transcendental characteristics in a particular space under various restrictive conditions. The space lends itself to the creation of an experiential synesthesia. The creative use of primitive materials, including recycled metal, concrete, plastics, and inexpensive wood, is coupled with unlimited sunlight and ventilation. These elements come together to create an incredible sense of power, adding an artistic, yet humble, atmosphere to the architecture with a touch of poetry. We understand the close relationship between architecture and the environment. It is essential to express the life of the structure with natural materials, like imprinting time onto the building, it changed every second, giving it character, and letting it mellow over time. We will create a work that surpasses the limit of time. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Meroma Restaurant / Oficina de Práctica Arquitectónica Posted: 06 Apr 2018 10:00 AM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. Located in the heart of Colonia Roma Norte, the restaurant is immersed in one of the most popular neighborhoods in Mexico City. The venue is a peculiar 1980’s house that stands out by its referential oval-window grid façade and a pair of sky-high old trees that allow just a glimpse of the building from the street. Meroma is a 160 sqm space divided into two stories and three main spaces, each one very different from the other, creating distinct atmospheres within the same place. The radical intervention to the old house was in charge of OPA, the architecture office led by Rosalía Yuste and Diego Mañón, who worked on a design proposal guided by the needs and concept lines that the chefs had in mind for their upcoming restaurant. The ground floor is a single space that merges with the sidewalk, and it hosts the most dramatic element of the place: a huge monolithic concrete terrazzo bar. This space aims to invite every passerby by having no limits to the street. It also provides the restaurant with a transitional space for the guests to enter the dining hall. The seating space of the bar is formed by a wooden panel from where seats emerge, inviting guests to have a drink while waiting for a table or to sit and enjoy one of the signature cocktails offered by the barista. The three materials used for this space create a balanced contrast. On the main floor is the dining hall which was designed in a dynamic setup in order to accommodate 35people. This compact space holds a minimum of constructive elements and lighting details. Here, the main character is the natural light from the high dome which is covered with the foliage of the trees outside. The result is a glass ceiling draped in fallen leaves. The furniture is arranged thoughtfully and efficiently to create a flowing circulation for the guests and the waiters. Beyond the dining hall, the terrace is the only open-air space of the restaurant, it allows up to 16 fortunate guests to sit in an exterior space surrounded by green leaves hanging from the treetops alongside the dining tables. The terrace is a flexible space that can be adapted according to the weather and uses required by the hosts. Each space has furniture designed according to the different environments, which was overseen by the design studio Comité de Proyectos. The materials and color pallet were designed especially for the architectural elements as well as for the designated furniture. The selected colors are pink, green and bone colored terrazzo; the booths were made out of a mint colored cloth with a reused wooden structure. The main hall tables have a huanacaxtle top cover that enhances the natural shapes of the wood to create geometric shapes when gathered together. The chairs were designed particularly for the restaurant, are fabricated from white oak wood, and light grey fabric for the cushions. The round back of the chairs was designed to preserve the natural circulation of the restaurant allowing the dining hall to comfortably serve the maximum capacity of guests. The exterior table tops are made from the green glass where the vegetation reflects. Additional materials such as volcanic stone on the walls and reused wood on the floor create a distinctive setting from the interior spaces. The constructive materials selection for the entire project such as terrazzo, and pre-casted concrete, and wood for the architectural elements and furniture, where selected from a close conceptual process undertaken with the chefs and their ideas on the food and ambiance they looked for in their design. The aim was to create a single harmonic pallet of materials and colors that would bring each space an atmosphere of its own and would give a unique character to the restaurant while limiting the use of decorative pieces. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
University of Washington West Campus Utility Plant / The Miller Hull Partnership Posted: 06 Apr 2018 08:00 AM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. Central utility plants are becoming more integral to the campuses and communities they serve. No longer are these facilities by default hidden behind chain link fences, out of sight and out of mind. On the contrary, buildings like the West Campus Utility Plant (WCUP) demonstrate how infrastructure can become a much more visible, active and engaging part of the urban fabric. The WCUP provides chilled water and emergency power to the University of Washington's Seattle campus. The existing central utility plant, which has served the University for over 100 years, had reached capacity and was unable to expand to serve over 4,000,000 sf of new development proposed by the 2018 UW Campus Master Plan on the growing south and west campuses. The WCUP facility was developed to enable the UW to support this targeted growth for the next 100 years. The project offered a unique opportunity to advance the University of Washington's sustainability mission not only by reducing the environmental impact of new campus energy infrastructure but also by conveying a strong sustainability message through the design of the building itself. While most industrial scale infrastructure is hidden from view and inaccessible to the public, the WCUP is located at a prominent campus gateway. The facility's design, led by The Miller Hull Partnership, makes the invisible visible: by providing windows into the process and exposing critical systems to public view, the important services that we all rely on can be observed and understood rather than taken for granted. The University of Washington campus may be the only urban area in Seattle where industrial-scale chillers can be readily seen right from the sidewalk, and while the visibility of this equipment has an educational value in and of itself, the University was also interested in using the project to tell the story of their commitment to sustainability in a manner that would be impactful and inspire action. Simply put: facts inform, but powerful stories resonate. To help tell these stories, a series of LCD displays installed just inside the curtain wall glazing provide a platform for student-produced content related to environmental programs on campus. While the building's glowing polycarbonate screen wall acts as a "magnet" that draws in visitors from around the campus and the broader community, the screens at the pedestrian level resemble a kind of "portal", an information-rich view into the University's stewardship of the environment. The WCUP project is the first Envision Gold certified project at the University of Washington and the first Higher-Ed certified building project in the United States. Envision is an independent third party rating system designed specifically for sustainable infrastructure projects and was created to evaluate, grade and give recognition to infrastructure projects that provide progress and contributions for a sustainable future. The WCUP was delivered using the Progressive Design-Build contract structure where Design-Build team is selected based primarily on qualifications and approach rather than design/cost proposals. It was the first building at the University to be completed using this delivery method. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Hip-Hop Architecture Camps Use Rap Music to Inspire a Diverse Generation of Future Architects Posted: 06 Apr 2018 07:00 AM PDT Throughout the spring and summer of 2018, seventeen US cities will host "Hip Hop Architecture Camps," an initiative founded by the Urban Arts Collective seeking to address the lack of diversity in America's architectural community. As reported by CNET, the architecture camps will be sponsored by Autodesk, makers of the architectural software AutoCAD. Hip Hop Architecture Camps are geared towards students between the ages of 10 and 17, introducing students to architecture and urban planning by analyzing the structure and rhythm of rap music. By demonstrating a connection between music and architecture, the organizers hope to ignite a design flair in young students, helping to create a future where local communities have a stronger input into how urban areas are shaped or altered.
The 2018 events will mark the second year of the program, with double the number of participating cities relative to 2017. As the camps end, students will present their projects by composing raps, staging a rap battle, and creating a music video for the winning song. In 2017, 88% of participants identified as African American, promising signs of reform to AIA statistics showing only 4% of US architects are black. Read the full story by CNET here.
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Praia da Torre / SQ+ Arquitetos Associados Posted: 06 Apr 2018 06:00 AM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. A large urban house with sea views, in a contemporary style and structured in reinforced concrete. Its location, a new subdivision, where there were no constructions. The condominium has rigid legislation that determines the implantation quota of the house and also maximum quota of the edification, whose indications limited the edification as for the right feet. We opted for large glazed openings in the environments to break the height scale of the environments, in addition, the double right foot of the living contributed to the idea of high ceilings throughout the house. Great gaps have been designed to favour lighting and natural ventilation, as it is a country with more rigorous winter, the frames have thermal insulation. Wood, estremoz marble, brushed red ruffle stone (dark facade), fendi colour painting. The house is divided into: 3 floors, 4 suites, living, dining, home, gourmet, outbuildings. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Carlo Ratti's Writing Robot Transforms Your Wall into an Artistic Canvas Posted: 06 Apr 2018 05:00 AM PDT Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) has unveiled Scribit, a "writing robot" which draws images and text on any wall surface, turning office, living, and bathroom walls into a blank canvas for artistic expression. Using in-built engines, Scribit can draw, cancel, and re-draw new content an infinite number of times, allowing users to print different images, messages, or feeds every day. Scribit is always connected to the internet, allowing users to download, upload or source any online content. Operating in real time, Scribit immediately reproduces any data sent to it by the user, be it a restaurant posting the day's menu, a financial firm posting stock market updates in its lobby, or an art enthusiast projecting their own content on the living room wall. The 7-inch x 3-inch (20cm x 8cm) robot can be installed in less than five minutes, requiring only two nails and a power plug, and can operate on any vertical surface including whiteboards, plaster, or glass. Working on a two-axis plane, controlled by two light cables hanging off a vertical wall, Scribit uses four colored markers to reproduce content.
Scribit, the Latin translation of "s/he writes," represents the latest CRA investigation into writing machines, with previous projects including the OSARCH installation at the 2011 Istanbul Design Biennale, the façade of the Future Food District at Milan's World Expo 2015, and UFO-Urban Flying Opera, a fleet of painting drones programmed to draw a collectively-sourced image. Produced In collaboration with Makr Shakr, Scribit will be displayed from 16th to 25th April 2018 in Milan's Plazza del Duomo during Milan Design Week. A subsequent crowdfunding campaign will launch on 5th June 2018. News via: Scribit This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
CASAPLATA / Lucas y Hernández-Gil Posted: 06 Apr 2018 04:00 AM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. CASAPLATA is a restaurant and cocktail bar in the very center of Seville. In this context a lot of restaurants are looking for a historical revival from the past. In contrast, our project is betting on the future, avoiding nostalgia and looking for our own and singular image. As Georgio Morandi's still lives... this project can be defined as some strong color pieces that stand out over a silver gray atmosphere All these with the aim of reinforcing the gastronomical experience by blurring the lines of the environment to focus on what is within reach. On this underdone stage appear vaporous furniture made on colored perforated sheet. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Translucent, Breathable Facades: 8 Tips for Incorporating Metal Meshes into Your Building Posted: 06 Apr 2018 02:30 AM PDT In buildings where openness, brightness, and outward views are highly valued by the users of our projects, glass predominates as an exterior cladding in cities all around the world. This forces us to look for options that can manage the excess of solar radiation and maintain thermal comfort in all seasons, without obstructing the views or darkening the interior spaces. Prefabricated metal meshes provide certain qualities and flexibility that can work well in conjunction with glass; here we present 8 tips to work with this material and take advantage of its potential. 1. Avoid viewing the mesh as simply an addition to an already-defined façadeTo work properly, the metal mesh must be designed in conjunction with the rest of the building, responding to its different levels, orientations, interior functions, and other specificities. Used in this way, the flexibility of the material will offer you the greatest possible advantage. However, metal mesh also enables designers to easily renovate, upgrade, or modernize existing buildings; in these cases, considering pre-existing conditions is essential for effective application. 2. Consider how the mesh can deliver thermal comfort in both summer and winterMetal meshes filter solar rays during the summer, generating shade and reducing the temperature of interiors. At the same time, in winter, their permeability allows the passage of the sun, lowering costs for heating. This forces us to think about the variable conditions of the different months of the year when designing and choosing the opening and texture of the mesh.
3. Take advantage of air movement and mounting options to create efficient ventilated facadesThe mounting solution used for the metal mesh allows the designer to select the separation between the mesh and the glass. In this way, they can determine the right distance to generate a ventilation effect that prevents the accumulation of hot air in the extension of the façade. 4. Reduce costs using minimum support pointsFor the installation of meshes on the entire facade, only a substructure with upper and lower joining points is required. Depending on the size of the individual elements that compose it, fixed intermediate supports must be added at each level of the building, reducing the maximum loads that act on the substructure, and the possible deflection of the mesh.
5. Carefully consider the user's perspective, from the insideAlthough the façade can function as a thermal, shading and privacy device, with a visual impact on an urban scale, we must always consider what users will observe and feel from the interior spaces. The different patterns and levels of opening of the meshes can dramatically affect the quality of the views and the light of the living spaces. 6. Experiment with the material's flexibility of use: meshes should not always be fixedThe different installation options for metal meshes—fixed, sliding, or removable—allow a better adaptation to climatic variations, providing the option to both formally and functionally vary the façade. 7. Experiment with the forms: meshes can generate 3D effects on the facadeCubic, cylindrical, orthogonal and freely designed forms—through prefabricated elements, dynamic 3D geometries can be generated to enhance the thermal and light comfort of the interiors. Beyond the formal variations, the mesh, which is normally used with a stainless steel look, can also be finished with different colors, digital printing, coated wires, or the wire mesh can be made of non-ferrous metal (copper, tin bronze, brass).
8. Consider incorporating light animations and large-scale video content on your facadeMetal meshes generate extensive surfaces that transform buildings into platforms for media communication. Using LED technologies, the facade can fulfill a second function at night. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
School Conversion into Housing Units / ACBS Architectes Posted: 06 Apr 2018 02:00 AM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. The project consists of creating affordable housing units in an existing building where a local school for the hamlet of the Municipality of Essômes sur Marne is located and transforming the entrance to make access suitable for the needs of the disabled persons. The original distribution of the building has been entirely reorganised and reconceptualised partly because the only existing apartment to be used originally by a teacher had not been occupied for many years. The proposal makes use of the entire volume of the building, both the occupied and unoccupied parts. The new entrance hall with a core staircase has been created on the place of the previous technical rooms. This new element is emphasised inside as well as from the outside by meticulously finished raw materials, which gives the feeling of a contemporary interlude in the middle of an old, longish frontage. The window frames were made of the same material and were added around the existing windows of the school in order to emphasise the coexistence of the new program with the preserved activity of the school. This new distribution is recognisable on the main elevation aligned with the adjacent road. It stands out distinctly with its Corten steel cladding with an integrated bay window. Inside, the reflections of the natural surroundings coming through the bay window create a pleasant and calm atmosphere in the common parts of the building. In order to add uniformity to the project, all the timber window frames and shutters, as well as all the elements of the iron work such as a balustrade and hand railings are painted in the same colour. At the same time, the composition of the panels of Corten steel landmarks, the new main entrance and the openings give a contemporary feel to the project, and preserves the simplicity and authenticity of the original building. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Barcode Architects Brings New Triangular Residential Tower to Rotterdam's Skyline Posted: 06 Apr 2018 01:00 AM PDT Rotterdam-based Barcode Architects have designed a new 110-meter-tall triangular shaped residential tower to become an icon in the city's skyline. The tower, which has been named CasaNova, features a large plinth and a building base which tapers down four stories to meet the ground with a sharp angular form. Currently, still in the late design phase, this tower will be located in the rapidly developing Maritiem District, where nine other residential buildings have been planned planned to be constructed. CasaNova will aid in the transformation of this area from a quiet business district to a lively mixed-use neighborhood. The site is also connected to Rotterdam's main art street, and MVRDV's iconic Markthal is located just around the corner. The plinth of the building is shared with Barcode Architects' adjacent residential project, The Muse, which is currently under construction. The towers will share a large garden on the fifth floor, where residents from both towers will be able to socialize and share a fitness center, office spaces, and shops. Each floor of CasaNova contains three apartment units with balconies and windows which offer a 300-degree view of the city. Construction of CasaNova will begin in early 2019, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
News via: Barcode Architects. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
What It’s Like to be an Architect who Doesn’t Design Buildings Posted: 05 Apr 2018 11:00 PM PDT There's an old, weary tune that people sing to caution against being an architect: the long years of academic training, the studio work that takes away from sleep, and the small job market in which too many people are vying for the same positions. When you finally get going, the work is trying as well. Many spend months or even years working on the computer and doing models before seeing any of the designs become concrete. If you're talking about the grind, architects know this well enough from their training, and this time of ceaseless endeavor in the workplace only adds to that despair. Which is why more and more architects are branching out. Better hours, more interesting opportunities, and a chance to do more than just build models. Furthermore, the skills you learn as an architect, such as being sensitive to space, and being able to grasp the cultural and societal demands of a place, can be put to use in rather interesting ways. Here, 3 editors at ArchDaily talk about being an architect, why they stopped designing buildings, and what they do in their work now. How did you transition from designing buildings to doing other forms of work?Romullo Baratto: For me it happened organically. After I graduated I started as a part-time editor at ArchDaily, and I worked the other half of the time in an architectural firm. Crisis struck and they could not pay me anymore, so I stuck with my editorial job.
Han Zhang: For me it was quite a journey. I started as an economist; that was interesting but really not for me. So after completing my Economics and Finance degree I decided to go back to school to study Architecture. Monica Arellano: I studied dance where everything is about space and sensations. That's actually pretty similar to architecture. I worked for some time in a foundation that managed the historical heritage of my city and part of my work was publishing books and doing museography. All of that had a lot to do with architecture but not the kind that we are used to in school. I spent a period of time as an architect, but it was in the editorial field that I finally found myself. How does editorial work fit in?Romullo: Working as editor for architectural media, you eventually find out other ways of "doing architecture", by observing what's being done around the world in the borders of the field. I see the editorial work like that as well, as something that belongs to architecture, but not exactly the kind of architecture people are used to seeing. Han: After the first 3 years or architecture school it also became very obvious to me that my greatest attributes were my ideas and my ability to work with and coordinate people within teams to maximize and deliver the best outcomes. So I decided when I started my masters degree that I was not only going to work as a practicing architect but also in other disciplines within the industry to enable great designs to be realized. Therefore after 6 years working as a intern and junior architect during my studies, 2 years as concept architect after graduation and 2 years as a business developer for architecture offices in China, I joined ArchDaily! Do you miss designing buildings?Romullo: Frankly, no. At least not at this point of my life. I actually design buildings and retrofittings sometimes but it is just a pain. Han: Yes I do, but I have been designing for a large part of my career. Now I enjoy being a part of the design process and the discussion surrounding design with architects at the top of their game. The beauty is that we can always go back because we are trained for it. I don't miss the difficult clients.
Monica: Definitely not. What I learned from architecture here does not compare to what I learned from the office. I don't miss the deadlines or staying in the office all night working on models. What are some reasons people who study architecture don't become architects?Romullo: I believe there are various answers. Buildings are expensive, architecture is one of the first fields hit in an economic crisis, such as the one 10 years ago. That is a big reason why there are a lot of architects nowadays who are not building.
Han: I think it is a very testing profession. What most people would be surprised to learn is that it is only 10% design, the other 90% is coordination and balancing of different interest groups. A successful architect is someone who is much more than a designer, he or she is a salesman, a technician and a negotiator. Monica: Yes and I also believe that it is because of the geographic limits of the cities. Although it is true that architecture right now is growing as a field, it would not be possible for all of us to dedicate ourselves to design and construction.
Romullo: That is an interesting point. Are there enough jobs, comissions and buildings to be built if all of us decided to design buildings? And most importantly, do we really need more buildings? Han: There are enough buildings in many of the developing countries. I think a lot of the building stock is of very low quality, but the rest of the world must also recognize the developing world is facing a different set of problems. Desperate responses for desperate situations, quality is not an indulgence that can always be taken. Monica: I find the most creative architects are aware there is no need to build in the city. They work with what is already built. It's about being sensitive to the environment.
Han: I'd also say the political environment and lack of intellectual development for developing nations are the greatest barriers for good design, not the lack of skills of the architects. Romullo: I agree 100%. There's this Brazilian urban planner, Jaime Lerner, who is very famous here in Brazil. She used to say architects for the future…actually present! (laughs) don't have to bother about building new stuff, but rather they need to fix our messed cities. What is interesting and important about the work that you do now?Monica: I really enjoy learning about the new and exciting architecture. I love this constant search. It is amazing to be in contact with many talented people from my country and from all over the world and to feel so involved in something. Han: It is important that I represent Chinese architecture in a fair and honest way to the international community. Show the world the architects who are really building the China as Chinese people know her, even in the generic architecture. It is important the Chinese discourse and environment is represented correctly so the international discussion is not biased.
Romullo Baratto: What moves me in the architectural field is the possibility of seeing architecture as much more than simply designing and building, and at the same part not having to deal with practical and bureaucratic protocols of designing and building stuff. Han: And finally, I was very proud of showing the work of He Jingtang and Li Xiangning to the international readers, they are brilliant and celebrated architects in China. The fact that they both have been winners in our BOTY has ignited so much enthusiasm and pride within the design community here. This makes my job very worthwhile. About the editors --- Han Zhang is the Head of ArchDaily China. She oversees all aspects of ArchDaily's operations in China, including editorial and sales. She first obtained a Bachelors in Economics and Finance from Monash University, before going to Melbourne University to get a Bachelors and Masters degree in Architecture. She worked as an architect for 8 years before coming on to ArchDaily as China's Country Manager. Romullo Baratto is an editor at ArchDaily Brazil and often collaborates on projects with Archdaily. He is an architect and urban planner, with a Masters in architecture and Cinema from FAU-USP. Apart from ArchDaily, he also works as an independent photographer and filmmaker at studio Flagrante trying to explore the relations between moviment and space through images. He was part of the curatorial team for the 11th São Paulo Architecture Biennial in 2017. Monica Arellano is in charge of editorial area at Archdaily Mexico. She studied at the Faculty of Architecture, UNAM and participated in the Coreographic Lab "Collective Jumps" with the german choreographer Isabelle Schad. She has collaborated in various museographic and editorial projects with Fundación ICA and worked as an architect at Sinestesia Arquitectos. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Holm Oak’s House / Aranguren&Gallegos Arquitectos Posted: 05 Apr 2018 10:00 PM PDT
Text description provided by the architects. In a clearing in the pine forest of the southern slope of Mount Abantos of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is situated the house, that embraces an existing Holm oak. The place is a privileged vantage point with unique views to the south, visually dominating the plain that extends from the Sierra de Guadarrama to the city of Madrid, which is framed the horizon signed by the high towers of new construction. Therefore the house is conceived as a large gazebo, open and clear. The system that relates and connects the two levels of the house is a concrete slab that folds and shapes the overall envelope. As if it were a floor, deck plans are landscaped, so that from the top of the slope the house is perceived as natural soil, while since its interior is open and bright. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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