Arch Daily

Business Incubator in Archena / Amaa
Villa NTT / Architectuuratelier De Jaeghere
Rue Camille Claudel / Hamonic+Masson & Associés
Madrid-Barajas Airport Terminal 4 / Estudio Lamela + Richard Rogers Partnership
The Dog House / Atelier About Architecture
Temporary Classroom Prototype / a.gor.a Architects
Irim Yoga Studio & Cafe / Foam Architects
Deguchishoten / kurosawa kawara-ten
Enmore House / Amrish Maharaj Architect
Barraco / Q&A Architecture Design Research
Just Looking at Buildings Can Give People Headaches—Here's How to Minimize the Problem
Kerplunk House / I STIFFEN THEE
Musico Iturbi / Roberto Di Donato Architecture
OF House / Studio Otto Felix
OMA Releases Updated Images for Feyenoord City Masterplan
Marina Clubhouse / UNStudio
History's Most Notorious Unfinished Buildings
El Galeno Horse Stables and Warehouse / Peñafiel & Valdivieso Arquitectos
Sombra Verde's 3D Printed Bamboo Structure Bridges the Gap Between Tradition and Technology
Architecture Photos That Show Good Design Goes with Good Boys

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 10:00 PM PDT

Architects: Amaa
Location: Calle Felipe II & Calle Fernando de Magallanes, 30600 Archena, Murcia, Spain
Architects In Charge: Alberto Gil Torrano, María José Guillén Guillén
Area: 346.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photography: David Frutos

Collaborating Architect: Juan Antonio Gil Torrano
Building Engineer: Álvaro Gil Torrano
Industrial Engineer: Eduardo F. Gil Torrano
Technical Architect: Amable Alcolea Luna

Text description provided by the architects. There were several premises, when facing the design of the building. It had to be located in the limit of an unconsolidated Partial Plan, to become an activating milestone in the area. It had to be executed in a short period of time and with a reduced budget.

A sculptural building with different responses in each of its elevations has been the final design. Avoiding discrimination, the building is a link between both urban and rural worlds. It gets closer to the village through the outer space that was designed as an extension of the building. There are shady and wooded areas to stay, where the occupants can expand. It invites people to travel in it. On the top, a grandstand directs the views to the rural world.

A Business Incubator is a place where start ups share knowledge, experiences, ideas and emotions. The building materializes these ideas through a dynamic space of work. It is an alive and agile building that represents the movement of a company in a rapidly changing environment. The solution is an open interior space enveloped by a translucent polycarbonate double skin. This allows sensing what happens inside and changes its appearance according to the time of the day.

The building manages energy and natural resources in an efficient way. It self-stores rainwater. It is pre-acclimatized by a renewable energy system of Canadian wells. The southern cantilever creates a shadow that indicates the main access and welcomes you.

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Villa NTT / Architectuuratelier De Jaeghere

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 08:00 PM PDT

Architects: Architectuuratelier De Jaeghere
Location: West Flanders, Belgium
Lead Architects: Steven De Jaeghere
Area: 360.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Thomas De Bruyne

Text description provided by the architects. NTT Villa is located in a private domain which, even though situated in the centre of a city, has a park-like impression. A short avenue guides the visitor to a deeper lying area which is first surrounded by large, stately trees and which then opens up with a view of the Poelberg. The slope of the terrain and the favourable south orientation enhance this open feeling.

The new villa is built on the same location as the previous house. On an urban level, the same volume as the demolished villa was requested: a ground floor with a gable roof. We have optimised this precondition to a linear and slim volume with gable roof that maximally responds to its surroundings. The result is a recognisable type volume with a refined minimalist composition of white walls and deeper-lying dark exterior joinery.

The facade has a rather closed character and the easily interpretable architecture takes the visitor to the covered entrance. Once inside, the visitor is quickly confronted with the view through the long glass facade. The rhythm of the glass distribution and the columns give the impression of a gallery. The terrace table reinforces the bond between inside and outside, and creates an extra spatial experience in relation to the slope of the garden. The long canopy in the rear wall prevents hard sunlight and creates a pleasant experience as a transition to the outdoor area.

The ground floor plan combines several functions to ensure an optimal interaction with the environment: covered terrace, kitchen, living room, study and bedroom. The generous terrace platform presents itself as a fully-fledged architectural element in combination with the slope of the garden and contains an integrated swimming pool. The basement, which is the same size as the villa, can be reached both from the inside and the outside through an outdoor patio. The staircase on the patio leads to a guest room and a wellness area, where the pool window provides natural light with a diagonal view under the skywalk to some large trees.

Perspective is the key word in this design – in the two directions with respect to the surroundings: on the one hand there is perspective in the form of a surprising transverse view through the villa, on the other in the long direction in the form of a gallery between living area and landscape.

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Rue Camille Claudel / Hamonic+Masson & Associés

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 07:00 PM PDT

© Stéphane Aboudaram | WE ARE CONTENT(S)

Architects: Hamonic+Masson & Associés
Location: Rue Camille Claudel, 92110 Clichy, France
Area: 24000.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Stéphane Aboudaram | WE ARE CONTENT(S), Takuji Shimmura, Frederic Achdou

Mep Engineer: ARCOBA
Landscape Archiect: CoBe
Urban Planner: Obras
Client: SOGEPROM

Diversity in Unity
In the history of architecture, it is rare to find examples of roads built entirely by the same architect. The 'Rue Camille Claudel' project primarily poses the question of scale. The trauma of the Grands Ensembles has prevented a unitary approach in architecture today. We often see urban projects divided into 'slices' of 50 to 60 houses under the guise of "architectural diversity." This approach is often detrimental due as it is associated with a lack of consideration for the town and city planning. Hamonic+Masson & Associés won the Camille Claudel project in 2013 had proposed a global and unitary strategy, which incorporated architectural diversity with evident character. Here diversity is a question of form and typology and not simply style.

A Demonstration
The project is organized around seven buildings on two separate plots linked by a public road. The site has its constraints, including the local flood prevention plan, building area restrictions, required transparencies and the local urban plan. However, it also has its advantages such as unobstructed views of the Seine, the nearby park and the surrounding new and developing neighborhood. Each building has its own character but remains linked to its neighboring structures. The morphology of the buildings develops in a way that provides each apartment with multiple views of the Seine and maximum sunlight exposure. The buildings interact with one another in a way that creates collective spaces overlooking the new road.

The buildings are raised off the ground in order to allow the eye to wander between the structures and let the natural light penetrate the site. These open ground floors are connected to each other via the road, and the hallways become transparent spaces with dual aspect views. The voids between buildings and the road are landscaped in order to create a large, planted, communal garden. The extension of public space is at the heart of the system and is a concept that will create a strong link between shared spaces, the road, and the project.

One of the big questions in collective housing is that of repetition. How can we avoid this feeling in a programme of 330 apartments? (60% privately owned, and 40% social.) The apartments are stratified but must offer quality and uniqueness. We have responded to the search for identity within the collective and provided differentiation by proposing multiple, varied exterior spaces.

Furthermore, we have designed numerous typologies with the majority of apartments benefiting from a southwesterly orientation and views of the Seine. The buildings directly facing the river have been designed to give a strong signal of Metropolitan scale. The buildings are sculpted in a way that favors maximum sunlight exposure and provides views overlooking this incredible site. They are clad in metallic lace with varied motifs, which give an identity to this new neighborhood.

This detail on the facades was the opportunity to give the project an identity. In the Metropolitan skyline, the lacelike panels vary according to the time of day, the weather and the seasons. The different elements will resonate, as certain locations will absorb light while others reflect it. Architecture is condemned to be static but different staging and cinematic measures can render the buildings dynamic, lively, provocative and can also evoke multiple sensations.

Subtly playing with framework and motifs within the unity of light and luminous tints, the project gives a refined image. However, it is simply the assembling of simple materials which, when superposed and enhanced with graphics and precision, engender a poetic quality. An atmosphere.

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Madrid-Barajas Airport Terminal 4 / Estudio Lamela + Richard Rogers Partnership

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 06:00 PM PDT

Architects: Estudio Lamela + Richard Rogers Partnership
Location: Barajas, 28042 Madrid, Spain
Area: 1100000.0 m2
Project Year: 2005
Photographs: Estudio Lamela + Richard Rogers Partnership

Construction Management: TPS, OTEP, HCA, AHA
Installations: INITEC, TPS
Principal Structure Design: Anthony Hunt
Estrategic Design Authors: Warrington Fire Research
Cost Controllers: Hanscomb y Gabinete de Ingeniería
Acoustic: Sandy Brown
Illumintarios Assesors: Jonathan Speirs
Landscape: dosAdos
Models: 3DD, J. Queipo
Contractors: Terminal: UTE Ferrovial, FCC, ACS, NECSO, SACYR / Satélite: Dragados, OHL / Aparcamiento: Dragados

Text description provided by the architects. The NAT (T4) at the International Madrid-Barajas Airport is located three kilometres north of the old Barajas terminals TI, T2 and T3. The original design concept has been maintained in the final building and replies to the complex and extensive requirements of the specification, organising activity within three buildings:

1) A car park measuring 310,000 m2, with capacity for 9,000 spaces.

2) A Terminal Building is separated from the car park by forecourts, which act as a transport exchange for buses, taxis, metro, trains and private vehicles. It will serve international flights and Shengen flights (flights within European Union countries). With nearly 500,000sq m (distributed over 6 levels), it has 174 check-in counters, 38 stands for planes and airport walkways located in the boarding pier that measuring 1.2 Km long.

3) The Satellite Building located between the new runways (2km from the main terminal building), houses all international non-Shengen flights from the NAT. There will also be a flexible area which will serve all flight routes: non-Shengen, international, national and Shengen (complementing the terminal building). The building is almost 300,000 sq m and 26 stands for airplanes. If the air traffic continues its increase, there is the possibility to build a second satellite.

The car park building is composed of 6 modules functionally independent but that appear as one unit by means of exterior cladding and a garden roof of 56,000 m2. Direct access to the car park from the road is made through one of the six guarded level-crossings, where every vehicle is automatically issued a car park space. From the car park the terminal building is entered by means of a connecting pedestrian walkway. Both buildings, the car park and the terminal, are separated by the forecourts. The forecourts are made of a series of roads and aprons at different levels, all covered by the extension of the wavy roof of the Terminal.

The Terminal Building is characterised by three lineal modules (Check-in spine, processing spine, Pier), and serves different functions according to the passengers flow (arrivals or departures). Reception of passengers, check-in counters, control and boarding for departure flights; disembark, luggage collection and departure of passengers from the building for arrival flights.

These modules are separated from each other by light-filled canyons that provide natural illumination to the lower levels of the building. This contributes to the environmental strategy – reducing the energy consumption. In addition, this also reduces the maintenance and upkeep costs. In these spaces, the vertical movement of passengers takes place, via stairs, ramps or lifts. These are a very important element for the orientation of the passenger as they indicate the sequence of actions that the passenger needs to carry out when arriving or departing.

The Terminal and Satellite buildings are separated due to aeronautical reasons such as the location and size of the landing and take off runways (existing and new). The two buildings are connected by a tunnel that runs under the runways. The tunnel has two floors with three voids in each. The upper level has two side areas of approximately 10 metres width for the circulation of authorised vehicles and a central space of 13 metres, where the Automatic People Mover (APM).The lower section, with three spaces of identical dimensions, is totally devoted to the automatic baggage handling system (SATE).

Regardless of the type of flight, all the passengers who use the NAT Barajas have to go through the Terminal building as all checking-in and luggage collection are concentrated in here. The use of the APM systems together with SATE allows the simultaneous movement of both, luggage and passengers.

The New Barajas will have a total figure of 70,000 passengers per year, including terminals T1, T2 and T3, with the possibility to move 18,000 in the rush hour. Despite the size of the project, the design of the NAT Barajas offers a functional and comfortable area for the passenger, an urban and architectural space with human scale both externally and internally and a harmony with the surroundings, minimising the environmental impact.

El volumen total de pasajeros que será capaz de albergar el Nuevo Barajas, incluidas las terminales T1, T2 y T3, será de 70 mill/año, con una posibilidad de movimiento de 18.000 pasajeros en hora punta. A pesar de la magnitud de la actuación, todo el diseño del NAT Barajas pretende ofrecer un área funcional y cómoda para el pasajero, un espacio urbanístico y arquitectónico con escala humana, tanto externa como interna, y alcanzar una máxima armonía con el entorno, reduciendo al mínimo posible el impacto medioambiental.

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The Dog House / Atelier About Architecture

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 05:00 PM PDT

Interiors Designers: Atelier About Architecture
Location: Beijing, China
Design Team: Ni Wang, Dawei Zhang, Daguang Shou
Lighting Design: Dawei Zhang, Lei Wang
Photographer: Haiting Sun
Area: 400.0 m2
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Haiting Sun

Text description provided by the architects. This is a residential project designed for the owner and their beloved dog, for the dog's needs on medical care and good living. We call it the Dog House.

Due to chromosomal differences, dogs are less capable to identify colors than humans. The owner of Dog House hopes to create a colorful world inside the house in which his dog can touch and perceive. According to authoritative researches from recent years, dogs can recognize yellow, blue and transitional color segments inbetween in the color spectrum. Therefore, the architect tried to enclose a space by structuring colors in this project, together with the direct and indirect rendering of lights, to guide and effect and mood of spaces.

In Dog House, the first floor includes the kitchen, the dining room and the living room, the underground floor is the dog's bathroom and activity space, the second floor is composed of the main bedroom and entertaining area.

Spaces for the owner alone are basically grey, dark grey, light grey and white; while functional spaces for the dog are more colorful. Two sets of colors inside the house: calm colors including lake blue, dark gray, navy blue and light gray are playing with vibrant colors, such us roseate, goose yellow and sky blue. These colors contrast and complement between each other to narrate the depth, distance and motions of the spaces. Lights are indirectly presented through diffusion and semi-self-illuminating materials.

After the white ceilings are evenly lit, the geometrical surfaces of the sloping roof are seting off each other and creating an subtle reflection of light, which has weakened the sense of existence of the ceiling and the floor. The layers of lights also have gently enriched the spaces.

The Dog House has two dog-only bathrooms. The core area is a barrier-free shower space for the dog with two-way ramps and separated wet area. At the other end of the shower, there is a operation floor for routine physical exams and medical care of the dog. The heights of the shower space and operation floor are determined after long-term observation on the living habits of the owner and the dog. The small bathroom next to the shower room used a lot of noise-reducing fabrics that are newly deveopled by Danish textile brand Kvadrat, which is to reduce the harmness to the ears caused by the dog barking during the bathing.

The owner's dog is extremely sensitive to the touch of materials due to congenital disease on its joint. Therefore, special materials are used in the design to reduce the damage to its hip joint caused by the friction with materials, for example, soft flooring and medical-grade waterproof coating are applied on the stairs and ramps in both exterior and interior spaces that are relevant to the dog.

It is a very unique commission to us, since all the requests from the owner, including the space, materials, even furniture and decoration, are almost completely centered on the dog's habits and needs. The specific requirements on functional details, the re-understanding and re-conceptualize of design from the perspective of dogs have greatly inspired us to reflect on and to design the space, which eventually leads to a satisfactory result. Whenever we see the owner and their beloved dog living and playing together inside the house, we are always touched by the love between them. The love is expressed beyond the presentation of architecture and design skills, which is probably the ultimate meaning of the entire project.

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Temporary Classroom Prototype / a.gor.a Architects

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 04:00 PM PDT

Architects: a.gor.a Architects
Location: Mae Sot District, Tak, Thailand
Lead Architects: Albert Company Olmo
Area: 70.0 m2
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Franc Pallares Lopez, Albert Company Olmo

Other Participants : Jan Glasmeier, Daniel Tejedor, Science and Technological Training Center (STTC), Ironwood

Text description provided by the architects. The students of the Science and Technology Training Centre (STTC), and a.gor.a Architects, designed and built a light-frame "Temporary Classroom" prototype in Mae Sot, on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Over the last 30 years, Mae Sot has seen a steady flow of migrants from Myanmar who have escaped ongoing civil war or who are seeking better livelihood, healthcare and educational opportunities in Thailand.

The 60 schools providing free education to migrants experience many challenges, including lack of resources and insecure land tenure. This project provides schools with a dignified space for learning. The building also has the added benefit of being easily erected and disassembled, allowing it to be transported to various school sites depending on their changing needs.

The first design was built for the CDC School, a migrant learning center in Mae Sot which needed a temporary space for 60 students. After 6 months of use, the building was then relocated to another school in the remote village of Phop-Pra. Over the last two years, two more prototypes have been built in the region.

Also crucial to this project was the process which saw the students from STTC gaining new design and construction skills, enabling them to secure better employment opportunities.

One of the main topics taught during the workshops at STTC was selecting the appropriate tool and construction material for the job. Steel was chosen as a main material for the structure of the classroom as it allows for a longer life-span, and can withstand potential damage during transportation from one school site to another. Buildings in the Mae Sot area are highly exposed to severe weather conditions so the choice of steel also prevents deterioration caused by climate.

A single bolt placed in the edge connects both frames allowing the system to be lifted up easily. A much lighter and cheaper secondary structure made out of eucalyptus and thatch roof - commonly used in the area – were used. These materials allow the school to easily maintain the building.

The Temporary Classroom responds effectively to the tropical climate in the region. The roof is designed very low, breaking the gable into two elements. This prevents the rain from coming inside the building and also brings natural light and ventilation throughout. The inventive construction system and the steel material do not compromise on the overall traditional building aesthetic.

While this building has been used for educational purposes, it can also be used for many different functions where the context requires a dignified temporary building response. The design of the Temporary Classrooms prototype has since been shared as an open source design.

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Irim Yoga Studio & Cafe / Foam Architects

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 03:00 PM PDT

Architects: Foam Architects
Location: South Korea
Lead Architects: Cho Youngwoo
Designer: Kim Hyemin
Area: 100.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Kim Eunsol

Neat yoga studio plus cafe located in a quiet residential area.
The client's request was very simple. They were planning to run a cafe plus yoga studio in a space of about 100 square meters, and wanted to design it properly so that these two areas are well settled. They asked to divide not-a-big space into two parts, make a proper separation of two spaces with different features, and make it possible to appreciate the park in the east even indoors.

I divided interior space into two, east and west, and for the yoga practice, eastern side was utilized as it is connected to the park. When it is sunny, they can open the folding door located on the side facing the park and practice while feeling the warmth. During weekends without class, this space can be used as cafe space with tables on the floor where the guests can stay while looking over the park. In the western part where main entrance is located, there a space with 3-4 tables which is used as both lobby and cafe, and the facing kitchen was designed to be open so that the space can be felt more spacious.

Moon Door. Searching for good boundary
'Moon Door' which divides cafe and practice room is boundary of these two spaces, and is the first thing that one come across when entering the room. Initially the client wanted to have a spatial device such as curtain or folding door which could be used to fully open the space when needed. However, as curtain is not appropriate for soundproofing, and folding door gives their distinctive mechanical sensation, the client wanted to try other installation.

So the next suggestion was sliding door. It works calmly in the mechanical sense compared to folding doors, and its fixed wall part provides physical boundary unlike curtain. Opaque glass was used to provide sense of focus during practice, while connecting inside and outside even when the door is closed. The reason of using moon shape for the door was to give more impressive face that is generated when simply opening and closing door, while having analogy of lunar cycle and yoga practice.

As material exposed to the surface, namely finishing material, I wanted to utilize something that makes the best use of its own intrinsic nature. Considering the park particularly, it seemed that such naturalness would match well with yoga studio. As a result, it was mainly made of plywood, roasted bamboo, and terrazzo type concrete bloc. The client wanted to create an image wall, especially mandala that would work as a point inside the practice room, but malada with strong image could ruin the unity of the space. What I did was to create simplified madala by making hole in the concrete block.

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Deguchishoten / kurosawa kawara-ten

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 02:00 PM PDT

Architects: kurosawa kawara-ten
Location: 7777-3 Ōhara, Isumi-shi, Chiba-ken 298-0004, Japan
Lead Architects: Kenichi Kurosawa
Project Manager: Yoshie Kato
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Ryosuke Sato

Wood Door Maker: Saishu Tategu-ten
Structural Engineer: Suto Masataka Architectural office
Client: Isumi City

Text description provided by the architects. The renovation project of the old storage of the wholesale liquor shop was built in 1911 in Ohara Isumi Chiba Japan. The shop was abandoned for some years and the storage also since the woman who was the mother of the owner was passed away.The storage was not good condition as some beams collapsing, pillars were eaten by termites or leaning. It was impossible to start using directly.

And, The local government which the storage belong to has the problem of increasing abandoned houses. The local government has already been Semi-GENKAI SHURAKU (It means the population of some village is more than half of the people living in the village are over the age of 55.). Japanese local areas are exhausted as the storage before renovated.

In such a situation, Chiba University started the program which aims to remain the graduates in the local area where the university belongs to as workers. In the program, students are needed working and creating there own projects and communicating the local people. The storage are renovated for their foothold.

This area's situation is very much same as other Japanese local areas. If people need a new place to live or business, old buildings are demolished without any thoughts for history or culture. Then they built new buildings by non-contextual synthetic materials and construction methods for mass production. But, it is one of the fundamental problem the homogenization and making less value to collapse local areas. And it is very clear that it is impossible to ignore their identity and the pride for regional revitalization. Therefore, The renovation should be taken with paying maximum respects for the existing old building and their materials and using parts still alive.

At first, Making wide opened floor level of east and west side elevations as all doors for getting the openness students need for working and making communication. On the other hand, concentration and getting good distance between the local people, north and south elevation was leave the original walls. For the reinforcement because the openness, steel frames were installed carefully planed as not disturb the atmosphere of the existing building. The floor finish is the concrete of the base slab. Aggregates are laid all over under the eaves, they are made by cracked old roof tiles. And still remaining old corrugates on the exterior walls. These are because preserving the context and atmosphere of this area.

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Enmore House / Amrish Maharaj Architect

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 01:00 PM PDT

Architects: Amrish Maharaj Architect
Location: Enmore, Australia
Area: 160.0 m2
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Vikram Hingmire

Text description provided by the architects. The striking light and the soaring ceilings are the first things you notice when you enter the extension to this seemingly modest federation semi-detached cottage in inner west suburb of Enmore. Inspired by New York lofts and industrial warehouses, the centre-piece is a six metre void with a huge north facing window to capture the best of the light and give the house a real wow factor, with a sense of space rarely achieved in inner west properties.

Althought south facing, the house feels light and airy and has a sense of openness at all times of the day. There are glimpses of green and the neighbourhood skyscape through the strategic placement of windows. The addition purposefully juxtaposes the original federation dwelling, to create a clear divide between old and new, keeping with the guidelines of the heritage council and burra charter principles. A small external garden, a wide entry way and complementary range of colours, themes and materials tie the two areas together.

Previously the rear of this dwelling consisted of a series of poorly planned small spaces including a kitchen, dining and laundry, which restricted access to the rear garden. Being south-facing, the spaces lacked natural light, resulting in artificial lighting used for most of the day. The brief for the renovation included a light and airy space including a loft parents retreat, a well-planned kitchen and a family area that flows to the outdoor space. The extension also needed to link with the original house but not imitate it.

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Barraco / Q&A Architecture Design Research

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 12:00 PM PDT

Architects: Quarta & Armando Architecture Design Research
Location: 559 Fuxing Zhong Lu, Shanghai, China
Lead Architects: Gianmaria Quarta, Michele Armando, Tao Gu
Area: 85.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Dirk Weiblen

Text description provided by the architects. Designed by architecture office Quarta & Armando (Q&A), Brazilian bar Barraco uses reclaimed materials, doors and windows from demolished buildings in Shanghai and as-found objects to stage the informal, messy and colorful atmosphere of tropical cities.

The neutral tones of bare concrete, wood and white gravel on the floor and walls serve as a background for the controlled chaos of plants, lights and hanging swings on the ceiling, which projects itself from inside to outside and towards the street.

Q&A brought informality within the construction process itself by designing an irregularly sloped structural grid and deciding on site how to arrange and install each single hanging panel, door and window one by one, after carefully selecting them from demolished buildings around Shanghai.

During closing time, the last segment of ceiling towards the street can be closed by sliding on the lateral steel frames and become a solid wooden background for the colored concrete-cast logo by the entrance.

The double nature of materials and textures reflects a double nature of use: the more quiet, dimly lit indoor bar sets provides a quiet retreat for an afternoon coffee, while the outdoor bar with projecting canopy becomes a part of Shanghai's active streets at night.

Seating areas are organized according to the same principle, with a set of moveable low stools and beach chairs outside being the only furniture besides the hanging wooden swings surrounding the bar, matched indoor by a set of comfortable armchairs and high-stools, surrounding a hanging table/door which can be operated and pulled towards the ceiling to provide more space during a bigger party or event.

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Just Looking at Buildings Can Give People Headaches—Here's How to Minimize the Problem

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 10:10 AM PDT

Architecture can give you a headache. That sentence probably doesn't sound surprising for anyone who has dealt with the stress of practicing or studying architecture but, increasingly, psychologists are beginning to understand that you don't need to work on architectural designs for buildings to cause you pain. In an interesting article published by The Conversation, Arnold J Wilkins, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Essex, discusses how discomfort, headaches, and even migraines can be caused or exacerbated by simply looking at certain visual stimuli—with the straight lines and repetitive patterns of urban environments singled out as the main culprit.

As Wilkins explains, our brains have evolved to process images of the natural world. His article describes a number of ways to measure how hard the brain works to process visual information, from modeling a simple neural system on a computer to measuring the oxygen usage of people's brains when they are looking at images. In both cases, the evidence suggests that the brain works harder to process images of buildings than it does to process natural scenes. In some cases, this extra workload can cause physical discomfort, pain, and even migraines.

But what is it about urban environments that causes this extra workload? Wilkins' research suggests that the answer can be found in a mathematical tool known as Fourier Analysis. Fourier's work is arguably most well-known in the context of modern communications: the "ones and zeros" of digital transmissions are actually composed of a superposition of smooth analog sine waves, a technique that has its origins in Fourier's work in the early 19th century.

However, a similar technique can be applied to images. Just as any mathematical function can be broken down into sine waves, any image can be broken down into a superposition of striped patterns of different widths (or "frequencies") and placed at different angles. You can see this effect in the video below, where different sets of stripes are added together to reproduce the Mona Lisa:

However, while a human face and other natural images might require the addition of many sets of very narrow stripes, the Fourier breakdown of an image of a building is likely to be dominated by a small number of very dominant stripe patterns—typically, horizontal stripes of the floors and vertical stripes of walls and columns. Wilkins describes this difference like so:

In nature, as a general rule, components with low spatial frequency (large stripes) have a high contrast and components with high frequency (small stripes) have a lower contrast. We can call this simple relationship between spatial frequency and contrast a 'rule of nature.' Put simply, scenes from nature have stripes that tend to cancel each other out, so that when added together no stripes appear in the image.

It's the impact of these monotonous stripe patterns that are the source of headaches and other problems discussed. And unfortunately, such patterns are becoming increasingly common in architectural design. Wilkins singles out "stripes on doormats, carpets, and escalator stair treads" alongside other interior finishes, but as building designs become larger and more driven by structural efficiency and cost, repetitive stripe patterns are becoming more prevalent in the very structure of buildings themselves. An architect's instinct can also sometimes exacerbate this problem, as they seek to express this structure artistically.

In his conclusion, Wilkins suggests that "perhaps it's time for the rule of nature to be incorporated into the software that is used to design buildings and offices." But before this happens, perhaps architects can simply consider this phenomenon more carefully in their designs.

Click here to read Arnold J Wilkins' article in The Conversation in full.

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Kerplunk House / I STIFFEN THEE

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 10:00 AM PDT

Architects: I STIFFEN THEE
Location: Ocotillo, United States
Team: Neal Lucas Hitch, Neal V Hitch, Kristina Fisher, Martin Hitch, Paul Herman, Davis Hitch
Area: 224.0 ft2
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Breyden Anderson

Text description provided by the architects. The Kerplunk House aims to bridge the gap between found space and built space; not just an architecture that resembles nature, but an architecture that is nature. Like a forest, or ancient European city, the rule of order is hidden from the user. Though a deep pattern of organization does exist, it is not readily apparent. The house's carefully designed structural precariousness lends itself to an innate primal comfort normally only found in nature.

The house was built as the first piece of infrastructure of a desert propagation center. Over time, desert flora will be planted and transplanted to cover its immediate surroundings. Designed as a multipurpose living and working space for its inhabitants, we have created a miniature forest within the desert using vernacular materials and methods.

The work consists of two cuboid, enclosed spaces suspended in midair by a series of seemingly random posts that pierce the structure in all directions. Windows and doors are then cut out around and in between these posts. The nature of the design creates an elevated living space with minimal impact to the site. Stucco and exposed structural-wood detail recalls the traditional colonial Spanish design of the area.

Normally, a house is designed as a jigsaw plan of walls and columns that hold up a roof. With this project, we first conceived of a forest of columns and then locked them into place by building walls, floors, and ceilings around them. We wanted to take common architectural language, like columns and beams, and re-contextualize them as natural typologies, such as trunks and stumps. The result is an integrated exterior-to-interior relationship, in which the contingent nature of the exterior support is reflected on the inside of the building. With the Kerplunk House, we have created a novel living experience that evokes a primal spatial sense; as if an entire forest was shrunk and stuffed inside an 8x8 square foot room.

The design encourages people to interact with the space primarily through exploration and adaptation. Built-in inefficiencies and undefined spaces incite an adaptive response from the user. This way, program and use become an improvisation of the people living/working in the house. By allowing users to seek out and find new ways of interacting with the space, something that appears non-functional is shown to have infinite uses. The pavilion questions the very nature of architecture and suggests that perhaps the primary role of the architect is to create spaces for people to find.

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Musico Iturbi / Roberto Di Donato Architecture

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 08:00 AM PDT

Architects: Roberto Di Donato Architecture
Location: Valencia, Spain
Architect In Charge: Roberto Di Donato Architecture
Area: 60.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Joao Morgado

Contractor: SEOP Construcciones

Text description provided by the architects. In 2017 Roberto Di Donato Architecture completed the challenging renovation of an apartment unit located in an early 20th century listed building in the heart of Valencia.

After many years in state of abandon, the apartment was an empty shell when it was bought by the client, creating numerous opportunities but also challenges to the design team.

The approach to the project was guided by the ambition to create distinct, yet fluid, modern living spaces almost leaving undisturbed the existing structure. "We opted to introduce non-conventional partition walls, making the entire depth of the space visible and interconnected".

The space is constantly flowing from one area to the other, with the separation between night and day areas provided by two tall wooden elements. These custom designed elements also contain the bedroom wardrobes and three sets of doors allowing varying degrees of privacy.

The ceiling height was also deemed a particularly valuable element in the renovation. The structure of the roof was restored and kept fully exposed, no element of the new design gets in contact with it, underlining the respect for the past and also enabling the full sense of space and volume of the apartment to be perceived.

One more tool utilized to emphasize the special quality is the "direction" of the design elements. All the new construction elements have been introduced with a strong and clear direction in space. The wooden wardrobes, the full-height white curtains, and the tall ladder are accentuating the verticality of the space. In turn, the long kitchen worktop, the white plasterboard pedestal and its line of light are enhancing the horizontal dimension.

With a reduced space, brief and budget, the project succeeded in introducing a contemporary design language, while enhancing the character and the materiality of the old space. By only adding essential new features, "wounds" and layers of transformations over the years were carefully retained and displayed to enhance the sense of continuity with the building's history.

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OF House / Studio Otto Felix

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 06:00 AM PDT

Architects: Studio Otto Felix
Location: Joaquim Egídio, Brazil
Architect In Charge: Otto Felix
Co Author: Tici Andriani – Design de Interiores
Area: 410.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Denilson Machado - MCA estudio

Landscaping: Daniel Nunes
Illumination: Vertz Iluminação

Text description provided by the architects. Idealized in neutral colors and natural materials, as wood and stone, for example, the house keeps a simple essence and elegance at the same time. We sought inspiration in contemporary architecture to create integrated environments and value the use of natural materials and coatings. "The idea was to translate the cosmopolitan life, integrated spaces, ideal to welcome people over. Besides that, we decided to add a modern atmosphere which values nature", says Otto Felix.

The main intention of the project was to incorporate the external spaces into the social spaces of the house, bringing nature to the living areas. To enable this integration between spaces without losing privacy in the most intimate areas of the house, the main divisions between spaces were made through slatted wood folding doors. This way we have the option to integrate or not these spaces, according to the needs of the client.

The main protagonist of the project is the volume that corresponds to the social areas of the house with the Gourmet area, Living and Dining Room. This environment is surrounded by glass panels that open completely, releasing the passage of natural light and ventilation, creating a fluid and contemporary atmosphere. The residence has also a kitchen, dining room, TV room, master suite, guest suite and service area, distributed in a private block in "L" shape, that opens outwards through the wood folding doors.

Another highlight is the landscape project, which includes a biological pool skirting the gourmet área. This natural pool was the starting point for the composition of the rest of the garden, with tropical and lightness air the landscaping values the architecture in which it is inserted. The structure of the house seems to float above the pool, creating the feeling that the landscaped elements were already on site before the construction. In addition, the biological treatment does not use chemicals, allowing the residents to swim with the carps and contemplate nature.

For the construction, the architect opted for the Light Steel Frame (LSF) solution, a system that doesn't require bricks and concrete, which are replaced by a galvanized steel structure covered with panels ready to receive paint and coatings. This choice made the construction cleaner and generated much less debris than traditional construction works. The choice for natural and warm materials and coatings, such as stone and wood, also provide better thermal comfort and a much greater sense of coziness. The lighting that prevails on a day-to-day basis is natural, and at night it was designed to highlight details of architecture and landscaping, creating a cozy and welcoming atmosphere.

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OMA Releases Updated Images for Feyenoord City Masterplan

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 05:00 AM PDT

OMA has released updated images of their Feyenoord City masterplan after reaching initial city approval in 2016. Developed for the Feyenoord football club in Rotterdam, the project comprises a mixed-use district and a new 63,000 seat stadium along the River Maas.

The plan is intended to kickstart future business development in the area, connecting the stadium to the surrounding area along a wide pedestrian avenue known as "The Strip." Images show that this concourse connects to a wide plaza surrounding the stadium, from which visitors will be able to look over the river towards the center of the city.

"On the concourse you will have a view over the Maas and the skyline of Rotterdam," explained David Gianotten, partner in charge of the project, to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. "From this point you can directly reach the entrance to the three rings of the stadium and get a glimpse of the field. The stadium is robustly modeled and exudes the architectural character of Rotterdam."

The masterplan will add approximately 180,000 square meters (1,938,000 square feet) of housing, 64,000 square meters (689,000 square feet) of retail/commercial, and 83,000 square meters (893,000 square feet) of public program to the area. Included in this is the conversion of the existing stadium, known as De Kuip, into apartments, an athletic center, and public square.

Notable in the design of the new stadium is a dense steel roof structure, which extends over the entirety of the stands to protect fans against the unpredictable Dutch weather.

The stadium and masterplan are expected to reach completion in 2023.

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Marina Clubhouse / UNStudio

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 04:00 AM PDT

Architects: UNStudio
Location: Shenwanzhen, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
Project Team: Gordana Jakimovska, Joerg Lonkwitz, Adriana Rodriguez Ossio, Alexander Schramm, Alice Yi-Ting Chiu, Iris Pastor, Caroline Filice Smith, Jean Chaussavoine, Jun Wang, Irina Bogdan, Leo Xinyu Li, Gilles Greis, Alexander Meyers, Sam Jia Jun Ren, Tamim Salah EI Negm, Evan Jon Shieh, Rafael Carbonero Vicario
Team Members: Alan Chin-Che Hung, Fernie Lai, Maya Alam, Cristina Gimenez, Juergen Heinzel, Yeojoon Yoon, Yu-Chen Liu, Dan Luo, Edwin Hang Jiang, Yichi ZHANG, Fabian Alejandr Mazzola, Daniele De Benedictis, Yuwei Wang, Alberto Martinez Garcia, Huaiming Liao, Ana patricia Castaingts Gomez, Oliver Loesser, Craig Yan, Guomin Lin, Nathan Melenbrink, Duran Yuan Zhai, Margaret Juien-Hwang, Cecilia Hui, Earn Lee Chern, Lukas Allner, Justin Tao Cheng, Severin Ignaz Tuerk, Yuwei Wang
Area: 30151.0 m2
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Tom Roe

Structure: P&T
Facade: Hyder
Landscape: B+H
Mep: Squiremech
Lighting: Lighting Images
Lifts: Thyssen
Green Energy: Earth In Mind
Bridge Structure: AECOM
Client: Sunsea Yacht Club
Contractors: Huaren (architecture), King Facades (facade), Gold Mantis (interior), Beishan (MEP), Thyssen (lifts)

Keppel Cove Marina
The new Marina at Keppel Cove is located in Zhongshan, in the Guandong Province of China and is situated on the banks of the River Xi. The 50,000 sqm masterplan for the project comprises a marina with direct access to the Xi River, a service building, high-end residential villas and the supporting infrastructure, such as the CIQP building, a bridge, roads and surrounding external dykes. Keppel Cove Marina is the first and only marina with a private port of immigration in all of China.

Clubhouse
The Marina clubhouse is designed to resemble the experience of being on a yacht, or a luxury cruise. On the one hand it forms a retreat where people can disconnect from their busy daily lives and enjoy tranquillity and relaxation. On the other, it offers excitement and activity, alongside opportunities to escape and explore.

The spatial and architectural concept for the clubhouse is to create a strong identity at the heart of the development. This is achieved by staging identity points from the entrance towards the river. The journey from the main entrance over the bridge towards the clubhouse and the visibility of the water and boats is designed to create an arc of suspense.

A contrasting approach to visual impact and the maritime notion of bridging land and sea was employed in the design. Whilst from the land side a sculptural landscape builds up gradually as you approach the clubhouse, from the water side a distinct and open facade welcomes seafarers while casting a shimmering reflection on the water.

The shape of the building (and the surrounding landscape) was derived and developed based on the main access routes to the clubhouse, in combination with the most attractive view lines. In a smooth transition, spaces radiate outwards in an organic fan shape, away from the main infrastructure node at the base of the 'stalk' (the bridge). The design outcome of the fan shape is also a wide building frontage that takes maximum advantage of the marina view, while at the same time fluently guiding different user groups to their various destinations.

The landscape surrounding the building is designed and organised with respect to views of the surrounding environment: there are plateaus from which to experience and enjoy the river Xi and view points that connect people with the soft landscape of Shenwan. The architecture allows for these views to also be enjoyed by the public without infringing upon the privacy of exclusive users or residents.

Funnels
Large, open 'funnel' spaces cut through the building, whilst simultaneously forming vertical connections by means of staircases which allow access and strolling between the levels. The Funnels change the typical notion of the building from an obstacle to the waterfront to a liquid space which allows for a seamless transition through the building's volume. They form a permeable layer for walking from one side of the clubhouse to the other without interfering with the building's programme and as such aid in the organisation of the interior spaces.

The funnel spaces enable views through the entire building towards the nearby yachts and the water. Framing the sight of these picturesque spots is highly important as it enables vistas from each point inside the building to either the yachts or the hilly landscape to the North East of the site. In this way the funnel spaces create a strong inside-outside relationship for the building. In warmer periods the funnels enable a constant gentle breeze to cool the spaces by means of natural cross ventilation.

Ben van Berkel: "The way the wind is guided through the building in order to cool down the interior is also metaphorically articulated in the design. Within the internal wind funnels, it is almost as though you can see the wind swirling around within the architecture that surrounds you."

Natural light entering through a large skylight and the East and West openings creates a comfortable atmosphere and offers a constant play between light and shadow. In these spaces wood panelling finishes reference the luxury yachts that are moored nearby - where the deck in many cases functions as a soft material contrast to the hard carbon fibre body of the vessels.

Facades
Alluding to the colours, materials and the craftsmanship employed in the skins of contemporary speedboats and yachts, the facade of the clubhouse consists of bronze coloured aluminium panels. Often used in naval architecture, this bronze hue highlights the softness and fluidity of the building's geometry.

On the waterfront the entire facade is glazed and built up with glass fins for structural support. This facade includes several balconies that provide vista points and shading to the glazed areas. The undersides of the roof and the balconies are clad with mirror finishes which resemble sparkling reflections on the water's surface.

Interior
As a hub for maritime lifestyle activities, the marina offers various amenities for social interaction, for business, leisure and wellness, with the clubhouse building housing numerous restaurants, a members' area, spa, gym, ktv and guestrooms.

Bridge
The bridge provides the main access route to the clubhouse and the waterfront. Pedestrian and vehicle routes are separated with a strong focus on the experience of the pedestrians. The walking level is located below the vehicular path and therefore sheltered from the view, fumes and noise of the cars. The bridge incorporates several platforms to rest or linger and above the dyke the handrail of the bridge transforms into a seating area - with the handrail of the vehicular path functioning as the canopy.

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History's Most Notorious Unfinished Buildings

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 02:30 AM PDT

© Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família

Both today and in centuries past, it is a reality of building that not every project is destined for success. Financial issues or unrealistic timetables can complicate a building's construction but, while usually the final result eventually meets the initial expectations, other times the worst-case scenario of a building being abandoned during construction becomes a nightmare come true. Unfortunately, these failed projects have an extensive history. Economic factors are the most common cause of unfinished construction, but buildings have also been stranded in limbo by wars, geopolitical shifts, epidemics of disease and other unpredictable obstacles, leaving partial structures as haunting reminders of what might have been.

Whether partially completed and left as ruins or still under construction decades (or centuries) after initial groundbreaking, unfinished buildings offer an alternative history of our built environment, promising long-delayed gratification or examples of design so ambitious that they prove impossible to realize. Initiated by civilizations across the globe, the following list details just a few examples of history's most interesting and infamous unfinished construction projects.

1. La Sagrada Familia, Barcalona

A work in progress since 1882, Antoni Gaudí's monumental Roman Catholic Church stands amongst the most well-known examples of unfinished architecture. Gaudí took control of the project a year into the church's construction, reshaping the evocative design that he would see only partially realized by his death in 1926. Progress was interrupted in the 1930s by the Spanish Civil War, and much of the architect's documentation was lost when combatants destroyed his workshop during the conflict. Now in late stages of construction, the design is based on reconstructed versions and contemporary adaptations of Gaudí's plans. With current construction funded by entrance fees from visitors to the unfinished masterpiece, the structure and all 18 of the church's towers are expected to be complete by 2026, and all its decorative elements should finally be in place by 2032, a full 150 years after groundbreaking.

2. Palace of the Soviets, Moscow

Image by Ilya Ilusenko <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_Of_Soviets_8.JPG'>via Wikimedia</a> (public domain)

During the height of Stalin's rule of the Soviet Union, a design contest yielded plans for a massive new building that would house the nation's government in Moscow. The winning design detailed an ambitious 415-meter (1,362-foot) neoclassical pyramid build of seven increasingly-narrow concentric cylinders, with the bottom ring's footprint covering 140 meters (460 feet) in diameter. If completed, the 100-meter (328-foot) statue of Vladimir Lenin planned for the top of the palace would have projected higher than the spire of the Empire State building. Construction began on the project in 1938 but was quickly interrupted by the eruption of World War II. Steel from the building's frame was repurposed for wartime infrastructure projects, and the palace scheme was officially abandoned by the Soviet government in 1957. The foundation was used as a public swimming pool from 1958 to 1994, and today the site supports the rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

3. Siena Cathedral, Italy

© Flickr user o2ma <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siena-mura_citt%C3%A02.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a>

The recognizable completed structure of Siena's iconic Italian Gothic cathedral was finished in 1348, but an ambitious expansion project begun in 1339 was abandoned after less than a decade of work when the Bubonic Plague hit the city in 1348. Construction never resumed on the project, which would have doubled the size of the cathedral. Several unfinished exterior walls from the addition are still standing, and the partially-built nave floor now supports a museum and parking lot.

4. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

© <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/4675714481'>Flickr user hisgett</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a>

Shortly after moving to its current location on Fifth Avenue, The Met decided to update Calvert Vaux's initial Gothic design by commissioning Richard Morris Hunt to design the museum's iconic Beaux-Arts facade. Featuring four prominent pairs of columns, the facade's construction was briefly interrupted by the financial Panic of 1901, resuming in time for the project to be completed in 1902. During this period the column sets were capped with stacked pyramids of rough limestone that were meant to be carved into allegory ornament representing sculpture, painting, architecture, and music, but after the work stoppage these sculptures were never realized, and the raw stones still sit uncarved atop the order of columns.

5. National Monument of Scotland

© <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tourists_posing_at_the_National_Monument_of_Scotland.jpg'>Wikimedia user Colin</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/'>CC BY-SA 4.0</a>

Planned in honor of Scotsmen who died in the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s, the National Monument of Scotland atop Calton Hill near Edinburgh was intended as a recreation of the Parthenon, but a lack of funding left the building only fractionally complete. The project was priced at £42,000 in 1822, but after they raised only £24,000 the project's committee was ultimately only able to afford the construction of the monument's foundation and 12 columns. Construction halted in 1826 and the monument has remained in its unfinished state since.

6. Ryugyong Hotel, North Korea

Standing out prominently against the Pyongyang skyline as the tallest structure in North Korea, construction began on the imposing Ryugyong Hotel in 1987 and work on the project has been sporadic since construction was suspended in 1992. Measuring 330 meters (1,080 feet) tall, the monumental pyramid was intended to be complete by 1989, but political shifts thwarted this ambitious goal as North Korea plunged into major turmoil after the fall of the Soviet Union. Designed by the North Korea-based Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers, the mixed-use building sat as an empty concrete shell until 2008, when a financial contribution from Egyptian investors allowed for the installation of windows and the completion of the building's exterior. The opening of the hotel was announced in 2012 and again in 2013, but those plans are currently on hold as construction continues on the project. With information tightly-controlled by the North Korean government, the detailed status of the project and the estimated completion timeline are unknown.

7. NOT Tower (aka Szkieletor), Krakow

© <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Szkieletor_with_background.JPG'>Wikimedia user Mateusz Giełczyński</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a>

Originally intended as the headquarters of Poland's 49 regional associations of engineers and technicians, the 92-meter (300-foot) concrete building shell known as "Szkieletor" (the Polish name for Masters of the Universe villain Skeletor) stands as one of the tallest structures in Krakow. Construction began on the project in 1975 but was interrupted by political upheaval in 1981, and the site's tricky legal status has complicated efforts to redevelop the site. After changing ownership several times, the structure is now occasionally wrapped in advertising billboards.

8. Alai Minar, Dehli

© <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qutub_Minar_and_Alai_Minar.jpg'>Wikimedia user Tarun Bhardwaj</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 4.0</a>

Built adjacent to the Quwwat ul-Islam mosque and the soaring Qutb Minar minaret in Delhi, the Alai Minar was planned by Alauddin Khalji of the Khalji Dynasty to tower over the complex built on the remains of Lal Kot in the neighborhood of Mehrauli. Thought it was intended to stand at twice the height of the 239-foot (73-meter) Qutb Minar, the structure measured only 24 meters (80 feet) tall when construction was abandoned upon Alauddin's death in 1316. Construction on the unfinished, undressed stone core of the project was never continued by later generations.

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El Galeno Horse Stables and Warehouse / Peñafiel & Valdivieso Arquitectos

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 02:00 AM PDT

Architects: Peñafiel & Valdivieso Arquitectos
Location: Huelquén, Paine, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Author Architects: José Ignacio Valdivieso y José Domingo Peñafiel
Area: 1130.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Francisco Croxatto Viviani

Construction: Constructora Torca Ltda.
Mechanization Consulting De La Madera: Playgood
Structural Calculation: Roberto Stocker

Text description provided by the architects. We were commisioned a master plan and the desing of all the infrastructure for a
field at the foot of the mountain range in the town of Huelquen, Chile. Whosehillsides were planted with vineyards, and its flat part, of grass for fodder. The project sought to gather all the farm equipment and service area into a covered building in order to create an operational center for this agricultural business.

Situated next to the access path, -right on the way to the upper fields, further up the mountain-, the project appears with all its power in front of the visitor, under a single narrow and extended roof. It gathers three fundamental units: the first includes office spaces and a dining room for workers; the second designed for machinery, tools and products; and a third one for horses. Two voids break through the building interrupting its almost 100 meter length, shaping two hallways that act as mediators between these three units, letting the view, the light and the wind go through the building from one side to the other.

The large gable roof opens at the ends, leaving both sides separated. This gesture is accentuated when reaching the stables, where the west slope of the roof turns in 15 degrees allowing the sunlight to penetrate into the horse stable during the day. Meanwhile the other slope remains unchanged, parallel to the path, shading the horses during the stable daily cleaning duties. The project pays special attention to details so to solve issues regarding horse care: the trough, the ties, the horse stall shutters which are closed every night, the saddle room, the saddle supports, and the horse feeders among others.

Traditional woodwork joinery details developed with today’s automated technology were the basis to the structure design. This reduced the amount of metal joints, and leaving them almost completely out of sight.

The prefabricated wooden structure required an extremely precise assembly work to correctly fit over the exposed concrete bases previously built. The concrete casting for the bases was made with wooden boards in order to provide the right texture. After the prefab wooden structure was in place, carpenters finalized the job by executing manual work using standard selected pine. The construction was, therefore, the result of a coordinated workflow between technology and craftsmanship. Playgood's consultancy was fundamental in developing the woodwork for this work.

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Sombra Verde's 3D Printed Bamboo Structure Bridges the Gap Between Tradition and Technology

Posted: 09 Jul 2018 01:00 AM PDT

Bridging the gap between the old and the new is never easy. Traditional building methods, where you often adjust to the unpredictability of a natural material, seem to contrast with the mechanical precision of modern construction. Sombra Verde - a bamboo gazebo developed by AIRLAB and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) as part of Singapore's Urban Design Festival 2018 - bridges this gap. The traditional raw bamboo poles, used extensively throughout Southeast Asia, are combined with 3D printed connectors, utilizing a series of new technologies. The result is an iconic, lightweight structure in Singapore's Duxton Plain Park that promotes the use of public space, sheltering the population from both the intense sun and heavy rain.

By their very nature, bamboo poles vary in cross-section, thickness, and bend. In response to this, digital measurements were vital in achieving this structure. Each of the 117 poles were cut to length and digitized by the team. The information was then used to calculate the structural capacity and consequently its optimal position within the structure.

The data was then used in the design and fabrication of the 36 bespoke connecting pieces, and the material PLA was used to 3D print each individual element. An inexpensive and sustainable plant-based polymer, PLA's properties make for an economical printing process, while the seamless, plastic node tightens on connection with the bamboo, the planned rotation enabling the structure to act as one.

The pavilion measures 8.50 x 6.50 meters with a height of 3.00 meters and weighs less than 150kg. Its transparent, green, cellular polycarbonate roof rests carefully upon the network of bamboo beneath, which itself meets the ground gracefully on three inverted tripod columns.

Design: AirLab, Singapore University of Technology and Design (air.sutd.edu.sg)
Airlab @SUTD: Assistant Professors Felix Raspall and Carlos Bañón in SUTD, and PhD Researcher Felix Amtsberg in SUTD-MIT
Location: Singapore
Project Lead: Felix Raspall, Felix Amtsberg, Carlos Bañón
Team: Yuxin He, Sourabh Maheshwari, Tay Jenn Chong, Aurelia Chan, Anna Toh Hui Ping, Sihan Wang, Mohit Arora
Sponsors: LopeLab, Urban Redevelopment Authority Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Center for Digital Manufacturing and Design (DManD)

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Architecture Photos That Show Good Design Goes with Good Boys

Posted: 08 Jul 2018 11:00 PM PDT

Casa Dox / Mjölk architekti. Image © BoysPlayNice

Are you a cat or dog lover? At ArchDaily we know that you're as big an animal lover as we are. They inspire us, keep us company, and in the case of architectural photography, give us an idea of a structure's scale. We previously made a collection of photographs starring cats and architecture, and we could never forget our dog-loving readers. We bring you a collection of photographs where dogs take center stage.