Arch Daily |
- Superlofts Blok Y / Marc Koehler Architects
- Into the Wild / Ark-shelter
- CentoNew / GEWERS PUDEWILL
- The Morning Chapel / Flores & Prats
- The House of Still / Snow AIDe
- Ivanhoe Extension / Modscape
- Urban Alchemy 9 / Ankit Prabhudessai
- Wuyuan Rd. Studio / Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects
- Child Development Support Center Kiitos Hamura / HIBINOSEKKEI
- Sacromonte Landscape Hotel Shelters / MAPA
- What Affects the Quality of Life in Urban Environments?
- Call for ArchDaily Interns: Fall 2018
- Chalet La Petite Soeur / ACDF Architecture
- Carlo Ratti Associati's Latest Prototype Shows How the Design of Streets Could Change in Real Time
- Hill Country House / Miró Rivera Architects
- Foster+Partners-Led Trailblazer Apprenticeships Bring Overdue Relief for Disenfranchised Architecture Students
- Cadena + Asociados Concept Design Headquarters / Cadena Concept Design
- Forget "Post-Digital": Why Technological Innovation in Architecture is Only Just Getting Started
- Edificio Piacenza / SML Arquitectos + Tri Arquitectura
- Explore the Local Wood Work of Chiloé Island, Chile
| Superlofts Blok Y / Marc Koehler Architects Posted: 18 Jul 2018 08:00 PM PDT  © Stijn Poelstra
 © Stijn Poelstra Text description provided by the architects. Designed as an Open Building, Superloft Blok Y forms part of the ongoing Superlofts project, initiated by Marc Koehler Architects (MKA), focused on flexibility, participation, and adaptability. It offered a collective of 30 homeowners a blank canvas to customize or design and build their apartments according to their needs, and actively engaged them from the outset to co-create the building and its shared spaces. A unique complex - where no two apartments are alike - results from the building's radical flexibility, collective character and high level of sustainability.  Axonometry  © Stijn Poelstra The five-story building comprises a base framework (support) that is independently fitted out (infill) by the inhabitants. Blok Y combines 30 Superlofts into 5 types - XS lofts (70m2) to family lofts (145m2) - resulting in a rich diversity of dwellings and mixed community. Homeowners could fit out a completely raw space (by themselves or together with an architect) or customize an existing floor plan, and also their exterior. The open concrete framework is organized into varying loft formats with two or three stories, single or double facade, with a roof terrace, balcony or garden. Their unique layouts are uncommon in conventional housing, many designed to flexibly accommodate future change e.g. by incorporating a lift or flexible partitions to reconfigure the interior once the kids leave home. Generous voids create a beautiful sense of space and light.  © Stijn Poelstra Constructed with a considered use of materials and meticulous detailing, the facade is a simple but strong expression of the concept. The interplay of the fixed concrete grid and variation in details from the customized facades results in a robust, dynamic building that reflects the diversity of its community. The slim concrete grid is filled in with a framework of double-height windows that bring light deep into the apartments. A lively facade composition results from the varying loft exteriors, with their different entrances, balconies and window configurations. By night, modules of glowing interiors animate the framework, reflecting the changing activity within.  Exploded Structure Diagram 2  © Marcel van der Burg Constructed with a considered use of materials and meticulous detailing, the facade is a simple but strong expression of the concept. The interplay of the fixed concrete grid and variation in details from the customized facades results in a robust, dynamic building that reflects the diversity of its community. The slim concrete grid is filled in with a framework of double-height windows that bring light deep into the apartments. A lively facade composition results from the varying loft exteriors, with their different entrances, balconies and window configurations. By night, modules of glowing interiors animate the framework, reflecting the changing activity within.  Types Diagram  © Stijn Poelstra A high level of sustainability is achieved through the integrated use of technologies such as floor heating and cooling using geothermal heat pumps with heat recovery, 180 solar panels for individual and shared energy needs, CO2 sensors for ventilation with heat recovery, passive solar design integrating double or triple glazing with electric sunshade and low maintenance facade materials. This results in an EPC of 0.3 and average GPR figure of 7.5. .jpg?1531738445 "© Marcel van der Burg") © Marcel van der Burg  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2018 07:00 PM PDT  © BoysPlayNice
 © BoysPlayNice Text description provided by the architects. Nowadays we live in a world where we are extremely busy and from time to time we need to escape from it. Escape from the stress, duties and civilizations back to our roots where it all started.  © BoysPlayNice The past 3 years we have been working on re-designing, building and testing different types of Ark-Shelters. We want to create a place that gives you comfort in the heart of the nature and gives you the perfect setting for a detox of your mind. From this perspective we created a new Shelter type: "into the wild cabin". With his 5 openings all around we wanted to create a visual focus of the nature all around. Each opening brings in another atmosphere of the nature.  © BoysPlayNice  Lodge plans with text There is a big openable wall side and the big front glazing makes you feel like you're sitting outside. The milk glass window in the bathroom gives you the all-natural incoming light you need. We've made an extra module which is set on the roof and has a big window so you can sleep under a sky full of stars. The Shelter¨, with its low-tech outlook facade, is created so that it attempts to blend with nature, while refining its complex and sophisticated system that automatically works with space and light.  © BoysPlayNice Thanks to a automatical system the heating, cooling and shadings can be pre-programmed. The double-bed goes up automatically in the ceiling and beneath the bed there is a hidden jacuzzi, this creates a new relaxing area. The Shelter can work completely off-grid through solar panels, batteries and rain water collector.  © BoysPlayNice The 40m2 has a central black box in the middle that creates 5 different areas, every single side is part of a particular area in the Shelter. The sliding doors in the corners create more space and the different areas can be completely divided.  © BoysPlayNice  Axo 02 Thanks to the extra module on top we have more incoming light from above. The left part of the box works as a kitchen and a relaxing zone, the back of the box has a shower and a sink next to the window. Next to the bathroom we have the big bed and the jacuzzi. The extra module on top is another bedroom that you can also easily turn into a relaxing mediation zone.  © BoysPlayNice This new Shelter has been a totally new challenge for us an it's all about the details, we wanted to create a place that has it all in least possible space but with all the possible luxury.  © BoysPlayNice  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2018 06:00 PM PDT  © HG Esch
 © HG Esch Text description provided by the architects. Centogene AG is a company that operates worldwide in the field of analysis of rare congenital diseases through genetic diagnostic testing. Originated by a spin-off from the University of Rostock, the company is growing rapidly and dynamically. The decision for a new building has been made for about 220 employees at the location Rostock.  Site Plan  © HG Esch The new location is realized in an attractive position at the water front on the Silohalbinsel in Rostock. The building design consists of staggered structures: a continuous podium on the ground floor with the main entrance and two rising 2-storey structures. They surround above the ground floor a semi-public greened atrium which opens on both sides towards the water.  © HG Esch By aligning the two structures each employee has a direct sight to the water. The building will be completed in the 3rd floor with an X-shaped structure. That creates a special situation of the terrace with its relationship to the water and its perception to the earlier there located slipways of boatyards.  Third Floor Plan The facade is divided into an elegant dark clinker base and in a finely textured metal facade. The metal facade is coated in warm copper tones and surrounds the body like a finely stretched skin.  © HG Esch  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Morning Chapel / Flores & Prats Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:00 PM PDT  © Adrià Goula
 © Adrià Goula Text description provided by the architects. An island.  Site Plan  Drawing 1  Drawing 5 The forest.  Drawing 8  © Adrià Goula  Drawing 6 Early morning.  © Adrià Goula Compactness.  © Adrià Goula Meeting.  Drawing 4  © Adrià Goula  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The House of Still / Snow AIDe Posted: 18 Jul 2018 04:00 PM PDT  © Jaeyoon Kim
 © Jaeyoon Kim  Site Plan Text description provided by the architects. Cheongpyeong belongs to Gapyeong, located in the northeast of Seoul. It is surrounded by mountains and overlooks the Han River. It is famous for its relaxation and leisure facilities in Natural Forest. There is old Cheongpyeong downtown with Daesong-ri, a sightseeing spot, beside it. It is a popular place for tourists in summer. The client says she spent more than 30 years here. Although Cheongpyeong is not her hometown, she married and came here to raise two daughters and a son, and she wanted to rebuild a house that was as old as her son. It was her son, who was bone and raised here, to build a house to live with his mother in the land his father left.  © Jaeyoon Kim The downtown of Chungpyeong is packed with old buildings. The house where she lived was an old single-story house, which is more than 30 years. The shape of the land was irregular by buying and selling land with my neighbors for a long time. It was doubtful whether the situation would be the same as a site document. So I had to work to check the boundaries of the site first, but because of the dense buildings, I could not do the boundary survey before the demolition, so the design was stopped and I was waiting to demolish the house. The design began again after hearing from the client that he had decided to demolish in February 2017. As a result of surveys, there was not much intrusion of neighboring buildings.  © Jaeyoon Kim The major direction of the design was to create a quiet and simple space such as margins in a distracted environment by making use of the irregular and narrow land efficiently and making a simple facade that blends with the busy surroundings. The entire program consisted of a parking space and a retail space on the ground floor as residential spaces on the second and third floors. The second floor consists of a kitchen/living space and mother space, and the third floor is for the son space. The most troubling part of the space configuration was how to utilize the narrow backspace due to the irregular shape. Also, the front roads were facing north and had to use backspace for natural light. To make the best use of the site, we put a staircase in the narrow southeastern corner, put a retail space in the longitudinal direction with a parking space beside it.  Diagram  © Jaeyoon Kim The residential space is designed to house the living space to the south for natural light, the kitchen and the bedroom to the north, set back from the front road by 2 m to minimize noise and too much light across the street. The stairway connecting the living space to the third floor has open steps to maximize the light entering. The third floor is a space for a single son, and there is a veranda where he can barbecue with family and friends. The facade of the building facing the road was trying to maintain the simplest shape so as not to be awkward to the busy surroundings. Especially, the retail space was placed on the side with one story building side, and the house mass was attached on the opposite side with the third-floor building to be harmonized with the urban environment. On the contrary, the rear of the building became rather diverse and dynamic shape.  © Jaeyoon Kim The materials used for the exterior were white stucco and black brick, which are the most basic materials, and gray zinc on the roof. These basic materials are compatible with the concept of a house that is faithful to the basic. On the other hand, the interior suggested some rather unusual colors and materials, but the client was willing to accept the floor as a tile, color match with pink tiles and metallic gray charcoal kitchen furniture, and the rooms use faded mint and white color to create a relaxing atmosphere. I wanted to make a building that stood silently like a background for a long time for another 30 years.  © Jaeyoon Kim  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2018 03:00 PM PDT  © John Madden
 © John Madden Text description provided by the architects. In need of extra space for their growing family, the clients decided to employ a modular solution and extend their home rather than move. The extension is open, filled with natural light and beautifully compliments its leafy suburban location. A new double-height entrance space has been created in the middle of the house providing a clean separation and demarcation between existing and new. As soon as you walk in the front door, your eye is drawn up to the circular skylight which casts directed light to the open stairs below.  © John Madden  Section To accommodate for the sloping site, the extension is terraced down the block with a slight change in levels between the original house (which has now become the kid's domain), the entrance way and the new modular living area. This helps to subtly define different zones, while the same Oak flooring used throughout provides continuity and flow.  © John Madden Just beyond the new entrance foyer is the heart of the home – a large kitchen. From the outset, the clients' brief revolved around this space with the arrangement, layout and finishes carefully considered. With ample storage space provided in the butler's pantry, the kitchen is big enough for the whole family to cook, gather and socialize. The heroes of the space are the large floor-to-ceiling windows that capture clear vistas into the beautifully landscaped backyard and surrounding trees. Cornerless sliding doors in the dining area provide a seamless transition from outside to in - the result is a relaxed, light-filled gathering space with a fantastic outlook and connection to the external spaces.  Floor Plans Sustainably-sourced Blackbutt timber and Colorbond Diversaclad marry in harmony in this home. Yet it's when the first-floor timber form starts to curve and becomes a battened screen that gives way to the house's personality. The screen is practical too - it provides additional sun shading and privacy ensuring there are no overlooking issues into the neighbor's backyard. For the adults, the master suite upstairs offers a peaceful haven, cantilevering out to the garden.  © John Madden The house includes many active and passive systems to ensure that it functions efficiently. Solar passive heating and cross ventilation, high levels of natural light, double glazing with thermal break frames, over insulation (like all of our modular homes), 2,000L rainwater tank, energy efficient lighting, water efficient fixtures and reverse cycle heating and cooling alongside a gas fireplace.  © John Madden While the Modscape team were busy constructing the extension within the factory the clients were living in the house disruption-free. The clients moved out four weeks prior to the installation date as Modscape coordinated the demolition and site preparation. Installation of the modules occurred in just one day. And three weeks later the Modscape team had completed the works and the clients could put the kettle on.  © John Madden  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Urban Alchemy 9 / Ankit Prabhudessai Posted: 18 Jul 2018 02:00 PM PDT  © Prashant Bhat
 © Prashant Bhat Text description provided by the architects. We envisaged creating architecture that breathes and one that embodies the same characteristics as that of a tree in nature to architecture through this group housing project. Goa has had a deep global influence of more than 400 years over its art, architecture and culture out of which evolved a genesis of vernacular styles with a backdrop of innovative materials through trade, the history of which is honoured through this project comprising of six identical villas. _Section_.jpg?1531865731 "Section") Section The visitor is greeted by a lightweight steel structure atop which sits an I.P.S. (Indian Patent stone) structure which envelopes a down to earth material palette comprising of terracotta bricks and various green hues of tropical plants. The use of planters placed at every floor, renders a sense of belonging to every resident and strengthens the idea that the structure should be dramatic and yet be deeply rooted to nature like a tree.  © Prashant Bhat The villas are planned in such a way that a green offset comprising of tropical plants is created on the side as well as rear with a large open to sky courtyard in the centre which is the main spine consisting of paths that lead to the 'balçao' or entrance porch of each villa. This spine is envisioned into three areas, the entrance or the 'Padmasana' court, the central or the 'Living Pavilion' court and the 'Rear court'. The empty throne shrine lets the viewer formulate his or her own individual understanding of supreme power.  © Prashant Bhat The 'Living Pavilion' is synthesized around elements of a tree with the wooden columns acting as the main trunk upon which a plethora of plants represent the foliage. The emphasis of the pavilion is on the micro details and the use of contrasting materials and surfaces like the hand chiselled granite pedestal base, the wooden columns, I.P.S. and wooden louvers bound around the transparent lotus pond. The cultural influence of Goa with its hundreds of years of rituals and customs are represented by terracotta handmade sculptures or grotesque Gargoyles acting as water spouts. _Planter_Section_.jpg?1531865624 "Planter Section") Planter Section The 'Golden ratio sculpture' dominates the rear court with a wooden figure with arms wide open placed within a handmade relief brass ring over two exposed cement walls, one in yellow ochre and the other in Yves Klein blue colour placed one behind the other. The villas themselves are designed in such a way that nothing is indoors. The large sliding glass windows connect the central courtyard to the green backyard of the villas. The 'balçao' or the entrance porch acts as a transition space between the living-dining area and the central courtyard.  © Prashant Bhat The brick work is custom designed in such a way that each brick offsets from the next in open work pattern, wrapping the walls in a permeable blanket that creates dappled daylight in particular spaces and, at night, when all the lights are on inside, the building will be seen from the streets like a glowing lattice work. Urban Alchemy 9 is a social experiment by which we tried to capture the essence of Goa by trying to strike the perfect balance between functionality, design, history, culture and most importantly nature.  © Prashant Bhat  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Wuyuan Rd. Studio / Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:00 PM PDT  © Eiichi Kano
 © Eiichi Kano Text description provided by the architects. The studio of Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects is housed in a normal two-story building sited in a typical Shanghai alley. The renovation is based on the original structure, but emphasises on the continuation of space and visual connection between indoor and outdoor. A glimpse through glass doors and windows or bevel skylights captured the cool shades of tree and changes of sunlight, as one senses the natural surrounding and time passing by.  Diagram  © Eiichi Kano Original garage facing the entrance was renovated into a big meeting room with double-door. When these doors and the front gate are open, the outside neighborhood, front courtyard and the meeting room became a continuous space, providing possibilities of serving as a community design workshop in the future. The first floor works as a main working area where all the programmed spaces centred around a five-meter long document shelf, including a small exhibition area, coffee bar, solarium, model room, restrooms and a storage room. The tall space on the second floor is designed to be a collaborative working area. Besides a basic administrative management space, there are two groups of open working area, three individual offices and a private architecture library. We offer a fixed budget for colleagues to regularly pick and collect worth-reading high-quality publications. The purpose is not to imitate any architecture design trends, but to establish a clear and diverse cultural coordinates for all of our projects.  © Eiichi Kano In the aspect of materials and details, our design particularly respond to their different spaces and programs with our own attitude. Gray-colored river pebble terrazzo floor goes well with brass divider and margin. Many of the metal works are designed and made on-site. Recycled Chinese Ash wood and copper hand pull-rod were used to construct our own door and window system. All internal walls are finished with round corner at the opening of both door and window. Black steel plates are bent into different kinds of components, such as vestibule at the entrance, staircase handrail, window sill, book shelves, toilet paper holder and so on. Some design effects are hard to be presented by drawings, like the lustre and texture of the material itself, spaces and shadows created and cast by interactions among the materials, as well as the relation between use and site. These are indeed our own experiment in building and our practice with real space.  3D  © Eiichi Kano  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Child Development Support Center Kiitos Hamura / HIBINOSEKKEI Posted: 18 Jul 2018 12:00 PM PDT  © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi
 © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi Text description provided by the architects. Farm HIBINOSEKKEI + FUKUSHIKEN + Youji no Shiro  Terrace, First and Second Floor Plans  © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi In addition, it's difficult for children with developmental disability to transmit their sensation. So, it's important that they get the sensation of "balance" as well as five senses "touch, taste, hearing, smell, sight". To get these senses, the best way is "play". In this building, many places are installed, where children can play to absorb the sense unconsciously.  © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi In foundry, there is a place to think of design ideas and make trial mold flask, where spaces with both stillness and motion are required. In an atelier here, there is a space to learn quietly sitting on chairs, and a space to be able to move dynamically. In the process of making mold, the sand pool is necessary to set the mold flask. In this atelier, children can play regardless of on rainy day.  © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi Children who like to play in a sandpit can play to their heart content, and it may help others who don't like with absorbing the sense of touch by touching sand little by little. To make a mold, the kiln is necessary. In this atelier, people use fire to get warm. By seeing the moving fire, children would feel relaxed. In foundry, on draining metal, mold is suspended from the ceiling. Coming from this image, anything can be suspended, where children can hang down from them and they innervate vestibular sense. Playing in this building will bring a balance of any senses unconsciously.  © Studio Bauhaus / Kenjiro Yoshimi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sacromonte Landscape Hotel Shelters / MAPA Posted: 18 Jul 2018 10:00 AM PDT  © Leonardo Finotti
 © Leonardo Finotti Text description provided by the architects. SACROMONTE CRAFTED WINES – LANDSCAPE HOTEL Sacromonte is an invitation to approach the world of fine wines in a remote natural setting, where sophistication and the rudimentary coexist in a new experience of the landscape.  © Leonardo Finotti Its lands, stretching over 250 acres, are nestled in a privileged location: the wild sierras of eastern Uruguay. At an equal distance between Punta del Este, José Ignacio and Pueblo Garzón, it is a unique ecosystem to be enjoyed with a singular spirit.  © Leonardo Finotti
SACROMONTE AS A FIELD FOR EXPERIENCES Sacromonte is landscape. It is a field of relational forces, of ancient intensity and new impulses that jointly create a new, unprecedented entity. Thus, nature, production, infrastructure and the palpable energy of the site configure a field of stimuli to be discovered; a field of experiences. In this idyllic landscape, young vineyards adapted to the unique characteristics of its soil, interact with a hill from which the entire spot may be observed, with its lush grasslands, natural spring water reservoirs and several streams that run through the valley densely surrounded by pristine vegetation. It is the contemporary explorer who will rewrite its own script, costarring the landscape while walking through a wide range of scenarios.  © Leonardo Finotti Sacromonte (Crafted Wines) will be part of a young constellation of small Uruguayan wineries of recent international recognition as producers of small quantities of premium wines. A unique feature of Sacromonte’s vineyards is the terroir, a result of its location in the wild sierras of Maldonado, with steep hillsides facing north and its rocky soils, rich in mica schist and granite.  © Leonardo Finotti With the comfort and sophistication of urban hotels, Sacromonte Landscape Hotel substitutes the concept of contiguous rooms with exclusive cabins scattered through the landscape. In addition, elevators and corridors are replaced by winding paths. A total of 13 cabins (4 shelters and 9 landscape shelters) are disseminated over the Sacromonte topography, seeking the best locations. A winery with a restaurant set among the vineyards, a reception area with a wine store and a hilltop terrace for wine tasting put the finishing touches to the hotel facilities.  © Leonardo Finotti At the same time, a network of elements that amplify the experience of the landscape is in place, intended to enhance unexplored spots: an open chapel among the vineyards and paths, trails and tracks activated by programs for the enjoyment of wine, culture and art. Last but not least, Sacromonte is a sustainable venture, which includes the environmental dimension in all its decisions. Prefab buildings, low-emissivity glass, living roofs, the use of local materials for onsite works, an organic vegetable garden, electric cars for transport, renewable energy, the rational use of fertilizers, the use of spring waters and the eco-friendly waste water treatment system are a few of the strategies that make Sacromonte a field of harmoniously coexisting events.  © Leonardo Finotti SACROMONTE SHELTERS, A PREFAB EXPERIENCE OF THE LANDSCAPE after which they are transported over more than 200 km in a single day. Leaving the city behind, the rooms cease to exist as such and become landscape shelters. They are no longer objects but rather evolve into experiences.
The modular metal structure, a blend of steel framing and light steel framing, gives preference to constructive simplicity and the efficient use of materials. Finishing is simple and expressive. Materials are used in harmony with their nature. In sharp contrast, the walls supporting the prefab modules are built onsite with local stones and take diverse organic shapes adapted to each placement. Circular pools, composing a new sensory experience of the landscape, complement them.  Exploded Axonometric The space is organized in a sequence of longitudinal layers of different thicknesses, between which daily life develops. The rear plane of the cabins is composed by piles of wood logs, reminiscent of woodpiles typical of lifestyles in natural settings.  © Leonardo Finotti The following layer hosts the wet areas such as the bathroom and the kitchen, a fireplace and a reading nook ideal for just reading or sleeping a siesta, sheltered by the landscape. Separated by a wood plane, follows the main space containing the bedroom, living and dining room, which opens fully onto the landscape it is inserted in and of which it is an integral part.  Back Facade The façade is composed by a sheet of one-way mirror, covering the cabin with an almost magical effect, creating a tense limit between both the camouflage and the rhythm of nature and the unreal sheen of technology and modern times.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What Affects the Quality of Life in Urban Environments? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 09:30 AM PDT  © Yves Bachmann As I left the streets of Zurich after attending a conference about the quality of life in urban environments, I came across a living example of the lecture I had just attended. I turned the corner and felt that I was inside an architectural rendering: the trees were pruned and green, there were no hanging electrical wires, cyclists drove elegantly along bike lanes, the tram moved quietly and punctually while bathers enjoyed their summer in rivers and lakes. To my surprise, I walked under an overpass and realized that even urban cities could be skilled and safe. After my stroll, I stopped for a cup of coffee and knew that the person that attended me received a fair salary and did not have to work three jobs to pay the bills (of course the coffee did not come cheap). However, these small, almost mundane observations for some, do provide a well-being and quality of life that may be difficult to measure.  © Yves Bachmann The Swiss city was chosen by Monocle Magazine to host this year's edition of the Quality of Life Conference. The conference is held annually in different cities around the world to discuss what affects the quality of life in urban environments. The panels brought together economists, entrepreneurs, architects, journalists, designers, among others. But talking about 'quality of life' isn't simple. In addition to security, green spaces, and infrastructure, there are many other variables that contribute to the final result - such as housing prices, opportunities for entrepreneurs, and cultural spaces. While many people live in adverse environments and consider their quality of life high, and vice versa, it was clear that urban environments have a determining factor on the happiness of its inhabitants. Along with 'quality of life,' the conference also discussed action against terrorism, the future of modern work, innovations in urban mobility, trends for retail, and tips for starting an art collection.  © Yves Bachmann I attended the conference as a representative of ArchDaily, and despite living in a developed region of Brazil, the contrast in Zurich and my hometown were quite jarring. In Monocle Magazine's annual ranking of the world's best cities, Zurich is in fourth place behind Munich, Tokyo, and Vienna. Although it is almost irresponsible to compare the economic context - and the historical past - between Switzerland and Latin America, some issues lead me to believe that Brazil's quality of life is far from adequate. And worse, we, as a country, are moving in the opposite direction. While we strive to highlight the importance of public transportation, the Swiss are committed to improving the quality of their (amazing) trams. While in Brazil there are laws seeking to lax agricultural pesticide control, a conference speaker highlighted a company focused on delivering healthy and quality food to Zurich offices. While democracy here is often threatened, the Swiss vote dozens of times a year to determine different issues, such as working hours and other topics relevant to the country.  © Yves Bachmann It is also interesting to note that the European country could also learn from Brazil. Minhocão, in São Paulo, was cited more than once during the conference, among other examples of urban transformation. In fact, it presents an interesting experiment: a fast-track elevated route, hostile to the pedestrian, that from one hour to another, becomes a place of intense conviviality, adopted and adored by Paulistas. Or even the renovation that enabled Sesc 24 de Maio to build a public swimming pool on its roof in the harsh urban landscape of São Paulo. This restoration of two old buildings created an urban landmark and meeting place in the city. Both examples demonstrate how it is possible to seek suitable solutions even without ample resources, and how urban creatures, from the simplest to the most elaborate, have the power to transform. In Switzerland, such niceties seem more the rule than the exception. As clichéd as it may seem, and as theorists Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl argue, when cities are thought of on the scale of people, they become more human, pleasant, friendly, and tend to create a higher quality of life. In a world where more than half of the population lives in cities, with this number increasing, this seems a rather pertinent debate. To learn more about this topic and the upcoming Monocle's Quality of Life Conference, subscribe to Monocle Magazine.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Call for ArchDaily Interns: Fall 2018 Posted: 18 Jul 2018 09:00 AM PDT  ArchDaily is looking for a motivated and highly-skilled architecture-lover to join our team of interns for Fall 2018! An ArchDaily Content internship provides a unique opportunity to learn about our site and write engaging, witty and insightful posts. Interested? Then check out the requirements below.
If you think that you have what it takes, please fill out the following form by August 10th 10:00 AM EST. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis; once we fill the position we will stop accepting applications. (Read: Submit early!) We will contact potential candidates (and only potential candidates) for follow-ups after August 10th. Late submissions will not be accepted! ArchDaily internships are compensated.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Chalet La Petite Soeur / ACDF Architecture Posted: 18 Jul 2018 08:00 AM PDT  © Adrien Williams
 © Adrien Williams Text description provided by the architects. On the vast Lac Ouareau, located near the town of Saint-Donat, sits a charming traditional house surrounded by birch trees. The owners, a dynamic stepfamily, commissioned ACDF to design for their many children a larger area to play and relax. In order to make sure everyone in the family can find a peaceful corner when spending time together, the architects created an addition that mirrors the original building's dimensions. The extension preserves and pays tribute to the historic house while reflecting the beauty of the landscape it inhabits.  Site Plan  Plan The new space – a white prism standing on a concrete pedestal – appears like a refined version of the existing house. Through this contrasting effect, the extension maintains a connection to the original building and its location. The sheet metal roof and wood cladding resemble the smooth and shiny bark of birch trees growing on the site; its hues and textures also recall the whitewashed walls of countryside barns.  © Adrien Williams On the ground floor, an open-plan space and large windows allow spectacular views of the lake. Polished concrete floors and natural wood details are used with simplicity, emphasizing the materials' richness. Surrounded by black slatted wood, the central fireplace creates a relaxing ambiance and an oasis of comfort in the vast living room. Built-in benches offer private spaces in common areas and cleverly include hidden storage. The living room and its gaming table encourage the children to make the space their own, providing playful and relaxing family time.  © Adrien Williams The architects designed the new master bedroom at the lower level. Nested in a cliff, the room benefits from the descending topography of the site and receives plenty of sunlight. The transition from the old house to the new one takes place on a glass bridge. From the extension, an oak wood frame directs views toward the inside of the existing house, the frame's warm shade matching the old wood planks. The truncated shape of the bridge makes it wide enough to occupy: a welcomed pause in the landscape, floating over a garden.  © Adrien Williams The bridge's axis aligns the kitchen of the existing building and the new living room. Even when they are seated apart, family members can keep an eye on each other and share quality time. The transformation orchestrated by ACDF marries the lovely patina of the traditional house to the extension's clean lines. A variety of new spaces inside the family home gives the owners a place to enjoy each other and the landscape.  © Adrien Williams  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Carlo Ratti Associati's Latest Prototype Shows How the Design of Streets Could Change in Real Time Posted: 18 Jul 2018 07:00 AM PDT  © Carlo Ratti Associati Carlo Ratti Associati, working in collaboration with Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs, has unveiled their design for a modular paving system named "The Dynamic Street." Intended to make streets "reconfigurable, safer, and more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, and tomorrow's self-driving vehicles," the project will be on display at Sidewalk Lab's office and experimentation space in Toronto throughout the summer of 2018. Manifesting as a series of hexagonal modular pavers, the project explores the various patterns which can be created by reconfiguring modules, with a potential future "allowing a street to create an extra car lane during rush hour before then turning it into a pedestrian-only plaza in the evening."  © David Pike  © Carlo Ratti Associati The prototype contains embedded lights in all 232 modules capable of communicating crossings, pick-up zones, and other uses. Potential also exists for each module to host a "plug and play element" including poles, bollards, or basketball hoops. Visitors to the prototype will have the opportunity to play on a digital reconfigurator, demonstrating the project's flexibility by creating their own urban scenarios.  © David Pike  © Carlo Ratti Associati
 © David Pike  © David Pike For the project's development, Carlo Ratti Associati worked in collaboration with Sidewalk Labs, and Pac Team. News of the Dynamic Street follows on from Carlo Ratti Associati's unveiling of 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.  © Carlo Ratti Associati News via: Carlo Ratti Associati  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hill Country House / Miró Rivera Architects Posted: 18 Jul 2018 06:00 AM PDT  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design
 © Paul Finkel | Piston Design  Site Plan Text description provided by the architects. Conceived as a prototype for a sustainable rural community, the Hill Country House serves as a beacon to show what could be: a self-sustaining home in a rural setting, virtually independent of municipal water and energy. Situated on a sweeping Texas Hill Country meadow, this private residence is defined by a series of jagged roof peaks inspired by the rise and fall of the surrounding hills. Lovingly referred to as "The Sanctuary" by its owners, an active couple of ordained ministers, and executed on a very modest budget, this modern take on the farmhouse vernacular is a place to bring people together and find spiritual renewal in a responsible, sustainable setting.  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design The exterior of the home is defined by clean lines, a sculptural gable roof, and a contrasting material palette of corrugated aluminum and warm cypress. While indicative of the clients' modest budget, the materials also evoke the residence's rural setting. A tapering limestone chimney was inspired by an existing shed on the 47-acre property made of dry-stacked local stone. Throughout the interior, white walls and ceilings are offset by carefully-considered embellishments such as a limestone hearth in the living room and soapstone counters in the kitchen. Pecan floors are a nod to the home's rustic surroundings.  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design In plan, a collection of volumes is arranged along a central spine reminiscent of vernacular "shotgun" cabins, with the public and private spaces of the home situated on opposite ends. The main corridor, which doubles as a gallery, is differentiated by thin vertical windows that balance the requirement for natural light with the need to provide space for hanging artwork. In every room, windows provide abundant natural light and frame views of the surrounding landscape.  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design Particular attention was paid to creating spaces that would enable hosting large groups of friends and family, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space. The stark white aluminum cladding is broken at various intervals by warm cypress siding that defines a series of rooms outside the house, including a temple-like screen porch that extends from the volume containing the main living spaces. A shaded outdoor sculpture studio doubles as a stage for casual summer concerts hosted 3-4 times a year.  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design Sustainability  © Paul Finkel | Piston Design The designers' approach to materials, construction, and maintenance drastically reduced not only upfront construction cost and waste, but also the expected life cycle costs and impacts. Through careful planning of the construction timeline, and thoughtful material selections, typical construction waste was either minimized, mitigated, or completely eliminated. During construction, the architects and contractor developed a waste-management plan to address the disposal of unused materials as well as any waste produced on site.  Sketch  Sketch  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:00 AM PDT  Foster + Partners' London office, Riverside. Image © Marc Goodwin Earlier this month, a "Trailblazer Group" comprising 20 leading architecture firms led by Foster + Partners announced the creation of the UK's first Architecture Apprenticeship Standards. Supported by the RIBA, ARB (Architects Registration Board) and over a dozen UK universities, the group has structured a program which tackles the financial feasibility of an architectural education through paid apprenticeships, and addresses the disparity experienced by students transitioning between education and practice. While doing little to alter the notorious seven-year length of the UK's accreditation process, the apprenticeship is a welcome and proactive step in reforming an education system which, on the ground, breeds an atmosphere of financial insecurity, mental health issues, and a disenchantment among students with the value of their £45,000 investment in architecture degrees.  Foster + Partners' London office, Riverside. Image © Marc Goodwin The British architectural education system, as noted by the Guardian's architecture critic Oliver Wainwright, is still based on a model established in a 1958 RIBA Conference on Architectural Education. Students typically enroll in a 3-year undergraduate degree, 2-year postgraduate degree, and combined 24 months recorded experience in an architecture firm before undertaking a final case-study-based assessment to be recognized as an architect in the UK, a final hurdle which can take several years to clear. Since 1958, this system has failed to keep pace with the diminished status of architects in shaping the urban environment, and the demands placed on students through higher fees, higher rental prices, and low prospects of a rewarding job. Factoring in the £9000 annual tuition fees paid by many students, and high running costs of materials, printing, excursions, and bills, and a comfortable architectural education in the UK becomes the exclusive privilege of students financially supported by their families.  Foster + Partners will lead the Trailblazers Apprenticeships program. Image via Norman Foster Foundation For students without family funds, the reality of an architectural education is one of heavy debt, bank overdrafts, and ever-lower-paying part-time jobs which interfere with studies. Lying between their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees is a minimum of 12 months working for an architecture firm on a low wage, often with no compensation for overtime hours. Punished with financial insecurity for pursuing their passion, it is little wonder that 25% of British architecture students experience mental health issues, and it is little wonder that they clamor for change.  <a href='https://www.archdaily.com/594681/uk-report-says-universities-are-failing-to-prepare-architecture-students-for-practice'>The RIBA 2014 Skills Survey found that universities are failing to prepare students for practice</a> Within this bleak context, the Trailblazer Group can be recognized at face value as a timely intervention. Led by Foster + Partners, and including firms such as Hawkins/Brown, Feilden Clegg Bradley, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, and Grimshaw, the initiative has received support from over a dozen universities, the UK's Architects Registration Board, and the Royal Institute of British Architects. The program is comprised of two standards: a 4-year Architectural Assistant apprenticeship and a 4-year Architect apprenticeship, with apprentices gaining full accreditation upon completion. Throughout the apprenticeships, which can be offered by any ARB-prescribed university, students will work under the supervision of a qualified architect, "contributing to delivering projects of varying scale and type; for example, an office skyscraper, semi-detached house, cafe, school, or bridge." They are also exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of the profession, engaging with engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers, as well as the lengthy design and delivery process from feasibility to construction.  Hawkins/Brown, who designed the new campus for UCL's Bartlett School, will take part in the program. Courtesy of The Bartlett School of Architecture Both the Architectural Assistant and Architect apprenticeships offer maximum funding of £21,000, with apprentices "exempt from paying tuition fee and also receiv[ing] a salary and other employee related benefits." If merged with an effort to make the program financially feasible for apprentices living in expensive cities such as London, the initiative presents an attractive path to accreditation for students struggling with the existing university-based model. While doing little to address the overall length of an architectural education, the improved financial model will at least make this path more accessible for students from low-income households, and recover the talented designers dissuaded from a career in architecture by the inaccessibility of the existing path to accreditation.  <a href='https://www.archdaily.com/489721/lines-drawn-the-uk-architecture-students-network-discuss-the-future-of-architectural-education'>In 2014, the UK Architecture Student Network met to discuss the future of architectural education</a> Image © Vinesh Pomal / Zlatina Spasova The profession cannot afford to rest on its laurels following this new initiative, as it did following previous reform in 1958. As the methodologies and structures behind the design of the built environment change rapidly, the system which trains future architects must keep pace. The pursuit of this goal will be aided significantly if we can create, maintain, and evolve a system which not just welcomes but supports students from all socio-economic backgrounds, genders, and ethnicities, and places them at an intersection between the theoretical freedom of university, and the professional, interdisciplinary realities of practice. About the Author: Having completed his undergraduate architecture studies in 2015, Niall Patrick Walsh is currently studying a UK Masters in Architecture degree at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cadena + Asociados Concept Design Headquarters / Cadena Concept Design Posted: 18 Jul 2018 04:00 AM PDT  © The Raws
 © The Raws  © The Raws Text description provided by the architects. CADENA CONCEPT DESIGN ® new headquarters space in industrial Monterrey Mexico, was carefully designed to make function and concept speak of one single language. A project inspired by the idea and understanding that designers are scientists & intuitive beings at the same time, this dual condition is translated by the use of only black & white along with the use of two basic materials, terrazzo and steel.  © The Raws  © The Raws This bi-chromatic condition allows for a set of rules that create a macro perception of the interior space as a whole, while building micro-universes on each of the users personal spaces, “You can create your own micro-cosmos as long as black & white objects are part of it”. The container becomes container of worlds, and these worlds build individual spirit and collective integrated identity to the interior space.  © The Raws Black & white no longer speak of two isolated ideas, united become a set of codes that speak of balance, yin yang, heat and cold, good and evil, past and present, light and shadows, among many other ideas that make the human condition understood as experiences that collide but complement each other.  © The Raws  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Forget "Post-Digital": Why Technological Innovation in Architecture is Only Just Getting Started Posted: 18 Jul 2018 02:30 AM PDT  Cloud Pergola, the Croatian National Pavilion at this year's Venice Architecture Biennale, is one of the largest robotically extruded 3D-printed structures ever built. The robotic arm was trained to adapt to the unpredictable material behavior, by gleaning real-time feedback from the construction process. The installation was designed by Alisa Andrasek (with Bruno Juricic and Madalin Gheorghe), engineered by Arup London, and fabricated by Ai Build. Image © Luke Hayes This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "The Post-Digital Will Be Even More Digital, Says Mario Carpo." Book presentations, or book launches, are holdovers from ages long past. One could argue that the same applies to books in print themselves; but we still read and write books, never mind in which shape and form, while I do not see many reasons to keep presenting them in brick-and-mortar bookshops, or similar venues. Friends in the publishing industry tell me that a single tweet, or a successful hashtag on Instagram, can sell more copies than a book launch—and at a lesser cost, for sure. Besides, one of the most baffling aspects of book launches is that, traditionally—and I remember this was already the case when I was a student—a significant fraction of the public in attendance tends to be viscerally and vocally hostile to the topic of the book being presented. Why would readers who dislike a book as a plain matter of principle take the time to read it in full then vent their anger at its author, I cannot tell; but this is to say that having published a book last fall titled The Second Digital Turn: Design Beyond Intelligence, I had plenty of opportunities, in the course of the last few months, to glean a vast repertoire of technophobic commonplaces. Chiefly noted among them, due to its sheer outlandishness, was the objection that digital innovation would by now have fully run its course: having adapted to, and adopted, some new tools and technologies, architects would have moved on, free at last to get back to things that really matter to them (whatever they might be).
As I only recently found out, that argument is also the theoretical mainstay of the so-called post-digital movement, advocating the nonchalant use of technologies old and new in the pursuit of loftier architectural aims. No architect would object to that, evidently—but the PoDig project is predicated on at least one false premise. The cycle of digital innovation is far from over. Yes, we have gotten used to email, word processing, and Photoshop; but we find the mere prospect of reliable driverless cars threatening and apocalyptic, we resent the predictive capabilities of search engines and social media we nonetheless keep feeding with content, and when a computer wins against the best human champions in a game of chess, or Go, we see that as the harbinger of some epochal decline of our civilization—or simply as the end of the world. In fact, most applications of artificial intelligence, even the most pedestrian, still arouse deep feelings, often of discomfort, alarm, and disbelief. And rightly so, as there are many reasons to be worried or excited by artificial intelligence right now. But no matter how high or low I look, the one thing I cannot find is indifference. No one seems to be arguing for technological nonchalance right now: absolutely no one—except, apparently, a few architects. So forgive me for assuming, for lack of a better explanation, that the PoDig argument may be disingenuous—a ruse de guerre engineered by a lobby of good old techno-bashers in disguise, of whom the design professions never fail to generate steady cohorts, with only marginal variations in quality and quantity over time. As for artificial intelligence itself, the source of so much hype and fear and loathing today—that is far from being a novelty. The term was already widely used in the 1950s and '60s, when the pioneers of cybernetics thought that electronic brains should imitate the way we think, and replicate the formal logics of the human mind. That project failed, spectacularly, in the sense that it never produced any usable result, and artificial intelligence was soon relegated to the dustbin of technical history. For almost two score and a few years—let's say from the mid-1970s to more or less now—the term "artificial intelligence" was simply forgotten. If it is revived now, almost as spectacularly as it was once jettisoned, it is because AI today, or something akin to it, has started working surprisingly well. Unlike vintage AI of the cybernetic age, however, today's AI is not even trying to imitate the logic of the human mind. To the contrary, advanced electronic computation can now solve apparently intractable problems—problems we could not solve in any other way—precisely because computers appear to have developed their own logic, their own scientific method, and their own way of thinking, which is quite different from ours. Computers do not think the way we think due to a simple but drastic structural difference between our mind and theirs: unlike computers, we were never hard-wired for big data. What we today call "big data" means, simply, data too big for us to manage—but which computers can manage just fine. It follows from the above that computers can notate, calculate, and fabricate buildings, for example, quite differently from the way we always have. Think of geometrical notations—the measurement of the position in space of all the parts of a building, which we used to draw in plan, elevations, and sections. No human designer could conceive of a building made of, say, four gazillion different particles, each one individually notated in space—because no human mind could take in, and take on, that much information. This is why our (human) notations tend to simplify buildings, converting the messy complexity of nature into leaner geometrical figures, which we can more easily draw with lines, or script with math. Computers need none of that. If a given problem can be better solved by the robotic assembly of four gazillion different and minuscule 3D-printed particles, they can go for it. Ditto for structural engineering, when computers can optimize any given structure by simply trying, sequentially, four gazillion different solutions—among so many, it doesn't take any degree of intelligence, either natural or artificial, to find one that will do the job, and solve the problem at hand. But we (humans) cannot work that way, because it would take forever. Evidently, buildings conceived, calculated, and built that way tend to look very different from anything we ever designed. They also tend to be better fit to specs (i.e., stronger or lighter or cheaper or whatever specs we choose to optimize) because that's the spirit of the game—that's where computation outsmarts us. That does not seem to me a prospect that architects should look down upon with benign neglect. We already know what the first digital turn was—that's history. But we can already figure out what the second digital turn is going to be. The first digital turn was about bits and atoms. The next is going to be about bits and neurons. There is more digital after the digital, whether we like it or not. Mario Carpo is the Reyner Banham Professor of Architectural History and Theory at the Bartlett, UCL, London. His latest monograph, The Second Digital Turn: Design Beyond Intelligence, has just been published by the MIT Press.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Edificio Piacenza / SML Arquitectos + Tri Arquitectura Posted: 18 Jul 2018 02:00 AM PDT  © Nico Saieh
 © Nico Saieh Text description provided by the architects. The Piacenza Building arises from a commission to design a multi-residential building on a small site designated for medium rise development. Constructions from 7 to 10 storeys surround the site, however, given the site area, we were only allowed to develop five storeys and a sixth floor with larger setbacks on the sides.  © Nico Saieh The challenge of the project resides in how to turn this apparent disadvantage into a mark of distinction. We proposed the design to be in explicit contrast to the surrounding buildings, typically tall, bulky, and having a typical residential apartment building character. Our proposal suggests a small scale, low density, and using materials such as exposed in situ concrete and expanded metal sheets on the outside. Thus, the building looks more appropriate for the site yet also unique, standing out among its surrounding. Regulatory constraints are clearly evident in its simple and pure geometry, and the upper level is planned as an overlaid black box to the lower concrete volume, while, towards the street, the terraces are designed as thin slabs cantilevered over the front yard.  © Nico Saieh The access to the building is through a path flanked by a planter walled landscape open to the public space and next to an illuminated wall. This wall is coated with expanded metal sheets, which casts a dim and vibrant light over the entire facade on the ground level.  Ground Floor Once inside, a foyer with a reception table, clad in cedar, leads towards the community spaces on the ground floor and to the upper levels of the building.  Axonometric There are 32 apartments with different typologies, ranges from two bedroom duplexes to larger apartments opening to private backyards on the ground floor.  © Nico Saieh On the top floor, a common area is provided with barbecue facility and a 'lookout pool'.  Model Overall, the Piacenza building shows that it is possible to develop a project that meets the strict rules and parameters of multi-storey residential buildings, and also provides a new solution which makes the project stand out from the typical built form.  © Nico Saieh  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Explore the Local Wood Work of Chiloé Island, Chile Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:00 AM PDT Chiloé is a five-part video series produced by Glaciar Films and directed by Diego Breit and David Guzmán; it explores the architectural identity of the southern island off of Chile. Architects, carpenters, artisans, and inhabitants present the constructive history of the island and explore how it is faced with the imminent changes of modern production and practices. Glaciar Films has made three of the five episodes available to ArchDaily readers. In these clips, explore the island's architecture along with interviews with principal architects of the region: Jonah Retamal, Edward Rojas, and Macarena Almonacid. In the first clip, Jonah Retamal, an architect from the University of Chile who has been living on the island for 15 years, discusses his approach to the traditional materiality and the adoption of modern patterns in local production modes. Retamal has been recognized for his work that considers the local culture, environment, and technologies. His work focuses on maintaining the natural conditions of the island. In the second video, Edward Rojas acknowledges the importance of designing architecture relevant to its site. Rojas, who was awarded the 2016 National Architecture Award in Chile, has been distinguished for his outstanding work in the architectural and cultural heritage of the island. Lastly, Macarena Almonacid focuses on the history of the island's renowned wooden churches. Her work seeks to explore the patrimonial significance and protection of these churches.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from ArchDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar