Arch Daily |
- Japan is Selling Dilapidated Homes for Extremely Low Prices to Alleviate its Housing Crisis
- A House in a Garden / David Leech Architects
- C&P Corporate Headquarters / INNOCAD
- Villa Zeist 2 / HofmanDujardin
- UCCA Dune Art Museum / OPEN Architecture
- Continuing House / Naf Architect & Design
- S Space / H&P Architects
- DAS_Lab Office / DAS Lab
- ThuBao's House / 85 Design
- Island House / Michael Pinche
- Missouri Innovation Campus / DLR Group
- Casa Piloto / Meraki Arquitectura + Diseño
- Google Reveals Revised Mountain View Campus Plan by BIG and Heatherwick Studio
- LAM Agency / Marcos Miguélez
- KPF Proposes a New "Participatory Urbanism" with Shanghai Towers
- Ceiba House / Jorge Ramirez
- Will Snøhetta's Redesign Calm the Outcry From Its Original Controversial Proposal?
- Zaha Hadid’s “Project Correl” Exhibition Allows Visitors to Build a Virtual Structure Over Time
- French Embassy in Haiti / Explorations Architecture
| Japan is Selling Dilapidated Homes for Extremely Low Prices to Alleviate its Housing Crisis Posted: 12 Dec 2018 08:00 PM PST  via Flickr. Image © Bo Nielsen Today, many individuals, both young and old, desire to buy property, redesign, and refurbish an existing house into their dream home. Umbrellaed under terms like "fixer-upper" and "adaptive reuse," these projects begin with the skeletons of old structures and the building's history. Many architects around the globe have utilized abandoned structures and transformed them into architectural marvels for both civic and domestic purposes. Japan, in particular, has implemented a system to help alleviate the country's current housing crisis. Despite rising urban real estate prices and limited space, over 8 million properties across Japan are unoccupied - according to a government report in 2013. It is believed that around 2 million of these structures are abandoned and deserted. Following the current trends, these numbers continue to grow each year. It is estimated that 21 million homes will be unoccupied by 2033.  via Flickr. Image © Stuart Rankin The Japanese government has allowed these properties to be sold for extremely low prices to alleviate local municipalities and cities from the problems that accompany abandoned structures. Not only are the homes visually unattractive as they decay over time, but they also become prone to fires and vandalism, and diminish the value of surrounding properties. Despite these issues, in 2015, a government study showed that almost one-third of these properties are the victim of inheritance. Japan's large elderly population passes these homes to their families prior to or after their death. Many of the new owners strongly resist selling, keeping the home as a family memento.  via Flickr. Image © Stuart Rankin Many can be found on online databases called "akiya banks," which provide interested parties with the most basic information regarding the listed properties. Although the listed properties might look like a "steal," buyers must take into consideration a variety of other factors - some stem from Japanese cultural traditions that might be lost on a foreign investor.  via Flickr. Image © Syuzo Tsushima An example of this is the vacant structures and apartment units that were once the site of a violent death, murder, suicide, or death that went unnoticed for periods of time. These events, in Japanese culture, can permanently label a residence as uninhabitable. There is even a site called "Oshimaland" with an interactive map littered with fire symbols that highlight many of the tainted properties, some accompanied by the reason as well.  via Flickr. Image © Stuart Rankin Similar government programs have been utilized in countries around the world. Specifically, in Italy, abandoned historic structures were sold or rented for minimal amounts of money to help rejuvenate aging and decaying properties and promote further development. News via Vice  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A House in a Garden / David Leech Architects Posted: 12 Dec 2018 07:00 PM PST  Courtesy of David Leech Architects
 © David Grandorge Text description provided by the architects. This project is a contemporary translation of the ordinary suburban house. In their spirit, the house is built economically using everyday materials and techniques easily sourced and knowledgeable for a local builder and tradesmen. These materials and techniques are amplified and exaggerated to become something at once ambiguous but familiar. The house is situated in a garden at the end of a short terrace of a 1940's suburban estate on the edge of Dublin city. The site is bounded to the south by an existing hedge of hazel and privet, to the northwest by the blank wall of the original terrace and to the northeast by a high wall backing onto a public laneway.  © David Grandorge  Ground Floor Plan  Courtesy of David Leech Architects The ground floor layout is derived from the planning requirements for outdoor amenity space. To maximize the presence of the garden it takes advantage of the excellent privacy provided by the thick hedgerow. At the ground level, the majority of the supporting walls are located within an internal cross-shaped core, allowing a curtain of timber and glass folding doors to wrap the exterior of the house for direct connection and access to the garden. Internally a cross-shaped core divides the plan into 4 public rooms: a hall/library, kitchen, dining and living room. These rooms are located according to proportion and orientation and step in section to accommodate ceiling heights of varying dimension and intimacy.  Front Elevation A recessed ceiling track allows the rooms to be completely wrapped in curtain when required. The core contains the service and plumbed elements of the plant, wash closet, kitchen appliances, fireplace as well as storage and the staircase. A continuous loop of circulation is along the perimeter. On fine days, the folding doors can slide back from their corners allowing the house to spread outside - reducing the house's footprint to the structural core and increasing the area of external amenity. The gardens are planted to provide a variety of flora, much edible, responding to light, shade, aspect, and condition. A south-facing terrace is located with a bench built into a new inhabited garden wall. The house has a BER rating of A2 but it wears it lightly not as a badge.  © David Grandorge The first floor is laid out with three bedrooms and a bathroom off a small central landing. The landing is lit from a tall roof light contained within an extruded chimneystack and lined in timber paneling up to door height. The landing is one door wide and two doors in length. From this space, paneled doors open into generously proportioned bedrooms side lit from large windows sitting on the skirting of the opposing walls. The ceilings are draped along the pitch of the roof, falling from 4.5m above the sweep of the doorway to 2m around the perimeter. These rooms are lined in through-colored Valchromat MDF with a marquetry Valchromat MDF floor. Radiators, sockets, MHVR grilles, sensors, and switches are framed within these MDF elaborations.  Section Details Externally, the house is treated in a manner similar but exaggerated to the immediate terrace housing. The masonry walls are finished in a pigmented off-white cementitious render, deeply roughcast on the garden side and hand trowelled smooth on the laneway elevation and public faces. A heather colored fiber cement roof is elaborated with expressed untreated copper crampions, copper guttering, and tall standing seam hips. Copper downpipes are used to draw figures across blank parts of the façade reminiscent of a line drawing. Over time these elements will oxidize to a pale powder green. Where the house meets the laneway a simple gable is projected with the image of a doorway and window set in relief. This is the first project for the office of David Leech architects.  Courtesy of David Leech Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| C&P Corporate Headquarters / INNOCAD Posted: 12 Dec 2018 06:00 PM PST  © Paul Ott
 © Paul Ott Text description provided by the architects. A real estate company's corporate headquarters, which is located at the highest traffic entrance to Graz, Austria, brings clarity and openness to a flat transition area as a new landmark in this industrial district. Additionally, the main goal was to create an authentic example of "Build Identity" for a young company in context within an emerging quarter by transforming their brand icon, contextually and formally, consistently throughout the building elevation. The concept, CUBEND, translates holistically the firm's values by unifying the terms "cube" – relating to wholeness and persistence – plus "bend," standing for movement and individuality. Thus, creating a hybrid of an identity- enhancing, activity based, and sustainable environment. The building's surface visibly reveals the interaction between people and spaces, as well as their needs in contrast to sealed industrial structures of the surrounding neighborhood.  © Paul Ott  © Paul Ott Organized as a cube, divided by a curved atrium across all seven floors, the building consists of a glass-dominated core within a floating concrete structure. The white concrete outer grid integrates an automatic sun shading system that changes dynamically building's external appearance due to people's usage and exposure to daylight. The facade's second part, a porch-like area, serves people as a transition space between in and outdoors, particularly as sheltered free space in the summertime. A third, transparent layer allows natural light access to fragmented office space formations around an elongated atrium. This multilayered system includes different structural and functional elements for its users, as well as energy-efficient solutions for the building itself.  Ground Floor Plan  © Paul Ott  Third Floor Plan One of the main challenges of the space planning was meeting the multi-requirements – foyer, customer area with an apartment mock-up, meeting rooms, open workspaces, creative spaces, and a social area for the employees or for corporate events and lectures – on only 2465 square meters organized on seven floors. Thus, the layout of the space was optimized in a rectangular grid around the atrium connecting all floors as a vertical communication interface.  © Paul Ott A central building core includes a staircase and elevator as well as all building technologies and distributes those outwards to the office space through a mesh-like suspended ceiling. This new ceiling system, which meets the spacial, aesthetic, and acoustic demands, was developed and customized for the building. With an aim to create an inspiring and healthy workplace by harmonizing the physical, virtual, and social world of work, biophilic aspects were implemented in the interior and exterior concept, which includes plants, rooftop-terrace, balconies, and the buildings foreyard.  © Paul Ott  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Villa Zeist 2 / HofmanDujardin Posted: 12 Dec 2018 05:00 PM PST  © Matthijs van Roon
 © Matthijs van Roon Text description provided by the architects. Situated in the pine woods, Villa Zeist 2 by HofmanDujardin adds a strong horizontal line to the vertical nature of its surroundings. A concrete canopy connects the different brick volumes of the villa, which reflect the wishes of the family. Their house is conceived as a series of interconnected rooms which provide intimacy and offer views to the woods and the sky.  © Matthijs van Roon Pockets  © Matthijs van Roon  Ground floor plan  © Matthijs van Roon Intimacy  © Matthijs van Roon Sightlines  © Matthijs van Roon  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| UCCA Dune Art Museum / OPEN Architecture Posted: 12 Dec 2018 04:00 PM PST  Aerial View. Image © Qingshan Wu
 Aerial View. Image © Qingshan Wu Text description provided by the architects. On a quiet beach along the coast of northern China's Bohai Bay, the UCCA Dune Art Museum is carved into the sand, where it gently disappears.  Bird's Eye View. Image © Qingshan Wu  Concrete Shell Construction Photo. Image Courtesy of OPEN Architecture Countless years of wind have pushed the beach's sand into a dune along the shore several meters high, stabilized by low-rising shrubs and other ground cover. Inspired by children's tireless digging in the sand, the museum lies beneath this dune. "Digging" creates a series of interconnected, organically shaped spaces which, enveloped by sand, resemble caves—the primeval home of man, whose walls were once a canvas for some of humanity's earliest works of art. Hidden between the sea and the sand, the design of the Dune Art Museum is simple, pure, and touching—a return to primal and timeless forms of space.  Main Entrance. Image © Qingshan Wu The decision to create the art museum underneath the dunes surrounding it was born out of both the architects' deep reverence for nature and their desire to protect the vulnerable dune ecosystem, formed by natural forces over thousands of years. Because of the museum, these sand dunes will be preserved instead of leveled to make space for ocean-view real estate developments, as has happened to many other dunes along the shore.  Section A series of cell-like contiguous spaces accommodate the Dune Art Museum's rich and varied programs, which include differently-sized galleries and a café. After passing through a long, dark tunnel and a small reception area, the space suddenly opens up as visitors enter the largest multifunctional gallery. There, a beam of daylight from the skylight above silently yet powerfully fills the space.  Main Gallery. Image © Qingshan Wu  Gallery. Image © Qingshan Wu  Gallery Skylight. Image © Qingshan Wu Looking through different openings framed by the building, museum-goers can observe the ever-changing expressions of the sky and sea throughout the day. A spiral staircase leads to a lookout on top of the sand dune, guiding curious audiences from the dark recesses of the museum's cave-like galleries to the vast openness above. Hidden between the sea and the sand, the museum emerges as a hidden shelter, intimate to the body and soul—a place to thoughtfully contemplate both nature and art.  Cafe. Image © Qingshan Wu The complex three-dimensional geometry of the Dune Art Museum's concrete shell was shaped by hand by local workers in Qinhuangdao (some of whom were former shipbuilders), using formwork made from small linear strips of wood and other materials. The architect deliberately retained the irregular and imperfect texture left by the formwork, allowing traces of the building's manual construction to be felt and seen. In addition, the building's doors and windows, reception desk, bar counter, and bathroom sinks are all custom-designed and made by hand. The eight tables in the café are also designed by the architect, each with a distinct shape matching that of the floor plans of the eight main gallery spaces.  Gallery. Image Courtesy of OPEN Architecture  Skylights. Image © Qingshan Wu The building's many skylights, each with a different orientation and size, provide natural lighting for the museum's spaces at all times of the year; its sand-covered roof greatly reduces the building's summer heat load; and a low-energy, zero-emission ground source heat pump system replaces traditional air conditioning.  Spiral Staircase. Image © Qingshan Wu  Spiral Staircase. Image © Qingshan Wu In the near future, a long walkway will be built opposite the Dune Art Museum, extending into the ocean. At low tide, when the pathway is accessible, visitors will be able to walk to the Sea Art Museum, which will rise out of the sea like a solitary rock. Together, these two museums will form a "Dialogue by the Sea".  Rooftop Sunrise. Image © Qingshan Wu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Continuing House / Naf Architect & Design Posted: 12 Dec 2018 03:00 PM PST  © Toshiyuki Yano
 © Toshiyuki Yano Text description provided by the architects. Childhood home of the wife of the client is a combination of Japanese and western style house built in the beginning of Showa era which stands on a hill about 15-minute's walk from Kamakura station, historic town and tourist destination. It is located on slope of a hill looking down garden in east, verdant environment where wild squirrels run about in trees and flowers. Becoming decrepit 90 years after the construction, the house once faced difficulty in maintaining and surviving with imminent issues of inheritance.  © Toshiyuki Yano Environment of a building could be transformed once the ownership of the property is transferred, and building and trees torn down. However if measures had not been taken, the cost of maintenance would have increased further for the client. After discussing several options, the client decided to donate their Japanese traditional style and western style house together with the land to Kamakura city as "Former Sakai Residence", to be preserved as registered tangible cultural property. Furthermore it was decided to be utilized as the office of Kamakura Scenery Preservation Commission and be actively maintained.  © Toshiyuki Yano In the process of donation, part of the lot remained with the client for them to build a new house to live after they have settled inheritance affairs and their children became independent. The design of this project began in this context.  © Toshiyuki Yano From the remaining lot, Former Sakai Residence, cultural heritage and childhood home of the wife of the client, is located in the north, to which many strangers will be visiting. Therefore on the north of the lot is entrance approach of their new house making use of the well-kept garden of Former Sakai Residence as borrowed scenery. No fence was installed on the border of the lot, and windows are located in the height to mind the views from the visitors.  © Toshiyuki Yano On the other hand, small private garden was designed on the south where terrace windows are facing to create continuity of interior and exterior. Shed roof is sloping north-south and extends eaves over terrace windows to make enough space for hanging out the laundry, drying Japanese plums to make pickles, and other house works, adding practicality to the continuity of interior and exterior.  © Toshiyuki Yano We hear the word, final home, when building a house. However we supposed this house to be not a final home for empty nesters but a house continuing to child generation. This is a concept that the couple arrived at after facing the issue of maintaining wife's natal home. The exterior form of building was designed simple rectangular to allocate bearing walls in the circumference and leave flexibility in the layout of interior space. Interior walls are Shinkabe (a type of plastered wall in which structural members are exposed) to show the structure and be directly changed. Statutorily, the building is one story, but bearing force of the structure is back-calculated for the building to be re-applied as two-story building if rigid floor is installed on the beams of high ceiling. As a result, haunch form structure was created, holding combining pillars, beams and diagonal braces by plywood, and made characteristic interior.  © Toshiyuki Yano For purpose of maintenance sustainability, light and durable metal siding was selected for exterior wall material. When employing Shinkabe for interior, metal siding could not be employed for exterior side of pillars for legal reason, thus molding made by calcium silicate board and cedar with protective coating was employed. Molding part of the exterior wall will age by the time, and this transformation, we hoped, will bring its modern exterior with metal siding closer to the aged exterior of Former Sakai Residence to stand in harmony.  © Toshiyuki Yano  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 01:00 PM PST _Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(1).jpg?1544568339 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh
_Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(23).jpg?1544568790 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh Text description provided by the architects. Not quite far from a large polluted industrial park, the project is located in a new emerging urban area with a high construction density in Dong Van town, Ha Nam province. This is an open space for the community with its focus on cultural and artistic aspects on a periodical basis, among which coffee space is a daily activity. _Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(29).jpg?1544568885 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh The design inspiration comes from the beauty of the national landscape of Kem Trong situated between the two provinces of Ha Nam and Ninh Binh where illegal rock mining is gradually turning this famous place into ruins. From this perspective, the design concept is to make use of waste (reusing scaffolding steel pipes, collecting rock debris from Kem Trong, discarded rocks from trade villages and construction sites) to express the treasure, nostalgia / regret of local people at the bygones of the lanscape. _Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(15).jpg?1544568586 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh Idea for design: The gap between two rocky mountains created by Day River "Mountains" are stone walls (0,4m thick, 3,4m high) which stand alone, zigzag intermittently and connect randomly to one another through doors and openings to enable users' approach from various directions. The outer cover is the water surface; green trees alternate invarious positions with different elevations to regulate microclimate, create scenery and blur the outer-inner boundaries, bringing people closer to nature. Suspended above is a "Big cloud" consisting of lightweight roofs and mezzanine floors created by the continuous transfer of steel pipes (d = 4,2cm, previously used as construction scaffolding) together with bamboo sticks (roofing, flooring), all of which make a fragile but solid, elastic structure - in contrast to the thickness and tortuousness of the rock cave beneath. On top of the transparent polycarbonate roofing are sprinkler & mist sprayer to wash the roof and keep cool on hot summer days. _Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(16).jpg?1544568600 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh "Clouds and Mountains" presents primitive and dream like images butat the same time evoke strange feelings when experiencing it on and within: dead metal trees and heavy polluted smoke are gradually swallowing the town,...  Diagram Named as S Space (S = Save the Stone & Scaffolding), the project helps raise alert at unplanned exploitation of natural resources in Vietnam today, which have wiped out many rocks with historical and cultural values, resulting in a serious imbalance between the natural ecosystem and the human one. In this sense, the message S Space conveysis: "Architecture bears responsibility for the natural and social-cultural environment". _Nguyen_Tien_Thanh__(7).jpg?1544568414 "© Nguyen TienThanh") © Nguyen TienThanh  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 12:00 PM PST  © Yifei Xu
 © Yifei Xu Text description provided by the architects. The reversal brought by emotions in the atmosphere create a balance state in two areas.  Axonometric In the public space, a large number of steelgrids convey a sense of order generated byrule making. The light beam diffusing across the grids in particular spot and distance creates depression, an idle state when the consciousness is shackled.  © Yifei Xu Another kind of restraint attached to the material itself is what we want to release. The reversal caused by emotions refers to the relaxation of solitude and dialogue in public areas.  © Yifei Xu In the office space, the blank, openness, and transparency objectively brought an comforting and free vibe.  © Yifei Xu Emotional reversals, when sound and intonation intersect back and forth, are instead restrained one's need could be easier aware confronts opposite.  © Yifei Xu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 11:00 AM PST  © To Huu Dung
 © To Huu Dung Text description provided by the architects. This house is located in a small alley in Danang City with a width of only 4m and a depth of more than 25m. The task is to design a full living space for a small family of 4 people including a Garage, Living, Kitchen and Dining, Study room, and 3 separate bedrooms.  Sectional perspective The specialty of Vietnam's townhouses is very small houses and it is built close together. Without a good traffic and design solution, it would be very dark and stuffy due to the lack of light and air. So, I immediately thought of the solution that would use two separate traffic and staircases combined with the skylights and Vertical garden. The first goal is to get sun and wind into the house and to make the house as bright and airy as possible. The second one is to keep traffic from overlapping, avoiding the use of private space as a way to move from room to room. I use glass for the roof and open many windows, so that all the space is enjoying the green from the skylight and vertical garden. Whether in the living room, kitchen or bedroom, you can see and feel the comfort that green spaces bring.  © To Huu Dung The first floor is arranged garage for cars and separated from other spaces by the sliding door system. The living room is quite spacious and comfortable, beside it is a small Koi fish pond between the living room and the kitchen. The Vertical gardens is used smoothly from the first floor to the roof make the house space green and people will be closer to nature.  © To Huu Dung The second floor has 3 bedrooms, including a parent bedroom in the middle and two bedrooms of the children on two sides. The bedrooms are connected by bridge corridors, so parents can easily control the activities and studying of two children. The layout of the two stairs really promote efficiency in the use, the connection of private and common space is very simple and extremely effective.  Plans The 3rd floor includes the worshipping poom, the reading space combined with the study room, laundry room and the dressing room. There is also a green space and playground for families on beautiful days or for romantic evenings of parents.  © To Huu Dung  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 09:00 AM PST  © Derek Skalko
 © Derek Skalko Text description provided by the architects. Located in a playful, eclectic neighborhood on the southern shore of Kauai, the Island House integrates the ubiquitous indoor/outdoor Hawaiian living with modern design.  © Derek Skalko Already a secluded property with existing basalt rock property walls and mature palm trees, the simple L-shaped form reinforces privacy with a solid front façade and captures a quiet yard for swimming and play. The breezeway pulls inhabitants into the front entrance portal in a moment of compression and concentrated ocean breezes. When you ascend up to the upper level, the open living spaces extend seamlessly to the outdoors with wide openings that provide a sense of floating within the Palms. The wide expanses provide panoramic views of ocean and inland towards the mountains.  © Derek Skalko .jpg?1544568294 "Plans") Plans  © Derek Skalko Locally fabricated sliding glass doors pocket fully into wood paneled walls and the unbroken ceiling plane draws your eye outward. No mechanical systems were utilized for heating or cooling the house. Instead, prevailing trade winds, ceiling fans, operable glazing and louvered transoms at each door allow air to flow freely throughout house. The slightly canted breezeway draws breezes through the courtyard while also framing the view to ocean. Deep overhangs provide coverage for the walkways and Lanai's. A 6kw PV system provides for electrical needs while an independent solar hot water system heats the pool and spa. Light colored and durable cementitious stucco and porcelain tile resist the corrosive effects of the ocean salts and reflect the intense heat of the tropical sun.  © Derek Skalko  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Missouri Innovation Campus / DLR Group Posted: 12 Dec 2018 08:00 AM PST  © Michael Robinson
 © Michael Robinson Text description provided by the architects. The high-tech, STEM-focused facility at the Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) serves 600 Lee's Summit R-7 School District students and 1,200 University of Central Missouri students. MIC's 2 + 2 program, which is a collaboration between both industry and academic partners, focuses on learner outcomes in an immersive and rich, real-life workplace experience. High school graduates can simultaneously earn an associate's degree, followed by a bachelor's degree two years later. Students from 16 to 30 are working in a classroom and workplace towards the same degree. These benefits translate into earlier graduation, less college debt, and higher likelihood of job placement. Bachelor degree programs include, Systems Engineering Technology, Design and Drafting Technology, Computer Science, and Cybersecurity.  © Michael Robinson The design supports a diverse and flexible program that can evolve as future careers emerge. The programs within the building, which include networking, engineering, medical, biomedical, graphics, hospitality, and cybersecurity, are split into quadrants across two floors for ease of navigation. Open, flexible spaces encourage spontaneous collaboration between students, teachers, and higher education faculty. Learning and teaching happens everywhere, by design: Programming mimics that of a higher education facility with spaces that can be used by all disciplines and programs. Locating dedicated labs for specific programs adjacent to flexible spaces can accommodate changing curricula.  © Michael Robinson  First floor plan  © Michael Robinson  Second floor plan "While an education environment should promote teaching and learning for a flexible curriculum, we also wanted MIC to reflect the workplace and the students' professional destinations," says Principal Kevin Greischar.  © Michael Robinson Industry partners are encouraged to use hoteling spaces and the conference center to see and be seen by students of the facility. Industry leaders in the hi-tech medical records field, logistics experts, and global engineering firms are a part of the day-to-day scene in this building. In this way, MIC establishes a new benchmark for the next-generation model of education.  © Michael Robinson  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Casa Piloto / Meraki Arquitectura + Diseño Posted: 12 Dec 2018 06:00 AM PST  © Leonardo Méndez
 © Leonardo Méndez Text description provided by the architects. In a 12 × 30 ground ... 3 modules in Y ... 4 modules in x ... In the first module Y on the left you will receive the main door of 3.45 m (width of the module) whose visual point of the garden is the pool and its water fall.  © Leonardo Méndez In the middle module, a double height adjacent to the space of the staircase is practiced in the module next to it. This composition raises a whole scenographic social space, whose backdrop is the concrete wall in sight that emerges from the ground at the level of the ceiling of the upper floor.  © Leonardo Méndez  1st floor plan  © Leonardo Méndez Climbing the stairs of two sections, with loose planes in the space in double height we can enjoy that space and connection between both levels of the house.  © Leonardo Méndez It highlights a great openness and fluidity of the spaces on the ground floor through a large sliding glass opening that fully integrates the gallery and grill modules with the dining and living interiors. The metal columns almost imperceptible in the social area of the house also help the fluidity.  © Leonardo Méndez On the upper floor there are 4 bedrooms with their corresponding support areas in both lateral modules and in the central module and lokking at the ground floor, a more intimate TV room.  © Leonardo Méndez The parasols of the front that protect the orientation draw in the afternoon moving shadows on the concrete wall in sight.  © Leonardo Méndez  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google Reveals Revised Mountain View Campus Plan by BIG and Heatherwick Studio Posted: 12 Dec 2018 05:00 AM PST  Google Mountain View Campus. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group & Heatherwick Studio New details of Google's Mountain View campus by BIG and Heatherwick Studio have been revealed. Initially announced in 2015, the project has seen several revisions after first running into difficulty with the city planning board. The latest scheme includes a combination of office, retail, public and residential space. Located in North Bayshore, California, the revised plan focuses on the site's natural environment and affordable housing.  Google Mountain View Campus. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group & Heatherwick Studio  Google Mountain View Campus. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group & Heatherwick Studio Google will partner with a developer to construct up to 6,600 residential units on its land, with 20 percent qualifying as affordable housing. "We want to see the area transformed into what the City calls 'Complete Neighborhoods,' with a focus on increasing housing options and creating great public places that prioritize people over cars," Michael Tymoff, Google's Mountain View development director, said in a statement. Google says that it worked closely with the city to comply with or exceed stipulations of the "Precise Plan" for development that Mountain View adopted last year.  Google Mountain View Campus. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group & Heatherwick Studio  Google Mountain View Campus. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group & Heatherwick Studio The plan calls for 35 acres of open space and starts with 16 acres of habitats and trails, as well as 13 acres of neighborhood parks and plazas. Google stated that, "the scheme intends to create a site made for people, not cars, by providing numerous footpaths and cyclepaths to allow the campus to be easily accessed by pedestrians. This project is part of the city's vision to prioritize mobility for pedestrians, buses and bicycles in order to reduce traffic in the area. The project also continues the city and Google's effort towards restoring and preserving the vitality of local ecology and native habitats in the North Bayshore area and incorporating energy-efficient sustainable design to deliver greater health and accessibility for our employees." Mountain View city officials will be discussing the plans in early 2019. Construction is expected to last 30 months following approval by the Mountain View City Council. You can read Google's full plans for North Bayshore here.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 04:00 AM PST  © Antonio Vázquez
 © Antonio Vázquez Text description provided by the architects. The project consists in the transformation of a small business premises into a work space for a travel agency.  © Antonio Vázquez Amounting to 45 square meters and located on the ground floor of a residential building, the volume of intervention is greater in height than it is in width. The ceiling allows to work up to about five meters in height while the width is around three meters. The only opening to natural light is on the main facade.  Axo The proposal results in a double-height space to accommodate its activities on two levels. Thus, according to the privacy and functionality of the program the activities have been distributed on two platforms connected by a spiral staircase.  © Antonio Vázquez The public and customer area, with direct access from the street, is at the lower level. On the higher floor is the private office, delimited by a floating table turned towards the mezzanine and the street views. At the bottom there are a toilet and a storage space that create a service area.  © Antonio Vázquez The main facade is defined by a window and the main door that intentionally opens to the street, looking for light and connection with public space.  © Antonio Vázquez  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| KPF Proposes a New "Participatory Urbanism" with Shanghai Towers Posted: 12 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST  © Plompmozes Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) has unveiled details of Huamu Lot 10 in Shanghai. The three-tower scheme, totaling 279,000 square meters, is dedicated to commercial offices and a future museum, positioned around a central grand plaza. Described as a "new form of participatory urbanism," the scheme has been designed to accommodate large-scale artwork in a public setting, thus activating the central plaza as a cultural hub.  © Plompmozes
 © Plompmozes Each tower has been designed with an efficient, rational massing to allow for flexibility in future contexts. Glass curtain wall facades allow for panoramic views and natural light, with strong horizontal elements emphasizing rigidity.  © Plompmozes A series of subtle cantilevers at uniform heights create a visually connected Sky Gallery, "a dramatic and iconic gesture high above the surrounding neighborhood." During the day, stepped gardens on the building roof and terraces offer outdoor garden space, while at night, the cantilevered elements are illuminated to become grand lighting features.  © Plompmozes
 © Plompmozes News via: KPF President and Design Principal: Jamie von Klemperer, FAIA RIBA  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 12 Dec 2018 02:00 AM PST  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño
 © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño Text description provided by the architects. Ceiba House was created starting from a small and old neocolonial construction of the 1930s, in which the current owner lived for more than 10 years. Suddenly, the need arose to expand it to house his new family: Himself: plastic artist, a dancer/yoga teacher and two small children.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño The original house, although it had the typical elements of Mexican neocolonial architecture, did not have great historical or architectural value, yet the project's guiding principle was to preserve it intact. As well as the ancient pyramids, where the new structure was built over the previous one, leaving it drowned inside, a respectful envelope for the neocolonial house was designed. The expansion delicately shelters and exhibits the original forms, elements and materials. Each one of the constructive stages is clearly established.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño  Ground floor plan  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño The expansion program proposed building a yoga room that could be accessed without entering the house, two new bedrooms for the children as well as expanding the kitchen, dining and services areas.  Isometric The construction is accessed through a tiny lobby, as in the front is the original facade of the house and the access door to private areas. As well, from this same lobby, on the right, a spiral staircase next to the trunk of a ceiba tree elevates the user to the top of the tree and from there, dodging the upper branches suddenly appears a pond, a garden and the yoga studio.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño If we continue straight ahead from the small lobby, crossing the old main door, you will come to a "zaguán" that leads to a private patio which becomes the center of the house. A large glass allows a huge beaucarnea, a waterfall and the three-point arch of the hallway to be the scenography and witness of all the family's activities.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño The intimate area of the house is accessed through a side door of the patio, located next to the exposed water tank that recalls the ancient Muslim cisterns, pouring a peaceful and continuous murmur of running water. Ceiling heights of 4 mts. and thick adobe walls house a library/music room, bedrooms and bathrooms.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño At the back of the patio, retaining its original location and behind an arch topped by a mask, is the kitchen-dining room with an open and frank view to the main courtyard.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño Ceiba House keeps away from the great formal pretensions and exaggerations to which most architects are given, its simple façade and a refined interior design full of symbolism, vegetation and intimate spaces, bring back at times those words that Luis Barragán warned were being forgotten by the architects: Beauty, Inspiration, Magic, Spellbound, Enchantment, Serenity, Silence, Intimacy and Amazement.  © Paulina Ojeda / contra taller de diseño  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Will Snøhetta's Redesign Calm the Outcry From Its Original Controversial Proposal? Posted: 12 Dec 2018 01:30 AM PST  Courtesy of LMNB & Snøhetta Labeled as "vandalism" and "murder" of an icon of postmodernism, Oslo-based firm Snøhetta's redesign proposal for Phillip Johnson and John Burgee's AT&T Headquarters was received with instantaneous backlash across the architectural community last year. Architect Robert A. M. Stern, marched alongside a protest outside 550 Madison Avenue, and even critic Norman Foster, who never claimed to have any sympathy for the postmodern movement, still vocalized his sentiments that "[the building] is an important part of our heritage and should be respected as such." A rejection of the bland and cold functionality of Midtown's crystal skyscrapers, the AT&T building was intended to encourage a more playful approach architecture in the corporate world; the crazy socks beneath a three-piece suit. It was not without controversy. Upon its completion, the building was derided for its decorative and outsized pediment and occasionally dark interior spaces. Indeed, the building's arched entry spaces were among the only architectural elements to be met with praise from both critics and the public.  Courtesy of LMNB & Snøhetta It is perhaps no wonder, then, that the proposal to strip and entirely retool this entry sequence was met with instantaneous backlash. Vocal and organized protests by preservationists (including the memorable 'Hands off my Johnson' signs) ultimately resulted in it becoming New York's youngest landmarked building. Now, over a year after the initial announcement of the redesign, Snøhetta has revealed revised plans for the tower that aims to "preserve and revitalize the building". According to updated plans and renderings, the design retains 94 percent of the building's original surface area and is a more subdued design than was initially proposed. Upon the release of the new design Craig Dykers, a founder of Snohetta, stated,
 Courtesy of LMNB & Snøhetta In order to reactivate the building by drawing people inside, the firm has decided to glaze the stone arcades to host retail spaces and convert the back of the building into an open-air garden. The plaza had previously been transformed into an empty glass annex, with little to no use, but is now a central component of the redesign. A glass-and-steel canopy hovers above a fountain, planters, and heated seating, alongside circular patterns superimposed in the hardscape, referencing the motifs in the facade. This design increases the area of public space, a thoughtful nod to the residential complexes surrounding the district. But most visible is the decision to retain and restore the 60-foot windows from Johnson's original design. The windows, concealed in another renovation years ago, are a unique and almost operatic element in the tower, bringing transparency and openness to the solid structure. With the rush to get the approval of the second design proposal, many aspects of the building appear to still be underdeveloped. Though the building was originally supposed to be completed by 2019, it is uncertain when it will be finished now. Snohetta's redesign suggests the firm and developers are listening to the public, but it remains to be seen whether these efforts will translate to a successful built work.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Zaha Hadid’s “Project Correl” Exhibition Allows Visitors to Build a Virtual Structure Over Time Posted: 12 Dec 2018 01:00 AM PST  © Zaha Hadid Architects The Zaha Hadid Virtual Reality Group has published details of Project Correl, a collaborative experiment to test the potential of virtual reality as a tool for design. The experiment is currently on display in the University Contemporary Art Museum (MUAC) in Mexico City, where it forms part of Zaha Hadid Architects' "Design As Second Nature" exhibition. In the exhibition, visitors have the chance to engage with Project Correl in real time, transported to a virtual environment to collaborate with each other on an ever-evolving structure. The design will be periodically captured and exhibited in the gallery as scaled 3D printed models to further demonstrate the design process encouraged by Correl. Presented as a "real-time VR experience demonstrating the remarkable possibilities immersive technologies will offer architects to collaborate and design in augmented reality," visitors to the exhibition will build a virtual structure over a number of months. Up to three participants at a time will move freely in digital space to select, scale, and place components from a dynamic set of tools. Although the principles guiding the placement of the components is guided by ZHA, visitors have completed freedom of scale and position of placement.  © Zaha Hadid Architects To maintain a degree of order, individual components not connected with others will soon disappear from the VR space, with the number of connected components dictating how long they survive in the evolving structure. Any component, or cluster of components, connected directly to the primary structure will remain as permanent elements. As the project grows, 3D-printed models will be exhibited alongside the project, demonstrating the evolution of the structure from continued public input.  © Zaha Hadid Architects The "Design As Second Nature" exhibition is open at MUAC Mexico until 3rd March 2019, where it showcases the studio's 40 years of experimentation in design, construction, material innovations. The exhibition also contains a knitted-concrete pavilion designed by ZHA in collaboration with ETH Zurich.  © Zaha Hadid Architects For Project Correl's development, Zaha Hadid Virtual Design Group partnered with Unreal Studio, HP Virtual Reality Solutions, NVIDIA, and HTC VIVE. News via: Zaha Hadid Architects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| French Embassy in Haiti / Explorations Architecture Posted: 12 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST  © Michel Denancé
 © Michel Denancé Text description provided by the architects. The new French Embassy of Haiti consists in one circular structure taking place in a large park. The whole project creates an elegant campus that is both, a place of representation for the French Republic and a space for daily work. The new Embassy is inspired by the tropical architecture of several periods and is made in respect of the memory of the land where it takes place. The proposal is to build pavilion with light steel and wood frame with facades that filter views and protect from climatic effects.  © Michel Denancé  Ground floor plan  © Michel Denancé The building is organized on two levels around a covered atrium, illuminated and ventilated naturally. All the supporting services and the french consulate are located in the main pavilion. These services are wrapped around a large Garden of Honour. This space is at the same time a place of representation directly visible from the entrance as well as a place of amenity for the staff members and all visitors. The services are distributed by a covered corridor in the manner of a contemporary cloister. Close relationships from one place to another are favorited by several staircases and shortcuts designed in the layout of the garden itself.  Section All the project details have been studied and designed meticulously to promote a unique environment in the context of Port-au-Prince. The basic constraints resulting from the nature of the project (safety, parking, and technical constraints) have been carefully integrated into the landscape to offer each office a clear view on a rediscovered Haitian nature.  © Michel Denancé  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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