Arch Daily |
- HM Lang Wine Press / Tzou Lubroth Architekten
- MARUTI MANDIR – Home for GOD on Earth / Within N Without
- Waverley House / Anderson Architecture
- Cuddle Bubble / AaaM Architects
- La Casa de Cathy / A Lentil Design
- E.SUN Bank / JJP
- Autodesk HQ / Mackenzie
- La Moderna / SKETCH
- Rigaud City Hall / Affleck de la Riva architects
- California Approves Rule Requiring Solar Panels on New Homes
- Chapel for Saint Mary’s / Mark Cavagnero Associates
- Saudi Arabia is Planning a Major Art Oasis in the Desert
- Hotel in Coimbra / depA
- Architecture Transcends Time in New Architectural Illustrations by Xinran Ma
- RD House / Belluzzo Martinhão Arquitetos
- K.B. Hall / Christensen & Co. Architects
- "I Failed to be an Artist but I Became an Artistic Architect": Interview with Yung Ho Chang of Atelier FCJZ
| HM Lang Wine Press / Tzou Lubroth Architekten Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST  © Bengt Stiller
 © Bengt Stiller Text description provided by the architects. Mr. & Mrs. Lang are vintners producing exceptional organic wines from their vineyards terraced above the Danube at the beginning of the Wachau valley. Mr. Lang comes from an engineering background and commissioned us to reinterpret a traditional manual timber wine press in contemporary terms. Wine presses of this kind stem back to the Roman Empire.  © Bengt Stiller The Roman-style presses were made from single trunks and were built until the turn of the last century. Many such presses are still used by local wine growers, some dating back hundreds of years. We replaced the timber with a concrete and steel structure and re-used industrial elements (a salvaged I-beam and a crank used for a German river lock on the Rhine).  © Bengt Stiller The press sits on an old fruit orchard above an air-raid tunnel built by locals during the war. The Austrian state had no idea what to do with the abandoned tunnel so our client bought it for a meager amount and placed his wine cellar inside. The wine is pressed directly into barrels in the cellar through a hose that is drilled through the rock. The I-beam is attached to a 6 ton concrete counterweight and is supported by a reinforced concrete framework.  Axo The grapes are pressed in a custom made stainless steel barrel. The pressed juice flows in shallow trenches engraved on the concrete base that lead to a long funnel. The mechanical components are covered by a cantilevering, partially louvered roof thus blurring the line between machine and building.  © Bengt Stiller  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MARUTI MANDIR – Home for GOD on Earth / Within N Without Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:00 PM PST  © Vikrant Dashputre
 © Vikrant Dashputre Text description provided by the architects. Home for God on Earth…! An unusual typology that seldom appears in the portfolio of any architectural practice. Temple plays a crucial role in the socio-cultural and spiritual life of the human. Amidst a low rise housing community of a small village, the temple serves as an affordable and accessible asset for simple local people and remains an integral part of the local life system. Old temple structure was in a dilapidated state and thus arrive the need to build the new one. The new structure is set on the existing plinth and its rustic charm is maintained through the use of local stone that holds it all together.  © Vikrant Dashputre  Context Plan  © Vikrant Dashputre Although the complex is geographically and visually separate from the rest of the settlement, it relates the precinct and is visible from most points in the vicinity. The stepped progression of temple elevation is worked out to scale down the monumentality of temple structure in the complex that may otherwise dominate the setting. Thus, despite the prominence of this complex, at first glance the appearance of residential areas in such close proximity, the temple is not easily seen from outside its surroundings and the approach road, except some particularly high vantage points.  © Vikrant Dashputre  Isometric View and Diagrams  © Vikrant Dashputre Exploratory and accommodative the design approach moves beyond form and function were establishing the interrelationship of built to open and physical to metaphysical plays a paramount role. The symphony of design is evolved out of several concerns such as addressing the diverse user groups effectively, creating design composition with judicious selection of elements in their appropriate form, scale and proportions and considering the social relations, interactions and movements of people as a vital aspect of the design and layout of the complex. Careful handling of light and changing sense of enclosure creates a visually striking experience while one moves from the entrance towards the core.  Section B  Section A  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Waverley House / Anderson Architecture Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:00 PM PST  © Nick Bowers
 © Nick Bowers Text description provided by the architects. Optimal climate control can make any home a haven. With one half of the client couple hailing from the UK, our brief for a new house was clear. They wanted a light-filled, comfortable family home, with easy access to the great Aussie backyard, and thermal performance that would minimize reliance on artificial heating and cooling year round. Thermal modeling proved our combination of passive and active design measures could achieve an 8-star performance rating. And all of this in a two-story residence whose living zone would need to face the hot afternoon sun.  © Nick Bowers  Ground Floor Plan  © Nick Bowers To address significant overshadowing from a hulking neighbor to the north, we proposed a light-seeking, two-story form with a bright, full-height living-room void. In a neighborly response, we designed a slanted, folding roof to the south, maximizing light for those in shadow on the opposite boundary. On hot afternoons, temperature-triggered, computerized louvers were designed to adjust automatically, screening the void to help cool the entire home. In the event of rain, a moving roof form above the terrace can be deployed remotely via a smartphone or personal device.  Cross Section Thermally broken, Low-E windows were a cost-effective eco-friendly architecture measure for high thermal performance throughout the home, and air quality was considered, too, with low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) finishes throughout. Solar-powered, hydronic, underfloor heating adds extra warmth to this home's hub in winter but, in reality, this is rarely needed. The concrete floor's thermal mass, combined with the building's reverse brick veneer construction means indoor temperatures remain stable in all but the most extreme of weather conditions, even without eaves or overhangs.  © Nick Bowers  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cuddle Bubble / AaaM Architects Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:00 PM PST  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited
 © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited Text description provided by the architects. Inspired by the toy "spinning bubble", we are turning PMQ's Courtyard into a bubble paradise, where colourful bubbles fill the place and spread happiness to everyone.  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited The bubbles are visually pleasing, with a sense of lightness and refreshing coolness. The design is minimalist without being plain, which injects creative aesthetics and poetic elements into the public space. 24 flimsy, flap-like "clouds" float over the Courtyard and flutter in the wind - what a refreshing sight!  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited  Diagram  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited Over 60 bubble installations are placed on the ground, half of them sway and dance in a "self-satisfied" manner, automatically rolling out a pleasant rhythm; the other half welcome the public to reach out and spin, so that the bubbles will slowly bloom and turn into a dreamlike illusionary "soap bubbles" or other soaps.  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited The beauty of the bubbles is very different during the day and at night. The night lights and the bubbles are intertwined to reflect a mysterious charm. Whether you are an adult or a child, let's spin together and witness the beauty and happiness generated.  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited Mr. Shuyan Chan, AaaM's Co-founder/Director shares with us that "design needs to respond effectively to the nitty-gritty of life and the surrounding environment, in order to bring a good sense and experience. The floating and pulsating bubbles can always give people a sense of healing, thereby alleviating tension and stress. This interactive installation hopes to bring the time and space for fast-paced Hongkongers to 'take a break' amidst the often suffocating environment."  © AaaM Architects, PMQ Management Company Limited  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| La Casa de Cathy / A Lentil Design Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:00 PM PST  © Chi Shou Wang
 © Chi Shou Wang "It bores me to tears if I live in an all white house." Cathy, the house owner, laughed and said. From the beginning discussion, designer found Cathy and her husband drew on their bold imagination in color combination, even red match with green! Therefore, designer tried any possible color plan match with different materials, hope creating a colorful, energetic, but harmonious special house belongs to them. This is a 63m² pre-owned house located in Taipei Neihu Dist., and there are originally two bedrooms, two living rooms and two bathrooms. After confirming that there will no new members for future plan, designer plan the floor allocation according to owners' life habit. Opening up the kitchen to dining room and put kitchen island next to the dining table, and designer arranged storage cabinet makes kitchen simple and clean. The open shelf is easy to storage and creates a natural life decoration, the space makes cooking be a wonderful thing.  © Chi Shou Wang The special point in bedroom is homocentric squared aisle, it makes movement fluently, and it is the favorite part owners chose. On the other hand, to simplify two bathrooms to be one, furthermore arrange functional space to put dressing table and create a dressing room. Designer reset up the position of toilet and washstand, makes space use efficially. An wall built at an angle and make the second room next to bathroom , to avoid any waste of space. Light is led into the center of house, sun shines through the window to warms house, light and shadow falls on the floor, the delicate space makes life more comfortable. The arrangement makes kitchen and dining room bigger, and extends the vision field to feel wider.  © Chi Shou Wang Entering main bedroom, a Lake Green colored wall and Russet Red colored wardrobe catch your eyes, then walk out to the corner of kitchen, color application correlate the yellow wall brick with yellow door frame. Azulejo on the wall of bathroom not only decorates the space but also lights up the mood. Colorful and cheerful combination makes surprise happened every corner harmoniously. Besides special color arrangement, designer use white and light wood colors math with some black to achieve balance. Owners' friends and family all are surprised with the arrangement and change, "The designer must be a outstanding person.", Cathy imitates her father said. "I enjoy living in space colors around, it makes me feel relax and comfortable." Cathy said. It is their dreaming house, a special house belongs to Cathy and her husband.  © Chi Shou Wang  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:00 AM PST  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu
 © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu Text description provided by the architects. The name of the client E. Sun Bank rendered in Mandarin is "Jade Mountain" at 3,950m, highest mountain in eastern Pacific.  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu Inspired by the cursive calligraphy script for the character "Jade", the design of the building seeks to capture a similar rhythm of movement and tension.  Courtesy of J. J. Pan & Partners, Architects & Planners (JJP) Coupled with the metaphor of "handshake", the project is a series of interlocking volumes intersecting at various angles that result in a dynamic composition. Like calligraphic strokes, the expressive colors of the insulated glass and metal panels further accentuate the design concept.  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu Terraces and balconies are then strategically located on the building volume while providing users with comfortable spaces with vantage points.  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu  Elevation_section  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu Located in an area predominantly light industries, the project also features extensive green spaces that extend upward from the landscaped garden onto each level.  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu The overall result is an architectural manifestation of the trust between the bank and its customers, and the close cooperation between its various departments.  © Wei-Shih Hsieh, Kevin Wu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:00 AM PST  © Christian Columbres Photography
 © Christian Columbres Photography Text description provided by the architects. Autodesk's new Portland office deserved an identity as compelling as its location—the Towne Storage building, a renovated historic warehouse at the Burnside Bridgehead. Working closely with Autodesk and the brand strategists at Think Joule, Mackenzie's design team interpreted the Autodesk brand through the lens of local context. The workplace is designed to attract and retain talent through carefully thought-out amenity space that fosters engagement, interaction, and an authentic collective identity.  © Christian Columbres Photography Collaborative rooms and meeting spaces are inspired by the tiny house movement, using a palette of materials reflective of the Central Eastside neighborhood's industrial history, and incorporating the work of local makers. Portland cultural motifs are woven throughout the workplace, paying homage to the city's artisans, urban landmarks, geography, and history.  © Christian Columbres Photography The diverse group of local artists and artisans on the project ranged from neighborhood makers working sustainably with salvaged material to a retired couple who crafted picnic tables for communal areas. Locally sourced material included Douglas Fir reclaimed from Centennial Mills, just across the Willamette River.  Axo Inspired by Autodesk's mission and tagline "Make Anything," the design team followed a concept of "ideas into form," illustrated at arrival to the building by the sculptural stair. The finished environment was achieved through Autodesk design and visualization tools, including ReCap, InfraWorks, Autodesk 3 dS Max, Revit, and Revit Live. The fusion of Autodesk's innovation with the maker culture of Portland's Central Eastside is the defining characteristic of the new workplace, and a great foundation for continued creativity.  © Christian Columbres Photography  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:00 AM PST  © Fernando Alda
 © Fernando Alda Text description provided by the architects. La Moderna is a mixed-use building built in 1962 on one of the main avenues of the Old Town of Panama City. The building has a modernist influence that is marked in the design of its original façade, in the way it is implanted in the ground, as well as in the logic of the existing structure. In 2014, at the beginning of the design process, the interiors and the structure of the building were seriously deteriorated and with moisture problems in their upper levels due to faults in their waterproofing.  © Fernando Alda The design strategy consisted mainly in the rescue of the original spirit of the building to recover the building and its original uses, updating it to the comforts and technical requirements of today. In the lower levels, previously used areas have been rescued as deposits to be transformed into commercial premises that contribute to the urban quality of the neighborhood. A total of seven commercial premises occupy the basement, the ground floor, and the mezzanine. At the basement level, a roofed bazaar is created that serves as a covered terrace for commercial premises on this level, which is accessed through the side street, which has a steep slope.  © Fernando Alda The façade towards this street has been redesigned so that it is related to what happens on the first floor of the building, and roofed balconies are generated behind the sunroofs, bringing life to the city and creating a visual relationship with the adjacent building. Towards the main avenue, the main lobby is located that leads to the levels of office and apartments and commercial premises of two levels.  © Fernando Alda The first floor has a free floor that will be used for offices and serves as a connecting element between the access floor and the apartment level. The slab on this level has been reinforced structurally to preserve the original slab and increase the useful life of the building. From this place, you can begin to observe distant views towards the city and the sea, and framed views of the neighborhood through its stepped façade. The original apartments on the top floor have been demolished to completely waterproof the slab and in its place, 12 compact apartment units have been designed that are located on the floor taking advantage of the unique features of each façade of the building.  © Fernando Alda  Section 2  © Fernando Alda  Section 1  © Fernando Alda To the east there are 5 apartments with views of the Gulf of Panama and Panama City, in the center of the plant are located 3 apartments with more private internal gardens, and to the west there are 4 apartments that take advantage of the stepped façade to have large covered balconies that look towards Avenida B and the rest of the Old Town. The building seeks to serve as a current model of mixed-use buildings that proposes compact and efficient apartment solutions that respond to the needs of the public and the characteristics of the real estate market through the recovery of a structure in the city center.  © Fernando Alda  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Rigaud City Hall / Affleck de la Riva architects Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:00 AM PST  © Adrien Williams
 © Adrien Williams Text description provided by the architects. Construction was recently completed on Rigaud City Hall, a new civic administration facility for a small Quebec community fifty kilometres west of Montreal. Located at the confluence of the Rigaud and Ottawa rivers, Rigaud is noted for its natural attractions and historic village center which dates back to New France.  Site Plan Designed by Affleck de la Riva Architects, the project gives new meaning to public administration and municipal activities in Rigaud through an urban redevelopment plan that proposes both the reorganisation of a section of the historic village center and the new city hall building. A pedestrian promenade connects existing public amenities with new facilities, redevelops several vacant lots and links the heart of the village to the Rigaud River.  © Adrien Williams White on White: Democracy and Transparency  © Adrien Williams The council chamber is suspended above the plaza and main entrance to the city hall creating a signal highly visible from neighbouring streets. Fully glazed on three facades, the chamber presents the exercise of democracy as a transparent activity. Beneath this volume a generous outdoor area offers a protected space for meetings and gatherings. The east and north facades of the building are punctuated by a white aluminum colonnade. The columns give way to white masonry on the other facades. The integration of the logo of the City of Rigaud in the masonry of the north façade adds a touch of color and identifies the municipal function of the building. Passing through the colonnade, the main entry leads directly to a foyer illuminated by a skylight. Open on two floors, the foyer extends laterally towards a corridor along the colonnade. A nordic'stoa' that offers continuous contact with the landscape, this is a privileged meeting place for citizens and administrators.  © Adrien Williams Bioclimatic Architecture  © Adrien Williams  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| California Approves Rule Requiring Solar Panels on New Homes Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:00 AM PST  via Creative Commons The California Building Standards Commission has approved a new rule starting in 2020 that requires all new homes built in the state to include solar panels. As the first of its kind in the United States, the new rule includes an incentive for homeowners to add a high-capacity battery to their electrical system. The move hopes to help meet the state's goal of sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions while drawing all electricity from renewable energy sources.  via Creative Commons Single-family homes and multi-family buildings up to three stories high must conform to the new solar power standard. The state predicts that mandatory solar panel installations can add nearly $10,000 in the upfront cost of a home — a cost officials say will balance out over time with lower electricity bills. The California Energy Commission first endorsed the solar panel rule in May as part of California's Green Building Standards Code. This past week, the Building Standards Commission added the requirement with a unanimous vote. Homeowners will have the option of buying the panels outright, leasing them or taking part in a power purchase agreement with the home builder. News via NPR  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Chapel for Saint Mary’s / Mark Cavagnero Associates Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:00 AM PST  © Henrik Kam
 © Henrik Kam Text description provided by the architects. This intimate chapel for a religiously-oriented California high school operates as both liminal threshold and restorative retreat; perched on the corner, at the outer boundary of the physical campus, the rise of the sleekly articulated white concrete building is both icon and marker.  © Henrik Kam Designed to serve the students, many of whom are low-income and attending St. Mary's on scholarship, the chapel, while belonging to a Catholic school, was considered as a spiritual space, one that invites the challenges and difficulties of young adulthood to be considered and processed in a sacred, silent, and light-filled space. An honesty of materials— white concrete; glazing; Alabama limestone; and light American white oak— sets the tone for a space devoted to quiet for a community (high schoolers and their teachers) that can be otherwise bustling, noisy, and overwhelming.  Plan  Elevation Mark Cavagnero Associates considered the chapel a "dream project" for the office, which often works on larger-scale institutional and commercial projects and whose project architects relished the opportunity to work at such an intimately emotional scale. The school's mission of serving the underserved, and of working to provide a sense of safety, calm, and comfort to their students has been transformed here into a space that operates as a journey from civic life into interior restoration. The chapel is entered through the back, the approach following the gentle articulation of a seamlessly-poured white wall of concrete blocks. From this path, visual access to the chapel is hinted at through a wall of glazing and defined by a large wooden screen. A small courtyard hugs the entrance to the chapel; a small and contemplative raised bed rests near a bench that faces the shallow pool beside the entrance, the soft reflection of light marking the threshold. This open choreography offers a moment of pause before entering the explicitly liturgical space – a representation of the client's hope that the restorative experiences felt within the chapel could begin to inform students' everyday lives and educational focus.  © Henrik Kam For this relatively small-scaled project, the design team grappled with their desire to make the space feel still expansive, connected, and larger than its physical footprint. The strongly peaked roof form is both iconic and responsive, its shape a method for celebrating different modes of light. The play of light became a central element to the project, which is as interested in the golden tones of morning as it is the diffuse afternoon glow. The chapel is oriented to invite in the energizing pulse of morning light, with the calming, softer light of late afternoon washing through the space as the students, marking the end of the day's studies with a moment of introspection, return home.  © Henrik Kam  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Saudi Arabia is Planning a Major Art Oasis in the Desert Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST  © Shutterstock Saudi Arabia's Crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman is reported to be in discussion with U.S auction house Sotheby's regarding the creation of a major cultural center, to be situated in the country's archaeologically-rich region of Al-Ula. As reported by Bloomberg, the center would sit in close proximity to the ancient UNESCO World Heritage city of Mada'in Salih, among elaborate 2000-year-old sandstone buildings. The link with Sotheby's centers on the company's co-chairman Allan Schwatrzman, who also sits on the advisory board of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula which aids the region's development. Schwatrzman is also the leader of Art Agency Partners, Sotheby's art advisory firm, which has submitted its vision for the major arts and cultural complex.  © Shutterstock In a statement to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for the Royal Commission for Al-Ula said the collaboration with Sotheby's was in an "exploratory phase." So far, Sotheby's has invited over a dozen artists to submit proposals for the plans, with no works yet commissioned. Rather, Sotheby's sees the artists' task as to "dream their biggest dream and envisage a project which may or may not be realized, but will represent the ultimate expression of them as an artist."  © Shutterstock While the spatial realization of the area's redevelopment does not currently exist, a strategic plan for the area is underway. Any subsequent masterplan could take six to nine months, with construction taking an additional three to five years. News via: Bloomberg  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:00 AM PST  © José Campos
 © José Campos Text description provided by the architects. The three pre-existing buildings around a mediterranean courtyard are located Coimbra, in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Protection Zone.  © José Campos In such delicate surroundings, the intervention seeks a delicate design balanced between the need for technical adaptations to contemporary building demands, the legal requirements for a contemporary hotel and the huge care that an intervention of this type requires. In other words, the adaption to the new program and the consequent deep intervention by all means paid deep respect for the historical relevance of the buildings and its great architectural and constructive values.  © José Campos This balanced strategy allowed, at the same time, to clarify the difference between the preserved old elements and all the new and, above all, the difference between the three buildings: the former house on the upper level, the small palace on the lower level, and the third in-between, which is more picturesque.  © José Campos The courtyard which aggregates the three buildings is open to the public and is the life heart of the new hotel. The use of traditional materials such as stone, wood and iron, not only for for structural purposes but also for final details and finishings made, at the end, the whole intervention coherent and avoids a disruptive atmosphere or design.  © José Campos  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Architecture Transcends Time in New Architectural Illustrations by Xinran Ma Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:00 AM PST  © Xinran Ma As imaginative and hypothetical as their work may seem to some people, many visionaries have created admirable artwork that look beyond the ordinary and rethink architecture and urban spaces. Xinran Ma, the New York-based architectural designer and illustrator has visualized his architectural fantasies, and created numerous series of drawings, two of which were entries for Fairy Tales 2016 and 2017 by Blank Space." Drawing inspiration from Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, known for his imaginative etches of Rome, and the collaborative works of Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin, who produced avant-garde depictions of cities and landscapes, the illustrator has once again shared his creations with Archdaily, expressing his passion "to vision architectural fantasies that transcends time through graphic narratives".  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  © Xinran Ma  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| RD House / Belluzzo Martinhão Arquitetos Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST  © Mariana Orsi
 © Mariana Orsi Text description provided by the architects. The points that were most decisive for the development of the project were: the steep slope of the land, the beautiful view to the horizon and the limited budget of the clients. Usually terrain with steep slopes generates higher costs in the works due to the need of retaining walls, but since we had a budget limit, we tried to take full advantage of the natural terrain profile, in order to avoid large structural reinforcements that generate high costs. Thus, the house has an inverted concept, the main access is through the upper floor of the house, in which are distributed in a fully integrated social environments and service area, this floor is covered by a light black metallic cover.  © Mariana Orsi Leaving through the sliding glass doors of the living room, the residents can access the deck, which has a beautiful view of the horizon, from where they can admire the sunset. Descending to the intermediate floor of the residence, at the end of the staircase is the library, on this floor, we created a plateau to make a winter garden that can also be admired from the floor of the room and serves as entrance of lighting and ventilation to the environments that surround it. Soon after passing through the library, one can have access to the intimate corridor, where the three dormitories of the residence are, all with view to the west. Still descending one more level, there is an inferior floor, covered by the projection of the dormitories, where the residents made a room of glass music and another section of garden.  © Mariana Orsi The building materials are all natural apparent. The house was made with a mixed structure, of structural blocks, some beams and pillars in strategic points and metallic structure in the cover. All of these materials are apparent inside and outside the residence. On the ground floor we have used a porcelain tile floor with burnt cement, Cumaru wood deck, ceramic pastille in the spa, hexagonal hydraulic tiles in the kitchen and gourmet areas, cedrinho wood lining. On the middle floor, we used tiled wood floor in the rooms. Throughout the house black aluminum frames and plenty of glass to give lightness and contrast with the concrete elements. Despite the more industrial style, the touches of wood and the decor gave the necessary warmth to the environments.  © Mariana Orsi  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| K.B. Hall / Christensen & Co. Architects Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:00 PM PST  © Niels Nygaard
 © Niels Nygaard Text description provided by the architects. Reviving a cultural icon  © Niels Nygaard The Gable is made of glass that open up the hall's interior to create a connection between the life of the hall and the surrounding area. The Gable is part of a journey through the urban spaces of Copenhagen, where the hall's visitors reach their destination upon entering the foyer. In the Disk, on the first floor, bars and lounges are placed around the concert hall under the Arch.  Level 0 The Arch is the large unifying structure that recreates the K.B. hall's iconic look. Inside, the balconies, balustrades, bars and fittings will all have historical references. The new flexible architecture, the acoustics and technical solutions all fulfil the requirements for a contemporary event venue.  © Niels Nygaard  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST  © TIAN Fangfang Beijing architect Yung Ho Chang together with his wife Lijia Lu started his practice in 1993 under the name Feichang Jianzhu, atelier FCJZ. It literary means "not ordinary architecture," a symbolic name for the practice that became China's first independent architectural office, laying the foundation of contemporary practice in the country. Chang is referred to as the father of contemporary Chinese architecture. He grew up in the prominent architect's family. Chang's father, Zhang Kaiji [Yung Ho Chang's Chinese name is Zhang Yonghe] was a classicist. He was one of the chief architects of the Beijing Architectural Design Institute and the design architect in charge for what is today the National Museum of China on Tiananmen Square. Chang studied architecture in Nanjing, then received his Bachelor degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and Master of Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley. He has taught in both China and America, including at Harvard's GSD and headed MIT's architecture department from 2005 to 2010. In 2012, the year he joined the Pritzker Prize Jury, his fellow countryman Wang Shu became the first Chinese architect who won the Prize. The following is an excerpt from my conversation with Yung Ho Chang at his Beijing office.  © TIAN Fangfang Vladimir Belogolovsky: Let me start with your quote, "I believe architecture is something more down to earth, and ultimately relates to how people live." Tell me you were kidding when you said that because it seems to me that your architecture is anything but down to earth. Down to earth is something that we tend not to notice, right? Yung Ho Chang: Well, maybe something was lost in translation from Chinese. [Laughs.] What I meant is that architecture is tangible. It's about our physical world. Architecture for me is about enjoying life. It is very much about the way we live. And for us architecture is so much more than just buildings. You know, we design furniture, industrial products, clothing, jewelry, and so on. For example, a couple of years ago, since architects like to solve all kinds of problems, I was asked to design a cake. There was a problem – traditional Mille-Feuille tends to get softened by the moisture of the cream between puff pastry layers. We solved it by separating the pastry and the cream, which was placed in a chocolate box in the center, so you can dip the pastry into the cream as you like. This is what I mean by tangible design. I don't enjoy reading philosophical books on architecture. It is too abstract for me. And I am not trying to expand on designing everything. I enjoy life and from time to time it gives me a lot of pleasure to design not just buildings. Still, it is buildings that I focus on primarily.  © TIAN Fangfang VB: You also said, "I don't think architects can just fly around and build structures anywhere, but rather they need to anchor themselves in one place. Architects should sit in their studios and work with materials and their teams." Is that what you do yourself? YHC: Well, I used to fly around, you are right; but not nearly as much. I continue to fly to visit construction sites and for client meetings. What I meant was that if you have the ambition to discover something in architecture and push the discipline you really need to spend time at your practice on daily basis. You need to learn how to put buildings together. Good buildings are the ones that are put together well. Maybe I am getting more conservative. [Laughs.] Of course, you need to be curious and open, but at some point you need to anchor yourself and focus on work. You must develop what I would call an autonomous architecture. Of course, as an architect, you need a client, you need to be engaged with society, you need to follow certain conventions about structure, climate, materials, etc. But you should also try to develop your own sensibilities as an author.  © SHU He VB: Speaking of what you called autonomous architecture, can you expand on that by perhaps referring to your Vertical Glass House that you built in Shanghai in 2013? This project has established a strong autonomy from its place. It is a fascinating play on seeing and being seen, as well as your refusal to reduce architecture to its function. Isn't it a good example that your architecture is anything but down to earth? It is quite an invention, it may even be called a novel that can be read spatially. You stayed there with your own family for a short while, right? Did you enjoy living in the house as much as designing it? YHC: You are right, it is an invention, in a certain way. Yes, I enjoyed living there very much. [Laughs.] Now that I think about it, among other references, I must have been influenced by John Hejduk's project, The House of the Inhabitant who Refused to Participate. I do have a desire to stay in that theoretical house by Hejduk. And one of my intentions in the Vertical Glass House was the desire to experience space alone. It came from an architectural proposition, the glass house, which, of course, preoccupied many architects in the past, such as Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. So I took their glass house, whether Mies's Farnsworth House or Johnson's Glass House and literally turned it 90 degrees. I flipped the material – solid roof and floor were replaced by glass, while entirely transparent walls were replaced by almost windowless concrete walls.  © TIAN Fangfang VB: This house was originally designed as a paper project back in 1991, as an award-winning entry for the annual Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition organized by the Japan Architecture magazine. This project is such an idealistic and theoretical vision. Why do you maintain that your work is down to earth? YHC: Because this house has a down to earth moment. [Laughs.] Let me tell you. I really wanted to experience being in this house. But I also wondered – who else? VB: Who else? YHC: [Laughs.] May I suggest, today the notion of glass house doesn't belong to Germany, the US, Mies, or Johnson. It belongs to everyone. Liu Ling was a Chinese poet and scholar in the 3rd century. He was one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, the Taoists who enjoyed and celebrated personal freedom, spontaneity, and nature. He was said to be walking around his home naked. He explained to surprised visitors, "The sky and earth are my architecture, my house is my clothing." When I worked on this project I thought he would be my ideal client. The top of the house has a room that is meant to be completely empty. It is a pure space. You sit in the room. You look up and you see the sky. You look down and you see through the floors all the way to the earth.  Vertical Glass House watercolor by Yung Ho Chang  Vertical Glass House watercolor by Yung Ho Chang VB: Now that you describe it, it feels like a very Chinese house, right? The whole house is an autonomous courtyard with this very intimate connection to the sky and the earth. It also represents a kind of resistance against ordinary and pragmatic. YHC: Maybe. But I want to think of it as a universal house. You know, I don't think the world of architecture should be divided into east and west. I want to think of it as divided into north and south, climactically, not culturally. I would say that all projects we have done are really intended to be used by anyone.  © TIAN Fangfang VB: Could you talk about the current state of architecture in China? On the one hand, there is so much energy and so many young practitioners doing beautiful work, which can immediately be identified as Chinese with a good balance of looking back and bringing into their work local culture, history, and traditional materials. And on the other hand, they are looking forward and incorporate advanced technology. This was so clearly demonstrated at the Venice Biennale this year at the Chinese Pavilion, as it put on display so many of these, mainly small-scale projects in the countryside. And yet, I wonder if there is a lack of variety in this approach? So many projects seem somewhat formulaic, almost like the production of a single practice. What do you think? YHC: I would agree with your observation. Yes, there is a kind of renaissance of creativity here in a big way. There are a lot of very good buildings all over. However, if I could refer to my own approach, I am a risk taker. More so than a lot of my colleagues here. You are right, we started to do a good work collectively. But, in a way, good work is not enough. These days, architects know how to do a good building. But it is also important to work in areas that are less explored in our discipline. It is important to work outside of one's own comfort zone. Maybe you fail. Maybe you are not going to produce something pretty. But it is necessary to challenge ourselves. I can see issues with offices when it is just about production. We need to be critical. There are forces that contribute to these similarities. One is market and the speed with which buildings are being designed and built. The other one is the media. There is a lot of congratulatory press both in China and around the world. That distracts architects from being critical.  Maison de la Chine Model VB: You once said, "I'm not very good at making exaggerated forms. that's not me, but I can do different architecture and still have a sense of discovery." YHC: When I was a student at Berkeley I had a Swedish professor, Lars Lerup. I always admired his work on habitation and narrative. One day, I was looking at his designs and realized that he was not a good form-giver. I was young and silly, so I said to him, "The reason you work with these conceptual ideas is because you don't know how to create forms." And he replied, "Of course!" He was very generous with me and this is also true in my case. So I am not a good form-giver. However, my ideas are rather formal ideas. I am very much influenced by artists, especially by such conceptualists as Marcel Duchamp and such Modernists as Kazimir Malevich. I have been interested in painting and now I am working on ideas of bringing abstract painting into architecture. Meaning, I want to explore such qualities as a brush stroke and paint texture. I am using these ideas to exaggerate or compress spaces. I like to think that I failed to be an artist but I became an artistic architect.  © CAO Yang VB: You have so many ideas, but it contradicts another one of your quotes, "After almost 20 years, I may just settle rather than find some more acute ideas about architecture." YHC: Well, this is about bringing myself back into my practice and gathering my old ideas.  © CAO Yang VB: Would you say architecture is art? YHC: My personal, subjective answer is yes. But objectively speaking, of course, not. We live in buildings. So how can they be just art? Spaces have to be livable. So there are two contradictory answers… For me, it is. I try. Sometimes, there is a chance for architecture to rise to that level. But more than art, architecture is a discovery.  © SHU He VLADIMIR BELOGOLOVSKY is the founder of the New York-based non-profit Curatorial Project. Trained as an architect at Cooper Union in New York, he has written nine books, including New York: Architectural Guide (DOM, 2019), Conversations with Architects in the Age of Celebrity (DOM, 2015), Harry Seidler: LIFEWORK (Rizzoli, 2014), and Soviet Modernism: 1955-1985 (TATLIN, 2010). Among his numerous exhibitions: world tours of the work of Harry Seidler (since 2012), Emilio Ambasz (2017-18), Sergei Tchoban (since 2016), Colombia: Transformed (American Tour, 2013-15), and Chess Game for Russian Pavilion at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale (2008). Belogolovsky is the American correspondent for Berlin-based architectural journal SPEECH. In 2018, he was a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He has lectured at universities and museums in more than 30 countries. Belogolovsky's column, City of Ideas, introduces ArchDaily's readers to his latest conversations with the most innovative international architects. Since 2002, he interviewed over 300 architects. These intimate conversations are featured in the curator's ongoing site-specific installations made up of voice recordings and thought-provoking quotes.  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