morfoLL

Heatherwick Studio @ TED

2012-01-15T21:09:00.001Z

Rossio by Broadway Malyan

2011-11-21T23:29:00.001Z

A project by Broadway Malyan in one of the most interesting parts of Lisbon.

BIG is taking over Paris

2011-11-21T23:17:00.001Z

Another award winning competition by think thank BIG+OFF.

Crater Puebla by GGLab

2011-11-21T23:06:00.001Z

A very interesting project by GGLab

Zaha Hadid Celebrates Launch of Roca London Gallery

2011-11-20T20:13:00.000Z

Thames Hub by Foster + Partners.

2011-11-20T20:12:00.000Z

Cineteca Nacional del Siglo XXI / Rojkind Arquitectos

2011-11-09T19:40:00.000Z

An excelent work by mexican Rojkind Arquitectos

Animation UNStudio - The National Art Museum of China

2011-11-08T23:51:00.000Z

Bjarke Ingels — Innovation 2011

2011-11-07T22:18:00.000Z

OTA+ Recent Work Book

2011-11-07T21:58:00.001Z

http://br.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2425061?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget

Design Heros by Chris Labrooy

2011-11-07T21:49:00.003Z

"Typography design based on the architecture of zaha hadid. With this piece I focused on capturing zaha's formal language rather than reference specific buildings because i am very interested in her drawings and paintings from the eighties."
Chris Labrooy

Excelent tribute from Chris Labrooy a very talented 3d artist, to his favourite design heros.

Zaha Hadid _ Juan Manuel Peláez. Concurso CICB Bogotá

2011-11-03T19:58:00.000Z

Frank Gehry uses CATIA for his architecture creations

2011-11-03T19:56:00.000Z

Big Transforms Transitlager In Switzerland

2011-10-26T22:48:00.001+01:00

BIG wins an invited competition to renovate and extend an existing 1960′s concrete warehouse situated in a Basel industrial district which is being transformed into an alternative Arts District.
via Architecture Lab

ZAarchitects

2011-10-24T23:14:00.001+01:00

interior design Marriott restaurant Chameleon from zaarchitects on Vimeo.

Some young architects from Ukraine whose work worth a look at.ZAarchitects

LAVA-Snowflake Tower

2011-10-20T23:26:00.002+01:00

Find more photos like this on Grasshopper

Dynamic Performance of Nature

2011-10-19T22:29:00.001+01:00

Dynamic Performance of Nature from yongjulee on Vimeo.

An imagined scheme for rapid manufacturing a building with concrete

2011-10-12T18:18:00.003+01:00

Rapid Construction from Rael San Fratello on Vimeo.

Tower by Rael San Fratello

2011-10-12T18:16:00.002+01:00

Tower from Rael San Fratello on Vimeo.

The Stone Towers by Zaha Hadid Architects

2011-10-07T20:07:00.000+01:00

City Park by Foster + Partners

2011-10-07T20:01:00.000+01:00

Zaha Hadid App from iTunes

2011-10-06T22:31:00.001+01:00

Welcome to the official app of Zaha Hadid Architects.
This App will allow you to browse through the practice’s current portfolio of design and architecture. You will also have exclusive access & insight into some of the award winning buildings in the form of interactive guides (coming soon) to be used when visiting the buildings.

2011-10-06T22:21:00.002+01:00

The best things are sometimes the simpliest... snøhetta

@Designboom

2011-10-06T22:20:00.003+01:00

Thank You!

AA - DRL - SYNERGIC - Proto-Tectonics - Architecture

2011-09-07T21:37:00.000+01:00

Dutch Profiles: Iris van Herpen

2011-09-07T21:35:00.000+01:00

The Beauty of Design - featuring Build, LLC

2011-08-18T22:20:00.000+01:00

Fantastic video of BUILD LLC and their explanaition for the gestures in their design.

UNStudio - Animation Dance Palace, St. Petersburg

2011-08-16T22:52:00.001+01:00

To celebrate the new UN Studio web page! Check it out.

The Changing Room, UNStudio

2011-08-16T22:51:00.000+01:00

BAKU ECO-CULTURAL MASTER PLAN

2011-07-21T09:32:00.000+01:00

Waffle Urbanism

2011-05-14T22:18:00.004+01:00

"The project’s dimensions and form are in themselves a protest, highlighting the need to recover the urban meaning of words such as 'square' and 'market'"
Excellent article from Ethel Baraona Pohl in Domus.

Parametric Variations in Architecture

2011-05-13T23:44:00.000+01:00

Thesis - Special Study (draft) from alice wong on Vimeo.

CARTHEDRAL

2011-05-13T23:42:00.000+01:00

CARTHEDRAL, Subsider Studio Cole Belmont and Tatsuya Sakairi with Alfredo Garibay - Animation by Tatsuya Sakairi, Pratt 2009SP from tatsuya sakairi on Subscribe in a reader

Eco-Cube

2011-05-13T23:31:00.000+01:00

A tour of the Cube from Mike Page on Vimeo.

Lego-style apartment transforms into infinite spaces

2011-05-13T23:19:00.000+01:00

Michael Hansmeyer

2011-05-11T15:00:00.002+01:00

"What method, what system, does an architect use to design a building? How are programmatic needs and context – with their degrees of freedom and constraints – translated into architectural design?" MH
See it in Michael Hansmeyer work.

Kinetic sculptor puts cyber dreams in motion

2011-05-11T14:57:00.000+01:00

Building the Reader's House

2011-03-02T20:57:00.000Z

Al-Jadida Self Sufficient AgroPolis

2011-02-25T23:42:00.002Z

Innovative thinking from MarcosandMarjan Architects.
by Marcos Cruz and Marjan Colletti

Koreatown-Perceptual TacticsA

2011-02-25T23:06:00.002Z

Koreatown Networked Social Dynamics from Bob Frederick on Vimeo.

An excellent research work from Bob Frederick, to see here!

STUTTGART CITY – PARAMETRIC SKIN

2011-02-24T22:19:00.004Z

Having almost lost my "retina" searching, investigating and designing new facade forms, i came across the excellent work of Oliver Dibrova 3 times more then what i'm permited to do, but still...
Excellent work, worth a look.

TEDxAmsterdam - Bjarke Ingels - 11/20/09

2011-02-19T17:21:00.001Z

How's the guy that is actually the new starchitect in town?
Take a look!

TEDxBrooklyn - Karl Chu -What is Architecture?

2011-02-19T17:16:00.000Z

ciudad del pop taiwan

2011-01-28T22:26:00.000Z

Spanish MADE IN wins Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Pop Music Center Competition

2011-01-28T22:18:00.002Z

Spanish MADE IN wins Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Pop Music Center Competition.

To see in ArchDaily.

Architecture After Stability

2010-12-01T23:06:00.000Z

Museo Soumaya | LAR / Fernando Romero

2010-12-01T23:03:00.000Z

Casa Fez-Alvaro Leite Siza

2010-11-15T22:30:00.003Z

Every now and then, portuguese architects tend to show us that there is much more to discover about the new portuguese generation of architects. Although a well known name, with a well known father, Alvaro presents us with this fantastic house, with some fantastic photos by no other then Fernando Guerra, that you can see here.

Taiwan Conceptual Tower by OODA + OOIIO

2010-11-10T23:02:00.004Z

Taiwan Conceptual Tower via Bustler

Portuguese practice OODA Architecture have shared with us their fascinating entry to the Taiwan Conceptual Tower International Competition that won the team a Merit Award. The competition called for conceptual designs for "Taiwan Tower", a landmark building in Taichung to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the founding of Taiwan, R.O.C. and celebrate the merger between Taichung County and Taichung City.

Project Description:

The competition intention was to create a pioneering and innovative design concept which will stand as a new-age landmark and a symbolic voice to the world of Taiwan´s new spirit. The Tower was planned to be at least 300-meter high freestanding tower including offices for Taichung City Government, leisure and recreational functions, retail and educational centers and the new Museum of Taichung City Development.

The concept form proposed links a Taiwan´s significant cutting industry (diamonds) with the required program and some inspirational features such as the Eiffel Tower (structure and icon), the Origami (folding process and symbol generation) and Taiwan´s star-look flag (identity).

The massing development had in consideration the need to become the most visual focus and the new gateway image for Taichung area, so the building perception is different from every corner and establish renewable relations with the city from within the building and from the outside context.

The building has three distinct entrances (Museum, Tower and Offices) that are defined by three separated volumetric pieces that get unified in the first common sky Lobby above and create a public sheltered space below. On the central area is positioned the main functions (such as the Museum, Conference Centre, Fitness, Sky lobbies, Retail, Food and Beverage, etc) and on the peaks and the between areas is where we can find the offices, the sightseeing zones and the complementary functions.

More data in here.

BIRD, Tactile Gallery Installation, Mexico-[Ay]A Studio Paris

2010-11-08T23:53:00.010Z

Design by: Jorge Ayala | [Ay]A Studio Paris
Year of Design: 2010
Client: Private Philanthropy

Another interesting, project from our friends at [Ay]A Studio Paris, that really worth a look!
A gallery installation that interacts with space, shaping it´s sourroudings, presuming from it's visual lightness.

This landmark will accommodate Bird- an installation design by Ay_A Studio based in Paris. The installation stretches out a 22 meter long loft occupying partially the floor enhanced by a labyrinth effect. Visitors and flaneurs will experience a folded subtle high tech effect embracing both the spatial sensation and the interactive aspect of the installation. The 3dimensional mesh is built with bamboos and structural steel connectors while the flowing-like movement is due to the parallel condition operating on its wire-linear organisation offering a fragile and intriguing angular design.
Tactile Gallery is one of the most upcoming finest galleries in Mexico.

Bio:
Jorge is the founder of [Ay]A Studio. [Ay]A is an international studio operating from Paris committed to cutting edge research and experimentation, across scales. [Ay]A engages the field of design, architecture and landscape urbanism in both academic and professional praxis.

Grand Paris_ Landscape Urbanism Academic Research

2010-10-31T00:18:00.011+01:00

Grand Paris_ Landscape Urbanism Academic Research
By Jorge Ayala, at the ESA Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris

Paris and its suburbs represent a working population of 5.5 million people. More than 11 million inhabitants are distributed within 12,000 square kilometers, out of those, 2 million people live within 105 square kilometers.
Geographic conditions, cultural and socio-racial interaction, political problems and a constantly increasing unprivileged population limit the transformation of Paris into a 21st century major city, requiring urgent solutions.

These parametric digital models are the exploration of spatial configurations suggesting several levels of engagement with existing conditions: topography, rainfall flows, ground conditions and residual landscape, among others.
The Landscape Urbanism Studio at the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture aims to reformulate both -existing and proposed projects- the Parisian suburbia is engaged with, by trying to question them. The studio led by Jorge Ayala proposes systems of organization seeking to find methods and strategies in order to inform the development of this region. The Paris Agenda starts proposing a series of actions capable of coordinating new modes of urban transformation.

© ESA Landscape Urbanism Paris

Jorge Ayala leads the Landscape Urbanism Seminar at the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture de Paris.

Credits: ESA Landscape Urbanism 2010
Links: www.paysageurbanisme.com
www.jorge-ayala.com

Interarticulated Landscapes by Jorge Ayala | Ay_A Studio

2010-09-16T18:03:00.010+01:00

Our new friend, Jorge Ayala, have just sent us some great pictures of his studio work. Jorge is the founder of [Ay]A Studio.

Existing Level Conditions

Mesh Indexing

Transitional Strategy

Mesh Evolution

Fabricated Landscape

Architectural Transition

Masterplan

Typology 01 plans

Interarticulated Landscapes aims at a series of connecting structures with different use and performance, such as promenades and walking floating paths, blending both river banks with a responsive mesh. This mesh performs diverse layers engaged to each other, and generates preservation and awareness of local natural cycles such as tidal variation and flooding scenarios.
A series of architectural typologies sprinkle over the masterplan generating several networks at different levels: ponds, floating gardens, public space, and urban fabric.

© Jorge Ayala | Ay_A Studio

[Ay]A is an international studio operating from Paris committed with cutting edge research and experimentation, across scales. [Ay]A engages the field of design, architecture and landscape urbanism in both academic and professional praxis. Also, is the Director of AA Visiting School in Paris to be hosted by Musées des Arts Décoratifs. f(AA)shions will foster singular typologies intrinsic to temporal bodies and fluid matter(s).

Townhouse / ProjektStudio

2009-12-05T10:39:00.001Z

ProjektStudio has designed a multifunctional townhouse at the corner of Dlouhá a Zámecká in Moravian Ostrava. The townhouse includes commercial spaces on the lower levels while the upper floors can be rented for residential or office purposes. For the design of the townhouse, the architects have mixed the historical forms of the area with a contemporary expression. Inspired by the historical horizontal emphasis of the facade treatment, the architects have shifted the facade to creating an irregular textured effect across the building. This triangulated facade creates a new dramatic effect and provides a break from rows of traditional building faces in that area. The historical regular window ordering as been modified as windows rotate and combine to form new rhythms in the fenestration. “Dramatic effect by the view at the proposed new-building is reached with the minimum of devices but all at once in the classical way so that the new building is fresh and progressive, but at the same time it is accepting character of its neighbourhood,” explained the architects.

More images of the townhouse after the break.

Building:Corner of the streets Dlouhá a Zámecká in Moravian Ostrava
Location: parcels 434/1 a 434/2, Moravian, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Client:: AMÁDEUS Real a.s.
Architect:: PROJEKT STUDIO EUCZ, s.r.o
Authors:

Ing.arch. David Kotek, Ing.arch. Oldřich Bajger

Area:

sales area 475 m2
built-up area 475 m2
pure commercial area 700 m2
pure office area 600 m2
flats flooring 170 m2 (up to 3 two-bedrooms units)
demand for parking 32 parking lots
garage capacity 18 parking lots

MAXXXIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (for the time it took to build)

2009-12-05T10:33:00.001Z

via edgargonzalez.com

Diez años después y 150 millones de euros el Maxi Centre de Roma abre sus puertas. La obra más larga de la factoria Zaha Hadid Architects enclavada al norte de la capital italiana está orientada a albergar arte contemporáneo.

El concurso ganado en 1999, proponía una intervención de casi 3 veces más que la que se contruyó. Un innovador sistema constructivo de viguetas de hormigón curvadas dá pié a las fluctuantes galerías y recorridos espaciales, iluminadas cenitalmente (la mayoría).

Mira la galeria

ROK Navy Museum / G.Lab*

2009-11-16T21:42:00.001Z

G.Lab*, a department of Gansam Partners in Seoul, was awarded first prize for their design of a Navy Museum in Korea. The design reflects "the turbulent history of the Korean Navy and the unwavering spirit of the men and women who serve this branch." Inspired by the unpredictability of the ocean, G.Lab*'s form for the museum is an undulating mass that folds. On the interior, the volume creates a circulation path which weaves and intersects in multiple spaces.

More images and more about the museum after the break.

The museum leads visitors through several exhibition halls before they are revealed to an observation deck, overlooking the ROK Patrol Boat Chamsuri 357, (the boat that a North Korean patrol boat surprise attacked on June 29, 2002). Since the incident happened in the midst of the 2002 World Cup, the deaths of the 6 seamen aboard the Chamsuri 357 and the 18 wounded did not garner much media coverage. G.Lab* decided to memorialize this event and to externalize it.

"The design immortalizes the brave crew members by taking on the image of the ocean waves- the only witness to the battle. The Patrol Boat is oriented facing the North and inland, the memorial placed behind it, followed by the Sea. The memorial is an eternal wave propelling the patrol boat onward to the North, allowing the Chamsuri 357 to continue the fight which had come to her. The Memorial and supporting landscape design act to simulate an environment in which the Patrol Boat is still Sea-worthy and engaged in battle," explained the architects.

ROK Navy Memorial Museum

Architect: G.Lab* by Gansam Partners
Location: Pyongtaek, South Korea
Client: Republic of Korea Navy
Project Architect: Chuloh Jung

FFAT House | Arquitectos Anónimos

2009-11-06T21:19:00.001Z

FFAT House, image courtesy of Arquitectos Anónimos

Portugal-based Arquitectos Anónimos has designed the FFAT House located in Vila Nova Gaia, Portugal.

two criteria led to the final solution: on the one hand, by using the urban plan statutory regulations restricting the perimeter and the possible location of the building; and on the other hand by manipulation of the interior space in relation with the neighboring buildings.

Arquitectos Anónimos

+ Architectural concept courtesy of Arquitectos Anónimos

The project came about after consideration given to the concept of a small house, and we have tried since the beginning to involve 'reality' as one of the decisive factors in this work. It indeed helped to reveal the project. In that sense, two criteria led to the final solution: on the one hand, by using the urban plan statutory regulations restricting the perimeter and the possible location of the building; and on the other hand by manipulation of the interior space in relation with the neighboring buildings.

FFAT House, image courtesy of Arquitectos Anónimos

The starting point in developing the building was the maximum volume allowed, which in the course of the design process has been manipulated in order to create the roof terrace that allows a view of the sea. The excessive proximity of the adjacent houses led to an architecture closed off to its neighbours. The dark waterproof plywood of the facade served as 'spacesuit' that protects against the 'radiation' of the reality, its context and its territory.

FFAT House, image courtesy of Arquitectos Anónimos

The interior is completely white, with distinct temperatures of colour. The two skylights bring permanent day-light to the house, even when the exterior 'skin' is entirely closed. The insertion of the skylights makes an improvement to the sunlight and ventilation while providing privacy to the interior life. At the same is a contrast to the accuracy of the 'black box' dimensions.

It is a way to face the challenge of building in such small allotments.

+ Project credits / data

Name of the project: FFAT House
City: Vila Nova Gaia – Portugal
Architects: Arquitectos Anónimos®
Client: Fernando Afonso and Fátima Cardoso.
Structural consultant: Paulo Lima and Manuel Branco Leite
Photos: © Abel Andrade

glesia del Santísimo Redentor. Tenerife, España

2009-10-27T12:09:00.005Z

Church of the Santísimo Redentor

The Church of the Santísimo Redentor (Holy Redeemer) is dedicated to the Resurrection, one of the most important moments in the history of the Christianity. So, when the followers begin to lose the faith, the Resurrection demonstrates that Jesus' Word was true.
The design consists of two elements. Big volumes of concrete shape together with the light the totality of the project. The church as the first episode of the Vía Lucis represents the cave where Jesus lied. An austere building absent of superfluous elements, ties, as the life that went and the place where he revived.

When we enter, looking to the background, there appears the clear and illuminated cross. Jesus has revived. Behind, a waterfall of light symbolizes the hollow of the entry to the cave. The light! The life, the purification, the resurrection, the happiness and cleanliness! Each of the sacraments are illuminated.

It gives life to the baptism, the confirmation, the Eucharist, the penitence, to the marriage and the sacred order. Thus, the first light of the day, across the cross, illuminates the baptismal sink, the first light of the Christian. At noon, across the ceiling window, the altar, the confirmation and the Eucharist are illuminated. At 12:00, the Word. A bundle of light falls into the confessionary and on the sacrament of the penitence. It’s the way from the darkness to the light, from the death to the life. The strategic position of the ceiling windows achieves the same effect on the marriage and the priestly order.

The strength of the volumes and the rational game of the light give to the church the shape of deep theological root, where the resurrection increases its significance and across the light it illuminates the believer.

Menis Arquitectos

Greg Lynn: How calculus is changing architecture

2009-10-13T22:06:00.001+01:00

House OR | Hugon Kowalski of H3AR

2009-10-04T20:59:00.001+01:00

House OR, image courtesy of H3AR

House OR, sketch courtesy of H3AR

House OR, designed by Polish architect Hugon Kowalski of H3AR for an older marriage couple.

+ Project description courtesy of H3AR

House has been designed for an older marriage couple. Therefore, the aim of all major functions should be concentrated on the ground floor. There were bedroom, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, pantry and living room. On the first floor would be only two rooms: an office (with sofa bed) and guest bedroom.

Diagram below shows shaping the form of the building. We started from a simple cube, which was then divided into four parts (living room with dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, office with guest bedroom). To gain more space on the living room I decided to widen and lift at 3 meters office and guest bedroom. it created twisted staircase.

House OR, diagram courtesy of H3AR

House OR, floor plans courtesy of H3AR

House OR, sections courtesy of H3AR

+ Project credits / data

Design: H3AR - Hugon Kowalski
Year: 2009
Location: Kobylniki
Program: Single house

+ About H3AR

H3AR is an architectural group founded (2008) by four young desiners from Poland : Alba Labuda, Agnieszka Nowak, Ryszard Rychlicki and Hugon Kowalski devoted to architecture, urbanism and design. Members of group's creates their own individual projects and cooperates in the biggest national and internationals competions.

+ All images and drawings courtesy of H3AR

: Sketch

: Diagram

: Diagram

: Floor plans

: Sections

UNDERGROUND BERLIN:Lebbeus Woods

2009-09-28T23:52:00.000+01:00

The gentlemen above, is someone which i always admired, for his drawings, surely, but for some more theoretical aspects of his work. Not always i agreed 100 percent in some cases, but, one thing is sure, the gentlemen, deserves a special look at!

via LEBBEUS WOODS by lebbeuswoods on 15/09/09

What follows is a treatment (Hollywood slang for story synopsis) with sketches that I made for a projected film in which new forms of architecture—and the way of living they enable—would play a central role. This followed hard on the heels of my experience as a "conceptual architect" for the big-budget movie Alien3. Working on that project, I realized that set designers have no power over how their designs are used, and certainly no influence on the story or its social or ethical implications. So, I decided to write a screenplay that—contained in a melodrama—would project architecture as a vital instrument of social change.

After writing the treatment, I wrote, together with Olive Brown, a complete screenplay, which significantly expands key ideas in the story. It was shown around in Hollywood and deemed to have "potential." I became absorbed by other projects, having nothing to do with movies, and never pursued it further, though the idea still intrigues me. I post the treatment here, together with proto-storyboard drawings, as an item of curiosity, but even more so as an example of how experimental architecture might find its way, however tentatively, into the mainstream of public life.

Note that the treatment and drawings are copyrighted by me, and I reserve all rights to them. Fair Use is, of course, permitted.

THE WHOLE STORY...HERE

For reference, I include the following images (models and drawings) from the original Underground Berlin project, which was made to find an 'unauthorized' way to reunite the city divided into East Berlin and West Berlin. The secret tunnels and experimental Living-laboratories:

A Projection Tower in the Alexanderplatz:

Spain Pavillion for Shanghai 2010 Expo

2009-09-01T01:07:00.002+01:00

Spanish delirium or another chinese wonder!?!?!? Time will tell!!

The Spain Pavilion will have a steel structure and a wicker cover. Spanish handcrafters will weave out different patterns by using different colors of wicker, said Benedetta Tagliabue, designer of the pavilion. The wicker will be covered by a special material that is water-proof. It will also keep the pavilion at a comfortable temperature, said Tagliabue.

Also, the pavilion of course is very strong, she said. The designers have considered the possibility of bad weather during the Expo period such as typhoons or the summer Plum Rain season, said Tagliabue. The Spanish government is going to invest 1.8 million euros (US$2.6 million) in the pavilion, said Javier Conde de Saro, Spain's commissioner general for World Expo Shanghai.

The pavilion, with a total floor area of 8,500 square meters, will have both open squares for cultural performances and an indoor area for exhibitions and cafeterias.

Seen at Archtracker. More images after the break.

Safe Haven Library / TYIN Tegnestue

2009-09-01T01:05:00.001+01:00

Wordless, wonderful, project. Worth the look!

Architects: TYIN Tegnestue
Location: Ban Tha Song Yang, Thailand
Project team Professors: Hans Skotte & Sami Rintala
Project team Students: Pasi Aalto. Jan Kristian Borgen, Mari Folven, Ragnhild Førde, Sunniva Vold Huus, Olav Fåsetbru Kildal, Lene M. N. Kværness, Oda Moen Møst, Ørjan Nyheim, Karoline Salomonsen, Anne Sandnes, Ola Sendstad, Kristoffer B. Thørud, Caroline Tjernås, Anders Sellevold Aaseth
Client: Safe Haven Orphanage
Budget: 29.000 NOK (Approx. 4,650 USD)
Project year: January 2009
Sponsors: Norsk Betongforening, Bygg uten grenser, Minera Norge, Spenncon, Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU)
Photographs: Pasi Aalto

In January 2009 TYIN invited 15 norwegian architect students from NTNU to participate in a workshop at the Safe Haven Orphanage. The workshop was led by Associate Professor Hans Skotte and architect Sami Rintala. The most immediate needs at the orphanage was a library and a new sanitary building. TYIN worked on a bathhouse, together with the Karen workers from Noh Bo, while the workshop participants put their efforts into the library.

The concrete base of the library is cast on a bed of large rocks gathered on-site. Walls made of plastered concrete blocks cools the building during the day, while the open bamboo facade gives a good ventilation. Iron wood makes up the solid frame construction and serves as comfortable floor for the children to play on.

The bookshelves run along the concrete walls in their full height, and the floor is left unfurnished to give room for different activities. The entrance, creates a comfortable buffer between the outdoors and indoors and divides the ground floor into a small computer area on one side and a larger library room on the other.

The most important thing to Tasanee is that her children are provided food and education. In the library the children at Safe Haven Orphanage now have a space to do homework, use a computer with internet and read books written in different languages. The new building has also attained the important role of a gathering space and is frequently used for play, games and crafts.

That NTNU, as an educational institution, contributes to workshops like this is of great importance. It creates a unique opportunity for young, skilled students to engage real problems and make decisions with real consequences.

Livraria da Vila / Isay Weinfeld

2009-08-19T23:05:00.004+01:00

Frontal view © Leonardo Finotti

Brazilian architecture has produced interesting works in the business/retail area, often limited to just interior design. Recent works by Marcio Kogan, Marcelo Alvarango or Tao Arquitetura are good examples of a tradition that, in my personal opinion, has a peak at Mendes da Rocha's Forma store in Sao Paulo. If you ever go to Sao Paulo to visit local architecture, don´t be afraid of your girlfriend/wife taking you to shopping, there´s lots to see there.

Leonardo Finotti shared with us an interesting project by local architect Isay Weinfeld that is up to this brazilian standard, the Libraria da Vila bookstore in Sao Paulo. An hermetic volume with a pivoting book facade contains an interesting space filled with books distributed over 3 levels as you can see on the photos:

Frontal view © Leonardo Finotti

Entrance view © Leonardo Finotti

Underground Floor view © Leonardo Finotti

Stairway to the underground Floor © Leonardo Finotti

Ground Floor view; underground Floor below © Leonardo Finotti

View from the First Floor toward stairway to the ground Floor © Leonardo Finotti

Underground Floor © Leonardo Finotti

Room surrounded with bookshelfs on the ground Floor and underground © Leonardo Finotti

Stairway to the First Floor © Leonardo Finotti

Ground Floor; stairway to the First Floor on right © Leonardo Finotti

Tables and bookshelf in background © Leonardo Finotti

Transmaterial: pixelskin01

2009-08-16T22:29:00.004+01:00

PixelSkin01

FEATURE, INTERACTIVE — BY BLAINE BROWNELL ON AUGUST 15, 2009 AT 9:00 AM

Developed by Sachin Anshuman of Orangevoid, PixelSkin01 is an intelligent cladding system intended to bring information display technology to light transmitting building facades. Conventional visual communication, such as advertising, obscures light and views for building occupants when applied to the facade and is at odds with the needs of the users. PixelSkin01 attempts to offer a solution via a heterogeneous smart surface that is translucent in its typical state but transforms into either a transparent state or a full-color video screen when desired. The system consists of a combination of electrochromic glass and ultra-bright electroluminescent tubes controlled by a distributed network of microcomputers and sensor consoles.

As a user approaches the surface, integrated sensors turn to transparent the default translucent state of the closest cluster of disks. The diameter of this transparent field is dynamically adjusted according to a variety of environmental parameters. When visual communication is desired—typically after working hours or when a potential customer approaches a retail window, for example—colored light is emitted by RGB electroluminescent tubes at the perimeter of each disk, and each module is treated a pixel within a larger image field.

Click here for more information.
This product appears in Transmaterial 2.
TAGS: DIGITAL, EQUIPMENT, EXTERIOR, GLASS, LIGHT, PRODUCT, TRANSFORMATIONAL

Ecological Resort in Dominica / BURO II

2009-08-16T22:28:00.002+01:00

How can tourism interests stop ruining fragile environments.

via ArchDaily by Sebastian J on 12/08/09

This is a sustainable design for a future development that possibly will be built. BURO II already built a project of this amplitude in Guangzhou (China) and won with this 'Baiyun International Convention Centre' an international prize at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in 2008.

The design of this hotel beach resort is a concept whereby a sustainable relationship with the local economy, culture and natural heritage is central. The hotel assimilates with the natural habitat of the island. The development of this exclusive residential resort of 22.000m² is situated along Mero Beach on the west coast of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

More images and architect's description after the break.

Mero Beach is one of the most important beaches on the island and has specific and relevant social and ecological values. Both those social and ecological characteristics are related to the fragile cultural, economical and natural balance whose protection is paramount.The design of this resort intends to protect that balance and promote a sustainable development approach. The design reflects a concept whereby a sustainable relationship with the local economy, culture and natural heritage is central. The hotel assimilates with the natural habitat of the island. This means that:

• Privacy and security could be combined with the possibility for authentic local experiences;
• Natural bio-diversity could be enriched rather than destroyed by human activities;
• Tourism could be a lever of a sustainable cultural, social and economical development;
• Resilience and flexibility in design and construction processes could assure economical, social and financial sustainability with a temporal horizon of more than 100 years;
• The impact of the new buildings and activities regarding energy use, water management, waste production and climate could be strongly limited.

Mero Village and the Resort will together form a hub of social and economic activity, drawing in visitors who wish to experience Dominica's unique natural and cultural heritage, local food production, crafts and skills. The Resort will benefit from, protect and enhance the nation's world renowned rainforest, coastal and wetland habitats and indigenous species. As far as practicable, food, goods and services will be sourced locally. As a new cultural and business model for hospitality and regeneration, Mero Beach Resort will inspire and inform future developments towards sustainability.

Clients, operators, designers and contractors are engaged during the design, construction and management processes in the conception and enforcement of an appraisal framework which will aim towards a LEED certification.

Architecture and nature

The goal of the project is to create a dialogue with the existing context: the nature and the village. The main characteristics of the site are: the presence of the beach, the thick foliage all along the long and thin beachfront plot, the topography from flat to steep, the river and ravine and the proximity of Mero village.
The concept is to create a linear path as the central spine of the project. This promenade will connect several functions creating a smooth transition from public to private. The beach will become in this manner 'equipped', featuring different grades of openness for guests and visitors. The local public road integrated in the project and transformed into a village "boulevard", marina, shops, ecopark, reception, congress hall, parking, fitness, spa, restaurant and beach club among others.

A Priori, the high density of the program has to be distributed in a way that minimizes the impact of the development within this sensitive location. The program has been divided into several integrated volumes creating an equated rhythm of sound (building) and silence (mountain). The developmental strategy is governed by a system that mediates volumetric form with local topography.

The project contains a mixture of uses including: villas, bungalows and apartments, retail, entertainment, hotel, conference facilities and parking.

The use of sustainable materials and techniques and the predominance of natural vegetation strengthen the concept of architectural integration within a natural environment. Always framed by the local vegetation and sea views, the new development will become a new landmark for the coastline of Dominica without overshadowing its existential essence: the Nature.

WISA Wooden Design Hotel / Pieta-Linda Auttila

2009-08-16T22:00:00.004+01:00

Architect: Pieta-Linda Auttila
Location: Valkosaari island in Southern Harbour of Helsinki, Finland
Building owner: UPM Kymmene
Construction: 30 to 40 m² / 150 m³
Structure: Wood
Coating: Native woods, Glass
Concept and Communication: Trust Creative Society
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: UPM

"By bending the block I forced the slats into a new form that contrasts with the original arrangement. That which is solid turns partly transparent, that which is strictly geometrical, organic,"

Pieta-Linda Auttila, architect

WISA Wooden Design Hotel is an architectural gem of wood situated in the maritime heart of Helsinki, capital of Finland. Around it lie the city and 200 years of architectural history.

The work was designed by interior architect Pieta-Linda Auttila. She hopes to spark interest in wood and highlight its role in building and interior design.

The WISA Wooden Design Hotel is an outstanding example of wood's versatility. Here, wood works both as a load-bearing structure and decor in walls, ceilings and floors. The building is a composition of Finnish pine, spruce and birch, and a testimonial to their special characteristics.

When you view the building from a distance, your eye is first caught by the atrium courtyard in the centre; it separates the living quarters at both ends.

The atrium's shape flatters the liveliness of wood; technically it is the most challenging part of the design.

The long curved pine boards half-covering the patio form a trellis that titillates the imagination. Thanks to the trellis, the courtyard comes alive in a dizzying and enchanting way.

The trellis protects against the wind and filters the long rays of the Nordic sun into the courtyard. The charming interplay of light and shade can be observed throughout the day, as the bright morning light gradually turns into the red glow of the Northern midnight sun.

The striking wood architecture makes its way to the interior, giving Finnish pine another chance to show what it's made of. But not alone. The pine floor is complemented by the light ethereal beauty of Nordic birch. The walls and the ceiling are panelled with beautiful and durable birch plywood.

This is how Pieta-Linda Auttila describes the idea she realised with the WISA Wooden Design Hotel: "In the beginning was the roaring sea. Powerful waves lifted from the depths a wooden block, already darkened by sea water, and threw it against a rock. The force of the blow broke the wood in the middle."

The curved part, slashed into strips in the middle, forms a trellis and shelters the courtyard of the hotel. As for the unbroken ends, they are the living quarters.

The dark exterior and light interior of the WISA Wooden Design Hotel likewise represent a broken block of wood.

When the dark surface of the block is cracked, the original lightness of the wood is exposed.

The floor-to-ceiling windows at both ends of the hotel provide plenty of light to the interior. The views complement each other. The bedroom faces the sea and the morning sun. Past the courtyard, at the other end of the space, the view from the lounging area gives onto the city and the evening sun. During the day you can observe a swarming crowd and bustling commercial centre. After the late sunset the nocturnal city's own lights come on.

The WISA Wooden Design Hotel is based on the winning proposal of the WISA 24h Wooden Design Workshop competition organised by UPM, one of the leading forest products companies in the world.

The building can provide overnight accommodation for a few people, but it is not designed for general hotel use.

Muskiene / GAZ Arquitectos

2009-08-07T00:35:00.001+01:00

GAZ Arquitectos were recently announced as the winners of the headquarters design for the Higher School of Music in Basque Country in San Sebastián, Spain. The proposal, entitled Muskiene, compiles a dense program in a relatively small site, causing the volumes to almost exceed local regulations.

More about Muskiene and more images after the break.

Within the music hall, several classrooms line the façade of the building, stretching the form length wise to allow natural light to illuminate all the spaces. The placement of the classrooms create a distinct form as three big incisions seem to carve and sculpt the main mass. While the protruding faces of the incisions are clad in the same black aluminium as the rest of the building, the inside cuts are golden glass panels chosen to symbolize a musical instrument. The glass panels emphasize the interior volume which holds the "golden core" of that wing, the auditorium. The panels aim to attract visitors to the Musikene headquarters and create an identity for the music hall.

Spiral Tower,Barcelona..by Zaha Hadid

2009-08-06T09:06:00.001+01:00

reVision Dallas / Entangled Bank

2009-08-06T00:10:00.001+01:00

The Re: Vision Dallas competition named three winners, two of which we previously featured on AD (DB + P and Atelier Data + Moov). The third winner is Little, a studio based in North Carolina, with their Entangled Bank proposal. "Entangled Bank combines heavy duty technological prowess with artistic integration of systems. The building is designed as a holistic, integrated design…The Entangled Bank entry materials was incredibly impressive… Each unit type was designed, completed with suggested sale price and amount of energy consumption. A wide array of green collar job programs were provided that work with the design of the building to engage residents and educate visitors. All of the jurors were struck by the thorough and joyous submission of Entangled Bank," explained juror Eric Corey Freed.

More about the project (including a great video) after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Entangled Bank is a series of complex networks connecting various elements in the community. Similar to how "a natural bank itself is meant to sustain and offer every opportunity for its constituents to succeed", the same notion can be related to the social landscape of Dallas. "This project offers the opportunity to develop a network that supports those that flourish…but also rehabilitates those that have withered," explained the architects.

The project utilizes innovative sustainable strategies to improve the natural environment. The south facing solar facade is seamlessly woven together with vertical wind turbines and an onsite biogas plant. The tower is on the south side to be self shading to the courtyard below, and sculpted by the angles of the sun. The east face of the tower is a folded plate living wall, incorporating the units for maximum day-lighting control, not revenue.

Yet, the architects went a step further and began to wonder if "perhaps this project will seek to sustain what might be our richest and most influential resource…the human. All too often we focus on hanging the effect without reviewing the cause." Inspired by the entangle bank metaphor, the project developed into a space that will "fertilize" an old parking lot in the hopes that dormant seeds of retail, commercial, residential and social equality if given water, in the form of education and teaching, and sunlight, represented in the sustainable movement of nature and man, can encourage this bank to flourish and grow beyond its original footprint." In doing so, the proposal hopes to transform the city block into not just a newer city or country, but eventually create "a world that can sustain itself and also rehabilitate and support the people that are a part of that network."

Ferry Terminal / F451 Arquitectura

2009-08-03T23:46:00.002+01:00

Our friends from F451 Arquitectura, a Barcelona-based office have shared with us their design of a ferry terminal that won a competition in Spain. The terminal will be located in the Mahón Port, on the island of Menorca. More images after the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Darcons Headquarters by Arquitectura en Proceso

2009-07-12T12:45:00.001+01:00

Mexican architects Arquitectura en Proceso have designed the headquarters for Darcons,

a construction company located in Delicias City, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Photography by Francisco Lubbert and Jorge Cajiga

Darcons Headquarters by Arquitectura en Proceso

The site is located at a suburban lot of a middle size city in northern Mexico. As one drives towards it and away from the city, the building appears aligned with the road as an arched gate of a medieval town: looking through it one gets the scenery of the rural fields that surround the city.

The building was conceived as a frame that captures part of the landscape and at the same time defines a plane that divides the intercity from the suburbs. The skin of the building plays a dual role: on one hand it is the transparent material that allows the view through it, and on the other hand, it is the opaque continuous skin that defines the shape of the frame and protects the interior from solar irradiance. This skin was manipulated in order to differentiate the public space from the internal activities of the company: the main reception and the custumer rooms are outside the envelope raised above the ground as a Piano Nobile and organized as self defined entities.

The operation space is contained within the envelope and flows throughout the building in a three dimensional open plan that honors the hierarchical organization of the company. In order to solve the continuity of the circulation the mass of the building was divided in various transversal slices, each presenting an intentionally different profile and two of them defining the geometry of the north and south elevations.

The sequential juncture of all the slices creates deviations and convergences between the internal operational route and the external costumer route. The geometry of the volume is shaped according to a juxtaposition of three rotated orthogonal axis structures. This was primarily done in an effort to recreate the space complexity produced by a urban grid designed in the style of the 18th century. The west elevation also benefits from the rotated planes by casting shades onto itself and minimizing direct sun exposure. The rule was meant to be broken at the main entrance where the opaque skin suddenly sift direction to frame a cantilevered volume that flies above the portico. This creates a gesture of urban scale to emphasize the hierarchy of the entrance and contain the atrium of the building prior to the stair flight.

Visit the Arquitectura en Proceso website - here.

Pavillion in Roosendaal by René van Zuuk

2009-07-09T23:41:00.003+01:00

Photography Copyright by Cristian Richters

Project description from René van Zuuk:

In 2001 the city of Roosendaal (a provincial town in the southwest of the Netherlands) decided to ban cars from the New Market in the centre of town by building a huge two storey underground parking. In order to create a new public square the city of Roosendaal asked the urban design office Quadrat to make a proposition. In their scheme they proposed to pave the square with red and brown brick, plant 15 trees, make three exits for the underground parking and as the most visible and important element they proposed a restaurant and coffee pavilion in the form of an oval.

In 2005 a public design and construction bidding for contractors was organised. Just before they had to submit their entry to the city, the municipality decided to include the pavilion as well. Therefore they asked the office of René van Zuuk to make a design for the pavilion including the contract drawings over a very short span (5 weeks), due to these limitations there was no time to make big changes in the urban scheme and the location and the form of the pavilion was copied from the original urban proposal.

The idea behind the urban proposal was that the pavilion would divide the square in two parts in such a way that you would still have the feeling of being on one big square. Because of the market activities which occupy the entire square twice a week, the terraces of the pavilion needed to be placed above the ground floor . Originally the terraces could only be reached by going through the pavilion. René van Zuuk decided to make the terraces accessible from the outside of the building as well so you can walk from the square up onto the sloped roof to the terraces letting the roof become a public area. The entrances from the roof to the building are made by cuts in the sloped surface giving every floor its own terrace. The rest of the roof acts as a big stage which allows artists to give a performances in front of the building.

On the south side the pavilion reaches its highest point. This part of the building cantilevers over the main entrance of the parking garage allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the two levels below.

In order to make the cuts in the roof and to accommodate the cantilevering part of the building, the structure is made by a simple braced steel grid of 4.2m x 4.2m and 3 m high.

The orientation of the grid coincides with the location of the entrance of the main shopping passage. This results in a new direction on the square making the space more dynamic. The original square dates from just after the war until the 1970's, the architecture was cold and the color monotonous. The new urban scheme is warm in nature thanks to the trees and use of brick. It was obvious that the pavilion should blend in with this character and therefore wood was the most appropriate choice of material. Because the quality of most of the original buildings around the pavilion is not that high, the urban scheme and the new pavilion have to work together as a catalyst to upgrade this part of the city.

Project Credits:

Location: City Center Rossendaal / NL
Client: Gemeente Roosendaal / NL
Program: Pavilion – shops/lunchroom/office / entrance for parking area

Office: René van Zuuk Architekten b.v., Almere / NL
Design: René van Zuuk
Members of the design team: Jorrit Spel, Chimo Villa Belda

Usable floor area: 620 m²
Built-up area: 518 m²

Start of design: 06/2005
Completion: 06/2009

Visit the René van Zuuk website - here.

Humor Design

2009-07-08T23:23:00.000+01:00

Daniel Libeskind

2009-07-08T23:22:00.001+01:00

New Acropolis Museum, Athens - Opening Ceremony Video Projections directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari

2009-06-25T21:01:00.001+01:00

Excelent!! Take your time and enjoy!
Thank U Cê!

Forwarding Dallas / Atelier Data + MOOV

2009-06-15T23:02:00.002+01:00

A good Team, a winning team...Congratulations guys, specially José Niza!

Three winning proposals for the Re:Vision Dallas competition have recently been announced and include Atelier Data + MOOV's Forwarding Dallas prototype for sustainable urban living. The proposal transforms components that make up a city block in an effort to shape how people will live and work in the future.

More images and further project description after the break.

Forwarding Dallas, a 40,000 square meter complex, is a housing and commerce building that accommodates 854 residents in housing options ranging from studio apartments to three bedroom flats. The design of Atelier Data + MOOV, both Portuguese firms, is driven by research which then expands and develops into overall design strategies.

For this proposal, initial investigation recognized natural cycles and focused on how to replicate them architecturally. Working with the natural form and diverse system of a hillside, the space is organized as valleys, slopes and hilltops, which maximize solar gain, views and productive surfaces. The dynamic composition of buildings creates large voids for open green spaces and the angled roofs function as green roofs for agricultural purposes.

"Nature has been working forever, what challenges us now is finding how it will keep working forever. Intelligence has brought us to a point at which we have at hand an array of technical solutions that can either deprive or provide us with comfortable, culturally rich living conditions. The way we arrange such devices will ultimately make all the difference," shared the architects.

Energy is obtain through the combination of photovoltaic and wind power. The southwest façade is created using a venetian blind concept that adjusts according to the season to take advantage of solar gain while the northeast façade is composed of thick, high thermal mass straw bales which provides added insulation.

The final goal of the proposal was not viewed as simply building a physical structure, but rather seen as a way to influence how a community can inhabit a structure. At the completion of the Re:Vision Dallas competition, an entire major-market city block will be renovated into a wholly sustainable urban community which will create a template that can be incorporated into additional cities throughout the United States.

For more about the architects visit Atelier Data + MOOV. The competition may sound familiar because we just featured Standard Architecture's proposal which earned an honorable mention.

Firm: Atelier Data & MOOV [Lisboa, Portugal]
Authors: António Louro (MOOV), Filipe Vogt (Atelier Data), Marta Frazão (Atelier Data)
Collaborators: André Almeida (Atelier Data), Carolina Pombo (Atelier Data), Inês Vicente (Atelier Data), José Niza (MOOV), João Calhau
(MOOV)
Landscape architecture: Susana Rodrigues
Energy efficiency and resources: Maria João Rodrigues, João Parente
Concept communication: João Rato

TateShots: Jacques Herzog

2009-06-11T21:07:00.001+01:00

Mirage House-Supersudaka

2009-05-24T18:52:00.005+01:00

The plot is 5000 m2 and the client didn’t know what to put on it, so he changed his mind constantly.

We proposed to invent an infinite context, a promenade where he could add program for ever in time without affecting each other. A necklace with more -or less- valuable jewels attached.
In the intersection of the “eight” loop the house is situated, and the interior of the circles crops are suggested to pay less taxes.

The house organization also works as an infinite loop.
The façade reflects the same idea: a mirage…

A very interesting project by Supersudaka. A different way to control and dialog with th sourroundings. Worth a look!!

Singapore’s Energy Efficient Green Heart Center

2009-05-16T12:01:00.001+01:00

The very heart of Singapore beats green, thanks to the new design for the National Heart Center by multinational firm Broadway Malyan. The ambitious 35,299 square-meter building at the center of Singapore General Hospital's Outram Campus redevelopment plan will hopefully score high green marks with its unique design that places people first. Recognizing that the medical world advances quite quickly, the design incorporates modular building methods to ensure that the structure of the building remains flexible and adaptable both internally and externally, easily and efficiently allowing for future growth.

Singapore's Energy Efficient Green Heart Center

Selgas Cano Architecture Office by Iwan Baan

2009-05-02T11:45:00.001+01:00

The photographer Iwan Baan show us a the dream workplace of Selgas Cano.
Dream workplace, or...Let the users say the last word.

Once again, Iwan Baan amaze us with this great project between the woods by Spanish practice Selgas Cano: Their own architecture office.

You can see some other photographs after the break and the complete photoset over here.

New Tamayo Museum by Rojkind Arquitectos and BIG

2009-05-02T11:41:00.001+01:00

Rojkind Arquitectos and Copenhagen architects BIG have won a competition to design a museum overlooking Mexico City.

via Dezeen

Impromptu Arquitectos

2009-05-01T12:45:00.002+01:00

Porto, Portugal-based Impromptu Arquitectos, together with their British partner Sergison Bates, have won the "Make Me a Home" competition to design the family homes at Tees Valley Regeneration's flagship scheme on North Shore in Stockton-on-Tees, England. Developers Urban Splash and Muse Developments, in conjunction with BD Magazine and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), held this competition which challenged architects to shape the future of family homes. They were asked for concepts which broke convention and delivered a new typology in housing design.

Competition-winning housing scheme by Impromptu Arquitectos

More than 100 entries were received and six finalists hailing from across the globe had been selected. Two practices were from London, together with firms from Liverpool, Italy, Portugal and Germany.

Submissions were judged on the design of the homes and the layout of the buildings on the site to take full advantage of its south facing position on the banks of the River Tees.

It is anticipated that at least 250 family homes will eventually be built on the £300m North Shore mixed use site and that the development will also provide between 2,500 and 4,600 long term job opportunities.

Impromptu partner Nuno Rosado said: "We're very proud to be part of the project. It's a very important development, and a fantastic site. Impromptu and Sergison Bates have a very similar understanding of how to tackle architectural problems."

Urban Splash development manager Mark Latham said: "They're a fantastic team, with great design ideas. It was a combination of being a flexible typology - a uniform plot size that could be a two-, three-, four- or five-bedroom house, coupled with what Christophe Egret, one of the judges, described as a poetic approach to the masterplan."

Joe Docherty, chief executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, said: "To achieve this level of interest in North Shore from architects across the world is fantastic. It is a huge vote of confidence in the scheme and the Tees Valley."

Matt Crompton, joint managing director of Muse Developments said: "The judges were looking for designs that did justice to the Home Zone's riverside site, given its proximity to the new Infinity Bridge and the proposed new university campus. As part of a substantial mixed use scheme, which will include offices and leisure amenities, public space and deliverability were equally important."

Jonathan Falkingham, chief executive of Urban Splash, said: "We're questioning the typology of the family home, but at the same time trying to be provocative."

All the entrants' proposals will be exhibited at Newcastle's architecture center, Northern Architecture, as part of its North East Festival of Architecture.

Prayer & Meditation Pavillion / Studio Tam associati

2009-05-01T12:13:00.004+01:00

Small Things, worth a look!

Architects: Studio Tam associati
Location: Khartoum, Popular Republic of Sudan
Client: EMERGENCY ngo
Site Engineers: Roberto Crestan (EMERGENCY ngo)
Program Coordinator: Pietro Parrino (EMERGENCY ngo)
Photographs: Raul Pantaleo & Marcello Bonfanti

The prayer and meditation pavilion is an integral part of the recently realized Cardiac surgery centre in Sudan, built by the Italian humanitarian organization, EMERGENCY NGO. The complex, planned and designed by Tamassociati architecture studio, is the only one of its kind to provide free health-care to patients in an extensive area within a ten million square km. radius and counting three hundred million inhabitants.

The Popular Republic of Sudan is a country that, over the past twenty years, has been scourged from numerous Inter-ethnic as well as Inter-religious wars.

The Arab Ethnic group constitutes 39% of the population and 61% of Africans; and in terms of religion, 70% of people in Sudan are Muslim, while the remaining 30% are Christian or belonging to other religious faiths ("Human Rights Watch": Q&A: Crisis in Darfur 05/05/2004).

We needed to think of a place that could accommodate prayer, as customary in any place of health-care, so we had to deal with the difficult dilemma of thinking of a space that could host the spiritual complexity of this country.

Our choice was not to privilege any specific religion, but to create a space that could accommodate the prayer and meditation of all faiths.

The outside hosts a large water pool, as a strongly symbolic image in this sub-Saharan zone. The pool creates a spiritual separation between the external macrocosm of the hospital/world and the ventral microcosm of the building formed by two unaligned white cubes, which are connected by a semi-transparent cover of palm leaf stalks.

The inner parts of the two cubes contain two trees, which render these profane spaces sacred with their presence, as natural elements inside artificial spaces.

We obviously had to seriously consider the Muslim faith, which is the religion of the majority of the Sudanese, along with the religion's rules (ablutions, separation of men and women), but we decreased the contextual impact of those rules in order not to make them appear dominant. This was made possible by concealing all symbols and elements that are specific to only one religion. For example, the ablution area is nothing more than a higher water spray that, before entrance, allows for washing without connoting a strong religious symbol, and it is simply perceived as an element of the water pool.

Vertical Landscape Urbanism / Studio Hp As + L.E.FT

2009-04-22T20:58:00.001+01:00

Our friends from L.E.FT (previously featured on AD Futures) just shared with us an interesting vertical landscape project, a joint work with norwegian architects STUDIO hp AS.

The project is located in Holmestrand, Norway, and consists on a public elevator that connects the old lower part of the town across and 85m high cliff to the newer part of it. The infrastructure acts as an articulator of multiple activities/programs that make this intervention a unique urban piece.

It is being presented to the city next month.

Project: Vertical Landscape Urbanism
Client: Holmestrand Municipality
Site: Holmestrand, Norway
Year: 1999, 2002, 2008 -
Architects:
STUDIO hp AS, Oslo (Landscape, Architecture, Urbanism): Hettie Pisters, Ole Møystad
L.E.FT Architects, New York: Makram el Kadi, Ziad Jamaleddine, Naji Moujaes, Karie Titus

Val de Vézère in France forms one the world's oldest urban systems of settlement. Through almost 40 000 years a constructed geography has unfolded in the valley with the Vézère river carving out the meandering valley in the soft sandstone of the Dordogne area, creating cliffs of 50 – 100 meters with natural caves and shelves. The caves were inhabited and around them grew small villages. What turns this landscape corridor into one continuous urban system, however, is that the villages were linked by the river. The river formed a public infrastructure providing the entire valley with food, energy and transportation. In addition to this naturally given infrastructure, the cave dwellers developed a communication system. Caves located high up in the cliff walls formed excellent observation points from which one could overlook large stretches of the valley as well as send signals to other caves informing them of incoming game or warn against advancing enemies.

The configuration of cliff, water and cave/tunnel, is also typical of any fjord landscape in Norway. Large parts of the Norwegian coastline are inhabited according to the same algorithm: the juxtaposition of cliff (communication node), cave (settlement) and waterfront (transportation system). In the small town of Holmestrand at the Oslo Fjord, the urban context of the cliff creates a rupture between the urban centre at its foot and the suburban population at the top of the cliff.

Program

The prime function of the project is to bridge the rupture formed by the vertical landscape. Technically this is done by means of an elevator. The concept is to compose a program of development by which the cliff is turned from obstacle to opportunity; using the elevator shaft as an infrastructural spine.

The rock itself is conceived as part of the structure, allowing the possibility of building the top floors of the development first, then the bottom floors.

This constructed geography is programmed with culture- and leisure facilities together with public services, and lines the edge of the cliff with a belt of high end housing.

The top half of the elevator, rising outside the cliff, forms part of a building structure starting from level +40.0 rising to +90.0. This structure contains high end offices spaces, conference facilities, apartments and a restaurant on the top floor.

At the foot of the cliff there is a horizontal 3 storey building providing parking and office facilities as well as space for the administration of the municipality.

Around the lower half of the elevator spine, the proposal shows possibilities for drilling horizontal shafts, branching off from the main elevator shaft. These "caves" can serve as pavilions, or spaces for various cultural facilities, conference spaces, cinema halls inside the rock, as well as spaces for storage of cheese and cognac, or the cultivation of champignons.

The green area between the cliff and the coastline would be upgraded as a culture park serving the local culture festival etc. In front of the hotel and its planned extension there is a planned yacht harbour, serving visitors to the various facilities as well as providing private yacht parking for the residents of the cliff.

Pachacamac House / Longhi Architects

2009-04-22T20:57:00.001+01:00

Architects: Longhi Architects

A hill in Pachacamac, located 40 km south of Lima near Peru's coast, is the site for the retirement home of a philosopher. The response to the site's conditions was to bury the house, trying to create a balanced dialogue between architecture and landscape, where inside / outside becomes a constant interpretation of materiality with strong sense of protection and appreciation of the dark and the light. A glass box sticks out of the hill symbolizing architectural intervention on untouched nature.

Kapput!

2009-04-09T19:05:00.001+01:00

Portuguese studio Kaputt! was awarded an Honorable Mention in Beirut Competition. Kaputt! was founded in Lisbon in 2004 by eight young architects.

Honorable Mention for Kaputt!‘s Beirut Proposal: Diving Perspective

This is how the architects explain their project:

In its course and struggle to animate its great civilization, another step is taken: Beirut constructs its House of Arts and Culture. People from Beirut and the world will come to reflect upon and distance themselves from everyday life and, influenced by its extraordinary atmosphere, come together in the creation of art and culture. The House of Arts and Culture is a place of reunion and exchange. It is always free, open to all, yet shelters and protects. Like in the courtyard of a caravanserai, we will find a breathing inhabited space and through its transparency we feel its pulses. The exterior spaces, open to the outside, are both part of the city and the House itself. The House is designed with present technology but is independent of it, something bigger. Something adaptive. Change is its name. This is not an office building.

Conceptual Diagram

Diagrammatic Distribution of Program

URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTIVES:

The project is designed from a single volume, a shell that at first occupies all the plot´s surface. From this shell, mass is removed around two perpendicular axes, thus, creating a cross-shaped void. The center of this void and the inside of the shell are structured by copper blades, generating four exterior spaces in the interior of the plot. At the end of this operation, the surface at ground floor level of the project takes 70% of the plot. The affirmative presence of the shell allows for the planned integration of the building within the urban grid planned for the location. Through the vegetation of the exterior spaces, one can see the copper blades on the interior facades. It is the difference of character of these two components, the peripheral shell in white concrete, heavy and compact, and the thin blades of copper, light and permeable, that define the project´s intention. Through the blades, one can see the fluidity of people throughout the whole building. The chosen materials will age and create a patina without changing their character, thereby, preserving the character of the whole building over time.

Site Plan

First Floor Plan

East Elevation

Longitudinal Section

PERFORMANCE AND CONFERENCE HALL:

For the main auditorium we propose a fully equipped proscenium stage; the small auditorium will have a black box character with a technical ceiling and movable seats to enable a vast choice of configurations; the projection room is prepared to serve the National Cinematheque. Theatre, dance, acoustic concerts and oratories are some of the most likely performances; Cinema projection, live concerts, congresses, conferences, seminars, etc. where electroacoustics will dominate the scene, are alternative activities for these spaces. Acoustics suited for live recordings and broadcasting connect it to the rest of the world. Large Performance and Conference Hall: Its shape can be read from the main exterior space through the copper blades. From the staircase it will be seen in all its amplitude. Here, one can understand that the acoustical shell is free of the covering roof. The Large Performance and Conference Hall aspires to be as encompassing as possible. The Hall´s layout consists of a series of fanned radial sections, centered on the stage, forming an ellipsoid in its entirety. Multipurpose usage for the Large Performance and Conference Hall as music and theatre require very different room acoustic properties (opposite material characteristics), raising the need to use interior variable acoustics. A box-in-a-box solution (double structure) must be applied to the main structural concept design at least for the performance halls and the movie theatre. These measures will isolate the buildings from external sources of vibration and noise.

Large Performance Hall

Exhibition Spaces

Facade Detail

C(omic)riticism

2009-04-04T19:57:00.001+01:00

Some comic criticism about what's beeing done in architectural design strategies.
to see in Klaus

Snefjord Road stop / Pushak

2009-03-27T21:53:00.002Z

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is, as well...ARCHITECTURE! We got used to see only undred square meter construction as architecture, but, there are some small interventions that have everything an architectural design project and aproach should have...

via Arch Daily

Architects: Pushak
Location: Snefjord, the road to Havøysund, Finnmark, Norway
Project Year: 2005
Client: Norwegian Road Administration, The National Tourist Road Project
Photographs: Pushak

The site of the road stop is a paradox. Oftentimes, the hardest winds blow off the sea, and yet the most attractive view is toward the fjord. The obvious response in order to shield tourists from the wind would be to construct a view-blocking wall. Instead three "bench-boxes" prefabricated at a local wharf dot the area, and their differing orientations allow visitors to choose where to sit according to wind and sun conditions.

Two persons or groups can use each box at once while they retain some privacy. The structure is built with steel bars with cantilevered benches and roofs. The interiors are covered with oak. The exteriors are coverd with copper sheets.

Santo Stefano Cemetery in Italy / Amoretti + Calvi + Ranalli

2009-03-27T21:51:00.003Z

Architect: Aldo Amoretti + Marco Calvi + Giancarlo Ranalli
Location: Santo Stefano al mare, IM, Italy
Project Year: 2003-2005
Construction year: 2005-2006
Photographs: Aldo Amoretti

The purpose of the project is the amplification of a small municipals cemetery of Santo Stefano al Mare on the north-west side of Italy in front of the Mediterranean sea.

The new intervention is situated on a small land strip between the old cemetery's wall and the waterfront way. This strip is orientated from east to west and runs parallel to the coast. The ground floor level (+5 m) is on an intermediate level between the sea level (0) and the old cemetery level (+8 m).

The entrance is located on the waterfront way (+2 m) and it was an old structure . The existing structure was poorly executed under an old contract.

The project is planned according to the local traditional cemetery typology, where the rectangular interments (tumuli of earth or marble slabs) are distributed on the ground in sequence.

The request of the municipal administration to build tombs of three and four levels brought us a plan based on a sequence of extruded rectangles to obtain series of prismatic blocks. Those prismatic blocks, when distributed on the ground, give shape to the intervention.

At the same time, such blocks enclose the wall and the burials, while their disposition in the west-east produce a sense of gaping spaces for the ways, and in the north south a sense of the opening that allows a constant visual contact with the sea and the wall of the existing cemetery.

Each block is composed by two structural concrete walls. They are covered by Carrara marble slabs on the roof and on the front and back facades; inside each prism there are assembled the tombs previously prefabricated.

On the whole, while looking down on the new construction it produces a sense of an expanse tombstone.

This simple way of project, have permeated to not build the enclosure walls around the cemetery , and to concentrate on one repetitive element all the various functions. The prismatic block movement in the area facilitates to obtain the passages and the useful spaces and to creates a dimensional control during the execution of the project. All the work is based on a 30 cm module.

Only two materials are used : concrete in same different ways and Carrara marble slabs.

The main way is used for interment and to join the old and the new part of the cemetery, it is paved with washed cement conglomerate, The gravel strip between the main way and the prismatic blocks is designed to pick up the rain water.

The rear way is used after services and it is paved with untied gravel. There are two small gardens between the old cemetery wall and the tombs in the back. The remaining service area, along with the chapel of rest, the parking lot, the restrooms and the warehouse, are located on the waterfront level.

The work is planned according to the municipal administration austerity budget, covering 850 sqm at the cost of 250 € / sqm.

The contained costs will make the burial lots available at an equitable price.

Girasole, by konyk

2009-03-27T21:48:00.000Z

Small architecture...ingenious!!!

via Arch Daily

Our friends over at konyk (Brooklyn based practice) shared with us their entry for the Andes Sprouts Society residency studio competition, a project named Girasole.

Gathering all of its energy from the sun, GIRASOLE is a single room studio that is autonomous, movable and flexible. Its independence allows it to function completely off the local utility grid. By manipulating the surface area for maximum solar exposure and utilizing thin battery packs embedded in its chassis, GIRASOLE converts the sun into AC current to heat and electrify the studio. Like Thomas Alva Edison's 1893 Black Maria, GIRASOLE is formed by the function of sunlight, and follows it across the landscape.

More images after the break.

Xi’an World Horticultural Expo

2009-03-22T17:34:00.003Z

Plasmastudio has recently won the competition to develop the building and landscape design for Horticultural Expo in Xi'an, China. The project comprises 15,000 exhibition hall building, a series of conservatories, a 37Ha park around an artificial lake as well as ancilliary buildings.

The next stages of development will take place during the next months with the collaboration of Plasmastudio and Groundlab.

Seen at AALU Landscape Urbanism. For more information, click here.

More images after the break.

Ginkgo Lounge / Tiago Rosado

2009-03-22T17:33:00.002Z

Tiago Rosado latest project, the Ginkgo Lounge in Portimão, Portugal.

Photos by FG + SG (Fernando Guerra, Sergio Guerra).

To see in: ArchDaily

ORDOS 100 #26: FRENTE

2009-03-13T22:58:00.001Z

It´s good news, that there is still some arch studios that still can surprise us. A simple gesture, for a big project

This villa is located in plot #35 of the ORDOS project.

Architects: FRENTE / Juan Pablo Maza
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox

The immediate context drove the decision of designing an introvert villa. As a result of the extreme weather, it has been chosen to bury the house taking advantage of the generosity of underground temperatures and therefore neutralizing the harsh winter and summer weather conditions.

On the other hand, realizing the good weather during spring and autumn times, the villa responds to this duality by leaving a part of the construction completely exposed, and therefore completely extrovert. This way, the villa celebrates the duality of an introvert-extrovert house.

By taking advantage of the apparent duplicity of the required areas, eighty percent of the program has been maintained in a "big villa" (buried), which lives around an internal courtyard, in a scheme that promotes family interaction and emphasizes the sence of community. The duplicate program is separated and put into a mass equals to the size of the courtyard, thus creating a private "small villa" (floating) which gains the views and gives any family member the opportunity of temporal isolation.

By dividing the program (underground and floating), the ground floor is freed allowing it to be used as public space without loosing privacy.

The main landscape idea, is to suggest a forest within a desert environment. This forest is made out of steel columns that act as "camouflage" for the floating villa's structure, and also gives the visitors a consciousness of trespassing private area.

to see in ArchDaily

Artemide Flagship Taiwan, by CROX

2009-03-10T23:24:00.001Z

Designed by Taiwanese CROX, Artemide's new flagship store in Taiwan is based on the lighting retailer's concept that 'lighting is a source of physical pleasure and mental comfort' - where the architects have played with brightness and the 'sense of hope' instilled by a vision of 'sunlight breaking through a cloud'.

The design makes use of a fiber-reinforced polymer allow for the single, continuous curvilinear form - extending from the ceiling to the wall and forming the counter/desk. This hanging form covers the actual structure of the store, creating the surreal atmosphere.

Now - based on the description I just gave [which is based on what was sent to AMNP by CROX], do you get these feelings of hope, as sunlight breaks through clouds? It would seem to me that night shots wouldn't be the best suited to convey the concepts of this design.

That, and how do people feel about projects like this when the form isn't itself structural? I mean, supporting itself, but being hung from more 'typical' framing - is that 'honest'?

.:info + images provided by CROX ->

Steven Holl Talks With Charlie Rose

2009-03-09T20:44:00.001Z

Morphopedia

2009-03-07T18:04:00.000Z

Morphopedia is an interwoven archive of Morphosis Architects' projects, employees, bibliography, awards, images, renderings and video all available to the public.

Are they...MAD!?

2009-03-03T22:30:00.001Z

What happens when MAD invites some of the most progressive architectural studios of the moment, to design a city centre?...
See for yourself!

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

in 2008, MAD organized and invited 11 young international architects to carry
out an urban experiment: to design the huaxi city centre of guiyang, in south
western china. the architects invited by MAD included: atelier manferdini,
BIG, dieguez fridman, emergent/tom wiscombe, houliang architecture,
JDS, MAD, mass studies, rojkind arquitectos, serie, sou fujimoto architects.
the masterplan was developed by shanghai tongji urban planning and design institute,
studio 6, together with MAD.

the site of huaxi is famous for its dramatic and beautiful landscape, as well as a diverse
mix of minority cultural inhabitants during its history. its future is defined by the local
government's urban planning as a new urban centre for finance, cultural activities
and tourism. MAD brought the young architects together here in the summer of 2008,
for a 3-day workshop to create an experimental urban vision for huaxi.

each architect provided a design for a single part of the masterplan,
based on their own understanding and interpretation of the local natural and
cultural elements. the result is a series of individual buildings, growing from
the natural environment, and working together to produce a
compound of diverse urban activities.

http://www.i-mad.com

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by 11 international architectural firms

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by MAD

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang'- elevation plan by MAD

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by BIG

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by BIG

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by BIG

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by atelier manferdini

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by atelier manferdini

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by dieguez fridman

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by dieguez fridman

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by rojkind architects

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by rojkind architects

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by houliang

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by houliang

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by JDS

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by JDS

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by emergent

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by emergent

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by emergent

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by serie

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by serie

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' by mass studies

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by mass studies

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - by mass studies

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by sou fujimoto

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by sou fujimoto

design for 'huaxi city centre of guiyang' - model by sou fujimoto

all architectural firms at the 'huaxi' site of guiyang

Lebbeus Woods - NOTEBOOK 98-3

2009-03-03T22:22:00.002Z

Tectonic study:

Travel notes:

Tectonic study:

Initial drawings for The Hermitage, Eindhoven, The Netherlands:

The Hermitage, constructed in the Witte Dame (White Lady), Eindhoven:

Some of the drawings and work of a gentlemen that inspired and surprised me since i came to know him.
Lebbeus Woods, shares in his homepage some of his most influential and progressive work. To think and re-think, about tectonics, space and architectural functionality.

Ningbo Historic Museum / Wang Shu, Amateur Architecture Studio

2009-02-26T22:25:00.011Z

Iwan Baan shared with us one of the latest works he photographed, Ningbo Historic Museum designed by Wang Shu, Amateur Architecture Studio. One memorable project by Amateur Architecture Studio, where the team explored, textures, properties and colors of a vernacular element/material...stone.

Don't miss it in: Arch Daily

The Continuous Enclave: Strategies in Bypass Urbanism

2009-02-26T22:17:00.001Z

For his final student project presented last month at Rice University, Viktor Ramos produced The Continuous Enclave: Strategies in Bypass Urbanism.

[Image: From The Continuous Enclave: Strategies in Bypass Urbanism by Viktor Ramos; view larger].

The project explores how new forms of habitable infrastructure might be extrapolated from a geopolitical agreement – in this case, materializing architectural form from the legal interstices of the Oslo Accords.
The result is a fantastic example of architectural speculation: genuinely massive – and impossibly cantilevered – bridges used as transport links, aerial housing, and skyborne agricultural complexes, all in one.

[Image: From The Continuous Enclave: Strategies in Bypass Urbanism by Viktor Ramos].
via BLDGBLOG