Arch power

Istanbul Technical University Campus / IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

2011-12-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Istanbul Technical University Campus / IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar:

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

The main challenge of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar for this project is to arrive to a proposal that could articulate not only an interesting and comfortable life for the users of the campus, but to take this opportunity to improve the urban articulation of this site located in front of the famous city wall, near the frozen zone of the tourist strip of Varosha and next to a potentially dynamic avenue. The campus should also serve as a place of social and cultural encounter open to all citizens, in that sense it should be a campus of excellence qualities of public space and accessibility. Finally, their last goal is be able to arrive to a formal scheme that can also integrate the dispersed and mixed presence of historic buildings and turning them from nuisances into assets of the university life. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

Although at first glance our proposal seems like an obvious formal response to the neighbor city walls context, we want to emphasize that this it is not the main reason why we chose to go for a scheme that might resemble the walled city. Our strategy for the University Campus can be better described as a set of strategies formalized at different levels, each with its own characteristic component while preserving a loose unity between its parts.

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

The city walls that encounter the north face of the campus give the campus a prestigious position within the city. This proximity with one of the main characteristics of the history of the place should give the campus an added cultural value. Nevertheless the campus inner life should not be entirely open to the potentially polluting effects of the car traffic of Fevzi Çakmak Bldv. The predominant effect of the ground floor in the scheme conditions the figure ground effects shown in this panel that affect the use of public space and the encounter of the city with the campus.

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

To the western side of Polatpaça Blvd. we propose an open green square arranged in an angle that welcomes the visitor and makes the link with the directorate more subtle. The open park is surrounded by two low strip buildings that conform the triangular space while one of the historic structures to be preserved is kept at the center. The old building surrounded by the new architecture contributes to give a hybrid identity of the university between different eras.

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

For the eastern side of the campus meanwhile we propose a more intimate square. The square follows the alignment of the two side streets that reach Ilker Karter Cd (street) conforming another irregular public space. The ground floor beneath the strips here is permeable at key points allowing students and visitors to enter the campus smoothly. Yet this face is more continuous responding to the loose character of the eastern urban condition.

Courtesy of IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

The core of the campus is an intimate green court. The court has a long north –south strip that connects the remaining historic buildings in one flat continuous surface starting with the south atelier (university dining hall) and ending in two university shops at the historic structures of Fevzi Çakmak Bldv. The green court strip connects to the three lower courtyards making it a central place of encounters between th e different faculty staff and students. The open green space can also function as garden open to public.

model

The scheme at ground level could be read as continuous strip that binds the campus into a single entity united by a clear landscape enriched by the loose arrangement of historic buildings. Despite the suggested unity of the campus the main distribution of program is located in three semi autonomous clusters that can develop independently with program and time following their own particular characteristics. The three northwest and southern west cluster are united loosely through an open pergola. While the eastern cluster is united through the central grass court and stone pavings.

master plan

Formally speaking the strip is porous enough to allow natural ventilation to pass and to become accessible to pedestrians from all directions. The porous part is enriched with collective use such as seating places, lockers, stairs and halls. This proposal of not enclosing the whole buildings and leaving some open air spaces will contribute to improve the performance of the building in terms of energy savings, and enjoyment of the healthy weather of Famagusta.

plan 01

The rest of the program of the strip is located within transparent glass boxes protected from the sun by offsetting them from the façade. The main character of this spaces are their easy accessibility from the public such as meeting rooms, computer labs, information points and administration offices and instructors rooms. The program of these boxes varies per cluster yet all maintain the same principle of not arriving to the façade allowing with this continuous movement of the university users in a column-less portico.

plan 02

The strips also contain the access point to the 5 cubic buildings. The location of the cores of these buildings serves as both symbolic entrance to the strips and as places of social encounter. At each face of the campus in the turning point of the site an articulation of the strip takes place in the form of trapezoids. This places function both as entrance to the lower courtyard and as informal meeting places for lectures or small concerts for example.

plan 03

The preservation of the historic structures will enrich the visual contrast between buildings of different eras while they will serve as articulators of the campus visually and functionally speaking. Each historic building will have a particular function that best suits its position and characteristics of each structure. What we propose here is a mere suggestion of which building could be occupied with certain activity.

plan 04

While the ground floor is a porous and transparent strip, the 1st level is to certain extent its opposite. Its program is much densely arranged and its regularity of rhythm of classrooms contrasts with the loose arrangement of furniture and buildings in the ground floor. We propose to have the open air corridors in a similar mode as the ground floor improving the quality of natural ventilation.

section

Classrooms requiring more intimacy and insulation are furnished with vertical adjustable louvers along the strip facades. The louvers colors and depth will vary with the orientation, being more open and thin to the north and of more depth and density to the west for example. The point of connection with the ground floor besides the vertical circulation will be the articulated trapezoidal spaces of triple height.

axonometric

The campus so far has been described as the combination of building strips, grass courts and historic buildings. Our last element is the position of 5 cubic buildings distributed in an informal way across the building strip. The overview of the 5 cubes will give an identity to the campus from outside while be useful as way to navigate between the different schools and faculties. The cubes also take advantage of the proximity of the sea and the walled city, contributing to engage the campus further in the city life and urban profile.

details

The cubes role is to accommodate program which is either too specific or by default outside the subtle dimensions of both the low building strips or the historic buildings. In this sense we propose to use this specificity of each cube to give the campus more diversity. Formal wise the cubes appear to sit gently on top of the building strips with the extension of specific columns that look for proper places to land. The cubes are not of the same dimension, and each follows its own internal formal and structural logic. The cube of the northwest cluster for example accommodates among its functions a basketball court and a group of squash courts. Both of these spaces require considerable spans to free of obstacles the ground. The specific structure of these elements is reflected in the image of the cube giving it a special identity.

diagram 01

A much more delicate cube in the southeastern side contains the accommodation of students and staff and so the cube is rather more fragmented in scale reflecting the smaller gaps in its façade to the campus. The library meanwhile is located in the south western face of the campus, responding to the location of other public buildings in Polatpasa Blvd. The library program gives a great opportunity to create a cube with an internal void that displays the books in its central space.

diagram 02

All of the cubes have access to the roof of the building strip converting this space in a dynamic terrace space located approximately at the height of the city walls.

Architects: IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar (Kerem Erginoğlu, Arman Akdoğan, Hasan Celal Çalışlar, Felix Madrazo)
Location: Famagusta, Cyprus
Project Team: Bas van der Horst, Hans Larsson, Alvaro Novas, Andreia Penaloza, Albert Richters, Antonio Goya, Zeynep Melike Atay, Gokcen van Vliet
Client: Istanbul Technical University
Size: 55,000 sqm
Completion: 2013

Istanbul Technical University Campus / IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 Dec 2011.

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Burma School Competition Proposal / Site-Specific

2011-12-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

Burma School Competition Proposal / Site-Specific:

overall 01

The proposal by Site-Specific for the Burma School competition aims at escaping from social depression, as Karen people are searching for freedom and are displaced from their homes. They are residing on a borrowed piece of land which they can never owned. They are living in a country that they are not considered parts of society – many of them without citizenship. So they believe that the right kind of architecture can create the sense of belonging and the sense of ownership in the hearts of the displaced Karen community members. They want to create a school that this community can say ‘made by us’ and ‘made for us’. Thus, this school can become the center of the community. More images and architects’ description after the break.

overall 02

We believe that architecture is not merely just a trophy of one’s success in capitalism, but one of the tools to solve social issues. In searching for the answer, we came across the ‘Sliding Puzzle’. We were interested in this toy because they are both modular and rearrangeable, yet it maintain the integrity of the grid system. By using the ‘Sliding Puzzle’ as an architectural paradigm, we can create a school complex that has flexibility of usage simply by the rearrangement of the modules. This allows the school complex to be use for community functions such as cultural ceremonies or community meeting place when the school is off.

courtyard

Sliding Tiles = Rearrangeable Modules

Each module is 2.5 meters by 5 meters for easy transportation by trucks on public road. This dimension is of the correct size for each of the six classrooms. While larger required programs will be made up by connecting multiple standard modules together to create larger spaces. The school complex is made up of three different types of module – roofed module, terrace module and farm module. The school or the community can create different usage by placing these modules into different arrangement such as large assembly hall with frontal terrace, courtyard space for school events and etc. The arrangement of the modules can also be adapted to new site since the complex can be re-shaped according each specific site conditions.

canteen

Factory Made + Local Ingenuity

Each of the modules are made up of parts that are both factory made and locally crafted. By employing the industrial prefabrication technology in combination with the Karen’s traditional construction techniques, the community can be involved in the construction of their school. Thus, the sense of ownership is founded.

vegetable garden

Steel + Bamboo

The school will be built with the combination of steel platforms and rail system, bamboo trusses and fabric roofs. Theses materials are designated for each particular components to allow the optimum usage of their property. The combinations also allow the school to be built with very low carbon footprint by using highly renewable material and less transportation of building components to site. The steel platforms, rail system and fabric roofings are fabricated in a factory to ensure the highest possible quality control. While the bamboo components are carefully crafted onsite by the time-honored knowledge of the Karen people. By doing this, the community can also benefit from jobs that arr created for the community’s craftsmen.

classroom type A

We only expect the rearrangement to occur a couple of times a year, not on the regular basis. However, to ease on the rearrangement, the modules sit on the bi-axis rail system. This system with wheels not unlike the tip of ball point pen allows the modules to move with just human hands and power.

Burma School Competition Proposal / Site-Specific originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 23 Dec 2011.

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Hotel Liesma Winning Proposal / Ventura Trindade Architects

2011-12-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

Hotel Liesma Winning Proposal / Ventura Trindade Architects:

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

The winning project proposal of Hotel Liesma by Ventura Trindade Architects recovers the concept of old ‘estrãdês’, simple outdoor structures formed by a stage with an acoustic shell and a flat audience, in front.The building acts like a system of visual and functional relation with the theme of the music box (resonance box), with visual resonance in the collective memory of the guests and general population. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

The coast of Jurmala is full of fascinating constructions, like the former restaurant ‘Juras Perle’, the Baltic Beach Hotel, cantilevered over the beach and horizon, or even the Dubulti station, with its impressive canopy and Art Nouveau constructions implanted right on the beach. More recently other projects equally reveal the fascinating moment the country is crossing, after years of foreign dominance, like the Majori Sports Arena or the Dzintaru Park Observation Tower.

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

But in the same way that the ability to imagine the future is something absolutely necessary for the culture and development of a country, the knowledge of its historical heritage is also the base on which any future could be built. In Jurmala there is a historical legacy even more important than the spectacle of its recent projects: the traditional wooden constructions, the importance which music acquired locally and afterwards spread internationally, the richness of its forest area, the beauty of its coastline, sheltered from the Baltic by the Gulf of Riga.

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

Jurmala lives in and by these crossroads of ideals: between the history and tradition of the local culture – in which both architecture and music are inserted – and an enormous expectation about its own future.

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

Despite the existence of various concert halls in Jurmala and Riga, the outdoor events continue to be a tradition strongly rooted in the local culture, as demonstrated in the outdoor auditorium of Dzintari Concert Hall. Wood, with a solid tradition in construction in Latvia (the Riga pine wood is used worldwide) is also the material par excellence in the making of musical instruments as well as the spaces conceived for musical audition. And for those reasons it overlays the surfaces of the exterior pavements and of some facades in the project. It is even the selected material of the indoor public spaces, providing the creation of adequate acoustic conditions for the realization of small musical events, throughout all the Hotel spaces.

Courtesy of Ventura Trindade Architects

The rooms are, on the contrary, covered on some of its surfaces with sound absorsion materials, as those found in recording studios, for example. The idea is to create sound-proof resting spaces, as a counterpoint to the sound spaces of the public areas of hotel. In analogy with a musical composition, the private spaces are understood as pauses, the silent part of music, as important as the musical notes.

model 01

It is intended to constitute a synthesis of the relation of Jurmala with music (a secular legacy signed by world renowned songwriters and musicians, from Krisjãnis Barons to Gidon Kremer), but also the statement of Jurmala as a beach area of excellence in Latvia and Riga in particular, and of the Baltic in general.

model 02

Withdrawn from the beach by a densely wooded range, the current building does not take advantage of the visual relation with the sea, which make other hotel equipments in the region particularly attractive. The average tree height varies between 20 and 25 meters. However, the building regulations allow for constructions up to 37 meters in height (10 floors), as found in the existing structure.

model 03

The organizational scheme proposed is, in a way, opposite to the traditional hotel scheme, like the pre-existing building, which is normally based on the disposition of a horizontal block housing the public spaces and areas of greater dimension, opposed to a vertical block which organizes the rooms, in a hierachical form. The proposed structure is based on the creation of a broad elevated floor, with 60X60 meters, simultaneously forming a roof over the exterior access spaces and organizing the more important public spaces of the Hotel, like the halls (restaurant and conference and banqueting center), indoor swimming pool and spa, gym and bar, with a magnificent view of the Baltic and Riga, from far, over the green cloak of the surrounding forests.

model 04

Supported on three independent but interconnected blocks and three support and infrastructure distribution columns, this crowning is the counterpoint of a base constituted by two levels which enable the separation of public access and service circulations, creating a high multifunctional square. On the other hand, the ‘high square’ works as a staging of the arrival at the Hotel, assigning a kind of scenic sense to the guests and other clients reception.

model 05

The roof of the reception is a wooden platform, which can work as a stage facing the outdoor square. The adjacent facade, with wooden door enclosed balconies, and the wooden ceiling formed by the upper block, build a resonance box which allows to organize concerts or other occasional events, resuming the logic of the outdoor stages common in the various parks of the region.

model 06

The whole program is organized, fundamentally, in two vertical blocks of rooms and two horizontal blocks of public and service areas. The first refer to Block A (existing structure, to fully maintain), which organizes the predicted 120 rooms (84 standart rooms, 18 family rooms, 12 business rooms, 6 junior suites, plus 1 presidential suite); Block C will organize 57 additional rooms, as requested, in an indepedent building, although interconnected at the base and crowning, which enables the realization of the construction without impairing the functioning of the main block. In a first phase only the vertical access core of this block shall be built.

model 07

Block E corresponds to the top floor, which houses the public program, with an indoor height of 7 meters. Block D contains almost all the service areas and is organized lengthwise from the loading and unloading and service access, to the west (Salacas Iela), until connecting to the other blocks, at the lower level. It faces North, towards the parking patio, remaining embedded relatively to the square, to the South. On the last floor, providing direct support to the restaurant, bar and conference and banqueting center, exists a dishwashing service area and buffet support.

model 08

There is a third vertical block, to the East, which organizes a loading and unloading access to the top floor, served by a heavy-weight lift and emergency staircase. At the top of the high square the reception is located, along with the lobby and lobby bar, in a space with double interior height which connects from the inside to Block A, pre-existing.

site plan

Both circulations of people and vehicles, as well as of guests and service personnel, are separated from each other, which is achieved thanks to the two levels at the basement. Therefore, the high square is reached by guests on foot (or by vehicle but according to a ‘stop and go’ system), through the main access ramp (Dubultu Prospekts) or from the opposite ramp for access to the beach. Below, the atrium is prepared for receiving luggage, mobility impaired guests or VIP’s. The vehicles essentially circulate at this level, revolving at the circular patio and following to the parking along the site’s internal service route.

floor plan levels 1 and 2

It is also on this floor that the service personnel circulation is done, between Block D and the room blocks A and C, using the service elevator of each block. In Block A, given the great amount of rooms, there is an area for cleaning and laundry, on some floors, connecting through a technical shaft with the main housekeeping area on the 1st floor. In Block C the equivalent shaft is dedicated to collecting garbage from the top dishwashing area.

floor plan levels 3 - 8

The structure of Block A, existing, is maintained, having the vertical access cores reinforced, which will serve as a support for the upper floor (Block E). The future block of additional rooms, C, has a vertical access core which works as a second support for the superior structure. To the East, the block of the heavy-weight lift constitutes a third main support for the upper block. At the same time, three other complementary columns exist, of a circular section, which enable the passing of infrastructures from the base to the crowning.

floor plan levels 9 and 10

The base, formed by the service block (D), the reception and high square, unifies the various vertical concrete cores which uphold the superior public floor (Block E), this being built in a metalic truss structure, pre-fabricated, with pavements in collaborative slab formwork, which enormously facilitates the execution of high rise works. The structure is relatively conventional in terms of dimensioning and construction. The building process is equally simple and consists on the mounting of a fixed central crane, in the North patio (Patio 01), in which its arm covers all of the construction area and is supported during the mounting of the trusses by two mobile cranes which precisely position the pieces in place, allowing for the welding of the next truss legs.

site plan and cross section

These mobile cranes serve almost exclusively to proceed with the positioning of the truss leg, since the weight is held by the central crane. After mounting the main trusses, all of the remaining construction is executed only with the help of the central crane.

detail section

The building functions like a system which creates climatic attenuation conditions (protection, shelter) and heating retention (since the top floor works like a reflective ceiling of heat emanated from the building). The wooden overlays of the facades and exterior ceilings allow to increase the thermal insulation on the interior, beyond providing acoustic conditions and visual comfort, especially considering the low winter temperatures. In the winter it is possible to close the patios of the upper block, through horizontal skylights operated manually or mechanically. Therefore, the heat from the sun rays which cross this glass roof are maintained below the general ceiling.

axonometric

In the summer these skylights are open, creating a chimney effect which naturally ventilates the space below the roof. This superior block, functioning as a roof of the whole, offers shelter from the rain and snow over the entrance spaces and room facades. In the summer, as opposed, shade is provided. The fact that the whole is organized in various blocks enables natural cross ventilation of the interior spaces, in order to avoid excessive humidity accumulation.

conceptual diagram

All the water collected on the great roof, as well as the water gathered in the square, is channeled to a reservoir located below the circular square. The transparent roofs of the indoor swimming pool and gym are fitted with photovoltaic collector panels, for accumulating electric energy, and thermal collectors, for heating sanitary hot water, which, together, help cover a great part of the energy necessities of this main upper block. A radiant ceiling system, for heating the interior air, helps melt the snow on the roof, avoiding excessive accumulation. Located in the service block, D, next to the service entrance, are the hot water production generators, using natural gas or a tank to be located on the site.

technical schemes diagram

The circuits of infrastructure distribution are made above the service corridor ceilings and through the shafts of the vertical access cores. Since, in the future, there will be two independent blocks of rooms, it will be possible to only use one depending on the occupancy rate that is established in each season of the year, thus substantially decreasing the costs for cleaning and heating of the spaces. The embankment which forms the high square can absorb all the non-polluting debris from the demolition of the existing constructions, as well as the excess dirt resulting from the excavation for implanting the new constructions, avoiding economic and environmental costs which would be a result of the transporting of the waste to landfills.

diagram

The project tried to create something that gathers the history of the place, its musical tradition, its unique geographic location, with the impulse of modernity which comes from its still recent independence as a country. A functional and symbolic construction, like an acoustic box, like the ‘estrâdes’ that proliferate through the various parks of the region, like a resonance box of a musical instrument, a guitar, a ‘kokle’.

But which can also be associated to the rattan structures that at the beginnig of the 20th century ponctuated these beachs, sheltering the holidaymakers from the wind and the sun. And following this, we could even, symbolically, find similarities with the old fishing boats, made of wood.

More than replicating a shape, finding analogies too direct which could easily be converted into caricatures of that which is intended to enhance, we sought to reinterpretate those structures in an admittedly contemporary design.

Architects: Ventura Trindade Architects
Location: Jurmala, Latvia
Team: João Maria Ventura Trindade, Marcelo Moreira e Silva, João de Melo Veiga, Filipe Tuna Araújo, Filipe Carvalho, Filipe Ribeiro Nunes, Nuno Marcos
Structure: PRPC Engineers, ltd./ João Paulo Silva Cardoso
Plot Area: 15.000 m2
Gross Area: 9.500 m2
Number of Rooms: 120 (1ªphase) + 50(2ªphase)
Number of Floors: 10
Room Types: 18 family rooms, 84 standart rooms, 12 business rooms, 6 junior suites, 1 presidential suite
Hotel Spaces: reception, lobby, lobby bar, interior swimming pool, spa and sauna, exterior solarium, gym, restaurant 300 places, exterior bar, conference center, events plaza, parking, service areas, gardens

Hotel Liesma Winning Proposal / Ventura Trindade Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 15 Dec 2011.

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Zimmermann House / SAM Architekten und Partner

2011-12-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

Zimmermann House / SAM Architekten und Partner:

Architects: SAM Architekten und Partner
Location: Küsnacht, Switzerland
Design Team: Dorette Birker, Isabelle Heide, Sacha Menz, Rahime Osmani, Valton Rexha, Matthias Rötzel, Davide Servalli
Client: Zimmermann Family
Completion: 2009
Photographs: Hannes Henz

Building a house is a kind of apprentice piece for every architect. Yet the deeper you become involved in this type of commission, the more you realise that it is not as simple as it might seem. Every building is a challenge, no matter how many times you may have done something similar before. With this building there was much that was different: the plot already had a house on it, but the development density was less than that which is now permitted. The clients were clear about what they wanted in terms of space, and also were open to suggestions that could influence their lifestyle.

The slopes above the old centre of the village of Küsnacht receive a good deal of sun and enjoy extensive views across Lake Zürich and the Alps beyond. In the 1940s modest houses with driveways were built up the hillside. Low walls topped with hedges line the roads. The new buildings that are now replacing these old houses have to fit into narrow plots and strike a balance between affording a view of the surrounding landscape and preserving privacy from close neighbours.

The house in question here – for a family with two children – stands in the centre of the plot, on a plateau which was already used for the small house that had stood here previously. The clients wanted to have as far-reaching views as possible from the living areas, a request that led to the (for this area) unusual solution of having the living room, terrace and kitchen on the top floor. Three large panorama openings afford a view across the lake, over the hedges and past the trees in the neighbouring gardens; privacy and shelter is provided by the parapets and lintels, and on the solid-concrete side and rear walls by keeping the windows small.

Elevations & Sections

The ground floor, by contrast, is entirely open and transparent. Enveloped in storey-high glazing, the bedrooms and of- fice spaces are visually extended out into the garden. Anyone standing on the lawn or gravel areas can immediately grasp the layout of the interior; under the protective solidity of the upper storey, the outer space seems to flow right through the ground floor. This design device has the effect of making the plot feel larger than it is; seclusion from the neighbouring houses is still maintained by planting hedges along the plot borders.

Model 01

The house is simple and compact in volume, and has sym- metrical window openings. The upper structure of the house, cast in limestone concrete and resting on the internal walls of the ground floor, exploits the sloping site and opens up lines of sight between the outside and the inside. Throughout the house views and daylighting solutions are an ever present feature. In the side wall of the outdoor swimming pool, for example, there are two windows, through which daylight can filter into the fitness room in the basement.

Model 02

The building process required the concrete to be poured in successive stages to achieve an overall visual unity, with no joints. For the formwork for the fair-faced concrete façades sawn boards were used, such as were common before the advent of panel systems. The texture left by this horizontal boarding gives the house a robust air, referencing also the older houses nearby.

Zimmermann House / SAM Architekten und Partner originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 10 Dec 2011.

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In Progress: Shenzhen Clubhouse / Richard Meier

2011-12-04T23:55:00.000-08:00

In Progress: Shenzhen Clubhouse / Richard Meier:

Construction of Richard Meier’s Shenzhen Clubhouse is nearing completion. Unique geometry fully clad in white metal panels play with overlays of solid and void, unmistakably consistent with the Richard Meier signature style. Being located on an island in the center of OCT Bay, the facility is surrounded by large bodies of water and lush gardens. The Shenzhen Clubhouse is scheduled to be completed early next year.

Continue reading for the architects project description, photographs, renderings and drawings.

Architects: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP
Location: Shenzhen, China
Project Area: 11,000 sqm
Completion: 2012
Photographs: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

Site Plan © Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

Text Provided by Richard Meier & Partners:

Sited on a prominent island in the center of the OCT Bay, the 11,000sm Shenzhen Clubhouse facility provides special guests and members with a restaurant, private dining suites, a multi-purpose area, as well as recreational facilities, fitness center and a small exhibit gallery.

Lobby © Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

The building design is unique in form and massing while retaining a timelessness of architectural identity. The firm’s signature guiding principles of white metal panel and mastery of natural light highlight the building. The overlay of solid planes and clear voids create depth through a play of shades and shadow from skylights and vertical screens. The geometry of the Shenzhen Clubhouse follows a precise focal point from which “layers” of distinct spaces radiate and terminate in a sweeping curve that is seen from the Urban Cultural, Retail and Entertainment District across the water.

Themes of circulation and a heightened spatial experience mark the approach to the building across a private bridge, welcoming guests from OCT Bay. The promenade to the Shenzhen Clubhouse is a path flanked by an allee of trees, leading to a generous arrival court with a central fountain. The grand exterior staircase leads to the entrance of the Clubhouse. Solid kaleidoscopic planes on the front façade shield the space beyond, lending an exclusive stage for private gatherings.

At the south end of the island, linked to the Clubhouse by an outdoor pathway through a lush garden, is a pristine structure that houses the Indoor Pool and Fitness Center. The simple geometry of the Fitness Center building contrasts with the adjacent Clubhouse in scale and form, finding a balance with the extroverted outline of the Clubhouse and energizing the dialogue between the two structures. It contains spa facilities, a generous gym and a tranquil lounge within an understated layout, is accompanied by a 25 meter lap pool covered by a skylight roof. From within the indoor swimming pool area surrounded by glass enclosures on three sides are views to the water surrounding the island.

Entry Plaza © Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

The outdoor spaces are conceived as a series of indigenous flower gardens, orchards, a pond, and a reflecting pool that cascades down from the main entrance lobby and flows to the perimeter.

Southeast © Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

The meandering paths through the gardens evoke a strong sense of the Chinese landscape philosophy. Various vistas, textures and settings offer the private experience and intimacy of the garden and an opportunity for solitude as well as platforms to admire the surrounding views of the water and the OCT Bay entertainment and retail complexes beyond.

In Progress: Shenzhen Clubhouse / Richard Meier originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 01 Dec 2011.

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Competition Entry for Bispevika Development in Norway / PUSHAK

2011-11-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

Competition Entry for Bispevika Development in Norway / PUSHAK:

Aerial - Rendering by MIR

The Bispevika mixed-use development proposal by PUSHAK maximizes the views of the harbor and integrates passive design methods to minimize energy use. The proposal is part of an invited competition that will conclude in January 2012.

Architects: PUSHAK
Client: HAV Eiendom
Location: Bispevika, Oslo, Norway
Project Size: 35000 sqm
Project Status: Invited Competition Entry

Continue reading for more project details.

View Framed by Courts - Courtesy of Pushak

PUSHAK Architects proposes a 35000 square meter social hub on a former brown-field site in a Oslo harbor. Each mixed-use building opens up to the harbor and frames the view of the “species-rich” islands. The buildings wrap around a wooden terraced courtyards, providing play spaces and introducing the island-like nature into the site.

Site Plan - Courtesy of Pushak

In order to satisfy code, 10 percent of the seawater will be treated in three floating basins, separating the courtyard from the public promenade. Due to the low water quality, the basins can be both closed and partially closed, allowing control of the water circulation. The basins will also be used by local restaurants for oyster, lobster and seaweed farming.

Section - Courtesy of Pushak

Passive solar heating is made possible with the geometry of the structure while a compact building strategy minimizes heat loss. The courts allow for natural ventilation in the summer and shield cold winds in the winter. Solar energy, seawater-based heat pumps and sustainable district water heating is also proposed.

Courtesy of Pushak

Nearly all units have a private balcony or terrace. Semi-public pavilions further buffer the boundary of public and private while creating pleasant outdoor spaces. Common rooftop terraces provide all residences access to the ultimate views.

Competition Entry for Bispevika Development in Norway / PUSHAK originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 24 Nov 2011.

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Hansha Reflection House / Studio SKLIM

2011-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hansha Reflection House / Studio SKLIM:

Architects: Studio SKLIM
Location: Nagoya, Japan
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 124 sqm
Photographs: Jeremy San

In Greek mythology, Narcissus looked into the lake to admire his beauty. But what if the lake was animate and looking at its own reflection in Narcissus eyes?

Site Plan

Situated at the entrance of Misakimizube Koen, one of the picturesque parks fronting a lake and flanked by Sakura trees, the house was conceived to be an object with the environment. The programmatic zones of Public, Service and Private spatially organized the house into 3 distinct zones with further punctuation of the main massing with the Landscape element; providing spaces for the courtyard and roof deck. This base form was further chiseled with structure, daylight/ventilation and viewpoint concerns.

Section

65% of low rise Japanese houses are constructed out of timber, a material that has the strongest weight to strength ratio amongst other building materials like concrete and steel. Using timber from a renewable source, coupled with building technology that utilized a hybrid of traditional mortise and tenon joint system with steel bracketing, this house was able to push the ubiquitous “boxed” building envelope for timber residential construction in Japan.

The solution to push the Public program to the upper level was obvious with the need to accommodate parking for 3 cars. In addition, this offered an elevated scenic view of the park by having living/dining/kitchen at the second level. The extensive 3.2 m wooden cantilever was unusual with the norm capped at 1.5 m. The initial structural concept of using a truss floor progressed to the final structural solution; using an elegant inspiration from bridge construction and book shelf bracketing. Further reinforcement of the structure was made in the courtyard wall to reduce eccentricity of built form and thus lateral movements during earthquakes.

The outer form reflected the inner structure of the building, creating opportunities for expression of inclined surfaces. These further expressed their responses to rainwater drainage and the sublime reflection of the surrounding landscape. In order to bring views of the exterior Sakura into the dining space, an asymmetrical window ledge was purposefully built, providing a material continuity from exterior to interior and framing the picturesque view.

Floor Plan

The idea of “Reflection” was multifarious and became a series of unfolded meanings; exterior reflection of surrounding, interior reflection of surroundings, introspective reflection spaces and reflection of the house structure.

The landscape falls into three areas, the front yard, the courtyard and the roof deck. The front yard accommodates parking for three cars and becomes the entrance frame for the house. The connecting tissue to the park relies on the structurally evolved facade that visually associates with it and uses similar ground paving material. The courtyard, an intimate private garden forms part of the environmental funnel to dissipate hot air during summer. This space further anchors the master bedroom, 1-tatami introspective room, and double volume library. The roof deck, the pinnacle of the house further heighten one’s sense of place with its surroundings and provides the perfect viewing platform for both Hanami (Sakura) and Hanabi (Fireworks) festivals.

Roof Plan

Hansha Reflection House condenses the energies on site to formulate a dwelling that looks back at the surroundings with a slight twist.

Text provided by Studio SKLIM

Hansha Reflection House / Studio SKLIM originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 24 Nov 2011.

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Moroccan Court / New Galleries at the MET / Achva Benzinberg Stein

2011-11-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Moroccan Court / New Galleries at the MET / Achva Benzinberg Stein:

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of touring the Metropolitan Museum of Art ‘New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia’ with Achva Stein on its opening day. Stein, a principal of an ASLA award-winning landscape architecture and design firm Benzinberg Stein Associates and the founding Director of the Graduate program in Landscape Architecture at the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York, was asked to join the MET’s endeavors after her noted publication, Morocco: Courtyards and Gardens, showcased her passion for and understanding of the country’s varied garden types found in regions such as Marrakech and Fez. For the new wing, Stein has created a fantastic 14th century Maghrebi-Andalusian-style courtyard that goes beyond a mere representation, and truly infuses the spirit and essence of a Moroccan court into a small interior space of the MET.

More about our trip to the MET after the break.

When we first entered the galleries, Stein shared a brief history of the rapid spread of Islam across the Arab Lands, explaining that although these regions shared an Islamic heritage, their artistic expression was more individual. Throughout the years, the regions’ aesthetics began to overlap and, soon, influence each other. In this sense, the 14th century interior courtyard, for which Stein designed and supervised the construction, is designed using classical Moroccan elements which show the region’s unique expression and hints at the influences of the Spanish.

The Moroccan court which occupies the area of, what used to be, a concrete volume (the space measures just over 20 by 20), creates a sense of serenity within the galleries. After walking through several galleries of individual objects, the court offers a contrast from interacting with a singular item by providing the visitor with the experience of a total space. Complete with a small marble fountain and beautiful handcrafted detailing, the court is filled with layers of colors, materials and geometries. It takes a bit of time to process the layers of the court, as the eye is tracing the intricacies of the plaster, scanning the mathematical lines of the tiles walls, and the gentle curves of the fountain which reference a Renaissance influence; however, Stein has pulled these elements together so they read as a whole rather than a collection of parts.

With a restrictive floor area, the challenge of designing the court became how to create the same geometry found in Morocco at a completely different scale. Stein explained the difficulty, yet utter importance, of truly understanding the proportions of the Moroccan modules as she stated that she needed to work at the “scale of the detail, not just the scale of the space…but the scale of the detail in the space.”

The small fountain, which rests in the middle of the court, is crafted from marble of the same quarry favored by Michelangelo. When we were visiting, pink rose petals danced in the water as a way to provide a hint of color. A large wood door sits on one wall, and on the opposite wall, a window covered in a hand carved screen. Stein informed me that historically, the Romans would sit on a hill in Morocco to enjoy the view over the countryside, and now, in the MET, the window will operate to give visitors a glimpse at the Roman sculpture gallery below.

The court also features two elaborate benches based on a modified wedding chair design. Stein pointed out that the motif on the bench is the same size as one of the 70+ pieces used in the tiled wall “as a way to reduce the scale at the same time.”

The construction of the court was quite a feat as the museum staff flew Moroccan workers to the MET for 6 months to construct Stein’s designs. The beauty of the design of the court is emphasized by the craftsmanship as the hand “Gives the materials warmth…and gives it something extra,” explained Stein.

Prior to their arrival, Stein had designed the tile compositions by way of sketches. She explained, “I had to design ‘the old-fashioned style’…I sat on the floor, cutting and pasting to try to figure out what I saw in my mind.” The result was a complex geometry where more than 70 tiles create a motif that is copied, rotated and arranged into a layered pattern. The tiles’ colorful composition is an “illusion of the concept of nature, without actually having nature.” With her sketches complete, Stein could transfer her visions to CAD and, eventually overseas with artisans. It is interesting to note that the artisans sometimes felt the designs too simple, yet Stein, backed by a knowledgeable Islamic art historian, felt strongly that a more streamlined traditional design captures the inherent beauty of the geometries. ”Over elaboration may loose a little of the history, so the design is simplified to express itself,” explained Stein.

The other galleries that comprise the New Galleries feature one of the most complete collections of Islamic art in the world. The galleries are filled with amazing tapestries and prayer rugs, sparkling jewels, and ornate manuscripts and tilework. The ceiling, or mudejar, in the Koç Family Gallery from 16th century Spain is simply breathtaking and sits diagonally from a reception room of a wealthy Syrian Damascus residence dating back to the Ottoman period.

Before we parted, Stein explained her hope that the galleries would shed a new light of these areas of the world to show the positive qualities of their culture, and the goodness and beauty of their heritage.

Credits:

Movie via the MET; Produced by Christopher Noey

Photographs credited © The Metropolitan Museum of Art via the MET’s homepage.

Photographs credited © Ruth Fremson for The New York Times via The New York Times.

Photographs credited © Achva Stein via Achva Benzinberg Stein’s website.

Moroccan Court / New Galleries at the MET / Achva Benzinberg Stein originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 03 Nov 2011.

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AD On The Streets: The Highline, New York

2011-11-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

AD On The Streets: The Highline, New York:

View Larger Map

This week AD On The Streets takes you deeper into the project, thanks to a new set of destinations announced by Google a couple of days ago, which includes some of the world’s greatest urban parks.

By using trikes, Google has been able to capture one of the most acclaimed urban projects of the last years: The Highline park in New York, by James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

This project has been the igniter of a larger scale urban renovation in Manhattan, benefiting not only the neighbors, and local store owners, but also the real state sector and tourism. It’s like the Guggenheim Bilbao effect, now cities wants their own “highlines”.

Part Two of The Highline was opened this summer, and Part Three has just been announced (more on that on another post in a few).

AD On The Streets: The Highline, New York originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 03 Nov 2011.

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Flashback: Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum / Safdie Architects

2011-11-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Flashback: Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum / Safdie Architects:

Flashback: One of Archdaily’s goals is to bring you up to date information about projects that are being designed and constructed around the world. We’ve created a new category to cover inspiring projects that were constructed between the 1990′s and the early 2000′s.

Architect: Safdie Architects
Location: HaZikaron, Jerusalem, Israel
Client: Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority
Total Cost: $90 million
Project Area: 190,521 sqf
Project Year: 2005
Photographs: Timothy Hursley

The rebuilding of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum includes a new visitors’ center (Mevoah), a new history museum replacing the existing museum constructed in 1953, a Hall of Names, a synagogue, galleries for Holocaust art, an exhibitions pavilion and a learning and visual center. In addition, new underground parking and facilities for tour buses are located adjacent to a new entrance piazza. The overall program quadruples the permanent exhibition space. The mevoah is an arcaded concrete pavilion roofed by skylights and trellises, which cast ever-changing shadow patterns. It is reminiscent of a Succah. The lower level accommodates a restaurant and other public services. The historic museum consists of a mostly underground prismatic structure 16.5 meters high and 183 meters long (54 x 600 feet) that cuts through the Yad Vashem hillside, penetrating from the south and protruding to the north. A network of skylit underground galleries lines both sides of the prism.

The Hall of Names, located toward the end of the historic museum, is a conical structure extending upward 9 meters (30 feet) and housing the personal records of all known Holocaust victims. A reciprocal cone, penetrating deep into the Jerusalem bedrock below, echoes the upper chamber and commemorates those whose names will never be known. The 20-hectare (50-acre) site also includes the Children’s Holocaust Memorial and the Transport Memorial, designed by Moshe Safdie and completed in 1987 and 1995, respectively, as well as the Hall of Remembrance, administrative offices, an education and archival center and the Valley of the Communities.

Text provided by Safdie Architects.

Flashback: Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum / Safdie Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 31 Oct 2011.

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Cornell’s NYC Tech Campus drives towards “Net-Zero Energy” / SOM

2011-10-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Cornell’s NYC Tech Campus drives towards “Net-Zero Energy” / SOM:

Cornell University’s proposed New York City Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island plans to become a sustainable landmark. Oriented by the sun, the 10-acre campus encompasses the largest solar array in New York City, four acres of geothermal wells, and 500,000 square-feet of open green space dedicated to the public. If built today, the campus’s 150,000 square-foot main academic building would be the largest net-zero energy building in the eastern United States.

The proposed campus is designed by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM). Landscape will be designed by James Corner Field Operations. Cornell teamed up with alumnus and managing director of Distributed Sun, Jeff Weiss, to help build a comprehensive energy solution. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) also participated in the conceptualization of the proposed renewable energy and energy efficient aspects.

Continue reading for more images and detailed information.

The LEED Platinum core educational building will be the home for Cornell and Technion, Israel Institute of Technology partnership. The high performance building envelope maximizes daylight, employs demand-controlled ventilation, and will be built with recycled material. All other campus buildings must achieve a LEED Silver minimum and will house residences for faculty, staff and graduate students, a public atria and corporate space.

The campus’s solar array will be three times larger than the biggest current solar array in New York City, generating 1.8 megawatts at daily peak. The four-acre geothermal field is composed of 500 foot wells that take advantage of the Earths internal, thermal power in order to provide the necessary heating and cooling for the campus. Electrical power will also be produced from a fuel cell, further relieving dependence from the grid.

The Tech Campus will include elements to treat storm water and create community gardens. “Green” landscape concepts include rain gardens and bioswales, green walls and roofs, and reforestation that will create a new, small urban forest. The 500,000 square-feet of proposed green space aspires to become one of New York City’s largest public green space, sharing stellar campus views of Manhattan and Queens waterfronts.

The initial phase of the proposed campus will require a quarter of the electricity from the grid, emit half of the greenhouse gas, and require less than half the fossil fuel to power, heat and cool than a comparable conventional campus that meets current energy codes.

Going green is nothing new for Cornell. The university has reduced its campus greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and continues to follow their award-winning 2009 Climate Action Plan in order to become carbon neutral by 2050. Milstein Hall at Cornell University by OMA illustrates the universities continued ability to re-invent itself and serve as a leader in innovation.

Cornell's NYC Tech Campus drives towards "Net-Zero Energy" / SOM originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 26 Oct 2011.

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Transitlager by BIG

2011-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Transitlager by BIG:

Bjarke Ingels Group have won a competition to convert a Basel warehouse with their design for an extension that will zigzag across the roof like a bolt of lightening.

The Danish architects propose to convert the industrial Transitlager building into offices, apartments and galleries.

The apartments are to occupy the three new upper floors and will open out onto triangular rooftop gardens.

Four storeys inside the existing concrete warehouse will house offices and galleries, facing a new public square proposed by site masterplanners Herzog & de Meuron.

Other projects by BIG on Dezeen include a power plant that doubles up as a ski slope and a centre for women’s sports – see more projects by BIG here.

Here’s some more information from BIG:

BIG Transforms Transitlager In Switzerland

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.

Located in Basel’s upcoming Dreispitz neighborhood, which is envisioned as an attractive and inviting urban quarter in Herzog de Meuron’s master plan from 2003, the existing 18.000 m2 ”Transitlager” built in the late 1960s is to be renovated and extended by up to 7.000 m2 for residential and commercial purposes.

The development is undertaken by St. Gallen -based real estate development company Nüesch Development for the landlord, the Christoph Merian Foundation and investor the UBS (CH) Property Fund – Swiss Mixed ‘Sima’.

The winning entry which included engineers Bollinger Grohmann and HL Technik was chosen among proposals from Harry Gugger Studio and Lacaton Vassal among others.

The Transitlager’s surrounding industrial area is characterized by the geometries of infrastructures – the intersecting railways, loading docks and turning radiuses that weave through the city and create a puzzle of linear buildings with pointy corners and staggered façade lines into an untraditional and adventurous urban area consisting of galleries, restaurants and creative businesses.

The iconic character of the existing Transitlager, its generous surrounding public spaces, and connection to the city’s botanical garden makes the building a natural focal point of the Arts District.

By re-programming and extending the former warehouse into a multifunctional series of floors for various uses, BIG proposes a cross breed of art, commerce, working and living.

Two distinct buildings on top of each other form a mixed-use hybrid with activity and life 24 hours a day.

“We propose a transformation of the Transitlager that builds on the industrial logic of the existing building and of the surrounding area. The extension doubles the size of the Transitlager and becomes an opposite twin – based on the same structure, but with a different geometry. The combined building becomes a spectrum of optimal conditions: From open and flexible plans to tailor made units, public programs to private residences, vibrant urban space to peaceful green gardens and from cool industrial to warm and refined. ” Andreas Klok Pedersen, Partner, BIG.

The wide dimensions of the former warehouse, the mix of programs, the structural limits and the sun orientation creates a typology that is neither point house nor slab – a folded geometry adapted to the specifics of the existing structure and optimized for daylight and views.

The staggered edge and pointy ends echoes the geometries of the industrial buildings of the neighborhood, creating a surprising familiarity with the heterogeneous surroundings.

Click above for larger image

Pyramids by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

2011-10-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

Pyramids by Manuel Alvarez Diestro:

Electricity pylons, road-signs and rusty advertising plaques steal the spotlight from the Giza pyramids in these images by photographer Manuel Alvarez Diestro.

The series was shot 20 kilometres away from the towering structures, in the outskirts of Cairo.

Unlike pictures promoted by Egypt’s tourist industry, these photographs depict the setting of the pyramids as an abandoned industrial wasteland.

Diestro previously documented growing high-rise cities in Asia for a separate photographic series – see our earlier story here.

Here’s a short description of the project from the photographer:

Pyramids

This photographic series entitled “Pyramids” is a visual interpretation of Cairo’s past and present during the times of the Revolution.

My stay in Cairo after many years was getting to an end and felt like tackling for once the subject of the Pyramids of Giza, but to be represented in a new context not seen before.

Twenty kilometers away and after hours of walking I found and photographed what I thought to be a landscape full of symbols and strong visual juxtapositions.

This place became a “perfect escape” for several days where I could disconnect from the social unrest and the violence I was experiencing in the city.

I walked along cars and military trucks and looking perplexed to an epic view.

The pyramids were in the far distance and confronted with traffic signs, semi abandoned advertisement panels and electric posts that I was encountering on my way.

However, in the outskirts of Cairo this “collage” of symbols seems to suggest an uncertain future.

Libeskind’s Military History Museum should be “more than a gesture”- The Observer

2011-10-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Libeskind’s Military History Museum should be “more than a gesture”- The Observer:

Dezeen Wire: in his latest review for The Observer architecture critic Rowan Moore criticises Daniel Libeskind‘s angular five-storey extension to the Military History Museum in Dresden, stating that ”something so large and conspicuous should surely be more than a gesture.”

Moore claims that the new intervention interacts successfully with the existing 1870s building but adds that some of the spaces are not as interesting as they should be and describes the projecting shard as “at once breathtaking, verging on the wonderful, and breathtakingly dumb.”

We had an amazing response when we published our story on the museum a few weeks ago. One reader described the design as “insensitive and inconsiderate,” while there was some praise including this comment: “Brave and bonkers. Excellent!” - see the story and comments here and all of our previous stories on Daniel Libeskind here

Back to Dezeenwire »

Back to Dezeen »

Definition of Architecture

2011-10-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

Definition of Architecture:

I can’t believe I’ve written this blog for over a year and never bothered to define Architecture. A glaring ommission to be sure. Perhaps I could get some help on this one? What’s a good definition of “Architecture” ?

Architecture (noun): the act of artfully placing complex forms in remote locations to be photographed for magazine covers.

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Architecture (noun): the memory of that which could have been, that is invoked by the residual form remaining after extensive value engineering.
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Architecture (noun): Public disinterest derived from a combination of self importance and greed.
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Architecture (noun): The compromise arrived at by the client and the designers after the president of the firm and the client played golf yesterday.
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Architecture (noun): The hard metallic outer shell surrounding confused school children pointing at the large early period Calder mobile hanging from the ceiling.
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Architecture (noun): The space between 4 or more glass walls, wherein wealthy people shower.
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Architecture (noun): Profession wherein ones salary is amusing to the majority of other professionals.
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Architecture (noun): The homes that hipsters admire.
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Architecture (noun): Structure approved by banks.
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Architecture (noun): The touch, the feel of titanium. The fabric of our lives.
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Architecture (noun): creativity plus financing minus creativity

Architecture (noun): The solid form of angst

What do you think? Am I getting close? { Coffee with an Architect }

photos are from bindermichi’s photostream on Flickr (used under creative commons license)

Definition of Architecture originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 21 Oct 2011.

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Faber Castell Promoted Through Hundreds of Circles and Famous Art [Video]

2011-10-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Faber Castell Promoted Through Hundreds of Circles and Famous Art [Video]:

Faber Castell is a worldwide manufacturer of pen, pencils, art supplies and other office products, including luxury ones. The way they promote themselves is original and artistic. We stumbled across this video that left us speechless and decided to share it further. The film was made by Eric Yeo and implies hundreds of circles carefully drawn by hand. The result is mind-blowing: a beautiful version of Johannes Vermeer’s masterwork called “Girl with a pearl earing”. The short film is truly captivating and surprising. One might even say unbelievable. We salute this idea and find it to be a positive example of promoting a multinational company. No drama, no forced plot, just a simple artistic idea with the power to impress its viewers and make them appreciate the brand’s unique values. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/27405001

Greencycle-Eco Uses Pre-fabricated Bamboo as Its Main Material

2011-09-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Greencycle-Eco Uses Pre-fabricated Bamboo as Its Main Material:

Greencycle-Eco is a bicycle that explores the use of our current technology, instead of high and sophisticated technology in order to reduce the production cost. The result is affordable bicycle for farmers and other lower income demographic group in Third World Countries. At the same time, this strategic implementation can also be used for First World Countries to achieve greater sustainability.

Pre-fabricated Bamboo panel products have been chosen for the Greencycle-Eco design. With the increasing demand for using greener and more highly renewable materials followed by recent technology developed in India and China, research studies and material testing on Bamboo panel products have shown positive results in the quality and mechanical strength.

Designer : Paulus Maringka

Taking into consideration production costs, the design pattern of Greencycle-Eco reduces the number of component parts to three different forms with two sets of identical parts being repeatedly cut out using CNC from a bamboo based panel product.

Standard bamboo panel measuring 1200 x 2400mm can provide enough parts for eight bicycle frames which can be cut out in a short amount of time and reduce the production cost considerably.

Using a pre-fabricated bamboo panel product as the main material for Greencycle-Eco offers a number of advantages including:

The product is made from a renewable material, abundantly grown and commonly available in Asian countries.

It has consistent good quality.

The overall bicycle can fit into a small flat-pack package making it economical to transport (reducing carbon footprint) if shipping is required.

The steel brackets used as a joining component, will last and can be reused while the bamboo parts can be easily and cheaply replaced when needed.

To increase the bicycle’s functionality and load capability, the following changes have been made as part of the design features of the Greencycle-Eco:

Frame length has been increased by 20% to create greater surface area to carry loads without compromising the stability, maneuverability and safety of the user.

Changing the shape of the downward angled seat stays of the traditional bicycle creates an opportunity to provide not only a support for the rear seat but the point of attachment is required to give the users a freedom. In this way, users can develop or customize their bicycle and turn this humble vehicle into a form of transportation which better suits everyone needs without compromising its functionality as a form of transportation or operational safety.

Tuvie has received this “Greencycle-Eco Bicycle” concept from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.

The story of Greencycle-Eco Uses Pre-fabricated Bamboo as Its Main Material is an original content from: Industrial Design News

Carbon Negative Cement Wins Green Award

2011-09-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Carbon Negative Cement Wins Green Award:

Novacem’s Carbon Negative Cement won Material ConneXion’s second annual MEDIUM Award. Photography from Material ConneXion

“If implemented, the material would take care of most of construction’s attempts at carbon reductions in one fell swoop,” says Material ConneXion Vice President Dr. Andrew H. Dent of the company’s selection for 2011 MEDIUM award. The selection, Novacem‘s Carbon Negative Cemement, replaces calcium carbonates used in typical cement formulation with magnesium silicates and uses a lower-temperature production process that runs on biomass fuels.

Typical cement is responsible for approximately 5 percent of man-made carbon dioxide; the emissions are caused by the processing of limestone and raw materials and the burning of fossil fuels.

Novacem associate engineer Daniel Bowden says that while the cement is still in development, it is already achieving strengths of up to 80 Mpa.

For information about the award and other cool new green products follow this link: http://archrecord.construction.com/products/ProductFocus/2011/1108green_materials/

Carbon Negative Cement Wins Green Award originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 05 Sep 2011.

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BFI Acetate & Nitrate Film Stores / Edward Cullinan Architects

2011-09-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

BFI Acetate & Nitrate Film Stores / Edward Cullinan Architects:

Edmund Sumner © BFI

Architects: Edward Cullinan Architects
Location: Warwickshire, England
Client: BFI
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Edmund Sumner © BFI

This autumn, the British Film Institute (BFI) has reached a major milestone in its long history of preserving the nation’s film heritage. The pioneering new building is ready to house the BFI’s entire master collection of acetate and nitrate film in closely controlled environmental conditions ideal for the long term protection of this priceless and vulnerable material.

Edmund Sumner © BFI

The Project has been realized through the Screen Heritage UK (SHUK) programme, a nationwide initiative funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. One of its key objectives is to prevent the deterioration and loss of the nation’s films so that they can be made accessible now and in the future. The BFI cares for the most significant film collection in the world. It represents the history of the moving image in Britain from pre-cinema through to the present day. The collection has been stored over two sites; the new building consolidates the collection into an existing site in Warwickshire.

Site Plan

The building is designed by Edward Cullinan Architects who led a detailed feasibility study which concluded that the BFI’s existing archive buildings could not be suitably upgraded, and that a new ‘sub-zero’ storage facility large enough to house all master acetate and nitrate material should be constructed at the earliest opportunity.

Edmund Sumner © BFI

The final technical solution is the result of intense research and collaboration between the architect, engineers, film experts and the BFI to define the best method for storing such a large collection of film sustainably for the next 50 years and beyond.

At just under 3000 sqm, the new vaults will store up to 460,000 canisters of film in conditions of -5°C at 35% relative humidity, while the construction enables the building to sustain these conditions in an energy efficient way.

Edmund Sumner © BFI

Pre-cast concrete panels provide the thermal mass required to limit temperature fluctuations. Although the building form is quite simple, consisting of 30 identical cellular vaults for nitrate and 6 vaults for acetate film, the specification requires extremely low air leakage rate and must withstand intense heat in the unlikely event of a nitrate film fire. Rigorous analysis, detailing, quality control and testing has been carried out to ensure the building will provide the sub–zero temperature, low humidity and fire prevention that the film requires for its preservation.

Edmund Sumner © BFI

The building is the first of its kind to store large quantities of film in such cold and dry conditions; it will also achieve a BREEAM Rating of ‘Excellent’ for its sustainable features.

diagram

BFI Acetate & Nitrate Film Stores / Edward Cullinan Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 05 Sep 2011.

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Farid farjad - Keman Ağlıyor

2011-08-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

lineage2 musics: Talking Island Village Theme ''Island Village'' with vi...

2011-08-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

Jackie Evancho performs Silent Night with the Canadian Tenors (12.13.2010)

2011-07-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Lumini Shop / Rocco, Vidal + arquitetos

2011-07-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Lumini Shop / Rocco, Vidal + arquitetos: "

Architects: Rocco, Vidal + arquitetos
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Engineering: Souza Lima Construtora
Structure: Ideal Projetos de Engenharia
Lighting design: Franco e Fortes Lighting design
Wiring project: Aloeletrica
Photographs: Nelson Kon

The idea was to create a trend inviting project to the customer. A large box with brown color on and a tear on the side shows the window and the light from inside and from outside.

The same material that was used in the parking lot was also used at the entrance and showcase creates a situation that invites the clients to know the space and enjoy the sensation of height differences.

plan 01

The ladder that makes access to these environments is quite evident so the clients and the staff can move freely between the levels. And also creates a clear and nice ambient.

The two inputs of natural light interact with all the internal lighting of the store shows the simplicity and smart use of light.

A elegant and contemporary project.

Lumini Shop / Rocco, Vidal + arquitetos originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 13 Jul 2011.

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Silence by Tadao Ando and Blair Associates

2011-07-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Silence by Tadao Ando and Blair Associates: "

Clouds of mist erupt from the base of two trees in this London water feature designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

The trees sit in a raised granite-edged pool in front of the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair.

Atomisers hidden at the base of the trees create clouds of water vapour for fifteen seconds every fifteen minutes.

Glass lenses below the surface of the water contain fibre optics that illuminate the basin by night.

The feature, which forms part of a wider project to upgrade the surrounding streets, was delivered in collaboration with UK architects Blair Associates.

Photography is by Adrian Brookes.

Here are some more details from developer Grosvenor:

Mount Street unveiling marks completion of first phase of street improvement

Grosvenor is celebrating the end of the first phase of the property company’s £10million programme to improve key streets across its London estate in Mayfair and Belgravia. The ambitious project is being undertaken in partnership with Westminster City Council.

‘Silence’, a new water feature designed by the Japanese architect philosopher Tadao Ando, will be unveiled at the event. The feature was jointly commissioned by Grosvenor and the Connaught hotel. The street improvements are based on the understanding that the space between buildings is as important as the buildings themselves. Ever-increasing traffic volume, and a mass of unnecessary signage and other ‘clutter’, have diminished the quality of London’s streets. The works aim to enhance the experience for all those who live, work and visit, particularly pedestrians. Unnecessary signage has been removed and pavements upgraded and extended, with two new pedestrian areas introduced to the street. The completion of the works on Mount Street follows a similar scheme on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia.

Commenting ahead of the Mount Street event Peter Vernon, Chief Executive, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said: “With over 300 years experience of managing and developing property in Mayfair and Belgravia we recognise that places are about more than buildings. The appearance of streets, and the public space around buildings, is fundamental to the long-term success of the London neighbourhoods we manage. “Large-scale works like these require a long-term outlook but we can already see the results. This is only the first phase of our programme, plans for the next wave of projects are already well underway.”

The improvements to Mount Street and Elizabeth Street were delivered through an innovative funding arrangement. Westminster City Council invested the funds need to pay for the work with Grosvenor, a long-standing property owner in the area, delivering the improvements. After five years from completion of the works Grosvenor will make a refund to Westminster equivalent to the project cost.

Cllr Colin Barrow, Leader of Westminster City Council, said: “We are delighted with the works which will bring huge improvements to this historic part of the capital. Our innovative finance agreement means significant enhancements to local streets, roads and open spaces, with the council’s initial investment being reimbursed by the land owners, who will also benefit from a boost in the value of the area in the long term. It is particularly poignant that the fountain outside the Connaught Hotel bears a memorial to Sir Simon Milton, who as Leader of the council did so much to pioneer the joint working between the private and public sector that has brought such improvements to the city.”

Tallinn Music High School, Ballet School and Georg Ots Music School / Atelier Thomas Pucher

2011-07-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Tallinn Music High School, Ballet School and Georg Ots Music School / Atelier Thomas Pucher: "

rendering

The key concept of this project was to create not only a building but also a new meaningful city space connecting the people, the place, its history and their music. The building delimits the boundaries of the plot, enclosing an expanse of green at its core: a garden that is urban yet isolated from the hubbub of the city.

rendering

The garden is designed to be a magical and untouched space, a wild forest open to the people but protected by the building. This fairytale atmosphere is reinforced by scenic elements: by steps, trailing roses and hidden woodland paths. The garden also forms part of the life of the building, offering the flexibility to host performances of various sizes. The large staircase, reminiscent of the Malaparte house, leads from the garden up to roof level. It also provides a perfect place for sitting, relaxing or for seating people during open-air performances.

rendering

Flexibility of space is one of the major themes in the functional concept, responding to the challenging and varied programme of the building. More public areas—such as the concert halls—are oriented towards the street, while the music room and dormitory rooms benefit from the silence and tranquillity of the garden. The structure also allows new interior configurations, thus accommodating the school’s potential demands of the future. The spatial organization of the buildings emphasizes the omnipresence of the garden, with glazed façades forging a strong connection between the interior and nature.

section

site plan

plan

Architect: Atelier Thomas Pucher
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Project Team: Thomas Pucher, Klaus Hohsner, Gustav Ibing, Daniel Kotrasch, Magdalena Kraska, Robert Lamprecht, Martin Mathy, Martin McLean, Dorota Nagowska, Erich Ranegger, Jan Schrader
Project Area: 18,200 sqm
Renderings: Jan Schrader, Martin Mathy

Tallinn Music High School, Ballet School and Georg Ots Music School / Atelier Thomas Pucher originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 11 Jul 2011.

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Serlachius Museum Gösta Extension Competition Proposal / XML

2011-07-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Serlachius Museum Gösta Extension Competition Proposal / XML: "

Courtesy of XML Architecture Research Urbanism

This proposal for the Serlachius Museum Extension in Mänttä, Finland was submitted by XML. The omnipresent landscape provoked the architects to develop a scheme that became a median between the external world of nature and the internal world of art.

More information and images on this project after the break.

Courtesy of XML Architecture Research Urbanism

The required program has been distributed along a continuous route that connects different programmatic clusters such as galleries, storage, restaurant and office. The circulation between these clusters is bent into a circle allowing for two experiential conditions: on the inside of the circle a series of enclosed exhibition spaces allows visitors to focus on the experience of art whereas on the outside of the circle the continuous route that connects the programmatic clusters allows for alternating these intimate experiences with views on the surrounding nature.

plan 01

The irregular residual space between the programmatic boxes is turned into a Gallery Garden, continuing the tradition of landscape architecture that is part of the museum’s history. As a result, the floor area of the Museum is extended during summer, an idea that could reach as far as reconceptualizing the museum’s identity into a twofold ‘Wintermuseum’ and ‘Summermuseum’ that host programs of different types. In contrast to the vastness of the surrounding landscape, this contained garden can be used to exhibit the sculpture collection of the museum but also as event space, accommodating lectures, interview-marathons or outside screenings and art-picnics. As an utopic garden at the heart of the museum, the Gallery Garden could become a platform to experiment with unexpected relations between art and nature.

Courtesy of XML Architecture Research Urbanism

Each of the requested gallery spaces is organized in separate rooms to create a maximum of curatorial freedom. The different galleries could be used together to host one exhibition, but also separated or in arrangements with the existing gallery space in Joenniemi Manor. The art handling and storage facilities are combined in a programmatic cluster near the exhibition spaces for reasons of efficiency. However, this arrangement also allows curators to include the museum’s archive into exhibitions offering the possibility to experiment with new curatorial models and modes of displaying art.

site plan 01

In the same way as the programmatic clusters at the ring’s interior, the existing museum is connected at a single point to the continuous museum route. Like a diamond in a ring of gold, the Joenniemi Manor – as the only architectural volume on the outside of the ring – is re-contextualized as the jewel of the museum’s expansion. Rather than provoking an opposition between nature and art – the continuous museum route is sequencing both conditions to exist in their own right. The continuous route is not only organizing the museums’ programme, but it also mediates between two worlds that ultimately meet in the experience of the museum’s visitor.

Architect: XML Architecture Research Urbanism
Location: Mänttä, Finland
Program: Museum (expansion): galleries, office, archive facilities, restaurant
Area: 15000 m2
Year : 2011
Client: Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation
Status: Competition

Serlachius Museum Gösta Extension Competition Proposal / XML originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 10 Jul 2011.

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RAKVERE Summer Theater / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid

2011-07-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

RAKVERE Summer Theater / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid: "

Architects: Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Client: SA Rakvere Teatrimaja
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 400 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid

The outdoor theatre stage is built especially for 12 plays during the summer. Its main architectural goal is to create a closed, comfortable and intimate space that forms an immediate connection with the audience and the actors. The architecture frames the landscape in a way that the park, trees and the pond become an integral part of the stage-set.

The light wooden construction gives space and allows for dynamic stage lighting. Avoiding a concrete narrative in this solution, the stage is an abstraction, which sets the mood. We have approached the era and theme of the theatre project (beginning of the 20th century, futurism, young poets) from a different angle to visualize a complicated moment in European history.

Plan

After the 12 performances, the stage will be dismantled and the timber and boards used for other things. There is no need to use complicated materials, wood is a nice material that architects can easily understand and work with, it is also weather-proof.

RAKVERE Summer Theater / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 04 Jul 2011.

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'Plug it in' headsets lets you share music

2011-06-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

'Plug it in' headsets lets you share music: "Jaspreet Walia:

Plug it in_01Plug it in headphones comes with gold plated jack plugs.

A good headset can add to the whole musical experience. But, if more than one person wishes to enjoy the same piece of music, they have to use a speaker instead with no option to connect two headsets with one player. Keeping this flaw in mind, Dorien Van Heijst has designed a unique product christened Plug it in.

It allows multiple listeners to savor same tunes emanating from a single player. These fine-looking headphones have been crafted from leather, porcelain and wood. The product has been fitted with a wire (enveloped in cotton) that has gold-plated jack plugs. These are used to attach an additional headset, which will form a musical connection.

Plug it in_02Plug it in headphones comes with gold plated jack plugs.

Plug it in has been designed in a manner, which will not allow sound to escape out. This will make sure that others don’t get disturbed, while you listen to your favorite songs. Sharing is caring, and this product will do exactly that and form a strong bond between you and your loved ones.

Plug it in_03Plug it in headphones comes with gold plated jack plugs.

Via: Dorien van Heijst

Faculty Club Tilburg University / Shift Architecture Urbanism

2011-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Faculty Club Tilburg University / Shift Architecture Urbanism: "

Architects: Shift Architecture Urbanism
Location: Tilburg, The Netherlands
Project architects: Harm Timmermans, Pieter Heymans
Collaborators: Sabine Hogenhout, Bahar Akkoclu, Tjeerd Bloothoofd
Developer: Van der Weegen Bouwontwikkeling, Tilburg
Main contractor: Van der Weegen Bouwgroep, Tilburg
Project area: 518 sqm
Project year: 2011
Photographs: René de Wit, Jos Bedaux

Tilburg University has extended its campus with the Faculty Club, a multipurpose pavilion for the academic staff and their guests. Shift architecture urbanism took the initiative to reanimate the quintessential quality of the Tilburg campus: strong solitary buildings in the green. The monumental modernism of Jos Bedaux served as a frame of reference. Bedaux designed the first – still the best – buildings for the university in the sixties.

By creating a strong formal relation between the existing university buildings and the new Faculty Club, an ensemble of omni-directional solitaires is created. This enables one to recognize the Faculty Club as part of the university, despite its peripheral forest location and exclusive program.

elevations

The Faculty Club is designed as a carved-out-monolith, one simple box in which transparency and massiveness melt together. The central restaurant is carved out from the centre, creating a tunnel-effect in the front façade. In order to strengthen its solitaire character the building is lifted from the ground. The height difference is bridged by outside stairs and a ramp integrated within the front façade.

Each façade has only one window. By recessing each window, outdoor spaces are created within the front and rear façades. These mark the entrance in front and form a large covered terrace in the back. The simplicity and plasticity of the three-dimensional window treatment further contributes to the building’s sculptural qualities.

The primary program consists of a restaurant for eighty persons, a lounge and two conference rooms. The secondary program consists of a kitchen, storage space and other services. The further the functions are situated from the campus, the more intimate and informal the space becomes. The conference rooms look out over the campus, while the lounge completely relates to the forest and the garden. All main functions are physically linked by a transparent axis running the length of the building.

Both the lounge and the restaurant are connected to the carved-out terrace situated at the rear of the building. A four-rail system of sliding windows enables one to open up two-thirds of the total eighteen meters of glass façade. This intensifies the experience of the forest without the visitor having to step outside the building envelope.

The construction principles of the Faculty Club are deceptively simple. In order to emphasize contrasting space and mass, the structure, installations and details are integrated within walls and floors. The starting point for the engineering was the visual absence of technique. Key contractors and consultants were engaged early in the process of preliminary design, enabling the development of precise and project-specific details that consistently support the overall concept. Shift architecture urbanism was responsible for the design, including the execution drawings and the site supervision.

plan

The result is an integral, durable and engaging building. A monolith carved in such a way as to both profit and profit from the surrounding landscape while maintaining its distinct primary form. Its architecture refers to the heritage of Jos Bedaux by abstracting and updating his formal language. This makes the building into a solidary solitaire, sober and luxurious, massive and transparent, silent and outspoken.

Faculty Club Tilburg University / Shift Architecture Urbanism originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 27 Jun 2011.

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Museum of Troy / Yalin Architecture Design

2011-06-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Museum of Troy / Yalin Architecture Design: "

Courtesy Yalin Architecture Design

Omer Selcuk Baz and his team in Yalin Architectural Design has won first prize in the National Architectural Design Competition for the Museum of Troy, one of the most famous archeological sites in the world, listed as UNESCO World heritage site. With a history of 5000 years and a significance for the development of European Civilization, Troy represents artistically and historically a profound cultural influence from the time of Homer to the World War I. Additional images of the winning design and further information about the proposal after the break.

Courtesy Yalin Architecture Design

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, the organizer of the competition expropriated 10 hectors for the purpose. The museum is planned to be constructed close to the archeological site, adjacent to the village of Tevfikiye in Canakkale. It will conserve and exhibit the artifacts unearthed at the site. The museum contains conservation and restoration labs, 2000 sqms of storage, permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, activity areas, café, restaurants and retail facilities as well as access to natural environment.

Courtesy Yalin Architecture Design

The competition, which was opened in January 2011 received 132 projects submissions. Some major architectural firms from Turkey were to be found among them. The jury, composed of prominent names such as Cengiz Bektas, Han Tumertekin, Murat Tabanlioglu, Ayten Savas and Ali Ihsan Unay, convened between 27-29 May 2011 in Ankara. The results were announced on May 31st.

Courtesy Yalin Architecture Design

The approach of the winning project by Omer Selcuk Baz sets the design concept upon communicating the visitors a world beyond their perception, with roots and stories in history. The design concept gradually disconnects the visitors in part or completely at certain thresholds from the physical context to reconnect them again. The cubic form of the building is reminiscent of an excavated artifact.

Render / Wall Section

Museum of Troy / Yalin Architecture Design originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 23 Jun 2011.

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Kanazawa Umimirai Library by Coelacanth K&H Architects

2011-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

Kanazawa Umimirai Library by Coelacanth K&H Architects: "

Around 6000 holes puncture the concrete exterior of this library in Kanazawa, Japan, by Kazumi Kudo and Hiroshi Horiba of Japanese firm Coelacanth K&H Architects.

Translucent glass fills each hole, diffusing natural light into the 12 metre-high reading room of the Kanazawa Umimirai Library.

This primary reading room occupies the entire first floor, overlooked by a mezzanine containing informal reading areas and a craft corner.

More Japanese architecture and interiors on Dezeen »

Photography is by Satoshi Asakawa.

The following information is from the architects:

Kanazawa Umimirai Library

A library for the future

Reading – for the sake of knowledge or enjoyment, or to explore the world of the human imagination – is one of those experiences that gives you a sense of emotional and spiritual richness quite different from economic or monetary well-being. In this sense, the act of creating a space that surrounds you with books is undoubtedly linked to the creation of a new, enriched sense of public values.

Libraries in Japan are moving towards a model that encourages readers to stay and linger, instead of their original function as spaces for collecting and lending out books. Reflecting the general trend for libraries to facilitate reading as well as other functions, this library uses compact automated shelves that operate as a closed stack system. This is combined with halls and meeting rooms that promote social exchange between its users, much like a community center. The facility is also expected to serve as a new hub for social life among the local community.

For a public library such as this, we thought that the most important thing to have would be a reading room that provides visitors with a pleasant, comfortable space to read. This environment would allow users to experience the joy of reading while surrounded by a treasure trove of books with a overwhelming physical presence, something that the convenience of electronic and digital books cannot offer. For this project, we proposed a simple space measuring 45m by 45m with a height of about 12m, enclosed by a “punching wall” and supported by 25 pillars that would function as a storehouse for books and a hub for human communication. This huge, massive volume served as a reading space in keeping with the mood and setting of a library.

What we wanted to do, in other words, was to design a certain “atmosphere” for books and reading. This library consists of a single quiet and tranquil room that resembles a forest, filled with soft light and a feeling of openness reminiscent of the outdoors. One successful example of such a space is the old Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library) in Paris designed by Henri Labrouste, a masterpiece that was built using the most advanced steel construction technologies of the 19th century.

The building represents a continuous relationship that brings books and humans together even as it changes and evolves, transcending time and history. This simple box-like form also contains within it a certain freedom, however: this is a space that permits a composite mix of various media that will continue to change and evolve against the backdrop of an information-centered age.

The overall structure of the library resembles an internal three-layered floor covered with a large box that we refer to as a “cake box”. The large external “punching wall” in the cavernous reading room features some 6,000 small openings (measuring 200, 250 and 300mm) across its entire surface that allow a soft, uniform light to enter the building.

In addition, the burden of seismic force from any earthquakes is born across the entire expanse of this wall. A floor heating system that warms and cools the building under the floor has been installed in order to make this large space comfortable to inhabit, while large natural ventilation openings in the roof ensure a pleasant and comfortable indoor environment during the warmer months.

Click above for larger image

Credit Information

Architecture: Kazumi KUDO + Hiroshi HORIBA / Coelacanth K&H Architects

Click above for larger image

Calibrated and calculated with the utmost precision, this beautiful “cake box” space will hopefully become a new symbol of the western part of Kanazawa, a city that continues to face rapid urbanization.

Project Outline

Client: Kanazawa City

Location: Kanazawa city, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan

Date of Completion: 2011.03

Principal Use: Library

Structure: Steel frame, reinforced concrete (partly)

Click above for larger image

Site Area: 11,763.43 m2

Building area: 2,311.91 m2

Total Floor Area: 5,641.90 m2 (469.06m2/B1F , 2,071.89m2/1F, 2,065.79m2/2F, 832.23m2/3F)

Design Period: 2008.08 – 09.06

Construction Period: 2009.09 – 11.03

Structural Engineer: OAK Structural Design Office

Mechanical Engineer: Electrical facilities: Setubikeikaku Co.,Ltd.

Machinery facilities: Scientific Air-conditioning Institute

Supervision: Kazumi KUDO + Hiroshi HORIBA / Coelacanth K&H Architects

Interior Design: furniture: Fujie Kazuko Atelier, Lighting: Koizumi Lighting Technology Corp.

Landscape Design: Soichiro Tsukamoto Architecte de Paysages (Basic design)

Urbanization and Urban Elevator in Galtzaraborda / VAUMM

2011-06-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Urbanization and Urban Elevator in Galtzaraborda / VAUMM: "

Architects: VAUMM
Location: Galtzaraborda, Spain
Technical Architect: Julen Rozas
Construction: Obegisa
Photographs: Aitor Ortiz

section

In the middle of the 1960’s the industry of the region suffered a great development that led to the need for labor, generating new neighbourhoods in a short period of time.

These neighbourhoods, as Galtzaraborda, are usually high density areas which often have left the valley floor and its settlements begin to climb up the mountains.

The buildings are placed following the logic of the topographic lines, covering different levels and creating irregular voids between them that are used to connect at maximum slope different levels.

The void space that concerns us is the natural connection between high levels of housing and the lower level occupied by the equipment, train station, sports center and nursery.

This irregular and casual space is dominated by the presence of a huge tree to be maintained as a valuable witness of the change process in the neighbourhood.

The elevator has been built “in the only place where it could be”, its location is a crossing point resulting from the rule requiring minimum distances, maintaining the view of site from the houses around and not exceeding alignments of them.

The second point that determines the shape of the elevator is the position of the gateway bridge which is misalignment and tangent to the elevator to keep away from the tree, focusing the pedestrian way in the virtual axis of the void space.

In this position, the gateway does not focus the eye on the door of the elevator, it allows the visitor to walk trough it with a visual depth much more open and serves as an observation point on the environment, the distant mountains and the harbour of Pasaia.

sketch

It has sought the maximum slenderness and transparency throughout the element; all pieces have been designed using rigid steel panels with truss triangulations. The triangulations is the answer, first, to the structural logic and second, to an industrial language, in this sense, concrete walls have been form worked with sheet metal casing to provide them the mentioned industrial character. It is constructed in order to impregnate a sentimental relationship with the industrial language of the steel manufactures and the harbour that after all gave rise to Galtzaraborda.

Urbanization and Urban Elevator in Galtzaraborda / VAUMM originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 17 Jun 2011.

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Lucky Drops / Atelier Tekuto

2011-06-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Lucky Drops / Atelier Tekuto: "

Among the increasing number of houses planned on small plots of land, this is out of the ordinary in shade and size, A 20-minute train ride from downtown Tokyo, 15-minuite walk from the station. It is a long, narrow trapezoid with a lower base of 3.2m as the frontage, height of 29.3m as the depth, and upper base of 0.7m at the very end of the site. Moreover, there is a local ordinance requiring a 0.5-meter set-back of external walls from the adjacent land. Conditions are extremely tough. From the moment Atelier Tekuto had looked through the site’s situation, Atelier Tekuto organized a collaboration system consisting of the client, design, structure, construction and maker, then started off planning.

Architect: Atelier Tekuto
Location: Setagaya Tokyo, Japan
Project Year: 2005
Photographs: Makoto Yoshida

During the initial stage of design, it was agreed on: taking advantage of the site characteristic by ensuring a maximum length of the building; providing a space for fun and structural reinforcement to the building by introducing a slope inside; making the best use of underground space; and turning the entire building into a skin. The over-ground section features skin-like external walls with added transparency letting sunlight permeate the entire building. The floor material is expanded metal letting sunlight fall deeper underground, in the attempt to deviate from the floor’s of determinacy function.

Since the area below ground is beyond the application of the 0.5m rule, major living spaces were buried underground, presenting a need for further permeability. More specifically, the conventional earth retaining work using concrete was simplified into a plain assemblage of 8 mm-thick steel plates with anticorrosive, heat-insulation and waterproof treatments. This method would not only reduces cost but also ensure an extra 0.5 m to the usual working width.

Atelier Tekuto named this house ‘Lucky Drops’, the equivalent to Japanese old saying the best for last’. Every effort is being made to materialize this saying to turn this leftover plot of land into a place of living comfort.

detail

elevation

plan

section

Lucky Drops / Atelier Tekuto originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 16 Jun 2011.

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Fobe Home / Guilhem Eustache

2011-06-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Fobe Home / Guilhem Eustache: "

Architects: Guilhem Eustache
Location: Marrakech, Marocco
Project Year: 2007
Project Area: (Private residence) 171.96 sqm, (Guard house) 20.20 sqm, (Garage) 35.08 sqm, (Pool house) 13.12 sqm
Photographs: Jean-Marie Monthiers

A client introduced me to a film producer in Belgium. He offered me to draw up the plans of several houses on land he had bought in Marrakech, Morocco. For many years I regularly visited Morocco. From the first trip I was bewitched by that country and the three projects studied to date are certainly fed, to varying degrees, by all the images and impressions gathered during my stays.

The main difficulty was to define the program with the client. Originally we had planned to build three houses on this site. The project gradually decreased to finally the smallest of these three houses in order to preserve the field. The client informed me he bought a second larger plot (5 hectares) under the same conditions but closer to the Atlas in order to implement the other two houses.

For this first project my desire was to establish a close dialogue with the land, vegetation and the atlas to the horizon. Being a small house of 170 sqm on a plot of 2.5 hectares, we had to create a dynamic equilibrium despite this difference of scale. We played with light and shadow to enhance and strengthen the volumes.

Ground Floor Plan

We used local materials and techniques like clay, tadelack, Pierre de Ourika. We have preserved the wildness of the land although we have planted more than 500 trees. We doubled the walls to help deal with the climate, creating room high-rise and sun protections. Each region and country deserves architectural answers, adapted in line with requirements climatic, cultural and economic conditions.

Fobe Home / Guilhem Eustache originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 16 Jun 2011.

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Slowpoke Cafe by Sasufi

2011-06-15T04:11:00.000-07:00

Slowpoke Cafe by Sasufi: "

This Melbourne cafe by French designer Sasufi features a 12 metre-long wall covered in timber offcuts.

Tabletops at the Slowpoke Cafe are made from recycling floorboards and other furniture was sourced from local flea markets.

Wider blocks protruding from the wooden wall above each table create shelves for condiments.

Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen

2011-06-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen: "

This school in Cambodia by Finish architects Rudanko + Kankkunen was built by the local community from hand-dried blocks of the surrounding soil.

The Sra Pou vocational school serves as a business training centre and public hall.

Small gaps in brickwork allow soft natural light and breezes to flow through the building, while colourful woven shutters open the indoor teaching areas onto a shaded terrace.

Photography is by Rudanko + Kankkunen.

Here is some text from the architects:

Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen

Sra Pou vocational school is a vocational training center and community building in Sra Pou village, Cambodia. The school is designed by architects Rudanko + Kankkunen from Finland and built during spring 2011. The architects took care of both building design and project management.

The purpose of the vocational training centre is to encourage and teach poor families to earn their own living. The Sra Pou community is one of the unprivileged communities in Cambodia, who have been evicted from their homes in the city to the surrounding countryside. They lack basic infrastructure, decent built environment and secure income. The new vocational school provides professional training and helps the people to start sustainable businesses together. It is also a place for public gathering and democratic decision-making for the whole community. A local NGO organizes the teaching.

The project was started by young architects Hilla Rudanko and Anssi Kankkunen in an Aalto university design studio in spring 2010. During the studio, they travelled to Cambodia to find a design task with a local NGO. The studio works were imaginary, but Rudanko and Kankkunen decided to organize the construction of Sra Pou vocational school, since there was an urgent need for it and their design inspired both the community and donors. The firm Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen was founded during the design process. Now, it is an adventurous architecture firm specializing in public buildings in various settings.

The school building is made out of local materials with local workforce. The aim was to teach people how to make the most out of the materials that are easily available, so that they can apply the same construction techniques for their own houses in the future.

As the materials are scarce, the beautiful red soil was utilized to make sundried soil blocks. The whole school is hand-made: no machines or prefabricated parts were used in the building work. This allowed employing many people from the community, and it kept all techniques simple and transferable.

Using local materials and techniques, the designers have created a beautiful architectural composition. The soil block walls repeat the warm red shade of the surrounding earth. They are laid out with small holes, so that indirect sunlight and gentle wind come in to cool the spaces – and at night, the school glows like a lantern through these small openings. The whole community space is open, providing comfortable shaded outdoor space. The colorful handicraft doors are visible from far away and welcome visitors coming along the main road.

Click above for larger image

Location : Sra Pou, Oudong, Cambodia

Function : Vocational training and small business centre

Client : Sra Pou community, represented by Blue Tent NGO

Floor area : 200 m2

Construction cost: USD 15 000

Main material: Hand-made sundried soil block

Completed: 04/2011

Click above for larger image

Architect: Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen

Structural advisor: Advancing Engineering Consultants

Construction management: Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen

Project and financial management: Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen

Donors: M.A.D., ISS Finland, Wienerberger, Ecophon / Saint-Gobain, Uulatuote, and Puuinfo.


Natural by Manuel Alvarez Diestro	Heygate Abstracted by Simon Kennedy	Dezeen Screen: Bas Princen


Tsunami Memorial by Carmody Groarke	Chimecco by Mark Nixon	Spontaneous City by London Fieldworks


Jhouse by BBLab Arquitectos	Lille Métropole Musée by Manuelle Gautrand	Open Lounge by NAU + DGJ


Hatched by Outofstock	MS café by Wunderteam	Corso Place Franz Liszt by Robert Stadler


Earth House by BCHO Architects	Desert City House by Marwan Al-Sayed Architects	Wadi Resort by Oppenheim Architecture + Design

Arch power

Istanbul Technical University Campus / IND and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar

Burma School Competition Proposal / Site-Specific

Hotel Liesma Winning Proposal / Ventura Trindade Architects

Zimmermann House / SAM Architekten und Partner

In Progress: Shenzhen Clubhouse / Richard Meier

Competition Entry for Bispevika Development in Norway / PUSHAK

Hansha Reflection House / Studio SKLIM

Moroccan Court / New Galleries at the MET / Achva Benzinberg Stein

AD On The Streets: The Highline, New York

Flashback: Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum / Safdie Architects

Cornell’s NYC Tech Campus drives towards “Net-Zero Energy” / SOM

Transitlager by BIG

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Pyramids by Manuel Alvarez Diestro

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Libeskind’s Military History Museum should be “more than a gesture”- The Observer

Definition of Architecture

Faber Castell Promoted Through Hundreds of Circles and Famous Art [Video]

Greencycle-Eco Uses Pre-fabricated Bamboo as Its Main Material

Carbon Negative Cement Wins Green Award

BFI Acetate & Nitrate Film Stores / Edward Cullinan Architects

Farid farjad - Keman Ağlıyor

lineage2 musics: Talking Island Village Theme ''Island Village'' with vi...

Jackie Evancho performs Silent Night with the Canadian Tenors (12.13.2010)

Lumini Shop / Rocco, Vidal + arquitetos

Silence by Tadao Ando and Blair Associates

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Tallinn Music High School, Ballet School and Georg Ots Music School / Atelier Thomas Pucher

Serlachius Museum Gösta Extension Competition Proposal / XML

RAKVERE Summer Theater / Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid

'Plug it in' headsets lets you share music

Faculty Club Tilburg University / Shift Architecture Urbanism

Museum of Troy / Yalin Architecture Design

Kanazawa Umimirai Library by Coelacanth K&H Architects

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Urbanization and Urban Elevator in Galtzaraborda / VAUMM

Lucky Drops / Atelier Tekuto

Fobe Home / Guilhem Eustache

Slowpoke Cafe by Sasufi

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Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen

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