Archinect - News

Editor's Picks #312

2013-04-23T12:37:00-04:00

The LA Times reported that Renzo Piano, Los Angeles architect Zoltan Pali and officials from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled preliminary designs for a $300-million film museum. Eric Chavkin concluded "A toy chest of architectures related only by location. From the Bruce Goff Japanese Pavilion to the black box Mies bookstore to Hugh Hardy's disco streamlined moderne to Luckmans sorry start. Renzo Piano's 'back-to-the-future cinema spheres just continues the trajectory"

In an essay titled UNEXPECTED COSTS ~ Big ticket design software versus alternate methodologies, Ann Lui a designer and freelance writer reflected on the fact that "Not twenty years ago, if you wanted to start your own firm, you could do so on a Mayline drafting board in your basement...Today, my partner and I sit on our couch as we write up a wishlist of basic softwares we might need for a fledgling practice...tally the price tags, and the bottom line drops like an anvil: just over $15,000".

mfischer3387 echoed curtkram, "its much tougher to start an architecture business than most other fields, because yes, the start up costs are enormous, as outlined in the article. I would argue that software package costs are not necessarily always for the benefit of design, but for liability purposes". Other commentator's like Jeremy Miller offered advice "You could get the Revit LT suite for about $1,800...Also, Archicad has a rental model...Be creative" and Steve Sanderson (founding par...

Editor's Picks #310

2013-04-09T12:04:00-04:00

For the latest entry in the ShowCase series Archinect published the Shrine of the Virgin of "La Antigua" by Otxotorena Arquitectos. The project is located in Alberite, La Rioja, Spain and the architects main constraint was the need to "incorporate a preexisting stone archway in the design. This archway was rescued from a previous demolition in the town and it was preserved by the locals".

Donna Sink exclaimed "Wow, wow. I love it. Love the multiple arcade forms and multiple striations and similar but different textures...Would love to see a floorplan if there is one?".

News

The LA Times reported that the Watts Towers in South Los Angeles will be the subject of a new study conducted by experts from UCLA to determine the stability of the historic sculptures.

Orhan Ayyüce shared these words "In my opinion it is the most beautiful and meaningful public art in Los Angeles that people neglected for decades" and a photo.

The Plain Dealer /Cleveland.com announced th...

Editor's Picks #308

2013-03-26T16:23:00-04:00

Archinect published work from Beyond Prototype, an advanced digital fabrication seminar developed at Columbia University...Nicholas Cecchi was impressed but also offered some criticism "This is amazing student work...However, I would like architecture schools to stop pushing students to contextualize this kind of research-based exploration. Showing these as enclosures (or the one as a gondola) only undermines the amazing generative capacity of this kind of design"

For the latest edition of the Student Works feature, Archinect published work from Beyond Prototype, an advanced digital fabrication seminar developed at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation by Jason Ivaliotis and Nicholas Kothari. In the course "Students develop parametrically controlled tessellations and transform them into building component systems that can be built using conventional sheet stock materials. These tessellated systems are extracted from the digital realm and built at full scale".

Nicholas Cecchi was impressed but also offered some criticism "This is amazing student work. The craft and quality is great, and the theory behind it is impressive. However, I would like architecture schools to stop pushing students to contextualize this kind of research-based exploration. Showing these as enclosures (or the one as a gondola) only undermines the amazing generative capacity of this kind of design. These should not be taken liter...

Editor's Picks #307

2013-03-19T17:39:00-04:00

Reflecting on the site of Farnsworth House, an obvious floodplain, toasteroven wondered "who pushed siting the building where it is - the client or mies?". To which snooker-doodle-dandy replied "don't believe Mies would ever let a Client tell him what to do. In fact if they tried, he would most likely stuff out his Cuban cigar on their forehead"

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As of March 11, 2013 Farnsworth House is fully surrounded by river water, but neither the lower deck nor the upper deck had yet been breached.

Paul Petrunia noted that last time it happened "They even blogged the cleanup: http://archinect.com/news/article/80993/farnsworth-clean-up".

Reflecting on the site of Farnsworth House, an obvious floodplain, toasteroven wondered "who pushed siting the building where it is - the client or mies?". To which snooker-doodle-dandy replied "don't believe Mies would ever let a Client tell him what to do. In fact if they tried, he would most likely stuff out his Cuban cigar on their forehead"

For her part Donna Sink expressed the opinion "I think evilplatypus - whose presence here I miss - once noted that the 100 year flood level that Mies used to site the building has been radically changed due to the massive suburban development that has happened upstream in the intervening 60 years. I think the house should be moved".

AIA ...

Editor's Picks #300

2013-01-30T11:35:00-05:00

Orhan Ayyüce published parts 1 + 2 of a multi-part interview with George Brugmans (Executive Director of the IABR)...Thayer-D chimed in "This is an excellent example of how well intentioned architects continue to talk past each other...One of the speakers spoke of the need to create relationships with politicians, developers and the public in general to forge a new way forward...What's amazing is that this has been happening for the last 20 years in the Congress for New Urbanism

In the first edition of our In Focus in 2013 Archinect spoke with Yohan Zerdoun an architectural photographer based in Germany/Switzerland.

Plus, Orhan Ayyüce published parts 1 + 2 of a multi-part interview with George Brugmans (Executive Director of the IABR) in which they continued their discussion from where they left it two years ago. Topics include; the theme of the 5th Biennale itself: Making City, the model used for the 5th IABR of Test Sites and Counter Sites, and also Istanbul as either "the next metropolitan nightmare, or...an inspiring example?".

Thayer-D chimed in "This is an excellent example of how well intentioned architects continue to talk past each other while so many of their interests intersect...One of the speakers spoke of the need to create relationships with politicians, developers and the public in general to forge a new way forward. Again, I'd be in full agreement. What's amazing is that this has been happening for the last 20 years in ...

Out of the Factory, Into the Field: Robots Go to Work for Architects

2012-12-18T15:00:00-05:00

Brell-Cokcan and Braumann are co-founders of the Association for Robots in Architecture and organizers of the Rob|Arch 2012 conference, being held in Vienna on Dec. 17 and 18. Over this past weekend they ran a series of workshops in Vienna, Graz, Zürich, Rotterdam, and Stuttgart to expose architects and designers to the possibilities of utilizing this technology.

Editor's Picks #280

2012-09-03T23:21:00-04:00

The Architects' Journal reported that Wolf Prix referred to the Venice Architectural Biennale as an ‘expensive dance of death’ and went on to claim a ‘great’ biennale would have featured forums and themes looking ‘behind the scenes’ at decision-making. mimiz took on the charge "having just come back from venice where I moderated several panel discussions on the behind the scenes making of interventions at the US Pavilion, I think Prix is sucking on some sour grapes."

For the latest feature in the Student Works series Nicholas Waissbluth explored the inaugural workshop for the INSITU program which took place in Medellin, Colombia. INSITU is an initiative founded by Blokcad Lab and uAbureau in 2011 to implement projects that investigate the informal development of cities, its non-consolidated urban spaces and auto- construction processes.

News

The Architects' Journal reported that Wolf Prix referred to the Venice Architectural Biennale as an ‘expensive dance of death’. The Coop Himmelb(l)au-founder went on to claim a ‘great’ biennale would have featured forums and themes looking ‘behind the scenes’ at decision-making ‘instead of boring exhibitions’. job job noted there was a "Better source at Building Design, but their need for registration denies access to many" and toasteroven wondered "wouldn't wolf prix's buildings classify as ‘expensive dances of death?"

Meanwhile mimiz took on the charge more directly "having just come back from v...

Yale Assembly Pavilion

2012-07-10T19:04:00-04:00

A team of students from Yale's School of Architecture has shared with us their pavilion project which acted as the ticket and information booth at the New Haven International Festival of Arts and Ideas this June. The pavilion was designed, built, and fund-raised this spring and summer in the 'Assembly' seminar led by faculty member Brennan Buck. The seminar sought to explore the relationship between digital design and fabrication on the one hand and public engagement and visual dynamism on the other.

Here's the project description we've received from the students:

A pavilion for the International Festival of Arts and Ideas opened on Friday, June 15 on the New Haven Green as the product of the ‘Assembly’ seminar led by faculty member Brennan Buck. Thirteen students and teaching assistant Teoman Ayas completed the design work during the spring semester, with fabrication and assembly following in the early weeks of summer.

All fabrication work was completed in the scho...

Manta at SmartGeometry 2012

2012-04-11T20:07:00-04:00

The good folks at SmartGeometry have sent us some impressive images and videos of the installation "Manta," the result of a workshop at the recent SmartGeometry 2012 conference in Troy, New York.

Find many more photos and videos of the fabrication process in the Bustler article.

FLATCUT-ACADIA Digital Fabrication Winners Announced

2011-07-18T14:48:29-04:00

The Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA), in collaboration with Brooklyn-based fabrication house FLATCUT_ have announced winners of this year’s ACADIA 2011 Design + Fabrication Competition.