Archinect - News

Construction starts on MVRDV's new Berlin mixed-use development

2024-03-17T08:00:00-04:00

Construction has begun on the MVRDV-designed LXK Office and Residential Campus in Berlin. The mixed-use complex will add needed office and residential space to a rapidly developing part of the city.

The project is located in the Friedrichshain district. It spans approximately 658,751 square feet and features abundant office, commercial, and residential space. The complex consists of two L-shaped volumes, with the residential component consolidated into a single block. The corners of each volume open up to create an accessible green, public square. This divide allows the project to integrate itself sensitively into the scale of the surroundings.

Image © MVRDV

One of the most distinguishing features of the development is its single continuous luminous band that wraps horizontally around each structure. The band unifies the fragmented structure into a single form. This component is further activated by green, accessible terraces that offer views into the surrounding city. It also hosts ...

3XN GXN and British Land share new transformation project of London's Euston Tower

2023-07-13T13:57:00-04:00

3XN GXN, alongside property development company British Land, has announced that they are leading the redevelopment of London’s Euston Tower. Built in 1970, the commercial high-rise was viewed as a cutting-edge office space. However, changing tenancy needs have seen a gradual reduction in its inhabitants, leading to the building’s vacancy in 2021.

The aim for the renewed Euston Tower is to transform it into a pioneering, welcoming, net-zero workspace in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter. The project falls in line with the sustainability goals and expertise of British Land, the Greater London Authority and Borough of Camden, and 3XN GXN. As noted in a release, the joint vision for the project sets out to lead the way in low-carbon retrofit and construction techniques, as well as using inclusive design to support the workspaces and local community.

Image courtesy of 3XN GXN.

As stated by 3XN Senior Partner Audun Opdal, “We are proud to work on this highly progressive project and...

Gensler survey reveals the ways Gen Z workers are being drawn back to the office

2023-06-23T18:03:00-04:00

Remote work is second nature for Generation Z, many of whom graduated college and started careers during the pandemic. And yet, many are now transitioning to in-person work as they look for more workplace connections, learning opportunities and socialization with coworkers. That means figuring out what kind of workspace environment will keep Gen Z workers interested, is becoming a higher priority.

According to the 2023 Global Workplace Survey Comparison by Gensler, there has been a sudden split, spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, in the workplace preferences for Gen Z workers compared to older generations.

To start, the findings reveal that Gen Z workers place more value on learning and socializing at work, along with flexibility. Essentially this means that younger workers value having a variety of experiences in the workplace. These experiences include having both private and collaborative spaces, made possible by open, changeable layouts, access to more amenities, and having more in-person, social interactions.

The survey has found that younger workers are being drawn towards offices and away from remote work due to the accessibility of leadership and continued education that could help drive career growth. Some companies looking to adapt to meet these evo...

De Zwarte Hond designs flexible timber office park in Amsterdam

2023-06-22T11:30:00-04:00

De Zwarte Hond has designed a timber office building for Dutch energy company Alliander. Located on the Noordzeeweg in Amsterdam Westpoort, the new offices are described as circular and flexible, consisting of workshops, warehouses, test facilities, and educational and park buildings.

Image: Jaques Tillmans Foto Focus / De Zwarte Hond

Sustainability guided the design of the roughly 226,042-square-foot complex, which resulted in high flexibility, scalability, and modularity. Materials such as wood were used as much as possible, and harmful substances like glue, PU foam or sealant were minimized. The parking building’s detached set-up allows it to grow or shrink. In addition, the structure’s façades are made of weather-resistant Corten steel.

Image: Scagliola Brakkee / De Zwarte Hond

The office is gas-free and energy neutral due to approximately 37 square feet of solar panels and thermal energy storage. Its use of timber allowed the project to store 560 tons of carbon dioxide. Much con...

Foster + Partners completes flexible office complex in Luxembourg

2023-01-26T14:45:00-05:00

Foster + Partners has completed a new office complex in Belval, Luxembourg that promotes flexible and collaborative working environments. Called ICÔNE, the 202,362-square-foot structure is filled with light and greenery, cultivating a safe, spacious atmosphere while referencing the rich industrial heritage of Belval. The project aims to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

ICÔNE’s location is described as a new city quarter that combines research, education, leisure, and commerce. The complex relates to the scale of the neighboring buildings, along with the varying characteristics of the surrounding streets. Its entrances are oriented differently in response to Porte de France, the main urban street to the west, and the Place de l’Académie to the east. These entrances will be enlivened by new shops, cafés, and restaurants.

Image courtesy Foster + Partners

“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of this landmark project for Belval, which we began des...

New Gehry-designed Children's Institute campus to officially open later this month in Watts

2022-06-09T19:15:00-04:00

The new 20,000-square-foot Children’s Institute (CII) campus in Los Angeles designed by Frank Gehry is set to open later this month. This is the non-profit’s first-ever purpose-built home in the community of Watts.

Located at Success Avenue and East 102nd Street in South Los Angeles, the $25.79 million campus functions to centralize CII’s operations in the area. It will provide space for 150 CII staff members and will house a range of therapeutic programs and free services for children and families, including toddler socialization, individual and group counseling, youth development activities, parenting workshops, workforce development/employment support, and Project Fatherhood sessions. The facility will also be home to community-based organizations Watts Gang Task Force and the LAPD Community Safety Partnership.

Children’s Institute Watts Campus, aerial view. Photo by Oltmans Construction Co. Courtesy of Children’s Institute

One of the primary goals of the project was to help stre...

A highly-flexible Manhattan apartment, designed by Martin Hopp

2022-06-06T18:38:00-04:00

New York City-based architecture firm Martin Hopp has completed the renovation of a 720-square-foot basement in Manhattan into a flexible and hyper-functional living and working space.

Located in a 1930s building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the garden-level apartment was in need of major structural repairs. Its original layout and features made by being below grade gave the apartment a subterranean feel that limited natural daylight. Thus, the renovation aimed to introduce more “light, joy, and purpose” into the space.

Image: Fei Liu

As per the architects: “The new apartment uses a flexible targeted design, elevates simple materials, and carefully-proportioned spaces to raise the residents' quality of life.” Adaptable features including folding and pivoting doors, a rotating table, counter-balanced spring mechanisms, and multiple forms of storage enhance the flexibility of the space.

Image: Fei Liu

A palette of white materials and white oak paneling establish a sense of br...

Tips for architects on balancing life while working from home

2020-03-18T19:24:00-04:00

In this rapidly evolving socio-professional landscape, remote work is the talk of the town. In an ongoing survey, Archinect has learned that an estimated 78% of architectural professionals are working from home or have been given the option to work from home during the current COVID-19 outbreak. As we all tackle this pandemic together, virtual operations has become the new normal, with some of us more experienced than others. As we continue to dive deep for our audience, Archinect will be working to investigate many difference facets of this novel phenomenon.

Working from home comes with its benefits and challenges, one of which is maintaining balance throughout our day. How might we do that? Ensure we don't overeat, become physically stagnant, or go stir-crazy? Much can be said, but here are a few tips to hopefully contribute to well balanced mind and body.

Fuel mental performance with physical health

In The Importance of Physical Fitness in Mental Performance we looked at the inse...

This Swiss firm is experimenting with prefab movable housing

2018-03-20T15:29:00-04:00

Swiss architectural practice Rahbaran Hürzeler Architekten is developing an experimental residence to be realized anywhere. Called movable house, every aspect of this project is determined by motion from floor plans to structural elements to energy storage.

The movable house is not designed with a specific site in mind, but rather can be constructed almost anywhere. The main goals of movable house are that it can be put up quickly with easy and efficient transportation of all structural elements.

This prefab architecture can stand alone or be attached to an existing building. The four main areas of the structure are arranged around a central library which doubles as a transitional space to connect it all together. This creates a flexible and transparent living space for a family of four on the smallest possible footprint.

Developing flexible parking garages for a rideshare-dependent LA

2017-04-18T13:37:00-04:00

The strategy reflects a consensus among some developers and planners that California’s vaunted car culture is inevitably going to run out of gas...[Andy] Cohen, co-chief executive of Gensler, predicts car ownership will peak around 2020 and then start to decline, with more Americans relying on some form of ride-sharing than their own vehicles by 2025. That means cars gradually would disappear from home garages, curbs and parking structures, freeing up acre upon acre of real estate for new uses.

Some developers are already planning for a not-so-far-off future Los Angeles where more people primarily rely on ridesharing (including from autonomous vehicles) than driving their own car, particularly in the form of parking garages that can be redesigned for other uses like commercial spaces or live/work units.

“...despite what some believe is the inevitability of a transportation revolution, many builders are reluctant to pay for flexibility until changes in driving habits are more pronounced, said Los Angeles real estate attorney Justin Thompson of Nixon Peabody. A lot of developers may think, ‘Well, that’s going to be on the back burner for a while,’ Thompson said, ‘but the progressive developers are going to factor this in.’”

Architecting for the Golden Years

2017-01-15T20:37:00-05:00

Building industry professionals are taking note. Since the National Association of Home Builders started to offer a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist program in 2002, nearly 7,000 contractors, architects, interior designers and occupational therapists have become credentialed by attending a three-day course, according to Elizabeth Thompson, a spokeswoman for the association.

Kaya Laterman examines designing for an aging population. Renovations focused on age-in-place fixes, along with rise of NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) in NYC, are creating new market opportunities.

Plus, some training/CEU sources via Living in Place Institute and NAHB

Adaptable architecture

2014-01-07T18:47:00-05:00

[...] what if the design of a house allows it to grow and change in conjunction with the needs of its occupants? The UK’s Lifetime Homes Standards encourage precisely such a principle, setting out a list of guidelines that have been adopted into the building regulations. The focus is on design features that make the home flexible enough to meet whatever comes along in life: a teenager with a broken leg, a grandfather with a serious illness, or parents dealing with an unwieldy Bugaboo.