Archinect - News

Pool House Florida by NL Architects

2013-03-21T14:00:00-04:00

About a year ago, we published the rather unusual proposal for a Bike Pavilion in China's Hainan Province designed by NL Architects. The concept of using any available square inch of roof space seems to have grown into a trademark of the Amsterdam-based architects, as they are now sharing their latest proposal, a pool house for a client in Del Rey Beach, Florida.

Project Description from NL Architects:

In October 2011 we received an exhilarating email by Andrew R:

I have researched a number of highly successful up and coming contemporary architects with world- wide acclaim, and feel that the work of NL Architects exemplifies the vision I have in mind for my future home.

Andrew purchased a property in Del Ray Beach, Florida and planned to replace the existing 12,000 square foot mansion with a smaller home of 8,000 and guest house of 4,000 square foot.

Clearly a potential dream assignment; we immediately started drawing... we prepared a ‘sketchbook’ that intended to cataly...

Florida Southern's College's Stray Cats Getting Own Frank Lloyd Wright Styled Dorms

2013-02-13T00:05:00-05:00

Treasured for its storied collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, esplanades and soaring fountain, Florida Southern College is making room for six more structures inspired by the famed architect. These new structures will be small — only about 5 feet high and 3 feet wide. Unlike other Wright designs, they are not meant for humans. Rather, the six domiciles built mostly of custom-made concrete blocks will provide shelter for almost 100 feral cats living on the Lakeland campus.

Michael Maltzan Sinks Underwater Reef Garden Idea for Revised St. Petersburg Pier Design

2012-11-28T12:14:00-05:00

Maltzan and his firm were sent back to the drawing board to revise plans for a pier renovation in St. Petersburg, Florida after scientists disputed the feasibility of the proposal’s main appeal: its underwater reef garden. Today, the firm released details of its revisions – the redesign will add shaded balconies, vehicular transit, and another restaurant — features suggested by the local community — while taking away the quasi-aquarium that helped christen the project “The Lens.”

BIG Transforms Ft. Lauderdale Waterfront in Florida

2012-10-16T13:47:00-04:00

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and Cymbal Development transform a portion of Fort Lauderdale’s New River front into a vibrant addition for the local community and future residents of the city.

The mixed-use development, Marina Lofts, in downtown Fort Lauderdale seeks to infuse a currently run-down stretch along the New River with a thriving pedestrian friendly public space thereby attracting new residents into its development. Totaling 1,000 rental apartments, 10,000 sq ft of restaurants and 25,000 sq ft of retail, the mixed-use development is broken into three phases. The Florida-based developer, Asi Cymbal, expects the project to have a positive long-term economic benefit to the city and local community of Fort Lauderdale.

“Our intent here is to create a world class project that will serve as a model for architecture, creativity, and energy along the most prime stretch of waterfront in Downtown Fort Lauderdale,” says Asi Cymbal, owner of Cymbal Development.

Situ...

Scientists propose more realistic vision for Michael Maltzan's pier's underwater garden

2012-08-13T15:06:00-04:00

This week, architects and city staff met with marine scientists for the first time and heard the verdict: Maltzan's dream of a Key West-style reef with corals and easily visible sea life would remain just that in Tampa Bay waters. Now the architect is going back to the drawing board, looking for more realistic ways to present the centerpiece feature of the Lens, as the replacement of the current Pier is known.

'The Lens' Draws Sharp Comments at Town Hall Meeting

2012-02-03T17:07:00-05:00

About three-quarters of the people who spoke favored renovating the existing pier or picking a "Mediterranean-style" design for a replacement. The ultra-modern design of "The Lens" did not draw support from most of the people who spoke. "We are paying for $50 million for a sidewalk over the water," one commenter said. "I wanted Mediterranean style. (I) feel we are being locked into (a design) that doesn't have any local flavor."

The Design Finalists for the St. Pete Pier

2011-11-30T17:32:52-05:00

The entries in the Pier Design Contest are in, and the options are as interesting as they are different. The three architectural firms, selected from a field of nine diverse semi finalists yesterday are Michael Maltzan Architecture, West 8 Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, and BIG.

Big Name Semi-Finalists for the St. Petersburg Pier Design Competition

2011-07-30T10:35:00-04:00

Six New York City firms were selected, including BIG, which Saitowitz said had designs of past projects that were "jaw dropping."

On Friday, a five-member panel narrowed down a list of 23 firms and teams competing to design a new $50 million Pier to nine semifinalists. They are:

West 8 Urban Design, New York City
Michael Maltzan Architecture, Los Angeles
BIG, New York City
James Corner Field Operations, New York City
HOK, Tampa
Frederic Schwartz, New York City
Weiss/Manfredi Architectural/Landscape/Urbanism, NYC
Farshid Moussavi Architecture, London
!melk Urban Design, NYC

Winners of the 2011 DawnTown Miami Floating Stage Competition

2011-05-04T13:25:41-04:00

Five winners have just been announced at the 2011 edition of DawnTown Miami. The annual architecture ideas competition seeks to bring creative, innovative, and inspiring new solutions to Downtown Miami and to the City of Miami at large.

Now in its fourth year, DawnTown partnered with a local historic preservation group to help bring prominence to an early piece of Miami's modern architecture period. The competition invited designers to envision a complimenting structure to the Miami Marine Stadium, aiming to make it a great event space once again -- paired with a new Floating Stage.