Archinect

Nomad / Off-grid removable structures by Filippo Taidelli Architetto

2013-05-17T20:55:00-04:00

The aim of the competition was to propose new structures and facilities for tourism and recreation on the Sardinian coast. Our proposal was created for the Liscia beach, located on the north part of the island between the town of Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau.

The project's context in the protected natural area of the river of Liscia, posed inherent challenges, creating the need to confront and resolve the environmental limits of the area through an energetically self-sufficient structure harmoniously integrated in the existing landscape. To reach this ambitious aim the project branches three different scales: 1. Master plan: the area is divided in functional zones according to various users (pedestrians, bicycles, cars) in order to reduce the visual impact of the new structures within the natural landscape, 2. Building: the design principle responds to the need for maximum flexibility and simplicity in the assembly process, 3. Module: the elements proposed guarantee maximum...

Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen (The Netherlands) by Claus en Kaan Architecten

2013-05-17T20:55:00-04:00

Two of the existing three branches of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) are housed in this building. The complex comprises a main building with laboratories and offices, and various subsidiary buildings such as greenhouses. It accommodates a staff of some 160.

The new building is situated on the route that connects Wageningen with Ede, opposite the campus of Wageningen University, and thus in the heart of this green centre of knowledge. Representation is therefore an important core value of the assignment. That visibility is transposed into transparency in the design, whereby both a view of the activities and a working climate that makes contact with the outside world are facilitated.

Moreover, sustainable architecture is naturally a priority for the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. An innovative energy concept, based on the cradle-to-cradle concept, contributes to the principal’s ambition to implement the most sustainable office and laboratory complex in the N...

OCT Bay by Laguarda.Low Architects, LLC

2013-05-17T20:53:00-04:00

OCT Bay embraces the experience of shopping itself. The visitor’s path through the canals and shopping streets is carefully choreographed, with waterways animating the development. The unlimited possibilities created by the unique mixture of entertainment and shopping ensure that no two visits are alike.

This project sits on a truly fantastic site, including a man made lake with a view overlooking the bay. As Master Planner and Lead Architect of OCT Bay, Laguarda.Low conceived of the project as an urban retail/entertainment destination that offers all amenities in one stop, including a boutique hotel, live-work facilities, entertainment, and shopping. The design embraces the experience of shopping itself, and two unique shopping neighborhoods in the North and the East were created to accommodate a range of shopping experiences.

A predominantly indoor environment was created in the North, inspired by the traditional retail arcades of Europe. This is not a generic mall—the exper...

School of Art and Design at New York State College of Ceramics by ikon.5 architects

2013-05-17T20:50:00-04:00

• Lobby
• Exhibition gallery
• Video/Audio Immersive gallery
• Expanded Media Studios
• Art History classrooms
• Ceramic Studios
• 19,000 SF Addition

The McGee Art Pavilion is an expansion to the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, New York. The Pavilion is designed as a large ceramic vessel for holding art and light. It is set on a plaza between two existing campus buildings on Academic Alley - the main pedestrian thoroughfare on the campus. Its ceramic façade, made of un-glazed terra cotta tubes, is a solar and rain screen. The unglazed terra cotta tubes that make up the screen are expressive of ceramic vessels and art objects being created inside the School of Art and Design. Their un-glazed ruddy white pigment is similar to the rudimentary nature of student art work before final finishing. The staggered pattern of the façade is inspired by racks and racks of unfinished ceramic objects that line the art studios. Cantilev...

Campus Commons at SUNY New Paltz by ikon.5 architects

2013-05-17T20:48:00-04:00

Objective
The State University of New York at New Paltz needed to expand its 1970 Student Union building by providing informal gathering spaces for students. The existing building was designed as a cellular office building and did not have ample space for student gathering. In addition, the University wished to change the overall experience of the existing building which conveyed an uninspired functional appearance at the gateway to the university.

Solution
The Campus Commons project at The State University of New York is a steel and glass ‘winter garden’ addition to an existing 1970 student union building. The Campus Commons in filled and spanned over an existing underutilized exterior courtyard, transforming the exterior space into a vibrant interior university living room. The Campus Commons houses a large space for informal gathering, multi-purpose meeting rooms, food court, student ID offices, bookstore, entertainment center and meeting rooms.

Inspired by the regional l...

Ground/Work: A Design Competition for Van Alen Institute’s New Street-Level Space

2013-05-17T19:02:00-04:00

Looking for a nice design competition to participate in this month? Our friends at New York's Van Alen Institute just announced the launch of Ground/Work, an international architecture competition seeking innovative designs for a new street-level venue to house the Institute’s work space and public programs. The competition started accepting entries earlier this week, submission deadline is June 13, 2013.

Gia Wolff wins $100,000 Wheelwright Prize

2013-05-17T18:46:00-04:00

Gia Wolff, Brooklyn-based architect, wins $100,000 travel grant for her proposal Floating City: The Community-Based Architecture of Parade Floats

Mohsen Mostafavi, Dean of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, is pleased to announce that Gia Wolff, an architect based in Brooklyn, New York, is the winner of the inaugural Wheelwright Prize, a $100,000 traveling fellowship dedicated to fostering new forms of architectural research informed by cross-cultural engagement.

The Wheelwright Prize jury—Mostafavi, Yung Ho Chang, Farès el-Dahdah, K. Michael Hays, Farshid Moussavi, Zoe Ryan, and Jorge Silvetti—selected Gia Wolff from among 231 applicants from 45 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, and Spain. Applicants were asked to submit portfolios along with a research proposal and travel itinerary, outlining an extended field investigation and its anticipated benefits for the field of architecture. “The positive response to the Wheelwright Prize has been extraordinary,” said Mostafavi. “It is inspiring to see so many talented architects with clear agendas...

Prishtina Central Mosque Entry by Paolo Venturella Architecture

2013-05-17T17:42:00-04:00

Italian Paolo Venturella Architecture is sharing with us their rather unusual spin on mosque design. The solar panel-covered "Wall-Dome" concept was the firm's entry to the highly debated architecture competition to design the Central Mosque of Prishtina, Kosovo.

Previously: No Clear Winner (yet) in Kosovo’s Central Mosque of Prishtina Competition

Spacesmith seeking Intermediate Architect in New York, NY, US

2013-05-17T16:43:00-04:00

Talented intermediate architect with minimum 5 years’ experience in architectural / interior design for medium scale commercial, institutional, retail and educational projects in NYC metropolitan area. High-end design, contemporary aesthetic within mid-size team oriented professional practice.

Candidate for this career opportunity to posess the following qualifications:

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Advanced knowledge of architectural drafting and understand architectural / interior design projects. CAD skills and technical skills required for efficient project implementation. Assist project team to refine construction details and complete construction documents. Conduct business in a professional manner, support collaborative team effort with ability to make accurate independent decisions – a self-starter.

Design Skills:

Proficient in AutoCAD and familiar with CAD standards and conventions.
Understand good design, depth of knowledge in details, materials and techniques.
D...

The future of architecture

2013-05-17T15:00:00-04:00

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Architect Sure!" Pinterest Board

2013-05-17T14:41:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Architect Sure!.

↑ Brown Vujcich in Herne Bay, New Zealand by Bossley Architects

↑ Palace of Justice in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Claus en Kaan Architecten; Photo: Sebastian van Damme

↑ Private Client in Crouch End, London, United Kingdom by LLI Design

↑ Taizhou Medical City Convention Center in Taizhou, China by Futurepolis

↑ The Old Vicarage in Rendham, Suffolk, United Kingdom by Studio RHE

↑ Zenale Building in Milan, Italy by Filippo Taidelli Architetto

↑ CEREZA House in Puebla, Mexico by NOVHUS

↑ Tree House in Los Angeles, CA by Standard

↑ OCT Museum in Shenzhen, China by Studio Pei-Zhu; Team Member: Ryan Newman

(Cover pic: VÅGEN High School and SANDNES Culture Academy in Sand...

Lian live-blogs final reviews from Harvard GSD

2013-05-17T14:26:00-04:00

Lian, our resident GSD school blogger is currently live blogging reviews. So far she's covered:

And M.Arch.I thesis reviews...pictures

Security trumps urban planning at WTC site

2013-05-17T13:56:00-04:00

With the blank slate offered by a catastrophic attack, planners, soon joined by the mayor himself, saw a chance to re-establish a great crossroads: Fulton and Greenwich Streets, tying the second World Trade Center into New York — north, south, east and west. Now, however, they see that vision slipping away, as security concerns trump urban planning.

Miami Herald obituary writer pens a farewell to the Miami Herald building

2013-05-17T13:52:00-04:00

One Herald Plaza, the bayfront behemoth from which generations of journalists fanned out across South Florida — and at times the world — to cover the news, passed into history on Thursday after succumbing to a real estate deal. … She was 60.

Count your Blessings. Building Related Illnesses are the worst

2013-05-17T13:43:00-04:00

We just finished an article on the matter and wanted to share this video (below) with you re: a wombman who has a reaction to common chemicals found in most households.

Imagine having to deal with that ALL the time? We know architects, interns, drafters, etc. spend many hours sitting down under the ever-present fluorescent sun.

Any of you ever had any Building Related symptoms or illnesses?

DesignX

2013-05-17T13:37:00-04:00

NYCxDESIGN Panel: Parametric Modeling: Discipline vs. Practice

2013-05-17T13:31:00-04:00

What is the future of the library?

2013-05-16T18:36:00-04:00

For the first time since Henri Labrouste (1801-1875), currently the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, formulated the conception of the new, democratic library, the central library is fighting for survival. The relevance of these gloriously inflated book boxes is being questioned in an age that looks to the Internet for its intellectual resources.

Life-size Barbie Dreamhouse opens in Berlin

2013-05-16T18:27:00-04:00

The first life-size Barbie Dreamhouse opened in Berlin on Thursday and is being guarded by police after feminist groups and left-wing activists said they would picket the plastic villa.

Previously on Archinect:

Winners of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards

2013-05-16T17:16:00-04:00

Also announced this week were the three recipients of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards, sponsored by the institute's Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

Nanne de Ru appointed Director of The Berlage

2013-05-16T16:46:00-04:00

The Executive Board of The Berlage Center for Advanced studies in Architecture and Urban Design, chaired by Professor Karin Laglas, has appointed architect Nanne de Ru as the Director of The Berlage.

The Berlage is an entity of Delft University of Technology. Now part of the Faculty of Architecture, it builds on the tradition and reputation of the former Berlage Institute, a ground breaking educational and cultural platform for study, encounter and debate founded in 1990 and led by subsequently Herman Hertzberger, Wiel Arets, Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Vedran Mimica. The Berlage offers a postgraduate master’s degree program which is expected to be accredited this year.

Nanne de Ru (NL, 1976) is also partner of Powerhouse Company, an international architecture and design office based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark. De Ru runs the Rotterdam office and is currently engaged in projects throughout Europe, Turkey and Asia. The work of Powerhouse Company has been...

Flank lamp by Sonja Tonev

2013-05-16T15:18:00-04:00

I came up with an idea of lamp’s shape while I was exploring different linear forms. I discovered an applicable form for a multi functional lamp which can primary be used as a floor lamp, but also as a pendant.

The Flank lamp allows consumers to place it on the floor both horizontally or vertically. It is stable in any position because of it’s simple shape. Such shape lets consumers manipulate visual perspectives by changing their view angle of the lamp.

The lamp is made by bending a steel tube at particular angles and by placing two neon lights on the inner side. On the ends of each neon there are special “push” systems placed inside the tube which make it easy to replace the neons. There is a weight inside the tube, located at the curve from which the cable is coming out. This way the stability of the lamp is improved when standing vertically.

Winners of the 2013 AIA Housing Awards

2013-05-16T14:41:00-04:00

Six residential projects have been selected as recipients of the 2013 AIA Housing Awards. The jury recognized projects in four award categories: One/Two Family Custom Housing, One/Two Family Production Housing (none selected this year), Multifamily Housing and Special Housing.

Ed Mazria announces his 2030 Palette design tool

2013-05-16T14:35:00-04:00

The 2030 Palette is an interactive online tool that puts the principles behind low-carbon and resilient built environments at the fingertips of architects, planners and designers worldwide. Our goal is to inform the planning and design process at the point of inspiration. By curating the best information... highly complex ideas are made intuitive and accessible. Guiding principles are presented as individual “Swatches”, which together make up the larger fabric of sustainable built environments.

The site - www.2030palette.org - looks like a very useful resource. Could be useful for designers but even more so for client to get by in when trying "new" strategies.

El Paso, laser scanned in 3D

2013-05-16T14:23:00-04:00

Robert González wants to create a 3D digital replica of Downtown El Paso, using lasers. The director of Texas Tech’s fledgling architecture program in El Paso says the student project would be part of a new historic preservation program he is developing here. The project would create a permanent record, in 3D, of El Paso’s most historic and endangered buildings.

An exhibition of 3D captured border cities from around the world projected onto giant scrims filling an abandoned maquilladora, might be an interesting project.

Civic Horticulture Conference

2013-05-16T13:18:00-04:00

Windshield Perspective

2013-05-16T13:14:00-04:00

Hirshhorn ‘Bubble’ risks operating at a loss, internal Smithsonian report says

2013-05-16T13:13:00-04:00

The Hirshhorn Museum’s proposed Seasonal Inflatable Structure, also known as “the Bubble,” a project announced in 2009 and intended as an architecturally and culturally transformative space on the Mall, would operate at a loss in each of three scenarios examined in an assessment done by the Smithsonian.

“We’ve said from the beginning, and the secretary [G. Wayne Clough] has said it, this is a bold project,” said Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for history, art and culture. “We’ve encouraged this, but it has to be raised by private money. In terms of doing that, we’re still trying to raise money for construction of the Inflatable Structure. We’ve been at this for some years. We hope its time has come now, but if not, we look forward to a better time.”

Competition of Competitions

2013-05-16T13:02:00-04:00

Studio Dror seeking Senior Design Architect in New York, NY, US

2013-05-16T11:50:00-04:00

Dror’s multidisciplinary approach to design takes a fresh look at every design challenge, from reinventing the sneaker for Puma to designing an island in Abu Dhabi. Behind the scenes, the architecture department at Dror has been working on a series of large-scale confidential architecture projects and is now seeking an imaginative, energetic, hard-working person to help with the production, direction, and management of these projects. The ideal candidate has exceptional renderings skills, is a passionate self-starter, and works fast and efficiently with little direction.

Requirements, Skills & Qualifications:

Strong design sensibility, with excellent technical and computer skills
5-10 years of project management experience, with a background in several large-scale project
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Must have ability to assist or run all phases of a project from Schematic Design through reviewing and commenting on Construction Administration...