Archinect - News

MIT team creates 3D-printed glass bricks for reusable construction

2024-09-21T12:31:00-04:00

MIT engineers have created 3D-printed glass bricks that could offer a new approach to construction with sustainable and reusable materials. These interlocking bricks, which offer similar strength to concrete, are designed for circular construction, allowing buildings to be disassembled and reassembled at the end of their life cycle.

The team, led by Assistant Professor Kaitlyn Becker and former MIT researcher Michael Stern, developed the glass bricks using a custom 3D printing technology from MIT spinoff Evenline. Made from recycled glass, the bricks are shaped like figure eights and interlock like LEGO pieces, offering flexibility in assembly and disassembly.

Each manufacturing method is shown from left to right: FH (Fully Hollow), PC (Print-Cast), and FP (Fully Printed). Credits:Image: Ethan Townsend

In mechanical testing, the glass bricks demonstrated strength comparable to concrete blocks, proving their potential for real-world architectural applications. The team experimented wi...

10 examples of glass in architecture we enjoyed this week

2024-09-21T09:00:00-04:00

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 Glass.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Art Hub Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark, by pihlmann architects; Photo: Hampus Berndtson

↑ Vertical Rainbow in Tokyo, Japan, by SAKO Architects; Photo: Koji Fujii

↑ Liminal House in West Vancouver, Canada, by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses; Photo: Hufton + Crow

↑ House in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, by BYRÓ architekti; Photo: Alex Shoots Buildings

↑ Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA, by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Photo: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Eric Staudenmaier

↑ Futago House in Kyiv, Ukraine, by MAKHNO Studio

↑ Hangzhou Deep Blue in Hangzhou, China, by GLA Design; Photo: YAO Li

↑ Minty House in London, UK, by Peter Morris Ar...

KI Wall lets designers configure architectural walls and pods in a breeze

2024-08-21T08:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by KI Wall

This year’s NeoCon 2024 introduced KI Wall, a new interior architecture brand from leading commercial furniture maker KI. The line focuses on wall and pod systems and creates greater spatial configuration flexibility for designers of office spaces in corporate businesses, healthcare centers, government facilities, educational environments, and more.

Image courtesy KI Wall

Five products are available in a highly sustainable and easy-to-install suite that straddles the intersection of elegance and functionality. Each is custom-built to match clients' specific project specifications and a highly modern design aesthetic.

Image courtesy KI Wall

For those looking to enable impromptu private or collaborative spaces, a freestanding WiggleRoom Pod option and larger WiggleRoom Super Structures are also available. Both options are approved for use as Certified Autism Resource spaces and come backed by a ten-year warranty.

Image courtesy KI Wall

Architects w...

MVRDV delivers 'diamond'-encrusted facade for Tiffany’s newest Shanghai location

2024-07-08T14:09:00-04:00

MVRDV has shared details of its latest design, the new Tiffany & Co. location in Shanghai’s Taikoo Li Qiantan retail development, featuring a glittering imitation of a diamond-encrusted facade.

Image © Wen Studio

The firm’s newest project for the jeweler follows last year's coral-inspired 3D design at the Singapore Changi Airport and utilizes a screen made from 6,988 handcrafted glass 'diamonds' to produce an effect that offers many variances depending on the time of day.

Image © Wen Studio

Behind the screen, an in-store café and accompanying balcony separate the showroom areas and private salons that are included on every floor. The 3.3-pound glass jewels are suspended from steel cables and given a mirrored steel finish to complete the effect, held together finally by specially designed steel fixtures positioned to prevent them from moving or spinning on their supports.

Image © Wen Studio

The facade component is completely dismantleable and will have its parts reused or recycled afte...

Rafael Pelli and Gruen Associates push to restore father César’s masterwork San Bernardino City Hall after 52 years

2024-05-13T17:21:00-04:00

César Pelli was a rising architect when he got the job of designing a new City Hall for San Bernardino. [...] a push is on to renovate City Hall and restore it to use. The lead architect: Rafael Pelli, son of César Pelli. [...] “The idea is to preserve what’s great about it and make it better,” Pelli said of the building. “The bones of it are very good. We just need to bring it forward.”

Chief of among the estimated $60 million renovation tasks is the work of replacing the building’s over 6,000 original windows, which Rafael Pelli says will now be double pane for improved insulation against the heat. The City of San Bernardino, California, shut down operations in the building in 2017 due to seismic concerns. The design features an early version of the same glass curtain facade solution later used in the Pacific Design Center. As the San Bernardino Sun reported, a decision to finance the expected four-year restoration could come as soon as late May.

Zaha Hadid Architects director designs ‘glowing, swirling’ whisky bottle for V&A Dundee

2024-03-25T13:24:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid Architects director Melodie Leung has collaborated with Scottish whisky distillery Dalmore to create a “dramatic glass sculpture” housing two rare Highland Single Malt whiskies. The sculpture is the second chapter of ‘The Dalmore Luminary Series,’ a collaboration between the distillery and V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum.

Image credit: The Dalmore

Leung’s piece is titled ‘The Dalmore Luminary - The Rare - 2024 Edition’ and will be offered at auction with all proceeds donated to the museum. For the piece, Leung worked with Dalmore and master glass artist Fiaz Elson from The Glass Foundry to create a “dynamic glass amber sculpture” to house the 49-year-old Old Single Malt.

Image credit: The Dalmore

The sculpture was produced at The Glass Foundry’s kiln for 12 weeks. An initial molding was made at 890 degrees Celsius and held at that temperature for 15 hours to remove moisture and air bubbles. The temperature was then grad...

University of Maryland researchers develop 'cooling glass' that can redirect a building's heat into space

2023-11-17T11:54:00-05:00

Researchers aiming to combat rising global temperatures have developed a new 'cooling glass' that can turn down the heat indoors without electricity by drawing on the cold depths of space. The new technology, a microporous glass coating, can lower the temperature of the material beneath it by 3.5 degrees Celsius at noon, and has the potential to reduce a mid-rise apartment building's yearly carbon emissions by 10 percent.

The technology was developed by a research team at the University of Maryland, led by Distinguished University Professor Liangbing Hu in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The coating functions by reflecting up to 99% of solar radiation to prevent buildings from absorbing heat. It emits heat in the form of longwave infrared radiation into space. The phenomenon is known as radiative cooling, in which space serves as a heat sink for the buildings.

According to the research team, their glass is more environmentally stable than previous attempts at cooling coatings. The glass can be applied to a variety of surfaces, such as tile, brick, and metal, which makes it scalable and available for wide use. The researchers envision the new material as a key contributor to the solution to climate change due to its potential to reduce a structure’s energy usage and carbon footprint. The team is now working to further test the glass and understand its practical applications.

...

Provencher_Roy uses recycled glass material to complete Darwin Bridges reconstruction in Montreal

2023-11-02T13:45:00-04:00

Provencher_Roy has shared photos following the firm’s completion of a bridge reconstruction project in Nuns’ Island, Montreal.

The new Darwin Bridges makeover represents the first instance of Ground Glass Pozzolan (GGP), a recycled glass product developed with researchers from the Université de Sherbrooke and the City of Montreal, being used in an architectural design worldwide.

The project succeeded in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 44 tons, while using over 88,000 pounds of locally sourced recycled glass (the equivalent of 70,000 wine bottles). A green space was enacted in a void created by removing the existing central median strip, and safety lighting has been installed to prevent tunnel sensation.

Image © Stephane Brugger

“The concept was always there, but the design and construction standards of the time favored the automobile. For this project, we were therefore working in a paradoxical 1960s context, on an innovative urban project to improve the user experience, while a...

ODA completes New York residential building with a glass box facade

2023-09-12T12:10:00-04:00

ODA Architecture has completed a residential scheme at 101 West 14th Street in New York City defined by a glass box facade. The 13-story condominium holds 44 units between one and four bedrooms alongside 10,000 square feet of amenities, with interior design by Whitehall Interiors.

Image credit: Michael Young

The building’s exterior features a glass box facade with fractal geometry to create a “sense of lightness, airiness, and depth,” according to ODA. Drawing inspiration from nature, the team says it arranged the glass boxes with gentle pattern recognition for a “natural soothing effect on our brains.”

Image credit: Scott Frances

Inside, the glass box facade translates as 18-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling glass walls, triple-paned to reduce noise interference from the surrounding city. Most units also include outdoor terraces “uniquely recessed in the geometric facade of the building,” creating fully covered outdoor private spaces.

Im...

The American Bird Conservancy and Yale University issue comprehensive study on the impact of bird-friendly architecture nationwide

2023-08-14T14:47:00-04:00

A comprehensive new study linking the implementation of bird-friendly glass technology to the improvement of wildlife safety has been released by the American Bird Conservancy, offering architects what they say is a first-of-its-kind primer on an issue that still lags in the design of buildings nationally despite its popular civic and environmental appeals.

The study was published in conjunction with the Law, Ethics and Animals Program (LEAP) at Yale University Law School. Yale had previously undertaken its own Bird-Friendly Building Initiative (the study’s commissioner) and now hopes to use its findings to promote a range of policy recommendations in addition to increasing awareness as to the benefits of using fritted glass, reducing the persistence of visually uninterrupted glass curtain walls, installing window screens, and cutting down light pollution, and other practical design changes.

New York City is used as one case study, leading a group of other American cities like Alexa...

CHYBIK + KRISTOF debut greenhouse tribute to Gregor Mendel in Brno

2023-06-01T17:03:00-04:00

The Brno office of CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CHK) just completed a new scientific greenhouse project in its historic Czech Republic home city.

Mendel’s Greenhouse is an homage to the influential late-19th-century genetics biologist and takes its form from the namesake’s own drawings of the human hereditary system produced at St. Augustin Abbey, to which the then 22-year-old first came to reside in 1844.

Photography by Laurian Ghinițoiu. Courtesy of CHYBIK + KRISTOF.

Taking the resemblance of the site’s original greenhouse that served as a laboratory for Mendel until it was destroyed in the 1870s, the new glass and steel structure will serve as a permanent exhibition of his scientific legacy as it doubles as a new hub for community and social engagement for Brno’s population of nearly 400,000.

Photography by Laurian Ghinițoiu. Courtesy of CHYBIK + KRISTOF.

CHK empha...

10 examples of glass in architecture that stood out this week

2023-04-15T08:00:00-04:00

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 Glass.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Shijiangzhuang Poly·City Gather in Shijiazhuang, China by JLa (JAMES LIANG & ASSOCIATES LIMITED); Photo: One Thousand Degree Vision

↑ CAMPout in Lake Tahoe, CA by Faulkner Architects; Interior Design: NICOLEHOLLIS; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ Etoffes de Tolbiac in Paris, France by Atelier Architecture Vincent Parreira - AAVP; Photo: Luc Boegly

↑ The Wizard of Oz | KINCANG Modern Pre-School in Shaoxing, China by LYCS Architecture

↑ Marinha Grande House in Amieira, Portugal by Contaminar Arquitetos; Photo: FG+SG - Fernando Guerra

↑ Oberfeld Residence in West Hollywood, CA by SPF:architects

↑ Jule Pond II in Watermill, NY by BMA ...

Concerns after high winds cause windows to shatter on San Francisco towers

2023-03-29T12:47:00-04:00

A city official in San Francisco is calling for extensive reports into the integrity of facades in the city’s downtown after a recent storm caused windows from multiple high-rises to be damaged.

According to the San Francisco Department of Buildings and Inspections, four buildings in downtown San Francisco suffered glass failure during a high-wind storm last week. The Millennium Tower suffered one broken window, as did 1400 Mission and 50 California, while the Salesforce East building suffered one broken window on every floor from floors 11 through 30.

As a result of the glazing failures, shards of glass were scattered across Mission Street, posing a hazard to pedestrians below. City officials have since directed building managers to secure impacted windows and commission professionals to ensure all buildings are safe, stable, and secure.

In the meantime, San Francisco supervisor Aaron Peskin told ABC7 ...

Heatherwick Studio's new kinetic Glasshouse opens its petals to the English countryside

2022-06-28T12:14:00-04:00

Heatherwick Studio has unveiled a new small greenhouse project for the National Trust’s historic Woolbeding Gardens estate in West Sussex, England.

Taking the form of a sheltering flower bud, the structure comprises ten steel ‘sepals’ operated by a hydraulic mechanism that takes about four minutes to open. Its 141-square-meter (1,517-square-foot) interior contains a variety of subtropical Chinese flora and is surrounded by a new Silk Route Garden, which invites visitors on a 12-step journey through each of the trade corridor’s different geographic regions.

Image © Hufton+Crow

The studio says it was inspired by Victorian-era terrariums, and the structure took a total of six years to develop. The project was commissioned by the estate’s longtime owner, Stewart Grimshaw, who, along with his partner, Sainsbury’s heir Simon Sainsbury, had previously inaugurated sculptural interventions by William Pye and Philip Jebb into their sprawling 1,100-acre gardens, which former British Prime Mini...

Design team develops bio-glass cladding tiles made from mussel shells

2022-05-31T20:27:00-04:00

London-based architecture studio Bureau de Change and Lulu Harrison, a postgraduate student in Central Saint Martins' Material Futures program, have collaborated to create a series of cladding tiles made from glass using mussel shells. Their work explores alternatives to the processed and unsustainable materials used in traditional glass production that also prioritizes the use of locally-sourced materials.

The bio-glass, named Thames Glass, is made from a mixture of the ground-up shells of quagga mussels, sand, and waste wood ash. These invasive mussel species often clog the transfer tunnels used by water and wastewater services company Thames Water. Rather than being removed and sent to a landfill, Harrison developed an eco-sensitive solution by using the shells as a raw material to produce this unique kind of glass.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bureau de Change Architects (@bureaudechange_architects)

The biomaterial is entirely handmade, making e...

First renderings of new slim, glass-clad medical building in Manhattan by INOA Architecture

2022-04-08T14:23:00-04:00

Renderings from INOA Architecture are the first to reveal a new seven-story mixed-use building at 308 East 59th Street in Sutton Place, Manhattan. Located immediately next to the Queensboro Bridge onramp, the building will house a mix of hospital outpatient facilities with specialized medical spaces above.

Plans for the structure were first revealed in 2015 from local developer Tony Boemi. Original renderings from C3D Architecture depicted a 16-story building with 12 rental apartments and a 2,000-square-foot retail space on the ground floor. This, however, never broke ground.

Here, the new renderings by INOA Architecture show a building with a distinct glass façade with folds and cantilevers. Obtaining maximum light exposure is clearly a distinguishing feature of the space. Its top floor takes the shape of a trapezoidal volume.

According to New York Yimby, construction of the new building is expected to begin this summer and conclude by the end of 2023. Permits have reportedly been approved by the Department of Buildings, the Department of Transit, and the City Planning Commission.

Birdproof glass technology is getting better — but its popularity still hasn't taken off

2022-01-05T18:02:00-05:00

Architects have known how to prevent their buildings from becoming bird killers for more than a decade: Patterned glass, exterior screens and turning the lights off at night can all significantly reduce bird deaths. But those standards clash with the big glass and big views that clients associate with big money.

The problem stems from the way glass reflects green spaces surrounding them. Recent advancements in data and social media tracking have combined with architectural studies have been able to successfully produce guidelines which recommend a wide array of interventions like ceramic frits, visual dot patterns and solar shades that have been successfully demonstrated in retrofit projects such as the Javits Center.

Annual bird deaths are currently estimated to be between 100 million and 1 billion globally. Initiatives from Ennead and others have been instrumental in protecting avian annihilation, though animal rights activists continue to argue that the preventative measures are not nearly widespread enough — especially in large cities like New York.

“Every project we work on, guess what? There’s a giant plate of glass, and the client says, we want some landscape here,” SCAPE founder Kate Orff told Bloombeg. “Over the past decade, Manhattan has been remade as a giant bird killer.”

...

Santiago Calatrava’s slippery Venice pedestrian bridge is getting a facelift after multiple injuries

2022-01-04T15:22:00-05:00

Officials in Venice are finally caving to local demands to author significant changes to Santiago Calatrava’s Ponta della Costituzione bridge following years of protest and a rash of recent injuries.

The New York Times is reporting that glass from the pedestrian bridge is going to be removed and replaced with more trachyte stone that will avert any possible future spills which have befallen users thanks to the 94-meter-long structure’s slippery surface.

Located along Venice’s Grand Canal, the bridge was supposed to be a refreshing modern connector to the city’s main rail station but became a liability only a short time after opening in September of 2008.

The completed bridge shortly before opening in 2008. Image © Filippo Leonardi via the Comune di Venezia.

“People hurt themselves, and they sue the administration. We have to intervene.” Venice public works official Francesca Zaccariotto told the Times.

Over the years, the city has tried multiple ways to mitigate the hazards cause...

MVRDV uses recycled champagne bottles to help Bulgari put sustainability on display in Shanghai

2021-12-10T13:03:00-05:00

Bulgari is getting a timely makeover this holiday thanks to a green facelift from MVRDV.

Using recycled champagne bottles, the Dutch firm was able to produce a dazzling new jade-like facade for the luxury retailer’s new Shanghai flagship.

Image: © Bulgari/Xia Zhi

A nod to the Art Deco style that has characterized both the city and brand, MVRDV’s installation continues its use of the cornice motif used for Bulgari formed by layered panels of brass and the recycled bottles. The panels are backlit at night to create an enticing glow for shoppers at the city’s Shanghai Plaza 66 shopping mall.

Image: © Bulgari/Xia Zhi

Per the architects: “The glass is completely recycled, produced at the Magna factory in Teutschenthal, Germany, which specializes in glass treatment. The project demonstrates the potential of sustainable recycled materials, even in luxury contexts, and takes one step towards MVRDV and Bulgari’s goal of store designs that are built using 100% circular economy materials.”

Image...

Research team invents new 'smart' window that diminishes heat without blocking views

2021-11-10T19:46:00-05:00

An international research team led by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore has invented a new window material that controls heat transmission without blocking views, which could help reduce the energy required to cool and heat buildings.

The new energy-saving material for electrochromic (EC) windows is designed to block infrared radiation, which is the primary component of sunlight that emits heat. According to NTU Singapore’s announcement, the material could block up to 70 percent of infrared radiation, while allowing up to 90 percent of visible light to pass through. In addition, the researchers claim that it is about 30 percent more effective in regulating heat than commercially available electrochromic windows and is cheaper to make due to its durability. The material is intended to be coated onto glass window panels with users being able to switch on and off the infrared radiation transmission through the window.

Current electrochromic windows are...

Glass box theater? Designers like Es Devlin are making the Fourth Wall out of something new

2021-10-21T17:59:00-04:00

Even before Covid-19, many ambitious productions had been taking place not in the three-sided black boxes that defined the experimental zest and emerging punk of the late 1970s, or […] theater-in-the-round pioneered in ancient Greece and Rome, but in elaborately engineered glass cubes that evoke the International Style’s high Modernism and the minimalist penthouses of the contemporary metropolis. There would not seem to be a more flagrant violation of dramatic immediacy.

Glass cube sets from Miriam Buether, artist Todd Knope, and Expo 2020 Dubai British Pavillion designer Es Devlin have been popular among directors like Sam Mendes. One of Devlin's previous designs was based on a temporary Rachel Whitehead installation in East London from 1993. The artist's work will take center stage once again with the reopening of Mendes' The Lehman Trilogy, which plays at New York's Nederlander Theater until January 2nd.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway (@lehmantrilogybway)

“There’s a message embedded in a single room,” the three-time Olivier Award winner told the Times, “that architecture itself is the vessel through which history — whether intimate or monumental — is enacted. Glass helps you make that message explicit: A room is more than just a passive container. It remembers life.”

10 examples of glass in architecture we liked this week

2021-09-25T11:00:00-04:00

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 Glass.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Queen Richmond Centre West in Toronto, Canada by Sweeny&Co Architects

↑ High Park Residence in Toronto, Canada by Batay-Csorba Architects (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Photo: Doublespace Photography

↑ La Maison Xun in Beijing, China by LDH Architectural Design; Photo: Wang Ting from Dalian AsYouSee

↑ Connecting Footbridges UCT Prague in Prague, Czech Republic by OV-A; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Vertical Loft in New York, NY by SKOLNICK Architecture + Design Partnership; Photo: Thomas Loof

↑ Casa Escondida in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico by Studiohuerta

↑ CF Toronto Eaton Centre Bridge in Toront...

Micromirrors in glazing could transform building performance

2021-05-14T11:16:00-04:00

Researchers at the University of Kassel in Germany have published their findings on the potential for smart glazing to transform building energy use. With buildings responsible for 40% of primary energy consumption, and 36% of total CO2 emissions, the team led by Harmut Hillmer sought to explore how changes in the material composition of universal architectural elements could reduce the impact of the built environment on climate change.

The research, published in the Journal of Optical Microsystems, details the major energy savings to be gained by incorporating a system of tiny micromirrors into architectural glazing. “Our smart glazing is based on millions of micromirrors, invisible to the bare eye, and reflects incoming sunlight according to user actions, sun positions, daytime, and seasons, providing a personalized light steering inside the building," Hillmer explains.

SEM micrograph of vertically standing, flat micromirror array with an inset of magnified area. Image: Hillme...

Amazon HQ2 to feature a tree-covered swirling glass tower, 'The Helix'

2021-02-02T16:10:00-05:00

Amazon has unveiled the latest design plans for the second phase of its $2.5 billion Arlington HQ2 campus. The proposal for the PenPlace site includes three 22-story office towers, several smaller buildings, a 250-seat outdoor amphitheater, public green space, and a fourth 350-foot swirling glass tower as the development's centerpiece.

Dubbed The Helix, the tree-covered structure utilizes a similar 'biophilia' concept as the company's The Spheres HQ in Seattle — both designed by NBBJ.

Image courtesy of NBBJ/Amazon.

According to this Amazon project statement, "the Helix at our Arlington headquarters will offer a variety of alternative work environments for Amazon employees amidst lush gardens and flourishing trees native to the region."

Image courtesy of NBBJ/Amazon.

"A true double helix in shape and structure, this unique building will feature two walkable paths of landscaped terrain that will spiral up the outside of the bu...

Construction photos show Sou Fujimoto's House of Hungarian Music nearing completion

2021-01-20T17:45:00-05:00

Image courtesy of Liget BudapestPraised by both the architecture and music profession, Sou Fujimoto's House of Hungarian Music aimed to blend the natural and built environment. According to Fujimoto, he wanted to create a sense of harmony between "the nature of sound and the sounds of nature." The project will be a structural icon for Budapest as part of the Liget Budapest Project, the largest and "most ambitious" cultural development program in Europe.

From its glass-walled facade to its perforated canopy, what makes the sing is its undulating roof that is said to represent the "visual representation of the vibration of sound: the wave." Its organic design emphasizes renewable energy and environmentally aware construction methods (as noted by BREEAM). Fujimoto and his team also drew design inspiration from the Secessionist building of the Liszt Academy and Hungary's music and music education traditions.

Image ...

Powerhouse Company's "Paper Roof" reception center has been completed in Tianjin, China

2021-01-15T12:26:00-05:00

Powerhouse Company's "Paper Roof," the new design for a reception center in Tianjin, China has been completed. The form is a transparent glass block topped by a light sweeping roof inspired by traditional Chinese architecture.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

The roof raises 18.5 meters at its highest point with a surface measurement of 30 meters x 50 meters. The canopy is made from powder-coated steel, colored a tone intended to mimic the sky.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

Inside the pavilion, a large atrium offers panoramic views of the surrounding lake and gardens. The second floor includes offices and a viewing balcony in addition to seating areas for small and large gatherings.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

10 new examples of glass in architecture for your Friday inspiration

2020-12-04T17:23:00-05:00

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 Glass.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

↑ 'Pierre Bottero' Media Library and Park in Pélissanne, France by Dominique Coulon & associés; Photo: Eugeni Pons

↑ Interpretation Centre of Romanesque in Lousada, Portugal by spaceworkers; Photo: Fernando Guerra - FG+SG

↑ La Bella Vita in Taichung, Taiwan by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel; Photo: Studio Millspace

↑ Shimao · The Wave in Tianjing, China by Lacime Architects; Photo: CAAI

↑ Yellowstone Residence in Big Sky, MT by Stuart Silk Architects; Photo: Aaron Leitz

↑ Townhouse in Brooklyn, NY by Joseph Vance Architects; Photo: Mikiko Kikuyama

↑ Skigard Hytte in Kvitfjell, Norway by Mork Ulnes Architects (the firm was al...

Transparent wood: 'potential to outperform glass'

2020-11-10T18:21:00-05:00

Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) researcher Junyong Zhu in co-collaboration with colleagues from the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, have developed a transparent wood material that may be the window of tomorrow. Researchers found that transparent wood has the potential to outperform glass currently used in construction.

The abstract of the researchers' paper A Clear, Strong, and Thermally Insulated Transparent Wood for Energy Efficient Windows points out that besides its energy-efficient qualities, transparent wood is a "sustainable material, with low carbon emissions and scaling capabilities due to its compatibility with industry-adopted rotary cutting methods. The scalable, high clarity, transparent wood demonstrated in current work can potentially be employed as energy efficient and sustainable windows for significant environmental and economic benefits."

Previously on Archinect: Scientists develop method to make wood harder than steel — or even transparent

"The Glass House Project" begins construction at the Menokin Foundation

2020-06-26T14:18:00-04:00

The Menokin Foundation has announced the commencement of construction on The Glass House Project, a preservation endeavor to transform the ruins of Menokin, the home of Declaration of Independence signer Francis Lightfoot Lee and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. The project will preserve the remaining portions of the 1769 Colonial-style home and replace missing walls, floors, and sections of the roof with glass.

The foundation is working with Machado Silvetti, a Boston-based architecture and design firm, along with a team of experts, to realize the ambitious project. Also on the project team are Consigli Construction Co. Inc (construction); DATA Investigations, LLC (archaeology); Eckersley O’Callaghan (glass design); Encore Sustainable Architects (historical architect); John Fidler (preservation technology); Reed Hilderbrand (landscape architecture); and Tillotson Design Associates (lighting design).

"The remains of the Menokin Plantation challenged our imagination to develop a design...

New photographs of Zaha Hadid's striking ME Dubai Hotel at the Opus

2020-05-06T15:38:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid Architects just released spectacular photographs of the new ME Dubai hotel at the Opus, a high-rise steel and glass cube the studio designed with a dramatic 8-story void seemingly punched right through it.

The building, centrally located in the Burj Khalifa district near Downtown Dubai and Business Bay on the Dubai Water Canal, was the only hotel in which the late Zaha Hadid designed both the architecture as well as the interiors.

Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu

"Spanning 84,300 square metres (907,400 square feet), the Opus was designed as two separate towers that coalesce into a singular whole—taking the form of a cube," explains the project description. "The cube has been ‘eroded’ in its centre, creating a free-form void that is an important volume of the design in its own right. The two halves of the building on either side of the void are linked by a four-storey atrium at ground level and also connected by an asymmetric 38 metre wide, three-storey bridge 71 metres above the ...