Archinect - News

10 new minimalist architectural spaces for your Friday inspiration

2020-04-03T12:37:00-04:00

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.

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

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

↑ House in Ashiya, Japan by Kazunori Fujimoto; Photo: Kazunori Fujimoto

↑ Sant Antoni Lofts in Barcelona, Spain by ROMAN IZQUIERDO BOULDSTRIDGE; Photo: Adrià Goula

↑ Leader Mountain Art Museum in Zhongshan, China by HYP-ARCH DESIGN; Interior Design: C&C Design Co., Ltd.; Photo: Qingshan Wu

↑ Circle House in Brookline, MA by I-Kanda Architects; Photo: Matt Delphenich

↑ Red House in Rybnik, Poland by toprojekt

↑ Refurbishment for Eduardo, Laura & Enzo in Petrer, Spain by Pablo Muñoz Payá Arquitectos; Photo: Milena Villalba & Santiago Vicente Calvo

↑ Clinton Hill Residence in Brooklyn, NY by Arnold Studio; Photo: Nico Schi...

From the Ashes, Detroit continues to rise.

2017-12-18T11:30:00-05:00

An 800-foot-tall centerpiece is coming to Detroit's resurgent downtown as the city continues to build momentum about three years after exiting the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Detroit continues its steep climb back to normalcy and growth. As one of America's hardest-hit areas by the Great Recession, Detroit unemployment was running nearly three times as high as the national average in 2009 at a staggering 28 percent — and the city was bleeding population, losing inhabitants every year for the last six years.

Through all this, Detroit has powered back and hinted its potential as a location of a modern-day renaissance allowing for unhindered creativity and possibilities. Returning to Detroit's legacy of a booming urban center, altogether, the projected projects of downtown look to bring up to 24,000+ jobs to the region with companies such as Microsoft and Ally Financial looking to make a move to Downtown Detroit.

Amnesty International reports new numbers of Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 migrant exploitation

2017-05-26T12:55:00-04:00

Migrants building a state-of-the-art stadium for the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar are abused and exploited – while FIFA makes huge profits.

As previously covered in Archinect news, many migrant workers in Qatar face abuse and exploitation, forced labor or even death.

A recent report from Amnesty International reveals new numbers — over 90% of Qatar's workforce, an estimated 1.7 million people, are migrant workers coming from Bangladesh, India and Nepal. 3,200 workers, mostly migrants, work on Khalifa Stadium every day. The majority of the workers seeking jobs in Qatar are escaping poverty in their home countries. They are often forced to pay recruitment fees ranging from anywhere between $500 to $4,300 that leave many in debt and hunger. Passports are taken away, making those people unable to leave their jobs or the country while being unpaid for months.

Considering the conditions and the threats that the migrant workers endure in Qatar, it is truly challenging to not regard their situation as one of the forms of modern-day slavery.

DOE Crowdsourcing Initiative Seeks Buildings-Related Problems to Solve

2015-07-08T13:23:00-04:00

In the first, “Ideation” phase of the initiative, those working in the building efficiency area are invited to submit problem statements describing challenges that need to be overcome in order to promote better engagement with building occupants and to improve the ability to balance energy and occupant comfort objectives in a building. In addition to submitting problem statements, participants are invited to vote and comment on ideas that have already been submitted.

Mini-robots may outcompete 3D printing in the evolution of construction

2014-06-19T14:59:00-04:00

A team of researchers from Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia are working on another solution: A swarm of tiny robots that could cover the construction site of the future, quickly and cheaply building greener buildings of any size. [...] "The robots can work simultaneously while performing different tasks, and having a fixed size they can create objects of virtually any scale, as far as material properties permit”

Check out the Minibuilders in action below:

David Chipperfield wins Nobel Center architectural competition

2014-04-09T12:52:00-04:00

David Chipperfield's "Nobelhuset" is the winning design for the new Nobel Center in Stockholm, after a unanimous jury decision. Back in Fall 2013, Chipperfield was one of 11 famous architects who submitted proposals for the future Nobel Center.

In the second stage, the competition narrowed down to three proposals from: Johan Celsing - Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor (Sweden); Gert Wingårdh - Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor (Sweden); and of course, David Chipperfield and Christoph Felger - David Chipperfield Architects Berlin (Germany).

The Nobel Center will be built to become an architectural representation of the Nobel Prize and serve as a space to promote the Prize's ideals of forward thinking and innovation.

Here's more detail into the winning design:

"According to the statement of the jury, the proposed building has an elegant, timeless and attractive external appearance with a clear identity of its own. The revised façade design, with its shimmering vertical brass elements and glass, has a l...

Wingårdhs wins Statoil competition in Norway, beats Snøhetta, OMA and Norman Foster

2014-04-04T21:22:00-04:00

"E = mc²" by Swedish firm Wingårdhs was the winning solution in an invited competition to redesign the Forus West building of major energy company Statoil in Sandnes, Norway. Statoil will now further develop its plans for the new building based on Wingårdhs’ proposal and clarify significant regulation issues before further progress is done.

From 48 applications worldwide, the invited teams consisted mostly of Norwegian names and a few famous ones: Snøhetta (NO); Foster + Partners (UK) with Space Group (NO); and Helen & Hard (NO) with SAHAA (NO). OMA (NL) was also invited but withdrew shortly before the competition deadline, much to the jury's disappointment.

Here's a glimpse of Wingårdhs’ proposal:

See the jury's evaluation and other details on Bustler.

Construction update: Zhongxun Times by 10 Design in Chongqing

2014-04-04T17:35:00-04:00

Construction has been underway for 10 Design's Zhongxun Times in recent months in the historic city of Chongqing, China. Commissioned by the ZhongXun Group, the mixed-use office and retail development is phase one of the Danzishi Central Business District, which 10 Design masterplanned.

Corporate investors NVC-Lighting Chongqing, Energy Investment Real Estate, Sinosteel Investment Group, and ZhongXun Group developed the 14-plot scheme of the Danzishi CBD seeking economic enhancement for Chongqing -- China's largest municipality.

Zhongxun Times is expected to be complete by spring 2015.

Here's more project info from 10 Design:

"This mixed use office and retail development sits centrally within the new Danzishi Central Head Quarters in Chongqing, that sits on the banks of the Yangtze River.

The brief was to create an interactive retail environment that would interact and reflect with the rich topography that Chongqing is renowned for."

"The site set many challenges with a level difference o...

New U.S. Consulate General by SOM officially opens in Guangzhou

2014-03-05T19:03:00-05:00

U.S. and local Chinese officials gathered to host the ribbon-cutting of the new U.S. Consulate General today in Guangzhou, China. Perceived as a symbol of the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China, companies from both countries collaborated on the $267 million project, which broke ground in October 2009 and was completed in June 2013.

Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill's San Francisco office designed the complex while BL Harbert International, LLC, of Birmingham, AL and China Huashi Enterprises, Ltd., of Chengdu, China were the project's contractors.

Located on a 7.4-acre site in Guangzhou's blossoming Business Center District near the Pearl River, the seven-building complex includes a 4-story main consular building for visa services and public events, an office building for 400 employees, a residence for U.S. Marines, a warehouse with service shops, three entrance pavilions.

Building façades and landscaped areas integrate local stones from the Fujian province as well as trees and...

REX's Five Manhattan West is the latest revamp for an evolving NYC

2014-02-12T19:58:00-05:00

REX recently unveiled their scheme for redesigning the historic Davis Brody building on 450 West 33rd St in New York. The $200 million project consists of repositioning, re-cladding and interior renovation -- making it yet another addition to major redevelopments to NYC's evolving neighborhoods and when adaptive reuse continues to be on the rise. Construction is expected to be complete in 2016.

Check out some project details the architects sent us:

"Designed by architecture firm Davis Brody (now Davis Brody Bond) and completed in 1969, 450 West 33rd Street (450W33) is an exemplar of late Brutalist architecture. The edifice’s structure is effectively a steel bridge spanning the Penn Station rail lines leading to Hudson Yards, supporting a cast-in-place concrete column-and-slab frame. The building’s enclosure was originally composed of precast concrete fill-in panels with integrated windows."

"During the 1980s, the building’s hard beauty was neutered when its external structural elements...

New Federation of Korean Industries HQ by Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill Architecture opens to the public

2014-01-23T17:24:00-05:00

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) announced today the public opening of the new Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) headquarters in Seoul. AS+GG collaborated with engineering firms Thornton Tomasetti and Environmental Systems Design, and locally based firm Chang-Jo Architects on the project.

Find more project details on Bustler.

What could have been of Gershwin Plot 14 by NL Architects

2014-01-20T19:48:00-05:00

Gershwin Plot 14 by Dutch firm NL Architects is an eye-catching project to start off the week. The proposal was the winning entry of a 2012 competition to design a new large residential building in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the project was abruptly cancelled in 2013. Such is the world of architecture...

Find out more on Bustler.

LEO A DALY honored with China’s Luban Award for Huijin International Center

2014-01-03T18:02:00-05:00

The Huijin International Center designed by architecture/engineering firm LEO A DALY was recently honored with the Luban Award, China's prestigious prize for design and construction. Since 1989, the biennial Luban Award acknowledges architecture and engineering firms that produce high-quality work and maintain strong quality control and project management.

"The 30-story, 52,000-square-meter tower, which is located in the coastal city of Xiamen, serves as the headquarters for Septwolves Holding Company, a publicly traded holding company with more than 4,000 fashion stores in China. LEO A DALY designed the tower and interiors to express the culture and mission of the Septwolves Company.

The project’s scope included the tower core and shell design, custom lobby design, chairman’s 30th-floor private apartment and gallery, the full 29th floor fit-out of the investment group’s offices, and a two-story VIP board room with views to the South China Sea. The project is the first LEED Gold, (BD+C) Core and Shell v2009 project to be certified by the USGBC in Fujian Province."

Architect to plead "no contest" in Los Angeles firefighter's death

2014-01-03T14:39:00-05:00

A German architect accused of improperly installing a fireplace in his Hollywood Hills mansion, leading to a firefighter’s death in February 2011, is expected to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter Friday.

Architect, Gerhard Becker, is accused of involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles in the death of a firefighter in February 2011. He is expected to plead "no contest" and serve a 6 month long sentence.

Becker was accused of constructing fireplaces in a 12,000 square foot residence in the Hollywood Hills despite having filed drawing that showed otherwise. Prosecutors allege that he did so after final inspections in November 2010.

Investigators determined that the fire was a result of several gas exterior fire pits that were installed inside. A fire broke out and several responding firefighter were pinned when the ceiling collapsed, resulting in one death.

Villa Kogelhof by Paul de Ruiter Architects wins an ARC13 Architecture Award

2013-12-02T18:28:00-05:00

The ultramodern Villa Kogelhof in Kamperland, the Netherlands has just been awarded one of the prestigious Dutch ARC13 Architecture Prize. The building's designers, Amsterdam-based Paul de Ruiter Architects, were honored with the prize — alongside three other award winners — at a festive award ceremony in Rotterdam.

Photography by Jeroen Musch.

UNStudio completes Ardmore Residence tower in Singapore

2013-11-15T18:04:00-05:00

UNStudio recently announced the completion of the Ardmore Residence tower in Singapore City. The building's monochromatic facade is distinctive yet it easily complements neighboring structures and location near the Orchard Road luxury shopping district. And at 36 stories high, residents are guaranteed envy-inducing panoramic views of the city.

All photos © Iwan Baan, courtesy of UNStudio.

Click here to read the full project description.

South Brisbane Welcomes Twin Tower Development

2013-02-19T20:52:00-05:00

South Brisbane’s renewal is well underway and the suburb could soon become home to a landmark $50 million twin tower development known as Arena. The contemporary 12-floor twin tower apartment buildings is slated for 9 Edmonstone Street and has been designed to allow pedestrian access to Browning Street via a dedicated cross block link.

The UK’s Most ‘Outstanding’ Green Building

2012-12-20T20:23:00-05:00

The building, known as 1 Angel Square, has been designed to deliver a 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to The Co-operative’s current Manchester complex and an 80 per cent reduction in carbon. This will lead to operating costs being lowered by up to 30 per cent.

Phoenix rising as Beijing builds

2012-10-18T17:49:00-04:00

“China is evolving into a construction superpower,” says Fang Zhenning, a scholar who lectures at the architecture school of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. The country is expected to account for one-fifth of worldwide building by the year 2020, Fang says. In the battle to build ever-faster, some architects have resorted to digitally cloning designs that can be replicated time after time.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Details" Pinterest Board

2012-07-27T14:28:00-04:00

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 Details.

↑ Saifi Residence Staircase in Beirut, Lebanon by .PSLAB

↑ The Offices of Buck O'Neill Builders, Inc in San Francisco, CA by jones | haydu

↑ MNA Office and Design Studio in New York, NY by Michael Neumann Architecture

↑ MONTREAL in Guadalajara, Mexico by JAPI Estudio de Arquitectura

↑ Slide Library / Expanded Alliances in New York, NY by marble fairbanks

↑ West Hollywood Residence in West Hollywood, CA by (fer) studio, LLP

↑ Loft of Frank and Amy in New York, NY by Resolution: 4 Architecture

↑ Central Harlem STD Clinic in New York, NY by Stephen Yablon Architect PLLC

↑ Signal/To/Noise in Detroit, MI by M1/DTW

(Cover pic: J-Pop Culture Center in San Francisco, CA by Kwan Henmi...

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

2012-07-20T13:44:00-04:00

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!.

↑ Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture Shelter in Taliesin West, AZ by David Frazee

↑ Surfhouse in Hermosa Beach, CA by XTEN Architecture

↑ West Newton in Boston, MA by Butz Klug Architecture

↑ Inside-Out House in Marina del Rey, CA by glynn designbuild

↑ Beijing Planetarium in Beijing, China by amphibianArc

↑ Toni Stabile Student Center in New York, NY by marble fairbanks

↑ Villa London in Lluchmayor, Spain by CMV Architects

↑ Archohm Studio in New Delhi, India by Archohm

↑ Round Tower in Gloucestershire, GB by De Matos Ryan

(Cover pic: Stöðin Roadside Stop in Borgarnes, Iceland by KRADS, Photo: Kristinn Magnússon)

Click here to see more "Ten Top Images on...

A Dissident Did Our Guesthouse

2012-05-29T14:08:00-04:00

It is one thing to own a dozen original “Zodiac Head” sculptures by the Chinese artist, dissident, and human-rights cause célèbre Ai Weiwei. It is quite another to live in a house partially designed by him. But such is the good fortune of two Columbia County art collectors, who six years ago commissioned the Swiss firm HHF Architects and its scruffily bearded collaborator to build them a home with a detached guesthouse and garage on a pastoral 40-acre plot upstate.

Glowing Red Garnet Pavilions Educate Travelers on Italy’s Timmelsjoch Road

2011-12-26T16:31:58-05:00

Perched high above the town of Moos in the Italian Alps is a glowing pair of garnet-shaped structures that serve as a stop along the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road. Modeled on the geological rock formations found in the Passeiertal valley and designed by Werner Tscholl, the pavilions are the first structures to be built along the road as part of the Timmelsjoch Experience.

Brick Swarm

2011-11-27T19:05:03-05:00

Semi-autonomous flying robots programmed by Swiss architects Gramazio & Kohler "will lift, transport and assemble 1500 polystyrene foam bricks" next month—starting 2 December 2011—at the FRAC Center in France. The result, they hope, will be a "3.5 meter wide structure."

The 6 Most Dubious “Green” Projects from Dubai

2011-08-01T17:11:22-04:00

Despite a handful of genuinely sustainable developments taking place in Dubai, the Emirate has an embarrassing reputation for realizing some of the world's most absurd "green" projects. Inhabitat has compiled a list of our favorite to poke fun at, including the world's tallest tennis court.

O’ Mighty Green

2011-06-08T07:43:27-04:00

0. Introduction
Sustainability currently shares many qualities with God; supreme concept, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; creator and judge, protector, and (...) saviour of the universe and the humanity. And, like God, it has millions of believers. Since we humans are relatively simpleminded and suspicious and need evidence before belief can become conviction, Green has come to represent sustainability; has become its incarnation in the human world. But sustainability, like God, might not have a form, nor a colour…

1. Emancipation
In a desperate attempt to give shape to an all-encompassing ideology the Green proves to work as the quickest and easiest representation of sustainability. The Green is the only symbol able to keep pace with today’s lack of patience and hunger for images; a Lady Gaga-Sustainability: effective, noticeable, creative, sensationalist. In a persistent effort to become the allegory of Sustainability, Green has been emancipated as its caricature.

...