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Incorporating Indigenous principles, Seneca College's new Health and Wellness Centre proposes an 'architecture of reconciliation'

2023-05-01T11:56:00-04:00

A new collaborative higher-ed project from Two Row Architect and DIALOG has been proposed for Canada’s Seneca Polytechnic College in Toronto.

The proposal calls for a new Health and Wellness Centre to be delivered at the eastern edge of the school’s Newnham Campus, transforming an aged sports center structure into a multi-level complex that serves the academic community of more than 30,000.

“There are a number of big ideas that have inspired this design. One is the idea that this building will be an intimation of what an 'architecture of reconciliation' could look like,” DIALOG Partner Craig Applegath said in a statement. “And such a wonderful way of not only connecting and reconciling Indigenous and settler cultures but also of providing a gateway for potential new Canadian students to imagine what the reconciled future Canada might look and feel like. Another is that this is intended to be a truly environmentally responsible building: with plans for net-zero carbon, and sustainab...

Pininfarina’s first Mexican residential design gets underway in the Yucatan

2023-03-07T12:12:00-05:00

Pininfarina has just shared an update on its new Light Towers luxury residential project in Mérida, Mexico.

The development broke ground last Wednesday with local politicians in attendance to celebrate the beginning of construction on a project the firm and developers Branson say represents a "path forward; a nod to new ideas, fresh perspectives, and hope for future generations."

Image courtesy Pininfarina

Featuring a V-shaped pair of 17- and 18-story volumes connected at the base by a five-story podium, the design centers a "green valley" at its core to create a communal space with private terraces, wellness amenities, and a co-working space all entwined with the building’s concept.

Image courtesy Pininfarina

A total of 121 modular "Skyvilla" condominiums come with configurations that offer between 25% and 75% of their total floor areas to greenspace. Interior color palettes used in the residential units evoke local traditions, the design team says.

Image courtesy Pininfarina

Image c...

AIA publishes COVID-19 database to share best practices in hospital conversion design

2020-04-03T17:57:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is currently assembling a database containing information on the health care facilities, both traditional and temporary, and the design professionals around the world mobilizing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, AIA announced the creation of an internal COVID-19 task force that seeks to provide expert advice on how existing buildings can be rapidly converted for temporary hospital use.

Previously on Archinect: “AIA launches COVID-19 task force to advise building adaptation for hospital use initiatives.”View of the repurposed Oakland Municipal Auditorium during the 1918 flu epidemic. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Edward A. "Doc" Rogers.

As part of that group’s work, AIA has published the COVID-19 ArchMap, an online library created in partnership with the Kansas University Institute of Health + Wellness Design. The website collects information on these medical facilities in order to create a searchable resource for med...