Archinect - News

MVRDV transforms 19th Century structure into new multifunctional NIO House Amsterdam HQ

2024-06-14T17:22:00-04:00

MVRDV’s remade space for the electric automaker NIO has opened in Amsterdam. The Chinese brand’s new European flagship offers just over 29,000 square feet of showrooms and other spaces carved out of a seven-story heritage structure in the Keizersgracht district that's held over from the 19th Century.

Partner Jacob van Rijs says: “The exciting challenge of this project was in unifying the history of this building with the identity of NIO, a company which in many senses is interested in offering a vision of the future. In a sense, we are confronting the same challenge that Rietveld resolved so gracefully 90 years ago. NIO House Amsterdam shows how the old and the new can provide a counterpoint for one another and ultimately enrich each other.”

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

The building has changed hands several times throughout its long history after originally being constructed for the New York Life Insurance Company in 1891. Special features include a second-floor “Joy Camp” childre...

How New York City is approaching EV charging

2024-05-03T10:41:00-04:00

Since 2021, 100 new curbside chargers have been added across all five boroughs. Jockeying for space alongside parking meters, LinkNYC kiosks, and bus shelters on public sidewalks, they are part of a pilot partnership between the Department of Transportation, Con Edison, and Flo, an EV charging system operator. In the outer-borough neighborhoods that lack the robust EV infrastructure of Manhattan’s Central Business District, these chargers are proving quite popular.

In an interview with Urban Omnibus managing editor Kevin Ritter, New York City Department of Transportation officials Will Carry and Luis Gonzalez outlined the city's vision for creating a comprehensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The department has recently launched a curbside charging pilot program across the city's boroughs, which has proven popular with users.

"In Europe, they’ve reached a point in the market development where cities are making net revenue from these chargers," Carry said. "We’re not there in New York, but at some point there is the potential for this to contribute to the city’s general fund."

Rivian puts construction of major Georgia EV plant on hold

2024-05-01T11:36:00-04:00

Electric vehicle maker Rivian has pressed pause on the construction of a major manufacturing plant in Stanton Springs, Georgia. As we reported late last year, the company selected Clayco and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to deliver the 1,800-acre complex.

Previously on Archinect: Clayco and SOM to design major EV manufacturing plant for Rivian in Georgia. Image credit: Clayco

In March, however, the company announced a pause in construction of the $5 billion facility, saying that while the plant “remains an extremely important part of its strategy to scale production of R2 and R3 [car models],” the “timing for resuming construction is expected to be later to focus its teams on the capital-efficient launch of R2 in Normal, Illinois.”

In new developments, an email sent from the company in April underscored a commitment to the project. “During the pause period, Rivian anticipates performing some limited site development activities, but the depth and breadth of this work has not yet been det...

Clayco and SOM to design major EV manufacturing plant for Rivian in Georgia

2023-12-27T11:17:00-05:00

Clayco and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill have been selected by electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian to construct a “state-of-the-art EV manufacturing plant” in Stanton Springs, Georgia. The 1,800-acre complex is expected to “contribute significantly to the continued growth and adoption of electric vehicles,” according to Clayco.

Image credit: Clayco

“We have an ambitious goal to develop an eco-conscious facility that illustrates our mission of keeping the world adventurous forever,” said Tony Sanger, Vice President of Facilities at Rivian, in a statement. “With Clayco’s dedication to developing innovative ideas and solutions, we are confident they are the right partner to ensure the Rivian plant is a shining example of sustainable manufacturing.”

The plant is expected to begin vehicle production in 2026.

Image credit: Clayco

The electric car manufacturer had previously been planning a $5 billion factory in Fort Worth, Texas, as we reported in 2021. However, later that year, it was announ...

All EV charging state plans approved by the Federal Highway Administration

2022-09-28T17:19:00-04:00

The Federal Highway Administration just approved all 50 state plans, in addition to Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, to build EV charging stations along America’s approximately 53,000-mile interstate highway network as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program, which will release a total of $1.5 billion of funding over the next two fiscal years.

NEVI is a portion of the larger $5 billion EV provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 and will establish much-needed charging stations per every 50-mile stretch of the system, making them (almost) as easy to find as gas stations for the first time since debuting on the American market, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“Thanks to the commitment of state leaders who worked hard to develop EV charging networks that work for their residents, we were able to approve these state charging plans quickly and ahead of schedule,” Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack...

Electric car marker Polestar launches KOJA, a treehouse with an environmental message

2022-08-23T12:33:00-04:00

Electric car company Polestar has overseen the construction of KOJA, a treehouse designed by Finnish designer Kristian Talvitie which they say balances architectural beauty with a commentary on the climate emergency.

KOJA. Image © Polestar

Originally awarded an honorable mention at the 2021 Polestar Design Contest, the scheme has now been constructed in Fiskars, an artistic town in the Southwest of Finland. The scheme’s realization, a first for any Polestar winner, coincides with the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, a “topical, egalitarian platform for encounters between makers and enthusiasts.”

KOJA. Image © Polestar

KOJA derives its name from the Swedish word for “hut” or “den,” and manifests as a minimalistic treehouse, constructed from sustainable materials that seek to provide an immersive natural experience. The scheme balances this memorable natural experience with a prompt for visitors to help combat climate change and preserve the natural world.

KOJA. Image © Polestar...

New York passes law banning the sale of all gas-powered vehicles by 2035

2021-09-27T17:57:00-04:00

New York is aiming to ban the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. A bill amending the state's environmental conservation law was passed by the state's Senate and Assembly and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul last week.

At the start of this month, Assembly Bill A4302 was signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which would require that all in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks have zero emissions by 2035. The law also requires that all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in New York be emission-free by 2045.

According to the Governor’s office, this move will help reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent. State agencies will now work together to develop a zero-emissions vehicles market development strategy, which they hope to complete by 2023. New York will also need to install an extensive charging network across the state.

Last year, California also banned the sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

Lyft deployed 200 long-range electric vehicles into its Denver rental fleet

2019-11-20T11:03:00-05:00

Lyft recently announced that it deployed 200 long-range electric vehicles (EVs) into its Express Drive program in Denver. The Express Drive program operates in nearly three dozen U.S. cities and allows drivers to rent vehicles through Lyft's partners instead of committing to longer-term options such as leasing or buying their own.

According to Smart Cities Dive, the effort is part of Lyft's larger plan for a fully electrified fleet. The vehicles will be available this December.

Automotive showroom by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects unifies car and home

2018-03-01T10:43:00-05:00

Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has completed the first phase of NIO House, an unconventional showroom for electric car company NIO in Shanghai.

NIO House by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects located in Shanghai. Image: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.

The firm utilizes materials such as satin stainless steel, Douglas fir, terrazzo, and fabrics to further NIO's message of the car as an extension of the home. NIO House is part of the company's design-centric concept bringing home and car together in the showroom itself.

NIO House by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects located in Shanghai. Image: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.

The car manufacturer’s ES8 and EP9 models are on display in an environment that allows the consumer to understand and exper...

Charging in Style: Danish firm COBE is rethinking fueling stations

2018-01-22T13:40:00-05:00

Shortly, electricity will replace petrol and diesel as the fuel for our cars, and such a change could radically shift our urban landscape as the formal aspects of gas stations is then open to reimagining. Danish Architecture firm COBE is looking to do just that. Understanding that under current technological trends the average charging time for an electric vehicle is upwards of 45 minutes, COBE is looking to use such a newly established time frame as a possible opportunity for rethinking the traditional gas station as a place and less of a transient space.

Ultrafast Charging Station: Small. Image: COBE

Ultrafast Charging Station: Medium. Image: COBE

Ultrafast Charging Station: Large. Image: COBE

“Electric vehicles are the future. In our design, we want to offer drivers a much-needed and meaningful break in a green oasis. The energy and the technology are green, and we want the architecture, the materials and the concept to be green as well. Therefore, we’ve designed a sculptural charg...

MAD designs a futuristic new campus for Faraday Future

2017-07-18T12:15:00-04:00

Appropriate to its sci-fi ambitions and branding, Faraday Future has enlisted MAD to design a new campus that suggests “extraterrestrial objects capable of de-familiarizing employees and prospective clients with the status quo of the contemporary automotive market.”

Sited on Mare Island in Northern California, the campus will cover approximately 130,000 square meters, of which 20,000 square meters will be buildings. Specifically, the campus features two low, metallic structures as well as a “user experience center” comprising a sculptural reflective tower. From its heights, clients can watch as their car is transported from a warehouse to an exhibition hall via an elevated light rail. Non-client visitors will also be able to visit the experience center.

Image Courtesy of MAD Architects

The site, which used to be a naval base, will have a double-height facility punctured by a series of internal courtyards, intended to ser...

Faraday Future's $1 Billion electric car factory in Nevada stopped in its tracks

2017-07-11T13:25:00-04:00

This is the second and likely final time construction will be halted on the one million square foot plant, which according to The Verge, was going to be Faraday Future's way of competing with fellow electric car manufacturer Tesla.

Faraday Future's "FFZero1 Concept Prototype." Image: Wikipedia

As the article notes:

It was just five months ago that FF was claiming that it was finally restarting construction of its proposed factory in North Las Vegas, almost 11 months after construction was first halted amid the company’s ongoing financial woes. Now it looks like that factory will never be built, as FF is reportedly looking into pursuing less ambitious (re: cheaper) options.

Ennead Architects envision the "Charging Towers" of the near, electric-car future

2017-04-07T12:15:00-04:00

If electric cars are the future, what will be the future the gas stations? Charging stations, of course—but what would they look like? The New York-based firm Ennead Architects has proposed a “charging tower” for an undisclosed client in Shanghai.

Inspired by Tesla charging stations (the renderings feature Model S cars), their “Charging Towers” are designed to work in small, pedestrian-oriented urban environments. In order to maximize the number of cars charging at once, the Tower makes use of existing stack-parking technology. In short, the ground level would feature “super charge” stations while the top would allow for a slower charge that doubles as a parking space.

To make the things pretty, the towers are clad in a reflective, perforated metal envelope “recalling the chrome-filled aesthetic history of the automobile and creating a beacon for those searching for parking and car charging,” according to the the architects.

H/T Electrek

...

PLP Architecture conceives of automated, underground "CarTube" for London

2016-12-08T12:45:00-05:00

Imagine driving into London not on surface streets, but rather in an underground tube with automated, moving tracks designed specifically for electric cars. Like a kind of subterranean track-laden ferry, which drivers would be able to individually join and exit at numerous points, this "CarTube" concept is the work of Lars Hesselgren's research team at PLP Architecture.

Although the proposal uses London as a starting point, the firm isn't limiting it to the U.K., as this Guardian article notes:

If the project’s goal is to reduce street-level congestion, then is a city like London (which already has an extensive public transport system and congestion charge) its prime target? “London is our case study, but chances are it will get built somewhere else where people are desperate for a solution,” Hesselgren says, listing Mexico City, Delhi, Jakarta and Mumbai as the sorts of gridlock-heavy cities that could benefit from the CarTube. “This kind of approach in those places could really make...

AECOM halts work on Faraday Future's $1-Billion Nevada factory

2016-11-22T15:05:00-05:00

Faraday Future’s future is looking bleaker. After the electric car start-up failed to pay millions of dollars in bills, its contractor Monday halted work on Faraday’s $1-billion North Las Vegas, Nev., car factory. [...] The contractor is Aecom, the Los Angeles-based engineering giant. [...] Faraday failed to pay $21 million due to Aecom in September and owed $25 million in October and $12 million in November, according to Aecom.

Faraday Future previously in the Archinect news:

The Netherlands considers a ban on gasoline-powered vehicles

2016-08-18T13:04:00-04:00

Gasoline-powered cars may soon be a thing of the past. But the Netherlands wants to get there quicker. The Dutch government is debating the possibility of banning new gas and diesel cars from 2025. The initial proposal, which was brought forward by the Labor Party, called for an outright ban of all petrol and diesel cars, but was eventually modified so the ban only affected the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Traditional cars already in use will still run on the streets.

The proposal has since passed in the lower house of the Netherlands’ parliament. It now needs to pass through the Dutch senate.

In related news:

Faraday Future holds groundbreaking ceremony for $1B Nevada factory

2016-04-14T12:27:00-04:00

Electric car company Faraday Future held a groundbreaking ceremony for its $1 billion manufacturing facility outside Las Vegas this afternoon, attended by Nevada governor Brian Sandoval, North Las Vegas mayor John Lee, and a host of other officials. There wasn't any actual "ground" broken, though, really — Faraday still needs to grade the land, which it says it will do "soon."

[...]

"Faraday's VP of Global Manufacturing Dag Reckhorn says that they are "moving extremely quickly for a project of this size" — a 3 million square-foot factory on 900 acres that the company claims will bring 4,300 jobs to the region over a decade — with plans to build in just two years instead of the normal four."

Watch the cached livestream here (video starts at 32:59):

Listen to our recent One-to-One conversation with Richard Kim of Faraday Future:

For more on the future of self-driving automobiles, check out these links:

The "Impossible" Car – Faraday Future's lead designer, Richard Kim, on One-to-One #17

2016-04-04T18:17:00-04:00

Richard Kim is a pretty busy guy – as the head designer at emerging electric vehicle company, Faraday Future, Kim is tasked with creating the company's very first EV for production, destined to compete with Tesla and, as he sees it, the airline industry. No public design is available yet, but Kim hopes to do the "impossible" and ready the car for production in 2017. We found some time in his tight schedule to discuss his role at Faraday Future and what's in store for car ownership and operation in the coming years, as automation and electric battery capabilities open up new paradigms for the humble automobile.

Listen to One-to-One #17 with Richard Kim of Faraday Future:

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Download: this episode

Wired takes a look inside Tesla's car factory of the future

2016-01-12T18:45:00-05:00

"Robots hate litter," reads a health and safety sign. "Please don't give them any more reasons to overthrow mankind." It's also fair to say that naming your robots makes the whole process of constructing cars vaguely ridiculous. "Wolverine and Iceman lift the cars to tramline two," our tour guide informs us with the zeal of a true believer, adding, as he did after virtually every sentence, that this is 'kind of amazing'.

A look inside Tesla's growing Gigafactory: "It will blow your mind."

2015-11-19T13:24:00-05:00

Musk had warned me that the scale of the place would be overwhelming. "It will blow your mind. You see it in person and then realize, Fuck, this is big." He was right. It was impossible not to feel awestruck by the sprawling, 71-foot-tall structure stretched out, miragelike, before me as I drove into a shallow canyon. [...] When the Gigafactory is finished, it will be only slightly smaller than Boeing’s Everett, Washington, plant, which is the world’s largest building by volume.

Could Electric Cars Threaten the Grid?

2013-08-16T15:20:00-04:00

Plugging in an electric vehicle is, in some cases, the equivalent of adding three houses to the grid. That has utilities in California—where the largest number of electric vehicles are sold—scrambling to upgrade the grid to avoid power outages.