Archinect - News

University of Seville architecture professor develops new mathematical concept that can impact 'engineering and construction of buildings'

2023-03-20T09:10:00-04:00

During the construction of the university’s new engineering building, Cabeza-Lainez found that calculating the area of a roof with straight lines resting on a semicircle was impossible just by using pi. After 30 years of research, [he] published a paper about his discovery in ScienceDirect [...] Both articles present his proposal of a number psi (Ψ), with a value of 3.140923, close to pi but which can be applied to a versatile geometric form that he calls an antisphere.

According to El Pais, mathematician and architect Dr. Cabeza-Lainez had to develop his own proprietary calculation software in order to prove the equation. He has also published a book on solar light transfer and says the application of psi in various forms can lower costs associated with energy consumption by 50%.

Graphical Abstract of research from "New Simulation Tool for Architectural Design in the Realm of Solar Radiative Transfer" paper by Joseph Cabeza-Lainez, Jose-Manuel Almodóvar-Melendo, Paula Revenga-Dominguez, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Cunill, and Yingying Xu. Published research can be found in MDPI Journal's Special Issue "Sustainable Design in Building and Urban Environment."

He shares with Raúl Limón of El Pais that the new equation can be applied to “a downspout, to a network of pipes, to an earthquake-resistant tower, to 150-foot [50-meter] ships without using columns, even to biotechnological devices” that he's tested through models made with 3D printers. Rail network t...

How Spain’s ‘guerrilla architect’ is building new hope out of financial crisis

2014-08-18T15:25:00-04:00

As the state has withdrawn, Santiago Cirugeda has stepped in to turn abandoned sites in Seville and other Spanish cities into dramatic art spaces that are inspiring a new breed of architect

Winners of the SC2012 Links: Bridging Rivers Competition

2012-09-18T14:46:00-04:00

Spanish architectural magazine future arquitecturas recently announced the winners of its SC2012 Links: Bridging Rivers competition which called for innovative ideas of how to build a habitable bridge in two different sites: Chongqing (China) and Seville (Spain). Eligible for the international competition were architecture students or young architects under 35 years old.

Video: The making of the Metropol Parasol

2012-02-02T18:22:00-05:00

This film explores how the Metropol Parasol affects the people who live and work around it, as well as the historic area in which it sits. The Metropol Parasol is one of the largest wooden structures in the world and was completed in April 2011. It has become a new centre for Seville. The Metropol Parasol was designed by Architect, J. MAYER H., with engineering consulting from Arup.

Spain protest; photos.

2011-05-17T15:19:26-04:00

"Lo llaman democracia y no lo es. No nos mires, únete". Son los gritos de medio millar de manifestantes en Sevilla. Pretenden convocar una acampada esta semana.

While American news media is flooded by word of Arnold's secret baby, in Spain dozens of thousands of young people and others have congregated in major plazas around the May 15 movement. They are rejecting both major political parties and calling for an end to neoliberal austerity measures.

J. MAYER H. Completes Metropol Parasol in Seville

2011-04-27T13:41:00-04:00

April 2011 marks the completion of "Metropol Parasol", the Redevelopment of the Plaza de la Encarnacíon in Seville, Spain. Designed by Berlin-based J. MAYER H. architects, this project has already become the new landmark for Seville, a place of identification and to articulate Seville's role as one of the world´s most fascinating cultural destinations.

Metropol Parasol, Seville by Jürgen Mayer H – review

2011-03-27T14:51:00-04:00

Oh my God, it's an icon. How very last decade. Did the city of Seville not get the memo? Big, flashy buildings are out; hair shirts are in.

The Guardian's Rowan Moore critiques Mr. H's new public structure in Spain.