Archinect - News

MVRDV reveals 'ecology-first' master plan for health and technology campus

2023-04-18T08:00:00-04:00

MVRDV has designed what the firm describes as a “pointillist” master plan for a health and technology campus in the Dutch city of Nijmegen.

The project aims to reimagine the Noviotech Campus by unifying the currently disjointed campus buildings and adding new buildings in the empty spaces between them while merging the site into the surrounding city. The design team says it's taking an “ecology-first” approach by transforming the campus into a nature-inclusive landscape that connects the neighboring Goffertpark, one of the city’s largest green spaces, and the adjacent Jonkerbos War Cemetery to designated green corridors nearby.

Image © MVRDV

The master plan preserves six of the seven pre-existing large buildings on the site, including one that will be renovated. The buildings will serve as a grid into which new buildings are added over time over three phases of development. The campus aims to eventually expand to approximately three million square feet of leasable space.

A green sp...

NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces $7.25 million federal grant to expand greenway network in underserved communities

2022-08-25T18:56:00-04:00

Earlier this week, New York Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city has received a $7.25 million federal grant to expand the greenway network across the five boroughs, with a priority on serving historically underserved, lower-income communities.

The funding is from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant. The money will be used to fill gaps in New York City’s greenway network, improve cyclist and pedestrian safety with revitalized infrastructure, and provide green transportation options and greater waterfront access. The grant application was prepared by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), the New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks), and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).

“All New Yorkers deserve access to our beautiful greenways, and we’re making that happen thanks to millions in federal funding,” said Mayor Adams. “This grant will help us do t...

Biophilia: 10 new examples of nature and the built environment coexisting harmoniously

2022-04-22T07:00:00-04:00

Happy Earth Day! 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 Biophilia.

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

↑ Field Office in Portland, OR by Hacker Architects; Landscape Designer: Lango Hansen; Sustainability Consultant: YRG; Photo: Josh Partee

↑ Nanbo Bay Reception Center in Yinchuan, China; Interior Design: SUNSON Design; Photo: Kanghui Zeng

↑ Restaurante 34 in Guimarães, Portugal by REM'A; Photo: Ivo Tavares Studio

↑ Lazy House in Zlín, Czech Republic by Petr Janda / brainwork; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Restaurant Terrace [ Azuma ] in Odessa, Ukraine by JK Lab Architects

↑ Wine Cave in Texas Hill Country by Clayton Korte; Photo: Casey Dunn

↑ Art Villa in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica by Refuel works; Interiors: Fo...

Biophilia: 10 fresh examples of nature and architecture blending harmoniously

2020-06-05T11:34:00-04:00

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 Biophilia.

↑ The Evans Tree House at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, AR by Modus Studio and the University of Arkansas; Team Member: Scott Penman (more about this project, a 2019 AIA Small Project Award winner, here)

↑ Hood Cliff Retreat in Hood Canal, WA by Wittman Estes; Photo: Andrew Pogue (Wittman Estes was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series)

↑ Cliff House in White Salmon, WA by Giulietti / Schouten AIA Architects

↑ Walnut Woods Residence in Indian Hill, OH by John Senhauser Architects; Photo: Eric Williams, Scott Hisey

↑ Art Villas in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica by Formafatal; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Jack...

Biophilia: 10 fresh examples of nature and architecture coexisting harmoniously

2019-03-01T09:00:00-05:00

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.

(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 Biophilia.

↑ Delfland Water Authority in Delft, Netherlands by Mecanoo and SILO Agency

↑ The Tillary Hotel in Brooklyn, NY by Cl-oth Interiors

↑ House in Peconic Bay, NY by Mapos Architects, DPC

↑ O Cuatro Residence in Mexico City by MIGDAL ARQUITECTOS; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ One Vandam in New York, NY by BKSK Architects, LLP; Landscape Architect: Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C.; Photo: Alexander Severin

↑ Three-Court Residence in Austin, TX by A Parallel Architecture

↑ Tribeca Loft in New York, NY by Andrew Franz Architect, PLLC; Photo: Albert Vecerka/Esto

↑ House Ferndale in Randburg, South Africa by Nico van der Meulen ...

Biophilia: 10 examples of nature and architecture blending harmoniously

2018-01-12T13:43:00-05:00

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.

(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 Biophilia.

↑ Morris Arboretum, Out on a Limb in Philadelphia, PA by Metcalfe Architecture & Design (Principal: Alan Metcalfe); Photo: Paul Warchol Photography

↑ Coffee for Sasquatch in Los Angeles, CA by Dan Brunn Architecture

↑ Within the Reflection in Taipei, Taiwan by B P Architects; Photo: Hung-Yu Lin

↑ Little House in Hood Canal, WA by Mw|works Architecture + Design

↑ Garden Museum Phase 2 in London, UK by Dow Jones Architects; Photo: David Grandorge, Anthony Coleman

↑ The MAOHAUS in Beijing, China by AntiStatics Architecture Design; Photo: Xia Zhi, AntiStatics

↑ La Kretz Innovation Campus (LKIC) in Los Angeles, CA by John Fri...

WWII German bunker adds "green mountain" on top in radical repurposing

2017-05-30T17:48:00-04:00

Repurposing and renovation are some of the hottest new trends in architecture, but architects in Hamburg may have elevated the stakes by their proposal to place a 19-meter high "green mountain" atop a World War II bunker in Hamburg, Germany. The new mountain would offer residents lots to grow vegetables, as well as "a bit of plain hedonistic pleasure" according to a statement released by the designers. The bottom of the bunker has already undergone substantial transformation: it currently hosts a nightclub, a graphic design agency, a music school, a music shop, and a photographer’s studio.

"Poissy Galore" artfully frames green public space on the banks of the Seine

2017-01-05T13:27:00-05:00

Situated in Carrière-Sous-Poissy in France along the River Seine, "Poissy Galore" by Armengaud Armengaud Cianchetta (AAC) and Herlach Hartmann Frommenwiler (HHF) is designed primarily as an ecological public space for both Parisian residents and far-flung visitors. Consisting of an observatory, an insect museum and a visitor center, the project title is an apt play on the James Bond film, both in terms of its expansiveness and playfulness. The inventive timber construction and visually arresting angular framing is as much a part of the project's allure as its nuanced integration into its 113 hectare site.

As the architects explain, "With the exception of the observatory, which is a steel construction, the collection of pavilions and small 'follies' is based on a modular wood system, repeating and combining different sized and angled timber frames."

In addition to the public spaces, the project also has private offices and storage, including facilities to raise insects.

The latest in F...

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

2016-11-04T14:51:00-04:00

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 Biophilia.

↑ CorManca House in Mexico City by PAUL CREMOUX studio; Photo: Héctor Armanado Herrera

↑ Boerum Hill Townhouse in Brooklyn, NY by General Assembly

↑ Black Box in Los Angeles, CA by Aaron Neubert Architects; Photo: Brian Thomas Jones

↑ McCahon's Artist Residence in Titirangi, New Zealand by Bossley Architects

↑ Pear Tree House in East Dulwich, UK by Edgley Design

↑ kleinOud in Berlin, Germany by brandt+simon architekten; Photo: Dirk Dähmlow

↑ Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura Headquarters in Sant Just Desvern, Spain by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

↑ HEX-SYS in Guangzhou, China by OPEN Architecture; Photo: Zhang Chao

↑ B...

Michael Maltzan proposes greening L.A.'s 134 freeway

2016-07-07T14:13:00-04:00

Christopher Hawthorne, in keeping with his exploration of the ever evolving urban identity of Los Angeles, reached out via the L.A. Times to Michael Maltzan to see if the architect had any ideas about transforming L.A.'s freeways from noisy polluting agents into civic amenities. Maltzan has responded pro bono with an idea to place a 3/4 mile stretch of the 134 freeway into a tunnel which would not only reduce noise and annually absorb 516,000 tons of carbon dioxide, but double as a site for rooftop solar panels and vegetation walls.

Drivers in the tunnel would still be able to see their Pasadena surroundings through the lattice-like exterior, although residents near the just south of the Rose Bowl portion of the freeway would experience a significant traffic noise reduction thanks to the tunnel's acoustically insulated walls. As the L.A. Times notes, Michael Maltzan "describes the proposal, produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles office of the engineering firm Arup, as 'an env...

A green veil for ugly towers

2016-04-22T17:30:00-04:00

That is the question that plagues all these green towers. Will they really ever look like they do on the billboards? The question is important because what this outbreak of green means is that architects and developers are hiding ugly, ill-considered buildings behind curtains of foliage and if the green doesn’t grow, all we’re left with is the dumb, naked towers, blank and expressionless with the fig leaf of a few, well, fig leaves for cover.

Related on Archinect:

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

2015-06-05T15:06:00-04:00

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 Biophilia.

↑ Sculptural Rooftop + Garden in Chicago, IL by dSpace Studio

↑ Stadthaus M1 - Green City Hotel in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany by Barkow Leibinger; Photo: Zooey Braun

↑ Pickford Residence in Culver City, CA by Duvivier Architects

↑ In Situ Estate in Redding, CT by Land Morphology

↑ Finite-Infinite at the Beijing Garden Expo in Beijing, China by Ballistic Architecture Machine with Peter Walker Partners

↑ Gramercy Residence Sky Park in Mandaluyong, the Philippines by Pomeroy Studio

↑ OUTSIDE-IN at the 22nd International Garden Festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire, France by Meir Lobaton Corona and Ulli Heckmann; Photo: Fabio Ferrario

↑ ...

"Eco-Gentrification," or the social ramifications of "urban greening"

2015-05-12T15:38:00-04:00

The High Line is...a perfect example of “environmental gentrification” – the growing phenomenon of rising property values in the wake of a large-scale urban greening project... While intended to serve existing residents, in reality it tends to increase land values to the point that those who live there are forced to leave. This exodus in turn transforms the sociological contours of the area and, by extension, the spatial segregation of the entire city.

AIA + COTE showcase new set of Top Ten Green Projects for 2015

2015-04-25T11:36:00-04:00

The AIA and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) search the U.S. for sustainably designed projects that convey a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology in the annual Top Ten Green Projects. Now in its 19th year, the program is considered to be the most rigorous program of its kind in sustainable design.

The jury evaluated the projects according to various criteria including the project's positive contributions to their communities, improving comfort for building occupants, and how design strategies were applied to reduce environmental impact.

In addition to the Top Ten-winning projects below, the Federal Center South Building 1202 designed by ZGF Architects Top Ten Plus Award. Previous Top Ten winners get a chance to scoop this extra special award, which demonstrates through quantifiable metrics the impact of sustainable design and technology.

(Cover image)
University Center – The New School; New York City
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

↓ The Bu...

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

2012-10-12T14:28:00-04:00

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 Biophilia.

↑ Cabbagetown Garden in Toronto, Canada by PLANT Architect Inc.

↑ Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, MD by GWWO Architects

↑ Galileo's Pavilion; Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS by Studio 804 (team member: Nathan Jarvis)

↑ Pine Creek Pavilion in Pine Creek, MT by Artemis Institute

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

↑ AEA Headquarters in Bronx, NY by Future Green Studio

↑ Home in the Hills in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA by Geoffrey Holton and Associates (team member: David Waldorf, Photo: Muffy Kibbey)

↑ Tree Adventure in Philadelphia, PA by Metcalfe Architecture & Design

↑ Pelter Residence in Los Angeles, C...

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.

...

The 2011 COTE Top Ten Green Projects

2011-04-15T00:49:28-04:00

The AIA and it's Committee On The Environment [COTE] have selected the top 10 buildings that exemplify environmentally-minded architecture and design. These projects and their architects will be honored in New Orleans at the 2011 AIA National Convention.

These buildings are chosen because of their "positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality."

Here are the chosen projects in no particular order:

Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles
BROOKS + SCARPA (formerly Pugh + Scarpa)
Mixed-use | New construction | 32,000 ft2 (2,970 m2) | Completed April 2010

Cherokee Studios is a mixed-use, market-rate infill development pending LEED Platinum status. What sets this project apa...

The Better Way to Know if a Building Is Green

2011-03-29T18:25:06-04:00

An exhibit at the American Institute of Architects headquarters shows off the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system