Archinect - News

Stefano Boeri's first Vertical Forest in China completes in Hubei province

2022-01-25T14:16:00-05:00

A new landmark in the long history of Chinese housing experiments is about to be inaugurated as Stefano Boeri Architetti's “social forest” has been completed in Huanggang.

Located in Hubei Province’s second-largest city, Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is a near-identical twin to the firm’s previous “social forest” development in the Netherlands. The new development consists of two residential towers in a five-building mixed-use complex taking up approximately 4.54 hectares (11.2 acres) in total area.

Image courtesy RAW VISION

According to the architect: “The design allows an excellent view of the tree-lined façades, enhancing the sensorial experience of the greenery and integrating the plant landscape with the architectural dimension. Thus, the inhabitants of the residential towers have the opportunity to experience the urban space from a different perspective while fully enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by nature.”

Image courtesy RAW VISION

Image courtesy RA...

SO – IL's newest residential complex offers Brooklynites a 'new way of living'

2021-08-09T15:25:00-04:00

Sales are underway for units in the new SO – IL-designed 450 Warren in Brooklyn following a detailed construction period that topped out last fall.

Touting a “new way of living,” the 18 unit private residential development transforms the city into nature. Gowanus’ first-of-its-kind balanced community offers inhabitants refreshing views and an array of eco-friendly amenities surrounded by courtyard gardens in the heart of one of the borough’s most artistic neighborhoods.

Image courtesy of SO – IL

Developer Tankhouse announced the plan in the spring of 2019. The residences will feature an open kitchen plan, private foyer entryways, and oversized windows in an intimate layout connected to a central rooftop atrium via a series of bridges and hallways that give users added freedom of movement around the five-story building.

Image courtesy of SO – IL

Per the architect: “The materiality of 450 Warren is like nothing ever seen in New York City construction. 50,000 green-hued terrazzo-groun...

Foster + Partners unveils health-centered masterplan for Bangkok

2021-05-20T12:49:00-04:00

Foster + Partners has unveiled plans for a residential-led masterplan on the outskirts of Bangkok. Named “The Forestias,” the masterplan seeks to address the growing disconnect between contemporary city life and family traditions, while also placing an emphasis on health, wellbeing, smart infrastructure, and a connection with nature. The masterplan therefore features elements such as a large central forest, a variety of multi-generational family co-living, and provisions for autonomous vehicles, smart meters, and sensor networks.

The Forestias is divided into two zones: a northern area defined by civic-level public functions, and a southern zone dedicated primarily to residential developments. A forest sits at the center of the masterplan, linking the two urban zones while embodying the development’s vision; a positive, harmonious relationship between the built and natural environment. The forest is anchored by a central Forest Pavilion, serving as an “experience center” with immers...

Emily Helen Butterfield, Michigan's first female architect

2019-08-05T15:36:00-04:00

Emily Helen Butterfield, born August 4, 1884, was the first licensed woman architect in Michigan.

Butterfield grew up in Detroit with a love of watercolor painting, and eventually studied architecture at Syracuse University, where she was a founding member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. After graduating in 1907, Butterfield and her father, Wells D. Butterfield, established the architectural office of Butterfield and Butterfield in Detroit.

The pair practiced together and specialized in the design of churches while also leading the design of the Oaklands planned community in Farmington Hills outside of Detroit. The younger Butterfield designed many houses in the development, according to the City of Farmington Hills Historic District Commission, mainly in the Colonial Revival style. Butterfields thoughtful bungalows are notable for their two-story design and for the cleaver inclusion of evocative stylistic architectural elements that lent the homes formal interest and material ...

In the midst of historic drought, Barclay's plans a residential development in New Mexico's desert

2015-05-21T13:02:00-04:00

[Barclay's] plan, to fabricate a “master-planned community” for nearly 100,000 people on what is today a field of sand dunes, is called Santolina. If fully populated, the development would be about the size of New Mexico’s current second-largest city, Las Cruces, and bigger than Santa Fe [...] Columbia University’s Earth Institute points to 2050 as a time when the drought will begin to worsen dramatically, right around when Santolina planners predict the development could approach full capacity

Have an idea for how to address the drought with design? Submit your ideas to the Dry Futures competition!