Archinect - News

Skylab Architecture teams up with Steel Hut to design modern ready-to-build and climate resistant dwellings

2024-03-02T17:29:00-05:00

Portland-based interdisciplinary design studio Skylab Architecture has announced its partnership with woman-owned kit home manufacturer Steel Hut to design forward-thinking, affordable dwellings that boast increased fire resistance and durability for harsh climates.

The prefabricated homes are entirely made of recycled and recyclable steel. They can be used in a variety of ways, such as accessory dwelling units (ADU) and remote living spaces. The interior of the homes are characterized as ultra-modern and warm. They have an impressive visual scale relative to their size. In addition, the houses provide indoor-outdoor connections through large windows.

Steel Hut’s "Jackrabbit Loft" model.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to work with Steel Hut to address the many challenges people face during the design and construction process. And being able to support people’s desire to live in nature is too important to miss,” said Susan Barnes, Principal at Skylab. “These home designs merge state...

Zaha Hadid Architects designs world's first green hydrogen refueling network for recreational boating

2024-02-10T08:00:00-05:00

Zaha Hadid Architects has designed the world’s first green hydrogen refueling infrastructure for the recreational boating industry. Refueling stations will be installed at 25 Italian marinas.

The project is being spurred by an approximately $108 million investment led by NatPower H, a global developer of technologies for the production, storage, and distribution of green hydrogen. The refueling network will begin installation in the summer of 2024, with a target to grow to 100 stations throughout the Mediterranean over the next six years. There are further ambitions to expand to the world’s most popular regions for recreational boating.

According to the firm, the eventual 100 refueling stations will be operational by 2030 and will deliver up to 3,650 tons of green hydrogen annually. This will erase approximately 45,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the Mediterranean’s recreational boats every year.

Rendering: Tecma Solutions / Zaha Hadid Architects

This project addresses the ...

Populous designs modular Cricket World Cup stadium on Long Island

2024-01-26T18:31:00-05:00

Populous has announced its design for the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 stadium in Nassau County, Long Island.

The modular, 34,000-seat facility will be used for eight matches of the two-week tournament, which commences in June. Construction is set to begin in February and will reuse portions of the grandstand structures that were made for November's Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“Cricket is a truly global sport with a passionate, knowledgeable fanbase and we’re thrilled to partner with the ICC and help bring the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup to the United States,” Jeff Keas, a Senior Principal at Populous, said in a news release. “The modular, sustainable stadium we’ve designed will create a fantastic experience for both U.S. and international cricket fans and visitors to enjoy watching the world’s best teams and players.”

Image courtesy Populous

A party deck, fan suites, and other club and cabana spaces will also be included as part of the 80,000-square-f...

World's longest elevated pedestrian loop at the Minnesota Zoo officially opens

2023-07-31T16:05:00-04:00

The Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian loop, is officially open to the public. The project, which saw 1.25 miles of a former monorail structure repurposed into a walkway, will take guests 32 feet above the ground and provide new views of and experiences with the zoo’s diverse wildlife, hardwood forest, and wetlands.

The scheme’s design was led by Minneapolis-based Snow Kreilich Architects, alongside engineering firm Buro Happold (known for its work on the High Line in New York City) and landscape architecture and urban design practice TEN x TEN. The construction leader was PCL. Together, the team was committed to minimizing disruptions to the zoo’s animals and guests before, during, and after construction.

“The Treetop Trail marks a new chapter for the Minnesota Zoo,” said John Frawley, the institution's director and foundation president. “As we look ahead to the Zoo’s next 45 years, the Treetop Trail is a major step in furthering connections to nat...

De Zwarte Hond designs flexible timber office park in Amsterdam

2023-06-22T11:30:00-04:00

De Zwarte Hond has designed a timber office building for Dutch energy company Alliander. Located on the Noordzeeweg in Amsterdam Westpoort, the new offices are described as circular and flexible, consisting of workshops, warehouses, test facilities, and educational and park buildings.

Image: Jaques Tillmans Foto Focus / De Zwarte Hond

Sustainability guided the design of the roughly 226,042-square-foot complex, which resulted in high flexibility, scalability, and modularity. Materials such as wood were used as much as possible, and harmful substances like glue, PU foam or sealant were minimized. The parking building’s detached set-up allows it to grow or shrink. In addition, the structure’s façades are made of weather-resistant Corten steel.

Image: Scagliola Brakkee / De Zwarte Hond

The office is gas-free and energy neutral due to approximately 37 square feet of solar panels and thermal energy storage. Its use of timber allowed the project to store 560 tons of carbon dioxide. Much con...

Take a look inside Seoul's National Assembly Communication Building

2023-06-21T13:55:00-04:00

South Korean firm Haeahn Architecture, alongside New York-based H Architecture, has shared a video and photographs of their National Assembly Communication Building project in Seoul, South Korea.

The nearly 255,686-square-foot structure is located inside the National Assembly complex, the home of South Korea’s national legislature.

Image: Namsun Lee

The complex was planned as an open space that reflects a pluralistic ideology, while also staying in touch with the existing components of the site. To meet the needs of multiple user groups, the architects say the building’s design prioritizes flexibility and expandability.

Image: Namsun Lee

The project site was described as a green space surrounded by lush trees. The firms aimed to preserve this identity by making the building low and on a human scale, ensuring its height would not exceed four stories and be set amongst the trees. The rooftop also reflects these surroundings through the featured green zone.

Image: Namsun Lee

The archit...

MVRDV's new demountable science building has over 120,000 reusable components

2023-05-25T19:36:00-04:00

Construction of MVRDV’s Matrix ONE project, a laboratory and office building in the heart of Amsterdam Science Park, has been completed.

The six-story, 140,000-square-foot structure is the largest of seven buildings that now make up the Matrix Innovation Center, a site for scientists and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions for current and future issues.

Image: MVRDV / © Daria Scagliola

As the main hub at the Center, Matrix ONE aims to be a guiding example to the other buildings at the Amsterdam Science Park. The building was made to be demountable, in which connections such as screws and bolts allow elements to be detached and reused. In addition, its floors are made using prefabricated concrete slabs with no fixed connections.

Image: MVRDV / © Daria Scagliola

The platform Madaster was used to provide a material passport system that registers all the materials and products incorporated in the building. It provides insight into the carbon dioxide storage for over 120,000 ...

OMA and Circlewood develop adaptable modular wood system to build schools in Amsterdam

2023-05-12T13:59:00-04:00

OMA, along with Circlewood, a coalition of architects, engineers, builders, and researchers, have developed a modular wood system to build a variety of schools in Amsterdam.

This project aims to support the city’s goal to halve the use of primary raw materials by 2030 and become fully circular by 2050. As part of this mission and the need to meet the increasing demand for schools, Amsterdam initiated the Innovation Partnership School Buildings program to build nine to thirty “high-quality, flexible, and sustainable” schools in ten years.

Image courtesy of OMA

Consisting of standardized wooden columns and cross-laminated wooden floor panels, the prefabricated system is connected by recycled steel joints. OMA explains, "All of the components are made in a factory under a digitally controlled process allowing for quick assembly and disassembly by an electric crane on site."

Photography by Arthur Wong for OMA.

They are arranged into 11.8-foot wide (2.6m), 23.6-foot long (7.2m), and up t...

3XN tops out a modular timber office park for two robotics companies

2023-05-05T14:57:00-04:00

3XN is celebrating the topping out of Cobot Hub, a timber office park that will serve as the new joining home of robotics companies Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots A/S (MiR) in Odense, Denmark.

Photo by Rasmus Hjortshøj

The approximately 215,000-square-foot campus was designed to enhance collaboration and employee well-being while offering specialized environments that foster robotics research and development. It features open office layouts, along with common areas and amenity spaces where employees can interact informally. Increased visibility and transparency throughout the spaces that encourage social interaction were prioritized.

Photo by Rasmus Hjortshøj

Cobot Hub is composed of flexible, cubic modules that are tailored to the needs of the two companies. This approach allows the building to be scaled up or down according to future needs as certain parts of the structure and materials can be reshaped and reused. It is also primarily made of wood, allowing the...

Appels Architekten designs prefabricated wooden home in Bavaria

2023-03-28T14:49:00-04:00

Zurich-based firm Appels Architekten has designed an open, simplistic family home in Bavaria, Germany, composed of wooden cubes.

Called “House by the Lake,” the home balances privacy and spaces for gathering. As detailed by the architects, this configuration allows residents to retreat or participate in communal living at any time.

Photo © Florian Holzherr

All of the private rooms are housed within a sculpture of wooden volumes. Ample open space is made available both horizontally and vertically, drawing light into the house and offering views into the garden and surrounding environment. These features are maximized through the house’s generous ceiling height, light interiors, and expansive windows.

Photo © Florian Holzherr

Born out of SHoP, a startup aiming to disrupt high-rise construction is hiring

2023-02-08T11:18:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Architectural Design at the University of Hong Kong, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open position on Archinect Jobs for a VDC Coordinator at Assembly OSM.

The successful candidate will join a team of approximately 30 people in the venture-backed company, who grew out of SHoP Architects with the goal of creating high-rise urban buildings with greater speed, quality, affordability, and environmental credentials that the wider market. The role, based in New York, calls for an individual skilled in 3D modeling to “construct and maintain fabrication-level Revit models for use throughout each product’s lifecycle, from design to fabrication and assembly and eventual operation.”

Why the role interests us

The role at Assembly OSM offers us the opportunity to explore how one startup in the AEC space is seeking to carve a new path toward the design and delivery of hi...

A look inside ANNA Stay, the World Hotel Building of the Year 2022 winner at the World Architecture Festival

2023-01-04T17:21:00-05:00

A modular, wooden cabin from Dutch designer Caspar Schols has won the World Hotel Building of the Year 2022 Award at the recent World Architecture Festival (WAF). Named ANNA Stay, the project is recognized for its sustainable design that allows its guests to reconnect with themselves and nature.

Image: Tonu Tunnel

Image: Jorrit 't Hoen

The building blends into its surrounding environment through its highly flexible design. The structure features two protective sliding shells: an inner shell comprising double glass and an outer shell made of wood. The shells can be adjusted, allowing the space to adapt to various weather conditions, moods, or occasions.

Image: Jorrit 't Hoen

In the cold, the insulated wooden shell can retain heat inside the dwelling. If it becomes too warm, inhabitants can slide and close the wooden layer to keep the coolness within. The glass layer can also be slid open to inject cool air to enter. The glass layer also invites natural light ins...

Danish-based architecture studio MAST develops 'Land on Water,' a system for floating housing infrastructure

2022-10-21T11:53:00-04:00

Danish maritime architecture practice, MAST, has developed a sustainable floating foundation for building housing and infrastructure atop the water, called “Land on Water.” The project was developed to serve as a solution to increased sea level rise and the growing risks of urban flooding.

Image render © KVANT-1/Courtesy of MAST.

For Land on Water, MAST was joined by construction industry executive Hubert Rhomberg and venture studio FRAGILE. The system consists of modular containers made from reinforced, recycled plastic.

Image: MAST

It was inspired by gabion construction, a method that utilizes mesh cages filled with rubble to create sturdy, low-cost foundations. With Land on Water, the “cages” are filled with locally sourced, upcycled materials that could support the weight of any structure while floating. Materials could be adjusted if weight is added.

Image: MAST

Land on Water also leaves a smaller footprint compared to steel and concrete foundations, which employ toxic anti-fouli...

Resilient housing prototypes designed by Marvel Architects utilized a range of self-sustaining strategies to survive Hurricane Fiona

2022-09-23T12:00:00-04:00

After Hurricane Fiona tore through Puerto Rico on Sunday [Sept. 18], roads in the small mountain city of Caguas—hit with more than 20 inches of rain—were underwater. Landslides washed away some streets. As on the rest of the island, the electric grid went down, and it wasn’t clear how many homes had been damaged or destroyed. But in two new prototype homes, the electricity stayed on.

The prototypes are single-family homes completely off-grid with electricity and potable water. They were designed by New York City and Puerto Rico-based Marvel Architects and paid for by nonprofit Acacia Network. The homes utilize hurricane and seismic-resistant components, which include an insulated concrete panel system that has shown to be just as if not more effective against earthquakes than traditional concrete block construction. They also employ passive design strategies, allowing natural cross ventilation, heat extraction, and shade. In addition, the structures are modular so that they can adapt to a variety of locations and square footage.

Jonathan Marvel, the firm's founder, addressed the cost of these resilient homes with Fast Company's Adele Peters stating, "I don't want to say 'affordable,' because the average Puerto Rican income is below the level of poverty in the United States. So this is a housing system that's going to require assistance to build." Marvel added th...

Amid a surge in interest around modular design, architects can find new career paths

2022-06-29T11:07:00-04:00

Earlier this week, we reported on Nexii Building Solutions, a Canadian startup which The New York Times described as a “rising star” in prefabricated modular construction. The company’s $1 billion valuation, combined with the $155 million it has raised through funding rounds, demonstrates the surging interest in modular design as a tool in tackling housing affordability and carbon emissions.

Innovations in modular design have also featured heavily in our editorial throughout 2022, whether through an architectural kit-of-parts for public cultural venues, modular refugee shelters for those displaced by war in Ukraine, or office buildings that can be taken apart and reassembled in new locations.

In 2021, we dedicated a full feature article to the subject. The piece, titled For Affordable Housing, The Revolution Will Be Modularized, explored one architect’s vision for an industrial-scale solution to the affordable housing crisis; one which centered on shipping-container-sized modules c...

Startup raises $155 million to become ‘rising star’ in prefabricated construction

2022-06-28T09:00:00-04:00

One year after the failure of the ambitious construction startup Katerra, another construction technology company is seeking to pick up the mantle as a leader in sustainable, modular, prefabricated construction.

Based in Vancouver, Nexii Building Solutions has been described by The New York Times as “a rising star in the expanding green building industry,” combining a patented modular system with a reliance on 3D modeling software and third-party verification of its sustainability metrics.

Nexii's panels are fabricated in the company's two Canadian manufacturing plants. Image: Nexii/Twitter

Founded by entrepreneur Stephen Sidwell in late 2018, Nexii became the fastest company in Canadian history to reach a valuation of more than $1 billion, doing so in 31 months. Having recently completed its seventh round of funding, the startup has raised more than 200 million Canadian dollars, or 155 million U.S. dollars.

As described in a recent feature in the Times, Nexii’s patented building s...

A floating city is set to rise off the coast of the Maldives as a solution to sea-level rise

2022-06-23T17:40:00-04:00

A city is rising from the waters of the Indian Ocean. In a turquoise lagoon, just 10 minutes by boat from Male, the Maldivian capital, a floating city, big enough to house 20,000 people, is being constructed.

Called the Maldives Floating City, the first-of-its-kind development is a joint venture between property developer Dutch Docklands and the Government of the Maldives. Netherlands-based architecture firm Waterstudio, which focuses on large-scale, sustainable floating projects, is the architecture firm behind the project’s design. Taking the shape of a brain coral, the city is structured as a traditional boating community, with a network of canals that will serve as the main infrastructure for logistics and gateways. It will consist of 5,000 floating units, along with houses, restaurants, shops, and schools.

Previously on Archinect: Updated design emerges for BIG’s floating city in Busan, South Korea for OCEANIX

The city was conceived as a practical solution to sea-level rise in one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change. Its modular units are constructed in a local shipyard and towed to the city when complete. They are then attached to a large underwater concrete hu...

New study finds that modular construction produces 45% less carbon than traditional methods

2022-06-15T15:03:00-04:00

Factory-produced homes can produce up to 45% less carbon than traditional methods of residential construction, according to new research by academics from the University of Cambridge and Edinburgh Napier University. A study found that two modular housing schemes designed by HTA Design, consisting of a total of nearly 900 homes, saved a combined 28,000 tonnes of carbon.

The two schemes studied were the 44 and 38-story Ten Degrees towers in London’s Croydon borough, the world’s tallest completed modular building, and The Valentine, a 10-story student housing project in London’s Redbridge. Both were completed in 2020. The report found that these developments achieved embodied carbon savings of 41% and 45%, respectively, compared to traditional construction methods.

This difference comes down to modular buildings requiring less carbon-intensive products, such as concrete and steel, and less transport for on-site workers and materials. According to University of Cambridge senior research associate Tim Forman, the study highlights the importance of quantifying carbon in construction and across a building’s life cycle. The results make a strong case for the broader adoption of modular construction, especially as it has the potential to address the challenges of the climate crisis and the shortage of housing.

...

New arts initiative by SITU and Design Trust for Public Space builds architectural kit-of-parts for public cultural venues

2022-05-26T16:12:00-04:00

Brooklyn-based architectural design practice SITU and the Design Trust for Public Space have announced the launch of Turnout NYC, a community-oriented initiative that aims to transform underutilized spaces into vibrant and accessible venues for arts and culture, while highlighting underrepresented New York City-based artists.

The venture, supported by a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, sets out to assist small arts organizations produce public programming despite the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. It will establish flexible and semi-permanent outdoor performance venues, one in each borough, in collaboration with cultural partners within each community. Set to launch this summer, Turnout NYC will host 150-200 events, featuring up to 1,500 artists throughout the season.

“Prior to the pandemic, people living in vulnerable areas already had limited access to cultural opportunities. Today, those scarce opportunities are at a higher risk of disappearing,” said Design Trust f...

Deconstruction of building made of alternative concrete resulted in just two buckets of waste

2022-03-30T17:07:00-04:00

Two buckets. That’s all that was left at the end of the day when Nexii, a concrete alternative start-up, tore down one of its first demonstration projects. A 700-square-foot showroom and model home displaying Nexii’s building technology was constructed in 2019 near Vancouver to prove the buildability of the new material, which has far lower emissions than conventional concrete.

Combining their sturdy panel-based construction system with their concrete alternative, Nexiite, which produces about 35% lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete, Nexii was able to deconstruct the showroom in six days, saving almost every part of the building for future reconstruction. In contrast to conventional concrete, Nexiite doesn’t use Portland cement, which is a major source of emissions worldwide. The company’s building panels are designed to be continuously reused, with assembly simply requiring craning the pieces onto a foundation and bolting them together.

The waste produced from the showroom’s disassembly consisted only of the sealant used to connect the panels, small sections of weatherproofing, “a couple of screws,” and some waste generated by the people on-site, such as lunch waste. The building will be reassembled next...

Kyiv-based Balbek Bureau develops modular refugee shelters for displaced Ukrainians

2022-03-29T16:58:00-04:00

With more than 3.7 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country and another 6.5 million internally displaced, architects in Ukraine have been hard-pressed to put their skills to work by creating the necessary shelters and accommodations required for those uprooted by the brutal Russian war machine.

One such firm at the forefront of this effort is Kyiv-based balbek bureau, an award-winning 70-member practice whose peacetime portfolio ranges from retail and residential spaces to corporate offices, hotels, restaurants, and wellness centers. Led by its founder Slava Balbek, the team has pivoted to the refugee crisis with a new project for temporary housing titled RE: UKRAINE.

The modular town system is meant to provide a modicum of dignity for their fellow citizens via the expedited delivery of an adjustable set of structures centered around four basic elements: private rooms, public recreation areas, adequate kitchens, an...

IF_DO designed a modular office building that can be taken apart and reassembled elsewhere

2022-03-17T18:39:00-04:00

Humans have led nomadic lifestyles for thousands of years. We settle in one place, move to another–some of us never even settle at all. Our lives fluctuate, but save for the odd floating office or experimental walking house, our buildings remain anchored in place. Once they’re built, they only have two potential futures: demolish, or reuse. A new building in London, however, offers an interesting alternative: demount and move elsewhere.

The office building, designed by London-based architecture firm IF_DO, was made to be mobile, as it sits atop a “meanwhile space,” a location that hosts temporary buildings until the local council develops permanent plans for the space. This building will occupy the site in London's borough of Southwark for up to 11 years, after which it will be dismantled and reassembled elsewhere.

Photo: Mike Massaro, image courtesy IF_DO

The 3,000-square-foot structure consists of five timber and steel structural modules and contains 12 micro-units wrapped around a central shared space. The modules were prefabricated off-site and assembled on-site over five months. When the building is set to relocate, its steel connectors will be unbolted and the various timber elements will be unscrewed.

Image courtesy IF_DO

Learn more about the building here.

Modular bridge reconnects critical route for Louisiana community hit by Hurricane Ida

2021-12-22T15:59:00-05:00

An international bridge engineering and supply company by the name of Acrow has recently supplied a modular steel bridge to temporarily replace a bridge that was destroyed during Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.

When the hurricane hit the country on August 29th, the Category 4 storm caused widespread damage to infrastructure across the northern Gulf Coast and beyond, including a vital bridge that provided passage between the communities of Lafitte and Barataria in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

As stated in Acrow’s press releases, the 400 residents of Barataria became isolated as their only vehicular bridge to the mainland was destroyed. In response, the Louisiana National Guard installed a temporary floating bridge to enable access for first responders and residents, however, it could only support a single lane of traffic. A larger, longer-term temporary bridge was needed to meet the needs of the community’s residents.

Previously on Archinect: Mayhem in New York City and across the Nort...

The University of Idaho is awarded $4 million to develop 3D-printing technology that converts wood waste into building materials

2021-10-21T14:30:00-04:00

The University of Idaho recently announced that it has been awarded nearly $4 million from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program to develop technology for the conversion of wood waste into 3D-printing building materials.

Research will focus on the further development and testing of an additive manufacturing process as well as the design and construction of a 3D printer capable of producing modular wall, floor, and roof panels printed from wood. Funding for the research extends through 2025.

“We’re developing a new composite material, using completely bio-based resources on a truly large scale,” said University of Idaho College of Engineering assistant professor and research lead Michael Maughan. “With this technology, houses and commercial buildings can be made entirely differently. We can push past climate change, mitigate impact on our environment, and make better use of the natural resources we have.”

Previously on Archinect: N...

Studio Malka Architecture adds modular vertical extension to French Embassy in Vienna

2021-10-13T14:57:00-04:00

French firm Studio Malka Architecture has announced a new project that will see the addition of a striking collection of curved, modular extensions to the French Embassy in Vienna, Austria.

Built in the early 20th century, the embassy is situated within two buildings that express an Art Nouveau style. The project calls on the refurbishment and vertical extension of the two units that are both modern and informed by the site’s history. The result was the decision to develop a light and modular extension.

As noted by the architects, the curved, shell-like components serve as more than mere ornamentation but as functional pieces, “in the daily use of its architecture.” The system, which Studio Malka Architecture says was created in ancient Egypt, collects, amplifies, and diffuses natural light throughout the entire building, as well as creates natural ventilation.

“More than a century after its creation, the project of the new French Embassy in Vienna reconnects with Art Nouveau’s f...

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has built four new gates composed of prefabricated modules

2021-09-28T14:59:00-04:00

In an unprecedented move, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has constructed four new prefabricated modular gates for its Terminal C.

The gates replace a 72,000-square-foot extension comprising five gates built in 1988. According to CNN, they were initially intended to be used for only 10 to 15 years at the most, however, due to their central location and constant use, DFW chose not to replace them until now. Their demolition began in February and was finished in March, which is when work on the foundation and underground utilities for the new gates began. This effort was completed in August.

Check out the progress on the High C Gates at DFW!

The new, 5-gate concourse is being built in prefabricated modules, which will be transported to the terminal and put together later this summer. The construction method saves time and money, and is a first for a U.S. airport. pic.twitter.com/zd0P7Ra3AH
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) July 13, 2021

DFW worked with construction companies A...

Six modules and an undulating roof come together for new residence by Young Projects

2021-06-23T18:29:00-04:00

New York-based architecture practice Young Projects has completed a 3,500-square-foot modular home located on a verdant, two-acre lot in Bridgehampton, New York.

Called Six Square House, the residence is made up of six 24’ by 24’ gabled modules that are arranged to align roof ridges and create continuity between the modules. In contrast, each module’s roof eaves flow upward and downward, resulting in a variety of undulating surfaces and perspectives across the exterior and interior of the home. The building is clad in deep gray, slatted Accoya wood, which works to highlight the roof’s dynamic edges and arcs. Its exterior wood cladding and wood roof cladding was designed and manufactured by reSAWN TIMBER co.

Six Square House sits adjacent to a historic 1850 farmhouse. The home is the nucleus of the property, surrounded by a new pool house, gunite pool, and ipe deck. The old farmhouse has become the guest home. Six Square House was designed as a contemporary counterpart to the farmho...

The Architects Collective and Tavi Design Group have designed a six-story housing project that was assembled in six days

2020-07-24T12:29:00-04:00

Housing developer Ush has completed the assembly of a modular 80-unit housing project designed by The Architects Collective with landscape design by Tavi Design Group. in Los Angeles. The modular units came in complete with appliances, finishes, and fixtures. The six-story structure was assembled in just six days.

"When we chose to join the vibrant community of Westlake, we knew we would need to develop an apartment community that lived up to the neighborhood’s standards," said Drew Orenstein, CEO of Ush in a statement. “Whether the resident is a young professional in need of a studio for life on the go or a young family desiring a central Los Angeles neighborhood, 740 Alvarado was designed to meet their needs."

Swiss architects construct a cylindrical modular structure for use as student housing

2020-06-05T18:16:00-04:00

Located on the outskirts of the University of Lausanne in Chavannes-près-Renens, Switzerland, the Vortex will house nearly 1,000 students and academic guests by the end of this summer. Designed by Swiss-based IttenBrechbühl, the building welcomed 1,800 athletes taking part in the Youth Olympic Games at Lausanne earlier this year.

The circular form of the architecture creates a vast inner courtyard that is more representative of a park or village square. A number of entrances provide access to this courtyard from the outside, creating an immediate connection to the outer countryside.

Each floor was constructed with modular "boxes," and are connected by a spiral ramp that moves throughout the building. The construction was completed quickly due to the prefabricated nature of the modular units. Each of the floors, except the ground floor, is identical in layout.

The result, is a monolithic mass built economically, sustainably, and timely, and one that will serve as a home for the stude...

Carlo Ratti Associati complete COVID-19 medical pod prototype

2020-04-21T11:51:00-04:00

Carlo Ratti Associati has completed and installed the first unit of CURA in Turin, Northern Italy. Previously reported on Archinect, we reported on the project, which stands for "Connected Unites for Respiratory Ailments" was spearheaded by Carlo Ratti Associati and Italian architect Italo Rota. The concept utilized shipping containers to develop a modular system of pods for treating COVID-19 patients. Met with confusion, some were uncertain of the feasibility of the proposal, but now the first steps have become a reality.

The plug-in Intensive-Care Pods converted from shipping containers have come to fruition in just four weeks following their initial launch. The speed of the design and production effort come as a result of an international task force that, in addition to designers from Carlo Ratti Associati with Italo Rato, include engineers at Jacobs and health technology company Philips for medical equipment supply.

Initial concept renderings.

With the goal to improve the efficie...