By Design Inaugural event at Harvard University

Courtesy of Harvard University

By Design is a two-day inaugural event taking place January 25-26 that aims to build a platform of innovation by engaging key stakeholders through the creative process. The event includes a speaker series and a design challenge at the newly constructed Harvard Innovation Lab, Harvard Business School, and the Graduate School of Design. With a focus to reframe the future of education, the model and structure of the conference allows participants to unpack tacit, hidden, and evident knowledge from each corner of the university, through simple yet uncommon dialogue between each school. More information after the break. (more…)

‘Towards Green Buildings/Architecture for UAE?’ Workshop

Courtesy of University

As part of Ajman University of Science & Technology‘s series of architecture workshops by architects and designers, Emilio Ambasz will be presenting the ‘Towards Green Buildings/Architecture for UAE?’ workshop. The event will take place at the Ajman University February 4-10. To register and for more information, please feel free to contact the workshop coordinator: Dr. Jihad Awad: Dr_jihadaa@yahoo.com, j.awad@ajman.ac.ae.

The Reyner Banham Symposium: ‘On Error’

Courtesy of University at School of Architecture and Planning

Taking place January 23rd from 2:00pm-7:oopm EST, the Reyner Banham Symposium, ‘On Error’, focuses on how error can be many things. In its most common display, however, it is something we are taught to avoid. It is often characterized by mannerisms that were once trends but are now condemned or qualified by a lack of command over formal logic, material tolerances, construction techniques, and space planning, to name but a few. The accepted belief is that by avoiding error we promote progress. It seems only fitting to surrender to this logic as it is much easier to agree on what constitutes a mistake than it is to admit to a measure of success. The event is organized by the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning and will be held at the Darwin Martin House’s Greatbatch Pavilion. For more information, please visit here.

2018 FIFA World Cup Stadium Winning Proposal / Wilmotte & Associés

© SA

Wilmotte & Associés recently won the competition to design the 2018 Stadium in Kaliningra, Russia. Their design features an urban facade that wraps the stadium, consisting of a series of orthogonal screens that respond to the surrounding urban context. The project will be constructed from a primary steel structure, but the upper tier of the stadium will be temporary. The stadium has been designed so that after the tournament completes in 2018, the stands can be dismantled and the upper canopy can be removed. Construction of the 45,000 seat football stadium will begin in 2014. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

KAFD Men’s and Women’s Portal Spas Proposal / WORKSBUREAU

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Seen as geologic formations rising from the land, the design for the KAFD Men’s and Women’s Portal Spas by WORKSBUREAU form great shade porticos beneath long cantilevered masses. Located in two of the civic Attractor beacons of the dense urban King Abdullah Financial District of , the project also forms the gateway to the masterplan, framing the main park as it flows into the Wadi pedestrian artery. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Notre Dame de l’Assomption – National Cathedral Competition Entry / NC-Office

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Recently destroyed by the 2010 Earthquake, ’s new design for the National Cathedral is presented as an absolute plain wall of concrete which expresses the true character of the construction. Designed by NC-Office, the concrete material is not only structurally appropriate, but it also produces a somber cool space that absorbs light – forming an architecture of shadows. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Bulgari Pavilion / NaNA

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The Bulgari Pavilion, a temporary installation commissioned by prestigious luxury jewelry brand Bulgari, was designed by NaNA for the Art 2012 event held Saadiyat al Manarat, November 5-10. The architects were given a prominent outdoor space at the entrance of the event to create a lounge for VIPs and dignitaries of the art fair. Their design was conceived as an exclusive and private venue with live music, a bar, and a specially curated selection of Bulgari’s high end jewelry. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

DawnTown Design/Build Competition Winner / Manuel Clavel-Rojo & Jacob Brillhart

Courtesy of & Jacob Brillhart

Now in its fifth year, the DawnTown Design/Build competition announced that the international collaboration between Manuel Clavel-Rojo (Murcia, Spain) and Jacob Brillhart (, FL) has been tasked to present their design to the public in the next 30 days. With the challenge of creatiung a low cost, temporary installation on the topic of Evolution in , their winning design will be turned into a reality. ‘Up-Downtown’, the title of the project, is defined by Rojo defines as a metaphor for , “A city is a complex machine, where everything is interconnected and any movement affects the other.” More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

NACO and HOK Win Expansion Contract for Riyadh Airport

’s master plan for King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. will now use the master plan to design the expansion of the airport © NACO

NACO, its Saudi Arabian branch SADECO, and global architect HOK were just awarded the contract to design the expansion of King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design consists of the expansion of the existing terminals 3 and 4, which will enable the airport to handle 20-25 million passengers per year. Currently, the 30-year-old airport is handling approximately 15 million passengers annually. NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants, a Royal HaskoningDHV company, and HOK will lead the design team for this prestigious project. More architects’ description and their press release after the break. (more…)

Operalab Theatre Pavilion Competition Entry / UGO Architecture and Design

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Confronted with an original form of the pyramid, the shape of the Operlab Theatre Pavilion proposal, designed by UGO Architecture and Design, is the result of a consistent analysis of the building of the Grand Theatre. The character and function of a row of interior spaces, including the entrance, auditorium, and stage, finds its reflection in the arrangement of forms composing the body of the building. The pavilion then becomes a repetition of this arrangement and gives it additional meaning. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Operalab Theatre Pavilion Competition Entry / Studio Alfirevic

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Designed by Studio Alfirevic, their proposal for the Operalab Theatre Pavilion competition represents ‘live’ theater, in which different performances and experiments take place in the field of art. The suggested position of the pavilion is in the fringe area of the park, in the direct vicinity of the building of the Great Theater. The circular form of the pavilion is a subtle response to the conditions of the natural environment and it allows an equal visual experience from all sides. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Beirut Multi Art Use (MAU) Project Proposal / Dina Hadi

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Designed by architect Dina Hadi, the proposal for the Beirut Multi Art Use project represents a total art mass from the city with different rhythms and patterns. It becomes a live scene from local artists that is captured into this box. With a focus on art as a foundation base for cultures, this project becomes a model for global art beyond. Her study was also awarded the best prize at the Oslo School of Architecture under the title, ‘Excellence in Professionalism’. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Shanghai Wuzhou International Plaza Winning Proposal / Synthesis Design + Architecture Inc. & Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research

Courtesy of & Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research

Synthesis Design + Architecture Inc. and Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co. Ltd have been awarded first place in the invited international design competition for the Wuzhou International Plaza. Their scheme, entitled “Urban Canyon”, embodies the energy and vibrancy of the cities distinct urban environment. Inspired by traditional Chinese concepts of Yin and Yang, the project is organized as two nested rock-like volumes which have been broken apart to reveal a flowing canyon condition which connects the project to the urban fabric of the city. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Jacques Rougerie Foundation Competition Winners

Project : Lady Landfill Skyscraper by Laureate

Aimed to support educational, cultural, and artistic projects based on the knowledge of the marine environment and its comprehension, the Jacques Rougerie Foundation recently announced the winners of their 2012 competition. The Foundation’s ambitions are to encourage young architects’, designers’, and engineers’ creativity, by promoting groundbreaking projects that will have an impact on our future lifestyles. The purpose is to imagine unprecedented solutions to current challenges, and to work in compliance with sustainable development. More images and the descriptions of the winning projects after the break. (more…)

St. James Market Developement Proposal Granted Planning Permission / Make Architects

Courtesy of Make Architects

Make Architects was just granted planning permission by the Crown Estate for the £450million St. James Market development plan located in the heart of , . Also given the go ahead by Council, their plan also includes three associated residential developments, hinging around the creation of a new public square and two new buildings. One building sits on Regent Street and retains an historic facade while the other presents a completely new facade to Haymarket. More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Call for Papers: Studio Issue #4 TRANSFORMATION

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STUDIO architecture and urbanism magazine is currently accepting proposals for our forthcoming issue TRANSFORMATION. This issue aims to investigate which were, are, and will be the dynamics and the transformation processes of the cities. Through their decisions, men repeatedly adapt space to their necessities, in a path of programmatic choices and transformations caused by uses and customs that are always different. The city is a place involved in a continuous Transformation where man is the main creator and user. The city withstands continuous changes in its form, generating new and different landscapes. Abstracts are due January 31st will final pieces due February 28th. For more information, please visit here.

TEX-FAB 4 APPLIED Research Through Fabrication Conference

Courtesy of TEX-FAB

Going back to where it all started, TEX-FAB will be holding their Parametric Design and Digital Fabrication Conference at the University of Texas Arlington School of Architecture from February 28 to March 3. The event will include their largest selection of workshops and a full day symposia, which will culminate in the exhibition opening of the APPLIED: Research Through Fabrication competition winner. Ranging from basic for beginners to advanced for the experienced user, a broad spectrum of cutting edge workshops will be offered for this year’s conference by industry leaders. To register, and for more information, please visit here.

‘In Dialogue With the World – Give More’ Exhibition

Courtesy of , Henning Larsen Architects,

Opening tomorrow, January 17, at the Danish Architecture Centre (DAC) in Copenhagen, Denmark, the ‘In Dialogue with the World’ exhibition, which runs until March 10, will show how architects today engage far beyond aesthetics when designing buildings. schmidt hammer lassen architects, along with Henning Larsen Architects, and ADEPT will invite visitors to listen to their accounts of what it is like to work in the field of architecture in the 21st century. With the title Give more, the schmidt hammer lassen architects’ part of the exhibition uses eight selected projects as examples of how buildings, aside from being beautiful, give more. More information after the break. (more…)

Oceo Drive Tourist Resort Proposal / STAPL Architects

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Designed by STAPL Architects at the popular diving hub of the , the Oceo Drive tourist resort is a beachfront property which has multiple dwelling options ranging from single studio rooms, suites, sky villas, bungalows and beach facing villas. With the intention to be on an axis which aligns all its rooms and public spaces towards the overwhelming view of the beach and sea beyond, the resort makes for a perfect summer getaway.  More images and architects’ description after the break. (more…)

Artist Antonio Pio Saracino & Salt ‘N Pepa to Unveil Arches of Hope Installation

Courtesy of Lifebeat: Music Fights HIV/AIDS

Created and conceived by Patrick Duffy, the creative director of the OUT NYC, and designed by award-winning Italian designer and architect Antonio Pio Saracino, the Arches of Hope installation will be launched at its opening reception on Thursday, January 17, from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the OUT NYC and be on display until January 24. In collaboration with Lifebeat: Music Fights HIV/AIDS and the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, the stunning and inspiring interactive art installation will be unveiled on the eve of President Obama’s second inauguration as part of a multi-faceted campaign aimed at raising awareness of the rise of HIV and AIDS in young people. More images and information after the break. (more…)

BANKMED Headquarters Winning Proposal / John Robertson Architects

 

Courtesy of

John Robertson Architects (JRA) just won an international competition to design a new 16,400m2 headquarters for BANKMED in , Lebanon. Located at the center of the Mina El Hosn district and near to central , will become a landmark in and provide an innovative, stimulating and practical environment for employees, executives and the bank’s customers. Their proposal includes three interconnected office pavilions, which step up in height from 9 to 19 storeys. More images and architects’ description after the break.

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