Instant House @ School Competition
On the occasion of MADE expo Milano Architettura Design Edilizia, set to take place at the Milan Fairgrounds at the beginning of October, Federlegno Arredo S.r.l. is promoting the Instant House @ School competition to find the most novel projects for residential cityscapes and urban society. With the focus on kindergartens or nursery schools, and open to Italians and non-Italians who are studying or have studied architecture, engineering and industrial design, the compeition asks for architectural ideas relating to the many ways that children perceive and interpret the world around them through the multi-sensory experience of space and architecture. The deadline for entries is June 3. For more information, and for the complete competition brief, please visit here.
Central Mosque of Pristina Competition Entry / Taller 301 + Land+Civilization Compositions
Designed by Taller 301 and Land+Civilization Compositions, their main idea for the Central Mosque of Pristina is to re-interpret the elements that constitute the Mosque, without pushing the limits of the already established principles of Islamic Architecture. Located in Kosovo, a country rich in tradition and has confronted tough issues in recent years, the project intends to look back, and to see the way forward. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Connected City Design Challenge
Aiming to build awareness of urban design solutions capable of shaping Dallas forward, The Connected City Design Challenge is asking participants to develop a more refined and specific strategy for connecting the downtown and river, and assist in securing future public and private investment. By empowering both designers and citizens, The Challenge will work to realize integrated solutions that improve the livability and viability of our city. In order to secure the most capable design talent and facilitate a variety of solutions, this will be structured as a competitive process consisting of two idea streams: a professional stream and an open stream. Requests for qualifications are due May 9 for the professional stream and for the open stream, the deadline for submissions is October 3. For more information, please visit here.
PLAYscapes International Design Competition
Building Trust international just launched ‘PLAYscapes’, an international design competition that challenges professional and student architects, designers, engineers and artists to find exciting design proposals to transform neglected parts of cities into interactive landscapes, encouraging public engagement, community involvement and sustainable adaptive reuse. Proposals should be sited in an abandoned or forgotten urban site and develop PLAYscapes that create opportunity for interaction and play for citizens of all ages. Submissions are due July 29. To register, and for more information, please visit here.
Kickstarter Campaign Seeks Funds To Produce Film About Eileen Gray
As we’ve mentioned before, Irish designer Eileen Gray was undoubtedly one of the most influential, and most overlooked, designers of the 20th century. However, a new Kickstarter campaign aims to put that right once and for all. The campaign is seeking funds to help renovate Gray’s seminal house, E-1027, for the production of a feature film about the architect.
National Maritime Museum Competition Entry / Holm Architecture Office (HAO) + AI
Situated outside the city of Tianjin in Northern China, the proposal for the new National Maritime Museum is designed to house both new and old maritime items with a focus on celebrating the historical achievements of Chinese naval exploration through out time. Designed by Holm Architecture Offce (HAO) + AI the museum combines all aspects of the maritime world, from aquarium to sailing to education, combining a series of unique visitor experiences under one roof. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Crafting the Interview 4.0 Event
Now in it’s 4th year, the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NYCOBA) announced their Crafting the Interview event for graduating college students and young professionals seeking feedback on their portfolio. A panel presentation will provide information about the job searching process and current market trends. The event will offer constructive one-on-one feedback to participants and a panel discussion comprised of HR professionals representing different sectors of the architectural + design community. The event is intended to prepare attendees to be practiced for potential interviews and to gain an understanding of current job trends. The event will take place May 18th from 11:00am-4:30pm. For more information, please visit here.
SYN City Exhibition
SYN City, a postgraduate research & design unit at UCACanterbury School of Architecture, will be putting on an expo at the Doodle Bar London on April 26 at 6:00pm. Architects and guests have been invited and are attending from London including Foster & Partners, Charles Holland of FAT architects and Will Alsop. In 2012/13, Ashford in Kent has been the studio’s testbed to explore the dialectical and contested nature of the contemporary city. By focusing on one exemplary context, specific and at the same time, typical and paradigmatic urban conditions are addressed. For more information, please visit here.
Conflict of Interests Symposia
Columbia University’s GSAPP Applied Architecture Research program will be holding their Conflict of Interests event on Friday, April 16th from 2:00pm-6:00pm, which will be organized as a series of conversations—five distinctive panels—discussing the limits of applied research in contemporary practices and academia. This event will be the first in a series of symposia investigating the role of applied research in architecture. Nestled in an intersection between practice and theory, applied architectural research can potentially work as a space for overlap and negotiation. This event will formally make explicit the opportunities for architectural research to bridge the gap between the archive and the laboratory. For more information, please visit here.
International Criminal Court Ground-Breaking / schmidt hammer lassen architects
Upon winning the competition in 2010, schmidt hammer lassen architects just celebrated the ground-breaking ceremony for the International Criminal Court (ICC) this past Tuesday in The Hague, The Netherlands. Aiming to convey hope, trust and faith in justice, the 54,500 square meter building complex will be the first permanent premises of the unique, international institution. The permanent premises of the International Criminal Court will be finished in the summer of 2015. More images and architects’ description after the break.
New Cliffside Residential Complex Proposal / Romano Adolini Architetto
Romano Adolini Architetto shared with us their design for a new residential complex, carved into the vertical face of an abandoned tufa stone quarry in Civita Castellana, near Viterbo, Italy. Their scheme is a modern reinterpretation of a manner of living and behaving which responds to the need to distance oneself from outside, a new dimension of hidden isolation, of seeking silence and meditation. It is also a new solution to the rehabilitation of quarry sites, currently abandoned and forgotten industrial by-products, located in wonderful landscapes and destined otherwise to become illegal dumping grounds. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Troldtekt Acoustic Panels: Sustainable certification
Presented by Troldtekt
Sustainable building is about more than the environment. The three leading certification schemes in this sector – LEED, BREEAM and DGNB – embrace a wide variety of criteria ranging from indoor climate to waste management.
All three schemes are relevant: LEED is the American sustainability certification scheme for buildings, BREEAM is the British version and DGNB is German. However, multinational companies with foreign subsidiaries often stick to just one scheme (as it was the case of Danish based Vestas). Denmark has also launched a national adapted version of DGNB.
So, having the right information for these standards can be very helpful when specifying and certifying buildings. With this mind, Troldtekt asked engineering consulting firm Ramboll to analyse and document their acoustic panels, to have the precise data on how they contribute points for these three leading certifications within sustainable building: LEED, BREEAM and DGNB.
Since 1885, Troldtekt has been manufacturing acoustic panels made of entirely natural materials, which have been used in the first Danish building to achieve Platinum LEED certification, the Vestas Technology R&D Centre in Lem in western Jutland. Designed by Danish firm aarhus arkitekterne a/s, the Vestas building features Troldtekt lighting that has been integrated in Troldtekt acoustic ceiling panels.
”Troldtekt is excellent for controlling the acoustics. The panels also contribute to the general sustainability of the building and to the overall aesthetics with their delicate wood wool structure which produces a warm Nordic look”
- Michael Green, project architect with aarhus arkitekterne.
Documentation for the contributions to the LEED, BREEAM and DGNB Denmark schemes is just one of Troldtekt’s sustainable initiatives in 2012. Earlier in the year, Troldtekt achieved Cradle to Cradle certification in the silver category for its acoustic natural panels. The Danish Technological Institute is currently preparing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Troldtekt’s acoustic panels.
Facts: How Troldtekt contributes to Sustainability
The Ramboll report states that Troldtekt contributes with points for LEED, BREEAM and DGNB Denmark within the following focus areas:
- Life cycle costs
- Acoustic indoor climate
- Atmospheric indoor climate and toxicity
- Psychological indoor climate (art)
- Materials, including:
- Life cycle assessment
- Regionality
- Renewability and reuse
- Recycled content
- Procurement of materials
- Fire safety
- Construction site waste management
You can see examples of these products used in other buildings, and more technical details at the Troldtekt library.
Icon: Claridge Homes Proposal / Hariri Pontarini Architects
Icon: Claridge Homes is set to become Ottawa’s tallest tower at 45-storeys, transforming the cityscape of the country’s capital and setting a new standard for high quality design and smart densification in the city. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, and as part of the area’s revitalization, the development will bring a mix of uses to meet both the existing and future needs of the neighborhood. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Moscow Polytechnic Museum and Educational Center Competition Entry / 3XN
With the aim to be a meaningful building beyond its iconic form, the new Museum & Educational Center (MEC), designed by 3XN, is about connecting with people, while opening up the world of science, technology, innovation and Russia’s extraordinary achievements in these domains. Through both an internal and external architectural expression of flexibility, this proposal, which was a finalist in the international competition, recognizes that architecture shapes behavior. More images and architects’ description after the break.
University at Buffalo’s Downtown Medical School Proposal / HOK
HOK recently unveiled their design for the state-of-the-art medical school and integrated transit station at the University at Buffalo‘s Downtown Medical School, which will anchor the vibrant mixed-use district. Designed for the new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the seven-story medical school will bring 2,000 UB faculty, staff and students daily to downtown Buffalo and, at more than 500,000-square-feet, will be one of the largest buildings constructed in Buffalo in decades. More images and architects’ description after the break.
En-able – Paralytic Home Proposal / Triple O Studio
Designed by Triple O Studio, the basic premise they had for their design of the En-able – Paralytic Home was to keep in mind the every day activities of the differently-able and the specific nuances in the design of catering to their needs. Located in Sri Lanka, the architects wanted to create an environment that would bring about a feeling of community and help keep their spirits up. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Hebei University of Technology Library Winning Proposal / Damian Donze (Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute)
With an area of 48,636m2, the site of the Hebei University Library is located in the center of the new Beicheng Campus. This competition winning proposal by Damian Donze, of the Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute, is clearly divided. The base of the building is designated for some offices, an archive, a network center, a convention center and an exhibitions center. This way, the West entrance is reserved for the offices and the the network center while the East entrance is reserved for the convention center and the exhibition center. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Kotor Architectural Prison Summer School
Established by DVARP, as part of Kotor ART festival, Kotor Architectural Prison Summer School will take place this year in an Old Austrian Prison in Kotor, Montenegro from July 4-14. Set to host great mentors and lecturers, there are two main parts of Kotor APSS: the summer school workshop with final work exhibition and student presentation, and the final conference ”APSS talk” and Panel discussion based on the workshop Topic and Conclusions, which is open to the wider public. More information and images of last year’s event after the break.
Spotlight on Design: SOM
Taking place at the National Building Museum on May 14 from 6:30-8:00pm, SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architects) design principal Gary Haney, AIA, RIBA, will present the innovative design process behind the firm’s work, including the recently completed, 1,354-foot tall, Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City, one of the world’s tallest buildings and the tallest building in Kuwait. Since its founding in 1936, the firm has designed and engineered some of the tallest buildings in the world-notably Chicago’s Willis Tower, and New York’s One World Trade Center. To register, and for more information, please visit here.
Museum of Moving Image Wins 2013 Red Dot Design Award
LEESER Architecture’s design for the Museum of Moving Image has recently been announced as the winner of the 2013 Red Dot Design Award in its highly competitive Architecture and Urban Design category. Completed in 2011, the Museum of the Moving Image houses a comprehensive collection dedicated to educating the public about the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media.The existing structure is seamlessly integrated with the substantial new addition through a grand lobby which connects the two. More information on their award after the break.
Collider Activity Center Competition Entry / Radionica Arhitekture
Situated in the large fun park in the suburbs of Sofia, Radionica Arhitekture‘s proposal for the Collider Activity Center, which won one of five first prizes, is a small artificial ‘mountain’. When external conditions are favorable, the facade opens and the internal atmosphere becomes external. The second layer is the hall, a kind of a “cytoplasm”. The space between the façade and the climbing surface.This is the place of entrance, where the building and the park mix, the site of overlapping where all paths intersect. More images and architects’ description after the break.
