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© Design Team + Moka Studio

The new municipality building of Netanya, located in the old part of the city introduces a unique public park for the city – a green heart – that like a ribbon gradually transforms from a horizontal landscape to a vertical climatic structure. Designed by the Dutch office ShaGa Studio in collaboration with Shyovitz Architects, they define Netanya’s future identity as a coastal city which truly embraces an urban sustainable lifestyle for its residents, workers and visitors. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© Dennis Gilbert

Architect: Sheppard Robson
Location: Madrid, Spain
Client: Empresa Municipal De La Vivienda y Suelo
Contractor: Prasi
Project Year: 2006
Project Area: 7,600 sqm
Photographs: Dennis Gilbert

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Courtesy of Prechteck

Held every five years, the competition for this year’s pavilion called for a temporary building which may be easily disassembled and relocated to another site. The modular pavilion by Prechteck exists of different parts, housing different functions, all singular cells, but the strongest in coexistence with its neighboring parts. The main concept is that during the 5 years, each cell can be assembled in a different German city and serve as an info booth to the next. At the beginning of the next five years, the parts get transported back and get reconnected on site. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© Hiroyukioki

Architects: a21 studio – Nguyen Hoa Hiep, Nguyen Qui Nhon
Location: NhaTrang, Vietnam
Year: 2011
Photographs: Hiroyukioki

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Courtesy of Patrick Norguet

Architects: Patric Norguet 
Location: Villefranche-de-Lauragais, France
Photographs: Courtesy of Patrick Norguet

   
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© Ana Gardaševic

Architects: re:a.c.t (Srdjan Tadic, Grozdana Sisovic, Dejan Milanovic)
Location: Niksic, Montenegro
Client: Neckom d.o.o., Niksic
Built: 2010-2011
Built area: 2468 sqm
Photographs: Ana Gardaševic – re:a.c.t

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© david_shankbone - http://www.flickr.com/photos/shankbone/

On December 17, 2011, the New York Chapter of the AIA held a panel discussion about the Occupy Wall Street events that have spurred people from all over the country into political involvement.  The discussion featured nine panelists with introductory remarks from Lance Jay Brown and Michael Kimmelman and closing remarks by Ron Shiffman (all listed below).  It focused on aspects of the built environment, public spaces and how they reflect the way in which people assemble.

Follow us after the break for more about this discussion, including video. read more »

© Nathan Kirkman

Architects: John Ronan Architects
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Photographs: Nathan Kirkman

   
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© Julien Lanoo

Architects: TRANSFORM + DS architecture
Location:  Nanterre, France
Client: French Ministry of Interior
Gross Area: 780 sqm
Budget exc. VAT: 1,8M€
Photographs:  Julien Lanoo

   
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© Paul Riddle

Architect: Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture
Location: Brentwood, Essex, England
Project Team: Simon Tucker (Project Director), Richard Cottrell, Brian Vermeulen, Jonathan Dawes (Project Architect), TaheraRouf, Maria Westerstahl, LefkosKyriacou, Amelia Mashoudy ,NicolaAntaki, Melissa Liando, Fumiko Kato, Rufus Willis, Yuki Koe
Client: Brentwood School
Contractor: Hutton Construction Ltd
Photographs: Paul Riddle, Tom Cronin

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© Hiro Sakaguchi

Architects: aat + makoto yokomizo architects, inc
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo
Site area: 105.94 sqm (32.00 tsubo)
Building area: 63.42 sqm (19.16 tsubo)
Total floor area: 329.55 sqm (99.56 tsubo)
Structure: RC structure
Construction: Eikou Kensetsu
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Hiro Sakaguchi

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The AIA has selected three recipients for the 2012 American Institute of Architects Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. Alexander Cooper, FAIA, Daniel Feil, FAIA, and Robert Peck, Hon. AIA, will recieve the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture at the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington D.C.

The award recognizes “private-sector architects who have established a portfolio of accomplishment in the design of architecturally distinguished public facilities (category 1); public-sector architects who manage or produce quality design within their agencies (category 2); and public officials or other individuals who by their role of advocacy have furthered the public’s awareness and/or appreciation of design excellence (category 3).”

Follow us after the break for more on the recipients. read more »

Hey Architecture,

Let’s be honest, 2011 could have gone better. For me, the wind came out of my sails somewhere around June (or February, whatever…) I did not do the best work of my career in 2011. I didn’t define the character of my generation in elegantly proportioned board-formed concrete, mainly because I was exhausted. Somehow, my highly held ideals seemed beside the point in 2011, so, I put them down for a while, and decided to feed my family instead. My work in 2011 was not the most innovative of my career, to say the least. Except for the restroom addition I just finished, that was epic. In 2011, I could have been the poster boy for the recession, or the new normal, or whatever they’re calling it now.

In 2011, I put my passion aside, lowered my head, and pushed forward.

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© Christopher Frederick Jones

Architect: Cox Rayner Architects, ABM Architects
Location: 43 Ellenborough Street, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Project Year: 2009
Cost at completion of construction: $93 million
Gross floor area: 19,800 sqm
Project Team: Michael Rayner – Design Director, Terry Murchison – Design Director, Jayson Blight – Design Leader, David McCabe – Project Architect, Clayton Bray – Project Architect, Abigroup Contractors – Builder
Photographs: Christopher Fredrick Jones, Florian Groehn

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In the recent months we have been covering numerous topics relating to augmented reality. As this concept and form of language continues to develop, we are continually updating our library. Recently, we received a link to Harvard GSD student Greg Tran, whose thesis explored “architecture’s ability to mediate spatial and perceptual experience.” His exploration into techniques that engage and allow for an immersive experience for architects to design with presents an interesting proposal for the future of our profession. The technology, in its current state is largely unexploited and employed as a standalone object, rather than a holistic experience and progressive tool. See his video and proposal for an enlightening take on how we can use this technology for the advancement of architecture. Greg Tran is the recent Thesis Prize Winner – Harvard Graduate School of Design 2011. Be sure to check out the extended video here, and the presentation script here.

© Diego Opazo

Architects: Orts-Trullenque 
Location: Alicante, Spain
Client: CIEGSA (school infrastructures dept, Generalitat Valenciana)
Head Architects: Marta Orts – Carlos Trullenque
Assistant Architect: Ana ábalos
Structural Engineering : Javier Cases, Architect
Civil Engineer : Ricardo Casal
Mechanical Engineering: GIA (Luis Sanchis – Agustí Vila)
Contractor: UTE Proinsa-Chm
Photographs: Diego Opazo

   
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© UNStudio

In early December, Ben van Berkel unveiled his firm’s latest design for a 31-storey residential tower in Singapore.  The tower presents a new take on functional and flexible space, as the structure is conceived as a framework for a vertical city complete with landscaped gardens, sky terraces, roof gardens and recreational facilities.  ”An interesting facet of the Scotts Tower is the way that it reacts to the urban context of Singapore. Instead of the more usual means of planning a city horizontally, we have created neighborhoods in the sky; a vertical city where each zone has its own distinct identity,” explained van Berkel.

More about the tower after the break.

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Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

In approaching the design for the new Kimball Art Center, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) found great inspiration in the urban development of Park City, the Kimball site, and the city’s mining heritage. They feel the form of the new Kimball Art Center emerges where these rich stories overlap. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »