Nature’s Choice / Visiondivision
Our friends from Visiondivision shared their latest vacation home for two families in Sweden with us. The coastal site, which has been included on the world heritage list due to its outstanding land uplift geology, has two different levels – an upper level of untouched wood and a lower one of a rocky meadow. The project draws inspiration from the site as its unique arrangement beckons any built structure to blend into its environment. As the site incorporates two very different areas, the architects saw three potential alternatives for the site: either a wooden house set amidst the forest level, a stone house that lies in close connection with the rock outcrops, or, the more challenging alternative of how to appeal to both types of nature present on the site.
More about the project after the break.
Buholmen Cottage / SKAARA Arkitekter AS
Architects: SKAARA Arkitekter AS
Location: Buholmen, Norway
Project area: 100 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of SKAARA Arkitekter AS
WEDGE-1 / Collaborative Architecture
Architects: Collaborative Architecture
Location: Mumbai, India
Project team: Lalita Tharani, Mujib Ahmed
Project year: 2009
Photographs: Lalita Tharani & Manish
Dalian School / Debbas Architecture
Located in Dalian China and designed by Debbas Architecture, this project took reference from the most successful examples of kindergartens worldwide. A unique project, the school benefits from the collaborative expertise and design criteria from two early childcare professionals: the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI) based in the United States and Kinderland based in Singapore. Combining the highest standards in the world with the complex local requirements of China, the program and resulting architecture offers children one of the most unique and comprehensive environments for learning and subsequently flourishing as individuals.
Architects: Debbas Architecture
Location: Dalian, China
Client: YIDA Group
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Shu He Photographer
Fordham University New Residence Halls / Sasaki
Architects: Sasaki
Location: Bronx, New York City, USA
Project area: 175,000 sqm
Project year: 2010
Photographs: Robert Benson Photography
STILLS: A Wiel Arets Architects exhibition
After more than 25 years of continuous innovation, the time for an oeuvre exhibition on the work done by Wiel Arets Architects has come. With more than 250 projects, 20 monographs, a series of products in production, countless lectures and professorships given by Wiel Arets, and four new office publications in the works, the timing seems right.
STILLS shows the development of the oeuvre, shows the projects, expands upon the theoretical background and offers insight into the sources of inspiration and fascination of Wiel Arets himself. From his very early beginnings to his striking and unique personal vision on the future of urban development exemplified by the utopian ‘Zuidstad’ model.
For more information, click here.
A New University for Angola / Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company
In a bold move meant to transform the future and fate of young people in the Bié province of Angola, the non-profit, SHAREcircle, awarded the commission of a master plan for a new university to U.S.-based Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, architects and planners. The plan, which will include the design of a first academic building for Angola Central Highlands University, was the result of an international design competition. More images and project description after the break.
Implantlogyca Dental Office Interiors / Antonio Sofan Architect
Architects: Antonio Sofan Architect LEED AP
Location: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Client: Alfonso Patron DDS
Project area: 1,800 sq. ft.
Project year: 2010
Photographs: Todd Mason Halkin Photography
Kolstrand Building / Graham Baba Architects
The Kolstrand Building is an adaptive reuse of a 1910 marine supply building in the industrial neighborhood of Ballard. The upgraded building stretches the urban core south with a mix of new services: offices, retail and restaurant space. (1 retail/cafe, 3 restaurants, 4 commercial offices, and 1 wine storage) The goal of adaptive reuse of the historically significant building is to preserve a vernacular that is quickly disappearing in Ballard.
The Kolstrand Building designed by Graham Baba Architects received a 2010 AIA Seattle Design Award for Washington Architecture – Commendation. Follow the break for drawings and photographs of this mixed use building.
Architects: Graham Baba Architects
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
General Contractor: CDB General Contractors LLC
structural engineer: Swenson Say Fagét
Civil Engineer: Saez Consulting Engineers
Energy Consultant: Ecotope Inc
Geotechnical Engineers: Pan Geo Inc
Mechanical Contractor: Emerald Aire
Structural Steel Fabricator: Lincoln Industrial
Developer: 4743 Ballard Avenue LLC
Project Year: 2010
Project Area: 17,790 sqf
Z-Haus / Atelier Waechter
With a design strategy to maximize outdoor living space and minimize building footprint, the Z-Haus, winner of 2010 AIA Portland Design Award – Built Citation, consists of two attached row houses constructed on a 50’ x 100’ urban infill lot. Atelier Waechter thoughtfully designed each house, made up of 6 rooms that are offset at every half story and smoothly joined by a series of half flight stairs. More photographs and drawings of this award winning project following the break.
Designer: Ben Waechter
Location: Portland, Oregon
Structural Engineer: Froelich Consulting Engineers
Builder: Owner Builder
Owner: Ben Waechter & Daria Crymes
Project Area: 2,800 sqf (each unit)
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Stephen Miller
AD Classics: San Cataldo Cemetery / Aldo Rossi
Aldo Rossi, a man appreciated internationally for his theories, architecture and drawings, was one of the most prominent architects of his time. His desire to create buildings that reflected his social perspective and theories was reflected in most if not all of his buildings, but it was particularly evident in the San Cataldo Cemetery.
More on the San Cataldo Cemetery after the break.
Hortus Conclusus / Point Supreme Architects
Athens based Point Supreme Architects were recently awarded an honorary mention for their Theater Square proposal. The competition asked participants to rethink the idea of an urban square, as the site is surrounded by buildings which makes the small space seemingly negligible in the broad sense of the context. For their proposal, the architects dedicated the square to the magic of nature by making an urban room realized as a ‘secret garden’.
More about the proposal after the break.
International Dance and Music Centre / Neutelings Riedijk Architects
Neutelings Riedijk Architects is chosen as the winner of the architecture competition for the new building of the International Dance and Music Centre in city of The Hague, The Netherlands, among a field of 16 renowned international firms. More images and complete press release after the break.
AD Round Up: Offices Part VI
Even in our 6th selection, we still have many amazing office projects from 2009 to share with you. Check them all after the break.
SGAE Central Office in Santiago de Compostela / Ensamble Studio
Spanish architects Ensamble Studio shared with us their building for the SGAE Offices in Spain (the equivalent to the RIAA in the USA). Once again, Ensamble Studio shows us an impressive use of mass, using stacked stone slabs to create an intermediate space with filtered light. It also has a wall built with used CDs on the inside (read more…)
The Indicator: Photographing the Architect, Part 2: The Mystery of Dora
He is so much older than she, isn’t he? You can see they love one another. They are not just sitting together. She is leaning against him, her head against his temple. Though they are looking in different directions, they are as one and inhabiting a private realm of emotion. His gaze regards us but it is she who draws our attention by looking away. It is 1926 and he is content. He seems more at ease posing with Dora than alone. Without her he must clasp his hand together, unsure of how to hold himself.
More after the break.
PKU University Of Law / Kokaistudios
Architects: Kokaistudios
Location: Beijing, China
Team: Andrea Destefanis, Filippo Gabbiani, Li Wei, Fang Wei Yi, Liu Wen Wen, Yu Feng
Local Architect: BIAD
Structure: BIAD
Mechanics & Electricity: BIAD
Project Area: 10,000 sqm
Photographs: Charlie Xia
Architects in Movies
From the mid 1900′s to the beginning of the 2000′s, being an architect as a profession has made its way into key roles on the big screen for many big shot celebrities. Whether the roles they play in the movies are similar to the reality of the profession or not, I’m sure many architects that have watched some of these movies feel honored that their profession is one that deserves to be highlighted in ways that are not not just in architectural publications, but in the cinema world as well. More images after the break.
Hyperion Project / Oyler Wu Collaborative
Located on a vibrant commercial street in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, this building is a renovation of an existing 1930’s residential duplex. The project involves an ongoing series of interventions and transformations, beginning with the renovation of the building and growing to include a fence, with several (constantly evolving) additions in the works. The building includes the design office of Oyler Wu Collaborative, with a private residence located upstairs. The exterior of the building is an austere two-story volume clad in fiber-reinforced cement board with deep, recessed aluminum windows. The interior of the building combines exposed 1930’s wood frame construction with simple modern detailing.
Follow the break for more photographs and drawings of this project.
Architects: Oyler Wu Collaborative
Location: Silver Lake, California, USA
Project Team: Dwayne Oyler, Jenny Wu, Mike Piscitello, Jacques Lesec, Paul Cambon, Huy Le, Nathan Myers, Dan Hutchins, Jian Huang, Michael Chung, Vincent Yeh, Ehab Ghali, Sanjay Sukie, Chris Eskew, Matt Evans
Structural Engineer: William Hogan
Project Area: 1,800 sqf
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Scott Mayoral and Dwayne Oyler
Architecture of WikiLeaks
Thanks to the New York Post article we noticed that this project Pionen White Mountain, which we featured November 24, 2008, is indeed the WikiLeaks Headquarters. Pionen – White Mountain designed by Albert France-Lanord Architects is housed in a former 1,200 sqm Cold War bunker (originally built as a World War II bunker); an amazing location 30 meters down under the granite rocks of the Vita Berg Park in Stockholm.
One of the original founders of WikiLeaks is architect John Young. Sections and more photographs following the break.
Update: It seems that the New York Post article was misleading. The Pionen – White Mountain facilities, a Bahnhof computer center, hosts two Wikileaks servers at these facilities and provides power, cooling, and Internet access to the servers.
Architects: Albert France-Lanord Architects
Location:Stockholm, Sweden
Program: Datacenter
Collaborators: Frida Öster and Jonatan Blomgren
Geology Consultant: Geosigma AB
Construction: Albert France-Lanord Architects
Client: Bahnhof AB
Construction Area: 1,200 sqm
Project year: 2008
Photographs: Åke E:son Lindman
Cool Spaces for PBS
PBS has released their sixteen finalists under consideration for piloting. Making their short-list is Cool Spaces, a show focused on featuring modern architecture, hosted by architect Stephen Chung. The show is slated to be a 13-part series focused on buildings in North America. The public spaces Chung would visit include libraries, restaurants, hotels, etc. with approximately two or three buildings featured per half hour episode.
From now until December 15th PBS wants to hear from the public via emails expressing support for their favorite finalists. Email DIFundSubmission@pbs.org if you are interested in voicing your support for Cool Spaces.
For a video about Cool Spaces (with Stephen Chung) and further details click here.
El Camion Restaurant / LLONA + ZAMORA Arquitectos + Fernando Mosquera
Architects: LLONA + ZAMORA arquitectos [Michelle Llona + Rafael Zamora] + Fernando Mosquera
Location: Villa el Salvador, Lima, Perú
Project area: 220 sqm
Project year: 2009
Photographs: Michelle Llona R
