Hotlinks, duplex house for Make It Right / Atelier Hitoshi Abe

Atelier Hitoshi Abe shared with us their duplex house for the new phase of the project we presented earlier. A renovated version of a shotgun house, the Hotlinks project offers several configurations depending on the client´s needs as described on the architect´s description and diagrams after the break:

Brad Pitt’s Make It Right presents duplex homes for NOLA


William McDonough + Partners duplex home for

Brad Pitt´s Make It Right Foundation has been working with a group of international architects to redevelop the Lower 9th Ward in , after hurricane Katrina. The name of the foundation addresses the desire of Pitt, architecture enthusiast, to design these houses the best way and not just as a temporary solution, in a process that also included working not only with these renowned firms, but also very close with the community, with a focus on sustainable development.

The designs are referential, and each client (as the houses aren´t “free”, yet they use existing finance ways and low interest loans) can pick a design, which is then adjusted by local firm John C. Williams Architects to suite the client´s needs.

A first phase included single family homes, designed by practices such as Kieran Timberlake, Shigeru Ban, Morphosis, MVRDV and Trahan Architects. As of now 8 houses have been built, and more than 10 houses are already on construction or in the permit process.

Make It Right has recently unveiled a second phase with 14 duplex homes to accommodate up to 2 families, which include a site-specific sustainable strategy and flexible plans for future family growth. But also, the practices were required to meet integration with the street and the use of landscaping as a design and energy element.

The result?  The 14 duplex homes after the break:

1028 Natoma Street / Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects

Architects: Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects
Location: San Francisco, CA,
Project year: 2004-2005
Photographs: Natoma Architects

Cascade House / Paul Raff Studio

Nestled among the Forest Hill neighborhood in Paul Raff Studio‘s latest sustainable residence is “a marriage of environmentally responsible building strategies and elegant architectural composition.”  The 353m2 residence, entitled the Cascade House, is designed in an I-formation around an outdoor swimming pool and offers a high quality of aesthetics in addition to environmentally friendly strategies.

More about the home after the break.

Fray Leon house / 57 STUDIO

Architect: 57 STUDIOMaurizio Angelini / Benjamín Oportot
Location: Santiago,
Collaborator: Felipe Zamora
Project year: 2006–2007
Construction year: 2007–2008
Structural Engineer: Claudio Hinojosa
Construction: Jorge Carrasco
Materials: Concrete / Steel / Travertine Marble
Photographs:

Western Red Cedar Architectural Design awards winners announced

The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association recently announced the winners for the 2008 Architectural Design awards.

The winners were chosen by a panel of esteemed architects, and the results were announced at the AIA 2009 National Convention in San Francisco.

The complete list of winners after the break.

Crystal Clear / C.F.Møller Architects + Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter

C. F. Møller Architects, in collaboration with Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter, have won a major competition to design a new landmark for Oslo.  Their project, entitled , consists of three towers, which are composed of stacked, prismatic volumes that will provide a dynamic new addition to the city’s skyline.

More about the towers after the break.

Petit Bayle / Meld Architecture

Architects: Meld Architecture
Location: Garone,
Client: Private
Structural Engineer: Arup (for schematic design, Contractor’s in-house for detail design)
Services engineer: Contractor’s in-house
Main Contractor: Arpose le Grand
Window sub-contractor: Duforet
Solar heating: Sarl Bedouret
Project Year: 2007
Gross external floor area: 265sqm
Total Cost: € 280,000
Photographs: Tim Crocker

© Tim Crocker © Tim Crocker © Tim Crocker © Tim Crocker

New College Student Residence / Saucier + Perrotte architectes

Architects: Saucier + Perrotte architectes
Location: , Ontario, Canada
Program: Student Residences (277 beds, related functions, meeting spaces & sport room)
Constructed Area: 11,000 sqm
Project year: 2003
Photographs: Marc Cramer, Michael Awad & Saucier + Perrotte

Media Pavillion / Moho Arquitectos + Carlos Abadía Sánchez

© David Frutos
© David Frutos

Architects: Moho Arquitectos + Carlos Abadía Sánchez
Location: Campus UMH. Elche,
Architect in Charge: Álvaro Abadía Sánchez
Construction: Villegas
Client: Miguel Hernandez University
Budget: $443,580.16 €
Project year: May 2007
Project Area: 395 sqm
Photography: David Frutos

© David Frutos © David Frutos © David Frutos © David Frutos

Walking Berlin / Fantastic Norway

Our friends from Fantastic Norway shared with us their project, “Walking ”, an event created as part of their at the DMY International Design Festival 09 in Germany.

The walking houses are man-sized models of their latest architectural project: a tourist destination located on the northern west coast of Norway. As the project depends on the idea of travelling, they decided it was only fair that the houses got to do some travelling too!

The project consists of a group of narrow high-rise modules welcoming the guests of the Norwegian west coast. The systematic and flexible module-system allows the outdoor spaces, the miniature high-rise modules and the interiors to be designed in collaboration with the future inhabitants and selected artists.

More images after the break.

Compromises for the Guggenheim

It seems fitting that since the Guggenheim is currently featuring the works of its designer, Frank Lloyd Wright, we should feature some of the process work of the iconic museum.  Well known for its white curving form, it is important to note that the current rendition of the museum is vastly different from Wright’s original ideas. The struggle between the architect and the client (in this case Solomon R. Guggenheim, a wealthy mining entrepreneur) to see eye-to-eye is not something new, however it is interesting to consider whether the renowned museum would still have its status if it were as Wright had originally envisioned: a polygonal structure, partly in blue or perhaps a red- structure with long-slim pottery red bricks.

More about the Guggenheim after the break.

Bextra / PROJEKTSTUDIO

Architects: PROJEKTSTUDIO, ing.arch. David Kotek
Location: Ostrava,
Consultant: Hutní projekt Ostrava a.s.
Constructed Area: 2,200 sqm
Project year: 2006
Photographs:

Red+Housing / OBRA Architects

Our friends from OBRA Architects shared with us their project Red+Housing, an emergency housing prototype commissioned as part of CROSSING: Emergency Dialogues for Architecture to acknowledge the anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, exhibition held at the National Art Museum of China. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Site One / Elenberg Fraser

© Tony Miller

Architects: Elenberg Fraser Architecture
Location: Melbourne, Victoria,
Project Management: Baracon
Civil Engineering: Reeds Consulting
Structural Engineering: Robert Bird & Partners
Services Engineering: Norman Disney & Young
Building Surveyor: Garden Group
Fire Engineer: Umow Lai & Associates
Acoustic Engineering: Marshall Day
Wind Engineering: Mel Consultants
Environmental Engineering: ERM
Quantity Surveyors: Slattery Australia
Land Surveyor: Reeds Australia
Geotechnical Engineering: Golders Associates
Project year: 2007
Client: Pan Urban
Photographs: Tony Miller

© Tony Miller © Tony Miller © Tony Miller © Tony Miller

Zhuhai Opera House / SPF architects

SPF Architects, based in Culver City, California, have created an design for the Zhuhai Opera House in , China.  Learning from the traditional principles of the region,  the opera house’s form gives the appearance of stacked pebbles.  Such an idea was conceived as a way to create a visual balance based on the Chinese principle from the five element theory.   The opera house has three stacked levels that provide varying programmatic activities, such as a 1500 seat auditorium, large plaza gathering space, rehearsal hall, restaurants and other public amenities.  A forest behind the structure gives the impression of growth and sustainability. 

More images after the break. 

Volume #19

In times of crisis, hope is what we need. And hope is what the latest issue of Volume magazine explores under the title “Architecture of Hope”.

Once again, Arjen Oosterman writes a short yet provocative editorial, starting by why they choose to only use black&white images on this issue.  He brings back the subject of the welfare society during post-War, and compares the european and american models of sprawl/density which are key aspects of current crisis.

And since hope is the word of the day, “Yes we can” is also mentioned on the editorial and other articles related to Obama.

More about this issue after the break.

Erika Mann Elementary School / Die Baupiloten

Architects: Die Baupiloten
Location: Berlin,
Client: Stattbau Berlin – Stadtentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH
Project Team: Maximilian Assfalg, Ania Busiakiewicz, Andrea Ceaser, Fee Kyriakopoulos, Ansgar Schmitter, Irmtraut Schulze, Thilo Reich, Wojciech Wojakowski
Sponsors: Baustoffhandel Mammitzsch, Eternit, Eurostahl, Follenius und Martin Tischlerei, GLS Bank Bochum, Firma Transresch, Bristol Kempinski Hotelkette, Essensanbieter Luna and Ridi Leuchten
Project year: 2006-2007
Photographs: Jan Bitter

Beachcroft Orth Residence / Andrew Maynard Architects

Andrew Maynard Architects present this residential alteration and extension to an existing double fronted weatherboard house in , . The brief required 2 bathrooms, a bedroom, living area, kitchen and increased connection with outside areas.

Royal Elephant Pavilion Competition / Visiondivision

Visiondivision shared with us their design for the Royal Elephant Pavilion which was rewarded an honorable mention in a not so ordinary competition.  Recently, the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav received two female elephants from the King and Queen of Thailand as a way to express their gratitude for the creation of a Buddhist pavilion in the north of .  Stemming from this event, a competition was created to design the facilities for the two elephants.

More about the Elephant Pavilion after the break.

AD Round Up: Lake Houses Part I

You just bought a nice site by the lake and need a nice house to built? To finish this week of Round Up, here you can see five examples of nice lake houses on different parts of the world.

Pirihueico House / Alejandro Aravena
We were asked to design a summer/winter house in a remote landscape in the most southern part of . More than a design, the client wanted, first of all, an equation that included every possible aspect that one could consider to be included; the design then had to be just the resolution of that equation. A volcanic site, 4.000 mm of rain every year, strong winds from the north and east, views towards the lake (read more…)

CO2 Saver House / Peter Kuczia
This sustainable house – like a chameleon – blends with its surrounding area on Laka Lake in south of Poland. Colourful planks within the timber façade reflect the tones of the rural landscape. The window reveals with fibre cement cladding, frame images of the countryside. Analogical to the most creatures, the building is outside symmetrical, although the internal zones are arranged asymmetrically (read more…)

House on Lake Rupanco / Alejandro Beals, Christian Beals
The house is located on the edge of lake Rupanco, in the south of Chile. The 160 x 30 meters site has a 36 meters slope and south-facing views of the lake. The house programme was meant to include a lounge and an office where books, photos and fishing tackle could be kept. The dining room, kitchen and terrace were to have visual continuity, participating at once together and separately in the one space (read more…)

House II in Aroeira / ARX
This is the second project for the urbanization of the Aroeira’s golf course, a field of lawns, sand zones and lakes, and in this case, also a pine tree area. The terrain is narrow and long, slightly triangulated and with a soft inclination alongside the lot. It is also densely occupied by large pines, which end suddenly at north by the immediate vicinity of the golf course. The house consists on three continuous bodies (read more…)

Villa Roling / Paul de Ruiter
The clients of villa Röling are passionate art collectors. They love to be surrounded by works of art. Therefore their main wish regarding their new dwelling was that it would do greatest justice to their collection of paintings and sculptures. However, the location of their house, at the edge of the lake Westeinderplas, is so spendid that it was no option to make a closed volume (read more…)