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3XN Unveils Sloping Design for Sydney Fish Market
Danish office 3XN has unveiled finalized designs for their Sydney Fish Market project after announcing their attachment to the project last June. The scheme, which is expected to begin construction in 2019, combines the traditional working market program with contemporary features and is intended to establish a strong public connection to the waterfront at Blackwattle Bay.
PanGenerator Reimagines Spiral Staircase as a Voice-Transforming Installation
The media arts & design collective panGenerator have released a new video showing how they turned the iconic spiral staircase of the Szczecin Philharmonic into an “instrument” that transforms audience voices. Dubbed SPIRALALALA, the site-specific project invites the audience to experiment with various sound effects applied to their vocalizations. These are synchronised with the movement of a ball falling along a 35m track. A series of speakers create the illusion of the sound “falling” with the ball.
The Concept App, a Free Structural Engineering Tool, is Now Available on iPhone and Desktop
Vancouver-based engineering firm Fast + Epp has created a free tool, called Concept, for architects and designers to explore a variety of building materials. The interface allows the designer to explore the aesthetics of wood, concrete, and steel while also providing additional information about the composition and feasibility of these materials.
Hartford Architecture Students Win Urban Sustainability Competition Through “Live, Work, Play” Park Design
A team of five University of Hartford Master of Architecture (MArch) students recently won the Dream Green, Hartford EcoDesign competition sponsored by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation and hosted by the City of Hartford Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. The competition requested proposals to improve the city through “pop-up” projects that transform underused city spaces while highlighting green infrastructure and sustainable design.
Arquitectonica Reveals Tower of Pools for Downtown L.A. in New Renders
Arquitectonica has revealed new renderings of its proposal for a 53-story tower of cantilevered pools in Downtown Los Angeles. The skyscraper could be built under two different scenarios, where either the building becomes primarily residential units or a hotel and condominiums. The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning published a draft Environmental Impact Report with further details on the 784-foot tower. Arquitectonica's tower is one of multiple developments underway around Pershing Square.
Could Future Cities be Crypto Cities? A Nevada Desert Experiment May Give an Answer
In a world increasingly obsessed with the potential of Blockchain (the decentralized technology behind Bitcoin), lawyer and cryptocurrency millionaire Jeffrey Berns has purchased an enormous 67,000-acre plot of the Nevada desert near Reno envisioned as an “experimental community” revolving around the technology.
His company, Blockchains LLC, has worked in collaboration with Tom Wiscombe Architecture and Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects (EYRC) to design “Innovation Park” which will be “developed into a smart city with decentralized Blockchain underlying all infrastructure.”
Zaha Hadid Architects and ETH Zurich Create 3D Knitted Concrete Pavilion Transportable via Suitcase
ETH Zurich, working in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group (ZHCODE) and Architecture Extrapolated (R-Ex) have unveiled a 3D-knitted shell serving as the primary shaping element for curved concrete structures.
The “KnitCandela” prototype represents the first application of this technology at an architectural scale, a five-tonne concrete structure on display at the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City.
Understanding and Using Architectural Scales
The work of an architect and urban planner can take on many forms thanks to the diverse curricular composition of most graduate courses, with subjects that deal with designing in different scales and contexts. From great urban plans to home renovations, and the metropolis to furniture design, these branches deal with different objects, however, all in common are the use of drawing and models as a tool for representation.
Whatever the project may be, drawing is the way to represent reality, ideas, speculations, and conceptions. Scale, a factor that establishes the level of reading one must make of these representations, determines the link between the real world and the dimensions of the drawing or model. For instance, the scale 1:1 is also known as “full size.”
In Tehran, Design Principles of American Suburbia Unexpectedly Persist
Austrian-born architect Victor Gruen is perhaps best known for pioneering the design of the American mall typology. His visions for these spaces sought to incorporate various aspects of the city into a single enclosed or indoor space, with a particular focus on consumption and commercial activity. His sprawling designs functioned as the perfect complement to America’s burgeoning leisure-driven consumer culture as a booming economy and an increase in car travel reinforced the possibilities of this new postwar way of life. Perhaps lesser-known, however, is Gruen’s commission from the Iranian government to design an urban plan for the city of Tehran in the late 1960s.
Allied Works and OLIN Create a Museum for Both People and the City
Allied Works has, since their founding in 1994, become known for their portfolio of delicately balanced and civic-minded works. Their Clyfford Still Museum in Denver has in particular been recognized in numerous awards and publications - but may perhaps be overshadowed by their most recent built work.
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum, located in Columbus, Ohio elevates what might have been a staid and somber program into a public space with an urban outlook. The museum, composed of intersecting white concrete bands, opens onto a lustrous landscape (designed by OLIN) and connects the formerly neglected riverfront to the small city’s downtown.
Lumion 9: Rendering Living Environments for Real Beauty
Lumion has always set out to define what rendering should be: fast and stress-free with exceptional results. Now, with the latest version of its 3D rendering software, Lumion 9, it’s easier than ever to show off your 3D models in a living environment, with beautiful, real-life skies, an endless variety of landscapes, and exceptional lighting and materials. Oh, and rendering takes minutes, not hours.
Rethinking the Future of Air Travel: Students and Fentress Architects Collaborate in Venice Biennale Exhibition
Deemed to be the homogenized "spaces of circulation, consumption, and communication", airports around the world appear to be almost indistinguishable in their dissolution of identity. Despite technological changes in air travel, the typology of the airport has remained consistently ordinary.
In the European Cultural Center’s biennial exhibition, students from North Carolina State University’s College of Design worked alongside Curtis Fentress, Ana-Maria Drughi, and Joshua Stephens of Fentress Architects to propose innovative concepts for reshaping air travel. PLANE—SITE’s latest film from their series of short videos of the Time-Space-Existence exhibition showcases this design collaboration.
Studio Gang & SCAPE, Two Women-Led Firms, Selected for Memphis Riverfront Transformation Project
Studio Gang, an architecture firm and urban design firm recognized for their ingenuity and creative approach, has partnered with SCAPE, the NYC-based design-driven urban design and landscape architecture firm. The international architecture community has recognized both firms’ female founders, Jeanne Gang and Kate Orff, respectively, as innovators in their design fields. Together, these firms have created the selected proposal for Memphis’ waterfront.
The waterfront’s edge is composed of five zones: Fourth Bluff, Mud Island, Tom Lee Park, MLK Park, and Greenbelt Park. Areas like Tom Lee Park encompass a vast area of flat terrain, pedestrian paths, and simple amenities. The park’s greatest feature is its view that spans both the natural and urban elements of the city’s landscape.
These International Award-Winning Photographs Capture the Beauty of Architecture and Urban Spaces
The winning entries of the Siena International Photo Awards 2018 have been unveiled. The “Architecture and Urban Spaces” category winners offer a wide range of subjects, locations, and perspectives, from the relationship between the Moon and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to snow-capped “Toy houses.”
The Siena International Photo Awards saw 48,000 images submitted from 148 countries. The announcement of the winners coincides with the launch of the “Beyond the Lens” exhibition of the winners, running until 2nd December 2018 in Siena.
HIR Studio Transforms a Hong Kong Housing Complex Into a Commemorative Relic for Architect Michael Wright
Plans for a memorial commemorating the life and career of Mr. Michael Wright, architect, surveyor, and civil servant, have been released. Mr. Wright’s dedication to the architecture of public housing in Hong Kong and the principals on which he designed are encapsulated in the memorial’s proposed scheme. Wright died in January 2018 at the age of 105 and is considered the "father of public housing in Hong Kong" for redefining the city's standards for public living quarters.
Guiding a Successful Creative Process
The following is an excerpt from Andrew Levitt's recent book "Listening to Design: A Guide to the Creative Process."
Listening fully without any desire to judge or cause change can open the most stubbornly shut door. With deeper listening, the desire to change or judge the other person disappears and is replaced by a willingness to just be present. At first I worried that listening was not enough, but eventually I learned that the process of creativity hinges on the ability to listen. We need to get into the habit of recognizing the authenticity of our inner voices. By hearing that voice without judgement, we can access all kinds of riches. All the ideas in the world won’t help you if they fall on deaf ears. When we get an idea, there are so many ways of ignoring or sabotaging it. Staying true to the inner command is the holy moment of design. But listening is the key to successful collaboration and feedback.
The Appalachian "Long Lodge" Optimizes Mass Timber Construction for Sustainable Design
The 'Long Lodge' proposal for residential cabins along the Appalachian Trail, recently named the Honor Award Winner of the 2018 Maine Mass Timber Design Competition, highlights simple yet creative ways to spotlight the possibilities and natural beauty of timber as a construction material. The winning four-person design team created a lodge that not only serves as a temporary living space but rather becomes a memorable spatial experience through the effects of the structural design choices.
pH+ architect’s Iceland Wharf Creates a "Flexible, Tethered, Living and Working Environment"
Fish Island, a district in London’s East End, has experienced a period of redevelopment. Once an industrial area, the area is now known for its vibrant art community. In recent years, Fish Island has continued to evolve and transform, with a particular emphasis on integrating the existing creative spaces with residential and commercial.
The latest chapter in this transformation has been the work of pH+ architects, with a mixed-use scheme that layers domestic spaces within a larger complex that also includes maker and retail spaces. "Iceland Wharf" will deliver 120 homes and 40,000sq ft of commercial space in "flexible tethered living and working environments."
V&A East Revealed with New Designs by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and O'Donnell + Tuomey
London's V&A has revealed new images and information about V&A East, a museum by O'Donnell + Tuomey and research center by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Sited within London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the projects will be built at the Here East complex and Stratford Waterfront. The V&A have stated that the museum will include two galleries to showcase the collections, while the research center aims to be a new model for collection storage and public display.
Jean Nouvel's Vibrant La Marseillaise is Completed with 27 Shades of Red, White, and Blue
The Jean Nouvel-designed La Marseillaise has been completed, decorating the skyline of Marseille, France with 27 shades of red, white, and blue concrete. Standing at 135 meters, the 31-story office tower contains a business restaurant, nursery, and retail.
The scheme sits in proximity to the CMA CGM Headquarters, which was the first Zaha Hadid Architects-designed tower to be built.
Inside the Extraordinary 190m Atrium (World Tallest) Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects
New photographs have emerged of the Zaha Hadid Architects-designed Leeza SOHO, a mixed-use office tower in Beijing’s Leeza Financial Business District. Featuring the world’s tallest atrium, the twisting, contorted structure weaves two separate sections of the tower in a visual infusion.
The new images celebrate the 190-meter-tall atrium rising through the full height of the building, designed to “rise as a single volume, divided into two halves.” The 172,800-square-meter scheme sits atop a new transit hub straddling a subway tunnel currently under construction.
This Week in Architecture: A Little Less Conversation
Kanye West is, according to Kanye West, a reformed man. After months of making headlines over his bizarre political views, he stated on Wednesday that, “my eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!”
While this most likely means a return to his music career, this statement could also indicate a renewed interest in his design projects. The rapper’s interest in architecture is more than just a passing one; he’s collaborated with noted architects such as Jacques Herzog and Rem Koolhaas and has declared on multiple occasions his desire for everything to be “architected.”
Stefano Corbo Studio's Design Seeks to Transform a Prague School into an "Autonomous Micro-City"
Prague's architecture is known for a patchwork of buildings ranging in styles and eras. A recent proposal for the redesign of the Trojska Skola aims to supplement a similar cohesive attitude to the space. Titled, Dissonant Unity, the project designed by Stefano Corbo Studio explores the ways to incorporate new programs and increased public space to an existing grammar and primary school with an attached sports center, auditorium, and cafeteria.
The World's First Zero-Waste Bio-Brick is Grown from Human Urine
Some years ago, researchers in the United States previously tested the concept of using synthetic urine-based substances to fabricate building materials. However, new research conducted by Masters student Suzanne Lambert at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, puts forth a zero-waste process of producing urine-based bricks by using collected human urine for the first time.