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2016 Fuller Challenge Semifinalists Announced

The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) has announced 19 semifinalists for the 2016 Fuller Challenge. Now in its ninth annual cycle, The Fuller Challenge seeks proposals to address challenges using holistic approaches and problem solving.

Teams of individuals and groups were judged by the Challenge Review Committee, which looked for projects that are visionary, comprehensive, anticipatory, ecologically responsible, feasible, and verifiable.

The 2016 Fuller Challenge Semifinalists are:

The Netherlands' Tallest Timber Tower to be Built in Amsterdam

The municipality of Amsterdam has selected Team V Architectuur with Lingotto, Nicole Maarsen and ARUP to design HAUT, a 73 meter (240 foot) residential tower located along the Amstel River that will become the Netherlands' tallest timber framed building and, depending on construction schedules, is a contender for the title of tallest wooden tower in the world. With construction expected to begin in the second half of 2017, HAUT is another example of the growing timber architecture trend hitting tall building design.

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Pompeii’s Most Famous House, the Villa of Mysteries, is at Risk of Collapse

One of Pompeii’s most precious gems, the Villa of Mysteries, is now at risk of collapse due to seismic activity in the Bay of Naples, as well as vibrations from a nearby train line transporting tourists. That's the conclusion of a recent study conducted by Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The news comes only a few months after the reopening of the house, whose stunning frescoes had just been restored.

As The Telegraph reports, the high-tech study showed that “in addition to the vibrations from the Vesuvius light railway commuter trains, which ferry tourists to Pompeii from Naples, the protective structure around the villa, built in armored cement, wood and steel 50 years ago is threatened by its own weight and water ingress.”

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SOM Reveals Plans for New Urban District Around Philadelphia's 30th Street Station

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has released plans for a new mixed-use urban district for Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station Precinct. In response to projections showing significant increases in transit activity in the coming decades, the project calls for a transformation of the existing Beaux Arts train station and surrounding neighborhood of University City. The design will improve transportation throughout the city, and will activate the area with new shops, restaurants and public plazas.

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62 Projects Shortlisted for INSIDE World Interior of the Year 2016

INSIDE World Festival of Interiors has announced the over 60 nominees being considered for the World Interior of the Year 2016 award. Occurring alongside the World Architecture Festival, INSIDE celebrates of the most original and exciting interiors.

Nominations in the 9 categories include projects from across the globe. From bars and retail spaces to schools and hotels, the nominees will present their projects live during the festival in November. Read on for a complete list of the shortlisted projects and check out all of the projects in the image gallery.

See the 17 Le Corbusier Projects Named as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (commonly referred to as UNESCO) has named 17 projects in 7 countries by revolutionary Modernist architect Le Corbusier to their list of World Heritage Sites. Given to places of special cultural or physical significance, the designation will help to protect and preserve the buildings for future generations. Citing Le Corbusier’s inventive architectural language, UNESCO praised the collection of projects for “[reflecting] the solutions that the Modern Movement sought to apply during the 20th century to the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques to respond to the needs of society.”

“The inscription on the World Heritage List of 17 buildings of sites by Le Corbusier represents a strong encouragement to continue all along Le Corbusier's built work to maintain this living heritage and to hand it down to future generations,” said Fondation Le Corbusier President Antoine Picon in a statement. “It also contributes to the understanding of that complex and fragile legacy and helps its dissemination to the widest audience.”

Continue after the break for the full list of projects and images.

KCAP Wins Competition for Island Plan in Amsterdam

KCAP Architects & Planners has won the competition for the design of “Punt de Sniep,” an urban planning project in Diemen, a city in the agglomeration of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Overall, the project will consist of 165 apartments, a marina, and commercial and gastronomy functions over a total of 16,000 square meters.

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Traditional Indian Architecture Meets Contemporary Office Space in This Naturally-Lit Design by Studio Symbiosis

Studio Symbiosis Architects is amidst the construction process for Punjab Kesari Headquarters, an 18,000 square meter office space in Delhi NCR, India.

Designed as a fusion of traditional Indian architecture and contemporary office space, the main objective of the project is “to reduce heat gain and optimize façade opening ratio, ensuing no artificial lighting is required on a typical day.”

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Neuman Hayner Architects Designs Conservatory in Israel Inspired by the Lines in Sheet Music

Neuman Hayner Architects, in collaboration with architect Gal Karni, has unveiled their proposal to a competition for a new music and dance school in Mevaseret Zion, Israel.

Five lines defining four strips, a frame of a story, a foundation for the creation... fertile ground for learning, a space for work, a stage for talent, a platform for infinite opportunities.

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Tippet Rise Art Center Combines Architecture, Art, Music and Mountains in Montana

What do Frederic Chopin, Alexander Calder and Montana's Bear Tooth Mountains have in common? A long summer day at Tippet Rise Art Center seeks to make the connections audible, visible, tangible.

Founded by philanthropists and artists Cathy and Peter Halstead and inaugurated in June 2016, Tippet Rise began as—and largely remains—a working ranch. It sprawls across 11,500 acres of rolling hills and alluvial mesas of southwestern. To the west rise the snowy heights of the Bear Tooth Mountains. Off to the east, hills give way to golden prairies that stretch out to the horizon.

Into this privileged landscape, the Halsteads and team have strategically inserted massive outdoor sculptures by Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Stephen Talasnik, plus three specially commissioned works by the Spanish architectural firm Ensamble Studio. And hidden in a small depression near the entrance of the massive ranch, the LEED Platinum-certified Olivier Barn serves as both base camp for visitors and a state-of-the-art concert hall.

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Studio Libeskind's Faceted Tower Wins Competition for Mixed-Use Complex in Lithuania

Studio Libeskind has won an international competition for the design of a mixed-use tower and complex in the heart of Vilnius, Lithuania. The 20,000 square meter building will feature offices, a luxury hotel, restaurants and public amenities and will be located at the intersection of the White Bridge, the Neris River and Old Town.

Broadway Malyan to Design Additional Towers for Jakarta Business Park

Broadway Malyan has been appointed to design eight towers for the CIBIS Business Park, a 12-hectare development in Jakarta, Indonesia. Previously, the firm developed the site’s original masterplan, as well as the design for Tower 9, and has since then been asked to additionally deliver Towers 1 through 8.

The goal of the overall project is to create a business village that reflects Indonesian culture, as well as international characteristics in order to bring people together in shared and mixed-use spaces.

The additional appointments for the other towers will help us to ensure continuity and integrity of the design approach and further the high quality office space in the area, noted Ed Baker, Director of Broadway Malyan.

OSU Chemists Discover New Blue Pigment that Could Help Keep Buildings Cool

After discovering a vibrant new pigment of blue by accident, chemists at Oregon State University have brought the compound to market in the form of a paint that looks promising to architectural sustainability.

While experimenting with materials to study applications for electronics in 2009, OSU chemist Mas Subramanian and his team mixed black manganese oxide with other chemicals and heated them to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Little did they know, one of their samples would turn into a brilliant blue color.

"The Hills" by West 8 Set to Open on Governors Island

The latest stage of the Governors Island Park project, “The Hills,” is set to officially open to the public on this Tuesday July 19th – nearly a year ahead of schedule. Designed by internationally acclaimed urban design and landscape firm West 8, the park will feature ten acres of sloping landscapes that will provide residents and visitors with slides, art and unparalleled views of the New York Harbor.

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13 Designs Given Honorable Mentions for Lima Art Museum (MALI) Expansion Competition

Earlier this week we covered the announcement of the winners of the expansion of the Lima Art Museum (MALI). The following 13 projects received honorable mention as according to the jury they "were essential during the deliberation process, for their originality, daring or because they helped shape the discussion."

The proposals came from a wide range of studios including Mexican firm Productora, a collaboration between Zaha Hadid and David Mutal, Campo Baeza and Llosa Cortegana amongst them. Continue below for the 13 projects in detail.

Federico Babina's ARCHIPLAN Illustrations Analyze the Floorplans of Master Architects

“The architectural plan is a formula to order the anarchy of space.”

In these latest images from Federico Babina, the artist explores the design styles of 25 of history's greatest architects, abstracting the plans of some of their most famous creations onto simple geometric backgrounds. The resulting illustrations resemble dynamic labyrinths or abstract symbols, and are what Babina refers to as “Planimetric graphologies.”

“Analyzing an architectural plan is how to make a graphology study,” explains Babina. “The plans are like the signatures of architects and can reveal conceptual details about the artistic and aesthetic personalities of their authors.”

See the entire set of ARCHIPLAN illustrations, including takes on Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, after the break.

Four Outstanding Housing Projects Win 2016 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards

Four housing projects have been awarded the 2016 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards. Given by The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Housing Knowledge Community, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the award is given to projects that “offer examples of important developments in the housing industry.”

“Each of these developments are innovative housing opportunities offering seniors and families alike a place to thrive,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “These winners prove that affordable and accessible housing can become part of the fabric of any neighborhood and reinforce the principles of inclusiveness and opportunity.”

The prize is given to projects in four categories: Excellence in Affordable Housing Design; Creating Community Connection Award; Community-Informed Design Award; and Housing Accessibility - Alan J. Rothman Award. Read on for a brief description from each of the winners.

City of London Building Award 2016 Winners Announced

New Ludgate, a retail and commercial development located two blocks east of St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown London, has been named the City of London Building of the Year 2016. The complex consists of two new buildings, One New Ludgate by Fletcher Priest Architects and Two New Ludgate by Sauerbruch Hutton. The award was given in recognition of “the buildings that support the ambitions of the City of London in delivering a world-class working environment, by evaluating both the quality of the architectural design and the impact the building has had on the city street scene.”

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