Last Wednesday we told you we were giving away two copies of Yes is More, the world’s 1st architectural monograph in an eBook edition tailored to the Apple iPad. Now, thanks to BIG and Taschen, two happy reigstered users will enjoy this great eBook. The winners are Danny Taft and Maryanne Friend, and will be contacted at their e-mails. Congratulations, and remember you can register right here and enjoy the benefits!

The Saucier + Perrotte Architectes and Hughes Condon Marler Architects with SNC Lavalin team won the architecture competition for the future sports complex in Saint-Laurent, a former city on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The winning team’s proposal distinguished itself from the others by the quality of its architectural gesture, the simplicity of the concept, the creation of a distinctively urban branding image and wayfinding strategy, its adherence to the surface areas of the facilities, the effectiveness of its sustainable development strategies and its potential for change. More images and project description after the break.

This 26,800 sqf home, designed by Shubin+Donaldson Architects, not only merges with its remarkable environment, but virtually disappears. Except for a few deft lines and angles – such as the ordered rows of the surrounding vineyard – there is very little perceivable ‘built’ presence. The entrance is marked by a single low wall, delicately cut into the land while sheltering a stairway that immediately begins the descent into the home.

Project description, images, and drawings after the break. Architect: Shubin+Donaldson Architects Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Partners in Charge: Russell Shubin and Robin Donaldson Project Designer: Bradford Kelley Project Area: 26,800 sqf Project Year: In development Renderings: Mike Amaya

For this week the Architecture City Guide series headed to the city of Austin, Texas. Already our third stop in the Lone State, it is easy to see why Texans take such pride in their state, even when the Cowboys go 6 and 10. Both the capital of Texas and Live Music, Austin is a vibrant city that takes pride in being far from ordinary. Austin also plays host to South By Southwest (SXSW) which is being held this week, March 11th – 20th. Its eclectic and liberal lifestyle have led many Austinites to adopt the slogan “Keep Austin Weird.” In this context its architecture is as diverse as its people. This short exposé of a few contemporary and modern buildings hardly tells the story of Austin, so we ask you, the readers, to add to the list. Please share your favorites with us in the comment section below.

The Architecture City Guide: Austin list and corresponding map after the break!

On March 21, 2011, London architect John Pawson will present the 2011 Harwell Hamilton Harris Endowed Lecture at NC State University in Raleigh, N.C. This annual lecture honors the late, former professor of architecture who taught at NC State from 1962 to 1975. Upon his death in 1990, Harris left to the College of Design an endowment that funds this annual lecture.

Station 5, by architect Ariel Noyman (AnArchiX), is the finalist submission to the competition ‘Water Tower- new perspectives’ that was organized by the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Berkeley University and the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) in 2010.

The design will be hosted in the city’s first water tower (1920′s) situated in the town square, next to municipality buildings and primary urban institutions. It will be a key point in the tour and will offer a variety of educational and cultural activities, while functioning as a lookout and leisure attraction in the central city location of Israel. More images and architect’s description after the break.

The Columbus, Ohio office of international design firm NBBJ is designing the new headquarters for the Housing Bank For Trade and Finance (HBTF), the largest bank branch network in Jordan. Located in the Schmeisani section of Amman, the new HBTF headquarters will feature a modern, iconic design helping to re-shape the city’s evolving skyline. It will also be among a handful of buildings in Amman created under the current sustainable design guidelines. Once completed, the new facility will provide employees with a state-of-the-art work environment to deliver even better service to customers.

Project description and drawings after the break.

Architect: NBBJ Location: Amman, Jordan Project team: Adam Shriver, Aleksandr Daskalov, Brian Sell, Chandra Wilcox, Dean Stump, Don Kruckeburg, Earl Lee, Ed Mickelson, Ivan Amy, Jim Lehnert, John Woods, Karen Miller Eskandari, Kent Usher, Mark Gammon, Mark Perry, Matt Manda, Mike Suriano, Nick Forbess, Scot Walls, Tony Murry, Tyler Bohm, Katie Hueblein, Michael Denison, Laura Elswick, Jeff Heffner, Jonathan Novak, Teri Umbarger, Brian Rezentes, Budiman Wiharja, Nursah Balcilar Design Engineer: Arup Local A/E: Arabtech Jardaneh Lighting Designer: Quentin Thomas Associates Food Service Designer: Hammer Design Associates Wind Testing: CPP Water Architecture: Dan Euser Construction Manager: Projacs Client: Housing Bank for Trade and Finance Project area: 76,000 sqm Project year: Estimated Completion 2014 Renderings: Li Fang / Illustration on Demand

Architects: H Arquitectes – David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros, Roger Tudó) and dataAE (Claudi Aguiló, Albert Domingo) Location: Barcelona, Spain Project area: 2,400 sqm Project year: 2009-2011 Photographs: H Arquitectes

A video of its construction, more photos and further information after the break.

What will the architecture profession look like in 2025? According to the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) think tank Building Futures new survey, we have a tough road ahead of us. The year long study asked, who will design our built environment, what role will architects have, and how might practice change by 2025.

Our global economy and the economic recession have effected our business practices and the RIBA has taken a look at how these factors have transformed our profession and what trends we may see continuing in the future. The survey suggests that not only will architecture firms have to focus on a financial and business approach rather than predominantly design-led offices, but also company names are predicted to drop ‘architect’ altogether and insert ‘spatial agencies’ and ‘design houses’.

For our sixth selection of previously featured mix-used projects we have some great designs from last year. Check them all after the break!

8 House / BIG Celebrating its third project with the same development team in the maturing neighborhood of Orestad, the construction of the 61,000 sqm 8 House has come to an end, allowing people to bike all the way from the street up to its 10th level penthouses alongside terraced gardens where the first residents have already moved in (read more…)

Paris-based Influx_Studio shared with us a project they are currently developing: a new concept of artificial urban tree which absorbs Co², called TREEPOD. More images and architect’s description on this project after the break.

eVolo Magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Skyscraper Competition. Established in 2006, the annual Skyscraper Competition recognizes outstanding ideas that redefine skyscraper design through the use of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations, along with studies on globalization, flexibility, adaptability, and the digital revolution. This is also an investigation on the public and private space and the role of the individual and the collective in the creation of a dynamic and adaptive vertical community. The award seeks to discover young talent, whose ideas will change the way we understand architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments.

The first place was awarded to Atelier CMJN (Julien Combes, Gaël Brulé) from France for their ‘LO2P Recycling Skyscraper’ in New Delhi, India. The project is designed as a large-scale wind turbine that filters polluted air with a series of particle collector membranes, elevated greenhouses, and mineralization baths. More images and descriptions of winning entries after the break

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is constructing a new facility to replace the existing NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) located in La Jolla, California, which is threatened by continuing bluff erosion. Designed by Gould Evans, the new facility will include approximately 124,000 sqf with an additional 90,000 sqf of under building parking, and is located on a site east of the existing SWFSC property. The proposed 3.305 acre site enables NOAA to continue its long-term partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of UC San Diego, but constrains the design, construction and available development due to its steep grade.

Project description, video, and images following the break.

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Architect: Gould Evans Location: La Jolla, California, USA Associate Architect: Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker Mechanical/Electrical Engineer and Prime Consultant: Gibbens Drake Scott Structural Engineer: TranSystems Corporation Specifications, Laboratory Consultant, Security Consultant, and Sustainability Consultant: HDR Architecture Life Support Systems Consultant: MWH Americas Civil Engineer: RBF Consulting Landscape Architect: Wimmer Yamada & Caughey Vegetated Roofs Consultant: Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company Project Area: 214,000 sqf Project Year: estimated 2011 Renderings: Gould Evans

Caen was destroyed during the Second World War and has been restored since, the Presqu’ile project is considered its second restoration. The 300ha Presqu’ile de Caen is located between the city centre and the sea and occupied by industrial structures among which some industrial monuments. MVRDV joined forces with French architect Diagram experienced in the site, landscape architect Territoires and engineering firm IOSIS. The project is a vision of the future based on research and for this the team also comprises of Swiss sociologist Philippe Cabane and Pro-Developpement, a company specialist in development strategy.

Hosted at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston, Vlad Tenu’s winning entry to REPEAT: digital fabrication competition, Minimal Complexity, was the highlight of the lively TEX-FAB 2.0 and REPEAT exhibition. The event included a distinguished group of speakers from the academic, professional and fabrication communities that took place from February 10th to the 13th. More images and exhibition highlights after the break.

“Material beyond Materials: A Composite Tectonics Conference on Advanced Materials and Digital Manufacturing” combines progressive presentations in the fields of architecture, the arts, engineering and materials research. The conference participants will present and discuss their most innovative ideas, projects and positions concerning materials, technology and the impact on the architecture and construction disciplines and professions.

Designed for approximately 200 people the new facility optimizes passive design strategies and is projected to demand only 12% of the electrical power and only 10% of the potable water that a conventional, code-compliant building would demand. All irrigation is provided by recycled and reclaimed water. The NASA Sustainability Base is a two-story 50,000 sqf building that is scheduled to be completed this spring with occupancy expected in May.

Design Architect: William McDonough + Partners Architect of Record, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering: AECOM Daylighting, Lighting, Energy Consultant: Loisos + Ubbelohde Landscape Architect of Record: EDAW Landscape Architect: Siteworks Materials Assessment: MBDC Wastewater Treatment: Todd Ecological

Five amazing projects chosen from nearly 100 posts from last week. Check the selection after the break.

Stockholm Waterfront / White arkitekter ab Stockholm Waterfront lies adjacent to Stockholm’s Central Station. The site has the best public exposure in Stockholm, with thousands of train passengers passing by every day – its position on the Riddarfjärden bay and its proximity to Stockholm’s City Hall also make it an ideal location (read more…)

The 11th edition of the Europan competition explores a European urban realm undergoing dramatic changes. The global financial crisis has led to tires burning in Greece and protesters marching the streets of Paris. A wave of young, unemployed but highly educated Europeans has been called “The Lost Generation”. Europe is a territory of emerging conflicts. Strained public budgets will force architects to develop strategies for public space that serve a greater set of purposes – political, economical, social, and environmental. Future emphasis is not on how architecture looks, but what it does. Even in Norway, an economic island in many ways, a new post oil era is closing in. Paired with rising pension costs, a new reality of fiscal constraint is emerging even here. Europan Norway believes we will need to develop an architecture that does more with less. Europan 11 will be an arena where we can explore this on a broad international level.

GVultaggio Architects of Rome has shared with us their proposal for a ecumenical center in Southern France. Follow after the break for additional images of the model as well as a description from the designers.

26LAB, NFP is a new not-for-profit founded in the city Chicago, a life enrichment program and sustainable learning lab using architecture, engineering and construction education. While they complete the renovations of the lab, they are hosting a “26LAB iit pilot” program for high school students, in partnership with IIT Idea Shop on the famed campus designed by Mies Van der Rohe, and now with a building by Koolhaas.

Also, 26LAB is hosting a Pre-Opening Fundraiser event on Friday March 11th, at 7pm. More information after the break.

JGMA won the competition to design the Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy High School (IHSCA) in Chicago, Illinois for the Institutio del Progreso Latio. The program is for a charter school that will serve 600 youth from Chicago communities. It will be the first career academy in the state of Illinois dedicated to health sciences. The new facility will also provide serves to consolidate existing programs under the Instituto.

More on this project after the break.

University of Pennsylvania School of Design boasts one of the Top 10 Graduate Architecture Schools in the United States. This month their Spring Lecture Series, More and More, is hosting Qingyun Ma (M.Arch), dean of the USC School of Architecture. This event is free and open to the public and PennDesign is a registered provider of continuing education programming for the American Institute of Architects.

As a finalist for the Torres De Cotillas Competition, STL Architects shared with us their proposal for the new Auditorium and Arts Center within the future office park. The design is projected to become the key element of connection between the new urban space and the consolidated old town grid. The new building will become a symbolic reference of public activity that will be established around the future office park of Torres de Cotillas, Spain. More images and architects’ description after the break.