The Federal Republic of Germany recently chose the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) as the designers for their bid to host the Secretariat of the Green Climate Fund in Bonn, Germany. With a design inspired by the beautiful setting in the Rhine valley, and with curvilinear forms, nature light wells, roof top gardens and a large sunken terrace for the restaurant, the three level structure will comply with the latest energy and building ecology standards, meeting the highest demands in terms of sustainability (German gold certificate), ecology and energy efficiency (net zero energy). More images and architects’ description after the break.

Located on the upper part of Loudéac, France, the site for the gymnasium, designed by Bohuon Bertic Architectes is a maximum space which has conserved the beauty of agricultural spaces, contained in planted trees. In the presence of a simple space, with a vast grassland which spreads throughout the south side of a hill, the choice of establishing the sports hall on the plot comes from a clear complementary relationship with the close existing sportive area. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The proposal for Zaldibar kindergarten by VAUMM is composed of two buildings, connected by playgrounds. The plan responds to a simple strategy of settlement on the site, which is to get the most out of this relationship between full and empty. The diversity of color and interior cladding, which can be used in each room, make contrast with the external image of two buildings designed to provide an oasis of calm in the stridency and disorder in the external environment. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Designed by TOTEMENT | PAPER, the residential area in Block No.5, as part of District D2 (“Science & Technology Park”) of “Skolkovo” Innovative Center, occupies a special area as it is the gate to the district and the main design point facing the Skolkovskoye Highway side. The architectural concept has been worked out to be presented at the second round of the competition. They took into the account close location of crowded housings of circles No.2 and 4 by closing our circle at their side. Bends of buildings allowed them to extend essentially the light front of the buildings and to get the necessary area for housing. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Designed by NC-Office, the Metro Station 20 competition proposal establishes an identity as a market street station connecting the above ground activities with skylights down to platform levels while allowing for concentrated density and a transit oriented development. In this way, nature differs from ‘the tower in the park’ typology. The development of a mid-rise density in between Druzhba1 and Druzhba 2 stitches together the two neighborhoods. The intent of the project is to anchor the station entrances at major pedestrian traffic locations – on the plaza and near the pipeline park. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The masterplan vision for Convida Suape, a new city in North Eastern Brazil, designed by Broadway Malyan, was just launched by the practice’s client, Moura Dubeux Engineering and Cone S/A. A sustainable urban extension of the city of Cabo de Santo Agostinho near Recife, the capital city of the State of Pernambuco, Convida Suape will result in the transformation of a 470 hectare area to accommodate up to 100,000 inhabitants. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Held during the Zagreb Fashion Industry Days, the “Step Inside a Creative Mind” installation by Prodigium allowed young designers to showcase their most intimate thoughts (their collections) and bring them to life for the public. It was up to the architect to design a highly flexible open space, where young designers would set up shop and random people could wander around and shop. A space that was inexpensive yet “hip” enough to attract passers-by that might be interested in fashion. The dome as a starting point reminded the architect of a giant head emerged in the vast plateau on the main square, and he felt that the dome should sub-serve as a beacon instead of merely a confinement of the exhibition space. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The ‘Fiction’ collection, by photographer Antoine Mercusot, features miniature worlds and figures to create spaces made of wood, cardboard, plastic, and paper. Inspired by his work as an architectural photographer, he then stages imaginary parts, inspired by real life characters and crossings without markings, arranged in his imagination. As Mercusot states, “These worlds refer to contemporary architecture, where simplicity of lines, righteousness of the form, the work of matter are the source of this discipline. Only the light is able to reveal and highlight these volumes. The environments appear to be empty spaces, sanitized, where time stopped, leaving room for attitudes and the psychological dimension of silhouettes that are emerging.” More photographs of his collection can be viewed after the break.

Creating a gateway entry to south China’s new planned commercial hub, the winning competition proposal by 10 Design + Buro Happold for their Infinity Loop Bridge marks the connection of the Shizimen Canal to the Pearl River Delta. The 10 and Buro Happold team set out to create a simple and elegant structural solution for a bridge that would be a visual focal point both within the Shizimen District itself and along the Pearl River Delta coastline. More images and architects’ description after the break.

A nationally recognized leader in modern, sustainable, regionally appropriate architecture, Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal of the multi-award-winning architecture firm Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh, NC, will present a talk entitled “How Architects and Landscape Architects Can Work Together” during the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (NCASLA) 2012 Spring Conference. Harmon, will discuss the urban and rural landscape, how architecture fits into it, and how architects and landscape architects can combine efforts “to leave the landscape better than we found it”. His talk will take place Friday, June 15, from 3:15-4:15 p.m. More information on the event after the break.

With Expo 2012 debuting this month in Yeosu, South Korea, EXHIBITOR Magazine is now seeking entries for its Expo 2012 Awards competition. The contest will be judged by a star-studded panel of multidisciplinary design, marketing, and communications experts who will ultimately choose which entries represent the best the World Expo has to offer. Entries must be pavilions, exhibits, presentations, or elements of pavilions and exhibits appearing at Expo 2012 in Yeosu. The early bird deadline for entry is June 8, 2012, and the final deadline is June 18. More information on the competition after the break.

With an arrival sequence that starts at curbside with a new canopy system providing both shelter and a new architectural image for the building, the renovations for Terminal 1 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport have been carefully considered and addressed. Designed by Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee, their main challenge was the transformation of the existing building in support of the passenger travel experience. As the canopy extends the length of the building and transforms itself at the crosswalk linking the commercial curb canopy, both arrival and departure experienced are emphasized. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Approach, a two-day parametric design workshop June 23-24, put on by Studio Mode / modeLab, will introduce participants to advanced topics in Grasshopper for Rhinoceros. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, participants will iteratively engage a diverse set of parametric approaches to case-study design scenarios, each requiring advanced creation and manipulation of Data Structures and/or the extension of Grasshopper’s Parametric Workflow. The collection of case-studies will furthermore provide a mechanism to critically assess the value in each approach relative to workflow, best practices, linear versus non-linear design processes, and opportunities for modular re-use in other design contexts. For more information, please visit here.

HOK was recently selected to design the new University at Buffalo (UB) School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on its downtown campus upon winning a global design ideas competition. Located at the center of the region’s emerging bio-sciences corridor, this new transit-oriented medical school development will anchor a lively, urban mixed-use district on campus and bring 1,200 students, faculty and staff downtown. With the goal of fostering collaboration and interdisciplinary care, the new academic medical center will create connections that allow students, faculty, biomedical researchers and clinicians to move easily from classroom to bedside to lab. More images and archtiects’ description after the break.

The masterplan for the National Creative Cluster by Sasaki Associates integrates the urban form with the surrounding landscape by creating a series of green wedges, interspersed within the urban clusters and forming a series of community parks. Located near Songzhuang, a quiet village on the outskirts of Beijing, the success of the district is tied to its openness, where people can interact in both structured and spontaneous ways to exchange ideas and have constructive dialogue. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The project for an office buiding in Boulogne Billancourt, France consists of the renovation of building B’s existing 10,402m² surface area, the redesign of the facade taking into account the overall structure, the renovation of the technical premises, and the optimizing of office surface space. The competition winning design by Atelier Zündel Cristea is conceived with the logic of functional flexibility in which a central technical core frees the 8 floors, including the ground floor, from bearing concerns.

Built during the 1970’s, building B forms part of a larger whole located at 122, avenue du Général Leclerc, in the Silly-Gallieni neighborhood. The complex is made up of 11 buildings for housing, situated in the northern section of the site, along with the two office buildings, interconnected at ground floor level via a shared lobby with accompanying spaces for businesses to the south. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The public space project by Domitianus Arquitectura of this unique urban neighbourhood comes at a time of re-foundation of the modern process, reflecting in its urban structure the main issues from the time it was done. In this housing complex, their design overcomes the idea of urban center, and instead, long sets of “bands” are adapting along the road structure, promoting advances and setbacks of buildings or misalignments in the implementation of several blocks, situations diversity, which take on greater meaning when incorporated into the structure of green frame. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Commissioned by the Golden Harbor Group, the design for the masterplan for the Honghe project by AECOM is aimed to help Longgang, an emerging area of Shenzhen, to function positively on the city’s renovation and upgrading. Located in a new rising area, the project covers the south area of the main venue for last year’s University Games. Their design will not only become the complex of services in east Shenzhen, but will lead the development of sports and mice industries, which will also be important for Shenzhen to become the base radiation to the development of east Guangdong Province. More images and architects’ description after the break.