2016

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Videos

Highways have been operating in largely the same way since the early twentieth century. In the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, China, rapid urbanization and industrialization within the built environment is not mirrored in its infrastructural spine, the G107 highway. In order to investigate the possibilities for this strip and its adjacent areas, a visionary open competition was organized earlier this year. A team lead by Avoid Obvious Architects (AOA) and TETRA Architects and Planners presented a redefinition of the highway typology, with a system complex enough to properly service the rich productivity it is connecting.

AOA and TETRA's new G107 is a multi-modal transport system, focused on allowing futuristic modes of transport as it is on implementing cutting edge levels of sustainability. Also referred to by the consortium as an "organic highway," the proposition aims to foster and connect a network of "green manufacturing," with the strategic vision of making Bao'an a carbon neutral city by 2045. 

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Vo Trong Nghia Architects has released plans for The Signature Spa on Phu Quoc, one of the major islands of Vietnam. Nestled into surroundings of vast forests and pristine beaches, the spa will serve as an addition to its neighboring 5-star hotel. The project has been tucked into the corner of the site to provide a serene atmosphere aimed at establishing “a compact and autonomous place of solace, wherein one can immerse themselves within the lush mangrove reservoir whilst nestled inside the bamboo [structure].”

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Overpopulation, pollution, congestion and inflated land prices are putting an increasing amount of pressure on the urban functionality of Bangkok, Thailand. Renowned for its cultural vibrancy and constant activity, the city is struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of its sprawl. In order to ease the pressure and reinsert the public realm back into the metropolis, a new proposal transforms the spaces below major highways in the city into a public network dubbed "The Thailine."

Jon Sealy, the Global Design Director of London's Marques and Jordy (M&J) spent three years interrogating the ways in which existing space in the metropolis could be repurposed to provide inhabitants with vital public space and amenity. Initially appearing as a playful intervention, the colorful project addresses a myriad of social, economic and ecological concerns. Envisioned as a pedestrian and cycle path which interlaces ecologically sustainable initiatives with lively public space, the project would see green areas within Bangkok increased by over 200%.

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HENN has won a competition to design the new Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Building for the Technical University of Munich at the Garching research campus, which is Europe’s largest research campus. The design features four rectangular buildings encircling a central glass hall envisioned as a beacon and hub to promote interaction among students and academics.

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