Despite not having an office, using a computer or drawing on paper, Bolivian architect Freddy Mamani Silvestre and his firm have completed over 60 projects in El Alto, the highest city in the world. Like most of his clients and fellow citizens, Mamani is an Aymara and his work is typified by its highly detailed, colourful facades, inspired by Aymara dress. In light of his visually exciting, daring work, The New Yorker has released a stunning photo portfolio by Peter Granser,with an introduction by Judith Thurman, showcasing some of Mamani's colourful projects.
Whether from political unrest or natural disaster, refugee crises around the world seem to fill the headlines of late. These events inspired interdisciplinary designer Abeer Seikaly’s conceptual emergency shelter, entitled “Weaving A Home,” which received a Lexus Design Award in 2013. The collapsible structural fabric shelter can adapt to various climates, while also providing the comforts of contemporary life such as heat, running water, and electricity.
“We are here to stay” by Gabriele Filippi from Genova, Italy. Image Courtesy of CTRL+SPACE
Ctrl+Space has announced the winners of their Hamburg Hybrid Housing Competition, which prompted participants to design a mixed-useresidential building in the St. Pauli neighbourhood of Hamburg, Germany. Entries were expected to reflect on the typology of the mixed-use building, exploring the set of relationships present with the city, the public, the time of day and the different programmatic areas. See the three winners after the break.
Dorkly's latest animation gives the architect responsible for the Death Star an opportunity to defend himself and prove that his "shoddy design" was not to blame for its destruction. Instead, he condemns space wizards - a unworldly force he neglected to consider during planning.
Heatherwick Studio has received approval to realize a new shopping area at King's Cross in London. By 2018, the practice will transform the city's 1850 historic Coal Drops Yard buildings intoan "eclectic mix" of 65 boutique and destination shops and restaurants.
"Over a two-year restoration and build process, Londoners will see the existing Victorian buildings – the East and West Coal Drops and Wharf Road Arches – refurbished and re-purposed in a way that creates a stunning new upper level and improves connectivity, whilst allowing the original forms and functions to be read," says the architects.
It's no secret that architects have an affinity for books. Architects' libraries are often filled with a rich collection of architecture classics and inspiration that has been accumulated over the years, starting with their first year of architecture school. Thus, we have decided to expand our yearly gift guide selections to include some of the most impressive, newly published books that any architect could appreciate.
One of the most controversial stories to hit the architectural news last week was the revelation by Blair Kamin of the Chicago Tribune that one of the winners of the AIA Chicago chapter's Design Excellence Awards was given on the basis of an image in which unsightly elements of the building's design had been removed in Photoshop.
The "war on reality" (as one commenter ironically referred to it) is a topic that polarizes even the most level-headed people, with many arguing over the effect that such Photoshop trickery has on our perception of our world. However, with many people unaware of what goes on behind the scenes, we decided to reach out to some photographers for a candid look at exactly what role Photoshop has in the everyday processes of architectural photography, and where they draw the line regarding the ethical documentation of buildings. Read on to find out what they had to say.
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_copy.jpg?1450333607 "© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG")
