Archive | November, 2008

Archery Center / Atelier Phileas

30 Nov

Architects: Atelier Phileas (member of PLAN01)
Location: Chennevières-sur-Marne, France
Client: Conseil Général du Val-de-Marne
Program: Archery hall, outside shooting field, offices, cloakrooms
Consultant: BETIBA
Constructed Area: 1,600 sqm
Budget: 1.5M Euro + tax (US $1.91M + tax)
Project year: 2005
Photographer: Pauline Turmel

The archery centre of Chennevières-sur-Marne is located in an area of low density in a green setting.
For this reason, we choose to articulate our project around three majors axis:

- The treatment of the outdoor shooting field is completely part of the building:
Its implantation is justified by the need to orientate the outdoor shooting lanes and the targets, north. All the outdoor facilities and, for the most part, the vegetal knoll, are designed like a continuation of the building.

- The setting of the building in the middle of the trees and vegetation:
The construction disperse behind the trees, the natural aspect of the site is preserved.
The offices, glassed-in all story height, benefit of an exceptional surroundings and a privileged view in the trees.

- The design of a large frontage on the Champlain Avenue:
The whole, formed by offices and services, is designed like a line, slowly becoming a signal of the activities of the centre.

The spatial relations between the main three elements of the program are underlined by a play of transparency and the visual connections between the elements. These transparencies are put forward by the sobriety of the frontage, motivated by the budget but also by the sobriety of the sport installation it’s self.
The outside envelopes are equally glassed-in or dressed with a smooth cladding.

The appearance of the interior of the sports hall is monochrome. The entire space is naturally lightened north by sheds on the roof.











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T house / Sou Fujimoto

30 Nov

Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Gunma, Japan
Principal Use: Residence
Project Year: 2005
Structure material: Wood
Site Area: 144.47 sqm
Constructed Area: 90.82 sqm
Photographer: Daici Ano & Sou Fujimoto

Intoned Open-Plan : Architecture of “Distance”

Site is within a calm residential suburb in Maebashi, Gunma, JAPAN. Being a housing for a family of four, this is also a place to display contemporary artworks, clients collection.

Basically it is a one-room house. Though the plan is quite unique, being radially intonated, or bent, at several points. From the bent point are walls stretched towards the center of the architecture. Each spaces created between these walls have, thus, different depths and different extent of relation to other spaces. A wide range of diverse qualities of the spaces, such as composure, privacy and so on, are obtained.

Convoluted Cavern, Drawn with One Stroke

This house could be described as a primitive housing.

plan diagram
Tracing its history, creating architecture is none other than producing various disntance. For instance, a private room is a situation where the distance is long or solid, to be separated. On the contrary, being distant yet connected generates the expanse of a space. What we suggest here is, a new but primitive, simple architecture, which embraces diverse feeling of distance within its intoned shape.

Garden of Relationship

The house might be similar to alleys and Japanese garden. That is, steppingstones are usually placed at those alleyways, and the scenery keeps changing while one stepping across by the stones. Each one step renews relationship of things around. Wandering the garden and alleys, stopping here and there- experience there has a lot in common with those that can be gained in the house.









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Patchwork Pavilion / DOMO

30 Nov

DOMO Arquitetos Associados sent us this temporary art gallery built for an exhibition in Brasilia that took place between august and october of 2008.

The project is a 60sqm temporary art gallery built for an exhibition in Brasília that took place between august and october of 2008. The gallery´s exhibition displayed paintings and portraits of contemporary and modern brazilian painters such as Zive Giudice and Candido Portinari. The basic idea was to create an exhibition space that was half opaque and half translucent for exhibiting the paintings and a roofless garden by its side, all wrapped by a skin made of precast concrete blocks of different patterns placed in a random combination. The resulting overall pattern makes reference to the embroidered pieces made by artisans from the northeastern part of Brazil, known as “Rendado”. Precast concrete blocks were also largely used in the early modernist buildings of Brasília during the 60´s, for allowing natural ventilation and light into the building. It is also a very low-cost material in Brazil.

The ramp of access articulates the opaque black-colored part of the gallery with its white-translucent half. The black box is built as a double layered wall that contains a yellow colored surface inside. This void is lit by indirect light during the night, transforming the wall into a orientation lamp for the rest of the exhibition. A small hole in this wall lets the visitor take a look at what happens inside it while he walks through the access corridor. Part of the paintings were hanging in front of the opaque walls while part of them were hanging in front of the glass-walls, protected from direct sunlight by the outer patchwork skin. The garden contained local fruit-trees and a central sculpture on the floor by the local artist Betty Bettiol.








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Rembed House / Quim Larrea y Katherine Bedwell

30 Nov

Architect: Quim Larrea y Katherine Bedwell
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Project Year: 2008
Technical Architect: Emili Manrique
Client: Rembed
Structural Engineering: Marc Gual
Site Area: 1,717 sqm
Constructed Area: 312 sqm
Photographs: Rafael Vargas, K. Bedwell


The site is located nearby a natural park 20 miles NW of Barcelona. It is a magical place, surrounded by pine trees, oaks, and holm oaks and scented by the perfume of wild bushes and flowers…

The peculiarity of the natural setting, the views of the valley and the functionality that the client demanded made us think of those Californian homes designed by Richard Neutra back in the 50’s.

site plan

The house with a “V” shape plan had to be horizontal, tectonic, but at the same time friendly and respectful with the forest. It had to levitate on the site in order to simulate weightlessness.

The materials chosen -limestone, wood and steel – had to integrate well with the surroundings, and the color scheme was carefully studied, selecting sober and neutral tones that would blend smoothly with the site’s natural background setting.

The lot has a peninsula-shape and a slope with a Southwest orientation, and a street that surrounds it, except on the north side which limits with a neighboring site.

The program required for the house design needed to adapt itself to a young couple with two small daughters. They required comfort, functionality and transparency; this is why we decided to design fluid spaces that had a continuous relation with the exterior spaces of the house.

Due to the characteristics of the lot, the complexity of the project was to solve and define, with architectural elements, which were the public facades and which were the private ones. We decided to make two volumes to well define the most intimate part of the woods in order to keep it, as much as possible, away from the street.

Therefore, the house is placed on the highest point of the site and it is resolved with the placement of two wings that form a V-shape plan.

The access to the house is through a pedestrian path that connects it to Santa Agnes Street, and parallel to it, the garage ramp is located. The foyer acts as the “rotula” or joint of the house from where two zones are distributed: night/day, public/private.

The kitchen, living-room and dining-room are located in the day/public wing. It is a single space, similar two those “American” main-rooms or family-rooms. The garage/laundry-room and the powder-room are also placed in this wing on ground floor level. The other wing is for the night/private uses. Here are placed the children’s bedrooms, a bathroom, and a guest-room suite on the ground floor level, and a master bedroom and work studio on the second floor.























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Terrace with a House / Arteks Arquitectura

30 Nov

Architect: ARTEKS Arquitectura
Location: Lleida, Spain
Architects in charge: Gerard Veciana Membrado & Elisabet Faura Pavia
Arteks Collaborators: Carlos Cobreros, Gemma Roca, Andrea Furlan
External Collaborators: Casa O_David Tapias & Nuria Salvador
Constructed Area: 270 sqm
Project Year: 2007
Structural Engineering: Pascual Sandalinas
Facilities Engineering: Ateci_enginyeria installations
Photographs: Arteks Arquitectura

Owner wishes

The Golf must be my garden,  and the site must be keep like it is.
“I wish a huge terrace”.

The function

concepts

Private house to be used the weekend.
A couple with 3 teenagers sons.
PB+penthouse for the couple
P-1 for the sons and friends
REFUGE Leaving-room separated from the kitchen-dinning-room.
Main access through the kitchen.

Architectural proposal

The house is buried and the main façade is orientated south-west. Many and diferent kinds of “brisse-solei” all over the windows. The big ones are mobile.



























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NRGi’s Headquarters / SHL Architects

30 Nov

Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Location: Dusager, Aarhus N, Denmark
Client: NRGi a.m.b.a.
Ingeneering: Consult – Consulting Engineers
Contractor: H. Hoffmann & Sønner
Project Year: 2005
Construction Year: 2006-2007
Constructed Area: 5,067 sqm
Photographs: SHL

NRGi’s new corporate headquarters is situated in an area marked by a number of freestanding buildings. NRGi stands out from its neighbours in the surrounding area in virtue of its visually light, metallically gleaming built volume. Distinguished by an angular and distinctive façade, the building forms a crisp contrast to the mellow, scenic context. Moreover, the building is situated and oriented so as to accommodate the path of the sun, and set at an angle so that it provides sun shading – hence, energy efficiency is built into construction design.

The interior echoes the dynamic tone of the façade. Three open horizontal plates are mutually displaced diagonally. With long lines of sight across the building and vertically up through the floors, the architecture creates visual transparency and facilitates contact between employees.

Small meeting pods and coffee points act as breakout areas and as spaces for informal exchanges. These innovative channels of communication are further enhanced by the vertical atrium – an energy conductor for communication in-house. With its characterful form and façade articulation the building provides its own landmark – a landmark for energy.











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Student apartment studios in Paris / OFIS

30 Nov

The guys from OFIS sent us the their latest won competition in Paris, France.

Architect: OFIS arhitekti
Location: Paris, France
Project Year: 2008
Project leaders: Rok Oman & Špela Videčnik
Design Team: Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik, Robert Janez, katja aljaz, Andrej Gregoric, Javier Carrera
Structural Engineering: Matjaz Pilic – Elea IC
Mechanical, Electrical engineering & sustainability: Menerga d.o.o.

Project description and more images after the break.

General Description

concept + program

The project involves a dormitory with 180 studios on the site of the Stade de Ladoumègue in Paris in 19th district. The plot of the building is part of urban development done by Reichen & Robert architects.
By early 2012, the Paris tram will pass by the site, and the goal is to complete the project before the opening in 2011. Another project goal is to achieve a building consumption with very little power, joining the desire of the city of Paris through its “climate plan”. The major objectives of the project is to design a home to accommodate students able to offer them a healthy environment for study, learn, have fun, meet … The building must be “energy efficient” and be built at the end of 2010. To achieve these objectives with energy performance and construction time table plan the focus was to design a simple, well insulated and ventilated object which will function at best during all seasons.

Architectural, urban and technical proposal

The parcel has a very particular configuration; 11 meters in width and extends about 200 meters long in north-south axis, which foreshadows the importance of processing the eastern facade overlooking the extension of the street of small bridges (des Petits Ponts). In addition, this street will host the tram, a road cyclist and pedestrian walkways. The extension of the street of small bridges also leads to the Canal de l’Ourcq, hence the priority treatment landscaped plot to accompany this urban landscape.

In our case, it is not just a building to integrate into its environment but rather to integrate a piece of street, a facade composed of buildings and landscape.

The residence follows the urban plot which are two blocks divided by sharing landscape garden.
Both parts are organized according to a simple and functional frame for a logical and economic optimization. On ground floor are the lobby, the rooms, common areas opened over the course and some studios (accessible for the disabled). Upstairs are all studios and a terrace.

situation plan

The plans are organized according to simple management and maintainance. Also the task was to provide students environment of indoor and outdoor quality with creating the meeting places in which each student can feel good and enjoy the indoor and outdoor landscape. Access to the residence is between the 2 buildings. For security and management reasons, there is only one entry. We used the system of horizontal flow; taking into account technical constraints related to sports complex vis-à-vis the main housing openings. The circulations are naturally lit and ventilated, and allowing East-West views.

Studios_concept_sustainability

The residence comprises 192 studios. Studios are accessible to disabled persons on the ground floor. All rooms are equipped with the same principle throughout the residence for better optimization.

apartment plan & section

There is also studio with two bedrooms on each floor. There are seven in total throughout the building, which used to meet expectations in terms of student housing for couples.

The concept key point is inside the studios: work on light and air quality and spaces.

The accommodations are crossing, allowing for natural light throughout the apartment. The design of housing was thought to offer comfort, brightness and functionality. The layout is rational and allows modularity. The apartments are mechanically ventilated with a double shift VMC. The breakdown by VMC is much more economical and offers students an air and a healthy environment, necessary and vital for the smooth functioning of the individual. The majority of the studios have a unique outdoor space with loggias which are actually an extension of interior spaces. The loggias create intimate outdoor spaces and offer views of the surrounding neighborhoods.

energy scheme

In view of the targets on energy performance, thermal insulation and soundproofing of the building will be extra efficient. The isolation of the project is done by outside isolation 16cm thick, to reduce heat loss. This insulation thickness makes the building very well insulated, while opening large bay front to let maximum light into the apartments. This insulation is of course both thermal and acoustic proof.

The structure of the building next to the wall of the SMR is insulated to prevent heat transfer between the two structures, and of course acoustic insulation for the building site maintenance.

To avoid the problem of thermal bridges of balconies and loggias we integrate the structure of the elements of broken bridges thermal type SCHÖCK. It avoids thermal losses and especially sustainable balance investment costs over time.

The Elevations

The facades will have a major impact on environment because of the length of the plot. The eastern facade of the building looks towards the sport field, and is formed by main entrance gang. The eastern facade is composed of loggias covered in bamboo. They appear on the cover as wooden cocoons and are randomly oriented to diversify the views and rhythm to the facade. The arrangement of the elements creates dynamic surface and breaks the scale of the building at the same time.

The use of bamboo for the loggias has human scale and environmentally approach. The bamboo is environmentally friendly material. The loggias are equipped with bamboo sunscreens to control sunlight on the balconies and interior. Bamboo is also used on the western front as horizontal blade to manage the sunshine of the passageway. At the same time it protects the corridors from the sport field.

elevations + sections

The climbing plants will be grown to serve as visual and environmental filters: In summer, the facade will be refreshed by the thickening of the filter plant and in winter the facade work normally, everything perfectly fits into the environment by creating seasonal facades.

The structural composition

The complex consists of two rectangular blocks. The first block dimensions are 30×11m and the second 65×11m. The overall building rises at 29.2 meters.

The building structure is reinforced concrete. Foundations are types of piles, 12 to 15m deep. They are connected by sills. The floors are rational and identical. They are made of reinforced concrete floors on the 2-way and are supported by walls and poles. Both parts of the building have its communication core which serves all floors. All the walls are reinforced with a thickness of 20 cm.

The Landscape

The space between the two parts of the building will be used as a garden, which will have the same functions than Parisian court in function to shift from one building to another, for meeting and relaxation. It will be a common landscape, leaving a visual opening to the garden. The garden is accessible from outside access for fire site of the SMR (magnetic card or key).

The garden located north of the plot has more private character but also provides transparency with the street. It is used as a park on a small scale. Covered in wood, it is a place of relaxation and calmness for students. This may be a place of rest or work. The garden is arranged in levels to respond to the work of art that will be seen from the tram, but also to collect views from the Canal de l’Ourcq or the surroundings with a panorama in altitude.

All green spaces (common and technical) are equipped with automatic sprinkler dropper, which requires less maintenance manager of the residence and consumes much less water.

Accessibility for the disabled

The building was designed to accommodate also disabled people and provide them the best environment. The residence includes more than 10% of homes directly accessible for the disabled (23 units). These accommodations are arranged on ground floor and first floor for easy access and proximity to allow common areas, facilitating the social integration of individuals with reduced mobility










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AR Emerging Awards 2008: The winners

30 Nov

The winners of the 10th edition of the AR Emerging Awards are being announced right now. In the past, the AR Emerging Awards have awarded the most promising young practices from around the world. Previous versions of this award confirms it: Sou Fujimoto, Miro Rivera, Plot (BIG) and more.

This time, we´ve got 3 winners, 6 highly commended, 4 commended and 12 honourable mentions.

As for the winners we have the BIP Computers building (Santiago, Chile) by Alberto Mozo (previously featured on ArchDaily), the Hotel Aire Bardenas (Navarra, Spain) by Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera Arquitectos and the the HOMEmade village family houses and DESI building  (Vishnupur, Bangladesh) by Anna Heringer (in collaboration with BASE habitat, BRAC University and Dipshikha (NGO)).

Anna Heringer was also featured on the previous versions, and I recommend checking out her work, as she has been doing an amazing job in India, involving the community.

More pictures of the awarded projects after the jump.

Hotel Aire de Bardenas by Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera Arquitectos

BIP Computers by Alberto Mozó

HOMEmade village family houses and DESI building  (Vishnupur, Bangladesh) by Anna Heringer (in collaboration with BASE habitat, BRAC University and Dipshikha (NGO)

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Hideaway Island House in Australia

30 Nov

In case you wish to purchase real estate in Australia and have loads of cash in your bag waiting to be freed, then we quite simply cannot suggest you a better way to let go of your fortune other than spend it on this spectacular home. Located on a hideaway island in Noosa region of Australia’s Sunshine Coast and designed by local architect Frank Macchia, this scenic home is up for auctioning on January 10 of 2009. The 4 bedroom-4 bathroom house is located on a beautiful island overlooking gorgeous landscape and is lavish and luxurious in design. The interiors are grand and yet elegant making this home a settlement in paradise. – via

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Hideaway Island House in Australia

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Giralot Storage System: Swivel Around for Space

30 Nov

Modern furniture is all about keeping in touch with the shades and textures of an existing home along with expanding the available space. The Giralot storage system incorporates a minimalistic design along that maximizes storage space with its unique swivel system. The entire system is based on container-like shelves that swivel 180-degrees on a column that rests on the floor and is fixed to a wall. They can all rotate individually and can adjust to the angle that you set them. Designed by Stefano Bettio, they come in both lacquered and mirror finish and are available in a range of attractive shades. – via

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Giralot Storage System: Swivel Around for Space

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