architechnophilia

April 30, 2009

on the boards: Kilden Performing Arts Centre

The Kilden Performing Arts Centre by ALA Architects presently under construction in Norway is a 16,000 m² multipurpose venue for the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra costing £117 million and is expected to be completed in 2011.

on the boards: Rufino Tamayo Museum

A partnership between Rojkind Arquitectos (Mexico) and BIG (Denmark) have been awarded first prize in the Rufino Tamayo Museum design competition. Designed as an “Opened Box,” the proposal for a 3500m² museum overlooking Mexico City bears a strong and direct symbolic reference with it's cross-shaped footprint.

April 29, 2009

House of the Week 020: Azuma house

On a tight 57 sqm lot, Tadao Ando has placed a simple concrete row house that wraps around a central courtyard that draws air, light (& rain) to the adjacent spaces - a modern twist to an otherwise traditional Japanese vocabulary.

one day at Azuma house

Check out the concrete calculator at Concrete2You to estimate your concrete needs

April 28, 2009

illustrate & exclaim...

The Curves of Time - Memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Niemeyer
Phaidon Press (2007)
Rating: 4 stars

An unceremonious autobiography that aims to capture the enthusiasm for life, the Brazilian landscape, many loves and friendships of master architect Oscar Niemeyer. More than a chronological documentation of his life, it reads as an emotional reflection of the social and political influences that shaped his thoughts and his works. Reissued on the centenary of his birth, it paints a personal and moreover a historical glimpse of his contribution to modern architecture. The informality of the book aside - original sketches by the architect adorn the pages, seeking to illustrate and exclaim where the story or perhaps his memory falls short.

Saxo Bank

The new headquarters for Saxo Bank designed by architects 3XN aims to reflect the young and dynamic profile of the internet investment bank. The structure balances an impressive exterior that takes cues from the sea and sky, with an internal organization that encourages interaction through transparency and open circulation.

April 27, 2009

video mondays

Will Alsop and Martha Schwartz debate landscape architecture, public space and the role as architect as master artist via The Architects Journal

April 24, 2009

blog wunderlust: 24 April 2009

Architecture is a division of art generally and conveniently evaluated in its static form

charitable giving

For my birthday, a donation to Architecture for Humanity and the Mango Tree Foundation was made on my behalf using the Network for Good - a website where you can donate and volunteer and for causes you care about.

thanks Yamani

April 23, 2009

2030 Challenge

The 2030e² energy estimating & evaluating tool is aimed at assisting the design and construction of fossil fuel free buildings. Offered by architects Perkins + Will it is an on-line tool that will help project teams set energy mix goals for the 2030 Challenge and covers four basic energy areas: Efficiency and Conservation, On-site Renewable Energy, Off-Site Renewable Energy and Green Power.

on the boards: Annie MG Schmidt House

Arons en Gelauff has recently won a design competition for the Annie MG Schmidt House, a proposal honouring Holland's most acclaimed writer of children's books. The winning scheme, to be completed in 2011, converts three sludge digesters and the space around them into a multifunctional cultural centre containing a rooftop playground and restaurant.

from poo to play

on the boards: Caixa Forum

The Caixa Forum proposed for Zaragosa, Spain designed Carme Pinos. The €15 million project when complete in 2012 will be composed of two exhibition halls measuring 430m² and 810m² respectively, and a minimal footprint generating a new public space with the neighbouring urban environs.

April 22, 2009

House of the Week 019: Loblolly House (Earthday continued)

The Loblolly house by architects Kieran Timberlake is composed entirely of pre-fabricated components, most significantly the floor and ceiling panels that distribute the HVAC, plumbing and electricity throughout the house; and the exterior wall panels that provide the structure as well as the fenestration (windows and rain screens), insulation, and interior finishes. Fully integrated bathroom and mechanical room modules were transported to the site on Taylors Island along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and lifted into position. The 2,200 sq ft residence gets it's name from the grove of loblolly pines on the site.

House of the Week 018: 5ive (Earthday Special)

5ive is a two storey LEED Platinum certified House in Minneapolis, Minnesota designed by the architecture practice Shelter.

The clients approached their new home as an opportunity to start a new lifestyle that would significantly decrease their impact on the world. They began reshaping their mobility, their diets, their energy use, and even their rate of consumption.

Their home was designed as a constant supporter of their new lifestyle. The site is close mass transit and community services. The plan allows them to gracefully age without having to move or remodel. The kitchen is laid out to promote a better diet. Storage is designed to decrease waste and over-consumption. And, of course, everything in the building is the most energy efficient possible.

April 21, 2009

lounge ms

This trendy lounge in Navarra, Spain by Vaillo + Irigaray architects takes as its concept a micro organism that informs both the flexible spatial layout to the fence-like exterior that resembles a grove of bamboo made of plastic tubes of varying shades of green.