The proposal “Sonic Scape” – The House of Hungarian Music, by Aaron Neubert Architects, is conceived as a tribute to the esteemed figures within the influential musical history of Hungary. In the spirit of composers Bela Bartok and Zola Kodaly, HHM will serve as an open, accessible, and flexible venue bringing the vast contemporary and historical traditions to the people, as well as welcoming emerging musical experimentation. The HHM will create a space of immersion in music, yet open to the urban landscape of Budapest and in particular that of the City Park. This proposal therefore serves not only as an experiential and interactive symbol for music, but also as an iconic incubator open to the citizens of Budapest and welcoming various influences. The building’s relationship to the site is developed to encourage park activities to flow through the HHM and conversely music activities, to spill into the park.

Specifically, the project explores two primary experiential objectives, a Measured Landscape and an Occupied Instrument. The first objective being the development of an architecture that acts as a tool to measure, survey, record, and ultimately engage the surrounding landscape – following the trajectory of Bartok and Kodaly’s field endeavors. The second objective is the creation of an immersive architectural experience – inspired by Mierswa & Kluska’s photographs of the interior of musical instruments. These two interests manifest themselves in HHM’s formal appearance, physical relationship to the landscape, and within the interior of the building. With the intention of creating an icon that can uniquely serve the diverse objectives and influences found within the Hungarian musical tradition and the project’s mission, as well as respond to the complexity of the City Park site, the HHM presents varied and evolving facades. References such as vernacular and civic architecture, traditional Hungarian musical instruments, contemporary acoustical geometries, sheet music, a grand piano, and an accordion are all evoked within the building.

The architectural fundamental principle the design attacks is linearity , which describes the dominating directional dynamic . This dynamic can be expressed both by individual and multiple lines of force , this has particular relevance to architecture both in terms of its making and resultant form. Perceiving lines of force originating from elements such as the bridge. As the architecture moves in the linear horizontal fashion it starts to grow and bend in reaction to the geometry from the bridge which has “ segmental ” arches. The curves from the volumes and the strands echo that geometry from the arches and braid themselves in a loose way to create an excessive and exuberant appearance which represent a lively energy and excitement as they reach for the nature which awaits for them in the other side of the bridge.

Symmetry will be kept visible in plan and elevations but the volumes will alternate their positions through out the bridge. Instead of being repelled by the large building set aside the bridge, the new design will embrace the building and provide connection and alternate pathways. A ground condition will become part of the volumes which circulate in a horizontal fashion with arc shaped strands that merge into and out from the bridge. The orthogonal manner of the existing building is to be broken with curvilinear surfaces that will create interior/exterior conditions when the volumes intertwine with each other. Program will be accommodated judging on the noise level of the two major perpendicular crossings which are the street and the canal. One which is close to nature and the other which resembles rush and mobility. The architecture will not only mimic the standards of the architecture of the bridge but will also respond to the conditions imposed by the context and topography.

The space will force itself to the user and pedestrian by becoming part of the pathways and being forced to interact with. The continuous deformations of the topology will acquire a constant logic and rule which will be repeated with the arc-like strands that the surfaces adopt to establish a visual logic of repetition and unity which is pleasing to the eye and brings a functional space to inhabit.

Design: Jean-Pierre Villafañe at the Savannah College of Art and Design Read the rest of this entry »

A multi-disciplinary sports complex & camel track located at the centre of the old creek district of Dubai designed by Thomas Hopkins at Bartlett School of Architecture

The design accommodates types of racetracks and sports facilities, tailored for the population demographics. These playing fields and tracks are amalgamated and fused into a programmatic proposition readdressing the conventional organisation of sports facilities. The notion of thresholds between the internal and external is explored through a series of precision analogue/digital models which help explain the spatial dialogue happening between the two realms. Solar gain and complex geometry are holistic themes within this project, helping to create interstitial spaces, interconnecting different playing fields and race tracks whilst also providing shelter from the extreme climatic conditions of Dubai.

Novel geometries are used to enhance and optimise the organisation of space and comfort within it, questioning the boundaries between external and internal. The varying patternisation within the canopies, inspired by the composition of ancient Mashrabiyas, is optimised according to solar gain within specific time periods to achieve environmental thermal comfort through the use of non-deterministic and performance-based design. The typo-morphologies subsequently produced, optimised with novel geometries, help to create a new composition of space leading to a more homogenous integration of the building within its landscape. This subsequently opens up the possibilities for new and different designs, questioning the way we understand our built environment.

“pina” is a part of the series of exploration by Taeg Nishimoto of fabric’s behavior in lighting, with three variations (#1 – #3.) The shade uses the fabric 95% cotton and 5% spandex. The fabric is hardened to structure itself while it is configured to make specific creases for light and shadow effects as the lamp shade. Fabric is cut into square and dipped into fabric hardener, then hung in a framed structure from four corners of the fabric. This hung fabric is pulled upwards from certain points by thread with spherical weight placed in between the pulled points so the fabric will create specific creases as well as stretch itself. This crease effect follows the way how the fabric behaves itself in relationship to the pulled points and different amount of weights. The hung fabric is left to dry until it is completely hardened. The resulting creased fabric is then placed upside down to create a lamp shade with the initial four corners of the fabric functioning as legs of the shade. When the light is not turned on, the object presents itself as a certain organic object. When it’s lit from below, the lamp shade creates light and shadow effects not only within the fabric creases but also on the adjoining wall. Read the rest of this entry »

Digital And Parametric Architecture
Carlo Aiello
Digital Copy
300 pages

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

Digital And Parametric Architecture explores the development of the latest digital tools including advance-modeling software and computer aided design in the production of architecture. It is a journey through the most fascinating projects, digitally designed and fabricated, during the second decade of the 21st century. The book highlights the use of these technologies to explore tectonic operations such as sectioning, folding, contouring, and tessellating. A wide variety of projects that range in scale and location offer an insight into the architecture of the future.

Contributors: Benjamin Ball, Philip Beesley, Marcos Betanzos, Francesco Brenta, Dongyan Chen, Brandon Clifford, Raffaello D’Andrea, Cristina Díaz Moreno, Efrén García Grinda, Nataly Gattegno, Mark Goulthorpe, Michael Hansmeyer, Alvin Huang, Lisa Iwamoto, Jason Johnson, Alex Kaiser, Christoph Klemmt, Jan Knippers, Andrew Kudless, Magnis Larsson, Ilona Lénrd, Caroline Littlefield, Xiaodu Liu, Iain Maxwell, Wesley Mcgee, Yan Meng, Achim Menges, Andrew Michler, Kristine Mun, Gaston Nogues, Arthur Olson, Kas Oosterhuis, David Pigram, Steffen Reichert, Benjamin Rice, Craig Scott, Rajat Sodhi, Doris Sung, Ming Tang, Geoffrey Thun, Skylar Tibbits, Kathy Velikov, Dihua Yang.

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

eVolo_06: Digital & Parametric Architecture

The Twilt Tower – twisted and tilted, is a design proposal by Paolo Venturella. The site for the tower is “E.U.R.” (Esposizione Universale Roma, in 1942) and is provoked by the “Eurosky tower” by Franco Purini, in author’s opinion a strange, box-like residential tower with photovoltaic panels on top, not integrated in overall design at all. That creates a design where the shape does not come out from its function, they state at Paolo Venturella Architects, and this further generates deep idiosyncrasy against this architecture. What they propose is to make it fall down and replace with a similar in the function but radically different in the shape tower.

The “Twilt Tower” integrates the photovoltaic panels not just in the facade but even in the volume. The idea of tilting and rotating the panels towards the solar rays, to allow direct sun radiation during the whole day, deforms the building making the idea and the architecture a unique thing. The outcome is a cutting edge design that demonstrates how a building can express a concept in a contemporary rather futuristic way.

Far from academic visions where the new and progressive is not accepted, far from wrong interpretation of the history of architecture that made the city of Rome become from the most avant-guard city in the world to the most obsolete, Paolo Venturella Achitects propose a new revolutionary design to allow the city of Rome to find again its own old splendor, leading it to a new pioneering city as it was in throughout the history. Read the rest of this entry »

FLOS String Light. Photo: Graham Carlow

The appeal of FLOS STRING LIGHTS by Michael Anastassiades should not be lost on anyone who appreciates a clean and modern construction. A subtle utilitarian appearance belies the sleek architectural design that brings functional, beautiful illumination to any space that appreciates a geometric aesthetic. STRING LIGHTS were available in limited quantities in Europe throughout 2013; however, made their debut in the USA this summer after winning the prestigious EDIDA 2014 award in the lighting category.

“They are inspired by three things,” Anastassiades comments on his inspiration. “When I sit on a train, traveling, and I look out of the window, I always see these strings of electricity that connect the pylons. And as we move through at high speed, I see these perfectly parallel strings and find myself transfixed by the amazing sense of discipline.” STRING LIGHTS reflect his ability to translate the idea of a divided orderly landscape into an interior living space.

The design concept is meant to evoke the image of lights found in a quaint village square, where people gather to socialize and celebrate. Inherent in the brilliance of the design is the allowance of movement which encourages the user to fashion this stylish lighting as they wish. One may express their own creative vision, delineating space with geometric angles, clean, and sleek lines within a minimalist contemporary decor.

The lights are accompanied by an instruction booklet and smartphone app to guide self expressionists through the easy installation process, and an inspiring but short tutorial video shows just how quickly these lights can become a focal point of your interior design. Today, after a year’s wait, the lights are finally available at the FLOS USA online store.

FLOS String Light. Photo: Graham Carlow

FLOS String Light. Photo: Giuseppe Brancato

FLOS String Light. Photo: Giuseppe Brancato

FLOS String Light. Cone

FLOS String Light. Sphere

Flex Tower is visionary proposal by Italian architect Paolo Venturella for 2040. New York City, whose population grew unexpectedly and there is need for new and innovative typology. Even with significantly reduced carbon emission, the use of energy increases. Therefore, the high-rise is the only answer. A solution combining housing and energy systems for a sustainable living starts to be built in various parts of the city. In order to avoid uncontrolled invasion of photovoltaic panels all over the city, the new typology perfectly combines the need of the moment.

Since photovoltaic panels need a tilted surface oriented to the sun, this typology tilts and rotates itself. At the ground level the building respects the Manhattan’s grid while in a higher level the shape rotates facing the sun allowing panels to displace correctly. The “FlexTower” combines the rotation and the flex in an appropriate 30 degrees angle facing the sun. The façade works at the same time as structure and as performative skin.

The structure is unique steel frame, wrapping the building. This enables very original shape challenging gravity and also to create an interior space completely free from structural elements.

The skin is designed so to create a unique envelope, an intelligent system made by different modules. At the top, most of it is clad in photovoltaic panels and looks denser while at the bottom photovoltaic evanesces and becomes less dense. Due to “Flex Tower” the aspect of the city mutates. The classic skyline historically grown up as the extrusion of the plot converts to a new direction, while New Yorkers find their own space and a sustainable lifestyle. Read the rest of this entry »

The “Solar Loop” by Paolo Venturella is a photovoltaic solar sculpture that can be placed in urban and suburban areas in different context. The aim is to expose as much surface as possible to the solar rays during the day. The shape comes out directly from the analysis of the sun path and the direction of the sun rays from sunrise to the sunset. The surface is always perpendicular to the rays, providing a more efficient system. It has been tested that the same standard-oriented and shaped photovoltaic surface produces much less energy therefore the loop is rationally justified as a more efficient solution.

The surface is tilted in a different way according to the orientation. The parts of the surface directed to the east and west are more vertical since during the morning and during the evening the sun is low on the horizon, while the south side is designed more horizontal since the sun is higher at mid-day. The “Solar Loop” is a very flexible solution. It can be applied all around the world – according to latitude it changes its tilted angles creating, different shapes and is always optimized in terms of efficiency.

It can be designed in different sizes, from a very small scale – 1 meter, to a bigger one – 20-30 meters, according to customer’s needs. The “Solar Loop” is a single continuous surface that twists onto it. It creates a photovoltaic side directed to the sun and a mirrored side that reflects the surrounding. Read the rest of this entry »

The project by Synthesis Design + Architecture is a “cross-strait” cultural center in Fuzhou, designed to commemorate the connection between China and Taiwan. The project is divided into two buildings, with each building conceptually representing a tree of Chinese culture, with three levels of articulation.

The first is the Roots, these define the ground plane, landscaping and lower levels of the buildings and illustrate that Chinese culture emerges from the earth of China. The coordinated movement of the two root systems – cultural versus commercial – on the site becomes one network, unifying the site into a fluid and articulated park like condition with many moments of contemplation and pockets of space.

The second is Branches, the branches grow from the roots to wrap the cultural fruit-seeds-tree houses that float above the roots and connect the different components to make them one unified whole. This unifying skin uses the graphic effect of a porous network of branches to define and articulate the skin of the building in two ways – as a perforated white reinforced fiber concrete facade system, which is back-lit in the perforations, and as a white translucent lightweight tensile membrane roof system which at night glows from within and by day, glows internally.

Finally are the Fruit-seeds-tree-houses – these are the varying programmatic contents of the project that are each positioned in a radial arrangement pointing out of the tree towards various destinations of cultural significance to Chinese heritage in the world. The seeds in the earth grow to become the fruit – the cultural by products of the culture itself – opera, film, music, art, commerce, food. Read the rest of this entry »