In an era of rising environmental awareness, it is necessary to provoke the society in order to change the way it perceives energy use. International practice Sériès et Sériès has been awarded second place for Greenoplasty – the design of Los Angeles Cleentech Corridor and Green District – their successful proposal offered inspiring environment, allowing its residents to look beyond the common and the easily consumed, in favor of the responsive, daring and stimulating. SES’s design has derived from strong belief that the urban planning has to propose radically new and more environmentally conscious way of living which further helps breaking old habits.

In this particular case of the Cleantech Corridor, their urban strategy consisted of compressing the four mile site by implementing a local tram way and proposing new zoning for specific areas, in order to promote most sustainable way of commuting and give space back to the pedestrian. Architects at SES committed to keep as much of the existing context intact, while giving the residents their right to the city and public space. Read the rest of this entry »

Elegant design of the Taiwanese Tower, designed by Decode Urbanism Office is derived from natural parameters of the wind combined with the characteristics of the base. Designed as landmark architecture, the tower stands out due to its uniqueness and progressive approach. The façade of the high-rise is innovative – composed of multiple wind-driven generators supported by the structure. When the generator rotates, the façade changes along and the amount of produced energy is sufficient for the whole tower.

The tower is a showcase acting as a proof that tells the natural password – wind energy can actually supply energy for the entire building. The diamond-type wind generator is fixed in the middle of a façade grid, with a net structure. The overall appearance of the façade is shown when the weather lane is parallel with vertical face. The shade of weather vane and structure makes shadow in the space of tower building, therefore controlling the entrance of light and reducing the consumption of energy. In case when the wind blows the veil of the tower, the weather vane is vertical to the façade and the structure becomes transparent.

The facade of the tower is dynamic and it renders differently from situation to situation, therefore the Taiwanese people feel it is given with life. At night, due to LED lamp positioned between wind generators is powered by wind and lights with thousand lights. The light color is changing according to the temperature of season. From all the above, it becomes clear that Taiwanese Tower is an elegant decoder of nature. Read the rest of this entry »

Due to the fact that the main purpose of Beijiao Sports Center in China, designed by Decode Urbanism Office, is to serve people and surrounding neighborhoods, it was of crucial importance to design it as a multi-functional and friendly, gathering place. The traditional concept and the image of the sport facility are abandoned, in favor to a vivid, active space full of energy night and day, both during sport events and after. The aim of the architects was to create a community space for higher social resilience.

The divergent general layout creates a base and city with permeable interface between the site and the existing, surrounding urban context, and activity venues of various sizes are formed.  Created spaces differ in height; therefore allow the host wide range of outdoor activities.

This amusing and playful design is unifying in its concept and it brings together separate spaces into one, through a central “event” – the valley. The design also introduces the rising trend of ecological architecture. The valley is the center of all the activities, moderately sized sport field is located in one side of the central gathering place and is utilized both as a field for sport activities and outdoor performance venue. The platform of the valley is extended outwards so that it became a roof and formed the auditorium. Great porosity of the geometry of the valley allows it to be adaptable and to create flexible multi-purpose spaces for different events, such as shopping, performing, lecture and exercise. The ground level of the park provides the development with a pleasant environment for the hot summer days. Read the rest of this entry »

Flint Public Art Project and Flint Chapter of the American Institute of Architects have recently announced winners of Flat Lot Competition. Two Islands – team of architects and designers based in London won the $25,000 grand prize and will design and build temporary summer pavilion on Flint’s central downtown parking lot. The project opens June 14 for Flint Art Walk and will remain on the site in Michigan until fall. The competition was launched last fall and it called for a temporary structure that would support public programs by providing amenities such as seating, shade, cooling devices, and a stage for performances, taking up no more than eight parking spaces. 221 entries were submitted by the March 1 deadline.

Satisfied with the winning proposal, executive director of Flint Public Art Project said that they are thrilled that the first design-build competition co-organized with AIA-Flint produced a beautiful symbol of a new city. Read the rest of this entry »

The jury for the international competition for Prishtina Central Mosque failed to agree on a clear first prize winner; however it seems that some of the un-awarded entries caught the attention as well. MI’RAJ is the proposal of APTUM, Swiss / American architectural practice, named by one of two parts of the night ascension journey that the Islamic prophet Muhammad took one night. The proposal materializes the journey of ascension to prayer and the spatial experience that follows. Islamic community of Prishtina was searching for a unifying symbol and identity that can bring together many disparate mosques of Kosovo capital, APTUM’s design harnesses that need and brings together a sense of place and provides public space for the greater good of the community.

Stairs are wrapping the south side of the building and the journey begins. At the end of the slow stairs, the round plaza opens, providing the great space for sitting, relaxing of proceeding to the very entry of the mosque. The plaza is suitable for gathering, contemplating or simply enjoying the weather. Read the rest of this entry »

London firm Farshid Moussavi Architecture has won a competition to design an apartment block in Montpellier, Southern France. Les Jardins de la Lironde in Montpellier is residential complex of elegant homes on the outskirts of the city – Les Folies Montpellieraines as eighteenth century bourgeoisie called it.

Continuing its tradition of innovative architecture, the city has commissioned the first prize winner to design first of twelve folies to be built. The site of the future residential tower is located in the green surrounding on the periphery.  In order to minimize the impact on the landscape of the site, the tiny high-rise is designed to have smallest possible footprint. In order to decrease size of the floor plans, the area of shared communications and internal circulation space in general are designed as least possible, therefore providing the maximum amount of privacy. Read the rest of this entry »

Zaha Hadid’s  Serac bench is finally unveiled at this year Milan Design Week. It is created in collaboration with product designers and lanners at Lab 23 – a company known for its development philosophy and long standing activity in a direction of future technological developments.  Graceful in its smoothness and fluidity, the bench is powerful piece of urban sculpture serving as urban furniture for seating and resting. Evoked by the image of a block of ice formed by intersecting crevasses in a glacier, the bench is made of hard-wearing resin quartz, a durable engineered stone. This specific material is chosen because of the perfection of its curvature when moulded. As a bonus, the surface of the bench has a sparkle from quartz component, therefore capturing light. The bench could be considered perfect example of beautiful synergy of form and material and their harmonious relationship.

The object meets the solid ground at the crest of two sweeping curves that wrap the stepped void. Designed in a consistent formal language of Zaha Hadid, layered lines of intersecting curves create crisp shadows resulting from its form. Dynamically changing as one move, the bench offers set of smooth transitions between the different frames. Designed in contemporary understanding of street furniture, this particular object would surely elevate the public realm, with the touch of class and freshness. Read the rest of this entry »

Coop Himmelb(l)au’s design for the the new Grand Theatre and International Culture & Art Center for Changsha, China, won by Zaha Hadid Architects, is offering unique and eclectic design, full of surprising turns. The site of the competition is located on the northeaster side of the newly created Changsha Meixi Lake in the Daheexi District and the proposed design is engaging both the water and the ground. Undulating white form is announcing the shiny and smooth spectacle while the architects wanted to create a new cultural center that interacts with the existing natural landscape, visually and scientifically – the development was designed to use alternative energy sources and efficient passive energy systems, in order to minimize environmental impact.

The overall concept was driven by the aim to position the elements of the Center like the objects of an urban Chinese garden, where the elements of water, stones, hills, bridges and flowers are transformed into urban shapes animating and vitalizing the daily life of the entire Daheexi District. The waterfront promenade closes the loop between the west and east end of the development opening with a generous plaza in front of the Grand Theater. By thickening the surface, the ground becomes flexible and lively landscape that integrates the service and leisure facilities in order to provide an active and attractive support for the cultural site. Read the rest of this entry »

Designed as an experimental hybrid between urbanism and landscape design, BIG’s proposal is a winning entry for EuropaCity. Along with fellow team members Tess, Transsolar, Base, Transitec and Michel Forgue, Denmark based architectural office will be in charge for designing the new urban center in France, between Paris and Roissy. It will be a mixture of retail, culture and leisure, gathered around the defining theme of the European urban experience, diversity and culture.

The winning proposal is a sustainable urban form, combining dense city with an open landscape and is predestined to become a cultural and commercial gathering point for surrounding cities. Recreational areas, hiking paths and urban farming found its place at the accessible green roof that covers the whole city. The vast roof features allow visitors to experience the panoramic views of central Paris and La Defense skylines.

The new contemporary urban settlement is designed as a laboratory for sustainable technologies and experimental ground for viable green tech implementations which not only save energy but improve the quality of urban environment. The chain of culture and leisure programs like concert halls, skiing hill, swimming pools and urban farming form an urban ecosystem where the resources feed each other. Waste heat form retail is channeled into leisure spas, water is reused for irrigation. EuropaCity is actually going to provide the surrounding neighborhoods with district heating and cooling. The development will be powered with the powerful combination of solar, biofuel and geothermal energy. Read the rest of this entry »

The Beukenhof Auditorium and Crematorium by Asymptote Architecture recently won 2013 Progressive Architecture Award, showing that the building can be the powerful architectural piece regardless of its program. Located in the Dutch community of Schiedam, this fluid piece accommodates and celebrates whole variety of rituals, both in form and program. Comprising an undulating seamed copper roof and double-curved enclosure, Asymptote’s design for the Auditorium and Crematorium in Netherlands exploits the country’s rich tradition of brick architecture through a thoroughly contemporary formal expression.

The building is wrapped into dematerialized envelope whose perforations invite modular daylight to enter the interior. The structure could be seen as a materialization of movement and it intensely bonds with the surrounding in its fluidity and smooth flow. Pools at each corner of the building collect water flowing along the edifice, providing a serenity that complements the peaceful aura of the rest of the building. The interior spaces of Beukenhof Auditorium and Crematorium are imbued with a subtly transforming quality of light that works in concert with the shifting architectural form. On the exterior, the dune-like architecture is another landscape element that bridges over the adjacent canal. Read the rest of this entry »