Material research
Extreme lightness, resistance and shapeability are the main properties of the carbon fiber that pushed this research into its design possible uses. A_seat is a bench for multiple people that can be easily moved while offering great resistance to loads with minimal thicknesses and a great opportunity to experiment with geometry, due to its flexibility in adapting to different shapes.

Form research
The form system that drives the design process can be named as quad-folded geometry, meaning a complex system of multiple quadrangular elements informed by the basic rule of connecting and articulating throught folds. This process framework allows to manage a set of discrete functions (structure, support, seating) throught a single form system, pushing a research on continuity. Read the rest of this entry »

Rethinking OMA/Koolhaas’ Embassy of the Netherlands‘ conceptual play on solids and voids as a defining system for programmatic function, Kokaistudios integrates a traditional plan of Beijing’s historical Courtyard Houses into their winning design for the new Tsinghua University Law Library. A central void allows natural light to shine through the interior of the the 8-story building and for a trajectory to be exposed at different points due to the carving of a stone facade. Visitors proceed through a narrative of solid and void spaces and skylights ranging from circulation, indoor and outdoor areas. Read the rest of this entry »

The corporate headquarters designed by Annkit kummar of the Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA) is planned keeping in mind the principles of integrating nature in architecture.  Such a unison would promote sustainable architecture principles in planning of industrial buildings in future, which otherwise are flavorless and solid in their appearance.

The proposed Headquarters of LIDA assimilates greenery into the building at higher levels providing terrace gardens and recreational space to the employees. The central courtyard together with the vertical voids aid in the wind flow through-out the building keeping the entire building mass cooler during the summers. Read the rest of this entry »

In the current proposal for a Contemporary Museum of Art in Buenos Aries, the inception is based on synergetic plays of volumes and interlink-interlacing manifolds of tectonic forms and panels that create a dynamic fluxion of mass, surfaces and lines. The articulations involved relay on formal masses in an arrangement or in a cohesive group that perform more than the sum of its parts. The museum is multi-layered and composed of radiant volumes and pieces which converge in a poly-operational, structural, and sensuous array of tectonics. The effect of multi-generative forms grouped and working together as a performative whole is a diverse set of fluid and crystallized components strategically placed for an outcome of a dynamic structure, which valiancy plays a role in the visual and experiential impact of the viewer. Read the rest of this entry »

Former eVolo Skyscraper Competition finalist BNKR Arquitectura addresses Mexico City’s urban constraints with an inverted Aztec pyramid, or “Earthscraper,” at the heart of the historic city center. This proposal would conserve today’s  historical aesthetic of buildings and public space, endure Mexico City’s growing population, and adhere to city center’s 8-story height restrictions. A 1,000 foot long reversed pyramid is embedded into the ground, where a mini-city is layered 65 stories (300 m) deep. The structure’s glass roof is embedded at the city’s ground level, followed by habitable spaces around the perimeter of the void, allowing natural light to descend to the deepest levels. Read the rest of this entry »

Is “complexity” anything more than a term to denote the extent of human stupidity, or rather, the limits of our perception?

When the rules governing a scenario cannot be read with ease, the scenario is described as being “complex” – it is difficult to understand; it appears to require some sort of deeper understanding. BUT, as we have seen, the rules are not necessarily any more complicated than the most trivial of scenarios.

So if the rules are still trivially simple (think, for example, of the mathematical operations we use to achieve these forms: +, – , /, *), what is it that is more “complex”? The outcome (of our scripts), of course, contain more surfaces, more lines, more etc etc., but is it really more complex – or are we just too stupid? Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing their investigations on mesh grammars at CAAD, ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer have explored the creation of a series of domes which consist of a surface being folded over and over. Mesh grammars, as defined by Hansmeyer, is a “process that combines mesh refinement techniques with the logic of shape grammars. Unlike traditional shape grammars, mesh grammars do not consider isolated objects but always view objects as embedded in a network–the mesh.” Read the rest of this entry »

Pop Arch is a pop art take on both contemporary and classical architecture. Using a collage medium, the collection mixes “traditional” and reworked iPhotography by splicing photos into sections, manipulating various elements of each image and then rebuilding the photo on metal supports. As Carlo Caccavale explains, “My interest still focuses on witnessing design reality with my iPhone. However, I wanted to give this collection a more playful take and create collage work of arts – inspired by 60’s pop art – and experiment with various subject matters, from the Bernini statues in the Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Pantheon in Rome to Frank Gehry’s latest New York high rise and the terrific modernist buildings in LA.” Read the rest of this entry »

Situated in Woolwich on the grounds of the historic Royal Artillery Barracks, the shooting venue of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012 is designed to enhance the festive and celebrative character of the event. It aims to evoke an experience of flow and precision inherent in the shooting sport through the dynamically curving space.

Project description:
Three mobile buildings will accomodate the 10, 25 and 50 m shooting competitions. Shooting is a sport in which the results and progress of the competition are hardly visible to the eye of the spectator. The design of the shooting venue was driven by the desire to evoke an experience of flow and precision inherent in the shooting sport through the dynamically curving space. Read the rest of this entry »

The Museum Of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition proposal is located at Futian District, Shenzhen’s most important central region for administration, business and culture. The building functions as part of Shenzhen’s civic centre, where the City Library, Opera House, Central Bookstore, Youth Activity Hall (YAH) and other civic building have been built. The international competition held in 2007 required The Museum Of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition (MOCAPE) to include two independent and yet inter-connected parts: The museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Planning Exhibition (PE). Designed by Rome-based LABORATORIO 543, the proposal is a 90.000 square meter structure that aims to enhance the service of Shenzhen’s new civic center. Read the rest of this entry »