The antelope Canyon Close to page Arizona Beautiful red cave that many photographers have shot over the years and although it has been years that I’ve been there, I still remember how beautiful it was and I want to go back very fast!
From the architect. The new Preparatory School creates a series of individual linked buildings set within the landscape, linked by courtyards, play spaces and learning breakout spaces. Guildford Grammar School is situated in the heart of Western Australia’s Swan Valley. Located on the Swan River, the site nestles into the floor plain and wetlands of this ecosystem.
The buildings are oriented to capture views to the floodplain and strategic elements of the campus; and to allow for the connection of external learning with the internal classroom environment.
Woven throughout the project is the notion of learning and play, and the integration of these as part of the whole. Sliding, climbing, tunneling and waterplay all break down barriers between traditional learning environments and a more contemporary pedagogy.
The material character of the project differs from outside, in. Like a jewel box, the solid and steady external character of the brick, zinc and sandstone reference the campus and fabric of historic Guildford, an area rich in heritage. These give way internally to a play of warm plywood, vibrant colours, soft and slippery surfaces, inviting exploration and inhabitation.
The plan is centered around a courtyard and streets which connect horizontally and vertically, linking play, breakout and learning spaces. Colour and texture animate the spaces creating a transparent and engaging learning environment for the preparatory school, placing learning on display.
The sequencing of classroom, transition, breakout and courtyards provide a continuum of integrated flexible learning spaces to be explored by new methods of learning, technologies and pedagogies.
The project incorporates active and passive sustainable design strategies to minimise embodied carbon and energy use through its operation. Natural light, ventilation, water harvesting and solar energy are all visible aspects of the design which contribute to environmental awareness and energy efficiency. These systems integrate with water courses; natural and man-made, to further enhance the connection to the wetland ecosystem. The building acts as a tool for teaching and learning about the site and its ecology.
In the newest video by architects Wahyu Pratomo and Kris Provoost of YouTube’s #donotsettle, the duo visit MVRDV’s “The Stairs” installed outside Centraal Station in Rotterdam. The project commemorates the 75th anniversary of the city’s reconstruction after World War II by devising the staircase now attached to the Groot Handelsgebouw, a landmark and one of Rotterdam’s first post-war buildings. In the video, Pratomo and Provoost discuss the idea of temporariness, experience-driven architecture, context, and symbolism inspired by MVRDV’s intervention, all the while asking other visitors for their own reactions to the spectacle.
Pratomo and Provoost started #donotsettle on YouTube while they were architecture students and urban enthusiasts studying at TUDelft in The Netherlands. Now, the duo regularly visit new and noteworthy architectures sites, both in Europe and around the globe, creating user-oriented architecture videos imbued with a playfulness and experiential authenticity.
MVRDV’s “The Stairs” is a free installation and will be open until June 12.
From above a bridge of Hoi An (Quang Nam, Vietnam), at 5 a.m., the squid fisher is having a rest after his night work.
I took this picture during summer 1993 on a traditional silver film camera (Fujichrome). The original image is in color and you can find it in my Vietnam set. It has been digitalized in 2014.
Scallions are delicious in lots of things, but getting the best flavor and presentation from them demands you learn to slice them a little differently depending on what you’re making. This video, posted to Instagram by Food52, shows you three different slicing methods, and the dishes each is best for.