Visitors to this year’s Manifesta art biennale can watch films while enjoying a swim in this floating pavilion, built by students to float on Switzerland’s Lake Zurich ( + slideshow). (more…)
Clouds is a private residence renovated by FO4A Architecture It is located in Dubrovnik, Croatia and was completed in 2015. Clouds by FO4A Architecture: “Two Deluxe rooms,named Clouds (Cloud 9 and Cloud 11), are located in the Old Town of Dubrovnik nereby the main street known as Stradun or Placa surrounded by the Walls of Dubrovnik. The facility with total area of 43 square meters (463 square feet), originally dated..
The existing building had been developed over the years since an external swimming ‘tank’ was enclosed with a simple portal frame building in the 1960s. It is located on an ‘island’ site defined by the River Nenagh and an overflow channel adjacent to the Dublin railway line embankment on the outskirts of Nenagh.
The project involved the renewal and reorientation of the building to address the new park to the east and the creation of an entrance that reconciled the different functions of Swimming with Gymnasium and Aerobics.
The reception was located centrally with views through to the pool and access to wet changing and dry changing on either side. The old changing rooms were remodelled into a modern changing village. A new aerobics suite and the extended gym now look out over the parkland. A jacuzzi and sauna suite were introduced. Internal finishes were upgraded and the pool tank was completely retiled.
You’re reading 10 Things You’ll Never Hear A Great Leader Say, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
We’ve all had a boss or manager who has said things that either made us lose respect for them, or made us feel about an inch tall. As you begin your journey as a leader in the business world, it is important to keep these bad experiences in mind to be sure you don’t make the same mistakes.
Here we have compiled a list of 10 things you’ll never hear a great leader say. We all make mistakes, but saying any of these phrases to an employee will no doubt lose you their respect, and fast.
1. “I’m Sorry You Feel That Way”
Using this phrase is a quick way to let your employee know that you really don’t value their feelings or opinion, since it’s about the most unapologetic apology a person can make. Rather than saying something like this, a great leader will make an effort to understand where their employee is coming from. Make sure your employees know you value them and will listen when they come to you—this will make for a much more positive and healthy work environment.
2. “It’s Not Personal, It’s Business”
Since there is no way that this phrase could ever be used to follow up a positive comment, it’s probably best not to use it and add insult to injury. While it will be necessary to have difficult conversations with employees from time to time, it is important to keep things as positive as possible, rather than focusing on the negative. Coaching employees to success is a critical part of your role as a leader, and negativity will never have the desired effect. Also, regardless of the situation, it’s almost impossible for anyone to not take an insult directed at them personally.
3. “It’s Not My Fault”
No one likes to be around, let alone work for, someone who won’t take responsibility. A great leader leads by example and will be the first to step up and accept an equal amount of blame when necessary. Pushing off blame onto others is a quick way to lose respect and create a toxic work environment.
4. “I Did It”
The opposite of a leader who pushes everything off on their employees is the one who likes to take all of the credit. A strong leader will share success with their employees, and make sure they are recognized for their contributions. Teamwork training is an essential element in any work environment, and it’s just as important for the boss to take part as every other employee.
5. “You Don’t Understand, Do You?”
There is probably no faster way to make an employee feel stupid and worthless than using this phrase. An employee knows when they’ve done something wrong or made a mistake—rather than demeaning them and pointing out their flaws, a true leader will help turn those weaknesses into strengths.
6. “Because I Said So”
It is likely that you’ve heard this phrase at least once in your life, probably from a parent. Can you imagine hearing it from your boss? A good leader will use strategic leadership to encourage their employees, making sure everyone understands why things are done a certain way, and being open to suggestions from others.
7. “That’s the Way I’ve Always Done It”
One of the most important things you can do as an employer is listen to your employees. If an employee thinks there might be a better way of handling customer relations or some other aspect of your business they know a lot about, you should hear them out and consider their opinion. The best leaders are always looking for better ways of doing things and are open to suggestions.
8. “I’ll Do It Myself”
As the PIC at your business, it may seem easier at times to try to handle everything yourself. You’re the only one who can do it right, right? Wrong. You obviously saw something in these people that made you hire them in the first place—show them you trust them by letting them shoulder some of the responsibility. When an employee feels trusted and respected, they’ll do much better work than if they feel like you think they can’t do anything right.
9. “Your Performance Can Make or Break the Company”
It’s incredibly unlikely that the fate of your company rests on the shoulders of one single employee, so don’t put that kind of pressure on them. With some strategic thinking, you can undoubtedly find something more motivating to tell your employees. Putting unrealistic and undue stress on your employees will eventually lead to the downfall of your company, and that will be completely your fault.
10. “I’m In Charge”
Your employees obviously know who’s in charge when it comes to your business, and you declaring yourself to be does nothing more than make you look like a dictator. To have success in business, you need to foster an environment where all employees regularly participate in teamwork training and work on team building skills. This includes you. The greatest leaders make sure their employees know they don’t consider themselves any better than the people who work for them.
The takeaway? Think before you speak.
If at any point you find yourself struggling with any of these phrases, take the time to step back and focus on your leadership development—there are countless leadership seminars available to help. Treat your employees the way you’d want a boss to treat you—if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
You’ve read 10 Things You’ll Never Hear A Great Leader Say, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Dezeen Watch Store: the minimal Hagen timepiece by popular Danish brand Skagen is now available in three new colour combinations. (more…)
From the architect. Situated on an undulating site in the deserts of Ras, Rajasthan, India, Studios 18 apartments are a part of an entire layout spread over 36 acres. With no buildings or development in the vicinity, this layout is being created for the working people of a new cement manufacturing plant that has commenced production nearby. Close to the site there is no existing development and there are four villages at a distance of 1 km from the site. Taking a cue from the organic layouts of the neighbouring villages near the site, the residential units are interspersed within the existing contours along organic streets that weave through the site.
The 18 residential apartments follow the organic nature of old Indian cities with houses stepping back and creating interlocked built volumes across three levels. A 4M contour difference is negotiated by the building levels stepping down accordingly. In response to the hot arid climate prevalent in the location of 8 months of summer and temperatures in excess of 35°c, the apartments are all oriented towards the north, north east and northwest with no apartment facing the south. The low rise design allows the residents of studios 18 to be close to the ground level akin to living in individual houses.
The circulation spaces connecting the housing blocks are naturally ventilated with an abstract composition of square punctuations on either side facilitating air to move through. The harsh glare of the sun is cut off; yet allowing natural light within the linear corridors, and creating different patterns at different times of the day. The linear corridors provide a cool ventilated sheltered walkway between the apartments allowing residents to glimpse landscaped spaces on either side while walking through and making the circulation an interesting experience. Each apartment too is cross ventilated with deep recessed windows and open to sky terraces.
Color acts as an integral parameter in differentiating volumes as well as identifying circulation spaces interestingly while alluding to the colors of the region. In Rajasthan colour plays an important role in the lives of the people who wear bright colours daily. As if to compensate for the miles of arid, sandy terrain they see around them, they wear brightly coloured clothes and jewelry. Most cities in Rajasthan state are identified by a colour. Jodhpur in Rajasthan is known as the blue city with traditional homes in hues of blue lime plaster. Jaisalmer is known as the yellow city for its traditional houses being built in yellow sandstone. The colour palette used is the most significant part of its visual impact. The deconstructed cubes sport varied hues of the sandy region, at different times of the day – visually differentiating the stepped, recessed volumes as well as identifying circulation spaces. With lighter hues on external walls to reflect heat off the surfaces, and darker tones indoors to create a cooler feel, they add impact to the highly ‘responsive’ design solution.
Studios 18 is a contextually designed housing project that is sustainable by its design adhering to the existing contours, its orientation to reduce heat gain, its facilitation of natural light and ventilation and its low rise design. via v2com.
Set on a battle-axe block above a beach adjacent to a nature reserve, this three level house is large and expansive yet articulated to provide intimate spaces designed to maximise its unencumbered sweeping water views from every level.
The brief from the client was to provide an interior that was modern but warm with a casual elegance free of unnecessary embellishment or decoration.
The resultant home is filled with natural light and has been thoughtfully designed to highlight spatial vistas and the breathtaking water views, whilst maintaining privacy from surrounding homes. It provides sophisticated open plan entertaining spaces and relaxed family areas that can be cleverly opened or closed off as required to suit the needs of a growing family. The design also includes secluded spaces of refuge to enjoy spectacular sunrises and sunsets, cool breezes in summer and the warmth of the sun in winter, a particularly important requirement of the client. Time was also spent fine-tuning the design and spatial planning to accommodate the specific needs of the family to ensure the home is not only beautiful but also highly functional.
The journey from the street begins down a gentle stair in the landscaped access handle shared with the driveway, past a double garage door integrated with wall cladding leading to a custom finished front door. The entry on middle level welcomes one with its light filled double height volume and a striking off-form concrete wall with a timber clad cantilevered stair. The living space beyond, with its centrepiece of beautifully crafted marble kitchen island, is large and expansive yet articulated to provide intimate spaces and framing the panoramic water view.
The upper level consists of the main bedrooms with the private master suite and the ensuite commanding the unencumbered sweeping water views. The lower level consists of guest bedrooms and Rumpus Room that combines with undercover BBQ terrace and swimming pool to provide a private sanctuary with a tranquil resort feel.
In contrast to the geometric building, the landscaping consists of a series of free-form terraces working with the site contours and integrating natural features. Extensive native planting is used to complement the adjacent nature reserve and integrate with its natural context.
The materials palette used throughout the home is dominated by natural products, with extensive use of timber, stone, glass and steel. Furniture and soft furnishings continue the natural theme with leather, timber, marble, wool and linen featuring prominently. The beautifully hand crafted joinery also incorporates solid timber and timber veneer, marble, slate and steel. The material selection was purposely limited and repeated throughout the home extending from inside to outside providing a harmonious overall ‘look and feel’ to the architecture and design.
The project has been an excellent example of a successful and trusting client/architect/interior designer/builder partnership resulting in a detailed contemporary residence from the initial purchase to completion in approximately two years.
From the architect. Blossom Pavilion is a cooperative spatial device with artist Zhan Wang, which is also one of the spatial art pieces project of Shanghai Urban Space Art Season 2015 1+1 (artist + architect).
Zhan Wang’s representive project is his rockery sculpture made by stainless steel. The most recent investigate, casted stainless steel, leave a deeply impression on me. Artist leaves a flat, thin and polished stainless steel piece on natural ground or other texture. Then carefully cast the texture on stainless steel by soft packaged hammer. In this way, an industrial material is left with nature information and artificial trace, which is also represented by the specific material behavior.
Supporting and coverage is human being’s most primitive spatial construction form, which could shelter oneself from suffering weather conditions. In the evolution of mankind construction, the principle is tending to be rational and scientific. Engineering gradually become the core of construction technique. The structure of Blossom Pavilion has been scrupulously calculated. The overall overage area is 12metres plus 8 metres, which consist of two types of thickness (8mm and 14mm) steel plates in the 800x800mm grid according to the allowable stress. The height of 14mm thickness cloud-shape ribs above the steel plate stay a range of 50-200mm, which shaped as a natural topographic slope. The chambers among the ribs were used as the pots for flowers on the roof of Blossom Pavilion. The steel plate is supported by 6 places’ single or A-shape solid steel columns, witch size at 60X60mm. A Mies style minimalism construction has been formed like this.
The most rational structure mechanics is not the principle when architect decide where to put the supporting point. A space divided by ‘sliced rockery’ is the main picture in mind. As the concept of artist treat stainless steel slice, the rockery spatial concept has been brought in into engineering supporting structures. Architect divided and translated artist’s stainless-steel-rockery sculpture into a space with rockery concept. Artist chose the hill stone cast texture steel as the façade of sliced side. The surrounding plants and trees has been engaged into the Blossom Pavilion with this method.
Because of the involved artist, architect engaged with primitive spatial rhetoric by a contemporary method.
Sig Nordal 