Today marks the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. Managed by the National Park Service, over 90,000 buildings, sites, structures and objects are listed in the national register. These important resources are preserved to help tell the story of who we are as a nation and inspire us to learn from our past. Learn more here: http://ift.tt/2erMWnp
Photo of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico by Raymond Lee (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
Team Rambo, also known as Ramboland, is a project born from the need of Ron Rambo, born with Cerebral Palsy, for a home that can support his disability and increase his quality of life. However, Ramboland doesn’t just stop there. LEED Fellow Max Zahniser, has used his experience with Green Architecture to combine Ron’s social vision with an environmental one that can benefit the entire community. The meeting of these objectives has been defined by the goal “to design a project that will actually increase the vitality of life and life-support systems in every way possible,” using architecture to make a difference.
The building that will result from the Ramboland project aims to be not only energy grid independent, but also water grid independent and 50% food “grid” independent. As a result of the solar panelled roof, the house is estimated to generate about 40,000kWh/year – far more energy than it consumes. Any excess energy could be shared with neighbors, as well as support the surrounding common area. In addition to this, Ramboland hopes to generate funding for an accessible electrical car that could be shared with nearby residents in wheelchairs. The building’s backyard will be an edible Permaculture garden, with the only required maintenance being to harvest all the fruits, nuts, herbs and vegetables that will be growing there.
In order for Ron to access the agricultural space, the building will contain wheelchair accessible planter beds, in addition to adjustable height furniture and appliances, a suspension system between the bedroom and bathroom, automated mechanical and electrical systems and extra wide doors. At Ron’s request, the house is designed to accommodate anyone with any type of special needs that may inhabit the house in the future, greatly exceeding ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. These elements and objectives embody the community-oriented foundation of the Ramboland project. As they put it themselves, “it’s not just about the building.”
When it comes to the technical aspects of the building, however, there is just as much attention to sustainability and health as with the rest of the project. Nearly no new materials are being used in the construction, as almost all of the project’s wood and steel elements will be sourced from reclaimed materials destined for landfills. Perhaps unexpectedly, the materials themselves will also contribute to building health; studies have shown that reclaimed materials often produce better indoor air quality, as any chemicals contained within them have been fully released over time. Obviously, this results in a far better environment for Ron’s health and comfort. By maximizing natural light and providing greenery indoors and views to the outdoors, the architecture also increases the physical, as well as the mental and emotional health of any inhabitants.
Clearly, Team Rambo is fulfilling their philosophy of extending the length and enhancing the quality of life, while reducing costs and improving sustainability. It’s no wonder that the project is so well received by the community; the architecture it looking to influence society far beyond the property line, improving the natural and social environment of the area.
You can find out more about the Ramboland project on the project website, here.
Located in New York’s Little Italy, Karma’s office was transformed by design studio FormNation into a modern space that combines Dutch and American design influences and provides transparency, communication and work-life balances for the employees.
Karma’s design brief was short, but clear: Design a space with 40 desks, ample break out areas, a war room, communal lunch space for 40, that fits the brand, and they had to move in there in 4 weeks.
Karma is a tech start up with strong Dutch influences, that brings a clear, simple, honest and powerful wifi product to the US. Without falling into the typical start up design trap of creating an industrial chic loft design with a slide, FormNation relied on its own Dutch background and design influences to create an aesthetic that focused on a mix of clean Dutch design with American design.
The L-shaped space boasts a 14’ tin ceiling in an industrial loft with an abundance of natural light from large windows along one wall that overlooks Little Italy and provides the perfect environment for collaboration and communication.
The space is divided into 3 main areas:
Work: A colorful pathway of blue and grey floor tiles welcomes employees and guests alike into the office. Employee desks are laid out in a clean grid, comfortable lounge seating exist in the center aisle for conversations and the windows are visible from all desks so everyone can enjoy the view and sunlight. The large, white Delta lights by Rich Brilliant Willing create a cozy work environment and the perfect working light. To top off the space is an oversized company logo, in iconic Dutch orange, resembling an all-American gas station.
Meet/private: FormNation built an extension to the existing conference rooms to create an open war room for meetings and brainstorming sessions in a central location. The conference rooms offer transparency through their glass walls and functionality as the walls are often used to write meeting notes. The conference rooms are a mix of Scandinavian design with American industrial chic.
Relax/break out: Adjacent to the meeting rooms is a lunch space big enough for the entire office with a long communal table and 40 modern handmade lamps that provide a mix of Brooklyn industrial design and European flair. Following Dutch tradition, Karma employees eat lunch together every day and then take a walk to get coffee. It’s become the norm for Karma now but it’s still strange for new employees to take an hour from their day to eat and not talk about work.
Employees often enjoy their coffee in the break out space featuring grey Moroso sofas and iconic Anglepoise lamps in white.
The wide range in which pieces of masonry can be arranged allows for multiple spatial configurations. Born in a furnace, the brick adorns and reinforces, protects and—to various degrees—brings natural light into spaces that need slight, natural illumination.
Throughout history, traditional brick-laying consisted of predetermined arrangement of parts, and lines of rope to guide the consistency and placement of each individual brick. But there are many other ways to exploit this multi-faceted, timeless material, so we’ve selected 16 projects that demonstrate the potential of the humble brick.
Below find 16 construction details from projects that use bricks in ingenious ways.
Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming – USA (by Phil Price)
Sig Nordal 