© Rodrigo Dávila

• Architects: Leonardo Álvarez Yepes
• Location: Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia
• Area: 7100.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Rodrigo Dávila

• Lead Design Consultant: Edwin Alexander Alfonso
• Collaborators: Néstor Iván Gualteros, Diana Martínez García, Mónica Viviana Delgado, Fabián Vargas, Camilo Mora Triana.
• Furniture Design: D.I. Jorge Arrieta
• Bioclimatic Design: Jorge Ramírez
• Acoustic Design: Daniel Duplat
• Budget & Progamation: Álvaro León Rodríguez
• Structure: Jaime Buitrago Nova
• Flooring: Germán Tapia
• Hydraulic: Jorge Granados Robayo
• Electric: Juan Antonio Díaz
• Lightning & Automation: Pablo David Ariza Martínez, Luis Eduardo Mancera
• Voice And Data: Oficina de Tecnologías UNAL Sede Bogotá, Esteban Junco Acevedo
• Safety Control: División de Vigilancia y Seguridad UNAL Sede Bogotá, Wilson López

© Rodrigo Dávila

History

The Project Nursing Faculty of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia was planned for over 20 years. In 1995 the architect Rogelio Salmona developed a preliminary project. In 2003 a competition for a design was made and in 2008 under the policy of the Regularization and Management Plan (PRM) of the university the project was reborn and finally in 2013 the construction started.

Site Plan

Heritage and Site

The Project is located in the Campus of the Universidad Nacianal following the line of the master plan of Leopoldo Rother, surrounded by a building of historic value, that are on a high level of preservation: The Faculty of Law and Political Science building, the Faculty of Social Science building and the assembly of construction of the veterinary medicine. 

The building is placed perpendicular to the core block of the Faculty of Law and Political Science building, organizing and defining the exterior areas draw by the nearest buildings maintaining the visual relation between one and other, while the longest facing is parallel to the main walk that connects two principal highways of Bogotá, the El dorado avenue and N.Q.S. avenue, with the center of the university campus.

© Rodrigo Dávila

 Landscape and Roam

The decision of lifting the building from the ground surface and arrange the least number of structural elements enabling the maximum of visual relations and attending the urban connections among the open spaces of campus. This condition is enhanced with the second-floor slabs inclination, avoiding the visual superposition with the Faculty of Law and Political Science building when roaming through the walks designed by Leopoldo Rother 

Ground Plan

When approaching, the tilt plane the space compresses near the entrance and opens the sight towards the landscape, upon ascending with the stairway begins a lengthwise roam tensing the visuals to the near and far landscape. In the terrace roof the three open patios instructs an austere and passive atmosphere encouraged by the oriental hills of the city.

© Rodrigo Dávila

The experience of roaming through the project is emphasized by the luminous condition in each floor, which various along the floor and allows transitions between dark and bright spaces. The reflection of light on the ocher concrete creates an environment that transmits warmth and stability in an academic building.

Sketch

Sketch

Corporeity and Technique

The disposition of a constant ventilation system in the classrooms allows a passive way of controlling the air flows with the use of a vertical duct in the central wall, that permits the air renewal in the classrooms and drive out the hot air on the top of the building. this same solution was raised for the office spaces where the central hall is the extraction system that is regulated by the façade ventilation.

© Rodrigo Dávila

The shuttering of the concrete forms leave a wooden texture on the ochre concrete of walls and ceilings maintaining vivid the traditional techniques of construction, and also making a quality and durable building.

© Rodrigo Dávila

http://ift.tt/2jqEoeu

© Agnese Sanvito

• Architects: Neil Dusheiko Architects
• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Area: 174.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Agnese Sanvito , Tim Crocker

© Tim Crocker

From the architect. Neil Dusheiko Architects have completed a beautiful and very personal renovation of a Victorian terraced house in Stoke Newington. The house was designed for the architect’s father-in-law, just around the corner from the architect’s own house where he lives with his wife and family.  

© Agnese Sanvito

Neil Dusheiko said: “My wife wanted her father to be closer to us so we could easily pop in and out of each other’s homes. We found a house in the road parallel to ours but it was a bit dark and damp. I wanted to make it into a light and airy home where my father-in-law could live comfortably and easily in a really beautiful space.” 

© Tim Crocker

One of the priorities was to make sure that there was plenty of room for to display his collection of art and ceramics. The kitchen wall is lined with bespoke, oak shelving, where ceramics and glassware are displayed. The materials in the kitchen have been carefully chosen for their texture and warmth, complementing the numerous objects d’art. The floor is paved with brick pammets and the worktops are wood, as are the floors in the adjoining sitting room area.  

Section

The kitchen was very important as the client is a keen cook. It is a light filled space with a skylight over the dining table, a large, glass door leading into the garden and a comfortable window seat, the perfect place for visitors to sit and chat to the cook.  

© Tim Crocker

In the sitting room there are simple, bespoke wooden cabinets but the design has been kept simple as the walls are filled with the owner’s collection of paintings and prints. Art works also line the walls on the landing and in the bedrooms throughout the rest of the house.  

© Tim Crocker

Neil Dusheiko, Director of Neil Dusheiko architects said: “It was important in the design to strike a balance between bringing in light but also creating a private and intimate space that felt very personal. We wanted to modernise the house and make it a more comfortable place to live but retain a feeling of warmth.” 

A new loft has been added, which is light and bright with skylights, and large windows through which you can see the spire of the local church in the distance. It is also cosy and private, with wooden cupboards and floors and dusty red walls which complement the client’s kilims and textiles.  

© Agnese Sanvito

Practice Director Neil Dusheiko said: “We wanted the house to feel light and to be comfortable and modern but at the same time to be very personal. By designing the house around all of my father-in-laws beautiful things I hoped to make the move from the old family home a little easier. My wife and I and our daughter are always in and out of the house and every time I visit there’s another picture up or another ceramic dish on the shelves. I’m really enjoying seeing him settle into the house.”

Section

Product Description.
The materials were carefully selected to create a unified palette that would help exude a warm calm atmosphere, tying the contemporary design into the existing historic fabric of the home. Materials work well together due to the inherent relationships between natural and reclaimed materials.

Reclaimed Brick
We used reclaimed brick tiles for the new kitchen and dining spaces which provides warmth and texture to the newly created space. We used the same material outside on the patio to create a sense of connection between inside and outside.

© Tim Crocker

Glass
A large pivot door and fully glazed roof over the dining rooms maximise light ingress and create a strong connection between the house and the garden. Tall sliding glass panels allow for framed views from the house to the outside.

© Tim Crocker

Oak Joinery
Bespoke oak joinery provides lighter textured infill areas for storage and display for the client’s ceramic and glassware collection. The joinery also houses the heating storage containers, handrails and plenty of space for the client’s personal effects collected over his lifetime.

© Agnese Sanvito

Zinc Cladding
We chose black anthracite zinc cladding for the loft structure as we wanted to use cladding in large sheets to give a more monolithic feel to the roof extension. This included creating large panels of solid metal with simple clean openings framing up views from the roof to key local attractions.

© Tim Crocker

http://ift.tt/2iexfjp

Courtesy of Leewardists

As every good design professional knows, the client is at the forefront of every project. Sometimes this can feel like the client plays judge, jury, and executioner to every last revision, and in a field as detailed and complex as architecture, satisfying these demands, as well as the designer’s own creative vision, can be bewildering and aggravating. But in the end, doesn’t adapting to another person’s tastes just push us to be better?

Courtesy of Leewardists

Centuries of civilizations built on structures designed by architects and yet, their voice is lost among the countless stories of rulers and armies and sometimes wondrous monsters. 

The Leewardists are rewriting the contemporary history of our civilization through the voice of this elusive being, The Architect.

For more of The Architect Comic Series follow them on Facebook, Instagram or visit their website. 

http://ift.tt/2jyO5va

2016 has been a momentous year for Chinese architecture. From the completion of the Harbin Opera house by MAD to the Aga Khan Awards recognizing Zhang Ke of Standard Architecture for his micro-scale design of the Hutong Children’s Library and Art Centre in Beijing. It seems the general perception of Chinese architecture has finally moved beyond the big, weird and ugly.

Since we’ve started to branch out into China, the ArchDaily China team has been able to discover the rich layers beyond just these rising Chinese stars. As part of the country’s large-scale urbanization process, last year, we posted some of the large-scale projects designed by China’s (largely unknown) Design & Research institutions such as train stations and cultural centers. 

In addition, we’ve also come across a series of smaller, lesser known, younger practices that focuses more on small-scale experimental work. Here are our top ten favorites: 

LYCS Architecture

CATable 2.0. Image Courtesy of LYCS Architecture

Led by principle Ruan Hao, LYCS is one of the most diverse young design practices in China. Based in Hangzhou, the practice has a team structure of 3 partners and 2 associates to allow the firm to operate at all scales, from Masterplans to their infamous Cat Table. 

Tiantai No.2 Primary School . Image © Yu Xu

LYCS are one of the first young architectural practices in China to explore the typology of urban schools with the Roof Track School. The practice claims to be invested in critical issues of design building, urban development, and construction within China. 

Duo Xiang Studio

Vanke Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo 2010. Image Courtesy of Dou Xiang Studio

Duo Xiang Studio is a Beijing-based studio which explores everyday objects, focusing on appropriateness. This fresh approach has led to an interesting array of works from the Comb Chair, made out of hundreds of combs, to the Vanke Pavilion as a part of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Comb Chair . Image Courtesy of Dou Xiang Studio

META-Projects

Public Folly – Water Tower Renovation. Image Courtesy of Department of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong

A research-based practice, META-Projects focuses on discovering and responding to the unusual socio/cultural potential of Asian cities. From the ‘Regeneration-by-intervention’ of their own office, (a courtyard house in the Hutong laneways of ancient Beijing), to the research-based projects designed in collaboration with Vanke (one of the largest real estate developers in China). META-Projects has been very demonstrative of the renewed desire of local architects to connect architecture to its social environment.

Huludao Beach Exhibit Center. Image Courtesy of Department of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong

He Wei 

Xihe Cereals and Oils Museum and Village Activity Center. Image © He Wei, Qi Honghai, Chen Long

He Wei has carved out his architectural approach from his background as a researcher and professor at the Central Academy of Arts (CAFA) in Beijing. With a passion for China’s minorities vernacular architecture and concerns over the future of China’s villages, Hei Wei is seeking to create a dialogue between the past and the potential future of China’s leftover buildings.

Elongated Industrial Box – Ding Hui Yuan Zen & Tea Chamber. Image © Zou Bin

ARCHSTUDIO

Tea House in Hutong. Image © Wang Ning

ArchStudio first caught the attention of local and international media with their visually seductive and contextually sensitive interventions within historic parts of Beijing. Their breakthrough project, the Hutong Tea House in Beijing uses a ‘curvy corridor’ to physically link and repair the relationship between the past and present while providing the necessary modern day creature comforts. 

Zi Bo The Great Wall Museum of Fine Art. Image Courtesy of ARCHSTUDIO

More recently, they have extended their approach to renovation of industrial era spaces and striking new structures such as the Tangshan Organic Farm, winner of ArchDaily’s Project Of The Month for November.

Tangshan Organic Farm. Image © JIN Wei-Qi

Zhu Jingxiang / Zhu Jingxiang Architects

NewBud Eco-School. Image © Xia Heng

Zhu Jingxiang started his career by building a lot and fast, caught up in the fast pace development of mainland China. After designing over 100,000 square meters of buildings in his early career, he took a professor position at the Chinese University in Hong Kong to take a break to research and teach. However, the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008 drew him into a crusade of design custom, prefabricated and economically viable buildings for disaster prone zones worldwide. 

Dou Pavilion, as a part of the China Pavilion, The 15th Venice Architecture Biennale. Image Courtesy of Department of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong

More recently he has extended the scope of his work practically and geographically. Zhu was one of the principle designers/participants in the China pavilion at the Biennale with his Dou Pavilion, while his innovative light-weight system and post-disaster reconstruction projects have extended beyond remote parts of China to Africa. 

Dou Pavilion, as a part of the China Pavilion, The 15th Venice Architecture Biennale. Image Courtesy of Department of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Atelier Deshaus

Long Museum West Bund. Image © Su Shengliang

Perhaps young is not the most appropriate way to categorize Atelier Deshaus, as both of the partners, Chen Yifeng and Liu Yichun are both seasoned architects who have been through the largely unknown Chinese system of Design Institutes. 

However, the refreshing designs of Atelier Deshaus surprise time and time again, ranging from the brutalist beauty of the Long Museum West Bund to their recent art installation Blossom Pavilion.

Blossom Pavilion. Image © Zhou Dingqi

Archi-Union

Fab-Union Space On The West Bund. Image © Su Shengliang

Based in Shanghai, Archi-Union combines digital technology and craftsmanship through a low-tech, locally sensitive digital fabrication method of ‘Digital Tectonics’. 

Chi She. Image © Su Shengliang

The use of digital fabrication extends beyond facade treatments and mere aesthetics to the transformation of circulation flows and folding of space itself in projects such as Fab-Union Space on the West Bund. 

Songjiang Art Campus. Image Courtesy of Archi-Union Architects

O-Office

Youth Hotel of iD Town. Image © Chaos.Z

O-Office, unlike most other offices on this list, is located in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Having experienced the Chinese urbanization climax first hand from their local context, the firm now seeks to exploit architectural design as a critical instrument for research on our spatial and economic reality. 

The transformation of the top floor of Guangzhou’s oldest beer factory into the Silo-top Studio was one of the studio’s first projects, complete with 38 meter high terraces overlooking the city’s old downtown. 

Silo-top Studio. Image © Likyfoto

PAO – People’s Architecture Office

The Courtyard House Plugin. Image Courtesy of PAO

People’s Architecture Office believe architecture is for the masses, in fact, it is the masses that inspire their work. From their Courtyard Plugin’s within which a modular system is integrated into century-old houses to enable them for modern living, it is clear to see that PAO’s architecture is not based on form or pure aesthetics but everyday realities. 

Courtyard House Plugin en Masse – Second Phase. Image Courtesy of PAO

http://ift.tt/2j3inWm