© Sharon Lam

Sketches of scale figures can be seen as an architectural signature. These miniature stand-ins for human life not only bring scale and understanding to a sketch, they also offer a glimpse into the architect’s personality. Some designers automatically go for realistic, anatomically correct people, while others have more abstract interpretations of the human body. But what exactly do these predilections say about their illustrator? Read on to find out:

Figures with tiny, tiny heads

© Sharon Lam

For some reason, figures with tiny heads, often neckless and floating, make frequent appearances in architectural drawings. It’s just a thing. If these figures are your go-to, you’re someone who’s happy to go with the flow, even if it’s kind of a weird flow featuring hovering miniature heads.

Super abstract, at least a bit messy

© Sharon Lam

These vague scribbles and blobs say one of two things. Either you see yourself as a misunderstood genius who’s way ahead of your time, or you ran out of time or just couldn’t be bothered, and hope the abstract approach comes across as “intentional creativity” rather than “last-minute panic.”

Neat, realistic

© Sharon Lam

Wow, these figures have body parts that are all in proportion to each other! Just like a real person! These figures suggest an architect who’s put together, organized and responsible. If this is you, you probably also enjoy a fulfilling career, good work-life balance, and even go jogging on your lunch break. How inspirational! Good for you! We’re definitely not envious at all!

Empty outlines

© Sharon Lam

It’s what’s on the inside that counts—or not, with these outline-only figures. If you’re an empty outliner you have no room for excess in your life, especially not 2D representations of depth. Who has time for that? Not you! You are also likely to have no unnecessary items on your desk, wear crisp, neat clothing and are always annoyingly early for appointments.

Sketchy, moody figures

© Sharon Lam

Cross-hatching is the black leather jacket of architectural drawing. Such wistful figures could only have been sketched by a deep, brooding individual. In the studio you keep silent, appearing cool and aloof. Underneath it all, however, you just hope that someone will notice the forlornness of your scale figures and listen to you talk about your own feelings. Aww.

Figures that actually have facial features

© Sharon Lam

No way! Figures that can smile because they actually have a mouth! And eyes, ears, and a nose… such a rare sight in design drawings. And their head is connected to their shoulders too! Did you even go to architecture school?

Magazine cutout

© Sharon Lam

You are a clever individual who is well aware of the fact that you can’t draw people to save your life. Column-to-beam details, yes. Perspective interiors, yes. People, no. Thus, you know to hide this fact from others by using magazine cutouts instead, with your sketches also benefiting from an effortless retro aesthetic. Smart!

Stick figures

© Sharon Lam

Many architecture schools will drill into you early on that stick figures are a huge no-no. So if you’re using stick figures this can only mean you are either a) a brave individual whose design is so convincing that it doesn’t matter at all what else you draw, or b) three years old.

Really well-dressed figures

© Sharon Lam

Whether it’s a sketch of a house, a tree-laden outdoor site, or a detailed doorframe, your trendy scale figures always distract instead of assist. Do you really need seven people wearing haute couture walking through a drawing of a single door? If you’re getting more compliments on your stylish, but overdressed and out of place figures, perhaps it’s time to given fashion school a think. Make it work!

Every figure has your face

© Sharon Lam

There’s a fine line between self-love and narcissism. When it comes to figures with your own face, they most definitely fall into the latter category. While it’s great that you clearly love yourself (a lot), the seas of people drawn in your likeness that you think are cute are just a bit weird for everyone else. Sorry.

Every figure is wearing a cap and holding a skateboard

© Sharon Lam

You’re not like other architects, you’re a cool architect. If these are what your scale figures look like, then you’re either an architect wanting to relate to the young hip kids, or you are the young hip kid. Sick. 100 emoji flame emoji clapping hands emoji.

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© Martin Duplantier Architectes

Martin Duplantier Architectes has won a competition organized by Chinese tour company ZTG with a design for a series of “illusionist” bridges and pavilions in western Zhangjiajie, China. Contrasting with the surrounding “baroque” landscape, which is a world heritage site, the project utilizes geometric forms and delicate placement to “create a physical relationship” with its neighboring rock faces.

The project features three footbridges: “the illusion of a mirror for one, the fear of the void for the next, and lastly the setting in abyss for the final.”

© Martin Duplantier Architectes

© Martin Duplantier Architectes

Through its elliptical disk shape, one footbridge mirrors the surrounding environment, and offers views into the gap between rock faces through an off-centered hole, which will be covered in a strong netting, so that visitors can “lay down in the void.”

© Martin Duplantier Architectes

Another of the bridges—the “water mirror”—is made from two centimeters of water covering black stone. Every seven minutes, the water disappears and reappears through spray nozzles, creating a cloud that later settles back onto the stone.

© Martin Duplantier Architectes

This black stone flooring material, as well as reflective stainless steel, is not only utilized in the footbridges, but also throughout the project’s three pavilions: a terrace with panoramic views, a café, and a royal guesthouse, organized from high to low, respectively.

News via v2com.

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© Filip Dujardin

• Architects: Dierendonckblancke Architects
• Location: Vosselaarseweg, 2275 Lille, Belgium
• Area: 3905.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Filip Dujardin

• Collaborators: Simon Vermote, Sarah Bijtebier, Lore Verheyleweghen, Delphine Van Aerde, Pierre De Brun, Sara Callebaut ,Catherine Pyck, Lisa Lu
• Landscape Design : Denis Dujardin
• Structure: Studieburo Mouton
• Technics: Studiebureau Boydens
• Acoustics: Daidalos-Peutz
• Art Integration: Jos Devriendt

© Filip Dujardin

From the architect. Het Gielsbos is an existing care facility for people with severe mental disabilities, located on large, green, public domain within the municipality of Gierle. This project includes the design of a masterplan to replace the outdated pavilions that houses the residents and to design seven new homes.

Dwellings Site Plan

Previously, the site was cut in half by a central axis, from which a network of smaller roads branched out without any clear hierarchy. All pavilions were situated in the northern half of the site. 

© Filip Dujardin

The master plan suggests making better use of the whole domain by replacing this central axis by a loop road that would connect six new residential clusters, located over the whole site, with the existing administrative and sports facilities.
The loop roads facilitates efficient on-site logistic movements by bike, foot or (occasionally) motorized traffic, e.g. for a doctor’s visit, mail delivery or the distribution of meals. 

© Filip Dujardin

The new residential clusters consist of five interconnected pavilions or ‘homes’, situated on both sides of the loop road. When the road passes through a cluster, it widens and becomes a public courtyard for the pavilions around it. All activity on the courtyard is visible from the living rooms of each home: the courtyard becomes a lively communal and logistic space. Each home functions more or less independently, but is connected with the adjacent ones to facilitate internal logistics for care workers.

Section Dwelling Type 1

Section Dwelling Type 2

The homes each consist of five volumes with pitched roofs, built around a small central patio. The play of volumes, the configuration of the homes around a central courtyard and the small-size residential clusters help create the perception of a real residential environment, rather than a care institution.

© Filip Dujardin

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Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Image © Darren Bradley

David Adjaye OBE, principal of Adjaye Associates, will be Knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his services to architecture at an investiture in 2017. The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St. James’s Palace, who administer the Knight Batchelor awards that will be bestowed upon the architect, described Adjaye as “one of the leading architects of his generation and a global cultural ambassador for the UK.” Edgar Allies and Graham Morrison, co-founders of British practice Allies & Morrison, have been announced as Officers of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Years Honours List.

Sir David Frank Adjaye OBE. Image Courtesy of Adjaye Associates

In September of this year Adjaye celebrated his 50th birthday and, at the same time, completed the largest project in his career to date: the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture on Washington D.C.’s National Mall. The practice also won the competition to design Latvia’s first Museum of Contemporary Art and were announced as the master plan architects for the major San Francisco Shipyard redevelopment. Most recently, the firm was shortlisted to design the UK’s National Holocaust Memorial.

I am truly honoured and humbled to receive a knighthood by Her Majesty the Queen for my contribution to architecture. I see this not as a personal celebration, but as a celebration of the vast potential—and responsibility—for architecture to effect positive social change. that we as architects have to bring something positive to the world. I am proud to continue to work in service of this mission as a global cultural ambassador for the UK.

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© Tim Van de Velde

• Architects: Paul de Ruiter Architects
• Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Architect In Charge: Paul de Ruiter, Noud Paes
• Area: 8400.0 m2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Tim Van de Velde

• Project Leader: Marlous Vriethoff
• Project Team: Laura van de Pol, Richard Buijs, Marieke Sijm
• Advisor Construction: Van Rossum
• Advisor Installations: VIAC
• Advisor Building Physics: LBP Sight
• Advisor Construction Costs: bbn adviseurs

• E Installations: Croon
• Wtb Installations: Wolter & Dros TBI Techniek
• Contractor: SMT Bouw
• Constructor: Palte
• Interior Architect: Paul de Ruiter Architects

• Urban Planning: Juurlink[+]Geluk, bureau JvantSpijker

© Tim Van de Velde

From the architect. The changing educational landscape calls for a learning environment that is continually linked to society and the world around it. That was also the brief from Erasmus University Rotterdam. They approached Paul de Ruiter Architects to design both the interior and exterior of the new university building. This was the perfect opportunity for us to design a fully integrated and sustainable building, in which the pleasant study environment indoors is linked to campus life outside.

© Tim Van de Velde

Students and visitors are free to walk from the adjacent plaza straight into the atrium of the building. In this lively part of the building, there are opportunities to visit the hairdresser, go shopping or share experiences and ideas with each other in one of the cafés. A large platform staircase then leads to the heart of the atrium on the first floor, where the teaching building begins.

© Tim Van de Velde

From commotion to calm
The interior has been designed completely to meet the needs of the various users. In order to enable the large groups of students to move freely between the entrance and their classes, the lecture rooms are located right on the first floor. Students working independently or in smaller groups can find a calm working environment via the two staircases that lead in a spiral shape to the higher floors. 

© Tim Van de Velde

From floor to seating with a lot of wood
The outfitting is playful and unconventional. The strip of wood separating the meeting area near the atrium from the walking routes is multifunctional. Along its length, this structure transitions from being part of the floor, to convenient seating, and even into functional work desks. Thanks to all of the wood and the bright colours encountered everywhere, the interior has a pure and warm look and feel. Of course, only natural and sustainable materials have been used here too.

© Tim Van de Velde

Working with sunlight
The division into stages makes the atrium become more spacious towards the top. This gives the sunlight free rein, enabling it even to reach the platform staircase at the bottom of the building. The glass top of the atrium has been designed to prevent sunlight entering directly. This enables users to gain maximum benefit from the daylight whilst keeping the temperature pleasantly cool.

Section A

Section B

The wind comes from all directions
Our aim was to design a transparent façade that enhances the relationship between inside and out. In order to allow daylight to enter whilst preventing excessive heat from the sun, we designed special blinds. The blinds vary in depth depending on the wind direction, helping the glass to protect against direct sunlight and shade effects. 

© Tim Van de Velde

Natural where possible, mechanical where necessary
Our vision is: natural where possible and mechanical where necessary. With a sustainable climate control system and optimal insulation, we ensured that the university building is energy-efficient. By carefully making use of the flow of air, we have created natural ventilation for the entire building. This even applies to the daylight, making artificial lighting redundant. We also incorporated numerous sustainable technologies, including aquifer thermal energy storage in the ground and energy recycling.

© Tim Van de Velde

Product Description. Schüco provided the aluminium multidisciplinary façade of Polak Building. Schüco created a slender aluminium profiling, whilst maintaining both the function of the aluminium blinds to protect the glass against direct sunlight and the function of the blinds to naturally ventilate the building.

© Tim Van de Velde

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