In this video from CNN Style Ole Scheeren, the former OMA partner and founder of Büro Ole Scheeren, discusses his MahaNakhon tower, a luxury mixed used skyscraper that has transformed the Bangkok skyline. MahaNakhon was recognized as the tallest building in Thailand by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) after its light show inauguration earlier this year.
MahaNakhon’s sculptural design includes a “pixelated” spiral of terraces which cut through the sheer glass curtain wall to, in the words of Scheeren, “reaveal the grain of its inhabitation.” This unique form was created to combine elements of simplicity and intimacy in a city that is already full of a festival of architectural form-making. In the video, filmed before the building’s completion in August, Scheeren takes in the rawness of the building, saying that “In some ways, it seems almost incomplete or unfinished. At this time the building itself is still in its raw state. You can very strongly feel the reality of the building.”
You can watch a teaser for CNN’s video above or see the full video here.
Thailand’s Tallest Building, Designed by Büro Ole Scheeren, Opens with Light Show
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MahaNakhon / Ole Scheeren, OMA
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News via: CNN Style
From the architect. The KN10 building – among the first to be completed by COSTA LOPES and home to its head offices – roots itself in its location in Rua Kwame N’Krumah, opposite to Rua Moisés Cardoso, a continuation of the upper city ridge (one of Luanda´s main urban structures) and, on the other hand, in its generic programme which at the time met the need for qualified office spaces. It also takes in account the uncertainty in relation to the transformation of the neighboring urban plots.
The horizontal portico, circumscribed in the plot and open to the street, gives place for 10 overlapping functional modules with open-space offices (one or two units with a kitchenette). They are served and anchored by a vertical access core (stairs and lifts, with sanitary facilities on each floor). The building also features 3 underground floors for car parking and technical areas.
The fanfold facades are consequence of the overlapping and physicality of the reinforced concrete. Each module is highlighted by the different angulations of its façade distended rings, compressing side to side fenêtres en longueur and guaranteeing some environmental mediation. They give an autonomous expression to the building in relation to the transformation of the neighboring area, while maintaining a strong urban presence.
The KN10 unveils itself from inside-out and vice-versa. It overlooks the city, particularly the higher floors, from Ilha do Cabo to the hinterland. It indulges in the city, flowing through it and revealing its working environments from the public space.
The key to quick, efficient CAD modeling is to have a solid library of CAD blocks – pre-prepared sets of common objects and details that you can simply drop into your drawing as and when they are required. Fortunately, there are many ways you can build up your own CAD blocks library without having to create all of your own objects from scratch. One of them is to purchase sets of blocks from websites like boss888.net, which has a wide array of CAD objects available for download – and is even offering a selection of their catalog for free.
boss888.net’s 61 free downloads encompass everything from furniture, plants and people to detailed drawings of the classical ornament, to floor and roof parapet details. You can find their full selection of free items here.
The solitude and beauty of a winter sunrise at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is unmatched. The park protects the United States’ deepest lake, which rarely freezes even in cold temperatures. Make the most of the season by strapping on snowshoes or skies to explore this volcanic landscape of scenic views and old-growth forests. Photo courtesy of Jordan McFall.
A highway to sheep and shepherds. The cattle tracks were routes that annually herds traveling to move from the sea to the mountains and go back.
The pavilion of transhumance is located close to the “tratturo del re” , a green path linking the Apulian plains to the mountains of Abruzzo in central Italy.
The project has the aim of enhancement of rural traditions and enhance the local tourist routes and products, mainly related to the olive oil and wine production.
Products that, for millennia, the locals have traded with the shepherds in transit, contaminating each other, even passing on culture, history and legends.
The functional program is very simple: a single flexible space equipped with ensuite facilities.
The project aims to symbolically interpret the path of sheep tracks opening and directing the large central room to the sea and to the opposite side towards the mountain. Conceptually a “space of passage” from which sight the landscape.
This dual opposite opening also allows natural ventilation in summer. The land on which stands the building, however, is in direct contact with a road. This is why the volume of the pavilion was deformed upward to avoid the views of the cars and focus instead on the beautiful surrounding countryside.
This changed morphology has also allowed us to create a small cavea and optimize coverage for the installation of photovoltaic panels and technical installations.
The structure of the building (apart from the reinforced concrete base) is made entirely of wood, as well as the outer covering of larch pretreated.
The pavilion of transhumance is a handmade object, local, looking for a new way to interact with the landscape and the territory.
We all have our passions. But what if you could turn what you love doing most into your livelihood? What if it could actually make you money?
There are many benefits to setting up a company around your hobbies and interests. Starting any business is likely to take you through a rollercoaster of emotions – excitement, frustration, happiness. Anyone can set up a new company – but only a few individuals have the key formula of attributes needed to stick to it and make it a success. When you love your business, this becomes a lot easier.
In this post, we’ll teach you how to access your entrepreneurial side and start turning your passion into a business model.
You may be passionate about certain things but how much do you know about the industry and commercial landscape? Any successful business is built upon extensive research and know-how. Gathering this information will alert you to any gaps in the market, the big names to look out for, and the sales strategies that have and haven’t worked in the past.
Networking at any stage of the business is a useful tool, so if you can, speak to the success stories in your area and find out how they started. Think of this as your own personal “advisory board.” The more varied opinions and information you can gather, the better.
For example, if you’re setting up a new clothing line, speak to other apparel brands, consumers, designers and buyers. Knowing as much as possible before entering the game will place you ahead of the curve and give your business the best chance of succeeding.
See Also: From Startup Idea to Successful Business: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Pursue That Venture
“I don’t have the time right now,” or “Next year will work better.”
It’s easy to put off doing things until a later date especially if those things are as big, important and unfamiliar as starting your own business. But if you keep putting it off again and again, realistically, when are you going to get around to doing it?
There’s no time like the present. Start off with step one, above, which will make you feel more informed and comfortable with what you’re doing. After that, there’s nothing left to do but jump in and start making history.
Of course, it’s likely that at some point, you’re going to use what you’ve learned along the way to make some changes to your business model but this is inevitable and shouldn’t discourage you. Herein lies the most important benefit of starting a business around something you love – you’ll always have the enthusiasm and passion to keep going when the going gets tough.
Make sure that the people you bring on board to share in your business journey are not only as excited about your product or service as you are, but that they also share the same vision. Pioneering a start-up is not always a glamorous business, particularly in the early days, when it involves mainly long hours and little money. You need people who are as determined as you are to make your business a success, to ensure that they stick beside you through thick and thin.
It’s also a good idea to use your team to strategically fill in any skills gaps you have. Big picture person? Choose a business partner who’s into the details. If you’re good with numbers and sales figures, look for someone with a creative background who can effectively market your small business.
The more skills you apply to your idea at the outset, the more you’ll see it flourish. This will also allow you to delegate the tasks which aren’t exactly your strengths, freeing up your time to work at what you love.
See Also: How to Save Your Startup by Hiring the Right People
Studied theater at school, but now thinking of setting up a floristry shop? Don’t worry. It’s no big deal to change your career path at a later date. In fact, it’s healthy to objectively evaluate your life and make positive changes where things aren’t working.
Similarly, acknowledge at the outset that there will be some naysayers. The more unique and innovative your business idea, unfortunately, the more people there will be to tell you it won’t work.
If you’ve done your research and are passionate about your idea, don’t let this discourage you. People’s intentions may be good, but in the end, you’re the only one with the power to make your business thrive. Letting doubt and negativity cloud your judgment will do more harm than good. Surround yourself with people who support and believe in your project.
We’ll be honest. It can be an expensive gamble to set up your own business. If you don’t have significant capital to begin with, you’re going to need to look for ways to raise some cash, and at this stage in the process, it’s necessary to get creative with money.
When pitching to investors, you’ll need to produce all of the hard work you’ve put in so far: your research, your business plan, your expert team. You’ll be forced to cheerlead your company and justify your choices – which can really help you to solidify and refine your business idea.
To raise funding, piggyback on the conversations already happening out there in the industry. Look for Facebook groups and forums which might already be looking for a solution just like yours and gather information on the funding opportunities out there. Consider initiatives like Kickstarter to rally support and raise interest.
To save money in the beginning, start small. Call in favors when you can. Work from your home. Look for creative solutions to financial obstacles.
It may feel tricky now, but earning a living from doing something you love? That’s priceless.
The post Five Steps To Turn Doing What You Love Into A Successful Business appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Paul de Ruiter Architects designed a new building for the high-end engineering firm Fluor that completely reflects the company’s unique style of working. The aim was to create a space where everything revolves around collaboration, interaction and sharing knowledge. At the same time, there needed to be ample opportunity to work on sensitive projects in separately secured areas.
A unique combination of security and interaction
The Fluor style of working is unique in the Netherlands. Small teams start working on assignments that ultimately develop into highly complex technical projects involving collaboration between dozens of employees. Our goal was to design a building in which the different project teams are connected while safeguarding the security of sensitive information. A combination of communal areas and separate departments, but above all an attractive building in which employees can be productive and feel comfortable.
Robust and airy
When entering, the spacious atrium immediately attracts attention. A large wooden staircase in the central hall creates a direct visual connection between the building and the people. The black steel floor gives the atrium a solid and robust feel and the glass roof ensures that everyone’s working day has a bright and pleasant start.
We wanted every working area to have natural daylight. At the same time, our aim was to prevent the sun from overheating the building. In order to avoid the blinds being closed all day, we aimed to prevent direct bright daylight causing a nuisance for the staff. We therefore designed façades that filter the sunlight whilst directing daylight indoors. The result is various floors where hundreds of people can work together in an environment with natural daylight and a view.
Energy consumption halved
The smart innovations are what make this enormous building sustainable. Daylight reaches every room, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The building’s insulation is equally important. After all, the less energy you need for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, the lower the consumption of energy.
The heat we gain in the summer is stored in the ground for the winter. Equally, we store the winter cold for cooling in the summer. Combined with our climate platforms, this reduces energy consumption by half, a valuable investment in view of Fluor’s desire to occupy the building for decades. Finally, we installed a total of 2,250 m2 of PV panels to enable the building to provide for its own energy needs. The building has been awarded a BREEAM Excellent certificate.
Product Description. The black steel floor panels have been applied to give a very robust and solid character to the atrium of the Fluor office building.
Sig Nordal 