The project is situated at the main house in Qingping Hutong, Beijing; known locally as a da-za-yuan, which translates as “big messy courtyard shared by several houses”. The owner’s parents both live in the property, suffer from Alzheimer disease, which their mother being wheelchair bound. This meant that keeping the traditional Chinese courtyard house, exploring the concept of co-living between the young and elderly, and designing a comfortable home, all within a limited living space was the main objective. The project answers the questions which China has in accommodating an increasingly aging population.
The plan was to construct an additional steel roof at the base whilst keeping the hutongs original wooden structure – with the new steel structure expanding the living space by allowing for a second floor. The architects resolved common poor lighting conditions found in traditional hutongs by increasing the size of the windows on the facade, incorporating louvers into staircases, and implementing a playful circular sky light into the kitchen. These design features not only add character to the new home, but allows for light to pour into the interior spaces from all angles.
Vibrant plants and greenery flow up from the courtyard floor in a “Z” like manner, and onto the kitchen rooftop that surrounds the skylight. The head of CAA, Liu Haowei describes this feature as “Old Beijing walking in the sky”
The result is a project that follows CAA’s core values; embracing the constrains of unique sites, and elegantly balancing between historic preservation and modern living. The Qingping Hutong House integrates light, openness and contemporary style into a limited space, creating a new hutong lifestyle for all.
From the architect. Fulton Trotter Architects has recently completed three new buildings as part of Ambrose Treacy College’s ongoing masterplan.
The masterplan is a response to the school’s continued transition, from St Joseph’s Nudgee Junior College – a junior school of years 4-7; to Ambrose Treacy College – a combined junior, middle and senior school of years 4-12.
Fulton Trotter Architects’ have designed the school’s masterplan to create a cohesive campus, yet with a distinct quality for each of the junior, middle and senior school precincts.
Accommodating 18 new learning spaces and ancillary spaces for years 9-10, the latest stage includes three new buildings:
• Callan Building, containing three general learning areas.
• Kilkenny Building, including specialist science, industrial arts and music facilities.
• Westcourt Building, housing two temporary general learning areas, a library, canteen and covered lunch area, as well as career and counsellor support services.
Situated on a stunning 40-hectare campus overlooking the Brisbane River, the new buildings are designed maximize the connection and views to the river, whilst maximizing natural light and ventilation.
The buildings are sensitively woven around a number of significant trees on site, embracing these as a focal point. As a consequence, special roof and gutter systems were designed to reduce leaf litter to overcome a major problem of the site.
The external facades of banded brickwork feature ‘box’ and the ‘arc’ forms, acknowledging the Edmund Rice Building – the school’s original, heritage listed, modernist brick building. Designed in the 1930’s by Fulton Trotter Architects’ founding partner, Charles Fulton, the Edmund Rice Building remains the focal point of the college campus.
The brickwork is complemented by an unashamed use of colour to excite the exterior facades. Colour and texture is continued internally, to create a bold and playful learning environment. The palate matures with the transition of precincts, from the junior to middle to senior classrooms.
The project also includes significant civil works, including interim upgrades to adjacent intersections; 95 new car parking bays and a new student drop off.
Working with developer Skanska, Grimshaw has designed a master plan for Bristol Temple Square in Bristol, England, that will contain a new start-up incubator and co-working space known as Engine Shed 02. The development will serve as an activated public area linking the Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station and the city center.
The masterplan unlocks a previously isolated site adjacent to the Temple Circus roundabout by creating a new walkway, the Brunel Mile, which prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist circulation through the area. A new public square along the path will also contribute to reinvigorating the neighborhood.
The scheme also calls for the renovation of the Grade II listed and long derelict George and Railway Hotel, transforming the building into a new office and co-working space with a modern 6-story addition. The adaptable, column-free building would contain over 43,000 square feet of floor space that could be configured to meet the needs of a variety of tenants, from start-ups to larger businesses.
“Lower levels are designed to emulate a ‘shed’ through the use of profiled metal cladding and external structural steel elements. Responding to its context, the home for Engine Shed 02 celebrates the engineering legacy of Victorian architecture with its lower floors referencing features of the adjacent hotel, and its relatable scale ensures the scheme sits in harmony with its neighbour,” explain the architects in a press release.
The upper levels of the building will contrast with its industrial base, using patterned glass and screening elements to create a light-filled interior appropriate for businesses or studios.
“The building for Engine Shed 02 and wider master plan for Bristol Temple Square are ambitious projects in an exciting new development,” said Grimshaw Principal Andrew Byrne.
“We relish the chance to provide considered architecture for a world renowned start-up incubator, and look forward to setting the benchmark for developments of this kind as Bristol continues its drive to be a leading tech and business hub.”
Planning applications for Engine Shed 02 have been submitted to the Bristol City Council following public consultation earlier this month. A full timetable for the project has yet to be revealed.
News via Grimshaw.
Point Dume – California – USA (by ™ Pacheco)
CI-AA practice made strategic interventions into this apartment interior to give the home a “young and dynamic character”.
The Rio de Janeiro-based studio took advantage of the existent narrowness condition and explore it through its renovation of Apartment in Niterói.
The original apartment configuration was quite clear: a long wall separating the sector of the rooms, from the social part and the kitchen. Our proposal for the renovation came from a basic premise: to explore the longitudinal axis of the apartment by creating a sequence of environments that allow us to subvert the original wall and to optimize spaces. The apartment issues prompted the project to focus on the following principles:
-Spatial and functional readaptation in order to optimize spaces;
-Program organization and distribution through a linear logic that promotes clear distinction between social areas [balcony, living room, dinning room, kitchen] from private areas [bedrooms, wc];
-Concentration of infrastructures, equipment and storage into functional shelf, in order to free up space;
-Selection of materials that reinforce the natural light of the overall spaces through the extensive use of white color in articulation with the color panels delimitating the different uses;
ELEMENTOS DO ESPAÇO
To maximize the functionality of the space a multifunctional shelf-wall was created inside the apartment. This intervention has the ability to define the spaces and to propose a new articulation of the two areas identified here – intimate and social. Thus, the intervention consists of the insertion of a large linear equipment that can completely transform the transition between the spaces. This transition before rigid and restrictive has become fluid and changeable, comprised of color panels and moving furniture allowing the integration of all spaces. In addition, the multifunctional shelf works also as the infrastructure to the extent that serves as support for technical installations – electrical, data, illumination, and hydraulic. The design and performance of this equipment has been carefully crafted, demanding production drawings of all its components, which were then assembled as a set of modules inside the apartment.
The linear intervention was thought to create a unique living space, the large functional shelf, with its 11.8 meters long,(which concentrate equipment, bookshelf, storage, cooking area etc.) works simultaneously as a design piece and as an operating interior infrastructure to support the diverse and multiple actions of the social space. Mutable in its usage conditions, it allows various interactions and different hierarchies between spaces.
Panels that open to reveal the WC and close to privatize the rooms, panels that open while cooking and close when the kitchen becomes an workspace, furniture that move to maximize social funcionality spaces according to the different moments.
As an introvert myself, I know how difficult it is when the spotlight is right on you. The thought of talking spontaneously to total strangers brings sweaty beads of nervousness on the forehead, and interviews are just as much of a challenge, if not more of a challenge. The stakes of the situation are high and you’re asked to talk about yourself while marketing your skills and talents.
I understand that meeting new people and conversing costs you a lot of energy, but you cannot keep skipping those interviews just because you don’t like to open up. That said, given below are a few tips that should help you release all that tension and excel in your upcoming interview.
“Tell me something about yourself!”
For an introvert, we know how much this question weighs. Opening up in front of new people is not your cup of tea, but passing on just the necessary information about yourself would not be of much harm.
Prepare a small introductory speech beforehand to clear the last minute tension. Remember to incorporate all your strengths and achievements in your small yet powerful introduction.
“What do you think you’ll have to do if selected?”
This question can be quite challenging for everyone. But for an introvert who does not know how to cover up the unknown with wordplay, it is even more frightening. You know the job role you’ve applied for, but it is important that you know what exactly you’ll have to do or what the company does for that matter.
Do a little homework about the organization. Know the core responsibilities of your post and amaze the interviewer with your quick replies.
It’s hard keeping up a conversation with a stranger. Remember though that you need this job and you need to create a connection with the interviewer. It is always better for an introvert to engage in small talks with the interviewer to create a good impression and make them like you instantly.
Asking a few general questions at the end to initiate small talks could also be of great help for you.
See Also: Interview Tips: What Not To Say During Your Next Job Interview
“You seem lost. Are you okay?”
It is in the personality of an introvert to lose focus on unrelated things happening around them. Whether it’s the tick-tock of the wall clock or the magazine that is placed on the table, don’t let your mind wander. Pay attention to what the interviewer is saying or asking. Focus on his words and don’t let your wayward thoughts get in the way.
Remember that your interview is the most important thing right now. Keep your mind focused on this and you will definitely excel in your interview.
See Also: 5 Techniques for Increasing your Focus in 5 Minutes
Don’t take your negative thoughts along with you to the interview room. This will only increase the tension within your mind and make you look less confident. Another way to release the pent-up tension is to not let your introvert nature hinder your interview performance. Stop overthinking about what could go wrong, instead focus on your positives.
Stop overthinking about what could go wrong and instead, focus on your positives. So what if you are an introvert? Before going to the interview, list down your strengths and have a clear understanding of how these traits can be useful for the company.
For example, introverts can be relied on for deep listening and careful thought. They’re also easier to manage as they are often autonomous and self-managing. After so much excess from extroverted personalities in the workplace, being with an introverted colleague can be a breath of fresh air.
An organization is made up of different people with different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs. As an introvert, you have a special place in the workplace. Keep this in mind and be confident of yourself during your job interview.
Good luck!
The post 8 Interview Tips For Introverts appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
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Construction has begun on Kengo Kuma’s design for the Tokyo 2020 National Olympic Stadium, a year after the scheme was selected to replace the original stadium design by Zaha Hadid Architects and three and a half years before the event’s opening ceremony on July 24, 2020.
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The three-tiered, 80,000-seat wooden lattice stadium is estimated to cost $1.5 billion USD, more than the project’s original $850 million budget but significantly less than the $2.1 billion estimated for ZHA’s design prior to its scrapping.
The stadium will be located on the site of Kenzo Tange’s 1964 Tokyo Olympic Stadium, which was demolished last year to make way for the new structure. After ZHA’s scheme was criticized for being out of scale, the redesign takes a lower profile with a sunken playing surface and a lightweight timber lattice structure inspired by Japanese temple architecture.
You can read through the project’s full saga, here, and check out new renderings of the project released by the Japan Sports Council, here.
News via The Guardian, Architect’s Journal.
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