Seagull House is a residential project designed by Indigo Arquitectura in 2015. It is located in Estrada, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Photos by: Andrés García Lachner
World Trade Organization / Wittfoht Architekten
© Brigida González
- Architects: Wittfoht Architekten
- Location: Geneva, Switzerland
- Area: 14500.0 m2
- Project Year: 2013
- Photographs: Brigida González
- Structural Engineering: Schlaich Bergermann und Partner GmbH
- Energy Engineering: Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH
- Domestic Engineering: Weinmann Energies SA
- Electrical Engineering: MAB Ingénierie SA
- Structural Physics: Bobran Ingenieure
- General Contractor: Implenia Entreprise Générale SA
- Client: World Trade Organization
© Brigida González
From the architect. After winning the international architectural design competition, Stuttgart based wittfoht architekten were commissioned to build the extension of the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva. The new administrative building, integrated into the site, creates a feeling of openness and transparency.
© Brigida González
Urban planning concept
The site is situated in an unusual location mixing both city and lake surroundings. The lakeside wooden park incorporating the existing group of WTO buildings is a key determining factor in the project. The new building complements and completes the overall urban setting with its existing building ensemble. It responds to the cramped conditions in the southern part of the site while integrating the existing necessary and functional constraints. It maintains a respectful distance from the old buildings and creates a high-quality outdoor area between the two structures. A balanced, well-proportioned overall picture presents itself, which is enriched by a dialogue between old and new.
© Brigida González
Site Plan
© Brigida González
Architectural concept
The dimensions of the extension are limited to the former car park, meaning the existing trees on the site could remain in place and no additional areas had to be sealed off for construction. Visitors are led from the main gate through the old building, over a spacious footbridge and directly into the main lobby in the extension. From here, all areas of the new building can be accessed. The new building is essentially divided into two sections – the base structure at ground level and the glass structure suspended above. Thanks to this division, the actual dimensions appear smaller and are playfully incorporated into the park area. The building appearance is defined by openness and transparency.
© Brigida González
Office Floor
© Brigida González
The earth-bound base zone is home to mass catering facilities. The roof of the base structure is designed as an accessible wooden deck, welcoming visitors to use it as a viewing platform. A terrace at the front expands the restaurant towards the lake. The floating, crystalline volume above houses the administration and office areas. The allocation of areas within the building creates spaces for informal meetings and conversations. The office floors offer high flexibly organization. Many office organizations are possible – from classical single offices to combined areas and open-plan workspaces. The façade has a modular design and supports the required flexibility of the building. Dividing walls can be positioned freely within the building plan. All workstations have an ample supply of daylight and pleasant links to the outdoors. The building core and infrastructural facilities are located in the center of the building, thus making it easy for visitors to find their way around. Additional flights of spiral stairs help to promote internal communication between floors.
© Brigida González
Product Description.Thanks to the glass structure – designed as a double façade, which also allows for natural ventilation – the actual dimensions of the building appear smaller and are playfully incorporated into the park area.
The idea was to reach the highest levels of transparency and openness through a clear and flexible building design, which creates a bright and timelessly modern appearance.
Detail
5 Things You Must Do In The First Hour Of Your Day
You’re reading 5 Things You Must Do In The First Hour Of Your Day, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Believe it or not, how you spend the first hour of your day can have significant effect on your mood, motivation, mental energy and health. In all cultures, it is dictated that the day must be started with a mild stretch, a walk, a bath and praying. This inculcates a good metabolism, mood and clarity of mind. There is a reason this protocol has been followed over centuries and after scientific analysis and research we are back to square one. Let us elaborate on the activities a day must start with and why:
- Mild Exercise and Stretches: The body acts in a way where you need to stretch. This is due to the reason that stretching improves circulation, relieves tension and increases flexibility that the body needs before doing any activity.
Lying in the same position for an elongated period of time causes the body to develop stiffness, hence it must be ‘warmed up’ before you start a task. Similarly, this also translates to joint flexibility. Stretching makes the blood move faster and bring circulation to the extremities. Try doing the stretches for 30 seconds to relieve any mental or physical stress carried forward from the previous day.
You can start by a normal arms stretch, slight back twist, stretching upwards and toe touching. For a proper stretching routine try the yoga asana Suryanamaskar.
- Avoid any tech contact: Stop making your phone the first point of contact in your life. Research suggests checking your phone first thing in the morning has a negative effect on your mental health as notifications from the previous day make you feel like you have cloud over your head, leaving you hesitant to get up.
According to Sid Savara, an expert in time management and personal development, says that the minute you check your email in the morning, “you risk doing what someone else wants you to do.”
If it’s the alarm clock you worry about, buy a traditional one as a bedside object and it will work wonders for you. The rays from electronic display can make you in fact more lazy and put your right back towards oversleeping.
- Freshen yourself up:
Drink a small glass of water to get your system running and avoiding any dehydration from the previous night.
A splash of cold water on your face improves mood, brings blood circulation to the face and relieves any tension you might have stocked up. Taking care of personal hygiene gives a sense of freshness and optimism.
Now the most significant part – a cold shower. A cold shower (you can adjust the temperature a little bit in winters but not too much) provides immune-friendly changes and increases your body’s lymphatic, circulatory and digestive systems to initiate a healthy effect on your body.
It can also help decrease symptoms of depression so you know it is a feel good activity. If nothing else, it will activate you and what’s as good as a little screaming in the morning?
- Do your chores and make your bed – These are not to increase the quality of your life but make you avoid stress in the morning and clear your mind.
Cleaning up, organizing, packing yourself lunch, brewing coffee, disposing your dirty clothes from the previous day are some activities. Also, you will have a small sense of achievement right in the morning and come back to a tidy environment after a stressful day as well. It surely does not mean the ones who make their bed are any less busy but instead most of the times, are productive.
71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy; while 62 percent of non-bed-makers admit to being unhappy. Bed makers are also more likely to like their jobs, own a home, exercise regularly, and feel well rested, whereas non-bed-makers hate their jobs, rent apartments, avoid the gym, and wake up tired [source: psychologytoday.com]
- Visualize & plan your day ahead: There is strength in the power of visualization. When you see yourself doing something, you will have the will to go ahead and do them as well.
This does not mean checking your email and start working. These are the goals you have set for yourself and want to achieve. Think about them, plan how you will go about them and add a few things in your weekly planner or todo list if anything pops in your head.
You will be one step ahead already. Before doing anything, you have started to achieve your goals.
Essentially, you have to avoid a stressful motivation of something left incomplete or something you need to complete. Do not confuse accomplishment with negativity towards tasks you do not want to think about, but do them instead.
Keeping your head clear for the first hour of your day will increase your overall productivity throughout the day.
Aymeric Gaurat-Apellii is a software consultant, programmer, blogger and the Founder of Weekplan, a weekly planner web application. Read more by him here.
(image source: pexels.com)
You’ve read 5 Things You Must Do In The First Hour Of Your Day, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Isle of Mull, Scotlandphoto via brittney
The Drawers House / MIA Design Studio
© Hirouyki Oki
- Architects: MIA Design Studio
- Location: Vũng Tàu, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Vietnam
- Architect In Charge: Nguyen Hoang Manh
- Area: 470.0 m2
- Project Year: 2016
- Photographs: Hirouyki Oki
- Concept Architects: Nguyen Hoang Manh, Nguyen Quoc Long, Nguyen Van Thien
- Technical Design: Bui Hoang Bao
- Construction Drawing: Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong
- Interior Design: Steven Baeteman, Lu Minh Khang
- Client: Private
© Hirouyki Oki
From the architect. There are reoccurring impressions on the spatial quality – the green of nature struck the eyes every early morning, the rustling of leaves each night. These sensations are brought to the coastal city of Vung Tau through a refreshing concept, a welcoming home for a family of 4 who love the freshness of nature. With constant interactions with nature, man and trees become more intimate; space is opened up but maintains privacy of individuals. This is the daunting problem of living in metropolitan area with cramped space and pollution.
© Hirouyki Oki
“The Drawer House” is a single – story located on a 470 square meters piece of land with a dedicated 60% of land usage for landscape. That 60% is creatively arranged through partitions so that nature is never out sight. With the remaining 180 square meters, the architects divided it into “drawers” containing functional spaces, at the same time insert in between them “drawers of landscape”. These “drawers” are aligned on the same direction, however by creating alternating partitions; dwellers have an impression of unevenly put rooms. Just as drawers being pulled in and out randomly, the architects hope the tenants and nature intermingle without any obvious intention. Clients when live inside the space will have different sensations at different rooms because of continuous altering of solidity – emptiness, brightness – darkness.
© Hirouyki Oki
Floor Plan
© Hirouyki Oki
“Drawers” is connected by elongated hallway going throughout the entire length of the project, decorated by refreshing line of Bridal Veil Creepers. This method of allocating green zone as a natural blind reducing the intense tropical sunlight as well as generate intriguing patterns which change as the sun moves during the day.
© Hirouyki Oki
As the partition finishes, the in between gardens creating privacy while act as transition to the next space. The sunlight passing through, cascading shadow onto the floor forming captivating views. The boundary between the interior and exterior is being diminished, letting man sense the fluctuations of nature. By opening up and closing down “drawers”, accommodate better ventilation, hence cooing down the entire living space. The entire house acts as a living body, with a mission to connect man with man and man with nature.
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The ideology behind the design of MIA DESIGN STUDIO is to maximizing the connection between functional spaces with natural light, wind and gardens while still preserve the privacy for each individual rooms. With the philosophy in mind, the concept for “The Drawers House” of constructing blocks, harmonious space, using minimal but effective materials, produce a project carrying the breath of nature with suitable methods in order to bring out the best quality of life for users.
© Hirouyki Oki
Photos from Canada
Photos from Canada
Selected: Vancouver by jtrendd
Selected: Two Swans on Bosnia river by SejmenovicMevludin
Selected: Gran Canal by olemsteffensen
