© Kazunori Fujimoto

• Architects: Kazunori Fujimoto Architect & Associates
• Location: Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
• Team: Kazunori Fujimoto (principal-in-charge), François Nahory
• Area: 92.69 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Kazunori Fujimoto

• Structural Engineer: Nishi Structural Consultants
• Construction Team: Nakahara Kensetsu Co.,Ltd.
• Site Area: 316.95 m2

© Kazunori Fujimoto

Located on a small peninsula, the project site faces directly the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea.

© Kazunori Fujimoto

Axonometric

© Kazunori Fujimoto

The most interesting challenge for this project was to create a comfortable inside silence combined with a new openness atmosphere. 

© Kazunori Fujimoto

In this plan I set two squares intersecting each other and thought about the good balanced interaction between the wall structure and the openings.

Floor Plans

The moving line inside the house becomes fluid thanks to the use of skipping floors and short stairs that connect the living area with the sleeping rooms. The use of a polish concrete finish for the living room and the kitchen floor became important in order to give an additional value to the external light.

© Kazunori Fujimoto

The first floor is slightly buried and its ceiling was set lower rather than the living room in order to achieve a more private and cozy feeling.

© Kazunori Fujimoto

Here resides a very special concrete spiral staircase. The thickness of the supporting slab becomes invisible to its outer and inner end and it was designed in order to avoid any necessity of a central pillar. In this way from its central axe only a perfect straight line appears.

© Kazunori Fujimoto

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© Arch-Exist Photography

• Architects: Sutherland Hussey Harris
• Location: Chengdu, Sichuan, China
• Area: 65000.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Arch-Exist Photography , Courtesy of SHH

• Collaborative Executive Architects: Pansolution International
• Design Institute: CAPDI (China Aviation Planning and Design Institute) – covers also structural engineering and mechanical & electrical.
• Interior Design: Beijing Truebond Building Decoration Engineering Co

© Arch-Exist Photography

From the architect. In 2007 Sutherland Hussey Harris, in collaboration with Beijing based Pan­solution, won first prize in the international competition for the design of the new City Museum for Chengdu in Sichuan, China.

Courtesy of SHH

Tian-Fu Square was recently established in the historic core as a new central focus of Chengdu. The Existing Science museum forms the entire Northern edge with a giant statue of Chairman Mao saluting the main North South city axis, and on the East side a new concert hall is planned.

Ground Floor

The New Chengdu Museum sits on the West side of the square and maximises its profile to present a façade of commensurate scale and proportion to embrace and address the huge scale of this new square and establishes a strong formal relationship to it by forming a simple enclosing rectilinear profile. The building further enjoys and celebrates  this relationship to this monumental public space  by extending an internal promenade of public foyers and circulation behind the entirety of the veiled façade addressing Tian-Fu Square.

© Arch-Exist Photography

The long narrow site is exploited using all the public areas to maximise a dramatic relationship with the new square, the remaining façades consequently enclose the largely hermetic exhibition halls, these are represented as a giant crafted artefact in the city cloaked in a precious skin of copper alloy rigorously profiled to play with light, shade and texture whilst accommodating all the technical requirements for ventilation grilles. Aside from the east face this skin is ‘lifted’ to reveal glazing at street level, allowing a more human scaled intimacy and a relationship to the interior.

© Arch-Exist Photography

© Arch-Exist Photography

The form envelopes a new undercover outdoor public  space – a monu­mental gateway through the building, offering a large outdoor public space where people can gather, cultural events can take place, even the local street market extends through to the square. This gateway within the building also creates an important connection between the C16th Huang Cheng Mosque, the most significant in South West China, and the main square. The main entrances to the museum, theatre and museum offices all connect with this route through the building.

© Arch-Exist Photography

The Museum requirements extend to over 65,000m² of development and in­cludes exhibition space for Natural History, History and Folk, and an 800 seat Chinese Shadow Play Theatre as well as a 1000m² Temporary Exhibition space. A huge challenge within the project was to be able to provide the museum with their requested 30m clear span exhibition halls whilst assuring the structure is capable of withstanding an earthquake measuring up to 8 on the Richter scale. In addition to this the city’s subway network runs under the Northern half of the building, resulting in the above ground section of the building cantilevering over the tunnels.

Long Section

A rigid diagrid steel lattice forms the structural shell enclosing the enormous interior volumes of large climatically controlled halls, The building further extends 24m into the ground to accommodate the conservation stores, theatre and plant rooms and is structurally isolated from the effects of any earthquake via a protective box structure into which the whole construction sits. 

© Arch-Exist Photography

Unusually for China, Sutherland Hussey Harris with Pansoloution design, Beijing, were retained beyond the conceptual design phase and contracted to deliver the detailed and production information stages for all the public areas of the building, the detailed design of the skin and its integration with the structure and the landscape  and subsequently all site supervision related to this work.

© Arch-Exist Photography

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© Takumi Ota

• Architects: Yusuke Seki
• Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Takumi Ota

• Art Direction & Design: Yusuke Seki
• Client: Bake

© Takumi Ota

The confectionary company BAKE traces its origins to the famed dairy farming tradition of Hokkaido.This project is the newest bakery storefront, tasked with the production and sales of the brand’s signature item — a freshly baked cheese tart– in a Kyoto shopping district. 

© Takumi Ota

The layers of Japanese history remain deepest and most wholly intact here. The culture that is local to Kyoto has always attracted many, but in recent years, at times, the number of guests on its streets swells to nearly double the resident population. By nature of this influx, the tradition that appeals to so many has itself modulated, incorporating patterns of behavior that are more accepting in international terms.

© Takumi Ota

Experimentation with this context, deforming and re-conceptualizing ‘Local’ until global in scope, inspired the selection of building materials. A correlating push for an expansion in local’s mode of communication demanded that they be both relational and rich in potential.

Floor Plans

Cheese tarts, freshly baked in the open kitchen at the back of the store, are soon lined up and displayed on a counter constructed of Lego.  This architectural fabric serves as the shared language of communication between those whose spoken language may differ.  Its appeal is universal, intuitive, and its attraction felt by nearly every generation. It evokes a sense of intimacy, creating a moment that connects people to this space.

© Takumi Ota

© Takumi Ota

© Takumi Ota

At the same time, the walls of the retail area employ “Shitaji-Mado”, a lattice framework technique traditionally used in the construction of Japanese teahouses. The exact specifications of the grid are strictly governed by each locality’s respective guild of artisans, with no two being exactly the same. Left partially exposed, these walls allow customers to interact with a new iteration of tradition, while simultaneously encouraging an interaction the older exterior wall cladding. The store is thereby given a firm sense of place, reverberating with a reverence for the region.

© Takumi Ota

Through this project, Seki has uncovered a new significance by reflecting on and tapping into the potential intrinsic to the locality itself.

© Takumi Ota

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Call for Submission: Place and Displacement – A Marketplace in Refugee Settlements

Challenge
We challenge the innovative minds around the globe to design a marketplace with an operational plan for a vulnerable population (adolescents, single mothers, children, people with trauma, etc) in one of the refugee settlements below. The marketplace should be able to run for long-term, i.e. 3-5 years, and benefit as many people as possible. The overall budget limit for both construction and operation of the entire marketplace is $100,000.

Opportunity
In light of the current surge of refugees in the international arena, refugee livelihoods in transitional settlements have become a crucial topic in contemporary geopolitical relations.

Most inhabitants in refugee settlements rely on humanitarian aid and cannot fully exercise their agency and skillsets. A marketplace can become an embodiment of dignity and resilience that respects refugee inhabitants’ autonomy, creativity and capability. Through trading activities, refugee inhabitants can connect with the world and a future beyond transient settlements.

As more policy makers, social workers and architects engage in the discourse surrounding refugee livelihoods, we are proposing a competition to formulate an interdisciplinary architecture and public administration proposal for a marketplace in refugee settlements. The finalist teams will come to New York City to attend a workshop and present at a symposium, in order to:

1. Foster collaboration between the field of architecture and public administration through this social innovation competition;
2. Engage with refugee inhabitants of these settlements through direct or indirect communication, research and experiential learning;
3. Work towards implementing the winning proposal by networking with policy makers, architects, academics, NGOs and refugees, and aiming to attract resources to turn ideas into action.

Jury
11 Architects + 8 United Nations Representatives and Directors + 7 Scholars + 5 NGO Leaders

Prize
Total Prize: $30,000

1 Overall Winning Team $3,000
One overall winning team will be selected at the final symposium and rewarded an additional $3,000.

3 Winning Teams $7,000 Per Team
Each winning team will be awarded a cash prize of $3,000, and round trip flight tickets and accommodation in New York City worth $4,000 per team (maximum 2 people per team). Winning teams will participate in an immersive 24-hour workshop, and present their proposals at a symposium to policy makers, architects, academics, NGOs, and philanthropists.

6 Honorable Mentions $1,000 Per Team

*All awarded proposals will be presented to a group of related humanitarian organizations and philanthropies with credits to participants.

To view the jury, download competition brief and register for competition: http://ift.tt/2gjmqdb

Download the information related to this competition here.

• Title: Call for Submission: Place and Displacement – A Marketplace in Refugee Settlements
• Type: Competition Announcement (Ideas)
• Website: http://ift.tt/2gjmqdb
• Organizers: IDeA International Development in Action
• Registration Deadline: 01/02/2017 00:00
• Submission Deadline: 01/02/2017 23:00
• Venue: Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya; Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan; Berlin, Germany
• Price: $30 Earlybirds Registration; $50 Regular Registration; $70 Late Registration

http://ift.tt/2gjnHB1

© James Steinkamp Photography

• Architects: Goettsch Partners
• Location: Schaumburg, IL, United States
• Area: 783800.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: James Steinkamp Photography

• Developer/Design Build: Clayco
• Interior Design & Workplace Strategy: CannonDesign
• Structural Engineer: WSP/Halvorson and Partners
• Landscape Architect: Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects
• Civil Engineer: V3 Companies
• Client: Zurich North America
• Client Representative: JLL

© James Steinkamp Photography

© James Steinkamp Photography

From the architect. The new Zurich North America Headquarters is designed to reflect the company’s global reach and world-class stature. The formal architectural resolution strives to represent both strength and stability, which are core values of the Zurich business model. Composed of three primary “bars” that are offset and stacked, the arrangement creates unique spaces for collaboration, opens views of the surrounding landscape, optimizes solar orientation for amenities, and provides programmatic flexibility not found in typical center-core office buildings. The top “bar” of the complex soars 11 stories and cantilevers toward downtown Chicago, providing visual identity along the interstate while projecting the strength and future focus of the company.

© James Steinkamp Photography

Level 1

© James Steinkamp Photography

Render

© James Steinkamp Photography

Certified LEED Platinum, the 783,800-square-foot complex reinforces Zurich’s commitment to environmental stewardship. A network of horizontal sunshades clads the perimeter of the complex, with the sunshades varying in depth depending on orientation, while floor-to-ceiling glass offers extensive natural light for the shallow office plates. A soaring three-story double wall faces south toward the multi-level plazas, showcasing an architecture that responds to the changing Chicago climate. In the end, a timeless material palette married to a bold, clear form creates a unique identity for the Zurich headquarters that embodies the core values of the company. 

© James Steinkamp Photography

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Gensler’s Shanghai Tower has won the 2015 Emporis Skyscraper Award. Selected from over 300 buildings of over 100 meters in height completed in 2015, the Emporis jury was impressed by the Shanghai Tower’s “elegant spiraling cylindrical shape,” and the “extraordinary energy efficiency” provided, in part, by the building’s double-skin facade.

Currently the world’s second tallest building at 632 meters, the Shanghai Tower becomes the second Chinese building to win the Emporis award, after Zaha Hadid Architects’ Wangjing SOHO took the prize last year. In addition to Gensler’s first-place project, Emporis also recognized 9 runners-up including Rafael Viñoly Architects‘ 432 Park Avenue, Arquitectonica’s Icon Bay in Miami, and the Evolution Tower in Moscow by Kettle Collective and RMJM Edinburgh. Read on to see all ten awarded projects.

1. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China, 632 meters) / Gensler Architects, 2Define Architecture

Shanghai Tower / Gensler Architects, 2Define Architecture. Image © Connie Zhou

2. Evolution Tower (Moscow, Russia, 246 meters) / Kettle Collective, RMJM Edinburgh

Evolution Tower / Kettle Collective, RMJM Edinburgh. Image © Igor Butyrskii

3. Il Dritto (Milan, Italy 210 meters) / Arata Isozaki & Andrea Maffei Associati

Il Dritto / Arata Isozaki & Andrea Maffei Associati. Image © Boris Kauffer

4. Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza (Nanchang, China 303 meters) / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. Image © Lv Hengzhong

5. Abode318 (Melbourne, Australia 187 meters) / Elenberg Fraser, Disegno Australia

Abode318 / Elenberg Fraser, Disegno Australia. Image © Wang-Hsin Pei

6. Icon Bay (Miami, USA 139 meters) / Arquitectonica

Icon Bay / Arquitectonica. Image © Robin Hill

7. D1 Tower (Dubai, United Arab Emirates 284 meters) / Holfords & Associates

D1 Tower / Holfords & Associates. Image © Alan Millin

8. 432 Park Avenue (New York City, USA 426 meters) / Rafael Viñoly Architects, Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron

432 Park Avenue / Rafael Viñoly Architects, Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron. Image © Royce Douglas

9. Citygate Tower (Vienna, Austria 110 meters) / Querkraft Architekten

Citygate Tower / Querkraft Architekten. Image © Lukas Dostal

10. ÏCE II (Toronto, Canada 234 meters) / architectsAlliance

ÏCE II / architectsAlliance. Image © Edvard Mahnic

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