Graduate shows 2016: this prototype tool by Royal College of Art graduate George Philip Wright can transform users’ voices into drums, guitars and other musical instruments (+movie). (more…)
House in Nürtingen is a private residence designed by Manuela Fernandez Langenegger in 2012. It is located in Nürtingen, Germany. Photos by: Rolf Schwarz
Being the first commercial boxing gym in the region, The Burrow introduces a modern combination of boxing exercises to Kuwait. The gym is composed of a welcoming lobby, semi-private workout halls, a boxing arena and an elevated cross fit area. While designing the space, the key factor was in emphasizing a natural flow of movement and the element of surprise.
In order to reach the main workout area, members have to take a relatively narrow corridor, passing by the locker area and into the main workout hall. In contrast to the corridor, the spacious workout area embraces an elevated boxing ring in it’s center. The boxing ring is dramatically lit with nine pendant lights to highlight it’s importance in the facility. The workout area & classrooms were designed in a way to serve versatile activities. The mezzanine level creates an additional workout space, and a balcony with a clear view of the boxing ring.
The materials were inspired by the retro boxing gyms, which were usually direct without any extensive decorations. Therefore, the materials used were a combination of concrete blocks, subway tiles, steel, and hints of natural wood. To guarantee a crisp day atmosphere, that would usually differ from the evening ambiance, skylight openings were introduced on the northern walls to allow for diffused natural light. Curved glass corners were used in the corridors, thereby ensuring a welcoming clear route between the entrance, lockers, and main workout area.
Our latest Pinterest board collects together the most popular saunas from the pages of Dezeen, including a cavernous steam room built to emulate the form of a seaside grotto, an industrial-looking structure in Gothenburg and a wooden design that staggers up over Norway’s rocky terrain.
Follow Dezeen on Pinterest | See more saunas on Dezeen
From the architect. Celebrating coffee’s intangible pleasures, Alberto Caiola translates coffee’s aromatic vapors into a sculptural ceiling that is the centrepiece for this café in Shanghai. Gently sloping away from the counter, the striking installation becomes at once canopy and stage for baristas to perform their art.
Rich and dark in color, the ceiling’s ‘fumes’ evoke the depth of the drink itself, winding up and beyond the venue’s glass façade. Lending a sense of movement to the entire space, the installation creates a partially covered area for attractive outdoor seating in warmer weather.
An eye-catching wall installation comprises an explosion of iconic Moka coffee pots in various sizes. Their presence is intensified by a large mirror spanning the space, amplifying the objects to a kind of love letter to Italy’s signature brew.
To create the illusion of a larger space, furniture is finished with a reflective surface. The design approach sees fittings effectively blend in to their surroundings, all the while offering alternative vistas to guests both standing and seated.
Seating areas are partitioned to allow for a diversity of functions. When viewed from outside, a large window frame accommodates customers both inside and out. Meanwhile, an inside communal table is positioned in the middle of the space. Additional bar stool seating lines the right hand side of the café.
A stark combination of textures creates contrast, with sleek new elements positioned against stripped walls exposing the building’s shikumen bricks [a traditional, turn-of-the-century housing style, typical of Shanghai]. Painted white to best reflect natural light, they complement the space’s bi-folding window for a comfortable guest experience.
Denton Corker Marshall has built the new Australian Embassy in Jakarta, adding an assortment of metals mined in Australia and acoustic panels decorated with national landmarks (+ slideshow). (more…)
Steady levels of demand in commercial and retail sectors and a strong multi-family housing market has seen the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) rise to it’s highest point in nearly a year. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the May ABI score was 53.1, up sharply from the mark of 50.6 in the previous month. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 60.1, up from a reading of 56.9 the previous month.
“Demand levels are solid across the board for all project types at the moment. Of particular note, the recent surge in design activity for institutional projects could be a harbinger of a new round of growth in the broader construction industry in the months ahead,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD.
Regional averages:
Sector index breakdown:
Key April ABI highlights:
As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. Regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the index and inquiries are monthly numbers.
News Via AIA
CITY, NEIGHBORHOOD AND CONDITIONS
The construction of buildings by private promotion which has place in the center of Alicante transforms streets deforming traditional architecture and making her without dignity they had in the past. Example of this is the Calderon street, which had been formly developed with a structure of three-storey buildings and the General Plan condemned to allow the demolition of five-story buildings. When it was done, the street lost its character and for this reason a plane concordance with the environment had any sense. On the other hand, the adjacent public street is fast and very loud due to the intense commercial activity. The shape of the plots, with small façade and a lot of depth that could build, allowed ventilate of few external parts.
GENERAL PLAN AND FORMALIZATION
The Vernacular Architecture of Alicante used glazed balconies to retain solar heat. During the summer, glazed balconies can remain open to provide air circulation.
The facade of the building keep heat in winter and can be fully open in summer protected from the sun by eaves and exterior curtains. Cross ventilation is obtained by a small semicircular patio.
The building “La Serre” create a greenhouse as a transitional space between inside and outside. It works as a filter for the views of neighboring buildings, proposing a garden space between two glass planes as background perspective. Moreover, an acoustic insulation from the traffic is obtained.
HOUSE
In total 5 houses are built. The day areas can be integrated or divided by sliding panels what makes the space flexible and easy to transform. Night areas are located on the back, protecting from aggressive outside noise.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND MATERIALS.
Construction materials: plasterboard, bleached wood, dolomite and oak, cover both humid areas and rooms, so the spatial perception is continuous.
The double parts system is solved by an interior carpentry anodized aluminum and a curtain of glass without carpentry. All the metal carpentry which is presented in construction was assembled before.
London designer Benjamin John Hall has created a collection of shoes that double as spy gadgets (+slideshow). (more…)
The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Future Trends Survey for May 2016 has reported modest changes from April results, with the private housing sector remaining the strongest driver of growth. While the public sector is yet to see improvement, practices showed an overall confidence for future workloads, with North England continuing to remain the most positive. The survey, established in 2009, uses a geographically representative sample of mixed-size practices “to monitor business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession.”
The RIBA Future Trends Workload Index saw an increase of +1 from April to May, with a balance of +30, showing that practices remain confident about their workloads for the coming three months. North England, with a balance figure of +48 in May, has consistently reported the most positive predictions in recent months. Comparatively, London was more reserved, with a reported figure of +20. The definition for the balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less.
When broken down by practice size, large firms have reported the highest level of confidence, with a balance figure of +83. Following this, small sized firms (balance figure +29) and medium firms (balance figure +27) remain firmly in the positive spectrum.
This significantly outlying result from large firms is not translated to the Future Trends Staffing Index, where they reported a zero balance figure. Small firms reported a figure of +11, and medium firms +14.
Despite a slight drop from +33 to +29 in the sector index, private housing remains the dominant workload driver. The decrease was offset by a modest increase in the commercial sector, which rose to +15 from +11 in April. The lowest two performing sectors remain the public sector, which moved up from -1 in April to +1 in May, and community sector which saw a modest drop, down to -1 from +3.
Full results of the survey, including a graphical analysis, can be viewed here, and is updated each month.
News via The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
