In the spirit of supporting our readers’ design work, the company Velux has shared a series of .DWG files with us of their different roofing windows models. The files can be downloaded directly from this article and include great amounts of detail and information.
Check the files below, separated into ‘Pitched Roofs’, ‘Flat Roofs’ and ‘Light Tube’.
From the architect. The new center, designed by OTTAVIO DI BLASI & Partners (Milan), has an area of 2,700 square meters. It represents a point of excellence of the Health Care Network of Piedmont hosting Prevention and Rehabilitation facilities managed by LILT (Italian league against Cancer)
SPAZIO LILT is a two-storey building conceived around a central distribution core articulating two juxtaposed curved wings. It is not just the container of LILT activities but it is also its mirror by embodying the image and values of the League.
Scheme
• An “open house” and a landmark for the entire city of Biella– The modern curved shape make it easily accessible for all the citizens and is a reference point for the whole community. In addition to LILT offices, it houses surgeries, the prevention center, the rehabilitation gym, a conference room and hosts a number of volunteers associations operating in the area.
• A friendly and efficient building – Easy access, immediacy guidance and the quality of services offered play a major role to the perception of warmth and efficiency that characterize LILT – SPAZIO LILT is a place where prevention and treatment coexist as two aspects of the same human reality.
• A place where the link between health and environment is fully expressed by the relationship between architecture, light and efficient and green environment. SPAZIO LILT is energy efficient and built with environmentally friendly and recyclable materials.
The unique features of the building are due to the glazed terracotta façade in red and white, the colors of LILT. The large terracotta louvers shield the building from direct sunlight and provide privacy to clinics. The choice of terracotta has to do with the durability and the self-clean ability of the surfaces.
In this project, the emotional value and the technical features of the louvers façade are an unicum in which the brightness of the surfaces is most fitting with the bright and positive atmosphere that inspires the entire building.
The open floor plan and the curved shape of the facades of the building and amplify the dynamism that characterize it in an original way.
Product Description.The custom Glazed terracotta façade give the unique features of the building. Glazed terracotta profiles are about 150/160 cm long.- They are assembled on an aluminum frame holding louvers of two different sizes ( 21 cm end 8 cm) . An aluminum tube inside the hollow profile of every terracotta louver secures the structure. Glazed terracotta provides bright looking and self-cleaning features. The ventilated façade ensure privacy and shelter sunrays. The empty space between the terracotta skin and the building façade host maintenance walkway.
As the common phrase attests, “history is written by the victors.” We therefore know that the story of the West is that of Europe and the United States, while the other actors in world history are minimized or invisible: it happened to the Chinese and Japanese during World War II, to the Ottoman Empire in sixteenth-century Europe, and to racial majorities in the common reading of Latin American independence. The same thing happens in architecture.
The current boom of the Global South is based not only on new work, but rather on the recognition of an invisible architecture which was apparently not worthy of publication in the journals of the 1990s. The world stage has changed, with the emergence of a humanity that is decentralized yet local; globalized, yet heterogeneous; accelerated, yet unbalanced. There are no longer red and blue countries, but a wide variety of colors, exploding like a Pollock painting.
This serves as a preamble to consider the outstanding projects of 2016 according to the British critic Oliver Wainwright, whose map of the world appears to extend from New York in the West to Oslo in the East, with the exception of Birzeit in Palestine. The Global South represents more than 40% of the global economy and already includes most of the world’s megacities, yet has no architecture worthy of recognition? We wanted to highlight the following projects in order to expand the western-centric world view, enabling us to truly comprehend the extent of architectural innovation on a global scale.
In the capital, a new market draws inspiration from the vernacular, traditional Mercato, the largest open-air market in Africa. Eschewing the glass-clad box typology of contemporary shopping centers (which are not efficient, but project an air of “development”), the building functions as an environmentally-appropriate public edifice, with the perforations in its prefabricated concrete skin harkening back to the traditional Ethiopian fractal patterns used to moderate the entry of light. The generous interior volume encourages natural ventilation and the rooftop features photovoltaic umbrellas to combat deficiencies in the energy supply.
To the east of the province of Córdoba—in a place that doesn’t even have basic utilities—architect Nicolás Campodónico melds nature and brick into a chapel that borders an estate and opens up to an ample field. Facing the sunset, natural light bathes the chapel in warmth, serenity and symbolism. In a year when brick was lauded for its versatility, popularity and availability at the Venice Biennale, the Capilla San Bernardo brings together a precise alignment of individual bricks around an invisible, six-meter diameter sphere. The resulting structure is not only exquisite, but also echoes the shape and form of traditional Argentinian coal ovens.
Still recovering from its stigma as the drug-trafficking battleground of the 80s and 90s, Medellín is now a city transformed, and public investment in architecture has played an essential role in this renaissance. The EDU (Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano de Medellín) has been an exemplar in the initiative to bring high quality public spaces to the city, including projects like the Unidades de Vida Articulada (UVA). The UVAs are inserted into low-income, dense neighborhoods and are primarily reformulated or refurbished existing spaces that provide opportunities for cultural programming, performances and sports. EDU is a powerful example for other states and governing bodies to follow; the potential and impact of investing in architecture and urbanism can make cities better, more equitable places.
The Leixões cruise terminal is not only a beautiful physical interpretation of the flows it distributes, but also a great response to its site—at the center of the the connection of Souto de Moura’s conversion of the South Matosinhos coastal promenade and Álvaro Siza’s historic Piscinas de Marés. The building is expected to welcome over 130,000 passengers per year and it currently shares spaces with the Marine Science and Technology Park of Oporto University. Local artisans created hexagonal ceramics inspired by the Portuguese “calçada” to imbue a modern building with meaning and utility.
Le Duc Ha’s workshop sits on the edge of the Thu Bon river, which it shares with communities which work in the production of Terracotta and silk. Structured as a three-dimensional bamboo grid, the studio gives the artist the flexibility to work, have tea, rest, and store his finished works, without endangering the property should the river flood. Beyond reveling in the material qualities of bamboo and clay brick, the project is a beautiful volumetric exercise in which a permeated facade reveals little of the interior while maintaining the privacy of the artist, and allowing adequate ventilation and connection to the outdoors.
In Sierra Leone, projects like this one must deal with societal fissures, educational issues and public health crises. Orkidstudio asked, “What role can architecture play in the aftermath of such a crisis?” Avoiding a paternalistic approach and collectivizing the construction of a better future, this architecture in particular mends the wounds of a broken country. In this primary school, architecture activates and mobilizes the parts of society that will surely contribute to a solid transformation of this African nation.
China’s rapid urbanization stimulated the planning and construction of gargantuan cultural hubs as a symbol of economic development and a catalyst for tourism. The projects are often characterized by a grand formal gesture that allows it to perform on its own, detached from its contents, in an attempt to capitalize on the elusive “Bilbao effect.”
Even though China has more than 20,000 mosques around its vast territory and Islam is the third most popular religion in the country (uniting 10 of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities), the Da Chang Muslim Cultural Center is an exception. In Dachang, a Muslim enclave close to Beijing, this project reinterprets the spatial structure of the mosque, typically seen in arches, domes and Islamic symbols with new materials and an even grander scale. As a center for cultural activities, the architecture aids in bringing a physical space to a practice that has strong roots in western China as it approaches the megacities of the coasts.
Investment in Olympic infrastructure often yields better returns for private financiers than for cities. Greece, and in particular Athens, ended up abandoning much of the sports infrastructure they constructed for the 2004 Olympic Games. However, twelve years later, Renzo Piano’s project reused an old parking lot on the site of a former Olympic racetrack, bringing together the National Library and the National Opera in a single volume. Conceptually defined by its raised ground plane, Piano’s single gesture creates a new green lung in the city and reconnects the urban fabric of the port of Kallithea with the sea. The project also generates enough solar energy to be self-sufficient in terms of electricity. At a time when cultural projects are often seen as a chance to create self-absorbed, questionably appropriate icons, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre is a welcome addition.
Latin American architecture has recently garnered attention for projects that re-evaluate public space in the city. A similar situation precedes many design challenges: the resources available are public and limited; the spaces created must be multifunctional to meet multiple needs; the sites are leftover spaces; and the community must care for and manage the new public space, or else it will die. Along those lines, Fernanda Canales proposed a civic and cultural module created from concrete. Its size was based upon another module: the standard dimensions of a parking space (2.5 x 5 meters), thus fitting into residual spaces in residential areas of the Latin American city. Answering multiple programmatic needs, its form is designed to optimize the internal spaces while its thermal solution also offers four configurations to cover a series of different activities. This ensures its use throughout much of the day, while at night the structure functions as a lantern, improving the safety of the surrounding environment while also assuring its own.
In the embrace of the Pacific Ocean and at the mouth of the Maule River, Constitución was one of the cities most affected by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile in 2010. As a result of the ensuing public-private urban transformation plan, one of the projects built in front of the city’s heart, the Plaza de Armas, was Sebastián Irarrázaval’s Constitución Public Library. Three reticulated cubes of laminated pine order the project into three thematic areas; three showcases; three invitations to enter and three spaces for those who wish to pause while walking down the street. In a city sustained by the timber industry, the architects opted to use high quality local carpenters and the abundant wood to build a project that makes the construction process and structural loads are intentionally evident.
From the architect. The residential villa B&R, located by the sea and designed for a Belgian family, has been developed in conjunction with the well laid-out surroundings, and follows the terrain of various heights, balanced by constructed retaining walls of 0.8 to 3 m high.
Some retaining walls are underground parts of the villa, some are parts of the garage beneath the garden area, or parts of walls of the open kitchen in the garden, thus creating an impression of architecture and environment integration.
The design and U-shape of the villa with a total surface area of 500 m2 has resulted from the fusion of the plot, its beautiful vistas and positioning on the one hand, which is why the end sections are of different lengths and angles, and slightly bend around the central terrace, designed to provide shade, and from its micro-location on the other hand, which resulted in such variations in the dimensions of the end sections, thus making the villa, thanks to its own size, fit nicely into the urban matrix.
Ground Floor Plan
The villa has two storeys: ground floor and first floor, and split-level design.
A sundeck extends towards the sea, accommodating the swimming pool with the dimensions 4.6×11 m and an open kitchen, while the glass walls of the villa provide for the integration of outdoor and indoor stay.
Other facades are of a more closed character to ensure the indoor intimacy of the villa. They protect it from the street and the driveway, opposite which residents go to the beach. With only one angle opening, and the light getting in through skylights, they also render the villa protected from any views on the rear side.
From the main entrance there is direct access to the kitchen with a pantry and to the toilet. The central, two-storey space opens right from the entrance, with galleries, stairs and the dining area that is adjoining the kitchen and the terrace with a pergola, thus opening the space for an all-day stay, as well as to the living room, which is recessed relative to the entrance and dining area.
Upstairs, in the most prominent part of the villa, overlooking the sea and the swimming pool, there is a master bedroom with a glass ensuite bathroom and a corner glass walk-in closet. There is also a guest bedroom, which overlooks the backyard, as well as two children’s bedrooms with bathrooms and a common terrace facing the sea and a workspace with access to the backyard.
Section
The design concept is based on the premise that each room offers a unique experience, while at the same time the spaces create an integrated whole merging with the environment, ensuring a vacation stay in a natural seaside and Mediterranean ambience. The surrounding autochtonous vegetation further contribute to such an atmosphere.
The villa’s architecture is presented as a playful white block opened by large glass walls with magnificent vistas and contact with the environment.
First Floor Plan
Product Description. – In this project clients’ desire was to have contemporary Croatian furniture design so among other pieces in the house central place takes dining table, the TT table from ELEMENT, designed by Numen/For Use. Table is made of solid oak. Slavonian oak, “Quercus robur slovanica”, a subspecies of pedunculate (common) oak named after Slovania, a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. All the finishing is executed in high-quality natural oils, preserving and enhancing the characteristics of the wood. http://ift.tt/2itSjPG
From the architect. The new Moscow office of telecommunications company Orange Business Services is located on two floors of “Mercury” tower of business center “Moscow city”. The total area of the interior is 5,300 sq. m.
The interior project was implemented by Pridex Group Company, which combined the functions of General designer and General contractor performing the architectural and engineering design, as well as the complex of engineering works. The interior design was developed by T+T Architects bureau.
Axonometric
Two reference points: customer’s logo, the orange square, and accent elements in the form of circles became the basis for the architectural concept.
The principle of an open workspace is popular all over the world. However, here the customer has built a distinct functional process in which the tasks go through a kind of “assembly line” of departments and specialists. The final placement of the departments follows this scheme.
The office space is divided into working areas and points of informal communication evenly spread over the entire space of the floors. At these points architects set the accents based on the form of circle in a particular embodiment. Workspaces are made contrastly – in the orthogonal forms and monochrome materials. Part of the informal communication points were integrated in the center of some departments showing the inextricable workflow and the process of discussion.
Materials with high acoustic comfort were used for the productive work of 500 employees. Solutions with mobile partitions in meeting rooms made the space for negotiations flexible and scalable.
“The new office for Orange Company has become for us a serious challenge. Complicated architecture of the building and a number of customer conditions demanded high professionalism of the team. Due to the selected solutions and coordinated work, we managed to implement such an ambitious project in the shortest possible time”, – says Sergey Kudryavtsev, managing partner of Pridex Group Company.
“Great attention was paid to the corporate standards. “Orange” provided us with the detailed brand book with a lot of restrictions and recommendations. During the implementation we managed to create a unique solution without breaking the basic corporate strategy”, – says Polina Voevodina, the main architect of the project, the T+T Architects Bureau.
“We thank the Pridex Company for the fast and high quality implementation of this complex project. Everything is done in accordance with the requirements of the Orange brand style. New office came out comfortable and functional, and most importantly – helped to raise the productivity of our employees interaction. It will definitely impact on improving the quality of service to our clients”, – commented Olga Nekrasova, Director of commercial real estate and facilities management at Orange Business Services.
Product Description: As far as the main point of the concept was minimalistic and neat interior, one of the principal materials was the white color itself. However, we paid high attention to the public spaces: circular reinforced concrete staircase, lounge area near it, coffee points and kitchen, informal meeting areas, reception.
Oppositely to the white and really simple open space areas, there are accent walls with micro-cement decorative coating (Baldini) or bright orange-color ceiling detail (Tikkurilla paintings). There are also some cozy suspended lamps (“Hood”, Atelje Lyktan) with red felt shades, which determine unique areas. Using different colors from Desso Airmaster carpet collection allowed us to distinguish different functional zones by determing the floor color.
From the architect. The concept consisted in lifting key contextual elements – traditional building material and Lebanese gardens –and revives them with contemporary interpretations. So conventional wood and dark stone found an unexpected contrast in vivid red metal, and space-efficient vertical gardens replaced their horizontal predecessors. These elements complement the diversity of the surrounding context. While it looks like a simple geometric shape from afar, the structure consists of three parallel elongated blocks each with a unique identity that’s revealed on approach, while a cantilevered section that extends out towards the street emphasizes the building’s partly public function, a contemporary art gallery that occupies the ground floor to introduce a cultural and commercial element to the project.
Section
East Village includes 13 loft units, each of the double height characteristic of the region: 10 duplexes, two penthouses with pools on each of their terraces, and one simplex, its balcony framed by red metal. On the simplex’s terrace is a private bar that overlooks the pubs and lounges scattered across Gemayzeh and through Downtown, exposing a panoramic view of the city.
“East Village is a kind of suprematist composition playing with the paradoxical conditions of today and linking us to a kind of paradigm” – Jean Marc Bonfils
Product Description: Vertical Garden influenced by a public garden located in the adjacent 1960s Electricite du Liban headquarters, that is no longer accessible to the public. The aim is to reintroduce a more space-efficient vertical green space that the community could enjoy.
If you’ve always wanted to take better photos and you have 10-15 hours to dedicate to the endeavor, you’ll be pleased to know this: Harvard, one of the world’s most renowned universities and home to the mighty GSD (Graduate School of Design)—whose faculty has included Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, Walter Gropius and many others—is offering a free course in digital photography.
Available via ALISON, an online learning community, the course offers 13 modules that promise to teach the basics behind good photography.
ALISON’s free online photo course gives you the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge and understanding of digital photography including topics such as exposure settings, how to read and use the histogram, how light affects a photograph, how the camera sensor and lenses work, and how to process a photograph using computer software. You will also learn tips and techniques on what not to do when taking a photograph.
Computer scientist and photographer Dan Armendariz guides you through the course, with lessons covering
A building’s materiality is what our bodies make direct contact with; the cold metal handle, the warm wooden wall, and the hard glass window would all create an entirely different atmosphere if they were, say, a hard glass handle, a cold metal wall and a warm wooden window (which with KTH’s new translucent wood, is not as absurd as it might sound). Materiality is of just as much importance as form, function and location—or rather, inseparable from all three.
Here we’ve compiled a selection of 16 materials that should be part of the design vocabulary of all architects, ranging from the very familiar (such as concrete and steel) to materials which may be unknown for some of our readers, as well as links to comprehensive resources to learn more about many of them.
Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, making it a good starting material to get to know. However it also has significant environmental impacts, including a carbon footprint of up to 5% of worldwide emissions. To get to know all about designing with concrete, the Concrete Center has a collection of useful reports, many of which are free with registration.
One of the oldest, most traditional building materials around the world is of course timber. The material is beginning to take on new forms thanks to engineered wood products, and with high-rise buildings and even translucent properties, this diverse material is being taken to new heights. reThink Wood has a great collection of resources to learn about, and help architects design with, wood.
The city skylines as we know them exploded out of our discovery of steel, commonly used for reinforcement but serving as a beautiful skin in several examples. The wiki SteelConstruction.info offers everything you could possibly need to know about designing with steel.
Although this may seem like a cheap, unsustainable material to some, one should not be so quick to judge the possibilities that plastic holds. We produce so much of it; why not recycle it in the form of architecture or bioplastics? What about the whole new world that comes with 3D printing? The American Chemistry Council has a great overview of plastics as a material, as well as a rundown of their major uses in architecture, with links to further resources for each.
Another material used over generations in certain geographical locations around the world, stone has a wide diversity of textures, colours and strengths. Despite its heavy, solid materiality, one can still work with it to achieve diverse forms. The Building Stone Institute has a variety of resources including fact sheets and specification sheets for many of the most common types of stone used in construction.
<a href='http://ift.tt/2iUptcy Center in Cambodia by Orkidstudio and StructureMode</a>. Image Courtesy of Orkidstudio
Our most used material to achieve transparency and light is without a doubt glass, one of the most commonly used façade elements in contemporary architecture. Some are taking it a step further, attempting to extend its properties to create “intelligent” responsive glass. The PPG Glass Education Center is a great place to learn more.
<a href='http://ift.tt/2jQQLoa; structure in Iran</a> by ADAPt. Image Courtesy of ADAPt
Despite its rigid, rectangular shape made to fit in your hand, brick architecture has been shown to create beautiful structures with the right craftsmanship. Innovative thinkers are also finding new ways to incorporate active sustainability into the small building elements. The Brick Development Association has a collection of resources for learning more about brick.
A material stronger than metal body armor, with awesome tensile strength, Kevlar is certainly an asset when building large structures. With a less rigid composition than steel however, it could reform the way we think of large load-bearing structures. As a still-relatively-new material, there are few comprehensive information sources on Kevlar’s architectural applications, but this article and this snippet of the book Material Architecture by John Fernandez are good places to start.
<a href='http://ift.tt/2jQW7zN Green School by PT Bambu</a>. Image Courtesy of PT Bambu
Bamboo usage is generally dictated by the geographical location of the architectural project. In locations where bamboo makes sense, it is an incredibly flexible, strong, sustainable material that can be useful in many ways.
Reflecting everything about our new material endeavors is carbon fiber: “five times stronger than steel, twice as stiff, weighing significantly less.” The composition of carbon fibre makes it flexible to work with, allowing it to take shapes from surfaces to rods, depending on your requirements.
<a href='http://ift.tt/2iUrK7n solar panels developed at the University of Michigan</a>. Image via Inhabitat
Earth is among the oldest building materials we can think of due to its almost universal accessibility and relative ease of use at small scales. It’s capable of being compressed into modules, as well as creating freeform surfaces, all of which can eventually return to the earth with ease.
We produce a huge amount of waste covering a huge range of materials, but getting to know your waste is an excellent idea for future architects. Whether it’s converting cigarette butts into building material or plastic bottles to earthquake resistant walls, recycling is something to be admired.
<a href='http://ift.tt/2jQYa6R Straw Theatre / Salto AB</a>. Image Courtesy of Karli Luik
15. Straw
Creating a passive thermal environment, shielding from rain and blending into similar natural surroundings are just a few things that straw is good at. It’s no wonder thatched roofs were so popular in the past.
Image from<a href='http://ift.tt/2iUyhPu Oxman and the Mediated Matter group's Synthetic Apiary project</a>. Image Courtesy of The Mediated Matter Group
16. Organic materials
With the massive loss of habitats happening around the world, getting to know organic structures created by animals is something that’s best to do sooner rather than later. Not only can we learn from their use of materials, it also opens up opportunities for us to coexist through incorporating their organic materials into our architecture.
As with all materials, accessibility and cost plays a huge role. There are sure to be materials not on the list that would be the obvious option in certain parts of the world, so be sure to get to know the materials around you in addition to these and you’ll be sure to have a complete resource.
Finally, if you’re looking for a resource to specify products for a project, why not try ArchDaily’s Product Catalog?
One of the main difficulties encountered by students when looking for a job is dealing with a lack of professional experience. This fact is a paradox since people who apply for a trainee position have often never worked in the chosen area. Therefore, it is vital to invest in education and also to know the cultural diversity that’s available. Below we have 10 tips that serve as guidelines for students who want to build up their CV and get through the interview processes:
1. NETWORK
Via startup101.com.br
Networking means the ability to establish a network of contacts or connections with something or someone. It serves as a personal marketing tool whose effectiveness will depend on authentic communication, a proactive stance, and the ability to cultivate strong interpersonal relationships. In addition, it functions as a system of mutual collaboration for sharing services and information between individuals who have common interests. For example, hearing about a job opening through a colleague. Therefore, it’s important to participate in social networks related to your areas of interest and also to maintain regular contact with people who can contribute to your professional and personal development. Without a doubt, helping and being helped are rewarding experiences, resulting in beneficial partnerships for all involved.
2. VOLUNTEER
Via Gazeta do Povo
There are numerous NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that offer on-site collaborations with volunteers and the community, in order to achieve a specific objective (their mission). The projects they do emphasize teamwork and the importance of being civic-minded. In addition, it’s an opportunity to develop your technical skills and at the same time get to know other ways of living and contribute to the transformation of a place and the people who live there.
3. PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION GROUPS
If discussion groups meet in your area, try to attend. Usually, texts on current and / or relevant themes are discussed. In addition, sessions of documentaries or films that portray the problems and realities of the architectural universe may be shown. If no such group exists, organize one with your peers and ask for help from your professors so that they can suggest readings and films / documentaries related to the subjects they teach. The exchange of information and opinions with colleagues directly contributes to gaining professional knowledge.
4. TAKE MORE CLASSES
Just participating in the courses for your degree isn’t enough if you want to excel professionally. You should further develop your skill set through specialized classes that correspond to what interests you. There are several options offered by public and private educational institutions, among them: distance learning courses, technical vocational courses, seminars, certification classes and technical training courses.
5. ATTEND LOCAL EVENTS
Via Expo Revestir
Be aware of the calendar of events in your field (architecture, urban planning, design, landscaping and construction), including international fairs, forums, symposiums, conventions, round tables, architecture and urbanism week, regional / national / international meetings for architecture and urban planning students, etc. Choose which ones you’d like to participate in from the available options.
6. PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT COMPETITIONS
Participating in a competition means fully meeting all the requirements set out in the call for proposals, whose work will be evaluated by skilled and technically qualified judges. It’s essential that the project is presented in the requested formatting since any non-compliance is cause for disqualification. All these types of experiences are valuable, even if your project doesn’t win since participating demonstrates attention to detail, discipline, teamwork, and organization in order to fulfill all the requirements. In addition, the projects you make can be included in your portfolio (see tip 10) and also mentioned on your CV.
Researching architectural and urban projects that were or are relevant to society allows an architecture student to expand his repertoire of projects. However, seeing the places you studied in person and getting to know them is an irreplaceable experience in the training of an urbanist architect. Being physically in a place stimulates the senses of the human body because it is possible to experience different smells, noises, tastes, textures and sights all at the same time. In addition, observing people interacting with a space provides critical analysis for the architect in decision making. If you can’t travel right now, try to get to know the history and the architectural structures in your own city or even your neighborhood. There are always at least a few interesting places to visit and in many of them are free. Oh! Always bring a notebook to write down your impressions and ideas.
8. PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Participating in research is the starting point for those interested in delving into a specific subject or pursuing an academic career. In general, the interested student integrates with some research group at an institution and develops a project together with the instructor, which in turn encourages him to participate in conventions and seminars, as well as to publish articles in newspapers and magazines. In addition, you can obtain research grants by sending in grant applications and project summaries whose relevance will be evaluated by the technical committee of the requested institution.
A professional who has already participated in an exchange program stands out in the job market because the experience acquired is associated with a series of challenges that the person has already overcome, among them: dealing with distance from family and friends, learning different customs, adapting to the reality of a new country and, above all, to communicate in another language. An exchange student learns the importance of teamwork and has experience with the cultural diversity of another country. Additionally, you make new friends and expand your network (see tip 1), you acquire new knowledge, responsibility, and independence and, again, can become fluent in a foreign language. There are different exchange programs, some of which offer scholarships and housing and food aid. It is important to thoroughly research the available information and look it over well to determine what destination and length of stay fit your budget.
10. MAKE A PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio is a kind of “display case”, whose main objective is to demonstrate the quality of the projects you’ve done. Students who are planning their careers should gather their work done both at university and from student competitions (see tip 6) so that the portfolio ends up being creative, organized, and well structured. Make sure you always keep it up to date.
Article written by Tarsila Miyazato, Master of Architecture and Urbanism – FAUUSP. She is currently a professor of architecture and urban planning and civil engineering courses at Cruzeiro do Sul University (UNICSUL) and works as an architect at Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM).
Giving a facelift to an otherwise aged 1960s Malibu Canyon track home, Stephen Phillips Architects (SPARCHS) creates a sparkling contemporary gem.
Located all too near the notorious Piuma Canyon Brush fires, executive television producer Ted Gold and his wife Cara Hall, a graphic designer, took on the challenge to purchase an all wood-sided shed-roof modern home and transform it into something original and beautiful.
Working with a minimal budget one step at a time, they hired local California architect Phillips to make a series of strategic surgical design procedures to update, rejuvenate, and fortify their painfully drab house with elegance and style.
As the original home had no front entry (it was originally accessed alongside the garage off the side-yard driveway) Phillips most notably created a two-story wrap-around balcony and deck that directed arriving guests to the front of the house. A dramatic new entry hall to the upper living level was added featuring a floating steel staircase with glass and stainless-steel guardrails alongside solid-white oak-wood treads.
Axonometric
On the interior, the kitchen was completely renovated opening up towards the family room, dining room, breakfast nook, and entry hall. The baths, bedrooms, and living spaces were all reconstructed with new carpeting, tile, fixtures, and paint. Hall lent her design sensibility to provocatively update all the interior rooms.
Phillips’s angular-roof entry becomes the central organizational figure within the overall design. It brings visitors up from the garden to the living area, and uses glass extensively, shaded under a series of shifted and folded roof and wall planes that extend out to the canyon while framing distant mountain views. The new entry creates a dynamic yet relaxing contemporary space that reconfigures an otherwise rambling wooden shack with unclear floor plan into a strong well-organized contemporary dwelling. The family room, kitchen, and main hall all overlook the entry stair that provides views clear out to the mountains and easy access to the yard below.
Fortifying the exterior the architect proposed a combination of cement board and metal panels alongside exterior cement plaster (stucco) wall surfaces to ensure a flame-resistant contemporary new look. The cement board panels serve as a light backdrop to a stunning use of dark metal seam roofing material that folds down, wraps up and around the roof, walls, and balcony. Carefully composed to highlight or diminish existing apertures and disparate housing forms, Phillips created a continuous well-composed design that compliments the pitched roof areas at the front and back of the existing canyon home.
Elevation
What was formally a lackluster wood developer track house becomes a sparkling jewel through only a few carefully designed elements that add bold dynamism alongside much needed value and protection to this unique and contemporary Malibu Canyon home.
Product Description: Built in a high-fire zone adjacent to the significant Malibu Fire of 2007, the architect fortified the exterior surfaces with a combination of cement board and metal panels alongside exterior cement plaster (stucco) to ensure a 1-hr flame-resistant contemporary new look. The cement board panels serve as a light backdrop to a stunning use of dark metal seam roofing which folds down, wraps up and around the roof, walls, and balcony.
Sig Nordal 