© Ricardo Santos

• Architects: Estudio ODS
• Location: 8800 Tavira, Portugal
• Architect In Charge: Estudio ODS
• Area: 185.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2012
• Photographs: Ricardo Santos

© Ricardo Santos

From the architect. Town house refurbishment in Tavira, Portugal.

In an consolidated urban context of Tavira inner city an narrow lot with peculiar limits holds a old house with two floors and a roof attic. Over time the lot has changed its limits and new constructions were had blocking the natural light and ventilation. The house is located between two streets; the main access is made in the north side and a secondary access is made by the south throw a especially narrow corridor.

© Ricardo Santos

The depth of the lot suggest us a courtyard in the middle that allows natural light and ventilation to come inside. The courtyard works as the new center of the house in which an exterior three level promenade is initiated.

© Ricardo Santos

Axonometric

© Ricardo Santos

The exterior stair works has a connection element of the three levels promenade; starting in the ground floor courtyard which offers light and ventilation to the living room and the kitchen; following to the next level terrace to a raised water tank; the last level terrace offers a unique view cityscape view of Tavira and a roof attic.

© Ricardo Santos

The program is separated by levels: ground floor holds the social areas; entrance room; living room; kitchen and wc; the first floor holds the private areas with the two bedrooms and a bathroom. The roof attic a extra space is offered with direct relation with the terrace.

© Ricardo Santos

The materials used seek for the simplicity found in Algarve’s vernacular architecture; in the ground floor the hydraulic mosaics cover all the interior spaces; the first floor solid wood for private areas and outside areas a grey polished concrete covers all the areas.

A red door spots the house in both elevations.

© Ricardo Santos

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© Peter Bennetts

• Architects: iredale pedersen hook architects
• Location: Mosman Bay, Mosman Park WA 6012, Australia
• Area: 474.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Peter Bennetts

© Peter Bennetts

From the architect. The Mosman Bay House explores two contrasting spatial experiences, one is dynamic and fluid and one is passive and contemplative. One focuses on the distant views to the river and city and one is embedded with the garden. This Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde quality responds to the programmatic requirements of active and communal spaces; living, dining, cooking and private spaces; sleeping, study and bathing.

© Peter Bennetts

In a reference to The Eames ‘Powers of Ten’ we explored multiple scales of relating to the site fluctuating between distant views and the dynamics of family relationships, contrasted with the tactile engagement with the garden and pool. The upper level appears as a stranded boat, a vessel drifted down the river and washed up on the foreshore, “from the river you could be in the city but not on or of it. You could be back from it out there on the water and see everything go by you, around you, leaving you untouched” (Tim Winton- Cloudstreet).

Sketch

A third space connects interior and exterior, upper and lower levels, one long space and a returning point of reference for day-to-day experiences. This is a space that refuses to end and changes rapidly with external conditions. This space collects north light and distributes summer wind chilled by a sequence of cooling ponds.

© Peter Bennetts

External materials are tactile and designed to weather naturally, the lower level is finished in a white sand render, the foreshore of white river sand. The upper level is recycled and lapped Jarrah, a fluid vessel that meanders and wears the imprint of interior activities and furniture, a space that refuses to remain static.

© Peter Bennetts

The house is stretched along the east and west axis of the site, the lower level spaces all face north on to intimate and personal gardens, collecting winter sun and passive heat gain. The upper level shifts north to create a continuous veranda for the lower levels, providing privacy from neighbours and protection from summer sun. The underbelly of the upper level vessel is stained black reflecting the ground in to the interior spaces. The north shift in the upper level also allows winter sun penetration in to the south neighbours external activity areas.

Ground Level

Upper Level

The garden was specifically designed by Carrier Postmus to engage with the architectural concepts creating a lyrical and holistic experience. A series of ‘dancing’ white barked eucalypts filter north sun while in dialogue with the tilting columns and the meandering lapped Jarrah walls and screens leading one to the pool ‘Billabong’.

© Peter Bennetts

A fernery creates a cool and lush refuge space reflecting green light in to the study and bathing areas. A subtle native ‘carpet’ garden and olive grey colour palette responds to the white river sand walls reinforcing a sense of river foreshore. A hidden space with gas fireplace and moving recycled water allows one to ‘drift’ on the edge of the property.

© Peter Bennetts

An integrated glass art by Pamela Gaunt layers the lines of the architecture with the meandering line of the river, reflecting pattern and colour on to the white island bench.

© Peter Bennetts

Sustainable Design

This house is on a challenging long and narrow site in and east west orientation. This greatly influenced the environmental design of the house, it is stretched in an east west direction maximising the relationship of interior spaces to collect north passive heat gain in winter. The upper level shifts further north to create a continuous veranda protecting ground level spaces from summer sun while allowing the southern neighbour to still enjoy winter sun. The veranda and profile of the upper level was shaped by solar modelling assessing winter sun penetration to lower levels and in consideration of the functional requirements of the upper level.

© Peter Bennetts

A south facing open-ended gallery space extends along the entire length of the house allowing the southwest winds to filter through the entire house. A series of individual cooling ponds are placed adjacent to each internal door and opening allowing individual control of cooling. A ground level awning window with flyscreen accompanies each cooling pond. The southwest winds are funnelled by the sculptured and curved profile of the rear wall, increasing the velocity of the winds. The wind flowing over the pond is naturally cooled.

The sculptured form also allows natural light in to this southern space heating the walls and waxed concrete floor.

The ground level spaces can be compartmentalised to allow easy heating and cooling and individual control. Fans are provided to the ground level spaces for additional cooling. There is no air conditioning to these spaces.

© Peter Bennetts

The upper level includes north facing highlight windows designed to allow winter sun passive heat gain.

It is clad in lapped and oiled recycled jarrah and is left to weather naturally over time. 

A rear space helps to future proof the house and allow for co-generational living.

© Peter Bennetts

During the planning approval process the Director of Development was concerned our sustainable design approach would result in a house that would ‘de-value’ the area. We were requested to present to the mayor and development approval panel, mid way through the presentation the mayor asked why we had been asked to present, he noted the design and sustainable design principles were aspirational and believed ‘if built as intended’ would result in a project of significant environmental and social value.

© Peter Bennetts

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Courtesy of 2R Studio and Ethan Karimi

After a competition between over 100 firms, AGi Architects, in collaboration with Shift Process Practice, have received 2nd prize for their proposal for a mixed-use city complex in Mashhad, Iran. The design includes commercial and residential units, in addition to a clinic, an aparthotel and various public spaces. The proposal breaks the mold of large retail centers that blunt street culture and have large carbon footprints by diversifying the building uses at street level.

Courtesy of 2R Studio and Ethan Karimi

The site massing acknowledges the Mashhad Mausoleum, an important pilgrimage site, with most of the residential units facing the sanctuary. The facades are inspired by Persian architecture, using patterns found on typical Persian dywan structures.

Courtesy of 2R Studio and Ethan Karimi

The commercial area is organized as a continuous topography, with the ground and first floors exchanging public spaces and opening up to street retail areas. Shopping units and other services such as a clinic and public spaces are distributed throughout the neighbourhood.

Massing Morphology Diagram. Image Courtesy of AGi Architects

What would otherwise be large chunks of mall are split apart to empower pedestrians with the use of connecting courtyards and public gardens. Above, a combination of normal apartments and hotels meets housing needs for residents and tourists.

Aerial Rendered View. Image Courtesy of 2R Studio and Ethan Karimi

• Architects: AGi Architects, Shift Process Practice
• Location: Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi, Iran
• Main Architects: Nasser B. Abulhasan, Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea, Shift Process Practice
• Project Leaders: Justo Ruiz, Bruno Gomes
• Project Team: Nima Haghighatpour, Pablo Sanchez de Vega, Laura Sedano, Alfredo García
• Renders: 2R Studio, Ethan Karimi
• Area: 11800.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of 2R Studio and Ethan Karimi, Courtesy of AGi Architects

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Photomontage of the Memory Matrix installation at night in front of the Wiesner Building, MIT campus. Image credit: Photomontage by Azra Aksamija, 2016. Original photo of the MediaLab by Steve Mann. Image Courtesy of Resnicow and Associates

In honor of the centenary of MIT‘s move to the Cambridge Campus, the university has carried out a series of public events this spring, including the installation of two innovative architecture and design projects: Memory Matrix and Biaxial Tower.

Installed in the iconic arch of MIT’s Wiesner Building (designed by Pritzker Prize winner and MIT alumni I.M. Pei), Memory Matrix is a giant screen made of intricate pixel-like Plexiglass elements, arranged to form larger matrix-like screens that reveal an image of the recently destroyed Arch of Triumph in Palmyra. The image is only visible during the day through the movement of wind and light, and at night, through the illumination of the pixels. Spearheaded by Azra Aksamija, Memory Matrix will be on display from April 23 through May 7.

The individual pixels making up the screen are laser-cut with outlines of destroyed cultural heritage from different places across the globe. These elements collectively form a larger image: the recently destroyed Arch of Triumph in Palmyra. © Maria Roldan, 2016. Image Courtesy of Resnicow and Associates

Memory Matrix also features creative contributions from various groups, including Syrian refugees in Jordan, who selected threatened or destroyed heritage sites that are significant to them. The shapes of the sites were then laser cut into the display. Positive components of the cut pixels will then be used to create jewelry that will be sold to fundraise the education of Syrian youth in Jordan.

Biaxial Tower, built for MIT’s Centennial celebration. Photo courtesy of MIT Self-Assembly Lab

Biaxial Tower, by Skylar Tibbits, was built as a site for performances starting April 23 and continuing through the summer and fall. A 60 foot high and 30 foot wide tower, it is installed at the center of MIT’s campus on Mass. Ave. Constructed from 36 woven fiberglass tubes in the form of a biaxial weave to create an expanding and contracting surface, the tower organically transforms into various geometric configurations, like a dome or a cylinder. As a step in active architecture, the project aims to point towards a future of architectural shells, canopies, performance venues, stadium roofs, and other sizeable structures that can transition between functions.

courtesy of MIT Self-Assembly Lab

News via Resnicow and Associates and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

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© Rafael Gamo

• Architects: Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop
• Location: Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico
• Design Team: Eduardo Micha, Fabio Correa, Gabriel Merino, Oscar Osorio, Patricia Pérez, Christian Rodriguez, Miguel Ángel Chiney, Eduardo Acosta, Maricruz Pérez
• Area: 1543.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Rafael Gamo

• Consultants: Ing. Max Tenenbaum, Ing. Ricardo Jimenez
• Client: David Mizrahi

© Rafael Gamo

From the architect. Triangulo Corona is located in the State of Mexico on the outskirts of the metropolitan area of Mexico City, on a property of irregular topography crossed by two major regional thoroughfares. Its context is an industrial zone rich in the so called ‘maquiladoras’ and storehouses, neighbouring primary and intermediate schools, a health centre and street markets.  The residential environment is one of self-construction, where materials appear in their raw state, devoid of finishes, a quality that defines the architecture and environment of this low-income area.

© Rafael Gamo

One of the main aims of this project was to optimise urbanisation with a focus on positive transformation and the re-utilisation of existing elements. The building had  previously been used as an automotive workshop and was already a well recognised object among its neighbours, mainly due to its unique situation, that is, a triangular-shaped corner enclosed between two bustling avenues. This site has always been a reference and an icon within the area.

Ground Floor Plan

Upper Floor Plan

Our architectural scheme consisted in a retail programme which would maintain the original structure and inner space and where further additions, in this case a mezzanine floor, were to be built using the same construction methods as the existing building. We opened commercial passages aimed at generating pedestrian flow into the building. Other considerations were maintaining the public’s familiarity and connection with the building and its iconic status, revitalising public space with a focus on the pedestrian traffic, and maintaining low investment costs. 

© Rafael Gamo

© Rafael Gamo

The architectural intervention starts with an undercut on the main corner, thus  accentuating the access leading to the different tenancies. The roofs were upgraded so as to allow extra natural light to the interior.

© Rafael Gamo

The refurbished object seamlessly blends with its context. Its geometry and image achieve maximum transformation with minimal impact, and certainly help revitalise the neighbourhood. 

© Rafael Gamo

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Courtesy of The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Future Trends Survey for March 2016 has reported signs of stability after recent downward trends, with the balance figure rising from +21 in February up to +31 in March.

“All nations and regions returned positive workload forecasts, with practices in the North of England being the most optimistic. Large practices (51+ staff) remain the most positive. Medium-sized practices (11–50 staff, balance figure +48) saw a boost in confidence levels, while small practices (1–10 staff, balance figure +28) were upbeat, however to a lesser degree,” states the report.

The private housing sector was the strongest performing sector, despite a marginal decrease since February (to +28, down from +31), and the commercial sector saw the biggest increase, rising to +18 (up from +10 in February). The public and community sectors, however, saw slight dips in workload forecasts for the month.

RIBA Executive Director Members Adrian Dobson noted: “Commentary from participating practices continues to be generally positive. This is tempered by concerns that fee levels remain under pressure and the recent volatility of our key workload index suggests some uncertainty about the profession’s economic outlook. Practices are not anticipating a significant increase in public and commercial sector work. However, many reported an increase in enquiries and work in progress from the bespoke residential and domestic extension markets. Once again, the private housing and commercial sectors represent the largest areas of growth.”

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).

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