© David Roche

• Architects: Smart Design Studio
• Location: Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia
• Architects In Charge: William Smart, Nicole Leuning, Luke Moloney, James Ho, Joey Cheng
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: David Roche, Sharrin Rees

• Structural Engineer: Brian Wood
• Electrical Engineer: Renata Oliveira
• Hydraulic Engineers: Leon Dimino, Scott Murray
• Project Managers: Chris Peter, Paul Ishak
• Furniture Design: Khai Liew
• Landscape Architect: Christopher Owen
• Lighting Design : Emrah Baki Ulas
• Quantity Surveyor: Janet Lum
• Geotechnical Engineer: Todd Hore
• Civil Engineer: Kelvin Holey
• Basix: Graham Hunt
• Australia Certifier: Peter Antcliffe
• Mechanical Engineer: Michael De Maio, Michael Whytlaw
• Facade Engineer: Peter Romeos
• Surveyor: Stuart De Nett

© Sharrin Rees

From the architect. A piece of sculpture to be lived in, this exciting project fronts newly-built Central Park in Sydney’s Chippendale and creates an inspiring residence for an art collector. Behind a façade of sculpted concrete, serene living spaces and monumental halls create a dynamic spatial interplay of spare interiors in which the main decorative element is light.

© Sharrin Rees

The concrete façade of Indigo Slam is alive to the changes wrought by light, shade, sun and cloud, providing the new urban park across the road with a lively backdrop to public life. Approaching from O’Connor Street, a patterned steel screen opens to lead the visitor into a generous coved vestibule.

© Sharrin Rees

From here, the space compresses to a low and narrow corridor before suddenly opening to a cavernous stair hall lit from concealed roof lights overhead. This room is a space unique in Australian residential architecture – grand and austere in its size and sparseness, but inviting and exciting as it leads one upwards through the building.  

© David Roche

As a counterpoint to this dramatic spatial sequence, the living areas leading off it are informal and intimate. Bedroom suites occupy the first floor, overlooking the public park to the north. The curves and planes of the façade here act as screens to provide privacy and shade for the occupants.

© Sharrin Rees

On the second floor, sitting and dining rooms overlook the park. A sky-lit kitchen and study look back into the building, creating views across the stair hall. To the south, a small garden flat and three car garage address Dick Street.

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

Spaces are large but not ostentatious. Internal finishes are modest and pared-back: floors are brick-paved, walls are set render, fittings are simple.

© Sharrin Rees

The brief was for Indigo Slam to last 100 years. Materials are selected to wear and endure and fittings to last, with operable elements mechanically rather than digitally operated. These include oversized vertical timber blinds that turn and retract by means of hanging chains and awning windows operated by geared winders. The brass armatures for these moving parts lend a finely grained detail to the interior and to the steel, glass and concrete of the building façade.

Section

The project aspires to an exemplary level of environmentally sustainable design with natural lighting, cross-ventilation, rainwater harvesting and adherence to passive solar design principles reducing the energy and water load of the building. Geothermal heating and cooling have also been incorporated into the design and solar hot water and photovoltaic cells populate the roof.

© Sharrin Rees

Indigo Slam represents a rare opportunity to add a large residence of substantial quality and architectural merit to the diverse neighbourhood of Chippendale, and participate in the reinvigoration this part of Sydney as a place of architectural and cultural interest.

© David Roche

Product Description. To explore an innovative new way of designing the skin of a building, a language of cutting, folding and stitching together was established; something once flat is made three dimensional and something once blank creates and enfolds space. The sculpted façades of Indigo Slam became alive to the changes wrought by light, shade, sun and cloud. The curves and creases of the concrete façade fold, open or close, concealing and revealing, to create privacy, open to the light, form a balcony or maintain outlook as the rooms demand. The plasticity of concrete was essential to creating the forms of the façade and the texture and colour of the white concrete provide the new urban park across the road with a lively backdrop to public life.

© Sharrin Rees

http://ift.tt/2eGqstX

© Shimizu Ken

• Architects: Yoshi Kishida/2001
• Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
• Area: 90.9 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Shimizu Ken

• Construction: ROOVICE

© Shimizu Ken

The project is a renovation of two rooms of 50-year-old rein forced concrete apartment building for renting offices.

© Shimizu Ken

What is needed to a renting office in this times when anyone easily access to property information and have a comparative review, that is office space is available environment for a diversified work styles and business model.

Plan

Then, We planned a hypothetical ceiling that flexibly correspond to a borrower by turning vinyl cable that is usually intertwined complicatedly into a grid form with backing materials for construction of suspended ceiling, such as threaded rods and ceiling joints. The function necessary for a office space is storage to the ceiling, and let the floor free to tolerate any office environment and the things that it belong to there. 

© Shimizu Ken

Furthermore, We put other new things carefully to adjust the contrast of the space for that the space acquires a specific characters of renovation.

© Shimizu Ken

The area that is usually invisible from a skeleton to a ceiling is given a resolution, and appears a kind of homogeneity. We handle the specific character as the open environment, which support the office space.  

© Shimizu Ken

The space obtains “Ambiguous border / The various flow lines and contact point / A free layout” and create scenery like no one has ever seen.

http://ift.tt/2eGkxou

© Trevor Mein

• Interiors Designers: Woods Bagot
• Location: 366/392 Queensberry St, North Melbourne VIC 3051, Australia
• Design Team: Nik Karalis, Peter Miglis, Kate Frear, Sarah Alessi, Lisa Jennings, Kwok Lee, Ian Munroe, Carl Mitchell, Alisha Renton, Lawrence Ng, Glen Crawford, Karl Engstrom
• Area: 9000.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Trevor Mein

• Developers: Cbus Property
• Scope: Architecture and Interior design
• Project Manager: PDS Group
• Structural Engineer: 4D Workshop
• Services Engineer: Aurecon
• Landscape Design: Jack Merlo
• No Of Apartments: 137

© Trevor Mein

From the architect. Designed by global architecture and consulting practice Woods Bagot, the Assembly apartments on the corner of Capel and Queensberry Streets draws on North Melbourne’s architectural vernacular and DNA.

Ground Floor

The starting point for Assembly came from the many saw-tooth roofed factory buildings in the neighbourhood The area, primarily made up of low-rise buildings and sculptural roof pitches, offered Woods Bagot the opportunity to create a design which ‘carved into the block’, delivering four separate buildings with a warehouse-inspired aesthetic.

© Trevor Mein

Working with Cbus Property, a developer synonymous with high-end luxury residential developments, Woods Bagot has conceived an assemblage of individual buildings to create a village-like environment featuring pedestrian laneways and a central courtyard.

© Trevor Mein

Through the crafting of raw, earthen materials, the individuality of each building is expressed via the use of metal and zinc cladding, producing a light-industrial aesthetic with a strong contemporary edge.

© Trevor Mein

Woods Bagot Principal and lead designer Peter Miglis said each apartment offered a level of intimacy and privacy as a result of splitting the site into four buildings.

© Trevor Mein

“Carefully considered elements and details were brought together; from the walls, cladding and window reveals to the ceilings: the design provides a sensitive human scale for residential living,”

“Intimacy and privacy is often ignored in typical apartment projects; by carving up the mass the design encourages good cross ventilation as well as abundant natural light.”

© Trevor Mein

Exposed concrete ceilings complement rich timber floors, while the open plan kitchen and living areas are loosely defined by ceiling shifts. The finishes used on the balconies extend the periphery of living areas, blurring the division between indoors and out.

© Trevor Mein

Streamlined joinery ensures a pared-back contemporary aesthetic while a refined materials and colour palette comprising exposed concrete and porcelain tiles creates a simple canvas for bespoke bathroom fittings.

© Trevor Mein

The windows and balconies are expressed as a series of punctuated openings within each apartment working to provide framed views towards the Melbourne CBD and surrounds.

© Trevor Mein

Drawing on the archetypal architecture of the area, Miglis said Assembly featured a series of laneways to ensure the buildings are permeable.

“With this development we were able to divide the built form to create a more human scale environment, focused on community and a connection to nature.” Peter Miglis

© Trevor Mein

A European-style courtyard at ground level creates a protective and private space for residents year round. while the roof terrace provides an extension of the residents’ living rooms overlooking the local neighbourhood and city vista beyond.

http://www.archdaily.com/799150/assembly-apartments-woods-bagot

Liyuan Library by Li Xiadong, 2014 Winner, RAIC

Founded by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama, the $100,000 prize was created in 2014 to raise the international stature of the RAIC and the Canadian architectural profession, and to encourage Canadian architects to aspire to international excellence.

The prize is open to international architects, architectural firms, or collaborations for an outstanding building or project that is judged to be transformative within its societal context and expressive of the humanistic values of justice, respect, equality and inclusiveness.

The winner is selected in an open, juried competition. An international jury of experts will consider a range of criteria in the evaluation of submissions and intends to include site visits to shortlisted projects in the search for a work of architecture that is inspired as well as inspiring.

In 2014, the inaugural winner of the Moriyama RAIC International Prize was Li Xiaodong, of China.

“Winning this award has brought me honor, international recognition and greater credibility and support for my approach to architecture,” says Li, who will sit on the 2017 jury.

“It’s a very important Prize for me because it encourages meaningful ideas and is one of the few international Prizes that sends jury members to visit the finalist buildings,” says Li. “The definition of the Prize is also very special: how one single project can contribute to the human environment. The architectural culture of Canada is positive and eager to make a difference,” he adds. “I’m excited to take part in the jury and thank the RAIC for this opportunity.”

The members of the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize jury are:

•       Monica Adair, MRAIC: Co-founder of Acre Architects and 2015 Recipient of the RAIC Young Architect Award.
•       Manon Asselin, MRAIC: Co-founder of Atelier TAG and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Montreal.
•       Bryan Avery, MBE: Founder of Avery Associates Architects, London, England, author and lecturer. 
•       George Baird, FRAIC: Founding Principal of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, former Dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, and Recipient of the 2010 RAIC Gold Medal.
•       Peter Cardew, FRAIC: Founder of Peter Cardew Architects, and Recipient of the 2012 RAIC Gold Medal.
•       Barry Johns, FRAIC: Jury chair, Chancellor of the College of Fellows.
•         Li Xiaodong: Winner of the inaugural Moriyama RAIC International Prize.

All submissions are due on March 8, 2017. For more information on the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize and how to submit your application, please visit: https://moriyama.raic.org

Download the information related to this competition here.

• Title: The 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize for Excellence in Architecture is Now Accepting Submissions
• Type: Call for Submissions
• Organizers: 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize
• Submission Deadline: 08/03/2017 00:00
• Price: Free

http://www.archdaily.com/799195/the-2017-moriyama-raic-international-prize-for-excellence-in-architecture-is-now-accepting-submissions

© Hufton + Crow

• Architects: Sheppard Robson
• Location: Hertfordshire International College, Hatfield AL10 9AB, United Kingdom
• Area: 9000.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Hufton + Crow

• Qs And Project Manager: Turner & Townsend
• Main Contractor: Bouygues UK
• Structural Engineers: Aecom
• M&E: Couch Perry Wilkes
• Landscape Architect: The Landscape Partnership

© Hufton + Crow

From the architect. Work is complete on the 9,000m2 Sheppard Robson-designed New Science Building, which occupies a prominent site at the heart of the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane Campus, Hatfield. A major element of the university’s 2020 Vision, the building has been designed as a simple orthogonal structure that is derived from the cellular grid of the flexible laboratory spaces within.

Site Plan

Whilst optimised internally, the external envelope has been carefully finessed and tuned to signal the arrival of a major new facility at the university: a distinctive cladding system animates the building, whilst also helping the structure achieve BREEAM Excellent.

© Hufton + Crow

Cutaways from the regular shape of the building work to articulate the position of the entrance and this key access point is further emphasised by a high-level terrace above. This main entrance will align with a new prominent route through the campus, with a new vista visually connecting the building with a major new student residential development and new public space.

Floor Plan

Section

Floor Plan

The entrance and outdoor terrace are also punctuated by a copper mesh that is encased in glass; this maintains the rich colour of the material which creates a dialogue with the patinated copper-coloured cladding that characterises the exterior of the building.

© Hufton + Crow

A feeling of robustness and quality also runs through the internal spaces. The building’s main atrium has large expanses of exposed concrete, with drama added to the main circulation space – which includes a café – through a steel cantilevered staircase.

© Hufton + Crow

Tony Poole, Partner at Sheppard Robson, said: “The building had to do more than provide technically excellent and controlled spaces within a box. We wanted the architectural language to be a beacon for the University’s ambitions, with a finely tuned and bold response that did not comprise on efficiency.”

© Hufton + Crow

Product Description. Fins – made from expanded aluminium mesh – wrap around the three solar exposed elevations of the five-storey building and act as a veil, unifying the architectural form of the structure. The regular, vertical elements allow the internal spaces to be easily and flexibly reconfigured, whilst also covering the extensive plant on the upper floor, which is required for creating the carefully controlled internal spaces required. The façade design boosts the sustainable credentials of the project by providing solar shading whilst allowing natural light to penetrate through into the deep floorplates.

© Hufton + Crow

Further animating the façade, the fins change direction depending on the type of internal space, with the lab areas ranging from 300m2 teaching spaces to more focused, specialist environments.  This is a subtle variation, but when the building is viewed in bright conditions or illuminated at night, it brings a richness of depth and variation to the façade. 

© Hufton + Crow

http://www.archdaily.com/797482/new-science-building-sheppard-robson