Rio 2016: with the Rio Olympics now in full swing, we’ve rounded up some of the best and worst logos that have been produced to promote the summer event, including the favourite logos selected by legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser and critic Alice Rawsthorn (+ slideshow). (more…)
Foster + Partners’ Apple 2 Campus is racing towards its December 2016 completion date. As seen in this drone video captured by aerial videographer Matthew Roberts, the exterior of the spaceship-like main building is nearly finished, with many of the campus’ other buildings, such as the auditorium, the research & development center and the 100,000 square foot corporate fitness center, also approaching full realization.
As the buildings reach the late stages, the construction crew has moved on to landscaping features, including a garden and pond in the center of the ring-shaped main building, and the green spaces that will cover the complex’s underground parking decks. Solar energy farms and PV panels lining additional parking structures have also been installed.
Employees are expected to move into the new building in early 2017. You can learn more about the project, here.
News via MacRumors.
A descendant of legendary Mexican architect Luis Barragán is outraged after discovering that his great-uncle’s cremated remains have been used to create a diamond ring. (more…)
It’s International Cat Day! To mark the occasion we’ve rounded up some of the best architecture and design for felines – including a series of cat houses by Los Angeles-based architects, a veterinary clinic dedicated to cats and a Seoul home where the owners’ pet has its own loft. Browse all our architecture and design for cats »
As night falls, a building appears to be lightly perched on a heavy base, floating and glowing in the trees.
In rural West Tisbury, MA, a graphic novelist needs a place to park and a place to work. The place to park is a black box with a continuous strip of polycarbonate to let in light and expose the framing “branches” that support the upper floor. What sits on top is a cedar shingled, light filled studio in the trees, with tall walls with large windows on the East that frame views of the surrounding foliage and low walls with small windows on the West to gain privacy from the adjacent main house.
The local building restrictions on “detached bedrooms” only allow partitions for a bathroom. Thus, the bathroom “core”, placed in the center of the room, plays the role of dividing the open living layout into two distinct zones of living/working and sleeping, allowing occupants to circulate around both sides. While not on a wall with windows, light from a large operable skylight and high vaulted ceilings still give the bathroom a very open feel. A private narrow deck in the back, provides a place to pause and reflect with the nature that the studio sits in.
1. All black.
2. Black with a bit of grey.
3. Black with a bit of white.
4. Match different shades of black.
Done. Go home.
All jokes aside, there has never been a set uniform in the architecture profession. The truth is, there are a large variety of different architectural practices, and one’s attire to do architectural work often depends on each firm’s unique culture. There are corporate firms composed of hundreds of people in office blocks where “corporate” clothing is expected, or there are atelier style firms where jeans and a simple shirt are more appropriate for the design-build.
The architecture world is unique in that we are expected to be creative like artists, execute like engineers, negotiate like businessmen, and make like craftsmen but at the same time are asked to discover our own unique style and approach. Hybridity and improvisation abounds in architecture, which is definitely reflected in our fashion choices. In general though, the architect’s wardrobe is governed by four key words: eccentric, professional, relaxed and… well, still largely black. Here we’ve profiled a few tips on how to dress by these four qualities.
We’re still not really sure why and when architects started wearing all black, but there’s something about this style that gives an air of belonging to architecture’s mysterious clique. This is probably why every young architecture student went through an “all-black phase.” Amid the unwelcoming initial shock of first-time project critiques, a uniform of black is an easy way to feel like you belong in architecture. An all-black wardrobe also complements the architecture student’s hectic schedule precisely because everything you own matches—but that’s the lazy approach and a total waste of the shade’s depth and potential.
The truly great thing about black is that architects who choose to don the shade head to toe are given the opportunity to indulge in unconventional cuts, garment construction, or fabric. The monotony of black makes the combination look less eccentric and a bit more toned down for architecture’s pseudo-corporate settings. One of the best-dressed when it comes to all black was none other than Zaha Hadid, whose artful pairings always had sculptural interest.
Brave enough to try out the all-black look? Here are some for your inspiration:
If architecture is an art then some architects are artists. With their bodies as the canvas, they use fashion as a tool to express themselves, to embody their daily emotions, or to make a statement. Sometimes, they just want to celebrate the beauty of an object: shiny, sparkly, colorful, prickly, intricate objects. One such lover is Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, who reportedly owns an extensive collection of Comme des Garcons clothing: a fashion house characterized by vibrant colors and bold prints that are often mixed and matched. On the other hand there is Richard Rogers who is often seen mixing vibrant hues of green, magenta and blue. There isn’t much prescription when it comes to dressing eccentrically, just collect what you love and pile it on yourself. Of course, as an architect you’ll know which elements would work together. You got this.
Itching for the eccentric look? Use these items for inspiration:
As much as we would sometimes like to work against the tendency, architects for the most part cater to the privileged elite and the small crop of people that can fund the multi-million construction budgets of our envisioned masterpieces. This is when “power-dressing” becomes part of your sales pitch and anything vastly different from the wardrobe in the boardroom could risk losing the client. However, you are still an architect and you have to distinguish yourself somehow within the “language” of the corporate. Since you’re an architect though, you surely have mastered the world of stylistic languages. The trick is to be just slightly off-kilter: try double-breasted blazers, earthy tones in tweed and corduroy, or ankle grazing trousers—or of course add the classic thick-rimmed glasses. A good rule of thumb is either to remove one item or add an additional piece to whatever you envision as “requisite corporate wear.” If you choose to wear a suit, leave the tie out. Wearing a dress? Pair it with trousers. For style inspiration look towards architecture’s 20th century masters—they’ve got the suit thing down to a tee.
Want a look that’s sharper than your pencils? Try out some of these items:
A relaxed wardrobe is perfect for the image of the young protégé, or the long-standing rebel. It might be easy to dismiss this style but that is exactly why it can have some strategic advantages—the relaxed look is a classic double-bluff. When you don’t dress for the job it looks like you were too busy actually doing your job to worry about your appearance. And when you don’t dress for the job, people are suddenly more interested in listening to your ideas. Bjarke Ingels is otherwise reasonably dressed in formal occasions, but during his TED talks, which for many is a career-making honor, he is considerably dressed-down in a trademark “Yes is More” tee. Casual, comfortable, and loose are keywords synonymous to this style but absolutely no track suits, or sweatpants.
Ready to go for a more relaxed look? These items could get you started:
As Mark Twain reportedly wrote: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.” So as long as you’re not naked, you’re fine. Don’t fret too much.
An Architect’s Dress Code
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Athletes were kitted out in uniforms by an assortment of well-known fashion designers and brands during the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Friday night. We’ve picked out five standout designs. (more…)
The project has 145 square meters on two floors and a terrace. The building location is an important factor because it is on the lower side of Turi, a natural viewpoint of the city of Cuenca-Ecuador where there were some retaining stone walls from a destroyed and abandoned construction. These walls were originally raised to stop the gradient of over 30% of the natural slope, which is why they are included as part of the formal and structural design.
The purpose was for building a small detached house, with basic functional spaces for everyday life, with a local and contemporary language.
The design refers to vernacular materials; we have used dry stone walls, located where the original walls of the previous construction were, the roof structure made entirely of exposed wood clad in unglazed handmade tile and carrizo pambil on the ceiling, adobe prepared in blocks to clad some walls and as mud plastering for others. This sort of traditional materials incorporated into the architecture confer the popular warmth of local buildings and simultaneously engage a project of contemporary features with large glass surfaces that dominate the north facade, with a complete view of the city.
Other more contemporary materials have been added, such as ceramic floors with traditional motifs of hydraulic tiles to accentuate the style, the glass in the interior wooden staircase that contrasts due to its modern appearance, natural wood doors with decorative rivets in iron, raw iron railings and of course the decorative pieces of furniture that have been carefully selected to emphasize the dialectical style between the traditional and the contemporary.
The spatial distribution is quite simple. Due to the topography, the main entrance is located on the top floor and can be reached by a grand stone staircase that externally connects the two levels of the project. Before entering there is a pergola terrace to enjoy the view and with it the wooden door that leads into a hallway that connects to the bedroom hall on the same level and the glass staircase that leads to the social area on the lower floor.
The upper floor has two bedrooms facing north, with wood floors, and an adjacent full bathroom. The bedrooms are separated through a closet cabinet with two fronts; the city view is not the only attraction of these spaces, if we look up we see the craft construction of the roof and its wood assemblies; all these areas are accessed through an exhibition hall that is lit and ventilated through a window that looks directly into one of the retaining walls. This view may seem unattractive, however it is totally entertaining to see the moss between the rocks and on rainy days the drops falling like a waterfall filtering through the vegetation. The exhibition displayed is a very special collection of old radios belonging to the owners of the house. On the ground floor is the living and dining in a single room, a guest bathroom and kitchen, all communicated through a corridor that runs parallel to the facade and thus enjoys the visual spectacle of the entire city at its feet. The entire floor of this level is ceramic.
As for the exterior spaces, we have maintained the landscape of the mountain, preserving all species of trees and adding others belonging to the area.
A+Awards: next up in our series on winning projects from Architizer‘s 2016 A+Awards is a small chapel by Japanese architect Hiroshi Nakamura, which features extreme gables and a roof covered in 21,000 aluminium shingles (+ slideshow). (more…)
