© Christopher Frederick Jones

• Architects: Wilson Architects
• Location: Sunshine Coast QLD, Australia
• Architect In Charge: Hamilton Wilson, Shaun Purcell, Daniel Tsang, Luis Sidonio
• Area: 3280.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Christopher Frederick Jones

• Contractor: Badge Constructions
• Landscape: Wilson Landscape Architects
• Structural/Civil: Meinhardt
• Electrical/Hydraulic: Cushway Blackford
• Qs: Steele Wrobel
• Mechanical: NDY
• Esd: Sustainability House
• Acoustic: ASK Consulting
• Client: St Andrew’s Anglican College

© Christopher Frederick Jones

From the architect. Wilson Architects has designed a new Learning Hub for St Andrew’s Anglican College – a rapidly-growing school on the Sunshine Coast.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

The Learning Hub incorporates primary and secondary school libraries, multiple collaborative teaching spaces, staff offices, professional development care, several student lounges and an expansive outdoor learning area.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

St Andrew’s Anglican College Principal Chris Ivey says the Learning Hub has seamlessly integrated with the school, and students are taking full advantage of the learning opportunities it presents. “I have spent chunks of time each day in the Hub, observing the way our students are using the facility, and it is wonderful to see them using it as if it has always been there,” Chris says.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

Wilson Architects’ design intent was to give the school a learning heart, and provide a highly-flexible space that could be used for a full spectrum of activity.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

From concerts and large gatherings to small group meetings and quiet study sessions. Internally, contemporary materials such as glass and metal are balanced with wood to add warmth and richness to the learning space. Meanwhile, a covered outdoor gathering area supports large numbers of students in an open-air learning setting.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

Wilson Architects Managing Director Hamilton Wilson says the Hub brings the learning community together, giving the students a dynamic place to collaborate and share knowledge.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

“It’s shifted the focus towards student-centred learning, as opposed to concentrating on teachers and their classrooms. The Hub has given students a real sense of ownership of the space and their learning,” Hamilton says.

Ground Floor

1st Floor

He says it was amazing to see the school’s centre of gravity change so dramatically. “The school has transformed from being very disparate, to extremely cohesive, with a pulsing heart of activity at its centre,” he says.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

The university-like facility (as described by students) raises the profile of learning, which is now on display on major routes of the campus and no longer hidden away.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

Product Description. St Andrew’s displays a predominantly brick palette on campus buildings, with steel roof and cladding highlighting school colours. For the academic centre a more abstract and contemporary materiality was sought that would still acknowledge the existing campus aesthetic. A smooth-faced PGH white brick (Crevole) references the white brick banding in the original buildings, albeit with a crisply-contemporary edge. Plexiglas highlights in the building sunshading draw out the reds and blues of the school uniform, subtly reflecting the campus colourway without directly emulating it.

© Christopher Frederick Jones

http://ift.tt/2e7oUfN

New Exterior View. Image © Stanton Williams

Stanton Williams has released new and updated visualizations of their design for the renovation of the Royal Opera House in London. The project, titled ‘Open Up,’ aims to transform the public experience of the Royal Opera House at its Covent Garden Home through a series of “legible and flexible” spaces.

Updated Foyer Transition View. Image © Stanton Williams

The design will increase connection to the city through two reimagined entrances: a new glazed extension on Bow Street that will offer pedestrians a view into the activities taking place within, and an improvement entrance onto the Covent Garden Piazza that will provide additional foyer space and an exhibition area to display the work of the Royal Opera House.

New Main Foyer View. Image © Stanton Williams

New Linbury Entrance View. Image © Stanton Williams

The project also includes a second theater within the shell of the Linbury Studio Theater that will serve as an “artistic laboratory” for the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera Companies. The theater space will be adaptable to various performance formats, and will provide a warm, comfortable atmosphere with a distinct character.

Updated Main Foyer View. Image © Stanton Williams

Updated Linbury Foyer View. Image © Stanton Williams

Stanton Williams was selected for the project in 2013 as part of competition including Amanda Levete Architects, Heatherwick Studio and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Construction on the project is currently underway, while the building remains operational. Phase 1 of the project (conversion of basement into restrooms) opens to the public tomorrow, with the full project expected to be completed in 2018.

News via Stanton Williams.

Original Theater Rendering. Image © Stanton Williams

Original Theater Rendering. Image © Stanton Williams

Model. Image © Stanton Williams

http://ift.tt/2eSB1yy

Courtesy of Unknown

Reflections on Architecture, Society and Politics brings together a series of thirteen interview-articles by Graham Cairns in collaboration with some of the most prominent polemic thinkers and critical practitioners from the fields of architecture and the social sciences, including Noam Chomsky, Peggy Deamer, Robert A.M. Stern, Daniel Libeskind and Kenneth Frampton. Each chapter explores the relationship between architecture and socio-political issues through discussion of architectural theories and projects, citing specific issues and themes that have led to, and will shape, the various aspects of the current and future built environment. Ranging from Chomsky’s examination of the US–Mexico border as the architecture of oppression to Robert A.M. Stern’s defence of projects for the Disney corporation and George W. Bush, this book places politics at the center of issues within contemporary architecture.

Foreword: Murray Fraser

Introduction: Graham Cairns

Chapter 0. Alberto Perez Gomez.
Ethics, Emotion, and Aesthetics: Architecture After the Crisis of Modern Science

Chapter 1.
Noam Chomsky. Hidden Power and Built Form – The Politics Behind the Architecture.

Chapter 2.
Robert A. M. Stern. Dream Culture and the Politics of the Past – Today

Chapter 3.
Peggy Deamer. Architecture and Capitalism – From Production to Product

Chapter 4.
Peter Nears.
Finance, Planning and Architecture UK – A Developer’s Perspective

Chapter 5.
Stephen Hodder. Politics, Society and the Public: The RIBA Reaching Beyond the Profession

Chapter 6.
Michael Sorkin. Driving on the Left: A View of the Street, the City and Architecture

Chapter 7.
Paul Goldberger. History and Modern Architecture in the Age of the Star

Chapter 8.
Clare Devine. The ‘Commissioning’ of Architecture and the Built Environment

Chapter 9.
Daniel Libeskind. Ground Zero – The Socio-Political Minefield of Symbolic Architecture

Chapter 10.
Steven Weir and Gareth Hepworth. Habitat for Humanity – Operating Outside the State and the Market

Chapter 11.
Kenneth Frampton. A Critical Architecture – Comments on Politics and Society

Chapter 12.
Jonathan Woetzel. Global Finance, Global Planning –China’s Urban Explosion Seen from the West

• Isbn: 9781472456083
• Title: Reflections on Architecture, Society and Politics: Social and Cultural Tectonics in the 21st Century
• Author: Graham Cairns
• Publisher: Routledge
• Project Year: 2016
• Language: English

Reflections on Architecture, Society and Politics: Social and Cultural Tectonics in the 21st Century

Buy now

Buy from

amazon.com

http://ift.tt/2ejb5do

© András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

• Architects: Modum
• Location: Harkány, Terehegy, 7815 Hungary
• Architect In Charge: András Krizsán (project leader), Stefánia Radnai, Csaba Székely, János Korpás and Máté Kis (students of architecture)
• Area: 15.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

• Other Participants: István Fülöp, József Domokos, Árpád Kaszás, István Bata, Ádám Horváth, Emese Plenter, András Szabó, Tamás Szász, Dávid Szemes, Alexandra Varbai

© András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

From the architect. A towering building on Terehegy was designed by the students of Szent István University (SZIE) – Ybl Miklós College of Building, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering (Stefánia Radnai, Csaba Székely, János Korpás and Máté Kis) under the guidance of instructors: István Fülöp and András Krizsán DLA, and built with widespread local support.

© András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

At the border of the village, at the side of the road next to a vineyard, the Protestant cemetery is located like a green grove among the large shield of agricultural lands. The cemetery garden overgrown with bushes and trees is now only used occasionally. The funeral ceremonies were held in the open air – sometimes in the rain and mud, in undignified conditions. There was not a designated area, an indoor space where to lay out the coffin, where the priest could pray and the relatives could say their final goodbye to their loved one.

Plan

Section

The task was to design a multi-purpose community building and funeral home, what is a simple half-covered construction, protects against rain and sunshine. Where is place for the feretory and the relatives, and give the impressive ambience of passing away – but also captures the atmosphere of the landscape. It must be a determinative but not excessive construction in the graveyard, linking the environmental elements (road, slope, graves, stairs) with the funeral ceremony. It has to show a sacral function together with architectural value of the structure.

© András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

Because of a local initiative András Krizsán went to István Fülöp who organizes annually construction camps. At first this project was the topic of the workshop-week at the Masters courses ended with an exhibition. After some valuable, inspiring suggestions the Bsc students gave the final form of this project in their exam exercises of the semester. Working in teams the students designed the plans, refined and clarified the concept week after week. It was a motivating factor that this plan can be their first built project, but they also had to pay attention to make it feasible and easily performed. The common thinking deepened the contact between client and designers: for the client this project was a personal story and it became an alive challenge for the students.

© András Krizsán + Alexandra Varbai

http://ift.tt/2etbEz7

Courtesy of Revolution Precrafted

Adding to their collection of pre-fabricated houses by top designers and architects, Robbie Antonio’s “Revolution Pre-Crafted” has released 3 new designs by Paulo Mendes Da Rocha + Metro, Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas, and Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie Architects.

The three designs follow Revolution Pre-Crafted’s goal of democratizing the design of pre-fab structures, as they offer a line of products that incorporate the distinct spatial and social brands of master designers. The new houses join options from architects including Zaha Hadid, Sou Fujimoto, Daniel Libeskind and Gluckman Tang.

Matilda Home by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas

Matilda Home by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. Image Courtesy of Revolution Precrafted

The idea to bring design also in common life attracted us. This is a new concept of habitat of house. It’s a mobile home it can be everywhere around the world; everybody can be a client. It’s a modular unit so many of them can be added together like a cloud. It can even be a city.

This is not an object, it is a concept, it can be a city, a landscape or simply a home. Easy to build, it can be done in different materials more or less expensive. Matilda is a completely different space since nowadays we don’t need so much storage space, you just need to have a screen. The only thing is important is to have a nice place to eat, to seat and to sleep but also this can be done with something you close when you don’t need.

Modular Glass House by Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie Architects

Modular Glass House by Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie Architects. Image Courtesy of Revolution Precrafted

The original Glass House, designed seventy years ago by Philip Johnson as his home in Connecticut, has become a classic representation of modern architecture. The Glass House was not only Philip Johnson’s private residence; it was also his viewing platform for the world. The primary function of a house is to provide for the basic need of shelter. The beauty of a glass house is that it becomes a framework for the viewing of one’s surroundings.

The modular glass house was inspired by the original but has been re‐imagined as a series of modular components that can be pre‐fabricated and shipped to any site. The design follows the principals of the original by introducing a typical window bay and structure that become the outer skin of the building. Alan Ritchie sees residing in a glass house as an enhancement of the living experience by being immersed in your natural surroundings.

Modular Living Unit by Paulo Mendes Da Rocha + Metro

Modular Living Unit by Paulo Mendez Da Rocha + Metro. Image Courtesy of Revolution Precrafted

MODULAR LIVING UNIT by PMR + METRO for Revolution Precrafted is a proposal for a prefabricated dwelling system. The project provides a multi-functional solution through the principles of reduced design grammar and refined construction technique. This flexible system can be employed in a variety of contexts and environments: urban and rural, tropical and temperate, individual and collective.

The basic living unit is 65m2 and is composed of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and two verandas. This module can be distributed over a given lot in a variety of situations, creating diverse spatial combinations through multiple units. It may also be extended to two stories.

Modular Living Unit by Paulo Mendez Da Rocha + Metro. Image Courtesy of Revolution Precrafted

A simple structural frame permits a great range of arrangements. Its composing elements are dimensioned to allow ease of transportation and to minimize the need for the use of supporting equipment during installation.

An innovative facade system is constructed of durable, fibre-reinforced Ductal® concrete panels with different levels of insulation for different climates. The tone of the concrete may also vary: white, gray and black. The interior is made of a combination of concrete, glass and wooden panels.

For more information on the designs and to see the full collection, visit Revolution Precrafted’s website, here.

News via Revolution Precrafted.

Zaha Hadid and Sou Fujimoto Among 30 to Design Pre-Fab Pavilions for Revolution Pre-Crafted
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js

http://ift.tt/2ej2zv9

© Martin Gardner

• Architects: Ström Architects
• Location: Winchester, UK
• Area: 460.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2014
• Photographs: Martin Gardner

• Structural Engineer: Barton Engineers
• Quantity Surveyor: APS Associates
• Contractor: Tim Marolia Building Contractor

© Martin Gardner

Hartrow is a substantial detached 1960s house in Winchester.

Background

We were approached by the client in 2010 to look at completely remodelling and extending the existing house – which had not been touched since the sixties and was in dire need of a complete overhaul. 

© Martin Gardner

The existing building was essentially a split 5-level house, and the original internal arrangement made no connection between the levels. There was also no connection between the inside and the outside, as both the kitchen and living areas were on the top levels.  The carport at the bottom of the house was virtually unusable due to the steep access down the side of the house.

Our brief was to transform this outdated 1960s arrangement into a 21st century family home.

© Martin Gardner

Project Design

We started by enclosing the carport under the house with large glazed sliders and turning this into a new family room with kitchen. This allows for an inside – outside connection that didn’t exist before. To avoid this family room being detached from the rest of the house, we punched a vertical hole through the five split stories. This void now allows all levels to connect through the house. 

© Martin Gardner

The existing timber cladding was in a very poor state, and needed replacing.  Poor detailing and inadequate ventilation aged this otherwise durable timber prematurely. Along with replacing timber cladding we added insulation, appropriate building paper, and allowed for adequate insulation behind the weatherboarding.

Lower Floor Plan

Top Floor Plan

Intermediate Floor Plan

The existing roof is supported on hardwood beams at 1250mm centres that run the length of the building. On top of these are 2-inch thick balsawood planks and hardboard, onto which a bituminous roof was laid. Internally, the ceiling was visually attractive, although the roof did not provide enough thermal insulation and the building suffered from overheating in the summer, whilst being very cold in winter.  We installed plenty of new insulation and replaced the existing felt roof with crisp black zinc. Internally we went to great lengths to preserve the character of the original roof and we carefully refurbished the hardwood beams and balsawood planks. We also retained the existing beech hardwood floor, which was sanded and oiled.

© Martin Gardner

We refurbished the house throughout including replacing windows, re-plumbing and re-wiring. The work was carried out in two phases and completed in the summer of 2014.

© Martin Gardner

Product Description. The sliding Reynaers glazing on the bottom floor has been instrumental in achieving the light, open, flexible space that the clients wanted. By recessing the lower and upper tracks in the ceiling and floor finishes we were able to achieve a more seamless transition from the family room to the terrace when the doors are open. When closed, the façade appears uncluttered thanks to the large size of the sliding panes that Reynaers could provide, allowing just two panes to be used for each face.  

© Martin Gardner

http://ift.tt/2ekWMn6

Courtesy of Snøhetta

The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has selected 26 architecture firms to be pre-qualified to design new public projects throughout the city’s five boroughs. In effect until 2019, these firms will be given exclusive access to Request for Proposals (RFPs) for public works projects with an estimated budget of $50 million of less. These projects will include new constructions, additions and renovations of existing public buildings, parks and plazas.

The program, known as the Design and Construction Excellence 2.0 Program, was established in 2005 to increase the efficiency and quality of procuring design services. Recent successes of the program include the Times Square pedestrian plaza by Snohetta, Dattner and WXY’s Spring Street Salt Shed, Studio Gang’s Fire Rescue 2, and BIG’s 40th precinct police station in the Bronx.

This year’s list features 12 prior participating firms, and has been divided into four categories based on company size:

Micro firms (1 to 5 professional staff, eligible for projects projected to cost up to $5 million)

• Architecture In Formation
• Body Lawson Associates
• Buro Koray Duman
• Dean/Wolf Architects
• Elmslie Osler Architect (EOA)
• G TECTS Architecture
• Gans studio
• Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture
• Sen Architects
• Slade Architecture

Small firms (6 to 20 professional staff, eligible for projects projected to cost $2 to $15 million)

• Atelier Pagnamenta Torriani
• H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
• Huff + Gooden Architects
• ikon.5 architects
• Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects
• Levenbetts
• LTL Architects
• OBRA Architects
• Rice + Lipka Architects
• Zakrzewski + Hyde Architects

Medium firms (21 to 50 professional staff, eligible for projects projected to cost $10 to $35 million)

• Allied Works Architecture
• BKSK Architects
• WEISS/MANFREDI

Large firms (Over 50 professional staff, eligible for projects projected to cost $25 to $50 million)

• Dattner Architects
• Marvel Architects
• Studio Gang

Of the 26 firms selected in this round of the program, nine are helmed by either women or people of color, as part of mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal to award 30 percent of all city contracts to Minority- or Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). Last year, $242 million dollars worth of contracts were given to minority-led groups.

For more information, visit the New York Department of Design and Construction website, here.

News via Architect’s Newspaper.

http://ift.tt/2dqDVW7

© Leonardo Finotti

• Architects: Arquea Arquitetos
• Location: Alameda Augusto Stellfeld – Centro, Curitiba – PR, 80430-140, Brazil
• Area: 370.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Leonardo Finotti

© Leonardo Finotti

From the architect. Located in a narrow site in downtown of Curitiba, the project aim the best use for a program of four studios.

Axonometric

This two-story building, have in the ground floor the parking area. The passerby can see the back of the lot from the street, creating a continuous relationship between public and private space.

© Leonardo Finotti

Arranged through a central atrium with stairways and walkways, each floor receives two apartments, one facing the street and another facing the garden. The kitchen and service areas open to the atrium, thus ensuring ventilation and natural lighting.

Section

The apartment also maintains this spatial relationship of continuity, the facade of the street is full of transparent glass. Wooden brises and curtains allow movement to the facade, give privacy and adapt to various moments of inhabiting. The life of the building and the city are connected through this closer relation created by the architecture, the result is a gentler building to the city.

© Leonardo Finotti

Plan 2

© Leonardo Finotti

The structure in reinforced concrete and masonry is unique. A prefabricated slab panel system, which functions similarly to a slab, allows the absence of beams in the front and rear edge, which makes the facade visually lighter.

© Leonardo Finotti

The choice of a palette of discreet colors: – white, black and gray; and honest materials: – concrete and wood; highlights the design of the architecture and shows the relationship of light and shadow.

© Leonardo Finotti

Cozy and provocative this small building stands out for the proportionality of form and the architectural simplicity.

http://ift.tt/2eik6DJ

© Hufton + Crow

• Architects: Studio RHE
• Location: Worship St, London, United Kingdom
• Project Director Lead: Richard Hywel Evans
• Project Architect Lead : Dickon Hayward
• Project Team: Tomos Owen, Joe Bamber, Thidaa Roberts, Tom Foster, Ben Nemeny
• Area: 240.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Hufton + Crow

• Qs: Quartz Project Services
• Contractor : Galliford Try
• Client : Resolution Property
• Interiors : Studio RHE
• Structural : Furness Partnership
• Lighting: Hoare Lee Partnership
• M&E: URS

© Hufton + Crow

The ambition was to create a modern and vibrant office space that would stand apart from its competitors by offering a compelling signature design and embracing recent changes in work culture. 

© Hufton + Crow

Section

© Hufton + Crow

The design explores the blurring of the boundaries of what constitutes typical office space by offering extensive work and social space outside tenancies in the form of the 750sqm atrium, shared leisure facilities and roof terraces. The atrium is envisioned to be a fully active space not merely an entrance route or waiting room. To ensure this a series of interventions at ground level have been installed to encourage a range of activities and uses. These include a 5m long kitchen table, a panelled library area, a fitted cafe and patisserie, meeting tables and soft furnishing.

© Hufton + Crow

Ground Floor

© Hufton + Crow

Cycling is seen as key part of modern urban living and encouraged through the creation of a large cycle store at lower ground level offering spaces for 250 bikes and adjacent changing rooms and lockers. Access to the cycle store is direct from street level via a new ramp that descends to the lower level. Glazed openings separate the ramp from the atrium allowing views of passing cyclists descending through the building that further animate the space.

© Hufton + Crow

Cycle Ramp

© Hufton + Crow

The design re-modelled the existing roof scape which clashed with the historic roof elements. In their place a new level of office space and roof terraces has been created. Materials have been selected to compliment the existing and large glazed openings created to frame the views over the city.

© Hufton + Crow

The design embraces the complexities and eccentricities inherent in the existing building rather then trying to overcome them. Exposed masonry, varying ceiling levels and level changes in floors are celebrated rather then hidden with finishes. Existing features that were previously inaccessible such as the buildings two towers have been opened up to create idiosyncratic meeting spaces. 

© Hufton + Crow

Product Description.The polished concrete effect atrium floor finish is Solacir by Grace and was installed by Floored Genius Ltd. The this resin finish provided the look we were after whilst also working well over the a varying depth of screed due to the uneven historical floor slabs

© Hufton + Crow

http://ift.tt/2eFyngg

via Business Insider. Image © Ben Jacobsen/Northeast Collaborative Architects

The Arcade Providence is 188 years old, but it’s getting its second wind. 

This classical Greek structure, which also happens to be America’s oldest shopping mall, was renovated into 48 micro-apartments and an assortment of businesses. Northeast Collaborative Architects, who led the redesign, converted the top two floors into apartments and bottom floor into commercial space. As single people increasingly contribute to a large percentage of the population, micro-apartments have proliferated as a housing solution.

Originally designed by Russell Warren and James Bucklin in 1828, the Arcade Providence is almost a monument with its grandiose columns and stone walls. Destined for closure in 2008, preservationists — who declared it a National Landmark in 1976 — fought for its revival. Now, after a 10 million dollar makeover, a whopping 4,000 people remain on the building rental’s wait-list. 

via Business Insider. Image Courtesy of Rhode Island Archive Collection

via Business Insider. Image © Ben Jacobsen/Northeast Collaborative Architects

The architects confronted the building’s antiquated infrastructure by laying down flat rocks and building atop those. The glass-gabled central atrium, which provides a golden, sunlit aesthetic, is reserved for small bars and restaurants. Each furnished micro-space includes an elevated bed, table, sofa, and TV. Kitchens are comprised of a dishwasher, microwave, and mini-fridge.

via Business Insider. Image © Ben Jacobsen/Northeast Collaborative Architects

via Business Insider. Image © Ben Jacobsen/Northeast Collaborative Architects

Arcade Providence is located in the heart of downtown Providence, so it’s close enough to restaurants and Providence nightlife. 

News via: Business Inside

http://ift.tt/2dn46BX