From Yaba in Lagos to the suburb of Bandra in Mumbai, Metropolis Magazine provides a scenic tour around the world’s “most creative” neighborhoods. Spread across ten rapidly growing cities like Cape Town and Turin, the article provides a comprehensive glimpse into these lesser discussed hubs of creativity.
Metropolis acknowledges that so-called “creative” neighborhoods are often in tension with gentrification, but highlights how the spaces within these changing areas can also increase public accessibility to the arts. This is seen in Lisbon’s Avenidas Novas which hosts the documentary film festival DocLisboa, while downtown São Paulo is identified for cultural facilities like the non-profit arts center PIVÔ which regenerate previously crime-ridden areas.
Many of these neighborhoods are also home to notable architecture, playing host to both notable buildings and the studios of current firms. The Daimyo suburb of Fukuoka for example, is not just full of bookstores and concert halls, but also close to Aldo Rossi’s Hotel Il Palazzo and housing by OMA, while A-cero’s offices are located in Malasaña, Madrid, surrounded by other design firms and fabrication facilities.
To see Metropolis Magazine‘s full ranking of the ten most creative neighborhoods in the world–and to find out more about each one–read the full piece here.
Picture an Irish country house nestled in the gently rolling hills of the County Cork. The client, a neurologist and psychiatrist, wanted to extend the house to include new living quarters and a master bedroom. In addition to the spatial extension, the new master bedroom is designed both to rest elevated on the neighboring hillside to get the best view of the wild-romantic Irish landscape, as well as to embed the house even stronger into the surrounding area.
The new extension now connects directly to the existing building and stretches to the northerly hillside. At the foot of the small hill the house is bent vertically upwards. The new space uses the shape of the existing building as a springboard and develops it further into an expressive sculpture. This evolution results in intriguing spatial situations and relationships: The alternating legibility between classic house and expressive sculpture results in a harmonic yet iconographic building ensemble. The new relationships between the surrounding landscape and the generous flowing space enrich the living experience and contrast with the existing cottage.
Section
In the interior the distinctive bend of the existing cottage roof is mirrored in a new undulating spatial layer. The curved stair elements connect the living area on the ground floor with the elevated master bedroom up on the hillside. Underneath partially sunken into the earth the bathroom is designed as a ‘color-space’ contrasting the green of the Irish landscape. A generous opening connects the existing house and the new extension.
Prior to embarking on the architectural design, BDG undertook a strategic review of Ogilvy and MEC, through our Assess, Audit and Align process, this included a review of relevant future working; benchmarking against similar organisations; analysing the current workplaces and shortlisted buildings; mapping movement patterns, establishing a hierarchy of spaces.
All of the above analysis was compiled into a future working model, based on a more empowered culture of working in a dynamic environment with collaborative working and a common spatial culture.
The chosen building, Sea Containers, has undergone a major refurbishment to provide a new office and hotel building, with Ogilvy and MEC the office tenants. 50% of their space has been taken from Shell + Core to enable the design team to influence the space in a more cost effective and architectural manner.
Plan
The team has created state of the art flexible workspace – boldly pushing the boundaries of commercial interior architecture.
The project questions all aspects of what commercial environments can offer by setting its sights high and drawing on examples from other landmark buildings along the Southbank.
The Sea Containers building offers its users an environment as culturally stimulating as the Hayward Gallery with the quality of the National Theatre and a catering offer to rival the Oxo tower.
From the architect. When the employer began discussions about the project with the architectural group in May 2015, he intended to have a building designed with details as follows: a seven-storey building with steel structure consisting of one underground floor for parking lots, storerooms, boiler room; the ground floor allocated to parking lots; as well as five other floors with one apartment of 165 sqm in area and with three bedrooms on each floor, creating a total built area of 1365 m2 with an external view in compliance with necessary standards to improve qualities of living spaces, allocating a limited budget and accelerating the project to sell the apartments as soon as possible.
At first we embarked on designing plans taking into consideration the preset steel structure, which was in process of construction, and protection of the access box and heights of floors. Next, because of the budget allocated by the employer, we planned split units as chilling facilities and private packages of heating systems for independent use of every apartment.
Courtesy of Alidoost and Partners
Finally, as the considered building is blocked on three sides and the building can use the sun light only from the south side, and as the employer decided to sell the apartments at soonest possible time, not only we were to pay attention to the planning and spatial relationships, but also to create a distinguished beautiful external view.
With a glance at the invaluable Iranian architecture, we presented the design with objectives as follows:
To use traditional patterns to create an architecture consistent with needs of the today’s community; to pay attention to simplicity and homogeneity with the surrounding texture; to use functional elements of Iranian architecture, such as “SHOBAK” and “OROSI” to adjust light and to create privacy at home; and to pay attention to appropriate outside views from inside.
After summing up of the above, the design was made with three steps: (1) To allow light to go to the apartments; (2) To create privacy; and (3) To create appropriate outside views from inside. Therefore, a transparent module and a latticed module were used on every floor to adjust the rate of light penetration into the apartments. On the other hand we considered penetration rate of sunlight into the apartments, adjusted light, created shades, and diversified internal areas by using aluminum latticed plates together with a texture cut by CNC to reduce sunlight during the day and to create pleasant varied spaces for inhabitants with adjustments of shades.
Courtesy of Alidoost and Partners
Finally, we paid attention to the ramps existing in the courtyard to access the ground and underground floors as parking lots and, as there was no sufficient green space, we tried to increase the per capita green space. Therefore, we decided to distribute flower boxes on floors not only to provide the least green space but also to create a relatively nice space in accordance with the urban texture. Therefore, we tried to bring back some part of the external finishing in order to create a place for a small tree to provide the apartments with green spaces. This contributed to create a nicer view for passers-by, on one hand, and to provide the inhabitants with the green space created in their own homes.
To use traditional patterns to create an architecture consistent with needs of the today’s community; to pay attention to simplicity and homogeneity with the surrounding texture; to use functional elements of Iranian architecture, such as “SHOBAK” and “OROSI” to adjust light and to create privacy at home; and to pay attention to appropriate outside views from inside.
From the architect. This house, whose name refers to the brightest star in the Aquila constellation, is located in Cap-à-l'Aigle, in the region of Charlevoix. Altaïr means “The Flying Eagle.” What makes the house stand out is its “V” shape and long facades that are suspended over nature. While discrete from the street and closed to the north, it unfolds toward the river, as though to take flight.
Regarding the form, two longitudinal prisms are laid up one on top of the other. A voluntary misalignment allows contemplation of the scenery. The long glass facades provide different perspectives and framings of the river, the forest, and the city of Malbaie below.
1st Floor Plan
2nd Floor Plan
Close up, the house remains mysterious, as it is camouflaged by the trees. The second floor massing casts over the entrance for protection. The hall faces a large south-facing window with a view onto the cement pool, which seems to extend out to the river. The first floor has a guest wing, as well as a living room. The expended steel staircase is inviting and bright, and leads to the living areas.
The second floor is cantilevered and protrudes toward the river. The living areas succeed one another, and the completely open space provides a breathtaking view of the horizon. A vast terrace was built on the roof of the lower floor. The master suite is also located on this floor, slightly set back in the woods.
In terms of material, both storeys are covered with a grey wooden facing. The facades that are hidden or protected by the roof over-hangs are covered with Western cedar. This warm wood extends indoors to the ceiling, emphasising the continuation effect from the inside out.
Committing your firm to BIM may seem daunting, especially with the time and cost investments that come with adopting new sets of software and a new workflow. There are hidden parallels however, between BIM and other processes within a firm, and therefore these changes to a new way of working may not be as demanding as they first seem. Here are five ways you may already be halfway to BIM.
When you draw a wall, you don’t think of it just as a set of lines, but as a real wall; BIM works the same way. The object-based system used by BIM means it shares the same understanding you have of the real-world translations and behaviors of 2D representations. More than just a collection of lines, BIM knows there’s more than just one dimension to building components, helping you accurately model and understand how each element works in your design. For a quick overview of BIM, watch this BIM 101 video.
There have been a plethora of improvements to communication taken up by firms over the years. From familiar old-school aids like speed dial to more recent platforms like Google Chat, Facebook groups and Slack, office communication has come a long way since the Rolodex. Whatever systems you are using in your firm, chances are they are already improving communication. BIM could easily be considered a part of this improvement – the engineer may only be a speed dial away, but the sharing of changes within a collaborative model can be just as instantaneous, and often more accurate.
Courtesy of Autodesk
3. You’re Already Making the Wise Investments Required
Time and cost investments are an inevitable part of adopting a new system. But from small changes such as a new computer operating system to big moves such as a new office, investing smartly is a natural part of any firm’s growth. A switch to BIM often involves three key changes: new hardware, new software and staff training, and for many firms, one or more of these three things is probably already high on the wish list. It may therefore be possible to make these investments with BIM in mind. You can learn more about the strategic ROI of BIM for architecture firms here.
4. Clients Are Ready for BIM
In architecture, things that once seemed like new, useful but ultimately unnecessary additions to your practice can quickly become indispensable tools; this is rarely as true as when the new tool helps you communicate with your client more effectively. If your clients aren’t aware of BIM and the advantages it brings, they can’t tell you how much of an improvement it would be. By providing clients with accurate visualizations and 3D models they can understand more easily, you might find out just how ready they were for BIM, even if they didn’t realize it. Just as clients these days expect emails instead of snail mail and computers instead of (or at least alongside) drawing boards, BIM is the latest step in expectations of technology.
Courtesy of Autodesk
5. Someone’s Doing the Boring Stuff
Whether it’s you or someone else, or even a whole variety of people depending on the project, there are people in your firm who are carrying out the boring jobs – changing annotations, checking scales, updating page numbers and sheet indexes. It is almost certain that they are very much ready to give these tedious jobs to someone else – or to BIM. Ask around your colleagues; by taking care of the housekeeping with automatic, coordinated updates across drawing sets, someone in the firm is likely to be especially ready for BIM.
The Fallen Leaf, designed by Eric Rodrigues, has been named the first-place winner of the competition for the new Sylvan open air theatre in Cherkasy City Park, Ukraine. With a plan to demolish the old building, the new theatre is inspired by nature: it integrates into the landscape of the Cherkasy municipal park and uses only natural and locally sourced stone and wood. The form of the glue laminated timber roof is that of a falling leaf, whose organic slope helps to enhance the theatre’s acoustics.
Courtesy of Eric Rodrigues
Further strengthening the design’s acoustics and relationship to site, the theatre works below ground level, with an auditorium that holds 700 people. On the lower level, a courtyard provides natural light and ventilation and can also accommodate a bar setup. Also underground is the backstage area, including storage, changing rooms, and restrooms. Two areas accommodate guests with disabilities at the ground and lower levels.
Courtesy of Eric Rodrigues
The design uses the natural slope of the site to augment seating capacity, which spans from the built theatre onto the green slope. The seating area is defined by concrete-supported soil and vegetation, blending the building into the landscape.
Total Engineer Team RSVP has unveiled the renovation design for the Main Building of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, which, once completed, will be the most sustainable university building in the world. On September 27, the design was awarded as BREEAM Outstanding under the BREEAM-NL sustainability label of the Netherlands, with a score of 93.86%.
The university building, which will be called Atlas upon completion, was designed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of Team V (architect), Van Rossum (construction engineer), Valstar Simonis (building installations engineer), and Peutz (building physics engineer and sustainability expert).
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
We are really proud of and pleased with this result, says Jo van Ham, vice-president of the TU/e executive board. Sustainability is a hugely important theme in our education and research, and this also means taking the lead in terms of our buildings and operations. We have been investing extra in sustainability for fifteen years now, with campus-wide geothermal storage one of the outcomes. This geothermal system is one of the biggest in Europe.
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
This geothermal system will replace the building’s previous gas connection, and will work alongside solar panels, which will provide energy to cover most of the building’s power requirements.
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
The building will additionally feature smart and efficient LED lighting—controllable by users via an app—as well as a triple-glazed curtain wall paired with interior sun blinds, and a “night flush” system that will side windows outwards during summer nights in order to cool the building and purify the air.
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
In combination, all of these sustainability initiatives will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the building by 80 percent, even though the number of users in the building will more than double after the renovation.
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Courtesy of Team V Architecture
Upon completion in the summer of 2018, the Atlas building will function as a living lab for research on innovative and sustainable technologies.
From the architect. The Walter & Leonore Annenberg Center for Information Science and Technology (IST) is a 46,000 sf research facility designed as home to participants of the IST Initiative, a program of interdisciplinary research that addresses the growth and impact of information science as it relates to all science and engineering practices. Participants in this initiative migrate from all parts of the campus, representing all Colleges of Science and Engineering at Caltech.
The aim of the facility is to foster collaboration, research and teaching intrinsic to this new academic discipline. The building was planned as an immediately accessible plaza of group teaching, learning and working spaces on the ground level supporting a two story research center.
Schematic Model
Glass walls make the ground level an active, connected environment. The upper two levels contain faculty and graduate student offices and studios, designed for the project teamwork which is at the core of the University’s educational and research activities.
Flexible studios open onto a two story atrium that acts as a “town square”, furnished for casual gathering, events and study. Upper levels are also interconnected by a two story “resident lounge” that functions as an updated faculty club with dramatic views of the mountains and campus walkway. FFP incorporated green materials and fixtures such as those made from certified wood & recycled content, low VOC paints and carpet, waterless urinals, and a white roof system.
A great focus was placed on the individual comfort of the professors that will have offices in the IST Center. In addition, operable windows have been included in these spaces to maximize thermal comfort and personal control.
Site Plan
This LEED Gold project was awarded “Best in Show” honors from the Los Angeles Chapter of the USGBC at their 2011 Sustainable Innovation Awards.
Images by: Virgile Simon Bertrand, Owencn_95, Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects, Thomas Mayer, Khoo Guo Jie
As Zaha Hadid’s successor and current leader of the firm, Schumacher relays a host of opinions, including those on parametricism, which he deems the “architectural style of capitalism.” The term describes the avant-garde practice that uses digital animation to create equations for designs. Patrik Schumacher, who coined this term in 2008, believes this style extracts doubt from the design process, relying instead on the infallibility of science.
I discovered that my own drive and passion for architecture and for the progress of our discipline — together with the enthusiasm and commitment of our staff — can propel us forward without loss of momentum, says architect Patrik Schumacher in The Guardian’s My Blueprint for the Future.
Now parametricism is expanding into products and clothes. “The Extraordinary Process,” a new exhibition at the London gallery Maison Mais Non, centers on innovative technologies in fashion design. Schumacher has personally created two dinner jackets for himself that use “zippers, and leather in particular zones, and lightness and perforations in zones where you might perspire more.” Check out these designs and more on Schumacher’s thoughts here.
Sig Nordal 