The Illuminated River Foundation has announced a shortlist of six firms that will compete to design a new permanent light installation along the Thames River in London. From a pool of 105 teams (made up of 346 different firms), the winners were selected based on experience, past projects and team composition. The six finalists will now continue on to develop lighting schemes for the Westminster, Waterloo, London and Chelsea Bridges, as well as a design masterplan for the 17 iconic London bridges between Albert and Tower.
Continue reading to see the list of six finalists.
The six finalist teams (listed alphabetically) are :
Adjaye Associates with Chris Ofili, Thukral & Tagra, Doug Aitken, AKTII, HPF (Hurley Palmer Flatt), Four Communications, DP9, Plan A and DHA Designs
A_LA with Asif Kapadia, Simon Stephens, SEAM Design and GROSS.MAX
Diller Scofidio + Renfro with L’Observatoire International, Arup, Transsolar, Jennifer Tipton and Oliver Beer
Les Éclairagistes Associés with ecqi, ewo, Federico Pietrella, and GVA Lighting Europe Limited
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands with Future\Pace, Leo Villareal, Pentagram, Price & Myers, Atelier Ten, Beckett Rankine and Core Five
Sam Jacob Studio and Simon Heijdens with Electrolight, Daisy Froud and Elliott Wood
“The final shortlist represents an exhilarating mix of talent, inspiration and design approach,” said Hannah Rothschild, Chair of the Illuminated River Foundation.
The competition brief also calls special attention to the environmental impact of the design, challenging teams to create “an elegant and charismatic light installation that will be forward-thinking and environmentally-friendly, enhancing the capital’s status as a low carbon beacon and a world leader in cutting edge technology and engineering.”
Organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants, the competition will be judged by a world-class jury including names such as artists James Turrell and Sir Michael Craig-Martin and Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, former director of the Serpentine Galleries.
The project is supported by a coalition of stakeholders including the Mayor of London, the City of London, Westminster City Council, Transport for London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Network Rail. The Illuminated River Foundation is expected to raise around £20m from private sources to support the implementation of the design.
The final conceptual proposals will be released in November in London and online, with a winner to be announced in early December.
More information can be found on the competition website, here.
From the architect. The new swimming pool and the studio are built in the back of the courtyard of an existing house. The studio is a pure volume that flies over the pool, facing the existing house. The pool is proposed as a sheet of water at the same level as the terrace.
The studio is a white frame that flies above the pool and holds a reading area and a toilet. The access is proposed by a porch that leads to a wood wall with two build-in doors.
Last year, we asked the graduating students among the ArchDaily community to show us the design-build projects which they may have completed as part of their studies. The response we received was astonishing, and we were so impressed with the results that we simply had to do it again this year. So, two months ago we once again teamed up with ArchDaily Brasil andallfourArchDailyen Español sites to put out another call for submissions, and once again the response was overwhelming. Across over 100 submissions, the quality of the projects we received was so high that this year’s results are bigger and better, containing 36 projects from 20 different countries. So, read on for the best student-built work from around the world in 2016.
Project Title: Project O (Hongkong Baptist University) Tutors: Peter Benz, Dr. Siu Kee Ho, Dr. Momo Leung, Kalen Lee Students: Frank Chan Country: Hong Kong, China
Project O (Hongkong Baptist University). Image Courtesy of Frank Chan
The whimsical “Project Circle” captures multiple ideas about architectural space and form, interaction and play. The attention-grabbing orange fabric seats “cocoon” the user in their individual pods, while the circular configuration of the seats encourages interaction between the different users. At the same time, the circular form of the pavilion interacts with the circular motifs of a basketball court, its site. At the center of the circle, a convex mirror reflects the sky above and plays with the user’s perception.
Project Title: LIMÓNagua (UNAM) Tutors: Taller Juan O’Gorman, Facultad de Arquitectura UNAM Students: María José Barrera Pavón, Nicole Galván, Priscila Quintanilla, Daniel Kaufmann, Primitivo Arquitectura, Diseño Elemental / Karina Manriquez, RGH arquitectura / Roberto Gómez, Adlai arquitectura & diseño / Adlai Pulido, Escuela Libre de Arquitectura Country: Mexico
LIMÓNagua (UNAM). Image Courtesy of LIMÓNagua
To mark Parking Day Mexico 2015, LIMÓNagua converted a parking space into a human space, giving the opportunity for passersby, even for just one day, to take precedence over automobiles. The proposal consists of 70 pallets stacked strategically to generate a hydraulic system in which water can be pumped manually to simulate the complex process of bringing water to Mexico City.
Project Title: TwoXTwo (Iowa State University) Studio Name: ARCH202 – Studio Tutors: Nick Senske, Correa-Diaz, Hur, Palermo, Wheeler Students: 77 students of the ARCH202 Spring 2016 Class Country: USA
TwoXTwo (Iowa State University). Image Courtesy of Nick Senske
TwoXTwo is an in-depth exercise towards an understanding of public space through the rethinking of formal proportions and conventions of program and privacy. The project is primarily composed of 2×2 lumber pieces. The final assembly appears as a kinetic and continuous surface that incorporates various spatial qualities such as inclines, overhangs, ledges and pockets. Similar in form, SHoP Architects’ Dunescape served as major inspiration to the project.
Project Title: UWE Digital Design Research Unit Pavilion 2016 (University of the West of England) Tutors: John Harding, Scott Hills, Olga Kravchenko Students: Raymonde Bieler, Paul Cooper, Lee Bartholomew, Shadie Elyaei Country: UK
UWE Digital Design Research Unit Pavilion 2016 (University of the West of England). Image Courtesy of John Harding
As part of the university’s year-end show, a group of undergraduate students partnered with local firm Format Engineers were tasked with the creation of a pavilion. The task was to demonstrate the benefits of parametric design and digital fabrication by devising a low cost but structurally efficient method of construction. Forming a dynamic double-curved shell structure, the pavilion is constructed with straight strips of 6 millimeter birch plywood that are woven together along geodesics.
Project Title: Erizo PEI (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña y Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) Studio Name: Taller en Morfología Estructural Tutors:SMiA Research Group / Omar Avellaneda, Natalia Torres, Diana Peña Students: Estudiantes del programa PEI 2015 de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Colombia Country: Barcelona, Spain – Bogotá, Colombia
The Erizo PEI Pavilion comprises a convex surface created from a system of straight articulated bars. The pavilion is the result of doctoral research into deployable structures with articulated bar systems, and possible methods of motion control. The Erizo PEI Pavilion develops these features through joints and rods, generating a fast and versatile method of assembly and disassembly.
Project Title: Ebenezer Gate Pocket Park (University of the West of England) Studio Name: Master of Architecture Course Tutors: Dr Rachel Sara, Mr Matthew Jones, Ms Sally Daniels, Ms Ann de Graft-Johnson Students: Ieva Zetlline, Anna Blamire-Brown, Connie Gregory Country: UK
Ebenezer Gate Pocket Park (University of the West of England). Image Courtesy of Rachel Sara
The Pocket Park concept was born out of an initiative to regenerate abandoned pockets of urban space in order to benefit the local community. After the identification of the site at Ebenezer Gate, and the subsequent active community consultation, a “storytelling space” among greenery was conceptualized. In form, the project consists of various iterations of a sinuous timber bench with an A-Frame structure which allows it to be cut easily and tailored to site-specific dimensions. The “park” continues to be a well-used space with regular public programming.
Project Title: The Paper Cocoon Pavilion (Ho Chi Minh University of Architecture) Country: Vietnam
Every year, handhome.net runs an annual exhibition in Vietnam with the goal of connecting the older generation of architects in the country with students. Using bamboo sticks and traditional Vietnamese poonah paper, architect Nguyen Hoa Hiep of a21 Studio collaborated with students at Ho Chi Minh University to design a pavilion that references the different cocoons found in nature. A process of paper mache, modeled after the traditional Vietnamese craft of lion heads and masks, was used to construct the pavilion.
Project Title: Pabellón Experimental Moriko Studio Name: Grid Shell Workshop Tutors: Eric Valdez, Fernando Flores Students: Paola Tovar, Yoshio Fukumori and a team of 35 students from the Taller José Villagrán García Country: Mexico
This experimental pavilion seeks to not only demonstrate the benefits of using digital tools in the design process, but also to show the applicability of wood as a renewable building material capable of generating highly complex geometric shapes.
Project Title: ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 (University of Stuttgart) Studio Name: ICD Institute for Computational Design + ITKEInstitute of Building Structures and Structural Design Tutors: Prof. Achim Menges, Prof. Jan Knipers, Prof. Oliver Betz, Prof. James Nebelsick Students: Simon Bechert, Oliver David Krieg, Tobias Schwinn, Daniel Sonntag, Martin Alvarez, Jan Brütting, Sean Campbell, Mariia Chumak, Hojoong Chung, Joshua Few, Eliane Herter, Rebecca Jaroszewski, Ting-Chun Kao, Dongil Kim, Kuan-Ting Lai, Seojoo Lee, Riccardo Manitta, Erik Martinez, Artyom Maxim, Masih Imani Nia, Andres Obregon, Luigi Olivieri, Thu Nguyen Phuoc, Giuseppe Pultrone, Jasmin Sadegh, Jenny Shen, Michael Sveiven, Julian Wengzinek, Alexander Wolkow, Long Nguyen, Michael Preisack, and Lauren Vasey. Country: Germany
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 (University of Stuttgart). Image Courtesy of Oliver Krieg
A group of masters students at the University of Stuttgart presented their research findings as a pavilion. As a collaborative effort between various departments at the University including Computational Design, and Architectural Design Research, the pavilion encompasses work on various research topics such as Biomimetic Investigation into Shell Structures, Employing the Material and Structural Logic of Wood and Robotic Sewing for Segmented Timber Shells. The Pavilion is the first of its kind to employ the industrial sewing of wood elements on an architectural scale, resulting in a whimsical organic form.
Project Title: Woodquay Public Parklet (University of Limerick) Students: Hottmar Loch Country: Ireland
Woodquay Public Parklet (University of Limerick). Image Courtesy of Hottmar Loch
“Imaginative Neighborhood Woodquay” is a community design process that has been ongoing since 2013. It is led by the Adaptive Governance Lab (AGL) at the School of Architecture at University of Limerick. Together with Galway City Council, the teams work with the Woodquay Residents and Business Association, to ask them their opinion on what they want to see happen in Galway City as a whole, and how they wanted to revive their local area. Over the summer of 2015, as a part of the Adaptive Governance Lab, the team went back to the community of Woodquay and sought to create a new urban prototype of a temporary outdoor seating installation that would allow them to show the local community and the local authorities the importance of emphasizing human lives in cities, in the hopes of inspiring more permanent change in the future.
Project Title: Sensory Pavilion (University of Kansas) Studio Name: Dirt Works Studio Tutors: Chad Kraus Students: Anna Collins, Kelli Dillion, Nick Faust, Patrick Griffin, Tanner Hyland, Alexa Kaczor, Joseph Kaftan, Stephen McEnery, Caitlin McKaughan, Jeshua Monarres, Jarad Mundil, Dillon Park, Spencer Reed, Shummer Roddick, McKenzie Samp, John Schwarz, Mitchell Starrs, Elayna Svigos, Hannah Underwood, and Jeremy Weiland. Country: USA
Located in the Audio-Reader Sensory Garden which contain plants with interesting textures, fragrant herbs and the chirping birds, the design team was tasked with replacing a derelict gazebo. In its replacement is an “Open-Air Sensory Pavilion” that has been nestled within the garden and constructed in a way that adds to the sensory stimulation provided by the park. The smell of the building materials, charred wood and rammed earth, fills the air, and there is contrast between the wooden and earthen elements. An interesting mix of shadows are created by the pavilion’s form and the rear screen admits light and frames views.
Project Title: Tesis Uno en Uno Studio Name: Taller Mediterráneo Tutors: Arq Alejandro Cohen, Adj. Arq. Cristian Nanzer, Tutora Arq. Maria Fernandez Saiz Students: Lista Pablo Adolfo, Torchio Maximiliano, Vega Ojeda Marcos, Veglio Diego Country: Argentina
Tesis Uno en Uno. Image Courtesy of Stefania Torchio, Santiago Iribarne Wynne
The project is part of a study in Tensegrity systems, in which tensile and compressive forces are balanced with a hinge connecting the two forces, resulting in a more stable mechanism to deploy the space. The product is a systemic architecture, formed from structure and skin. The structure is composed of bars providing compressive strength and steel cables tensile strength, joined by the hinge piece which is a structural and mechanical system itself. The skin is a tensioned diaphragm, designed to be appropriate for the weather.
Project Title: Seminar House Pavilion 2016 (Kingston University) Tutors: Takeshi Hayatsu, Simon Jones Students: Postgraduate architecture students of Unit 5 from Kingston University Country: UK
Seminar House Pavilion 2016 (Kingston University). Image Courtesy of Etienne Wijnen
Following a field trip to Nagano and Tokyo, a group of postgraduate students set out to create a pavilion to be erected in the garden of Dorich House Museum. In workshops with Japanese architect and professor Terunobu Fujimori, the students were exposed to less obvious precedents of Japanese architecture: known as the “Red School” the works were characterized as “raw, tactile, sometimes improvised; sometimes self built, invariably using elemental, natural materials and very often ‘odd’ to Western eyes.” Specific typologies included teahouses, timber castles, and self-built concrete houses, and the students derived techniques such as sandwich panel timber construction as well as zinc and timber cladding to build their own pavilion—an elevated public room with a garden terrace.
Project Title: 80/35 Pavilion (Iowa State University) Studio Name: Interdisciplinary Spring Option Studio 2016 Tutors: Shelby Doyle Students: Alexandra Abreu, Rahul Attraya, Nicole Behnke, Tom Bos, Cole Davis, Shaohua Dong, Hannah Greenfield, Donald Hull, Kaitlin Izer, Makaela Jimmerson, Bryan Johnson, Joshua Neff, Nate Peters, Kelsie Stopak, Coralis Rodriguez-Torres, Kyle Vansice Country: USA
80/35 Pavilion (Iowa State University). Image Courtesy of Shelby Doyle
At the 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines, this gridded sinuous structure is a light-reactive installation that glows in response to the surrounding music, thereby augmenting the festival atmosphere in real-time through the blending of design, music, light, and color. In addition, the pavilion also provides shade and seating. The design is composed of 6,500 pieces cut on a CNC router. An interdisciplinary team of undergraduate design students in architecture, industrial design and interiors receives credit for this project.
Project Title: NYMBÚ, Módulo observatorio de aves Tutors: Peter Seinfeld, Felipe Ferrer Students: Andrea Castro Carbajal, Noelia Silva Mesones, Santiago Silva-Santisteban, Ailed Tejada Álvarez, Sammy Tejada Salazar Country: Peru
NYMBÚ, Módulo observatorio de aves. Image Courtesy of NYMBÚ
The aim of this workshop course was to design and build temporary prototype modules capable of promoting tourism in Cusco, Perú. The joints holding the bamboo together are digitally designed and then carved by a CNC machine. The angling and shape of these joints allow the bamboo to achieve the structure’s desired form, which is that of a “nest” with an organic and arboreal appearance that blends into its natural surroundings.
Project Title: Kokoon (Aalto University School of Arts Design and Architecture) Studio Name: Wood Program Studio 2015-16 Tutors: Pekka Heikkinen, Philip Tidwell, Willem van Bolderen Students: Alexander Rantanen Barstad, Akın Cakıroglu, Eduardo Wiegand, Ignacio Traver Lafuente, Ivan Segato, Käbi Noodapera Ramel, Kristin Ekkerhaugen, Léa Pfister, María Inés Quirarte, Nicklas Ivarsson, Satoshi Iiyama, Sini Koskinen, Stephanie Jazmines, Taeho Noh, Tanja Vallaster, Tomoyo Nakamura, Toni Lahti, Yuko Konse Country: Finland
The built component of this project is just a few modules of a much larger system—a transportable and prefabricated system that was designed by the students of Aalto University as a response to Finland’s current housing situation and its lack of temporary housing for asylum seekers, students and families whose homes are undergoing necessary renovation. The modular units, meant to demonstrate the flexibility of the system towards various configurations, can be viewed in the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki.
Project Title: Duna.Birtdwatching (Bergen Architecture School + Slovak University of Technology) Students: 10 second year students and 15 fifth year students Country: Norway + Slovakia
Duna.Birtdwatching (Bergen Architecture School + Slovak University of Technology). Image Courtesy of Emma Voisin Isdahl
The project’s site along the Danube River in Dunau, 25 kilometers away from Bratislava is well known for its recreational use as an international bike route and as a wildlife reservoir where visitors can observe migratory birds year-round. The project appears like landscape itself, and from the sidewalk pedestrians are invitingly led up to the roof of the structure.The wall extruded from the surface’s smooth curve and the metal railing define the path leading up to the roof. When visitors reach the top, they are welcomed into a larger seating area facing the horizon. Underneath the curve is another room that can be used for lounging and enjoying the site’s views from a different perspective.
Project Title: K-OS / Estructura Recíproca (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú) Tutors: Peter Seinfeld, Felipe Ferrer Students: Nathalie Muñoz Vilcapoma, Xymena Nino Cabrera, Julissa Paredes Cóndor, Lucía Patiño Torres, Néstor Purizaga Patiño, Noelia Valderrama Beizaga Country: Peru
K-OS / Estructura Recíproca (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú). Image Courtesy of Néstor Purizaga Patiño
The K-OS / Estructura Recíproca project emerges from the analysis and exploration of systems, materiality, customs, traditions and ways of life in the lush jungle of Pucallpa, Peru. The brief was simply to create a space free from program, but using techniques developed from the research topics. The proposal stems from the fabrics of the Shipibo people, with the patterns, colors and ways to achieve them taken as a starting point. Conducted parallel to this was an investigation into the materiality and construction systems typical of the houses in the area.
Project Title: Ground Ears (PGUAS) Studio Name: team VESCH! Country: Russia
Ground Ears (PGUAS). Image Courtesy of team VESCH!
Ground Ears is an interesting example of “human-scaled architecture.” As team VESCH! writes: “In the forest we all want to feel nature, so we decided to give to the modern citizen the opportunity to listen to the sounds of the Earth.” Built for the “WAFEst Festival” in Russia, the project harnesses acoustic design in architecture which allows the plywood installation to concentrate and enhance the sounds of the forest. All the user has to do is stand in the center while the installation focuses the sound towards his or her ears.
Project Title: (Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG) Tutors: Bráulio Romeiro Students: Aira Fontenelle, Aline Lopes, Gabriela Vilela, Letícia Mastrela, Luccas Chaves Country: Brazil
Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG. Image Courtesy of Luccas Chaves
This project consists of a shelter for resting and contemplation able to host up to six people. The project, which presents formal and plastic ability, was built with bamboo structure, rope and textile to to reinforce the frame and create a shaded environment.
Project Title: HOUSE 1 (EPFL Lausanne) Studio Name: ALICE (Atelier de la Conception de L’Espace) Tutors: Dietder Dietz, Daniel Zamarbide, Raffael Baur, Edouard Cabay, Laurent Chassot, Nicolas Durr, Margherita Del Grosso, Alexa den Hartog Stéphane Grandgirard, Patricia Guaita, Agathe Mignon, Andrea Pellacani, Laura Perez Lupi, Anne-Chantal Rufer, Wynd van der Woude with Thibaud Smith Students: 200 1st year students at EPFL Country: Switzerland
As the team writes: “HOUSE 1 is an architectural installation, based on an experimental format for collaborative design.” The project began with a base “proto-structure” that dictates the different zones of House 1. Under the leadership of 12 studio directors, EPFL’s architecture students were divided into smaller teams that were responsible for a specific room (providing habitation) or a transitional space (providing connectivity) in the structure. Through the heterogeneous quality of the finished product, they hope that the resulting architecture should read as “an unfolding evolution of a space that invokes questions, contains possibilities, and is open for interpretation.”
Project Title: Tubotella (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú) Tutors: Peter Seinfeld, Felipe Ferrer Students: Marcelo Bettocchi, Isabela González, Ana Lucia Velarde Country: Peru
The project was designed from two elements: plastic bottles and Tetra Pak, elements which are abundant in everyday trash. The design takes advantage of the strength of the plastic for the structure and the layered material of the Tetra Pak for enclosure. The cost of the structure is almost nothing, but still manages to be practical and multipurpose. It takes advantage of each of the elements recycled.
Project Title: DIA 3D Jewelry Pavilion (Dessau International Architecture Graduate School) Studio Name: Cadlogic introDigital Fabrication Tutors: Karim Soliman Students: Orlen Ramzoti, Nabil Rajjoub, Ilya Safronov Country: Germany
Constructed entirely out of 6-millimeter-thick cardboard and fastened with plastic zip ties, this installation demonstrates an economical approach to the typology of temporary pavilions. Due to budgetary constraints, every cardboard sheet had to be cut by hand. Programatically, the structure serves to exhibit 3D-printed plastic jewelry. The challenge for the students was to reconcile two opposing scales—the pavilion, as a whole, must be large enough to be attractive in its location, but to articulate itself in a smaller scale to display the jewelry beautifully. This duality is further shown in the contrast between the characters of the interior against the exterior.
Project Title: Kitchen21(TU Wien Institute for Architecture and Design) Tutors: Sami Rintala, Johannes Paar, Julian Nocker Students: Rouzbeh Abdollahzadeh Lahiji, Gizem Atac Önal, Yusuf Aytas, Sarah Katharina Beyer, Anna Boustani, Betül Boyacioglu, Adil Cinar, Jana Chlupová, Julia Fuchshuber, Bianca Gamser, Vadim Ghiorghiu, Elis Hackaj, Mireille Hohlbaum, Julia Brigitte Kanz, Stephanie Koppensteiner, Samuel Métraux, Kadri Muzaqi, Pavel Nikolov, Julian Nocker, Agnes Pachucki, Irina Pardametz, Julia Puchegger, Charlie Rauchs, Lorenz Schreiner, Veronika Sevcikova, Thomas Sommerauer, Viktoria Stöhr, Ömer Telli Sait, Cristina Vlascici Country: Austria
Kitchen21 is composed of three separate pavilions with a common connecting platform. In a 12-day workshop, 29 students designed and realized this complex containing a cooking pavilion, a seating pavilion, and a stage pavilion while simultaneously giving new meaning to the architectural concept of “in-situ construction.” Only the project’s use, the perimeters of the site, simple manual tools and material were fixed as a starting point of the workshop. The design, the allocation of resources and construction management were all improvised by the students. With spaces for performance, food preparation, and a place to gather and lounge the project serves as a social catalyst for unplanned low-threshold events like mini concerts and cookouts in its location in the market of Floridsdorf, a suburb of Vienna.
Project Title: BICHO VI (Universidad de Monterrey UDEM) Tutors: Daniela Frogheri, Alberto Estévez Escalera Students: Alejandra Meléndez Elizondo, Ana Patricia Garrido Chávez, Lyz Andrea Ezeta Villarreal, Carlos Andrés Huerta Fernández, Daniela Martínez Chapa, Joshua Ascencio, Karla Cecilia Oviedo González, Katia Lizeth Carbajal Monroy, Lorena Guadalupe Cavazos Muñoz, Rodrigo Gastélum Garza, Sergio Gustavo Parroquin Sansores Country: Mexico
BICHO VI (Universidad de Monterrey UDEM). Image Courtesy of Ana Patricia Garrido Chávez, Fab Lab Monterrey
The project consists of flexible elements, invited by the development of studies into bending wood, either through cuts on the surfaces of the pieces, or by using very thin plates and taking advantage of the flexibility of the material itself. The result was a wooden pavilion, generated through geometric algorithms using Rhinoceros, Grasshopper and Python, whose pieces—in spite of their curvature—are all still workable. Its shape allows bending following the grain of the material, or through laser cutting, using a system which reads the isocurves to generate the cutting pattern.
Project Title: OverCast (University of Pennsylvania) Studio Name: ARCH501 Pavilion Competition Tutors: Mohammad Alkhayer, Andrew Saunders Students: Ruoning Deng, Margaret Gregg, Siyi Li, Yuntao Xu Country: USA
OverCast (University of Pennsylvania). Image Courtesy of Margaret Gregg
OverCast is the winning proposal in the collaboration between PennDesign at the University of Pennsylvania and the Russel Wright Design Center. To celebrate the legacy of the late industrial designer, first year M.Arch students were instructed to analyze Wright’s mid-century modern pieces. The winning design takes inspiration from the curvature of Wright’s 1937 American modern collection. Copying the fabrication process of the mid-century pieces, similarly curved thermoformed polystyrene pieces were used as “bricks” to constitute a larger sculptural pavilion.
Project Title: TOCA Pavilion (University of Tokyo) Tutors: Prof. Yusuke Obuchi, Kaz Yoneda, Kensuke Hotta, Toshikatsu Kiuchi, Kosuke Nagata Students: Gilang Arenza, Hadin Charbel, Ann-Kristin Crusius, Lai Jiang, Samuel Lalo, Déborah López, Ratnar Sam, Pitchawut Virutamawongse, Jan Vranovsky, Lu Yuanfang, Ying Xu,Akane Imai, Pan Kalin, Alric Lee, Nicky Li, Ittidej Lirapirom, Kenneth Lønning, Luca Marulli, Moritz Münzenmaier, Victor Wido, Christopher Wilkens, Isaac Yoo, Yihan Zhang Country: Japan
The project’s name stands for “Tool Operated Choreographed Architecture” and the Pavilion is the result of a study to understand ways of augmenting unskilled laborers in on-site architectural production through the redefinition in the roles between humans and the machine. This project shows its substance in the process as much as the end result—the construction involves a pre-planned lattice formwork filled with foam sprayed through manual labor. The innovation in this study is seen in the way that the the technology assumes and is able to compensate for the margin of human error during the manual spraying process—thus the actual built model is updated and evolving in real time.
Project Title: Pempén, a Transformable Module for the Peruvian Forest (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú) Tutors: Peter Seinfeld, Felipe Ferrer Students: María Celeste Moyonero Romero, Christine Tomas Huatuco, Lucia Callatopa Ramos, Regina Peredo Paredes, Valerie Arrue Sanchez, Miguel Ángel Meza Vela Country: Peru
Pempén, a Transformable Module for the Peruvian Forest (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú). Image Courtesy of Pempén
Pempén developed as a resting place, for use after a day of work or while waiting for the next boat, taking as protagonists the residents and their activities during the day. The possibility of a mechanism that can serve to control both ventilation and shade was one of the main objectives, resulting in the use of moving parts as a cover.
Project Title: Pop-Up Shelter (University of Tokyo) Tutors: Taichi Kuma Students: Jun Shimada, Kantaro Makanae, Masayuki Takiguchi, Aisa Arikawa, Takanori Ishii, Liija Li, Tatsunori Shibuya, Masatoshi Nishizato Country: Japan
This pavilion is created out of glass fiber rods and a stretchable membrane and provides an intimate interior space that serves as a temporary shelter. The structure employs the straightforward tension-based physics behind tensile structures but the undulating forms of the structure are the result of origami-like controlled geometry in the bending and configuration of the rods.
Project Title: Taco aqui, taco lá (Faculdade de Arquitetura – UFBA) Tutors: Profa. Akemi Tahara (Coodinator), Prof. Daniel Juracy Mellado Paz, Prof. Edson Fernandes D’Oliveira Santos Neto, Prof. Naia Alban Suarez Students: Ana Caroline de Sylos Moreno, Elane Isaías dos Santos Dias, Gabriel Macedo de Goes da Silva, Gabriela Sales Otremba, Hamilene Souza Barros, Kênnia Veronique Silva Linhas, Laís da Silva cerqueira, Maicon Rios da Silva, Rodrigo Oliveira Sena Country: Brazil
Taco aqui, taco lá (Faculdade de Arquitetura – UFBA). Image Courtesy of Tectônica
This project was developed for the exhibition “A Arte e o Utilitário” and entails the reuse of materials, specifically, the wooden floor of an old mansion. Throughout the whole process the students kept in mind issues related to the maximization of resources, reuse, economy, building detains and joints, and the relations between project and execution.
Project Title: Treasure at the End of the Rainbow (Bialystok Technical University) Students: Magdalena Jakubowska Country: Poland
This student project was installed as part of the “Light Move” Festival in the city of Łódź. The colorful project was inspired by the mythical stories surrounding the rainbow. With a goal of providing a site that calls people to slow down, sit down and take a rest, meet and get to know other people, the designer believes that in a world of technological mediation and lacking social interaction, peace of mind and friendships are the true treasure of a rainbow as opposed to the mythical pot of gold.
Project Title: Pectus, Módulo Autosuficiente (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú) Tutors: Peter Seinfeld, Felipe Ferrer Students: Samantha Segura Martel Country: Peru
Pectus, Módulo Autosuficiente (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú). Image Courtesy of Samantha Segura Martel
The project comprises a folded structure which works in tension and is anchored to a base. Thanks to its folding joints, the structure is very lightweight, and the cover is modulated according to its function as a ceiling or wall. It also has solar panels to harness solar radiation, providing a night light and the ability to charge electronic devices such as laptops and cell phones.
Samovar Pavilion (MARCH). Image Courtesy of Smaga Alexandr
A Samovar is a Russian traditional self-heating kettle, and the students behind this project are seeking to highlight this ancient but ever-relevant innovation. As an entry for the Eko-Tektonika 2016 contest, the project’s jumping off point was to create a project that “expresses the idea of transforming the model of ‘consumer behavior’ in mankind, taking into account the basic aspects of sustainable development.” For these students, the Samovar represents the century-long commitment of mankind to achieve a sustainable existence.
Project Title: The Movable Immovable (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar) Tutors: Prof. Rainier Gumpp, Dr-Ing. Stephan Schultz, Christina Much, Olaf Kammler Students: Giovanni Amato, Constanze Barbuceanu, Marie-Luise Budszuhn, Lorenzo Ceccon, Gregory Davau, Vitus Gerbach, Caroline Haase, Thomas Heyke, Miriam Hiltner, Jacqueline Kunze, Benoit Margez, Pier-Paolo Palazzetti, Marta Plage, Theresa Schirmer, Jean-Loup Tscheulin, Katharina Wittke, Maximilian August Country: Germany
The Movable Immovable (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar). Image Courtesy of Stephan Schultz
In a 3 month collaborative effort among an entire class, the students had to think “outside the box” in order to create a “box” which is able to enlarge by at least 50 percent. By using telescopic rails, the initial volume of the box pulls apart into two and opens a three-fold arched membrane that connects two volumes. The interior space contains corrugated cardboard furnishings.
Project Title: Pabellón de aire, sede Gausacs (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura del Vallès ETSAV – Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya UPC) Tutors: Coque Claret, Daniel Calatayud Students: Guillem Bigas, Paola Busso, Andrea Caldas, Gerard Chalaux, Alexandra Ciscar, Ferran Cortés, Víctor Díaz-Asensio, Hugo Dre, Tatiana d’Espaux, Sergi Estruch, Guillem Fàgregas, Miquel Figueras, Albert Garcia, Lucile Garnier, Laia Jiménez, Ivan Masses, Gerard Pagans, Carlota de la Presa, Marc Roca, Guillem Roca, Albert Serra, Marc Serra, Victoria Solina, Pau Sorrosal, Marc Sureda, Marc Valero, Laia Vilar Country: Spain
Pabellón de aire, sede Gausacs (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura del Vallès ETSAV – Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya UPC). Image Courtesy of Xavi Requena, Marc Roca, Marc Valero, Laia Vilar
For this prototype the team sought to generate the minimum volume necessary for the practice of a group of Castellers (practitioners of the Catalan tradition of building human towers) from Sant Cugat del Valles. They designed a space which is supported by pressurized air, trying to maintain conditions of pressure and humidity that are suitable for physical exercise. The base structure is made from basic materials such as pallets and plastic waste obtained from industries in the area.
Project Title: Nes Pocket Farms Barn (The Oslo School of Architecture and Design) Studio Name: Scarcity and Creativity Studio project, Spring 2016 Tutors: Christian Hermansen and Marcin Wojcik Students: Alberto Ballesteros Barea, Jon Erik Dybedal Brekken, Sara Cais Soler, Hiu Yeung Amos Chan, Raphael Fournier, Ingri Heggebø, Jørgen Joacim Høy, Silje Loe, Bao Trung Mai, Alexandra Niedermayr, Sigurd Strøm Nørsterud, Johann Sigurd Ruud, Marc Sanchez Olivares, Johan By Sørheim, Marine Vincentz, Vjera Sleutel Country: Norway
Nes Pocket Farms Barn (The Oslo School of Architecture and Design). Image Courtesy of SCS
The city of Oslo is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and is currently saturated by development, forcing some to spread out beyond the city’s borders into other municipalities like Nes. However, the municipality of Nes does not want to undergo a process of suburbanization, instead preferring to maintain its rural nature—after all it is one of the principal grain producers of the country. Towards this goal, a new model of “Pocket Farms” promoting small-scale self sustainability are being developed in Nes. The students were tasked not only with the creation of the barn to be shared between a number of families but they also built four “eco-houses.” The final form of the building is a result of the client’s request form a strong integration between the barn and its immediate landscape.
Thanks to everyone who joined in and sent us their university’s studio projects—once again we loved seeing what the world of architecture education has been up to, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Article Credits:
Texts: English: Jan Doroteo Spanish & Portuguese: adapted from submissions Introduction: Rory Stott
From the architect. Lyon Park, in Arlington, Virginia is an “urban village” near Washington, DC. Most of the houses in this established neighborhood were constructed in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The houses vary in style, ranging from small single-story bungalows to larger wood and brick colonial revivalist houses. Streets are tree lined and the topography is gently rolling. After living in their house for about seven years, a young family of four hoped to transform their colonial house to better fit their lifestyle. A series of small but cozy rooms failed to connect with each other and to the deep, sloping landscaped backyard. Excluding the basement, the existing house comprised less than fourteen hundred square feet, with two bedrooms and only one full bathroom. Ideally, the transformation would retain the “sense of home” while providing spaces open to each other, additional bedrooms and a better connection to the landscaped site. A building that avoided stylistic mimicry with modern light filled spaces was desired. Sustainable construction techniques and the use of environmentally sensitive materials were expected.
The budget for this project was moderate. The result is a modest, restrained and compact modern renovation project that respects the scale and rhythm of the street. The project combines three small additions, totaling two hundred fifty square feet with a complete reconfiguration of the existing spaces. The existing second floor exterior walls and roof were removed and rebuilt to provide spaces on the second floor with high ceilings and light filled spaces. On the main level, floor to ceiling windows allow expansive views to the backyard, while large windows on the street side insure a connection to the neighborhood. The previously dark and compartmentalized house is now open and flooded with light.
The FSC-certified wood siding, combined with gray stucco and charcoal fiber cement panels provide a quiet, warm exterior that recedes into the tree lined streetscape. The compact massing with simple fenestration is organized to respect the scale of adjacent houses. A rain screen system is employed to provide a ventilated envelope. Windows with high level efficiency ratings provide transparency and light transmission without compromising the performance of the envelope.
Ultimately this is a modest project with a moderate budget. Although this project is very small on many levels, the impact on the lives of this family of four is substantial.
While most cities strive for a sustainable level of urban density, there are limitations at play that can restrict the amount of upwards growth. In Mexico City, for example, height restrictions guide the growth outwards rather than upwards, and often the preservation of historic low-rise architecture halts expansion plans. In an attempt to mine the possibilities for alternative expansion, Kurt Kohlstedt from 99% Invisible has presented a round-up of the different ways in which architecture can instead grow below the ground surface.
Real-world concerns such as the cost and logistical nightmares of large-scale excavations ground some of the following proposals, but their provocative nature is opening up the dialogue for future possibilities. Several conceptual new projects, such as a 35-story subterranean “Earthscraper” designed by BNKR Architectura and the recent “New York Horizon” proposal which won the 2016 eVolo Skyscraper competition present audacious alternatives to traditional skyscraper design.
"New York Horizon" / Yitan Sun and Jianshi Wu. Image Courtesy of eVolo
"The Earthscraper" / BNKR Arquitectura. Image via 99% Invisible
While removing the multi-million dollar infrastructure below Central Park can understandably be deemed as a polemic response to a serious question, the notion of below ground skyscrapers is one that is gaining more and more traction. More than likely, the first to be realized will be an infill project wherein the sunk costs have already been expended, and a stable underground framework already exists for the new architecture to cling to.
As Kohlstedt explains, “large-scale underground architecture is rarely created from scratch,” but rather is reincarnated through adaptive reuse projects where the excavation occurred years ago. Often taking the form of abandoned mines and silos, within these projects the below-ground void is asking to be revived with a new program. A prime example of the ways in which these subterranean spaces can provide valuable public space for a crowded city is the New York Lowline; the mimetic cousin of the famous High Line.
The New York Lowline. Image Courtesy of NYCEDC
The recently approved Lowline will run beneath Manhattan, making use of old rail infrastructure in a similar way to the High Line. The main difference? Rather than an open-air walkway, the Lowline is comprised of a cavernous underground trolley terminal, illuminated by solar reflectors. It will be the first park of its kind in the world; the borrowed sunlight will allow plants to grow, creating an underground oasis.
The New York Lowline. Image Courtesy of NYCEDC
Strong political connotations can often be embedded within these kinds of spaces, especially where the existing void was related to the military. But the Lowline is not the first example of an underground recreational or business zone; others include an amusement park in a mine in Romania, a wellness retreat in an old salt mine in Ukraine, and a trampoline center in an old slate mine in Wales.
A wellness retreat in an old salt mine, Ukraine. Image via 99% Invisible
An underground trampoline center, Wales. Image Courtesy of Weburbanist
Each of these projects lies in peripheral or completely rural areas, where it is currently more feasible to mine below ground. This makes the Lowline’s approval a historic moment in the development of underground public space, due to its centrality in one of the world’s most bustling metropolis. The unsustainable surges in the cost of real estate, coupled with advancement in construction methodology will undoubtedly result in many more spaces of its kind in the near future, most likely giving rise to an eventual real-life Earthscraper.
A few years ago we asked our readers to submit photos of their offices so that we could celebrate the many different environments in which architecture is created. Now we’re asking you to not only show us where you work but also how you work. We want to see your immaculately curated desks and your overflowing studio cubicles—but more importantly, we want to see those sketching skills!
Competition Guidelines:
Sketch, Drawing, Collage, Gif, etc. MUST be submitted as either a .jpg/.png/.gif and MUST be at least 1080 px wide
Maximum submission file size is 8MB
Design must be original and suitable for publication on ArchDaily
All entries must be received by September 15, 12:00pm EST
You may submit more than one entry
Our favorite submissions will be published in late September
How to share a link to your submission: In the form below, please submit a link to the .jpg/.png/.gif that you have created. We will not accept submissions as zip files, nor do we accept submissions sent via WeTransfer, MegaUpload, or a similar service. Any entry submitted as a zip file or using a file transfer service will be disqualified. If you are sharing a file that has been uploaded to Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Imgur or Google Drive, please ensure that you are sharing a public link that can be accessed by ArchDaily editors. How to share a file using Dropbox How to share a file using Google Drive How to share a file using Imgur How to share a file using Microsoft OneDrive
Designed for the MOLEWA (Mount Lu World of Architecture) competition, Liaisons is a residential project in Ruichang, China near the “Flower Ocean Garden,” one of the world’s largest flower theme parks.
Inspired by the concept of blooming, the project centers on introducing a flourishing essence to the neighborhood by analyzing floral and vegetal properties in pixels and converting them into patterns, which are applied in arrangements and spatial organization principles.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
The project is developed in six areas which are defined by distinct flower colors (purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, qing). The areas appear with diverse materialities throughout the horizontal and vertical surfaces (for example in the circulation zones, in the landscape design, in the facades, etc). The color succession remains the same throughout the total height of the buildings, but the specific limit between the areas varies from floor to floor – explained the architect on a press release.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
In each of these areas, beds of flowers that bloom year-round will cover the landscaping, as well as semi-public terraces throughout the building.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Both active and passive design strategies are utilized in the project to improve sustainability. For example, the building takes advantage of optimal Southern orientation, utilizes geothermal energy and solar energy, and collects rainwater for watering plants.
Designed for the MOLEWA (Mount Lu World of Architecture) competition, Liaisons is a residential project in Ruichang, China near the “Flower Ocean Garden,” one of the world’s largest flower theme parks.
Inspired by the concept of blooming, the project centers on introducing a flourishing essence to the neighborhood by analyzing floral and vegetal properties in pixels and converting them into patterns, which are applied in arrangements and spatial organization principles.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
The project is developed in six areas which are defined by distinct flower colors (purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, qing). The areas appear with diverse materialities throughout the horizontal and vertical surfaces (for example in the circulation zones, in the landscape design, in the facades, etc). The color succession remains the same throughout the total height of the buildings, but the specific limit between the areas varies from floor to floor – explained the architect on a press release.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
In each of these areas, beds of flowers that bloom year-round will cover the landscaping, as well as semi-public terraces throughout the building.
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Courtesy of MOB Architects
Both active and passive design strategies are utilized in the project to improve sustainability. For example, the building takes advantage of optimal Southern orientation, utilizes geothermal energy and solar energy, and collects rainwater for watering plants.
This former garment factory in Bethnal Green had previously been used as a commercial office before being converted into a large open plan live/work unit nearly ten years ago. The challenge: how to retain the open plan arrangement whilst creating defined spaces and adding a second bedroom.
By opening up the enclosed stairwell and incorporating the vertical circulation into the central atrium, we were able to add space, light and volume to the main living areas. Glazing is used throughout to bring natural light deeper into the floor plan, with obscured glass panels creating privacy for the fully refurbished bathrooms and bedrooms. The glazed atrium visually connects both floors whilst separating public and private spaces.
The industrial aesthetic of the original building has been preserved with a bespoke stainless steel kitchen, open metal staircase and exposed steel columns, complemented by the new metal-framed atrium glazing, and poured concrete resin floor.
From the architect. In Selva of Val Gardena at an altitude of 1563 meter, at the foot of the impressive natural landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, the studio Perathoner Architects designed a house in a peculiar architectural style.
It is located in the middle of a unique landscape and offers an exceptional view of the Sella massif. The entire building has a modernist architecture with clean lines, but also carries echoes of architectural traditions like the use of local materials such as stone and wood.
The main goal of the project was to merge the building with the surrounding natural alpine landscape.The steepness of the terrain suggested extending the building over four floors with the first two levels partly below grade. The house presents a smaller front on the north side, while the main front faces the south side featuring large windows overlooking the beautiful mountains.
The building offers three separate living units and a large garage with a car lift that provides access to an underground parking space. The preferred space of the house is the attic with floor-to-ceiling windows for a striking view of the landscape.The house was constructed according to high energy efficiency standards in full compliance with regulations of environmental sustainability of the materials used and earned a Nature Climatehouse certification.
Sig Nordal 