Photographer and filmmaker Joe Capra, known for Scientifantastic, filmed and produced the video ‘10328×7760 – The 10K Demo‘, which is exactly what the title implies, a timelapse video resolution in 10K of the city of Rio de Janeiro. For those who are not familiar with the technical specifications, this resolution is about 10 times higher than the traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080px), which is the maximum resolution of most monitors sold today.
The video consists of a compilation of aerial images of Rio framing iconic landscapes of the city, showing every day life in fast motion, the frenzy of the metropolis all with timelapse techniques. The high resolution of the video allows you to see in detail the movement of people, vehicles, the Guanabara Bay waters, life in the favelas, the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the Sugar Loaf cable cars, among other emblematic points of the city.
From the architect. The state-of-the-art commercial office building in the Leblon neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro houses the new international headquarters of VINCI Partners, one of Brazil’s leading alternative investment and asset management firms. The structure consists primarily of private interior courtyards, open office spaces and a series of terraces that create a direct connection with the urban artery of Bartolomeu Mitre Avenue.
Courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Bernhard Karpf, design partner-in-charge, comments: “There is always a certain excitement and hesitation as to what the cultural differences mean for the design and construction process. We were excited to embark on a project within a city and country that has such a rich architectural legacy; for us it was important to try and understand how architecture’s role was shaped by both the climate and the people who were using it. The most interesting part of the process was discovering how our architectural ideas and strategies needed to respect and create the dialogue with its context.”
The building consists of seven floors above ground for a total height of 25 meters with a leasable floor area of 6,500 m2. A spacious lobby anchors the building to the streetscape, and three subterranean floors provide additional leasable space and private parking.
The office tower’s design, with its refined, formal vocabulary, reflects the distinct orientation of the site while addressing issues of sustainability, maximum efficiency, and flexibility. The entire building is recessed from the urban frontage and shielded by a carefully composed set of louvers along the western elevation designed for both maximum sun shading and privacy.
Ground Floor Plan
1st Floor Plan
Typical Floor Plan
“The design of the Leblon project does not contextualize itself with its material palette, but rather through its articulation and layering of the primary façade with a screen. This enables the building to recede from the city while maintaining a street front. It offers its inhabitants the desired privacy and protection from the sun while maintaining a visual connection to the street and the sense of transparency,” states Mr. Karpf
The eastern section of the building is spaced apart from its neighbors to create internal courtyards and provide natural lighting on two exposures for all office spaces. Generous vertical gardens tie these open-air atriums into the exposed concrete core of the building. The entire project straddles between the refined precision of a white aluminum-and-glass free-plan office, and the roughness of concrete and the vegetation within the courtyards.
Guilherme Goldberg, Real Estate Officer at VINCI Partners, comments: “Working with Richard Meier & Partners through all the phases of the project was a very inspiring and learning process that resulted in a very unique office building. Starting from the early conceptual phases through the construction drawings, Associate Partner Bernhard Karpf and his team in New York City were very supportive to our ideas, and have now achieved a very efficient and innovative design that has exceeded our expectations.
“As a cohesive team, we successfully climbed a very steep learning curve. Richard Meier & Partners was able to recognize the local construction and development process in Brazil, and the local consultants were challenged by all the creative solutions proposed by the Firm. We believe the end result is magnificent, creating not only an exciting work environment, but also a landmark for the local neighborhood”.
Richard Meier comments: “The completion of the Leblon Offices is very special for our Firm as it represents our first completed building in South America and in Latin America. Brazil’s architecture is very distinct from Latin America as a whole and diverse in itself, and we are extremely honored to complete a project within a country that has such a rich architectural heritage.
“Looking at the context has always been something that is very important in our work. We look at how that project not only fulfills the functional requirements of what it is, but how it responds to where it is and how it enlivens the community. Brazil’s architecture celebrates natural light, openness and nature’s intimate relationship with the built environment, and these are elements that we have integrated in the design of the new Leblon Offices. The building reflects our firm’s commitment to accessible, open and sustainable architecture, and we are extremely thankful to our clients at VINCI Partners for all their support and dedication in the design and construction of the new Leblon Offices.”
Courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners Architects
The firm’s design role was to bring to life a vision for a successful, high-end office space with a project that aspires to become a significant architectural contribution to Rio de Janeiro, respecting Brazil’s rich architectural heritage while simultaneously challenging preconceived notions of indoor and outdoor spaces, and the relationship between the building and the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Richard Meier & Partners has designed seven buildings in Latin America, including the Reforma Towers in Mexico City, Mexico and the Vitrvm development in Bogota, Colombia both currently under construction.
In this video entitled Building Between, Marlon Blackwell advocates for a kind of regionalism which isn’t as divisive as “regionalism.” As a 24-year resident of Arkansas, he recalls his work and process in a place which he states is both “an environment of natural beauty and a place of real constructed ugliness”—showing the nuanced and self-critical awareness of place beyond the utopian glorification of genius loci which earlier this year earned him the 2016 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture.
Most architecture isn’t very good, and most good architecture is good enough for most days, but there is some architecture which should rise above the everyday.
In their often maligned context in Middle America, Blackwell’s projects inject life and cultural vitality, with the most notable examples being the St. Nicholas Church and the Fayetteville Montessori Elementary school. These works reflect his opinion that “architecture can happen anywhere, in any scale, [and] in any budget.” He further states that “most architecture isn’t very good, and most good architecture is good enough for most days, but there is some architecture which should rise above the everyday.” This statement makes an argument for the existence of outstanding architecture in any region. To achieve this, he urges the recreation of the strangeness of a place within the architecture. As one of the most respected regional-modern architects in America, to Blackwell it means developing a connection to the place which is “singular and universal, simultaneously local but with global presence.”
The plot face the golf course in a corner in two of its sides, situation that gives a great perspective and views of the landscape but at the same time an overexposure of the privacy of the house.
The house was design as a large inner courtyard, the opaque facade of the street emphasizes the access and the volumes composed a U shape generate a protected exterior space, framing the views on the Golf Course. This self-enclosure is complemented by several interior courtyards, which gives the sun and light on blind areas.
The house is sheltered with large eaves and mobile frameworks of Corten steel that can be moved according to the sun, privacy or possible balls of a bad approach.
The house is entirely built in concrete with handmade wood cast in walls and ceilings and polished concrete floors, where the hardness of this material is contrasted in the interior with the warmth of walnut wood doors and furniture and in the exterior with Corten steel.
This article is part of our new “Material Focus” series, which asks architects to elaborate on the thought process behind their material choices and sheds light on the steps required to get buildings actually built.
The Enseada House project was developed by the Porto Alegre office of National Architecture in 2015 and is 317 square meters with an interesting interplay between volume and materials. We talked with the architect Paula Otto, one of the designers to learn more about the material choices used in this project and the role that these choices played in the design concept.
What were your main sources of inspiration and influence when choosing the materials used in the project?
PO: This basic combination of concrete and wood is very classic since they contrast and complement one another cooler and warmer. The use of vegetation on the facade is something that fits the project well and is increasingly used in contemporary architecture, references that we respect and influence us in a positive way.
Describe how decisions on materials influenced the project’s design.
PO: The project arises as a result of the composition of pure volumes. The goal was that the three distinct volumes of the house read very clearly. On the lower level, we would have the timber volume and the vegetation volume, upstairs we have the concrete volume. To make it so that the frames don’t break the uniformity of the concrete volume on the second floor, we used marble louvers (in very similar tone to the concrete) incorporated into the volume.
What were the advantages that this material offered to the construction of the project?
PO: Concrete was used as a structural element, without any other kind of coating. In this case, great care was taken with the numbering of the formwork, since any marks would be visible. Wood (in the shape of vertical louvers) was used as the light and privacy control element with foldable openings. Developed by the office together with the supplier, the louvers have a design that, when closed, make up the volume of the ground floor. The advantage of using wood for this comes from its format, flexibility, and handling.
Did the choice of materials create any challenges for the project?
PO: I think it made it more challenging to get specific things from the suppliers. In the case of wood, with respect to designing the louvers, and in the case of aluminum frames, finding a supplier who could develop a frame with more than 3 tracks. But the biggest challenge was developing the mounting details for the marble louvers on the facade. All in all, we talked to seven different providers before finding one that did the details correctly and was in line with the project.
How did you research suitable suppliers and builders for the materials used in the project?
PO: We end up looking for suppliers that meet our needs in relation to specific materials and especially the detail necessary for the project. We try to create a network of relationships that will end up being used in future projects. We look for suppliers ready to move away from the familiar and work on details with the office. We believe that new proposals are crucial for the supplier’s growth as well. Being open to new challenges are qualities that we value greatly in our partners. The means of finding these suppliers are through internet searches and specialized fairs, but particularly on visits to other sites (where we can see live materials) and by referrals.
Czech-Republic-based firm Zavoral Architekt (ZA) has unveiled its proposal for Palach Museum, a museum and memorial to Jan Palach in Vsetaty, Czech Republic.
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
As a Czech dissident, Jan Palach protested Soviet invasion and communist government in Czechoslovakia in 1968 via self-immolation.
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
The Palach Museum will be located at the house where Palach was born in the small town of Vsetaty, and will transform the space into a triangular, two-story labyrinth. The project will additionally feature a garden space for calm contemplation.
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
Courtesy of Zavoral Architekt (ZA)
The proposal was an entry to an architectural competition, and was awarded second place.
The house ER is situated 70km northwest of Brasília. It dates from 2008, at the time we were contacted to make a beautiful property in the country. The challenge that we accepted in a heartbeat. After eight years we received one unexpected news. We were informed that finally the house will be built. Obviously some modification were needed, but without prejudice to the original conception of the house. They actually contribute significantly to the design.
Placed in a strategic site, the house ER is situated in the highest place of the property and pointed for the contemplation of the valley that composes the unique landscape of the region. The design is simple. A pavilion of reduced spaces 250 m2 in total. The program is designed in linear shape that is accommodate between heavy stone walls, two bedrooms, one bathroom, living room/dining room, kitchen and open service area. This part of the program is under the ceramic roof witch configures the horizontal planes of the house in opposition to the vertical ones on the stone walls. The garage, under a concrete roof and the service area under a concrete pergola, they are located in the two extremities of the house and are self-contained by another two stone walls.
The openings established by the doors and windows follow the same principle based on a composition of planes, that give unit to the house. They were carefully placed so the viewers could grant a harmonic rhythm, characterized by the open and closed planes of the same size that define the façade and its austerity to the architectonic expression of the house. It’s worth to mention that the windows placed along the lengthwise of the house, placed in the same position but on opposite sides to ensure the constant ventilation and thermic comfort to the house interior. They have double packing. The first in glass and aluminum frames, the second by the pantograph wood frames that make full-time ventilation possible and privacy when needed. They open to the exuberant landscape and embraced by the wood deck that allow an extension of the house itself into an external balcony protected by the ceramic roof.
The materials were defined by the stone, wood, concrete and ceramic roof tiles. Rustic materials to give the house the perfect consonance to it site. “…A house in a country site, in the landscape of the cerrado.”
The notion of the “Primitive Hut” has been part of the architectural discourse for decades; indeed, history suggests that it provided the Ancient Greeks with direct inspiration for Doric Order. But how do you build a wattle and daub hut, or create tiled roof, or develop primitive underfloor heating—all from scratch—today?
A YouTube channel aims to demonstrate that, even in the 21st Century, these skills haven’t been entirely lost. Its creator—whose identity is unknown and is based in the far north of Queensland, Australia—describes primitive technology as a “hobby” in which he “makes things in the wild completely from scratch, using no modern tools or materials.” This is the strict rule, he continues: “if you want a fire, use fire sticks; an axe, pick up a stone and shape it; a hut, build one from trees, mud, rocks.” The challenge lies in seeing how far he can go without the need for the types of tools the building industry relies on today.
A tropical addition to the restaurant scene in Amsterdam East, Bar Botanique, designed by Studio Modijefsky, brings a fresh and green interior to the former local Dutch café, De Ponteneur. Located adjacent to the multicultural Javastraat, Bar Botanique Café Tropique is the place to be from early mornings to late in the evening.
Double high large windows cover the entire façade of the corner building and spill in plenty of daylight, creating a direct link between the interior and its surroundings. The windows are a focal point in the design and concept of the interior, mirrors hang from the ceiling reflecting light and the scenery. A train, running by opposite the café, creates a flickering reflection which is captured in the bar back wall with the diverse use of colour, fabric and mirror strokes.
The space has been divided and defined using railings in a playful way. Inspired by the old railings in the café, the new railings reach up to the high ceiling and create a clear path between the bar and lounge area. Warm oak plinths cover the floor while a bright green concrete floor naturally connects the different areas of the interior.
Located on the entresol and souterrain the dining area is separated from the rest of the interior. Warm pink walls, a flower press menu-board and green velvet bench rolls give the souterrain a character of its own. Custom light fixtures which are made using simple glass plates with engraved circles on them create pleasant circular shadows along the wall up to the ceiling.
A glossy ceiling creates reflections and connects the soutterain and entresol. A green tiled menu with papyrus plants stretches along the wall in the entresol. Furnished with pink marble tables, the souterrain has a spectacular view looking into the space.
Historically a gym and later a local café, the new interior takes a great part of its identity from its past. New elements in the interior are introduced such as surprising hanging elements, geometric rings holdings plants from the ceiling, bold geometric shapes, organic motifs, custom glass racks with light tubes and furniture details, which pay respect to the past.
Plan 1
The botanical sensation of the space is visible in the colour scheme and the organic shapes which form the bar front, bar back wall, the hanging mobiles and lights. A rich colour pallet inspired by nature is used for the furniture and compliments the interior. Colorful marble table tops in green and pink stand by velvet banquets which reflect the identity of the former café in their details. A stroke of bright blue, the lounge chairs, appear in the interior in front of the bar with the brown marble top, giving it yet another colour boost. The bar front, tiled in a tropical pattern with a marble counter top is complimented by a completely custom made back bar. It consists of a composition of rounded shapes, metal mesh and light boxes, with a centre piece showcasing the bottles. A bright yellow coffee machine shines in the custom made copper coffee corner, adding another touch of colour to the space.
Plants have a strong presence in the interior. Palm trees, philodendron, ferns and monsteras create an ever changing interior. Highlighted with lamps, the plants create dramatic effects on the ceiling and walls, as the sun goes down the shadows become more present and the bar life begins.
Logo design and identity has also been completed by Studio Modijefsky. A custom font has been designed for the logo to reflect the playful nature of the concept, it appears in the interior on custom signage. The logo wraps around the building on the facade, each letter on a window forming BAR BOTANIQUE all the way around the corner. The house number, 581, can be seen on the main entrance glass door while the number 8 forms unique and custom made door handles.
The menu design follows the design principles of the interior, organic shapes and the custom font have been used to make collages. Organically shaped, the forms on the menu take their colours from the interior design. The collages form an artwork which is used as a canvas to design a random, unique and tropical menu for this botanical café.
From the architect. Bozorgmehr house is a single-family house in three stories built in an infill block of a low dense alley in Mashhad, Iran. In this neighborhood most of the blocks are 250 square meters lots and from years ago one or two story villas were built in 60 percent of these lots. As a result of ascending cost of lands, materials, and the construction over years, these single-family houses have been demoed and replaced with two or three story apartments, which occupied most of their yards with a minimum set back. Meanwhile reaching the maximum rentable area or an attractive façade seemed to be more substantial instead of the architectural approaches that resulted spatial qualities.
In bozorgmehr house, we tried to create various dynamic spaces supported with approximate amount of natural light and views of greeneries, while maintaining the coherency and unity of the whole spaces.
To create an effective visual and physical connection between inside and outside, we placed a northern yard and an inner void in the middle of the house and reconfigured the landscaping of the main southern yard.
Section
The northern yard, placed beyond the façade frames, not only connects the adjacent spaces (the entrance, kitchen, and rooms upstairs), but also creates controllable desired views of greeneries next to them. The exterior frames in addition to minimalizing the façade, allows the warm southern sunlight to nourish the northern trees as well.
The void, invites the sunlight into the house that creates a stronger bound between inside and outside. This light is a reflection of environmental changes in the building and generates a relationship between the interior and exterior and results various interior spaces, motions, and a contrast between light and shadow during different hours of day and seasons.
Sig Nordal 