© Saeed Pirasteh

• Architects: S-A-L Design Studio
• Location: Tehran, Iran
• Architect In Charge: Behrad Tondravi
• Area: 1900.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Saeed Pirasteh

© Saeed Pirasteh

From the architect. Project’s site is located in one of North Tehran vicinities which comprises of condensed cluster buildings and narrow alleys. Therefore, approximately an amount of 48 sq. m. of the total land area of 350 sq. m. was neglected by the municipality code in order to widen the alley. In addition to the client’s required physical program, this issue led the building to be extremely compressed, as well as parking lots to be hard to design and the mass of building to be solid for shaping.

Diagram

Consequently, Building’s outstanding features has been restricted to variety of terraces, altered skyline in comparison with regular flats and a new geometrical patterns which dominate the main facade. The said pattern provides maximum view and natural light into interior spaces, while illusively does not let observer recognize story arrangements and inner structures; in the meanwhile, it makes new and different view layout, by rearranging the floor story levels, horizontal lines and skyline; and this may lead the building to be realized as a unity so long as challenging the observers’ perception.

© Saeed Pirasteh

Facade’s basic structure consisted of large-scale rectangular frames covered by natural honed travertine. The secondary effective layer outlines wooden cribriform panels used in similar pattern and color with the main material. Geometrically, the lattice has square holes in small-scale which inspires ancient Persian architecture with its famous humanized values.

Ground Floor Plan

1st / 2nd / 5th Floor Plan

3rd / 4th Floor Plan

On the other hand, conducting light through the lattice imparts the outer sense continuously into interior space, whereas lights inside the house would be adjusted due to the harmonic moves by casting shadows and lights. Inside the house has been influenced by façade’s theme using wood and natural stone in large tiles and vast areas, which promotes a calm and peaceful place to live .

© Saeed Pirasteh

http://ift.tt/2afky3k

© Taeho Jung

• Architects: WGNB
• Location: Seomyeon, Bujeon-dong, Busan, South Korea
• Collaborators: Jonghwan Baek, Sungchil Park
• Area: 1860.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Taeho Jung

• Text: Jihyun Lee

© Taeho Jung

Design for commercial space reflects the changing lifestyle basically. Kyobo book Center at Busan Seomyeon shows such a change with two implicative images. Two images of sketch tell the before and after of this space. While the space of existing bookstore had the structure which made purchasers busy to choose, to buy and to go out, the changed space is designed to be a place where people can visit and stay easily even though buying no books. Low bookshelves and open space make this bookstore be a space where people want to stay for a long time. Designer chose Agora, a plaza formed in polis ancient Greek city state, as a motive of this space. Agora is the day was plaza, marketplace, place with storytelling, and such a space where people discussed about politics, economy and society freely. The Agora was the center of daily life for Greek people, this is an open space settled in the daily life for neighboring residents or those who visit it, regardless of buying books or not. Consequently, it was a space of daily life forming culture in it, and the designer plans to create such a space at this project.

Diagram

Diagram

Kyobo Book Center at Busan Seomyeon consists of the first floor and the first basement. On the first floor, the best-sellers are arranged at the front centering around the entrance, and its layout reflects Korean peculiarity. Behind the corners of poet, novel, culture and essay, corners of magazine, record figure and cartoon are situated. Seminar area is located above the cartoon corner. Space of basement gives the sense of openness to the two floors by expanding stairway on both sides and making a large void. It is divided with see-through walls by each part. The see-through walls categorize the space by using perforating panels.

© Taeho Jung

Plan

© Taeho Jung

The bookshelves on the basement are divided by categories but they maintain the general concept of open space due to the see-through walls at main human traffic line, books area, and HPTTRACTS area. In the middle of the basement, there is resting place like a plaza, which harmonizes with nature. There are various types of areas, but basically, the designer creates resting place where people can mingle each other naturally while reading. Inner gardening plays the aesthetic role to substitute for signs or to relax dry air, starting from the vertical garden at the cashier area.

© Taeho Jung

http://ift.tt/2a1EpQB

© Derek Swalwell

• Architects: Steve Domoney Architecture
• Location: Bungalow Ct, Brighton VIC 3186, Australia
• Collaborators: Belair Builders
• Area: 660.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Derek Swalwell

© Derek Swalwell

From the architect. Set in a quiet leafy cul-de-sac in the bay side suburb of Brighton, the first glimpse captured of our Bungalow Court project is of the kite-like roof canopy sailing aloft a solid upper level ‘hull’.  It hovers seemingly unsupported, with only the presence of a narrow band of horizontal glazing beneath to suggest a connection to the solid form below.

© Derek Swalwell

The intentionally whimsical form the roof assumes, signals the design response reinforced throughout this free flowing family home. We aimed to engender an air of relaxed sophistication, a calm welcoming place that would stimulate the senses and instil a sense of wellbeing.

Floor Plan

Floor Plan

From first entering the house and passing through, it gradually unfolds and reveals the series of interconnecting living spaces both indoors and out.

© Derek Swalwell

With only the presence of a meandering glass facade defining the ‘in’ from the ‘out’, an almost resort feel is established, with pool and spa encircling the family living space and rich tropical garden backdrops beyond, the garden t becomes an equal contributor to the overall spatial experience of this home.

© Derek Swalwell

There is a refined simplicity to the material palette, natural, earthy and honest. An uncomplicated backdrop to the furnishings which add colour, texture and warmth.

© Derek Swalwell

The home is unashamedly a show piece for our clients, but robust enough to comfortably withstand the rigours of family life and celebrate their positive spirit.

http://ift.tt/2a6THaJ

© Itay Sikolski

• Architects: Setter Architects
• Location: Herzliya, Israel
• Project Designer: Bella Ventura
• Design Team: Katya Michkovsky
• Area: 2800.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Itay Sikolski

• Project Manager: Margolin Bros. Engineering & Consulting Ltd.
• Contractor: Terra Engineering & Construction Ltd.

© Itay Sikolski

CA Technologies has recently launched their new development center, spread over 2 floors in Herzliya, Israel.

© Itay Sikolski

CA’s guidelines for the design team were to create a young and dynamic environment; as a result the design team came up with an idea for a new kind of work space that incorporated all of the above as well as being inspirational and unique.

© Itay Sikolski

Plan

© Itay Sikolski

 This type of creative and open design enables for many formal and informal collaboration areas that act as a buffer between active workstations and public areas. Setter Architects came up with a multipurpose , functional partition that serves as storage units and  separates the corridors from the employee workstations; a combination of plumbing pipes and recycled wooden boxes, along with hanging vegetation and lighting fixtures.

© Itay Sikolski

© Itay Sikolski

The space emits a warm and embracing sensation, outside of the familiarly known office and home environments. Incorporating various elements from different fields, diverse materials, natural vegetation, spot-on lighting and street inspired graphics all come together to form a beautiful new language and an exclusive working environment. 

© Itay Sikolski

http://ift.tt/2ajlTpM

Southwest Facade After. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Perkins Eastman has released plans for a two-story expansion and redesign of the SOM-designed Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research at the University of Chicago campus in Chicago, Illinois. Construction on the 63,500 square foot building has just begun, and once completed, will serve as the renewed home of the University’s Department of Physics. The addition and renovation will create a new physics hub on campus that will allow students of different sub-disciplines to collaborate under the same roof for the first time.

Soutwest Facade Before. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

The original cast-in-place concrete structure was designed by SOM in 1964 and featured a symmetrical floor plan and a storefront glass facade system that wrapped around the entire building. Perkins Eastman’s plan will update the building’s aesthetic with a contemporary steel-hung glass system and stacked bond stone walls, complementing the clean lines of the SOM design. At the base, the existing building will remain visible.

“In addition to bringing into modern use an existing campus building, the new LASR building will contribute to the University’s vibrant North Science Quadrangle and create a strong and mature building befitting the quality and caliber of intellectual pursuits by the Department of Physics,” says Jerry R. Walleck, Managing Principal of Perkins Eastman’s Chicago office and Principal-in-Charge of the project.

Northwest Facade After. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Northwest Facade Before. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

The addition will feature new offices and collaborative spaces along the building’s interior perimeter, allowing corridors to be filled with daylight, while light-sensitive laboratories will be located in the basement and interior of the building. The two largest gathering spaces will be featured prominently on the facade: a cantilevered seminar room will provide unobstructed interior space capable of accommodating large groups of people, and a double-height commons will connect to an outdoor roof terrace and offer views of the campus Quad.

Aerial Perspective After. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Aerial Perspective Before. Image Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

The building has been designed to reach LEED silver metrics, taking advantage of natural light sources and employing treated glass to reduce the need for artificial lighting while reducing solar gain. Heating a cooling will be provided through overhead hydronic beams to treat the air more efficiently than in traditional forced air systems.

The building is expected to be completed summer 2017.

• Architects: Perkins Eastman
• Location: Eckhardt, 5640 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Area: 63500.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2017
• Photographs: Courtesy of Perkins Eastman

http://ift.tt/2a1cfWd

© Hedrich Blessing

• Architects: Team A
• Location: 416 N Laramie Ave, Chicago, IL 60644, USA
• Area: 53000.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Hedrich Blessing

© Hedrich Blessing

From the architect. The new school facility located in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago accommodates the day school, Moving Everest Charter School (ME), and the after-school provider, By The Hand Club For Kids (BTHC).

Plan 1

Grades K-5 make up the school’s enrollment with each grade totaling (90) students, which is further divided into (3) classrooms. ME utilizes a blended learning rotational model to enable a more personalized learning experience and lower the student / teacher ratio. Within each classroom a teacher and a teacher aide facilitate both direct instruction and collaborative activities at the same time while a percentage of students move out to breakout rooms and the computer lab for independent study. Breakout rooms and the computer lab are centrally located between the classrooms to facilitate an efficient rotation. The connecting slot between the break-out rooms and computer lab serves an additional impromptu learning space and is meant to disrupt the typical corridor arrangement with its diagonal colorful walls, carpet tile flooring, lowered ceiling, playful child height windows and reading nook.

© Hedrich Blessing

© Hedrich Blessing

With separate day / after-school providers, sharing the building and creating delineations between the two users was important. Classrooms are equipped with separate keyed closets, lockable sliding marker boards (to reveal and hide materials) and smart projectors to easily change curriculum. A large staff work room on the 2nd floor provides space for a seamless transition between the teachers and after-school staff. Technology further enhances the physical accommodations with a robust fiber internet service & wireless access points, chrome books (for instruction) and a video wall in the main lobby where both users are able to customize their own content and change the identity of the space. A branding hierarchy was established between both organizations and each ID colors, logos, imagery and donor acknowledgment were integrated into the architecture. The exterior composition maintains a strong emotional connection with the community while the bright colors and light filled interior spaces encourage a dynamic learning experience.

© Hedrich Blessing

http://ift.tt/2a11YcF

© S.Pellegrino

Sparkling Natural Mineral Water company San Pellegrino has announced an international competition between 4 top architecture firms for the redesign of its flagship factory and bottling plant, located at the source of the mineral water, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy.

“This exciting endeavor aims to celebrate the heritage, special source and terroir of S.Pellegrino, while also promoting new standards of efficiency, environmental sustainability and compliance. Further, this project will support the revitalization of the historic region, harkening back to the golden age of San Pellegrino Terme, at the height of the Belle Époque, when the town served as an exclusive destination for European aristocracy,” a spokesperson for San Pellegrino said in a press release.

The four firms competing for the Flagship Factory design are:

• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) (Copenhagen & New York)

• MVRDV (Netherlands)

• Snøhetta (Oslo)

• aMDL (aMichele De Lucchi) (Milan)

The winning entry and timeline for construction will be announced in late September 2016. For more information on the project, visit San Pellegrino’s website, here.

News via San Pellegrino

http://ift.tt/2a1PTa6

© Imagen Subliminal

• Architects: Nomos
• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Architect In Charge: Nomos
• Area: 60.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Imagen Subliminal

© Imagen Subliminal

From the architect. Paradiso is a coffee shop located in a converted bicycle workshop, in a former industrial area of Geneva. 

Axonometric

The fully glazed storefront opens up on the facade of the Ethnography Museum of Geneva across the road. Diamond shapes and strict lines on the opposite museum wall contrast with the round figures of the bar and wall recess. The deliberate curved-out edges of the counter and floor empty spaces create fluid movements inside. Together, lines, arches and flow become elements of a complimentary geometrical language.

© Imagen Subliminal

The high and lively space on the ground floor is extended by a staircase that leads to a more intimate mezzanine. A single, continuous material is used for the floor and steps ; a terrazzo composed of fragments of black and white Carrara and red Verona marble. The white Carrara marble counter is supported by black, slotted wooden boards that recall stone pillars. The handrail and wall light fixtures are made of brass. A vintage Italian chandelier, also made of brass, is a centrepiece providing subtle and retro lighting to the bar area.

© Imagen Subliminal

This tailored composition of shapes and materials creates a unique atmosphere, reminiscent of a genuine Italian caffe.

http://ift.tt/2aepmGn

Courtesy of Expedia Finland

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the death of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto this May, Expedia Finland has created “The World According to Alvar,” an interactive visual portfolio containing some of his most notable buildings from around the world. The digital stereoscope allows you to browse through 15 seminal works including the Helsinki Hall of Culture and the Baker House Dormitory at MIT, with a graphic, photo and description for each project. The site will also link you to locations for each project, so you can start making plans for your own Aalto pilgrimage.

Continue after the break to give the portfolio a spin.

Alvar’s world by Expedia.fi

Additional information about The World According to Alvar and a full page portfolio can be found on the website, here.

Spotlight: Alvar Aalto
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js

10 Projects by Alvar Aalto Which Highlight the Breadth of His Built Work
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js

Six Essential Materials & The Architects That Love Them
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js

http://ift.tt/2aizJsb

© Steve Montpetit

• Architects: Les architectes FABG
• Location: Joliette, QC, Canada
• Area: 2900.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Steve Montpetit

© Steve Montpetit

From the architect. Today the Musée d’art de Joliette is recognized as Quebec’s most important regional art museum. While pursuing the objectives of conservation, dissemination and research established over half a century ago by its founders, the Musée continues to expand its permanent collection, which currently comprises some 8,500 works held in four collections: Canadian art, European art, contemporary art and archaeology.

© Steve Montpetit

The complete transformation and expansion of the original building was necessary to offer of a wide range of programs structured around the promotion of its permanent collection and the presentation of temporary exhibitions, as well as a host of educational and cultural activities for visitors of all ages. The addition of new flexible gallery space, animation rooms for youth, a multipurpose café, conference rooms and a rooftop terrace were necessary to open up the institution to the community and to allow it to play a larger role in the lives of the citizens of Joliette and its surrounding region. 

© Steve Montpetit

Our objective to enhance the connection between the institution and the public is achieved by adding three new volumes to the building that accentuate the dynamism of the existing cruciform composition and allows passers-by a glimpse of the activity happening within. Furthermore, the fenestrated spaces frame views of the river L’Assomption and surrounding cityscape  from within.

© Steve Montpetit

Since its inauguration, the museum has become an important setting for social activities and gatherings such a classes, creative studios, performances, exhibitions, guided tours, cocktails, and concerts.

Sections

Particular attention was paid to the original building by revealing and cleaning the existing concrete structure that had been covered up with brick and plaster over time. In order to facilitate visitor orientation and create a dramatic double-height space, part of the second floor concrete slab was demolished at the entrance of the building here the original museum atrium had once existed.

© Steve Montpetit

The museum greatly benefits from a succession of loosely programmed spaces with varied spatial arrangements that permit and encourage a multiplicity of functions. Furthermore, the reverberation time of each of these spaces was modulated with the use of absorptive acoustical surfaces, while motorized blinds control natural light levels, and a series of audio-visual infrastructures allow multimedia content to be broadcasted and featured in all of these spaces.

© Steve Montpetit

A work of art, conceived as part of the integration of art to architecture program, is perched at the top of the new, fully glazed emergency staircase and is seamlessly integrated in the exhibition circuit.

© Steve Montpetit

The project required a complete code compliance update of the existing spaces including the renovation of the museum archives in the basement, the replacement of all the mechanical and electrical systems, the complete waterproofing the building envelope, the construction of new office spaces and the creation of a entirely universally accessible museum. Also included in the architect’s mandate were the signage design and the selection of all interior and exterior furnishings.

http://ift.tt/29TsWDc