© Zhang Zheming

• Architects: CaoPu studio
• Location: Changsha, Hunan, China
• Client Project Planning: “Reedom目田” Sun Shengqi, Xiong Yong, Zhao Xuru, Zou Rong
• Space Designer: Cao Pu
• Area: 60.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Zhang Zheming

• Structural Consultant: Cui Jie
• Collection Of Books: 4500
• Construction Supervisor: Zou Baolin, Zeng Wenli

Plan

© Zhang Zheming

From the architect. Firework Mansion
Located on Middle Furong Road, Changsha, under the foot of the Bayi Bridge, the 17-storey Firework Mansion was built in 1992. It was the highest building in Changsha at that time. As time pass by, it looks no longer as high as before now with so many high buildings surrounding it.

© Zhang Zheming

The Firework Mansi Import and Export Company. Along with the structural reform of state-owned economy, the gloryon used to be the dormitory building for staff of the former state-owned Hunan Firecrackers & Fireworks of this firework company became history. In those years, the company spared no expense to build this mansion and poured the whole building structure with cement and pebbles. That’s why it’s still so firm till now, like a fort; Nowadays, young people have successively moved out of this mansion, so those left in this mansion are mostly retired elderly people; Many departments are rented so that the once simple personnel composition of the former staff dormitory becomes complicated.

Diagram

Darkroom on top floor
There is a small 60 m2 two-bedroom apartment on the top floor of the Firework Mansion. At ordinary times, a team of Changsha’s local poets, writers and painters often gathers here. Looking around, the walls are so firm, and the once high-expense complete shear wall structure forms a light tight environment between the rooms and between the apartment and the outside. Even in daytime, the interior is dim and the living room has no light at all. A droplight is lit all day.

Reedom Bookstore
The poets once get an inspiration. They want to transfer this humble house into a family bookstore, and name it “Reedom”. They choose books carefully in order to serve the public. On one side, they want to sell good books to people really fond of reading; on the other side, they also wish to provide a good place to go for the residents in Firework Mansion.

© Zhang Zheming

Bore a hole on the wall in order to get some light
The small two-bedroom apartment is dim and closed like a tank, so it’s not qualified to provide environment for reading. After discussion with everyone, the initial idea for design of the bookstore becomes very simple: to enlarge the window on the outer wall as much as possible; open several holes on each solid wall inside the house, to let the light and eyesight pass. Meanwhile, the space divided into separate rooms can become an integrated whole. Holes inside the house also invite in natural draught, which can avoiding using too many air conditioner in the hot summer. We even think about open a scuttle on the roof.

Change small into tiny
The rooms are small and can’t be enlarged, so we decide to go the adverse way to change them into smaller ones and create a more sincere and concentrated environment for reading. Thus, we placed bookcases and partitions in the already small living room and bedrooms. In this way, after the completion of the project will be able to accommodate about 5000 books. Holes are also opened on the partitions as we have done on walls. To save space, we don’t decide to place any desks. Instead, we’d like to use the holes as desks. In this way, we get many mini reading rooms with interlinked light, eyesight and air, while ensuring privacy.
We changed all the windows and door, including the big open window on the balcony. The balcony becomes a most unique place for reading, with a good city view and soft breeze when opening the window.

© Zhang Zheming

Diagram

Platform on top floor
The rooftop of this old building is always used for drying quilts, sometimes for drying radishes and pickled Chinese cabbage. A group of grey doves often circles round the roof of the Firework Mansion, travelling to and fro between the Yuelu Mountain and the Firework Mansion. They don’t need to suffer the pain of traffic jam like human beings. Their nests are on the rooftop of Firework Mansion.

We once thought about open a scuttle on the roof. However, the plan was finally aborted due to various reasons. In the end, we enlarged a window in the living room and changed it into a large French window. Using a corner of the rooftop platform as the extension of the bookstore, to face the large French window and window of the balcony, a rooftop miniature environment is formed.

© Zhang Zheming

Moon for Reedom
The elevator hall of the Firework Mansion has a beautiful round window. It can be seen as soon as the elevator door opens. What more coincidental is that, outside the round window, are the outer windows of the two-bedroom Bookstore. So, we placed our signboard “Reedom” outside the round window and pasted the logo of Reedom on the round window. Seeing from a specific angle, the logo forms other words when linked to the words on the signboard. We call this round window “the Moon of Reedom”.
Meanwhile, we love so much the former mosaic outer wall of the Firework Mansion. So, we chose a space and printed the QR code of our bookstore onto it. The code can be scanned from some angle in the house.

© Zhang Zheming

Neighborly relations
The construction of the bookstore has lasted for a year. We have built very good neighborly relations with the neighbors. They all love the rooftop bookstore very much. Meanwhile, we are designing better facilities for them to dry clothes and pickled radish on the rooftop. We hope to finally build the area into a good place to go for the whole community.

Diagram

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Courtesy of C.F. Møller

C.F. Møller Architects and C.F. Møller Landscape, in association with Slättö Förvaltning, have won the competition to design a new residential quarter in Örebro, Sweden. Their design, the Örnsro Trästad – Swedish for “Timber Town” – focuses on the organic integration of new urban development with nature, spotlighting sustainability in both construction and urban planning. The competition, run by the Örebro Municipality and the Swedish Association of Architects, sought a visionary design and an “extraordinary urban quarter” to act as a new social landmark within the city.

Courtesy of C.F. Møller

The design comprises a small village of residential buildings, all varying in height, a series of public plazas and a central green. Nine structures are distributed across the 18,000 square meter site, which is divided by a central axis connecting the development to its neighbouring Ängen parklands and a site marked for future development. Pedestrian and bike paths snake between the buildings, linking up to existing promenades and paths.

Courtesy of C.F. Møller

In their press release, the architect described the design as an “unexpected meeting between city and wild nature,” and this vision has been clearly expressed by positioning the new development as an organic threshold between parkland and urban landscape. The buildings are oriented so that each receives at least one aspect considered “urban,” and at least one considered “green.” The architects have focused on creating a sense of community and public space, incorporating several plazas and a main public green, but were careful to include private gardens and entrances, retaining some of the social qualities of traditional suburban living.

Courtesy of C.F. Møller

The organic nature of the project is further expressed through a heavily timber-based material palette. C.F. Møller have recently been engaged in several pioneering timber projects, including their first prize winning Wooden Skyscraper design for Stockholm. According to C.F. Møller, it was “an obvious choice to choose solid wood for structure as well as façades of wood. In addition to contributing positively to the environment, wood gives us new opportunities to create innovative and value-creating architecture.” 

Courtesy of C.F. Møller

“We wish to create an including urban quarter in which the city’s urban and social qualities interact with the park’s organic structures. The proposal illustrates a vision with the objective to create an exciting place in Örebro, of unique value, with innovative architecture,” said Ola Jonsson, the project architect at C.F. Møller.

Courtesy of C.F. Møller

• Landscape Architects: C.F. Møller, C.F. Møller Landscape
• Location: Örnsro, Örebro, Sweden
• Area: 18000.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of C.F. Møller

News via C.F. Møller

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Have you ever seen a building that breathes through thousands of pores? That may now be a possibility thanks to Tobias Becker’s Breathing Skins Project. Based on the concept of biomimicry, the technology is inspired by organic skins that adjust their permeability to control the necessary flow of light, matter and temperature between the inside and the outside. In addition to these performative benefits, the constantly changing appearance of these façades provides a rich interplay between the exterior natural environment and interior living spaces.

Courtesy of The Breathing Skins Project

Courtesy of The Breathing Skins Project

The façades work by increasing or decreasing the size of the apertures that are scattered across the surface—much like the skin’s pores would open up or constrict. On every square meter of a breathing skin façade, there are 140 air channels which are described by Becker as “pneumatic muscles.” These circular apparatus essentially inflate, and this collective inflation or deflation is the controlling factor behind the façade’s permeability. As a form of responsive architecture, the ever-changing pneumatic muscles allow a specific amount of air, light, and visibility according to the users’ preference.

Courtesy of The Breathing Skins Project

Courtesy of The Breathing Skins Project

The technology mainly consists of two glass surfaces sandwiching the pneumatic muscles. In the area between the two glass panels, only a slight underpressure is required to opening each muscle. Becker thus claims that operating a breathing skin façade would require minimal energetic input. This sophisticated yet simple innovation allows the façade to be free of any visible technical components, providing a sleek and seamless finish.

Breathing Skins began as Becker’s diploma thesis at the University of Stuttgart. Since then, the technology has been further developed with the support of academics and sponsorships from companies, institutions, and foundations. Becker’s project is now showcased in a fully dedicated showroom in Mandelbachtal, Germany, built in partnership with Simon Huffer.

Courtesy of The Breathing Skins Project

The showroom shows the possible effects of a Breathing Skins façade. The actual shape of the glass panels appear to be limitless, appearing as either flat or sinuous curved surfaces, while the coloration of the “pneumatic muscles” can be either translucent or opaque, showing the customizability of the product. The product’s beauty is imparted by its ever-changing appearance throughout the day. As parameters change, the façade takes on a sculptural spirit that makes it look like an art installation. Perhaps, down the road, further innovations could be made with with more colors to choose from, creating a whimsical stained-glass effect, or interactive projecting screens.

The project has won numerous awards with the most recent one being a nomination for a Green Product Award, exhibiting its incredible potential as an option for building projects to come.

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Courtesy of TheeAe LTD.

TheeAe has revealed their competition entry for a new civic center in Ryde, Australia. As its name indicates, ‘Trianglemnant’ builds upon the unique triangular site area, and consists of a series of overlapping trilateral forms that shape the building and surrounding public spaces.

Trianglemnant was put forward as part of the international design competition ‘Design our Ryde’, which invited architects to present proposals for a new civic center at the gateway to the municipality.  Though the project was not one of the four shortlisted, its attempt to create a diverse public space is noteworthy.

Courtesy of TheeAe LTD.

The building consists of ‘Stacking Loop Circulation’. The triangular planes, differing in size, create gentle slopes that allow for activities such as walking, jogging, cycling and socializing. Inside the triangle form is an open atrium for indirect sunlight and natural ventilation, reducing the heating effect from direct sunlight. Environmental considerations extend to the proposed buildings’ floor plan, with 50% of the area built underground.  

Courtesy of TheeAe LTD.

Despite being located 12km from Sydney, the City of Ryde benefits from a largely rural environment. While the existing civic buildings – built in 1964 and 1970 – are set for demolishment, Trianglemnant attempts to “preserve the foot-prints of the current civic buildings for the new development,” as voided areas become a showcase for the public to utilize and learn about city, explain the architects in a press release.

Courtesy of TheeAe LTD.

Trianglemnant’s design is innovative, yet embraces a conscious effort to embed the civic center within the unique character of the town, “old enough to give a familiar sentiment to residents.”

• Architects: TheeAe LTD.
• Location: Ryde NSW, Australia
• Area: 23150.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of TheeAe LTD.

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© David Frutos

• Architects: ACH Arquitectos
• Location: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
• Design Architect: Caco Cabrera. Arquitecto
• Chief Architects: Carlos Ardanaz, Juan Carlos Cabrera, Lisandro Hernández (ACH Arquitectos)
• Area: 15100.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: David Frutos

• Engineering: Sansa Ingenieros
• Building Engineer: José Vecino Morales
• Structural Engineering: Juan Rafael Pérez Cabrera (Arquiestructuras)
• Contractor: FCC (Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas)

© David Frutos

The building is located on the southern edge of the city, appearing as a sort of entry landmark. It has a significant volumetric presence in an environment of urban voids. The piece is conceived as the finishing part of a university complex developed in a phased implementation.

© David Frutos

It hosts two different uses with significant dimensional variation. One holds the departmental, administrative and support for teaching and research uses, such as departments, library, video-library and study. The other, the heavier one, hosts research laboratories of different dimensions and demands with their complementary areas of support.

© David Frutos

Due to economic investment issues, all this intervention had to be developed for in two different time frames.

© David Frutos

Thus raised, the project is solved in two different volumes connected to each other. The smaller one houses the administrative and public functions, and the larger one, research activities.

Site Plan

The initial idea is to emphasize on the obsolescence inherent to research activities and buildings, which constantly incorporates new technologies and demands. This thought draws a conceptual line which implies that versatility should be infinite. Anything can be demanded to the building. It will have to be prepared to receive any deployment or installation that is needed.

Roof Plan

We arrived to the conclusion that the façades must become the place of disembarking, either from the deck or from the basement, of any new deployment of installations. Therefore the exterior facade is justified solely from this perspective: the place where to devise future lines.

© David Frutos

The facade is thus proposed as two separate parallel planes one meter apart, creating a walkable and accessible space from which to handle all future services.

Section

© David Frutos

The inner plane of the facade is massive, traditional, while the exterior one is a permeable, variable, heterogeneous plot, resolved with aluminium profiles arranged in two different ways, in different modular positions and in eight different shades. We use six different shades of grey, white and black as the colour scale.

The combination of shape, arrangement and colour provides the building with a changing image depending on the light, clear or cloudy sky, and orientations.

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It is like a huge permeable mesh that holds inside the almost infinite capacity for unperceived interventions. For this reason, since the beginning of the project, it bodes long service life and adaptation to future times, with the risk that this categorical definition implies.

© David Frutos

The volume and finish is perceived as a changing body, adapting slavishly, adjusting to the usual skies, the environment, littering and losing the dimensional power that the built mass has. That image sits in the line of timeless buildings that survive to fashions subject to variations of use.

© David Frutos

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© David Frutos

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© Lior Avitan

• Architects: Ella Sahar
• Location: Ramat Gan, Israel
• Area: 407.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Lior Avitan

• Interior Design: Ella Sahar

© Lior Avitan

Plan

A story that begins with a cube 

In the cube-shaped family home there is a striking interplay between open and closed spaces, the private and public domain, and light and darkness. The origin of this harmonious duality lies in the starting point of the planning process – the cube. Structurally, the cube is closed and confined; but when fused with other cubes, a new, dynamic shape emerges. 

The cube’s influence is first apparent in the dissonance between the two sides of the house. 

© Lior Avitan

While the façade transmits elegant restraint, the back is wide open and leads to an “L” shaped swimming pool that juxtaposes the reversed “L” shape of the house. Upon entering the house, visitors discover a central living space that extends to the back courtyard, and the feeling of restraint transforms into a warm, welcoming atmosphere. 

The interior of the house emits a sense of spaciousness due to the large open areas and high ceiling, as well as a feeling of intimacy and privacy derived from the precise distribution of space and the interplay between natural and artificial light. 

The delicate balance between the linear design and the feeling of warmth is also found in the mix of materials and colors that characterize the house – exposed concrete, gray marble, glass and Corian stone countertops blend naturally with the parquet and wood furniture, the gleam of blue-painted accessories, rugs, pictures, and sculptures. 

© Lior Avitan

The exposed concrete is one of the house’s central design elements. It accompanies the visitor from the external wall to the concrete library in the living room, up to the inner wall that extends from the floor to the ceiling. 

The concrete wall is also at the center of another exceptional design element – the unique staircase that connects the basement to the first floor. Cantilevered wooden stairs float out from the wall and the encounter imparts the staircase with a sculptural quality.    

© Lior Avitan

The topology of the land and the sun’s trajectory played an integral part in the house’s architectural design and lighting; with aim of achieving maximum use of natural light. The window, slats of the pergola at the back of the house, and the various light fixtures enable optimal control of the amount of light that filters into the house. 

© Lior Avitan

The morning light envelops the eastern sitting area at the front of the house and creates a perfect setting for the first coffee of the morning. The midday light penetrates inward through the front windows, strolls across the concrete wall and ascends the staircase. Then, as night falls and the lights are turned on, the house assumes the appearance of a jewel.   

The final result is a house defined by its dynamic qualities, which enable optimal adaptation to the character of its owners, offering them a broad range of possibilities.   

© Lior Avitan

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© Nguyễn Quốc Anh

• Architects: Global Architects & Associates
• Location: Hoàng Văn Thái, Thanh Xuân, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• Architect In Charge: Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp
• Area: 46.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Nguyễn Quốc Anh

• Project Architects: Nguyễn Danh Hoan, Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa, Phan Mạnh Tùng, Phạm Tuấn, Phan Lịch, Nguyễn Trung Kiên, Nguyễn Quốc Anh.
• Construction Cost: 16.300 USD
• Furniture Cost: 5.500 USD

© Nguyễn Quốc Anh

From the architect. From the architect. Separated from the noisy city, the house is humbly ensconced in a small alley on Hoang Van Thai Street, Hanoi.

With an area of just over 46 square meters, the house is required to guarantee essential and necessary functions of a home for a young couple about to get married, however are limited in terms of extremely tight budget, and time of construction as short as possible, especially in the future it can be easily renovated and replaced when the economy is stable and life-changing is needed. Over many plans in place, the architects finally find the most optimal plan.

Diagram

With a design perspective of linking living space to natural, atrium space plays the central role of the house, which is the convergence of the sun, wind and trees, of all factors that contribute to a healthy life, which has always been purified.

Entering the house, the entire public space is arranged smoothly and airy, with a garage, living room, kitchen and dining room splited in a conventional way, which creates the feeling that the house is really large and comfortable. There are issues that many Hanoi tube houses are suffering: fragmented space, lack of light and low humidity.

© Nguyễn Quốc Anh

The second floor is a space reserved for the privacy of the owner, with the bedroom having its windows open directly into the atrium space, where homeowners can breathe fresh air every morning, and from here it can easily connect to working space through the bridge corridor. The main purpose of this place is to work, but it is also a storage space, serving the demands for future use when the young couple welcomes their offsprings.

The furniture of the house uses warm and rustic colors, from the arrays of ceiling tiles and termites-treated pine wood, to the arrays of flower bricks recalling nostalgic past and the details on the tables made from wood blocks which is not only unique but also a highlight for the house …, all blend together to make up the truest, most rustic atmosphere, but no lack of interest for young couple.

© Nguyễn Quốc Anh

Construction costs is also a completely surprising factor that the house bring to, due to the consultant has flexibly used steel structure, which not only reduce the load of the house, but also maximally shorten the construction time and labor work. On the other hand, the recycling of some details from the old house is both the way to keep back memories and the way to save costs.

Each house built has their own interesting story behind and this house does, too. The owner, a young lecturer, with his little knowledge in wood furniture, had himself designed and created furniture for his own house, making the house look as it is hiding something really special in his way!

© Nguyễn Quốc Anh

1st Floor Plan

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© Peter Bennetts

• Architects: K20 Architecture
• Location: Ballarat VIC, Australia
• Architect In Charge: K20 Architecture
• Area: 808.5 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Peter Bennetts

Site Plan

From the architect. Located in the regional setting of Ballarat, Australia, Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility has been designed to provide leading edge sporting and social facilities for elite. A level as well as international level games. Designed as a series of stages that form part of a Master plan for the site, Stage 1 includes the BRSF building, a 2 star FIFA rated turf playing pitch and synthetic training ground. 

The design concept emerged as a response to clients brief to provide a stadium for world-class soccer. With Ballarat’s rich cultural heritage in mind, the concept of the Eureka Stockade wall emerged as the leading design principle and enabled the facility to be built in segments and in stages as various funding streams became available over time. The Eureka rebellion, which is often referred to as the ‘Eureka Stockade’, is a key event in the development of Australian democracy and Australian identity. The Battle of the Eureka Stockade was fought between miners and the Colonial forces of Australia on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict. The stockade itself was a makeshift wooden barricade enclosing about an acre of the goldfields.

© Peter Bennetts

Ground Floor Plan

In contrast to the hastily constructed barricade, the stockade wall by k20 Architecture is designed to embrace the community and protect the building’s program and playing field from the prevailing winds and harsh western sun. The wall emerges from the landscape and is made up of equal proportions of grey ironbark, spotted gum and stringy bark. Its curvilinear form in plan is the starting point for the stadium which contains the grand stand with 500 seated capacity, conference and catering facility for 200 people, external viewing decks and players change rooms, media rooms, and sports administration facilities.

In addition to the distinct and rugged outline of the Stockade wall, the BRSF building is characterized by distinct sectional cuts to the North and South accentuated by bold black skeletal forms and flashes of red in the eaves, the team colours of the host team the Ballarat Red Devils. The entry to the building allows a visitor to see into the heart of the club with the clubs honour wall and function rooms visible via the double height glazed entry.

© Peter Bennetts

East Elevation

South Elevation

Additionally, the facility has been designed to enhance the spectator’s experience and bring the viewer closer to the playing pitch. The coach’s boxes are also designed to be transparent with the grand stand elevated above the ground level to create a direct viewing line to the playing surface. The internal function rooms and catering facility also has important social and economic benefits to the club and broader community.

The facility is unique in that it has been designed specifically for the soccer community of regional Victoria. As a result, k20 Architecture was able to customize the design to emulate the experience of a world standard soccer stadium. This is illustrated in the alignment of the primary player’s race to the centre line of the playing pitch, which enables players of all ages and standards to experience key aspects of playing on the “big stage”.

© Peter Bennetts

Sustainable design innovations were intrinsically linked to the design as well as the development of sustainable design innovations. Passive solar design features include high-level extended eaves to reduce heat load on the building, double-glazing throughout and high levels of insulation. Natural ventilation is maximized via the inclusion of thermal chimneys providing stack effect cooling, and mixed mode heating and cooling through an under floor air-plenum to the first floor. k20 Architecture sourced recycled and local timber to assist with carbon sequestration, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.

A high level of environmentally sustainable materials and fittings were incorporated and include low energy light fittings, low VOC paint, durable finishes for lower maintenance and longevity, carpet with 40% recycled content. Locally sourced and manufactured materials and components achieve approximately 80% of local content outcomes.

© Peter Bennetts

© Peter Bennetts

The grandstand seating is also made of recycled plastic while the timber is used from shading to external glazing. The grand stand was manufactured using off the shelf pre-built concrete construction planks.

Although it continues to evolve, with a master plan for future development still “in play”, the completion of Stage One of the BRSF provides a world-class home for soccer in the region. This was highlighted by its selection from a pool of national sports facilities to host Bahrain’s national soccer team in the 2015 Asian Cup. The building plays an important role in creating a link to the past with its Stockade wall whilst providing a valuable stimulus to the cultural, economic and social sustainability of the community.

© Peter Bennetts

West Elevation

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via Coordination Asia

• Architects: Coordination Asia
• Location: De Bang （ Chang Jiang Xi Lu ）, Baoshan Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200431
• Architect In Charge: Coordination Asia
• Design Team: Tilman Thürmer, Manuela Mappa, Jinjin Wang, Vega Li, Kiki Tang, Shirley Li, Catherine Hewett, Bon Wen
• Area: 2100.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: via Coordination Asia

• Client: Shanghai G+ Culture Creative Developing Co.,Ltd

via Coordination Asia

From the architect. As part of the Shanghai Museum of Glass and its home G+PARK’s fifth anniversary, COORDINATION ASIA has designed the two-floor Design Wing, breathing new life into a former industrial building. Linked to the Shanghai Museum of Glass main hall by the Golden Fire Bridge, constructed of tinted glass with a special holographic treatment, the Design Wing serves as a beautifully minimalist extension of one of Shanghai’s most unique museums. 

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via Coordination Asia

While in separate buildings, these two facets of the museum park are linked by their exploration of what glass can do. Since opening in 2011, the collection of artworks and design pieces belonging to the museum has steadily grown, and the Design Wing is a space that can swiftly adapt to the ever-evolving design landscape in glass, representing the possibilities that glass offers.

via Coordination Asia

Exquisite pieces from Pia Wüstenberg, Formafantasma, Nendo, the Campana Brothers, and more are available to view in this permanent collection. The curated variety demonstrates the breadth of the material’s properties. Renowned architect Tadao Ando, whose glasswork is also on display in the Design Wing, sums up this unique medium beautifully: “During a time when human warmth is being lost, a material such a glass, in itself cold, preserves, through its hand-manufacturing, its warmth.”

via Coordination Asia

When walking from the Main Hall through the Golden Fire Bridge and into the Design Wing, the difference is stark. The two complement each other like night and day. Both are streamlined and minimalistic, however, the Main Hall is dark and withdrawn, made for a deep dive exploration of the glass world that looks inward. Encompassing 2,100 square metres, the Design Wing is open, brighter, and filled with daylight; perfect for creativity to grow, like a studio. It is like a canvas for the nature of these design works to reveal itself. Large windows and light walls maximise the natural light, and mirrors lining select sides of the interior create an effect of fathomless space.

via Coordination Asia

Though the majority of the space resembles a minimalist and clean studio, a mind-bending art installation sits at the central staircase that was commissioned for the space. Cleverly placed neon lights and mirrors play on the words “Whatever you think, think the opposite,” and “Everything essential is invisible to the eye” in English as well as their Chinese adaptations. More than a place to walk through and see incredible designs, the Design Wing gives visitors pause for thought about what they are experiencing.

via Coordination Asia

As the Shanghai Museum of Glass and G+PARK continue to develop, COORDINATION ASIA is proud to work closely with this trailblazing design museum in China, as they did with previous projects such as the award-winning Kids Museum of Glass and the highly acclaimed Rainbow Chapel. Tilman Thürmer, Founder and Design Director, hopes the Design Wing will become a destination for creative people looking for inspiration in the Chinese metropolis: “Like art, design has a desire to communicate, and the expressions of glass are truly endless. Once inside the Design Wing, every visitor will have an incredible idea of all the things you can say with this extraordinary material.”

via Coordination Asia

Zhang Lin, President of G+PARK, is pleased to welcome the wing as a new commemorative addition to the Park for its anniversary: “Design has been increasingly important in the current industrial society, not only making life better, but also bringing spirit. During the initial stage of the museum founding, we have formed a steady and sound cooperation with COORDINATION ASIA, whose creative design and rigorous work attitude pairs well with such powerful and unconstrained glass artworks.”

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© Flickr cc user letsbook. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

One man’s trash is another man’s building material. Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (commonly known as RMIT University) have developed a technique for making bricks out of one of the world’s most stubborn forms of pollution: discarded cigarette butts.  Led by Dr. Abbas Mohajerani, the team discovered that manufacturing fired-clay bricks with as little as 1 percent cigarette butt content could completely offset annual worldwide cigarette production, while also producing a lighter, more efficient brick.

Courtesy of RMIT University

Dealing with cigarette waste is one of the world’s most difficult environmental dilemmas: billions of cigarettes are littered worldwide each year, causing millions of tonnes of toxic waste containing metals like arsenic, chromium, nickel, and cadmium to be released into soil and waterways.

According to Dr. Mohajerani, “About 6 trillion cigarettes are produced every year, leading to 1.2 million tonnes of cigarette butt waste. These figures are expected to increase by more than 50 per cent by 2025, mainly due to an increase in world population.

© Flickr cc user restlessglobetrotter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0

The solution? Introducing the accumulated cigarette butts into the clay of bricks before firing. In addition to the environment benefits, Mohajerani’s team found that adding the butts cut the energy expended in the firing process by up to 58 percent. The finished bricks maintain the comparable structural properties to normal bricks, but were lighter and had better insulation capabilities. The firing process also traps the poisonous pollutants from the cigarettes inside the bricks, so they can’t be leached into the environment.

“Incorporating butts into bricks can effectively solve a global litter problem as recycled cigarette butts can be placed in bricks without any fear of leaching or contamination,” says Mohajerani. “They are also cheaper to produce in terms of energy requirements, and as more butts are incorporated, the energy cost decreases further.”

News via RMIT’s post on EurekAlert, H/T Science Daily

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