From the architect. Located in the historic center of Sant Cugat del Valles, a house between party walls becomes a city project and a way of life.
A piece that fits complex urban conditions: Monastery surroundings,
Cultural Heritage, the main facade and the roof to preserve, 5 meters
width and topographical unevenness that leaves the plot in between two
streets in different heights.
Inside
the existing space, a concrete block house is inserted. It party walls
increase their thickness to serve as a filter and server space,
generating storage space in one side and "promenade" space in the
other.
These thicknesses creates interior facade walls in the longitudinal
direction that increase the spatial feeling in the transverse direction
of the house.
Inside the concrete house the wooden plans adapt to the topography and the gaps of the existing facades.
The offset is used to generate visual cross and flood with light all
plants to the basement through the vacuum of the upper bounds.
The sequence of houses within the house goes from more urban
materials to domestic materials, constructing an empty space that lets
light in and configures visual spaces all together. The inner emptiness
becomes the square or public space of the house. That space where all
eyes are crossed and relationships are built through railings
furniture-turn to it.
This article was originally published by Archipreneur as "5 of the Most Innovative Architecture Firms
The
AEC industry is notoriously slow to adopt new technologies. Cumbersome
organizational structures and high financial stakes make it difficult
for AEC professionals to experiment. Due to the limited role of
architects in the project development process, innovative design
solutions and experimentation with new manufacturing techniques are
still confined to academic circles and research institutions.
However,
some architecture firms are utilizing their high profiles,
international success and the influx of talented, young designers to
establish in-house research divisions and incubators that support the
development of new ideas in the AEC industry. The following five
companies are consistent in pushing the envelope and helping
architecture adopt some of the latest technologies:
1. BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group
One of the most renowned architecture firms in the world, BIG,
is a great example of architects keeping step with pop culture and new
business trends. Both their design and company culture reveals a
nimbleness and experimental attitude that allow them to explore
different avenues for practicing architecture. BIG’s founder, Bjarke Ingels,
is a rare example of an archipreneur attuned to the latest media trends
and business strategies. He embraces social media, invests in new
enterprises, and implements innovation in his projects.
Recently, BIG teamed up with aerospace organization Rumlaboratorium, the Danish Technical University and artists from realities:united to launch a Kickstarter campaign to
design a prototype of a unique steam-ring generator that would be part
of the “cleanest power plant in the world.” The initiative shows a
readiness to invent and extend their involvement in the construction
process to engineering. In 2014, they launched a new division within the
company and called it BIG Ideas,
which was intended to act as a research and development lab where the
firm could create products and new building materials. Several other
independent projects are currently underway, many of which are focused
on finding new engineering solutions to be incorporated into BIG’s
projects.
2. SHoP Architects
SHoP Architects and SHoP Construction (SC), collectively known as SHoP,
are among New York’s 10 largest architecture firms. What makes them
stand out among other mainstream architecture firms is their interest in
addressing the gap between real estate development, architecture and
engineering. A hybrid business model allows them to function as a
combination of a real estate development firm, a think tank, and a
one-stop shop for clients.
Five people with individual backgrounds
in design, construction, business, marketing and development founded
the firm in 1996. The team was led by Gregg Pasquarelli, who had
previously worked as an investment banker on Wall Street. They first
experimented with trading fees for equity on their Porter House project,
and went on to develop several other projects, as well as their own,
and collaborating with other architects.
SHoP is a trailblazer
when it comes to redefining the way architecture is practiced. They are
rethinking the role of architects in the project development process and
looking for ways to get more autonomy, better pay, and innovative
design projects off the ground, all while cutting construction costs
through smart fabrication.
3. Perkins + Will
Perkins + Will is
one of the United States’ leading architecture firms in healthcare
design, delivering buildings that focus on better patient experience and
high performance. Their new in-house Innovation
Incubator program aims to “foster, through micro-grants of money and
time, a culture of innovation, creativity and experimentation by
supporting small research projects proposed by individuals.” The program
has already selected 19 entries from the firm’s global offices and
awarded several micro-grants to groups of participants with the most
innovative proposals.
The firm also formed the Perkins + Will
Building Technology Laboratory, which is focused on developing new
technological solutions that boost the performance of buildings. Their
annual design competition encourages talented designers to experiment.
Design solutions selected through the contest are often further
developed through the Innovation Incubator system.
4. NBBJ
One of the first architecture offices to fully embrace Virtual Reality (VR), Seattle-based NBBJ, developed its self-contained venture Visual Vocal to
build a VR platform integrated into the firm’s design process. By using
VR, NBBJ hopes to speed up collaboration and communication between
designers and allow them to make decisions based on client feedback. The
new productivity tool will allow architects to build VR versions of 3D
models that can be explored on a smartphone.
Together with mobile
and cloud-based solutions, VR is expected to replace conventional
communication such as email. The team, led by John San Giovanni and Sean
House, raised $500,000 for Visual Vocal, which will be developed as a
tool not only for architecture but also for other industries. Future
plans for these platforms include solutions for working in the aerospace
industry, product design, and biotech.
5. HOK
Recently, HOK partnered with the Biomimcry Guild in
order to foster bio-inspired innovation in the field of architecture.
The partnership began in 2004 and the two companies have collaborated on
several projects since, including HOK’s proposal for the “City of the
Future” competition in 2008.
“We believe biomimicry will not only
help us significantly reduce the environmental impact of our projects,
but also has the potential to help define a whole new sustainable
standard for our profession,” said HOK
Sustainable Design Director, Mary Ann Lazarus, “Because biomimicry
addresses critical environmental issues at the habitat scale, it gives
us lessons on how to achieve significant results even restorative
outcomes at all scales.”
HOK is also a great example of an
architecture firm embracing new media tools, as one of the most active
users of social media in the architectural industry. The firm launched
Life at HOK in 2008 as a
supplementary resource to the company’s main site. It is an
employee-authored blog, dedicated to showing the processes behind their
projects and office culture. HOK
employees from around the country post different types of content, such
as links to YouTube videos, Facebook profiles and Flickr images. The
site aggregates several social media platforms and encourages feedback
and interaction with and between its users.
***
These five
firms are consistently showing a readiness to adopt new design and
communication tools, design strategies, and business models. This
attitude allows them to remain flexible and absorb various cultural and
technological shifts instead of simply trying to keep up with the world.
Which other architecture firms do you find innovative?
The winners of the 2016 LEAF Awards
have been announced. Founded in 2001, the awards ceremony honors
innovative architecture projects in 14 different categories dedicated to
various aspects of building, including best façade design and
engineering, best future building, and public building of the year. The
winning projects are recognized as “setting the benchmark for the best
in the industry.”
This year's awards include projects by David Chipperfield Architects, Henning Larsen Architects and Ian Ritchie Architects, and a lifetime achievement award for Santiago Calatrava.
Continue reading to see the full list of winners.
Leaf Awards 2016 Overall Winner
Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at UCL, London, UK / Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd.
Mixed-Use Building of the Year
Pembury Circus, London, UK / Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects
Residential Building - Single Occupancy of the Year
First Winner: Ramp House, Sao Paulo, Brazil / Studiomk27
Second Winner: Benvenuto House, Truckee, US / Faulkner Architects
Residential Building - Multiple Occupancy of the Year
Xixi Wetland Estate, Hangzhou, China / David Chipperfield Architects
International Interior Design Award
Cannon Lane House, London, UK / Claudio Silvestrin Architects
Commercial Building of the Year
Marseilles Docks, Marseille, France / 5+1AA architectures with JPMorgan and Constructa Urban Systems
Hospitality Building of the Year
Waldorf Astoria Beijing, Beijing, China / Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Refurbishment of the Year
Tea House in Hutong, Beijing, China / Arch Studio
Public Building of the Year
Faculty of Fine Arts, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain / gpy arquitectos
Best Sustainable Development
Hanover Page Mill, Palo Alto, US / Form4 Architecture
Future Building – Drawing Board of the Year
BIO4, Copenhagen, Denmark / Gottlieb Paludan Architects
Future Building – Under Construction of the Year
Kiruna City Hall - The Crystal, Kiruna, Sweden / Henning Larsen Architects
Urban Design of the Year
Qatar Research And Development Complex, Doha, Qatar / Perkins + Will
Best Façade Design and Engineering
Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at UCL London, UK / Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd.
Developer and Development Project of the Year
One New Ludgate, London, UK / Land Securities with Fletcher Priest Architects
The Ensemble Immobilier Tour Maine-Montparnasse (EITMM) has
selected 7 notable firms to continue to the second round in a
competition for the renovation of Tour Montparnasse in the Montparnasse district of Paris, France.
Often cited as one of the architecture world’s most hated buildings, Tour Montparnasse
has been criticized for its discordance with the Parisian urban
landscape – just two years after its completion, new buildings over
seven stories high in the city centre were banned, leaving the tower as
an alien presence on the skyline.
With the launching of the competition, the EITMM hopes to transform Tour Montparnasse
into a beloved landmark with a complete renovation of the facade, the
building entry and all interior spaces. The budget for the project is
estimated to reach over 300 million Euro ($330 million USD), and will be
funded in entirety by the building owners.
After receiving inquiries from over 700 interested
candidates, the list has been narrowed down to 7 multi-disciplinary
teams, who will now design proposals that are “capable of giving a
powerful, innovative, dynamic and ambitious new identity to the famous
Parisian landmark, whilst integrating the challenges of usage, comfort
and energy performance to the highest levels.”
The
firms were selected by representatives for the Tower co-owners. “The 7
agencies were selected for their reliability, expertise, audacity and
their understanding of the challenges we face,” remarked one
stakeholder.
The second stage of the competition is now
underway, as the seven teams will now prepare their proposals to be
submitted in March 2017. The list will then be narrowed down to 2
finalists, with a winner expected to be selected in July 2017.
Construction is anticipated to begin in 2019, with completion coming in
2023.
The competition is the first step in a much larger
plan, Demain Montparnasse, aimed at “restoring the surrounding
property’s role as a modern and accessible urban centre in the heart of Paris’s left bank.”
The California
College of the Arts (CCA) has selected 3 top firms as finalists to
design “a new, ground-breaking art school that will redefine 21st
century arts education.” Chosen from an original pool of 75 architects,
the three firms will now interview for the chance to design a new campus
that aims to unify the college’s Oakland and San Francisco campuses into one vibrant Bay Area institution.
The
chosen firm will work together with the school over the next five years
to create a plan that will bring together 2,000 students, 600 faculty
members, 250 staff members, and 34 academic programs to a consolidated
campus located at the intersection of the city’s innovation corridor,
the new DoReMi (Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Mission) arts district, and
Mission Bay. The primary project site will be a 2.4-acre lot that
borders the college’s existing San Francisco campus buildings. The campus will house all of CCA’s programs, including art, crafts, design, architecture and writing, fostering interaction between the different disciplines.
The campus design will follow the strategic planning framework outlined by Gensler and MKThink and further developed by local firm Jensen Architects.
The plan will be held to high sustainability standards, stipulating
advanced strategies for water and energy generation, usage, and
conservation; healthy air quality; and environmentally safe artmaking
materials and practices. Student housing will also be a priority for the
campus, as the college hopes to double the number of on-campus beds to
1,000 by 2025.
Later this month, the three finalists will give presentations to the CCA community and public, with a winner expected to be selected in November 2016.
For more information, visit the CCA website, here.
Correction Update: The winning firm will be selected via a presentation/interview process, not a competition as was previously stated. The three firms will each prepare a presentation, but not full design proposals.
Inside the concrete house the wooden plans adapt to the topography and the gaps of the existing facades.
https://www.fiverr.com/olanrewajutfk/do-architectural-design-in-revit-and-sketch-up
