2AeM is a cooperative design effort composed of the 3 young Midwestern-sprung, spread-the world-out, out-and-out Architecture student-architects: nicholas m. reiter, Jessie Wilcox and Peter Nguyen. The team base was originally Milwaukee, WI but since has become a mobile abstraction or a state of mind. 2AeM is sometimes physical, sometimes sober, partially virtual, usually vocal, and all-the-time IN-it.
We are track jumpers, demons, villains and observing you right now. Design is the New and so are the Stakes.
Showing posts with label architecture firm examples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label architecture firm examples. Show all posts
OMG. this video is fantastic! Micheal Green lays out very methodically, and in language easily understandable, why we should be building in wood. he makes the claim that not only is it possible to build 20 story buildings (hopefully, higher) in wood, but necessary. think about it, wood sequesters carbon (versus concrete and steel which contribute loads of carbon), large logs burn slowly (fire safety), we can grow them, we can engineer them, and with an increasing amount of people moving to the city, we'll need to house these new city dwellers. wood feels better, looks better, and is better for the environment - when's the last time you hugged a steel column? or rubbed your hand over a steel panel? (i won't get into concrete, cuz that's a big weakness of mine). but seriously, why the hell aren't we doing more with mother nature's super material? PS. super clean graphics! very nice.
i didn't know what to expect sitting down in woord auditorium to hear a lecture titled; appeal of the real. my interest was peaked - i guess - by the fact that i have a few freinds getting their degrees at MIT and since speaker sheila kennedy is a faculty member there i'd try and make some connections between our two institutions.
she says the title of the lecture is a little mis-leading, but i think it works - she shows projects that take very theoretical concepts and [attempts to] makes them concrete. maybe the title should have read; appeal for the real. the projects she chose to show dealt mostly with the fine line between prototyping and production and "explores architecture, digital technology and emerging public needs."
her firm, KVA; MATx boasts a large r&d department - which is a little unorthodox for a mid-sized firm - generally. it works though, MATx is producing some truly incredible and liberating design concepts; the interactive wall @ PENN's SOE, the east river ferry project, their ocean [in]sight competition entry, the portable light initiative, and their soft house competition win -for example.
a few highlights were;
the portable light initiative. it seeks to replace the fire as a source of illumination is rural and developing areas. the technology utilizes flexible pv panels in a modular, flat packed assemby that soaks up the sun during the day and gives a family light at night. new versions now incoroprate usb plug-ins for recharging phones. now the idea is being adapted all over the world from applications in handbags, to hospitals blankets.
yeosu; living ocean comp. the marcus prize group - silofill will like this one. the repurpose a set of silos in korea with emphasis on advancing knowledge and technology concerning the oceans and coasts. it's a really bold proposal. the inhabitable space is surrounded up ocean water that is pumped up via pv and creates a visually stunning effect. it also reflects the local vernacular of rooftop water towers prevelant in the area. it's called ocean[in]sight
lastly. they've recently won the iba hamburg competition with their proposal; soft house. it's pretty incredible infrastructure for local energy generation. cleaver and seductive in the design - it uses pv embedded curtains to generate power as well as a LED display to simulate the wind [similar to the PENN project].
in this day and age of massive and spectacular digital output it's great to see a firm sticking to their artistic integrity.
i've been checking in with miller + hull since i started studio. a professor introduced me to their work and after seeing the correlation between his [professor] work and their [miller + hull] work i'm beginning to see some of the influence has made it's way into my hand... through a different process, but with the same aesthetics. all i can say is, woohoo.
however, i am enamored with their watercolors in addition to their works of design!
the images are from a new project for the san ysidro united status land port of entry. it will be constructed in three phases and are on target to achieve LEED platinum certification thanks to energy efficiency, water conservation strategies, and an integrated design process. more impressive is the fact that this project is the first to be open 24/7/365 to achieve this LEED status in the united states.
the site sees 20% of the border crossing traffic into the united states. 34 lanes of traffic! the complex is both a welcoming center, first impression of the country, and critical facilities for national security. craig curtis - partner at miller + hull - "this project will set a new standard for land ports of entry, not only for surpassing general service administration's sustainability goals but for enhanced processing of visitors and increased security measures." who knows, maybe border crossing could actually be an enjoyable and memorable experience - for the right reasons.
construction starts next year.... four masts rising 100 feet support a 275 foot canopy made of ethylene tetraflouroethylene - the same material that clads the national aquatics center from the 2008 beijing olympics. this means; rain and sun protection but also allows natural light to pass into the officer's booths.
thanks to a 700,000 gallon rainwater reclamation system the site will cut water consumption by over 12 million gallons annually = 100 households.... nice work out in the desert.
outlines of the future phases and more in depth information on the sustainable features can be found aqui.
q: what happens when you only have the capital to build half a house? a: provide the half that is the hardest, or impossible, for an individual to do themselves. in this case, the architect provided the structural framework [ which in residential housing accounts for 80% of the project budget ] and allowed the families to infill as they accumulated the means to expand.
according to ELEMENTAL there were essentially five design parameters: i. location ii. urban layout iii. position of unit on lot iv. structure for final size v. middle income dna
while devastating in scope, a great opportunity - even necessity - exists to put concept to action. below is a terrific diagram from SEED, a group of researchers from clemson university, illustrating the surplus of shipping containers found throughout the caribbean.
their research is very graphic, informative, visual, and clean. great examples of innovative thinking. great opportunities available.
a small firm of 10 designers is doing some interesting work in beijing. according to their philosophy vector architects is established by partners with combined experiences in architecture design practice and real estate development [this shows their chinese sensibilities]. the firm pursues the fundamental simplicity and logical clarity through the everyday thinking and working process.
i've always wanted to do a project like this. the idea is to develop the concept of “temporary” from a meaningful perspective, to design a piece of floating “installation” in the garden, which could be built, demolished, and recycled through an easy and straightforward way with the least impact to the planned site.
1. the structural member can be recycled when the building is eventually taken down. 2. overlap the structural member factory fabrication process with site excavation; minimizing the construction schedule. 3. the building is elevated, greatly reducing the excavation and foundation work, allowing easy demolition and site recovery
i love the building envelope: an envelope of grass. a vertical grass wall paneling system and green roof provide support. it's not only aesthetically pleasing, but practical by; 1. reducing the heat gain and loss and enhancing the thermal efficiency. 2. the grass panels will reduce storm water runoff. 3. although the central lawn is taken away to make room for this building, vector effectively triples the original planting area by using the grass panels. 4. grass wall panel is planned to be relocated onto the partial fence of the residential compound after demolition. 5. it visually harmonizes the temporary structure with the existing garden and the so called “classic spanish” style
bjarke ingels group [ big ] is a copenhagen based architectural firm. a big place. 85 architects, designers, thinkers doing some amazing work. their site is a little wild. they only showcase a few highlight projects - this one not up yet. but their firm philosophy is written quite eloquently explaining their desire to harmonize between the two diametric oppositions [historically] in architecture: "investing in the overlap between radical and reality."
vernacular structures [yurts] are employed as formal inspiration. the result is a combination of elemental architectural concepts [universal archetypes]; circle, rotunda and arch merged, with the addition of the yurt, into an overlapping, flowing moebius strip.
the project amalgamates computer generated design, sustainability and high architectural thought into an absolutely composed and articulate form.
these are some of the best diagrams i've seen yet. wow. clear, elegant, graphic. beautiful, informative, inspiring...
their rendering is something to be awestruck by as well. [see above too]
check out these links for more info, pictures, etc.
located in washington's methow valley, the rolling huts are several steps above camping, while remaining low-tech and low-impact in their design. designed by oska [olson sundberg kundig allen architects] architects, the huts sit lightly on the site, a flood plain meadow in an alpine river valley.
the huts are grouped as a herd: while each is sited towards a view of the mountains (and away from the other structures), their proximity unites them. they evoke thoreau’s simple cabin in the woods; the structures take second place to nature.
recently the finalists were announced for the open architecture challenge; eight team finalists for the 2009 open architect challenge: classrooms. the call for entries spurred over 10,000 participants from architects, teachers and students.
“This initiative invited the architecture, design and engineering community to collaborate directly with students and teachers to rethink the classroom of the future. Designers entering the competition were given a simple mandate: collaborate with real students in real schools in their community to develop real solutions,” explained Cameron Sinclair, the co-founder for Architecture for Humanity and this competition.
some of my favorites include;
adaptable hillside classroom design team: feilden clegg bradley studios & architecture for humanity UK engineering team: buro happold partner/ location: bunyonyi community school, kabale, uganda
classroom for salt pan community design team: rajesh kapoor, prashant solanky, bharat karamchandani, kiran vaghela, gujarat, india partner/location: cohesion foundation, kutch, gujarat, india
house in the wood design team: built form, llc / northwestern university settlement house, chicago, united states partner/location: northwestern university settlement house, delavan, wisconsin, united states
justified architecture in a landscape of transformation design team: arquitectura justa - wolfgang timmer, fabiola uribe, t. luke young, bogota, colombia partner/ location: waldorf educational & social organization, ciudad bolívar, bogota, colombia
stumbling upon this competition project by standard architecture for a visionary competition caught my eye for two reasons: its design ethos; food as a tool supporting community, and its diagrams; the clarity and style are good examples of style and content, both informative and artistic.
there sections were provocative as well... a series of terracing platforms that overlap and float among thin vertical structures. these sensibilities are something we're attempting to work into our upcoming competition.
check out the interview posted at archdaily_ standard partners - jefferey allbrook and silvia kuhle - speak on their philosophy, innovation, the role of technology in architecture, networking, and running their practice.
receiving an honorable mention from the Re:Vision Dallas competition. its design is inspired by the cliff dwellings of the anasazi. food gardens bring the community of 1,000 residents together and provides an alternative form of income when good harvests abound.
"Standard’s radical approach focused on how the residents could potentially gain equity through participation in construction, agricultural, maintenance, education and conservation programs central to the sustenance of the community." [archdaily]
The practice was founded in 1996 by Jeffrey Allsbrook (M Arch USC, studies at the at the Städelschule in Frankurt, Germany and at the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam) and Silvia Kuhle (Architect Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, M Arch Columbia University). "standard is developing an outstanding body of contemporary work that pursues an aesthetic of minimal clarity with designs that transform their settings" says the LA based architecture firm. they've completed a number of projects for a variety of clients in many places nationally and internationally. check out more of their work at standard architecture
here were a few that caught my eye after a quick cruise.
wildflower centre: i enjoyed their wildflower centre project. it reminded me of a thesis given last year at our school. tree house: their tree house has a seductive ribbon of wood blending into a mass of concrete. m1: m1 looks like a sleek rehab of an old warehouse space.
when elizabeth diller gave a series of lectures this past semester at uwmilwaukee on the high lines project i was intrigue. since then, i've been waiting for the day the new high line would open. the day came last monday [june 8th] phase I opened and i stumbled upon a couple of reviews from the times and archdaily.
both articles praised the project, calling it mesmerizing, radical infrastructure. Each commented on the project's most successful aspects, the new pathway's elevation reveals new and different [but above all, pleasing] perspectives of downtown manhattan.
after beating out 720 teams from 36 countries this fantastic project is being realized. the 1.5 mile long abandoned network of post industrial infrastructure has undergone a massive conversion into what the architect's refer to as a strategy of "agri-tecture" and explain the concept as a surface, "digitized into discrete units of paving and planting which are assembled along the 1.5 miles into a variety of gradients from 100% paving to 100% soft, richly vegetated biotopes,” explained Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
the times article speaks about the new perspectives the conversion offers while maintaining optimism for future uses and success of design.
"the height of the High Line that makes it so magical, and that has such a profound effect on how you view the city. Lifted just three stories above the ground, you are suddenly able to perceive, with remarkable clarity, aspects of the city’s character you would never glean from an office window." [ times ]
the article on archdaily is very in depth. it covers everything from competition to completion. it's host to an incredible amount of images and links.
