Jun 30, 2008

Journal of an Architect


the journal was created following the core subject fellow architects know as 'industrial training'. this weblog will feature the architect's first ever working experience, thoughts, gains and updates on the core subject. the journal will be a sub weblog under autofocusv2 and updated on a daily basis. there may not be any pictures compared to its counterpart
(to find out more..)

A blog of my classmate's created to write all about the daily experience & learnings he gain during his first-time industrial training with an architecture firm. Good writer (to me) who updates daily ( yeah I think so), who is also a photography enthusiast.
So cheers and enjoy his stories ay~

text & image from: http://journalarchitect.blogspot.com/

posted by afterrabbit


Lately, Singapore has been emphasizing a lot in Green Architecture to provide a healthy and clean environment to live in. "A City In A Garden", the government has spent millions on these projects. Marina South, a recreational park that focuses on Singapore's diversed Flora and Fauna. " ...it is a rich blend of many cultures and a bustling centre of commerce and industry. These geographical, ecological, historical and cultural ingredients, coupled with a developed infrastructure, offer unparalleled possibilities to create an exciting and unique experience for the Gardens by the Bay... " (to find out more...)

text and image: http://www.gardensbythebay.org.sg/index.php

posted by s-uper-chii

Robin Hood Gardens Design Competition: The Results

The top entries in BD and the Architecture Foundation’s ideas competition for Robin Hood Gardens show that inspired refurbishment of the estate can give it a new vibrancy while reaching the required density levels.

Winner: Zoran Radivojevic Cazenove Architects



The buildings are treated as giant carcasses that allow parts of the structure to be removed and new, lighter structures to be added. These extensions could house work studios or retail space. Some flats are also removed and the hollows used either as public space or let out as business units. Circulation is via a new set of externally attached ramps and stairwells.

Second place: Bruce Newlands Kraft Architecture & Mike Hyatt Landscape Architects

An engineered timber skin envelops one side of the existing blocks, providing more generous terrace space. It also extends upwards, creating an extra two storeys of community space on the roof. There are a total of 2,500 homes, a mix of high-density, low-rise housing, together with low-rise commercial and community facilities.


Third place: Ben Addy Moxon Architects

The architect wants to have as little impact as possible on the Smithsons’ masterplan, maintaining the green space and turning existing thoroughfares into tree-lined avenues. The concrete acoustic barrier on the eastern side is removed to open up the streetscape with retail units, cafés and market stalls. New medium- and low-rise blocks have planted facades and window boxes.(to find out more..)

images & passage from:
http://bustler.net/index.php/article/robin_hood_gardens_design_competition_the_results/

posted by midori mizu

Fresh Flower


Architects Tonkin Liu have designed this temporary pavilion to house discussions during the London Festival of Architecture. Tonkin Liu’s ‘Fresh Flower’ comprises 11 petals that rise off the ground, arching around a central stalk to create a space within which a moveable stage rotates. LED lights rising from the stalk will illuminate the pavilion. It will be constructed entirely from Corus products including tube and sheet steel. When erected the floor area of the structure will cover 97m2, with the petals ranging from 2.7 to 4.3 metres high.

The London Festival of Architecture is at venues across London from 20 June - 20 July.
Details at www.lfa2008.org

image and passage from:
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/06/19/fresh-flower-by-tonkin-liu/


posted by midori mizu

Getting a Job in Architecture and Design


The process of job-hunting is as important as the job itself. Better job-hunting practices lead to better jobs. Better jobs bring about greater professional fulfillment, stability, and reward - financial and otherwise. They also assure retention of a ready talent pool in the design market. Through feast and famine, good design jobs are always available; it is just a matter of finding them. This book explains. concisely, how anyone in the profession, from student intern to project manager, can go after and find the best opportunities in virtually every aspect of building-related design. David Patterson explores the complete realm of job possibilities, and explains what makes each an integral part of the profession and of the market. Major topics are arranged in the order of a basic job hunt: getting started; research, particularly computer-based, occupations; resume and portfolio preparation; interviewing; wages; and working out-of-town. As a bonus, Patterson shares his knowledge of the profession's eccentricities, trade secrets, and "learned-the-hard-way" experiences.

image & passage from:
http://archinect.com/books/enlarge.php?id=76689_0_25_0

posted by midori mizu

Jun 29, 2008

Appletecture


Applestore exudes design as much as possible, very much like their products. Minimalist and Functionalist. Keep things working and at minimal. There is a nice atrium space that ties up all 3 stories into a coherent whole. The glass facades go all the way down to the ground, leaving the sidewalk outside suddenly roofless. This exudes the “cube” effect of the glass box.
(to find out more..)


images & passage from:
http://william.3pigeons.com/blog/


posted by midori mizu

ArchiCentre

A sneak preview of Datum 2008



image 1. Star of Vietnam
image 2. Windcatcher
image 3. PJXchange
image 4. Masterplan in Vietnam
image 5. Trillium
image 6. Chrysallis
image 7. Masterplan in Vietnam

posted by s-uper-chii

World Architecture Festival 2008


The World Architecture Festival is an annual event for architects worldwide, and this year it will be held at Barcelona, Spain on October 22-24 and will award buildings in 16 categories (more info con the awards after the break)

This 3 day event will have a nice agenda, full with exhibitions, live presentations, product showcases, a student charrette, thematic exhibitions (built environment, new technologies, collaboration and sustainability), plenary lectures, study tours of Barcelona and lots of social events and networking.

Student charrette

The Festival will invite architectural students from 10 of the world’s best known architectural schools to participate in an intensive two day live design competition concentrating on a design brief to be agreed with the City of Barcelona.

The teams of students, led by a well known architect, will have a limited time period to generate conceptual ideas and will then present to a panel of judges who will select a winning team. All of the work generated will be on display on day 3 of the Festival.

Awards

The 2008 awards are for buildings completed between 1 January 2007 and 20 June 2008. Buildings in any country, by architects of any nationality, are eligible for entry.

International juries will shortlist the best entries in 96 building types, grouped into 16 categories. All shortlisted architects will present their work to live juries and audiences at the Festival, competing against each other to become category winners.

Category winners will compete against each other in front of a super-jury, to win the ‘best in show’ prize, the first architectural Prix de Barcelona.

All entries in the awards will be exhibited on site at the Festival in a gallery modelled on the Barcelona grid system, and after the Festival all entries will be permanently available to view on the WAF website.


image & passage from:
http://www.archdaily.com/15/world-architecture-festival-2008/


posted by midori mizu

New AutoCad Commands



Things cant get any better than having these commandS in your CAD huh?
How I wish...

image from:
http://atelier-ad.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-autocad-commands.html


posted by midori mizu

Jun 23, 2008

Can buildings be Malaysian?(part 2)

Religious symbolism vs tropical heritage

As I see it, there are two ways to forge a multi-ethnic nation.

One way is to eliminate all ethnic traditions and manufacture a whole new Malaysian entity.

The other way is to recognise and utilise the strength of our multi ethnic heritage. Let’s face it, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism have centuries-old teachings with humanistic values that would be absent in a purely capitalistic and “pragmatic” culture.

The trick is to find similarities and tolerate differences whilst growing up on new perspectives.

If politicians with selfish agendas stop exploiting religious differences, and people lose their ignorance of each other’s cultural and religious heritage, Malaysia can become a strong nation with deep roots and far sighted vision.

I would like to propose the idea of organic architecture to solve the problem of national architectural identity. The necessary elements are: local materials, natural landscape and climate, plus cultural/religious heritage.

Some firms have already experimented with tropical-friendly architecture but they are stuck in their “machine aesthetic” devoid of cultural references (eg: Mesiniaga).

On the other hand, cultural references can become skewed. If most architects could only get off the bandwagon of architectural revivalism and imitation, they might be able to chart new design ideas.

For instance, Islamic cultural heritage is not exemplified by big domes, arches and expensive ornaments but is rooted in the idea of humility, non-wasteful gestures, people-friendly planning, and a deep respect for nature as the embodiment of God’s existence.

Chinese feng shui also has a lot to offer environmentalists in relation to sustainable architecture, if one looks hard enough.

Our mountains can offer construction materials uniquely suited for our climate. Our commercial and cultural landscapes also offer unique opportunities of meaningful ornamentation.

Thus a deeper understanding of our religious/cultural/natural landscape and climate can point the way towards buildings that capture the essence of our place and the spirit of our time.

A more participatory idea of governance would go a long way towards realizing the idea of a natural identity as opposed to a negatively manufactured identity or a forced identity.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer Prof Dr Mohamad Tajuddin passionately believes that architectural design that respects cultural values, religious sensitivities and the ideals of democracy is vital to nation-building and harmony.

passage from:

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/columnists/architectureinsideout/21607223&sec=Architecture%20Inside%20Out

posted by midori mizu

Can buildings be Malaysian?(part 1)

Do we have an architectural identity? Yes! But it reflects a top-down feudal culture that tries too hard to copy past nostalgia or foreign grandeur. Can our buildings become more democratic, people-friendly and multi-cultural?

What future does a Malaysian architectural identity have?

In order to predict this, it is first necessary to predict the attitude of its three main actors: the country’s leadership, the leadership of local universities and the architects’ leadership in PAM (Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia).



The National Museum may merely be an out-dated copy or ‘revival’ of traditional architecture rather than being a well-thought out, progressive icon of something ‘Malaysian’.

Of the three, the main one is the country’s leadership. Traditionally, the other two merely have supporting roles in this whole drama. For my money, knowing Malaysian academic and professional culture, I doubt they have the vision or courage to grab the lead role.

If PAM remains a sort of private club with led by people whose very survival depends on Government handouts, it is never going to rock the boat. If, however, the leadership’s financial standing can be sustained by overseas projects, PAM might actually discover a bit more backbone.

As for local universities, traditionally they are nothing more than trade schools at the beck and call of their masters, ie, the industry and the Government.

I have been an academic for 15 years, so I know we are about half a century behind in seeing academicians leading any kind of a crusade for a quality environment, be it a city, a housing estate, or even a house.

Thus, the only remaining actor to watch is the country’s leadership.

Will there be a significant change in the way this country is governed in the near future? Will the leader be a Feudal Supremo? Or will he or she be an “understanding facilitator”?



The writer believes the Wilayah Mosque tries too much to copy ‘exotic’ foreign architecture to be distinctly Malaysian.

In many of my writings, I have tried to show that Putrajaya reflects the idea of the Leader Supreme whereas the Parliament building reflects a kind of leadership compromise with the rakyat.

In the town of Skudai, near Johor Baru, the Municipality has spent a lot of money sprucing up its own building and adjoining roadway with lavish sculptural landscaping. It’s no secret that the race to be the next “mini Putrajaya” is underway amongst most of the municipalities in Malaysia. Just a few meters into the housing estates behind the Skudai Megalo-Municipality, children can hardly walk or cross the roads safely. There are no pavements, wakafs (shady rest stops) or nice landscaping to rest one’s weary feet.

Thus my prediction is that, if the country’s leadership continues in its strong feudal-democracy style of governance, with universities and PAM playing their supporting roles as grovelling servants, the architectural landscape of congested and polluted cities will prevail. There will be mini Putrajaya kingdoms littering the country?their spires discernable only during haze-free days.


Have we achieved our architectural identity?


The Mesiniaga building is a courageous attempt at energy-efficient tropical-friendly architecture, but it lacks local cultural references.

The irony is that? yes, we have! Whatever we see around us is our real-time identity. But it is not our utopian identity.

From the decadent housing estates that are mere parking lots for families to the overwhelming “palaces” of Putrajaya, architecture does not lie about our socio-political situation.

The idea of the Prince and the Peasantry is well acknowledged in the country’s architectural landscape.

Many of the buildings dubbed ”icons” of Malaysian identity are nothing more than the fantasies of the elite few that has never been seriously debated.

The “revivalistic” approach of the (former) Bank Bumiputra headquarters, the National Museum and the Putra World Trade Centre (all in Kuala Lumpur) suggests that we are 200 years behind in intellectual discourse about architectural identity.

The Mesiniaga building (in Subang Jaya, Selangor), although a courageous attempt at tropical-friendly architecture, is trapped in the late modernist framework of an international ”one-world-culture” style.

The only inkling of revolutionary ideas are the National Mosque and the idyllic resorts that spout primitive regionalism.

But no one pays attention to these two phenomenon as everyone is trying to outdo the Putra Mosque and the Wilayah Mosque in a race of exotic, foreign-inspired revivalism.

And of course no one would dream of replicating the serene picturesque landscaping and spread-out development of the resorts for something as “unimportant” as people's housing.


images & passage from:

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/columnists/architectureinsideout/21607223&sec=Architecture%20Inside%20Out

posted by midori mizu

Jun 22, 2008

Reflections At Keppel Bay, Singapore



Libeskind’s first residential showcase in Asia has its platform at Keppel Bay in Singapore. His iconic design for Reflections at Keppel Bay will put Singapore on the world map for luxury waterfront homes.Rising at the water’s edge as ‘beacons of light’, the Libeskind showcase will be the epitome of premier waterfront living in Singapore. Set in lush and expansive grounds, the waterfront development features six high-rise towers, some linked by skybridges, and spacious low-rise villas. The Libeskind development will sit on a land size of approximately 84,000 sq metres with an extensive shoreline of 750 metres. Every detail and aspect of design will optimise interaction with the sea and the commanding panoramic views of its scenic surrounds including Mount Faber, Keppel Club Golf Course, Labrador Park, Sentosa and its upcoming Integrated Resort and the city skyline. (to find out more...)



In my opinion, the design of the towers look a little too dramatic, but I wont say that it is overly designed. On the other hand, the layout of the spatial arrangements (ranging from 2 bedroom - 4 bedroom units to select) and a killer view of Singapore's CBD and the waterfront does make the homes more luxurious. Trees and plants are found on the roof and in balconies makes the building look sustainable. Kudos to Libeskind and Singapore's URA.
posted by s-uper-chii

Jun 20, 2008

Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees


Vincent Callebaut called this project “Lilypad“, but this ecotectural marvel is also called as “Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees”. The whole structure is covered in green walls and roofs, the top portion covered in grasses with the inner portion featuring a palm oasis, and the under portion serving as a bed for natural sea planktons and oceanic plants. Finally if you were already planning to reserve a place to this luxurious future retreat stay calm, because Vincent Callebaut hopes that “Floating Ecopolis for Climate Refugees” will make the transition from design to reality around the year 2100.

According to the less alarming forecasts of the GIEC (Intergovernmental group on the evolution of the climate), the ocean level should rise from 20 to 90 cm during the 21st Century with a status quo by 50 cm (versus 10 cm in the 20th Century). As a solution to this alarming problem architect Vincent Callebaut came up with this ecotectural marvel that could serve as a luxurious future retreat for 50,000 inhabitants seeking refuge from rising waters due to global warming. He believes the world will be desperately seeking shelter from the devastations of climate change, and hopes the auto-sufficient amphibious city will serve as a luxurious solution. To bad that right now we are close to 7 billion people and this luxurious future retreat is just for 50,000 inhabitants ( just for rich people ).
(to find out more..)
(more images..)

images & passage from:
http://freshome.com/2008/06/11/future-architecture-floating-ecopolis-for-climate-refugees/


posted by midori mizu

Jun 16, 2008

Kyoei Design - 共栄


Kouichi Okamoto : representative/designer
Ayako Nakanishi : director
Yuichi Yamaguchi : photographer

Various sensitive and interesting industrial products are the results of this office experimenting the commonest and most detailed aspects of our daily lives. Some technical & aesthetical possibilities are derived and bring a little more fun & graceful substances into our shelters. (to find out more about them..)


Material: rubber. polypropylene.
They are a lamp which is made with a balloon and LED. The LED has no generation off power like other lights, such as incandescent lamps. And it has high illumination, long lifetime and is energy-saving. And it is also possible to use it continuously over 100 hours by using the 2lithium-coin batteries.



Material: ceramic
Size: 515mm x 330mm x 290mm
The umbrella pot made of ceramic has a small plant pot at the bottom to use the rain water. This umbrella pot allows rainwater from your umbrella to drain into the plant pot.

Low-maintenance way to keep a small plant.
Rainwater drains into the plant pot via internal holes.

passages & images from: http://www.kyouei-ltd.co.jp/index.htm

posted by afterrabbit

Jun 13, 2008

Casa Per Tutti - Housing For All


The triennale returns to the roots of its historic exhibitions, starting in 1933,with prototype houses by architects built in 1:1 scale, presented in its garden.the exhibition shows a group of projects for accommodation modules capable of providinga possible solution to emergency housing problems in metropolitan areas and thoseaffected by sudden natural catastrophes.
Though early 20th century architecture concentrated on collective housing, by the laterdecades many leading architects had shifted their interests to materiality and culturalconsumption, with the aim of creating 'icons'.'casa per tutti' reintroduces the theme of 'habitation' and its recent resurgencein the architectural realm The exhibition showcases constructive design reactions to social requirementsof communities and individuals who are deprived of the right to a home.The workson show re-announce the theme of the house as a primary resource in criticalsituations caused by urban and environmental emergencies. (to find out more..)





Deep Purple, by Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

Great amount of spacial reconfiguration possibilities within the structure , and it's able to respond & adapt to different requirements in a very short time; but isn't it too visually transparent..? The floors can be seen through, from ground to top level, it's scary, have to cover them eventually.



Umbrella House, by Kengo Kuma

A very simple logic that we have not seriously looked into, yeah? From a small rain/sun shielding device to a large (can be still bigger, in fact) light-weight shelter that shields a small community of people. And the right fabric choice can create an environment of very good natural-light quality; but I still wonder if it can be anchored firmly to the ground, even under the pressure of hurricane?

passage & images from: http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/casapertutti.html

posted by afterrabbit

Jun 10, 2008

Pritzker Prize Winner Together



posted by midori mizu

Museum of Nature - Ikka Halso

I visualize shelters, massive buildings where big ecosystems could be stored as they are found today, in the present. These massive buildings protect forests, lakes and rivers from pollution and, more importantly, they protect nature from the actions of man himself. At the same time, I study different aspects of man’s relation to nature as though a rare, unique and endangered place.
-Ikka Halso

A photography series by Ikka Halso, with the use of landscape images & 3d manipulations, reflects how man-made architecture could eventually live with/protect the natural environment.







text & images from: http://ilkka.halso.net/

posted by afterrabbit

KaDeWe Duftbar - Bilen & Born GbR

Perfume kiosk at Berlin's KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), designed by Hamburg-based Bilen & Born GdR.
It feels almost like an outerspace that doesn't belong to the rest of the floor at all, yet without enclosing & isolating itself from others, the communication between itself and the surrounding is kept at its maximum in terms of circulation and vision..






posted by afterrabbit

Jun 3, 2008

James Law’s High Tech ‘Cybertecture Egg’ for Mumbai


James Law Cybertecture International brings high-tech solutions to large scale structures through innovative ideas for intelligent living. The latest future forward design from this firm is the Cybertecture Egg, commissioned by Vijay Associate (Wadhwa Developers) for Mumbai, India. The 32,000 sq m egg-shaped building will combine “iconic architecture, environmental design, intelligent systems, and new engineering to create an awe-inspiring landmark in the city.”(to find out more)

“In the 21st Century, buildings will be different from 20th Century”, say James Law Cybertecture International, “They are no longer about concrete, steel and glass, but also the new intangible materials of technology, multimedia, intelligence and interactivity. Only recognizing this will bring a new form of architecture to light, namely a Cybertecture.”

The building is due for completion by the end of 2010.

image & passage from:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/29/james-law-high-tech-cybertechture-egg-for-mumbai/


posted by midori mizu
 

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