Ban-Aid

The Japanese legend discusses architects’ duty to do good.

Shigeru Ban: When I came back to Japan after studying in the U.S., I realized that architects are not respected in Japan, and I wondered why. One of the reasons is that the profession has a very short history in Japan. Another is that many people think architects drive up costs and create unusual buildings to call attention to themselves. Historically, architects worked for privileged people, such as kings and religious groups; it is the same today when big corporations and government entities use architecture to make their power and money visible. Some medical doctors and lawyers work for the money while others engage in pro bono, humanitarian activities—yet architects rarely take on this kind of work. So I thought it was really important for us to do something for society, not just to build monuments or help developers make money. (to find out more..)

passage & image from: http://archrecord.construction.com/features/humanitarianDesign/0810banaid.asp

posted by afterrabbit

CR Land Guanganmen Green Technology Showroom - Vector Architects

The project is a temporary “Green” Technology Showroom for one of CR Land’s residential projects in Beijing. The idea is to develop the concept of “temporary” from an more meaningful angle, to design something rather like a piece of installation floating in the garden. The vertical grass wall and roof not only assist to reduce the heat gain/loss, also visually harmonize the temporary structure with the existing garden with so called “classic Spanish” Style. (to find out more..)





text and images from: http://www.chinese-architects.com/index.php?seite=cn_project_details_en&system_id=19774&profile_sprache=en

posted by afterrabbit

If Barack Obama were a building

The Seattle Public Library: forward-looking, intelligent, jazzy, cool, open to all (even the homeless), filled with ideas and art and computers and a fun auditorium and people from all over and commerce (a shop and coffee cart) and books for learning everywhere. In many ways, it functions like infrastructure. The original library sign in contained within, but its surface is striking and new. All this and it's on the Pacific Rim, from an international design team. Hooray for Barack!



Great comparison! Seattle Public Library is one of the smartest, boundary-pushing buildings of our age. It strongly supports the city and supports international, interconnected, what they call "cosmopolitan," citizenship.

images and passage from:
http://edwardlifson.blogspot.com/2009/01/if-obama-were-building-part-ii.html

posted by midori mizu

Holcim Awards "Next Generation" 1st prize 2008 Asia Pacific

It was a great start to 2009 for Wendy Teo Boon Ting, 24, who struck gold when her year-long research was picked as the winner under the next generation category at the Holcim Foundation for Sustai-nable Construction Awards held in New Delhi.
The foundation awarded her US$20,000 (RM73,000) for her project on flooding and water pollution in Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek, considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
“With this prize money, I will be able to do more research in Malaysia,” said Teo who is from Kuching. (to find out more..) & (her project..)

Malaysian yo~


text from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/19/nation/3059900&sec=nation
images from: http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T910/A08APng1.htm#prj

posted by afterrabbit

Dupli.Casa - J. Mayer H.

The geometry of the Dupli.Casa is based on the footprint of the house that previously was located on the site, originally built in 1984 and with many extensions and modifications since then. The new building echoes the „family archeology“ by duplication and rotation. Lifted up, it creates a semi-public space on ground level between two layers of discretion. The spatial configuration of the villa performs a sophisticated connection between inside and outside and offers spectacular views onto the old town of Marbach and the German national literature archive on the other side of the Neckar valley. (to find out more..)




text from: http://www.jmayerh.com/
images from: http://www.thecoolhunter.net/architecture/Dupli-Casa-Remembers-its-Past/

posted by afterrabbit

Chameleon Tower - Anderson Anderson Architecture

Situated on a hill high above a neighboring cherry orchard that also offers breathtaking westward views of Lake Michigan, the Chameleon Tower was designed to relate to the materials and scale of the surrounding agricultural landscape. And with no other house in sight, much of the built environment consisted of the occasional metal farm building along the rural road that runs through the orchard to the house.
The home is located in Northport, Mich., some 300 miles north of Detroit, on a small peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan, and was built as a weekend retreat for a young family who live about three hours away. In addition to wanting to take advantage of the spectacular views, they also requested a large living and play area where they could all be together, as well as small bedrooms so that the kids would be encouraged to play in the main living areas or outdoors.
All of these factors posed a significant challenge to design a home that could not only meet several complex functional and aesthetic objectives, but also blend in nicely while capitalizing on the beautiful scenery - complete with a price tag that wouldn't break the bank. Based on the number of prestigious industry awards it received, Anderson Anderson Architecture's Chameleon Tower more than met that challenge. (to find out more..)




text & images from: http://www.livingsteel.org/case-studies/chameleon-tower

posted by afterrabbit

The Global Warming Swimming Pool | Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai

What?! How can people swim above the New York city? No, New York city is not underwater, but Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai ad agency has designed an incredible ad for HSBC to raise the awareness of the dangers of global warming. The effect is achieved by pasting the huge aerial cityscape poster to the pool base. It’s clever, right?

Sometimes I’ve just thought, how can an architect contribute to our planet? Perhaps the Ecological Sustainable Design (ESD) is one of the way to duel with. So, architect and designers, please save our lovely planet. Cheers…(to find out more..)

passage and images from:
http://plusmood.com/2008/12/the-global-warming-swimming-pool-ogilvy-mather-mumbai/

posted by midori mizu

Jean Nouvel: Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

posted by midori mizu

Health Check for Malaysian Architecture

GREEN is symbolic of spring and new beginnings. How apt it is to start the year, then, by introducing Malaysia’s Green Building Index, our first certification tool that will provide guidelines for environmentally friendly construction.

After all, some of the biggest culprits guzzling the earth’s energy and water resources are man-made structures. The Index means that, for the first time, buildings in Malaysia can be assessed on their impact on the environment, and the construction of new buildings can be guided and managed to lessen their impact on their surroundings.(to find out more)

passage from:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/1/4/lifeliving/2926441&sec=lifeliving

image from:
http://www.vpfo.msu.edu/site_graphics/GreenIdeas.jpg

posted by midori mizu

Christ Pavilion Expo 2000 by GMP Architekten

The Pavilion of Christian religions, a combined contribution of the Catholic and Protestant Churches for the EXPO 2000, is intended to be a contemplative counterpart to the vanity fair with architectural highlights: Simple in structure, reduced to a few materials, precise in detail, unmistakable in its appearance and spatial atmosphere. Lighting and strong verticality grant the hall its dignity and solemnity.Spatial “enclaves“ are located in the transmission between “Christ Hall“ and the cloister as “Rooms of Silence“, where themes of Christianity and the Church are communicated to the visitor in a semantic interpretation. Staircases lead to the underground “crypt". (to find out more...)





text and images from: http://www.gmp-architekten.de/index.php?id=4&L=1&tx_mimpdb_pi1[showUid]=76&tx_mimpdb_pi1[sword]=expo&cHash=205e83633f

posted by s-uper-chii