Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: Architectural Daily

FeaturedPasaje Cabrer Collective Housing / AFRa

Editor's ChoiceOpinion: Transparency In Architecture Competitions Is A Bad Thing

Unified Architectural Theory: Chapter 10

Chippenham Park, Ely, UK. “The biophilia hypothesis thus turns traditional architecture on its head: we did not build only for utilitarian purposes, but to give ourselves a form of continual nourishment from the result”. Image © Flickr CC user Karen Roe

We will be publishing Nikos Salingaros’ book, Unified Architectural Theory, in a series of installments, making it digitally, freely available for students and architects around the world. In this chapter, Salingaros moves his discussion towards our physiological and psychological reactions to the built environment, and the science of healing spaces. If you missed them, make sure to read the previous installments here.

Biophilia: Our Evolved Kinship To Biological Forms

The organized complexity in artifacts and buildings, as I have described it, leads to a positive response from users. This is the perception of “life” which we sense in certain structures and places in the built environment. The physical structure of the world has a massive effect on human beings. A crucial task of architectural theory is to explain and predict the impact that living structure — or its absence — has on us.

Vira-Latas / Moradavaga

Architects: Moradavaga
Location: Porto, Portugal
Architect In Charge: Manfred Eccli, Pedro Cavaco Leitão
Year: 2015
Photographs: Courtesy of Moradavaga

Spotlight: Peter Zumthor

Known for his sensuous materiality and attention to place, 2009 Pritzker Laureate Peter Zumthor (born April 26, 1943) is one the most revered architects of the 21st century. Shooting to fame on the back of The Therme Vals and Kunsthaus Bregenz, completed just a year apart in 1996 and 1997, his work privileges the experiential qualities of individual buildings over the technological, cultural and theoretical focus often favored by his contemporaries.

Esther Koplowitz Foundation / Hans Abaton

Architects: Hans Abaton
Location: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Architect In Charge: Ricardo de Landaluce Arias
Collaborator Architects: Víctor Conde Buezas, Naama de Miguel de Pablo, David Díaz Vizán, Laura Fringuello, Gonzalo Martín Román, Ana Martínez Campos, Juan Millán Ghisleri, Fernando Ortiz Campos, Wolney Ortiz de Oliveira, Darío Ortiz Seseña, Francisco Peláez Marín, Elías Sancho de Agustín, Javier Tavera Tolmo
Area: 2350.0 sqm
Year: 2015
Photographs: Gonzalo Martín Román

Child Day Care Centre / Burobill + ZAmpone architectuur

Architects: Burobill, ZAmpone architectuur
Location: De Reuzenschool, Naamsesteenweg 355, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Area: 1407.0 sqm
Year: 2015
Photographs: Filip Dujardin

Aperture / Admun Design & Construction Studio

Architects: Admun Design & Construction Studio
Location: Bumehen, Tehran, Iran
Architect In Charge: Shobeir Mousavi, Amir Reza Fazel
Design Team: Fatemeh Kargar, Mohsen Fayazbakhsh, Ramtin Haghnazar
Project Team: Majid Rahmati, Bahareh Ahmadnia
Presentation Team: Mostafa Karbasi, Niousha Ghasem
Area: 650.0 sqm
Year: 2015
Photographs: Parham Taghioff

Spotlight: William Pereira

Winner of the 1942 Acadamy Award for Best Special Effects, William Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) also designed some of America’s most iconic examples of futurist architecture, with his heavy stripped down functionalism becoming the symbol of many US institutions and cities. Working with his more prolific film-maker brother Hal Pereira, William Pereira’s talent as an art director translated into a long and prestigious career creating striking and idiosyncratic buildings across the West Coast of America.

TU/e Students to Build Leonardo da Vinci’s Bridge Out of Ice

Courtesy of Eindhoven University of Technology

Students from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) will attempt to beat the world-record for the longest open span attained by an ice structure by constructing an ice bridge inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. Following a yearly tradition of exhibiting architecture made from ice, the bridge is anticipated to span an astounding 50 meters. If the team succeeds, they will shatter the school’s previous record set in 2014 when students built an ice dome spanning 30 meters.

Read on after the break for more on the massive ice bridge.

Suburban Dwelling / Roberto Benito

Architects: Roberto Benito
Location: San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina
Project Area: 295.0 m2
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Gonzalo Viramonte

How to Build Your Own Furniture Using LEGOs for the Formwork

Since its creation in the first half of the 20^th century, the LEGO brick has come to be used for much more than its original purpose as a children’s toy.

We’ve seen LEGOs used to create replicas of classic architecture, urban interventions, virtual games and even an entire house. Now, a new video highlights the bricks’ potential as a formwork for creating furniture. The bricks’ ability to be easily assembled and disassembled makes for an efficient and easy-to-create formwork, which when filled with concrete and left to set creates these incredible, textured nesting tables.

Watch the video above for a tutorial on making the tables — does anyone dare try it themselves?

Architects And Coding: Why You Should Treat Your Software Like Your Smartphone

In 2014 renowned Dutch politician Neelie Kroes, then a commissioner for the European Union, stated that coding should be taught in elementary school in the Netherlands, arguing that “Coding is the reading and writing of the future” and that if the Dutch didn’t incorporate it into their education system it would fall behind school systems in other countries. The reactions to both Kroes’ statement and Michael Kilkelly’s article “5 Reasons Architects Should Learn To Code” were quite similar. Those already capable of writing code agreed; many who have never even seen, let alone written any script responded negatively. Many reactions to Micheal Kilkelly’s article covered the same ideas: “There’s no time!” “Coding is not designing!” Or just plain, “No!”

A Rememberance Site – Parc des Glacis / 2/3/4

Architects: 2/3/4
Location: Parc des Glacis, 25000 Besançon, France
Project Manager: Agate Mordka
Area: 2500.0 sqm
Year: 2013
Photographs: Nicolas Waltefaugle

“Lina Bo Bardi: Together” Opens at The Graham Foundation

From April 25 through July 25, 2015, the Graham Foundation will host an exhibition at its Madlener House showcasing the vision of Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi. Known for her emphasis on social modernism and expressive use of materials, Lina Bo Bardi: Together explores her legacy through her collected works, as well as that of other artists paying homage to the architect and striving to generate new conversations about her designs. Curated by Noemi Blager, the exhibition features photographs, films, and artistic objects reflecting Bo Bardi’s diverse work and immersion in Brazilian culture. Read on for more details.

Zen Sushi Restaurant / Carlo Berarducci Architecture

Architects: Carlo Berarducci Architecture
Location: Via degli Scipioni, 243, 00192 Roma, Italy
Area: 350.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Shopping Center Pivovar Děčín / Studio acht

Architects: Studio acht
Location: Decin, Czech Republic
Design Team: Václav Hlaváček, Ben Hoek, Sybren Hoek, Petr Topolovský, Nermin Fehimovič, Pavel Jakoubek, Jiří Jabůrek, Vlastimil Osouch, Kateřina Ambrožová, Jana Tomšová, Majda Šnajdrová, Lina Procházková
Area: 32420.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Alexandra Timpau

Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies

Translation from English

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Architectural Daily

the world's most visited architecture website