paul raff studio: cascade house

paul raff studio create a sustainable contemporary home in toronto’s conservative forest hill neighbourhood. the family home is composed of a series of volumes stacked on top of one another. the home is clad in muted black slate and covered in large expansive windows to let the natural light inside. the home is two and half soterys and is designed in an l-formation around an outdoor swimming pool. the orientation of the home and its windows was particularly set to maximize sun exposure. the heavy use of glass is best exemplified by the 13-foot front window made from 475 vertically stacked sheets of heavy, jagged-cut glass. the center of the home is accented with a black slate wall that is perforated with windows, running through each floor. the whole home covers 325m square.

from Designboom - Weblog

Saegeling Medizintechnik office by Gerd Priebe Architects and Consultants

German architects Gerd Priebe have completed a new office situated in the existing complex of medical equipment developers Saegeling Medizintechnik in Heidenau, Germany. (more…)

from Dezeen by Brad Turner

moho architects: media island wifi pavillion, alicante

spanish firm moho architects have designed media island - a wifi pavillion for miguel hernandez university campus in alicante, spain.

the building performs as a virtual interface providing public internet access and a singular meeting spot for students to hang out and relax .the star/shaped pavilion is divided into 5 different spaces surrounding a central courtyard that guaranties maximum natural lighting and ventilation. the island raises 1.5 meters from the natural level of the ground though an white gravel landscape, enforcing the identity and singularity of the pavilion as an 'object trouve' in the middle of the campus.

from Designboom - Weblog

Ladderstile House by ThreefoldArchitects

London practice ThreefoldArchitects have completed Ladderstile House, a luxury house on Richmond Park in London. (more…)

from Dezeen by Brad Turner

Big Dig House / Single Speed Design

The Big Dig is the most expensive highway project in the history of the US. The project included rerouting the Central Artery into a tunnel under the heart of Boston, requiring a tremendous engineering work due to underlaying metro lines and pipes and utility lines that would have to be replaced or moved. Tunnel workers encountered many unexpected geological and archaeological barriers, ranging from glacial debris to foundations of buried houses and a number of sunken ships lying within the reclaimed land.

The Big Dig House by Single Speed Design reutilizes materials from the Big Dig. In that aspect, it´s a remarkable example of recycling in architecture. Project description by the architects after the break.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

House G by Saunders Architecture

The house, designed by Saunders Architecture, lies like a white landmark in the soft landscape at Hjellestad, Norway.

Built with traditional Nordic materials, this futuristic house consists of 3 different sizes mounted in a random pattern. The house has an over-built outside space and the second floor covers the entrance below, helping the house work together with the rough climate.

from CoolBoom by Sylvia

Parish Church of Santa Monica / Vicens & Ramos

Following the guidance of the Diocesan Council of Temples and the program of requirements provided by the same and later adjusted to the needs of the Parish of Santa Monica, the building design integrates in one building all the spaces that correspond to Church, Parish offices and priest housing.

from Arch Daily by Ethel Baraona Pohl

Roosendaal Market Square Pavilion by René van Zuuk Architekten

René van Zuuk Architekten have completed a pavilion for the pedestrianised central market square at Roosendaal in the Netherlands. (more…)

from Dezeen by Brad Turner

Pavilions Open at Millenium Park

The Burnham Plan Pavilions designed by Zaha Hadid and UNStudio was announced a few months ago, and now, both are almost ready to be opened to the public. Continuing Millenium Park’s tradition of displaying dynamic public art, the pavilions emphasize bettering the future, which echo the ideals of the 1909 Burnham Plan. Although opening day was June 19th, only UNStudio’s pavilion was complete, as Hadid’s pavilion will require a few more weeks until it will be opened to the public due to its geometric complexities.

from Arch Daily by Karen Cilento

ATRIO | ATP Architects and Engineers

ATRIO in Villach, Austria, was named the world’s most sustainable shopping centre at the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) “night of the stars” gala during the retail spring convention of the international industry organisation at Caesars Palace.

Photos: ©Thomas Jantscher
from architecture buzz!! by canopy

Architecture for the car. Mercedes and Porsche museums

Michael Schnell, German photographer has sent Plataforma Arquitectura a series of stunning images of two projects in the German city of Stuttgart; Museum by Mercedes and Porsche Museum UNSTudio of Viennese Delugan Meissl. Without a doubt the car is a key element in modern industrial history and its influence on architecture and cities has been throughout the twentieth century.

from Plataforma Arquitectura by Carlos J Vial

metaconcrete: universe light

korean studio metaconcrete has sent in images of universe light.
a light illuminating inside the sponge shade creates universe-like shadow into the space.

from Designboom - Weblog

3LHD architects: house n

located on one of zagreb, croatia’s most prestigious streets, house n is an urban residence with views of the city and forest. the home was created to replace the site’ existing home, adding modern conveniences and a large fitness space. the home is on the plot’s highest point to take advantage of its surrounding views and clad on all sides, including the roof, with brown high pressure laminate panels. large openings shower the interior with light, and create the illusion of a more compact form on the exterior.

photo by damir fabijanic
from Designboom - Weblog

Farewell Chapel / OFIS Arhitekti

A farewell chapel is located in a village close to Ljubljana. The site plot is next to the existing cemetery. The chapel is cut into the rising landscape. The shape is following the lines of the landscape trajectories around the graveyard. Three curved walls are embracing and dividing the programs.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

Dezeen’s top ten: pavilions

Dezeen’s top ten: this month’s top ten features the most clicked-on Dezeen stories about pavilions. In first place is the Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion by Zaha Hadid Architects.

from Dezeen by Rose Etherington

The Berman House by Harry Seidler

Perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a rocky ravine, the concrete property designed Harry Seidler is based in Joadja, New South Wales, Australia. It has a suspended living room with soaring balcony, stunning pool and spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.

from CubeMe by Chantal

Today's archidose #325

Here's a view of the Igualada Cemetery in Barcelona, Spain by Enric Miralles and Carme Pinós, 1994.

Photography by jmtp.

from A Daily Dose of Architecture by John

Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture Complete their Swedish “Mirage”

In 2006, Frederik Kjellgren and Joakim Kaminsky won the international architecture competition for a new dance hall in Falsterbo, Sweden, and started their studio; Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture. Now the building “Mirage” is to be inaugurated.

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

Rolling Huts / OSKA Architects

Responding to the owner’s need for space to house visiting friends and family, the Rolling Huts are several steps above camping, while remaining low-tech and low-impact in their design. The huts sit lightly on the site, a flood plain meadow in an alpine river valley. The owner purchased the site, formerly a RV campground, with the aim of allowing the landscape return to its natural state. The wheels lift the structures above the meadow, providing an unobstructed view into nature and the prospect of the surrounding mountains.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

Santa Rita Geriatric Center / Manuel Ocaña

Geriatric centers should be optimistic places appealing to live in or to visit. The idea is to create a characteristic atmosphere in a vital space where spare time prevails and where residents spend the last years or months of their lives. The fact is that it is possible to build a geriatric center that does not look like a hospital, with neither corridors nor architectural barriers and on a single floor, in which all the rooms have direct access from (and towards) a garden that, as a sort of ‘lobby’, acts also as direct access towards (and from) the collective spaces.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

3LHD architects: house k

house k is a residential project in the mountains of zagreb by the croatian studio 3LHD architects. the home’s shape was inspired by the shape of a snail’s shell, spiraling around its own axis. this was translated into the structure by wrapping the home’s elements around a central atrium which is outfitted with a spiral staircase to provide access to a rooftop patio. the atrium also helps light the interior.

photo by damir fabijanic
from Designboom - Weblog

cliff garten studios: avenue of light, los angeles

'avenue of light' by cliff garten studio will open on june 25, 2009 in the city of
fort worth, USA.

rising 36 feet above the streetscape, the six 'avenue of light' sculptures are both
transparent and opaque, depending on the viewer’s position and time of day.
each sculpture is made of 100 stainless steel plates, whose forms are derived from
architectural details in the nearby texas & pacific terminal, an art deco landmark.

from Designboom - Weblog

The Mill - Alingsås project Report

Berry van Egten from Berlux was the leader of group of workshop participants working on The Mill project as part of Alingsås workshop organised by PLDA every year.

The concept as was written by the group: “The Mill is reawakening. The water falling under the bridge is once again churning its power to bring Stampens Kvarn back to life. Once past The Mill, this energy fades, moving downstream under the second bridge and back to sleep”.

from ENLIGHTER.ORG by Mitja Prelovsek

foster + partners: zenith

the zenith concert venue in saint-etienne by london’s foster + partners has been granted a RIBA award. the project was completed late last year and is the region’s first purpose-built state-of-the-art performance venue. the zenith was co-designed by cabinet beger and features a distinctive cantilevered roof. the roof acts as a wind scoop to naturally ventilate the auditorium, reducing energy use. the front of the venue features a curved glass-enclosed lobby that leds into the expansive auditorium. inside the main space the venue can be configured in a number of arrangement for audiences ranging from 1,100 to 7,200.

photo credit nigel young (courtesy of foster + partners)
from Designboom - Weblog

Art Gallery of Ontario Re-Envisioned by Frank Gehry

The new AGO is Toronto-born Frank Gehry’s first building in Canada and marks the very place where he made the initial connection between art and architecture. Hallmarks of his AGO design connect the city and the Gallery in provocative new ways including dramatic sculptural staircases, the warmth of Douglas fir, andthe extensive use of glass which infuses the galleries with natural light. As you will discover, it is an extraordinary new home for extraordinary new art.

from CubeMe by Chantal

UCSD Price Center East / Yazdani Studio

The plan of the University of California at San Diego’s existing student center, the Price Center, was developed with an “introverted” configuration - a central courtyard bordered on three sides by all of the building’s program elements facing inward - that established a powerful sense of place and a hub for dining, socializing, and events. When the university’s growth necessitated an expansion of the Price Center, our solution was to create an “extroverted,” highly permeable addition offering many points of entry and features such as plazas and monumental staircases that engage the building’s surroundings and enrich the street experience.

Photographer: Timothy Hursley
from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

Yellow Tree House, New Zealand by Pacific Environment Architects

The Yellow Tree House by Pacific Environment Architects is built around a redwood tree, which is over 40m high and has a 1.7m diameter at its base, located north of Auckland, New Zealand.

from CubeMe by Chantal

Western Red Cedar Architectural Design Award Winners

WRCLA WINNER - Sponsor Award Winner for the WRCLA:
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY

Wooden House by Atelier Martel

Paris architects Atelier Martel have completed a house with four gabled facades in the Vosges mountains in France.

from Dezeen by Rose Etherington

Today's archidose #322

Here's a few views Aqua Tower in Chicago, Illinois by Studio Gang nearing completion.

Photographs are by karla kaulfuss.
from A Daily Dose of Architecture by John

zaha hadid architects: cairo expo city

zaha hadid architects has been awarded first prize in the cairo expo city competition
together with global engineering consultancy buro happold.

the winning design for cairo expo city is a 450,000 square metre, state of the art city for exhibitions and conferences, located between the centre of cairo and the city’s airport. the project comprises a major international exhibition and conference centre with business hotel. a further office tower and a shopping centre are also proposed.

from Designboom - Weblog

House in Jigozen by Suppose Design Office

Here’s a project from Japanese architects Suppose Design Office: a residential project in Jigozen, Japan.

from Dezeen by Brad Turner

Flowing Gardens / Plasma Studio

London-based Plasma Studio will begin construction on the International Horticultural Fair Complex in Xi’an, China this year. The project, entitled Flowing Gardens, features the redevelopment of a large area of land that acts as a ‘synthesis of horticulture and technology where landscape and architecture converge at a sustainable and integral vision’.

from Arch Daily by Karen Cilento

Outpost / OSKA Architects

Set in the remote and harsh high desert landscape of Idaho, Outpost is a residence and studio/workshop for making and displaying art. An important aspect of the complex is the protected “paradise garden,” which is separated from the wild landscape by thick concrete walls. The materials used in the structure, including concrete block, car-decking, and plywood, require little or no maintenance, and are capable of withstanding the extreme weather that characterize the desert’s four seasons.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

Henny Van Nistelrooy: 'flashmob'

'flashmob' by studio henny van nistelrooy is a chandelier made of light reflecting
discs that are normally used in photography. the process was initiated by making
different shapes within the transition from the folded flexible ring to flattened out.
it is configured using twelve of these elements to make a sphere chandelier.

from Designboom - Weblog

Vismasters image of the week

This autumn image was awarded "Image of the week" by VisMasters.
The artist's purpose of the image was to study how different lighting conditions change the mood of an image, how materials react to nature and seasons, how light shapes and defines our environment.

Artist: Alfa Smyrna

Plans for a post-Kyoto metropolis revealed

The official release of the results from Le Grand Pari(s) competition.
Preface by President Sarkozy. PDF

from Archinect.com Feed

Eiffel Tower - Growing by myself

Olivier Defaye has worked diligently and managed to get the picture "The Eiffel Tower: Growing by myself" into the CG Choice Award Gallery. Read more at cgsociety.org.

from CreativeTools 3D-blogg - Datorgrafik-, 3D- och IT-nyheter by Paulo Kiefe

Za’abeel Park Observation Tower / XTEN Architecture

XTEN Architecture shares their entry to the ThyssenKrupp elevator competition in Dubai. The observation tower is located in a cultural park just off axis from the main skyscraper boulevard in Dubai, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road.

from Arch Daily by Sebastian J

Sapphire Gallery / XTEN Architecture

XTEN Architecture just sent in one of their latest projects. The Sapphire Gallery is a residential gallery addition to a private residente in Los Angeles, California. It is designed to display a private collection of contemporary art while also providing for a home office with views to the surrounding hills.

from Arch Daily by Sebastian J

Civivox / AH Asociados

In the surroundings of the central park in Mendillorri, a building has been proposed which keeps a relationship with the surrounding area, its views, and its functions. A type of monument which distances itself from people hasn’t been sought out, but rather a constructed place which plays second fiddle to the park and the palace, to the lake and the inner landscape.

from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

World Wildlife Fund Builds Carbon Neutral Headquarters

The World Wildlife Fund has been making huge waves in the environmental movement since it was established five decades ago, and is now taking its mission yet another step further by applying it to architecture. RAU Architecture’s organically shaped design was selected from a variety of candidates as the new look for the WWF Netherlands headquarters based on the fact that the RAU proposed using the existing building as the crux of the new one instead of demolishing it. Completed in 2006, the building has remarkable sustainable innovations that allow it to be entirely self-sufficient, carbon neutral, and a wonderful work environment for employees. What we love even more is that RAU’s design does not sacrifice architectural style in order to achieve its environmental goals.

from Inhabitat » Architecture by Lea Bogdan

Ravelo Medical Clinic | gpy arquitectos

This is a small, humble yet communicate its purpose well with community and embedded smoothly in Tenerife urban fabric. Designed by gpy arquitectos, here is from the architects: This small outpatient clinic is located in the town of Ravelo, a small community in a distinctively rural environment that occupies an outstanding hillside position, on the island of Tenerife. The building has been designed on two levels, both with street-level pedestrian access. The main floor is occupied by the medical surgeries, while the lower floor houses administrative areas and multipurpose spaces for community activities.

Photographs: Efraín Pintos (© gpy arquitectos)

from architecture buzz!! by canopy

thomas jacobsen: the beresford hotel

australian architectural firm thomas jacobsen recently completed the design of the beresford hotel in sydney. the project involved refurbishing a heritage building adding a contemporary public bar, restaurant and large outside garden. during construction they employed many techniques including 12 custom moulds that were designed for the curved bricks, with black raked out mortar. all components were custom designed down to the ashtrays.

from Designboom - Weblog

Cano soledad by soledad Can Architecture Office Architects

Spanish architecture firm based in Madrid, Selgas Cano has created their own office space that offers an unobstructed view of its forest surroundings through one continuous wall of windows. The shutters over the clear roof are retractable and allow for natural light to pour into the space. Ceilings are both low and high, depending on the retraction of the roof and on which part of the room you’re in.

from CubeMe by Chantal

caliper studio: 'genetic stair'

caliper studio designed a three thousand square foot duplex apartment renovation
in a building on new york's upper west side. their solution removed all existing
vertical circulation and connected the two floors with a new feature stair, located
centrally in the apartment, free from all walls and supported only at the top
and bottom.

photo © ty cole
from Designboom - Weblog

Carema Healthcare Centre by TAF

Swedish designers TAF have completed the interior of the Carema Healthcare Centre in Stockholm, Sweden. (more…)

from Dezeen by Brad Turner

Galeria Adriana Varejão by Rodrigo Cerviño Lopez

Architecture Design of Galeria Adriana Varejão Pavilion has been build by architect Rodrigo Cerviño Lopez for the Inhotim Centro de Arte Contemporânea in Brazil. Inhotim Centro de Arte Contemporânea is located in Brumadinho, a village near Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state. Instead of summing up all its installations into a unique building, it is composed of many pavilions spread out in a park of approximately 35 hectares.

from CubeMe by Chantal

holzer kobler architecture: 'focusterra' at the swiss federal institute of technology

photo © susana bruell

Swiss firm holzer kobler architecture's latest work 'focusterra' is an exhibition designed for the swiss federal institute of technology. the concept connects the existing collection with contemporary research done at the institute.

The focal point of the exhibition is the tower, which spirals up three levels reaching
just below the skylight of the inner courtyard.

from Designboom - Weblog

Ficha Screen Panel, Hunter Douglas

Screen Panel is a product of a single skin and has the ability to be drilled according to designs or shapes that the architect can create, which are generated during the process of preparing the panel by computer technology.

A particularly interesting aspect of the material are the possibilities which were used in Casino de Talca. While it is a product of a single skin, and therefore used as a coating, this time a system using 2 screen panels was used to achieve a double skin independent of the building volume.

from Plataforma Arquitectura by Guillermo Hevia García