Video: James Corner / TIME Magazine Game Changers

Check out this great video on one of our favorite landscape architects, James Corner.  Named one of Time Magazine’s Game Changers - “innovators and problem-solvers that are inspiring change in America” – thousands have enjoyed Corner’s work on the High Line, and we are excited to monitor the progress of Corner’s recent joint win with SOM on Cornell’s NYC Tech Campus.  The video sheds light upon Corner’s philosophy on landscape and how public spaces are a defining component of urban spaces.   “…As designers, you bring an incredible sense of optimism and faith….and the capacity of good design to transform what may be perceived as negative to something very positive,” explained Corner.  Overall, we found the video inspiring and we hope you enjoy it!


‘Madame’ collection of lamps by Oriol Llahona for Alma Light (ES)

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Barcelona-based industrial designer Oriol Llahona has recently collaborated on this collection of lamps with the Spanish lighting manufacturer Alma Light. Made of epoxy painted metal, ‘Madame’ consists of three different models: pendant, floor and table lamps, all of which are available in either black-gold or white-silver colour combinations. Additionally, and rather curiously, all of the designs are also [...]

Richard Meier & Partners Designs New Tower in Mexico City

New York, January 16, 2012 – The third project designed by Richard Meier & Partners in Mexico – is revealed today. The new Mitikah Office Tower will be a state-of-the-art building in the Delegacion Benito Juarez in Mexico City.

Mitikah Office Tower will be part of a mixed use master plan designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and developed by IDEURBAN/IDCity from Mexico. The scheme consists of commercial space, low-rise residential buildings, and a hotel and residential tower. Located at the southwest corner of the master plan, the tower offers an extraordinary opportunity to develop an architecture that mediates between the commercial core and the nearby residential community. Mitikah Office Tower will be the visual transition between the Av. Rio Churubusco, an elevated highway, and the pedestrian boulevard of the retail plaza.

Design Partner-in-charge Bernhard Karpf comments: “Mexico City has always been among the most important cultural and commercial centers in Latin Amer…

Convocatoria para Beca de Información e Investigación / Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea

La Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea y Vimcorsa, atendiendo al valor formativo que suponen el trabajo de organización de eventos culturales y de actividades relacionadas con la difusión, investigación y fomento de la arquitectura y la vivienda pública contemporáneas, convocan una beca para jóvenes arquitectos/as y estudiantes de último curso de Arquitectura destinada a la realización de prácticas en la Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea.

La beca pretende ofrecer a los candidatos, la posibilidad de complementar mediante una práctica en una institución que se dedica al fomento de la arquitectura contemporánea, los conocimientos culturales adquiridos durante sus estudios y sus primeros años de actividad profesional y contribuir a la formación del candidato/a en la gestión y desarrollo de actividades relacionadas con el fomento, difusión e investigación de la cultura y de la práctica de la arquitectura y la vivienda pública contemporáneas. El período exigido de estancia en la Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea, con sede en Córdoba, es de seis meses. La beca es renovable.

Los candidatos serán seleccionados por una Comisión en dos fases.
Una primera fase será a través de currículo/porfolio, que incluya la experiencia durante su formación académica y la sucesiva experiencia profesional y/o de investigación. Una segunda fase de selección se efectuará a través de entrevista para evaluar la capacidad y la actitud personal del candidato/a.

La fecha límite de admisión de solicitudes y del material requerido a concurso es el 24 de enero de 2012.

Más información en www.arquitecturacontemporanea.org


Catamarán A50 concept | Janne Leppänen

Interesante creación del diseñador industrial finlandés Janne Leppänen,  una vista a este concepto hermoso de catamarán que ofrece los beneficios recreativos y el confort de la más alta calidad, respetando el medio ambiente al máximo. Llamado “Open Catamaran A50″, descubre todos los detalles en las siguientes imágenes! Sigue leyendo

Escuela sin paredes | Rosan Bosch Ltd.

Escuela sin paredes interiores??! Sí, has leído bien! El Swedish Free School Organization Vittra opera por la filosofía de que no hay clases o aulas en su lugar, los estudiantes se les enseña en grupos según el nivel basado en los principios pedagógicos de la escuela de “la wateringhole”, “el show-off”, “the cave “,”the campfire” y “the laboratory”, que son enfoques didácticos que crean diferentes tipos de situaciones de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Esto creó un programa interesante para los arquitectos en Rosan Bosch Ltd., que tuvo que crear una casa escuela para un establecimiento que no creen en las clases regulares, sino un lugar donde se basa el desarrollo individual de vivir el trabajo cultural y desafiantes entornos de aprendizaje.

Los arquitectos sacaron una lluvia de ideas a través de la fase de diseño esquemático para revelar una solución creativa. En lugar de las divisiones clásicas de sillas y mesas, un iceberg gigante, por ejemplo, sirve como el cine, la plataforma y espacio para la relajación, y establece el marco para diferentes tipos de aprendizaje. Por otra parte, los laboratorios flexibles permiten que sea posible trabajar con las manos en temas y proyectos. En esencia, los arquitectos crearon “una escuela donde el espacio físico es la herramienta más importante de la escuela en su desarrollo cotidiano y pedagógico.”

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Endemico resguardo silvestre | gracia estudio

Dispersos a lo largo de la pendiente del terreno de Valle de Guadalupe, México, “endémico resguardo silvestre” es un grupo de veinte habitaciones de hotel, diseñado por gracia studio con su base en San Diego. Colocado dentro de un paisaje de viñedos, cada uno tiene una vista panorámica ecoloft con vistas al pintoresco valle abajo. Colocado sobre pilotes de acero, los 20 metros cuadrados, los cubos flotan sobre el suelo rocoso, con mínimo de interferencia con la sabana debajo. Los perfiles de acero se ha seleccionado para la superficie de las estructuras pequeñas, el envejecimiento con el tiempo permitiran mezclarse con los matices de la naturaleza rústica que abarca.

Con cada unidad estratégica orientada a vistas abiertas dirigidas hacia el valle, los huéspedes podrán cerrar sus puertas de entrada y se sentiran aislados en la naturaleza. Adjunta a cada cabaña, un patio de personal y una chimenea permite descansar cómodo fuera. El complejo de 99 hectáreas se completa con una bodega cercana y la piscina.

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Morrissey Hotel / Aboday

© Happy Lim Photography

Considering the site potential above, and its contribution towards urban character development, the design approach for the Morrissey Hotel by Aboday pushes the limit beyond merely business hotel that hardly pay attention to issues other than pragmatism. In the long run it tries to inject a seed of change that will reconstruct the surrounding area. In short, it tries to deconstruct the concept of a three-star business hotel. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Architects: Aboday
Location: , Indonesia
Partner in Charge: Rafael David
Team Members: Ary Indra, Johansen Yap, Andry Syawalza, Edward Budi Lesmana, Rahmi Sofiyanti, Anjar Widaningsih
Land Size: 12000 m2
Gross Floor Area: 12000 m2
Photographs: Happy Lim, Relan Masato

© Happy Lim Photography

The proposed development is placed on a unique urban fabric, that flanked on four sides by different characteristic. The organic shape plot of land, start from the junction of Wahid Hasyim Road on the Southern side- as the main thoroughfare that connects CBD area along Thamrin road to Government precinct of old Mentend District – and Jalan Jaksa on the Eastern side, a small road which is homes to backpackers that has been placed under preservation. At the Northern side, the site is bordered by a lane that connects Jalan Jaksa and Kebon Sirih Timur on the Western Side. These sides populated by 2 storey residential buildings. Of 1.2 Ha, the service apartment covers only 30% area.

© Happy Lim Photography

The building comprises of 2 rectangular blocks on juxtaposing manner and a separate BOH building. The facade of each is manipulated base on its function specific. The 5 storey lower block is made into cantilever, hovering about 20m long 7m above the ground to provide openness at the welcoming point, enable visitor to seek better orientation upon entering the complex, thus glancing towards the apartment lobby, and an office building towards the end, while the 10 storey higher block comes with a quad volume sky garden opening that frames east-west orientation vista and allow cross ventilation.

© Happy Lim Photography

The lower block span over 40m long facing Wahid Hasyim Road is projected to be more life style centric that promotes full height glass window, in contrast to the solidness of higher block. The first 2 storey character is made into pedestrian friendly. An F&B anchor with 7.5M high door panels that slide and fold over 24m long will govern the facade. As the F&B level raised up by 1.2M, a series of tilted mirror behind the double volume door panel will provide reflection of F&B activities to those passer by, while keeping the privacy intact.

© Happy Lim Photography

13 nos of Maisonette room facing Wahid Hasyim Road, a new to the operator standard, is added to underscore its life style attitude, which automatically regulates the facade with double volume glass that intertwine with typical studio facade grammar. This is a different setting to the north facing configuration that mostly studio unit. To complete the lower block drama, the roof top is proposed to be an event space, that comes with infinity pool, gym and another F&B. A thematic lift will encompass typical floor to bring visitor right up to the roof top from the ground.

© Happy Lim Photography

On the other block, a contrast of transparency is demonstrated between the first two storey that housing the grand lobby and business center where visitor is invited to have a full commanding view of grand lobby, to the rest of higher floors above where the whole facade is assembled by 1.2m x 2.8m modular room’s window in fractal fashion. To accentuate this, the surface projected out to create a multi-faceted facade that wrap 360º underlining its solidness.

reception counter

The whole blocks then is laid onto a modern landscape canvas that draw its character from the multi faceted form. Ground is shaped up with natural stone pallete of material and turfing. Pine trees will be standing along the drop off point, and rain trees will be planted at the selected location. In whole, a densely populated garden at the center will provide much needed green sanctuary for the visitor.

Morrissey Hotel (1) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (2) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (3) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (4) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (5) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (6) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (7) reception counter Morrissey Hotel (8) breakfast area Morrissey Hotel (10) sitting lobby Morrissey Hotel (9) business center 01 Morrissey Hotel (11) business center 02 Morrissey Hotel (12) lobby staircase Morrissey Hotel (13) corridor 01 Morrissey Hotel (14) corridor 02 Morrissey Hotel (15) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (16) bedroom Morrissey Hotel (17) roof garden Morrissey Hotel (18) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (19) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (20) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (21) © Happy Lim Photography Morrissey Hotel (22) site plan Morrissey Hotel (23) first floor plan Morrissey Hotel (24) podium floor plan Morrissey Hotel (25) typical floor plan