http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/
No. 582 - 2013.0821 Brooklyn is a hub of innovative architecture and design, with dozens of young professionals commissioning or undertaking their own eco-sensitive renovations to existing brownstones and low-rise attached buildings throughout the borough. Tighthouse, a Passive House brownstone retrofit, sits at the end of a string of two-story buildings constructed in 1899 that share a tree-lined block with larger brownstones built around the same time, centrally located off Fifth Avenue in the neighborhood of Park Slope. It is the first certified Passive House in New York City and meets the standards for new construction, surpassing the EnerPHit certification. Remodeling Approach The unique retrofit of a 110-year-old house by the Brooklyn-based firm Fabrica 718 could serve as an important model for the many urban and suburban residences that need energy-saving renovations.
Architecture Spectacular scenery – and sheep – are the first things that come to mind for most of us when we think of New Zealand. For an architect, spectacular scenery is always both a challenge and an opportunity. This was very much the situation for David Ponting, founder of Ponting Fitzgerald (in 1998) of Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand, when he saw the site for what his affluent client hoped would be a “sanctuary.” The Best Architectural Websites The Top Architectural Websites in the World That sounds pretty important doesn’t it? At the very least it sounds comprehensive … it suggests an extensive and exhaustive collection of the best architecturally themed websites in the world.
BMW Guggenheim Lab The BMW Guggenheim Lab shares insights on architecture, urbanism, design, technology, and more. Lab | Log Photo: Paul Warchol © 2011 Solomon R. 2009.0603 Next to the defunct blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — a poignant symbol of changing times — stands a growing arts complex with industrial heritage at center stage. Those massive furnaces (and their smaller predecessors) once helped produce steel for such iconic structures as the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, and Hoover Dam, along with armaments for World Wars I and II. Located on the Lehigh River, in the middle of Bethlehem, the plant employed generations of workers and forged the town's industrial identity. "We all grew up here and it was within eyeshot of our homes," says Joseph Biondo, a principal at ArtQuest Center designers Spillman Farmer Architects. "We remember the furnaces with their flames and smoke and sounds.
Dream Homes In designing the project, NY-based architecture firm GRADE responded to two disparate conditions of the site: the expansive views of Chesapeake Bay and the mystic wooded area on which it resided. The objective was to reconcile the client’s need for a studio in which to design and create while not rendering the space hermetic and closed off to its surroundings. GRADE brought nature’s elements indoors, establishing a foundation of earthy textures including natural mahogany wood and a curved zinc rooftop, complemented by imported materials such as Italian marble. Through thoughtful design, the house became an apparatus for filtering the views of the water, with the curved roof allowing the scale of the beachside room to expand the closer one’s proximity to the bay.
No. 570 - 2012.1024 Trees are fundamental to urban landscapes and natural ecosystems. Wood from trees is a fundamental material for architecture. The tension between wood in living trees, and wood in buildings and other products, is arguably at an all-time-high on planet Earth. This is especially true in North America, where primary harvest of irreplaceable primeval forest, having swept across the continent during the last 300 years, is still underway. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, even as fierce political battles rage over the logging or conservation of the last few percent of older forests on public lands, vast acreages of once-vibrant forest in private industrial ownership is being stripped and scoured rapidly. Wood is beautiful, used well in our homes, shops, and offices.
2012 TED Prize Winner Announced! For the first time in history, the TED Prize winner is not an individual, but an idea that greatly impacts the future of planet Earth… and the winner is The City 2.0. The City 2.0 is the city of the future, a future in which more than ten billion people are dependent on. The idea is not a “sterile utopian dream” but rather a “real-world upgrade tapping into humanity’s collective wisdom.” More urban living space will be constructed over the next 90 years than all prior centuries combined, so it is time to get it right. Continue reading for more information on The City 2.0 and details on how you can participate.
Photovoltaics: Technology Architecture Installation We just received one of Detail´s latest: Photovoltaics: Technology, Architecture, Installation Bernhard Weller Claudia Hemmerle Sven Jakubetz Stefan Unnewehr Edition Detail ISBN: 978-3-0346-0369-0 See full index after the break: Introduction Life without energy is impossible. Modative Modative Interview by Business of Architecture Posted by Derek Leavitt on Tue, Apr 15, 2014 @ 08:05 AM Last year we had the pleasure of having Enoch Sears from the Business of Architecture visit our office and conduct an on-camera interview. We've always really appreciated Enoch's approach of focusing on the business side of architecture, something that has been a vital part of our practice. So, last week, Enoch published the interview on his website and we are very happy with the results.
Autodesk 123D Design: 3D Modeling for the Masses Autodesk123D Design is a new free 3D modeling tool that allows users to create a digital model and then 3D print or fabricate their idea whether on the iPad, Mac, PC or via their web browser. Autodesk 123D Design helps users get their projects started by providing base shapes and example models that help move past a blank screen and into the design quickly. Using natural interactions to add objects to the canvas and assemble parts together, users can enjoy the design process and create amazing 3D-printable designs. "For the first time ever, users can create sophisticated, precise 3D models of real objects on their iPad, Mac, PC or via their web browser. People said this couldn't be done on iPad, and we're happy to prove them wrong," commented Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products, Autodesk.
Design Opportunities Posted by Architecture for Humanity on Apr 4, 2014 Related program: Volunteer Opportunities Location: San Francisco, California (Architecture for Humanity headquarters)Start Date: Immediate preferredType: Volunteer InternshipCommitment: 3 months minimum preferredPosition(s) available: 2Application Deadline: Accepting applications for immediate openings Program Background Architecture for Humanity is seeking a candidate to help our studio staff with program support with an emphasis on graphic design but will include reporting administration, research, written correspondence, and more. Photovoltaics - DETAIL Practice - Books Build on the sun The guide for designing building-integrated photovoltaics Photovoltaics, as an important part of the renewable energies mix, is helping to slow down already occurring climate change while providing the earth with affordable energy over the long term. Photovoltaics captivates with its principle, silent operation, emissions and nearly maintenance free production of power from “nothing”. When integrated into buildings, the systems are at their ideal location, exactly where the power is required and can utilise existing surfaces and wiring.