Bartlett Year 1 Architecture Diary

Peter Wilson : Drawings Suzuki House

2013-04-26T06:36:00.000+01:00

link to ARCHITECT

A Wall That Plays Music When It Rains

2013-04-25T10:37:00.003+01:00

When it rains, this unique colourful wall in Germany becomes a charming musical instrument.

Referred to as Neustadt Kunsthofpassage, when water runs through the drain pipes and gutter system that are attached to the outside of the building, they become an awakened orchestra.

The "manoeuvre in drawing": Peter Cook, Laura Allen and Mark Smout in The Architectural Review

2013-04-25T06:04:00.000+01:00

May's edition of The Architectural Review features a 10-page discussion between Peter Cook, Laura Allen, Mark Smout and Will Hunter (Deputy Editor of AR and a former Bartlett student) on what Peter Cook terms the "manoeuvre in drawing". Led by Peter Cook, they discuss how Mark and Laura use drawings to articulate ideas as part of the design/thinking process, as well as the drawing culture at The Bartlett.

Describing her work Laura says, "In the main we do ideas projects, so we can be indulgent or poetic with drawings and models in a way that production drawings can't be." A drawing by Laura entitled Wet Lands is also featured on the front cover.

Read more on the AR website

de leon & primmer: riverview park visitor service building

2013-04-25T05:45:00.000+01:00

more here....

roof plan

section

master plan

formal diagram evolution

Ant House by mA-styl

2013-04-24T06:31:00.000+01:00

via ma-style.jp | Photo © Kai Nakamura

More details @ mA-style »

MMR by ARCHI7

2013-04-22T05:31:00.000+01:00

more here on www.plataformaarquitectura.cl

Sixth Street Residence; Morphosis (Santa Monica, California

2013-04-21T19:14:00.001+01:00

Sixth Street Residence; Morphosis (Santa Monica, California)

Ren-Zhi Goh

Architect: Morphosis (Principal architect; Thom Mayne)

Date Built: 1987-1992

Location: Santa Monica, California

The firm itself promotes avant-garde architecture which is experimental and innovative in nature. Specifically, the firm aims to form the impalpable; the elements of which cannot be physically touched or reached. The building itself is a duplex structure with an apartment (ground floor) and a house (second and third floor) combined together, with a loft on the fourth floor which has a kitchen, living/dining spaces and a studio. The main feature of the house involves 11 steel pieces made of different parts of machinery. The 11 pieces are integrated within the utilitarian elements of the house such as the structural components, stairs, showers, skylights etc.. It illustrates a contemporary archaeology; the concept of time and changes in technology (machinery parts having been collected from various past and present machinery). It complements the main objective of the firm as time itself is impalpable and non-physical. It invites people to doubt the existence of objects (how objects relate to one another via different non-physical forces such as time. The façade blends within Santa Monica’s built environment; modernistic in nature. However, the interior is very disjointed and very dislocated which creates an other-worldly environment

2013-04-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

Sainte Marie de La Tourette

Sainte Marie de La Tourette is located in Lyon in France and was designed by two architects, Le Courbusier and Iannis Xenakis. It was designed to be a Dominican Order Priory hence was built on a budget. As a result, the structure was minimalistic yet practical enough to fulfill the needs of the monks.

100 sleeping rooms for the teachers and students occupy the building as well as study halls, a refectory and a recreation hall on the top floor and a library and a church on the floor below as shown in the plans. The church is located at the end of the u shaped courtyard which is surrounded by concrete walls that is the monastery.

La Tourette is considered to be one of the most important buildings of the late modernist style. The structure is mainly held up by rough reinforced concrete. Although the building was rough and bare, it still held the architectural signatures of the two architects that designed it. As shown in fig. these paneled walls known as pans de verre ondulatoire were created by Iannis Xenakis and are located on three sides of the outside facade. These panels weresimilar to the ones of another building he designed, Secretariat at Chandigarh.

Le Corbusier had many signature elements in design in his works. Unlike the design of Iannis Xenakis, he made the fenestration out of concrete with slits that were ventilators which divided the concrete up into panels. Glass “voids” were also implemented and this design can be found in the garden court. Another signature element he added to this building was the use of light cannons in the church. He played with lighting to create the necessary serene atmosphere as the light cannons created a visual divide in the room: the upper part of the room to be in shadows where as the bottom part to be lit. Brise- soleils were also used as well as modulor controlled vertical divisions which separated large panels of windows.

La Tourette is a very rough and brutal looking building yet has so many specific architectural elements which make the structure so complex. It does not try to fit itself to the site and in fact, does the very opposite as it dominates the valley that it sits on. Nowadays, a few friars still occupy the building however, cells are allowed to be rented out mainly to architecture students to allow for them to appreciate its unique qualities.

BOOK LIST

2013-04-21T06:47:00.000+01:00

Hello,

i just found this fabulous list of books on DAILY DOSE, you should know them (all)...

Below is a recap of the "28 in 28" series, which featured a different book every day of the month.

Key Buildings from Prehistory to the Present: Plans, Sections and Elevations by Andrew Ballantyne
A Guide to Archigram 1961-74 by Dennis Crompton
Evidence: The Work of Robert A. M. Stern Architects by Robert A.M. Stern
Le Corbusier Redrawn: the Houses by Steven Park
Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture: Designs for the Twenty-First Century by Judith Gura
West Coast Modern by Zahid Sardar with photographs by Matthew Millman
Qualities of Duration: The Architecture of Phillip Smith and Douglas Thompson by Alastair Gordon
Construction and Design Manual: Townhouses by Hans Stimmann
Dutch Architecture in 250 Highlights edited by Netherlands Architecture Institute
From the Ground Up: Innovative Green Homes edited by Peggy Tully
Understanding Architecture by Juhani Pallasmaa and Robert McCarter
Cycle Space: Architectural and Urban Design in the Age of the Bicycle by Steven Fleming
Best Highrises 2012/13: The International Highrise Award 2012 edited by Michaela Busenkell and Peter Cachola Schmal
Detail in Contemporary Concrete Architecture by David Phillips and Megumi Yamashita
Modern Views, The Farnsworth House and the Philip Johnson Glass House
Japan Architectural Guide by Botond Bognar
Taiwan Architectural Guide by Ulf Meyer
Everything All at Once: The Software, Videos, and Architecture of MOS by Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample
Architecture: The People, Places, and Ideas Driving Contemporary Design, Design Bureau Special Edition
Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis: Intensities by Paul Lewis, Mark Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis
BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design by François Lévy
Post-Ductility: Metals in Architecture and Engineering edited by Michael Bell, Craig Buckley
New York Neon by Thomas E. Rinaldi
New York Nights by James T. and Karla L. Murray
Wiel Arets: Autobiographical References edited by Robert McCarter
Beyond Zuccotti Park: Freedom of Assembly and the Occupation of Public Space edited by Ron Shiffman, Rick Bell, Lance Jay Brown, and Lynne Elizabeth, with Anastassia Fisyak, and Anusha Venkataraman
a+t 39-40: Reclaim Remediate Reuse Recycle edited by Aurora Fernandez Per and Javier Mozas
Architecture Concepts: Red Is Not a Color by Bernard Tschumi

Optical Glass House by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects

2013-04-20T12:40:00.000+01:00

more here on DAILY DOSE thank you!

Photos of the Optical Glass House in Hiroshima by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects, photographed by Ken Lee.

Zero Energy House by BLAF ARCHITECTEN

2013-04-19T06:37:00.000+01:00

more here on AFASIA thank you!

BLAF ARCHITECTEN
photos: © Stijn Bollaert

BBF ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT ARCHITECTS

2013-04-18T18:56:00.003+01:00

Architecture without architects

A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture

‘Architecture without architects’ is a book written by Bernard Rudofsky in 1964. In his book, Rudofsky predominantly describes the various types of constructions that were built by a group of people that weren’t architects and hadn’t had any preconception of what the final outcome would be. This idea of ‘communal architecture’, Pietro Belluschi describes as “a communal art, not produced by a few intellectuals or specialists but by the spontaneous and continuing activity of a whole people with a common heritage, acting under a community of experience”. The book introduces to us, the unfamiliar world of nonpedigreed architecture and aims to challenge our narrow understanding and concepts of the art of building. This type of vernacular or anonymous architecture, admirably demonstrates how buildings can fit into their natural surrounding and work with rather then against the distinct features of a place. ‘Instead of trying to “conquer” nature, as we do, they welcome the vagaries of climate and the challenge of topography.’

A particularly interesting example from the book is showing the underground towns and villages in the Chinese loess belt.

Carl Turner Architects Slip House

2013-04-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

more here on AFASIA thank you

Slip House . Brixton

Carl Turner Architects

Occupying one of four plots forming a gap in a typical Brixton terrace, Slip House constitutes a new prototype for adaptable terraced housing.

Alfred Hitchcock - 'Rear Window' (1954)

2013-04-17T20:33:00.002+01:00

plot:
Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, after an accident
while getting an action shot during auto race, comes to health in his apartment
in New York. Being confined to a wheelchair he cannot move to much - that is
the reason for him to spend most of his time starring through the window
watching his neighbours. Soon, the activity becomes obssesion.  Jeff begins to suspect one of his neighbours
of committing a murder.

Although the story may seem
trivial, the whole secret of the success of the film lies in the motif of so
called voyeurism - the activity that involves obsessive observation of people.
And that is what happens with Jeff - he becomes a voyeur. 

The view from the Jeff's
window is limited - the visible yard is a claustrophobic rectangular space
where daily action takes place. Moreover, Jeff can easily look through his neighbours’
windows as the distance is not to large. However, there are a few spaces that
evoke feeling of curiosity - distances between the particular windows of one of
the flats where Lars Thorwald lives. 

His suspicious behaviour
becomes a mystery to solve and Jeff - firstly just spying - later on uses his professional
lenses to get to know more. Jeff became greedy, but still he could not see
everything.

The window then became a barrier
that could not be broken. The window frames/forms the view, the view of
particular moment that appears in it in particular time. The window is a frame
- you cannot find out what is beyond it. 

Therefore, the window r e a r s -
nurtures, makes one feel unsatisfied with what is seen and makes one seek to know what is hidden in the  r e a r - back space of the facade in which the window is placed. 

Video: Moby on LA Architecture

2013-04-17T06:29:00.000+01:00

While Moby may be first and foremost best known for his work in the music industry, his latest venture sees him dipping into a whole different territory. With his personal online blog, www.mobylosangelesarchitecture.com

VIDEO about architecture students at PRATT...

2013-04-16T06:38:00.000+01:00

feels familiar.....

Tiny House for sale VIDEO

2013-04-15T06:38:00.000+01:00

André Campos and Joana Mendes Arquitectos: Casa em Vilar

2013-04-14T08:23:00.000+01:00

Capsule Hotel

2013-04-14T01:59:00.000+01:00

Capsule Hotel - 9 Hours from Christoph on Vimeo.

Anonymous architects - big and small house in LA

2013-04-13T06:07:00.000+01:00

anonymous architects: big and small house, los angeles

anonymous architects

entrance view

a slight footprint belies a brilliant orchestration of space

site plan

the slight home maximizes the optimally positioned site

more here on DESIGNBOOM

Daniel Isern Vivienda: Unifamiliar House

2013-04-12T07:06:00.000+01:00

AFRO FUTURE- La Rinascente Milan

2013-04-11T17:36:00.001+01:00

All images are from an exhibition of african design in a Milanese department store this week. The exhibition contained photography inspired by a failed Zambian space programme, congolese music performed on mobile phones and a set of carpentered 'fantasy coffins'.

The exhibition contains work which explores Africa's future, past and present in the world of design. It exhibits a fresh and interesting new outlook to what we perceive as African design.

READ MORE AT ... http://www.dezeen.com/2013/04/03/afrofuture-exhibition-at-la-rinascente-milan/

House of Flags Parliament Square Installation by AY Architects

2013-04-11T06:06:00.000+01:00

House of Flags Parliament Square Installation from AY Architects on Vimeo.

Installation by AY Architects for the Olympics in London 2012

A House of Flags is unveiled across from the House of Commons. 206 panels present the flag icons of all the nations participating in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Combined they make a large building jigsaw, a united 'House'. A matrix of symbols, shimmering colours, shadows and perforations invites everyone to experience an image of the world as well as an image of multi-ethnic London.

The installation is designed by AY Architects in response to Greater London Authority's call for new design proposals in connection with the Olympic celebrations this summer. Located on Parliament Square, the installation bridges two very different states: on its exterior the flag motifs demonstratively produce a global image; in its interior the individual identity of each flag is intentionally abstracted, creating a more unified and ambiguous experience of space, volume and light.

House of Flags is located on the southeast corner of Parliament Square, surrounded by the House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's, Portcullis House and the statue of Winston Churchill, among many others. Its design acknowledges the World Heritage setting and highly political status of the square, historically charged by protests and demonstrations. One of the initial intentions of the scheme was to use the House as a 'political diary' where the flag arrangements could be reconfigured endlessly and embody graffiti or any other reaction by the public. However, the installation had eventually to adjust to the requirements of the Greater London Authority and The Flag Institute: the House has to have a particular order in terms of flag positions and the site is to be safeguarded 24/7. Countless stories can be told about the symbolic significance of both the flags and the site and the paradoxical issues of identity and security that emerged in the dialogues between the architects and the various stakeholders during the design process.

House of Flags is a freestanding plywood structure measuring 17m long x 8m wide x 4.5m high. It is made of 206 panels of FSC certified Finnish birch plywood, sealed and fire protected, and supported on 42 pre-cast concrete foundational blocks. The flag panels measure 1.2 x 0.8m and three panels are cut from a standard plywood sheet to minimize material waste. CNC fabrication is used for cutting while each flag graphic is UV flatbed printed directly on the plywood surface. Each flag icon was graphically manipulated and, in a way, subtly redesigned in order to determine specific perforations on the material. This happened in such a way so that the top flags are more perforated and lighter than the bottom ones, which are more solid and therefore heavier.

The interior of the structure has a natural timber finish, creating a monochrome neutral space which is in contrast with the symbols and colors overloading its exterior. Although the timber structure has a simple and systematic construction logic, it produces a complex and rhythmical spatiality all round. During the day the structure works as a shadow modulator with the shadows of its perforations shifting from east to west. At night the structure is lit from within, glowing as an inhabited House and showing the emblem cut-outs appear as silhouetted figures.

The structure is flatpack and flexible; it can be dismantled and entirely reconfigured. As a kind of large three-dimensional puzzle it can be demounted and reinstalled in new configurations and flag hierarchies. Its current composition follows strict rules that want the flags to be presented alphabetically, never touching or intersecting, and carefully organized from the back so that symbols and writings are not mirrored. AY Architects worked closely with The Flag Institute, the world's leading research and documentation centre for flag information, to determine how the design of the panels and their connections could correspond to many of these protocols.

Vexillology is a body of knowledge about the history and evolution of flags as well as a body of practice for design. What can this practice share with architectural design and vice versa? A flag design must be so simple that a child can draw it from memory. The flag should be distinct but make connections and quotations with other emblems, both contemporary and historic. As such the flag is a symbolic entity not very dissimilar from the front elevation of the typical public building. What happens when the two languages, of the flag and of the building, collate into one gesture — both political and architectural?

One of the intentions of this design is to push architecture's adaptability and flexibility to its limit in order to see it used in entirely different scales and locations — from children's board games to new large architectural installations in other places. Many more Houses of Flags can be made and remade to suggest new configurations in patterns and politics.

AY Architects (Yeoryia Manolopoulou and Anthony Boulanger)

more here:
http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/partnerships/installations-for-london-2012/house-of-flags
http://www.designboom.com/architecture/house-of-flags-an-installation-celebrating-multicultural-london/

Ensamble Studio: Music school

2013-04-10T06:02:00.000+01:00

more here on AFASIA thank you!

Hammerschmid Pachl Seebacher Architekten: Medical Practice

2013-04-09T06:02:00.000+01:00