The AR Awards for Emerging Architecture is one of the biggest international awards for young architects and gives £15,000 in prize money. Inaugurated in 1999, it is sponsored by Buro Happold and Wilkhahn. Intended to bring wider international recognition to a talented new generation of architects and designers, the Awards have attracted entries from more than 90 countries, representing every inhabited continent.
Awards are for built or manufactured work only, and besides buildings, the full range of design activity, from landscapes and urban spaces to furniture and cutlery can be submitted.
The Jury for 2008 was Sir Peter Cook (architect and critic, London), Peter Davey (Former Editor of The Architectural Review), Sou Fujimoto (AR Awards winner in 2006 and twice highly commended, Tokyo, Japan), Edouard Francois (Paris, France), Sheila O’Donnell (O’Donnell & Tuomey, Dublin, Ireland) and Paul Finch (Editor of The Architectural Review and Chairman of the Jury).
THE THREE WINNERS
Hotel: Hotel Aire de Bardenas by Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera Arquitectos (Tudela, Navarre, Spain)
Images: AR Awards
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Slovenia-based OFIS Arhitekti have won the first prize in the invited competition for a student dormitory in Paris’ Route des Petits Ponts. The project had to deal with an odd-shaped site, tight completion deadlines, accessibility for handicapped people, and high demands in sustainability due to the city of Paris’ climate plan. The architects decided not just to integrate a building into its environment but rather to integrate a piece of street, a facade composed of buildings and landscape.
From the designers:
General Description
The project involves a dormitory with 180 studios on the site of the Stade de Ladoumègue in Paris in 19th district. The plot of the building is part of urban development done by Reichen & Robert architects.
By early 2012, the Paris tram will pass by the site, and the goal is to complete the project before the opening in 2011. Another project goal is to achieve a building consumption with very little power, joining the desire of the city of Paris through its “climate plan”. The major objectives of the project is to design a home to accommodate students able to offer them a healthy environment for study, learn, have fun, meet ... The building must be “energy efficient” and be built at the end of 2010. To achieve these objectives with energy performance and construction time table plan the focus was to design a simple, well insulated and ventilated object which will function at best during all seasons.
Architectural, urban and technical proposal
The parcel has a very particular configuration; 11 meters in width and extends about 200 meters long in north-south axis, which foreshadows the importance of processing the eastern facade overlooking the extension of the street of small bridges (des Petits Ponts). In addition, this street will host the tram, a road cyclist and pedestrian walkways. The extension of the street of small bridges also leads to the Canal de l’Ourcq, hence the priority treatment landscaped plot to accompany this urban landscape.
In our case, it is not just a building to integrate into its environment but rather to integrate a piece of street, a facade composed of buildings and landscape.
The residence follows the urban plot which are two blocks divided by sharing landscape garden.
Both parts are organized according to a simple and functional frame for a logical and economic optimization. On ground floor are the lobby, the rooms, common areas opened over the course and some studios (accessible for the disabled). Upstairs are all studios and a terrace.
The plans are organized according to simple management and maintenance. Also the task was to provide students environment of indoor and outdoor quality with creating the meeting places in which each student can feel good and enjoy the indoor and outdoor landscape. Access to the residence is between the 2 buildings. For security and management reasons, there is only one entry. We used the system of horizontal flow; taking into account technical constraints related to sports complex vis-à-vis the main housing openings. The circulations are naturally lit and ventilated, and allowing East-West views.
Studios_concept_sustainability
The residence comprises 192 studios. Studios are accessible to disabled persons on the ground floor. All rooms are equipped with the same principle throughout the residence for better optimization.
There is also studio with two bedrooms on each floor. There are seven in total throughout the building, which used to meet expectations in terms of student housing for couples.
The concept key point is inside the studios: work on light and air quality and spaces.
The accommodations are crossing, allowing for natural light throughout the apartment. The design of housing was thought to offer comfort, brightness and functionality. The layout is rational and allows modularity. The apartments are mechanically ventilated with a double shift VMC. The breakdown by VMC is much more economical and offers students an air and a healthy environment, necessary and vital for the smooth functioning of the individual. The majority of the studios have a unique outdoor space with loggias which are actually an extension of interior spaces. The loggias create intimate outdoor spaces and offer views of the surrounding neighborhoods.
In view of the targets on energy performance, thermal insulation and soundproofing of the building will be extra efficient. The isolation of the project is done by outside isolation 16cm thick, to reduce heat loss. This insulation thickness makes the building very well insulated, while opening large bay front to let maximum light into the apartments. This insulation is of course both thermal and acoustic proof.
The structure of the building next to the wall of the SMR is insulated to prevent heat transfer between the two structures, and of course acoustic insulation for the building site maintenance
To avoid the problem of thermal bridges of balconies and loggias we integrate the structure of the elements of broken bridges thermal type SCHÖCK. It avoids thermal losses and especially sustainable balance investment costs over time.
The Elevations
The facades will have a major impact on environment because of the length of the plot. The eastern facade of the building looks towards the sport field, and is formed by main entrance gang. The eastern facade is composed of loggias covered in bamboo. They appear on the cover as wooden cocoons and are randomly oriented to diversify the views and rhythm to the facade. The arrangement of the elements creates dynamic surface and breaks the scale of the building at the same time.
The use of bamboo for the loggias has human scale and environmentally approach. The bamboo is environmentally friendly material. The loggias are equipped with bamboo sunscreens to control sunlight on the balconies and interior. Bamboo is also used on the western front as horizontal blade to manage the sunshine of the passageway. At the same time it protects the corridors from the sport field.
The climbing plants will be grown to serve as visual and environmental filters: In summer, the facade will be refreshed by the thickening of the filter plant and in winter the facade work normally, everything perfectly fits into the environment by creating seasonal facades.
The Structural Composition
The complex consists of two rectangular blocks. The first block dimensions are 30x11m and the second 65x11m. The overall building rises at 29.2 meters.
The building structure is reinforced concrete. Foundations are types of piles, 12 to 15m deep. They are connected by sills. The floors are rational and identical. They are made of reinforced concrete floors on the 2-way and are supported by walls and poles. Both parts of the building have its communication core which serves all floors. All the walls are reinforced with a thickness of 20 cm.
The Landscape
the space between the two parts of the building will be used as a garden, which will have the same functions than Parisian court in function to shift from one building to another, for meeting and relaxation. It will be a common landscape, leaving a visual opening to the garden. The garden is accessible from outside access for fire site of the SMR (magnetic card or key).
The garden located north of the plot has more private character but also provides transparency with the street. It is used as a park on a small scale. Covered in wood, it is a place of relaxation and calmness for students. This may be a place of rest or work. The garden is arranged in levels to respond to the work of art that will be seen from the tram, but also to collect views from the Canal de l’Ourcq or the surroundings with a panorama in altitude.
All green spaces (common and technical) are equipped with automatic sprinkler dropper, which requires less maintenance manager of the residence and consumes much less water.
Accessibility for the Disabled
The building was designed to accommodate also disabled people and provide them the best environment. The residence includes more than 10% of homes directly accessible for the disabled (23 units). These accommodations are arranged on ground floor and first floor for easy access and proximity to allow common areas, facilitating the social integration of individuals with reduced mobility.
Images: OFIS Arhitekti
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Martha Schwartz Partners Ltd has won an international design competition to provide the public realm and landscape design for Henning Larsen Architects-designed Massar Children’s Discovery Centre and public park in Damascus, Syria.
The Martha Schwartz Partners team will be responsible for conceiving the public realm, and the Discovery Centre is being designed by Henning Larsen Architects.
Based on the site of the old international fairground, the public realm acts as a ‘culture corridor’, connecting the public space of the Discovery Centre with nearby cultural venues. Lorraine Landels, Senior Principal at Martha Schwartz Partners, said: “This is a landmark project as the park and the discovery center will be the focus for a new Syrian educational program, and one that will help us develop our portfolio as we work in the unique cultural climate of Damascus.”
“We wish to create a sense of belonging and community for Syrians,” said Lorraine Landels, “Martha Schwartz Partners sees the involvement of Syrians and commitment to capacity building as essential. Because the plans will re-interpret many design elements and culture of the surrounding city, local skills and craftsmanship will be key to the development of the project. Not only is this a huge opportunity for Martha Schwartz Partners, but also for Damascus.”
The Massar project’s ambition is to create better educational opportunities for young people in a country where 40 per cent of the population is under the age of 14. The center will comprise various scientific thematic exhibitions for children aged 5-15. The discovery center - designed by Henning Larsen Architects - is located on a 170,000 sqm site, a river bed, in the heart of Damascus. It is located centrally in walking distance from Damascus’ historic city center with the Umayyad Mosque and university, national opera and national museum in close proximity.
Louis Becker, Design Director of Henning Larsen Architects, said: “The discovery center’s form is inspired by the unique Damascus rose. The shape provides shade and natural ventilation in the building. Its center forms a large communal space. This is where the children will meet, share their knowledge and develop new ideas together. The idea of the project is to create a park which features a quilt of activities interwoven with the discovery center. The visitors will be led through several intimate spatial experiences addressing all the senses. Water will be current theme - both as activity and as a visualization of sustainable measures and educational media.”
The design vision for the public realm is one in which traditional visual themes of Syrian culture are re-interpreted to give a sense of something both new and familiar. The Damascus rose, cultivated by the ancient Syrians and seen as a symbol of perfection and knowledge, informs the line of the entire design, but is most visible in the eastern section of the sight, where massive ‘petals’ unfold and create a series of ‘rooms’, in which children can play with educational toys.
Accessibility for children - the main users of the Discovery Centre - continues on the park side, where water collected in the park is stored beneath a terraced mound. When it reaches sufficient volume, the water spills into a shallow cut, and creates a series of water events, creating exciting play environments for children.
Elsewhere, the previously rocky slope at the southern edge of the site is sculpted into a series of walled, garden terraces. These are inspired by Islamic garden design and feature cascading pools and canals, planted areas and orchards. Here, the network of water features channels the flow of existing banyas down the series of terraces.
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Floating homes, sunken pontoons and timber drawbridges are just some of the innovations presented by architects across the world in a bid to design a flood proof house for the future.
The competition launched by Norwich Union, with the support of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), aimed to see how architects would tackle the problem of building on flood plains in a liveable, workable and insurable way.
A total of 85 entrants from across the globe delivered plans for a family home and garden, that would form part of a larger residential development situated on a flood plain.
A panel of judges, from across the architectural and insurance industry, have selected four overall winners. Today, in a special reception at the Thames Gateway Forum, each will receive their £3,500 prize money from Robert Napier, Chair of the Government’s newly-formed Homes and Communities Agency.
“We were looking for innovative real-life solutions to what is an ever increasing threat to all of us,” said Simon Black, head of flood mapping at Norwich Union.
“Clearly we would rather homes weren’t built on flood plains, but we have to be realistic – with the Government planning to build three million new homes by 2020 there is a real likelihood this will happen. So how do we build homes that balance development needs with environmental change? This was the challenge and the results show excellent potential for homes of the future.”
The four winners are:
Sunand Prasad, RIBA President, said, “It has been fascinating and instructive for the RIBA together with Norwich Union to explore how design-led solutions can respond to the flooding challenge.
“Reducing the risk of flooding does not begin and end with concrete walls and buildings on stilts, as the results of the competition show. Good design lies at the heart of creating communities that are more resilient against flooding, of lessening the cost caused by flooding when it does occur and of minimizing the impact it has on local livelihoods and safety. The variety of the approaches demonstrated by the entrants shows the enormous potential of design-led solutions.”
Norwich Union and the RIBA will now present the winning ideas to developers and town and country planners in the hope that it will stimulate new ideas and solutions on how to deal with homes and flood risk.
Images: RIBA
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On Aug 1st, the Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Humanities Festival launched UNION STATION 2020, an international design ideas competition for the conversion of Chicago’s Union Station into a high-speed rail hub, regional market, and meeting place.
The three winners and seven honorable mentions of this competition have now been announced:
UNION STATION 2020 RESULTS
From the project statement: “Movement networks and urban clarity are two fundamental components of the Burnham 1.0 plan. Despite this, the disjointed history of Chicago’s commuter rail systems has created a fragmented set of terminals. Our intent is to restore Union Station as the region’s clear transit nucleus by the creation of a station integrated into a public space with connections to all modes (high-speed rail, commuter rail, CTA, megabus, water taxi, helicopter). This public space opens the existing building to the river, thus restoring prominence and the ideas embodied in the original 1925 concourse design.”
“The form of the station / public space facilitates, and is derivative of, the flows of transit systems, users, and information. This method clarifies the process of intermodal transit for the end users. Additionally the public space displacement is a function of the high-speed system within, which displaces the normative urban condition in the same way that high-speed movement displaces mass as waves.”
“The public space is not only for the market, public assembly, and performance but also a porous filter plate with apertures allowing direct access to the waiting areas, which are physically separated, but visually connected to the platforms and trains above. Ticketing and access will be handled digitally and will require less physical barriers. A more traditional access system through the existing building and security checkpoint is also accommodated if needed. This direct access facilitates self-inherent user understanding and does not rely on derivative navigational devices such as way-finding. The building is inherently navigational through form.”
“The creation of the station / public space as well as the transformation of the existing Union Station re-establishes a primary focus in the region’s transit hierarchy, allows for a self-evident and clear transit process, and also is a derivative formalization of system flow and the nature of high-speed travel.”
Images: Union Station 2020, Chicago Architectural Club
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London-based Metropolitan Workshop has won a closed competition for the new Museum of Conflict in Tripoli, Libya. The museum will house permanent and special exhibitions on Libya’s unique history, telling the story of campaigns and conflicts that have shaped the country from colonial power to independent state.
The building’s main design concept is inspired by tented structures used by the Bedouin. The 15,000 sqm museum will be enclosed by a light weight, camouflaging ‘veil’, giving the building a dynamic, environmentally responsive and functional form.
Underneath the large shaded canopy, a procession of museum gallery terraces spiral through the structure. This combination of terraced spaces and the angled exterior skin provides both enclosed conditioned spaces and open, non-conditioned spaces. Each gallery is adapted to the various artifacts and exhibitions on display including large exhibits such as tanks and planes, etc. Each floor plate was formed from an interlocking square module, which assists the interpretation of the museum program.
Functionally, the external shell diffuses the heat of the sun in order to regulate temperatures. It provides shade and shelter, allowing the public to view all exhibitions in comfort even during the harsh summer climate. The environmental controlled areas increase progressively from the outside towards the core of the building. The entrance plaza requires shading only, the lobby requires comfort control whereas exhibits and displays require close environmental control.
Permanent exhibitions will include galleries documenting the country’s historic evolution with large-scale exhibits (lower ground floor), the uprising against repression (first floor) and its history of revolution (second floor). The culmination of the museum includes exhibits on reconciliation and remembrance as well as a congress space on the top floor, which will focus on dialogue, tolerance and communication.
In addition to the main galleries, the museum incorporates a café, museum shop, prayer rooms, an education center with a library and reading areas, conference rooms, administrative offices, and conservation and storage areas.
The project site is located west of the city center within the planned green belt and is near significant existing and planned public buildings such as the People’s Hall. The museum spaces are partially sunk into the ground and use site’s topography to integrate the building into the existing and proposed landscape. This includes a poppy field garden of remembrance that will flank the approach to the main entrance.
Work is planned to begin on site before September 2009 with estimated completion at the end of 2011.
Marko Neskovic, Associate, Metropolitan Workshop commented: “The Museum provides a unique platform to showcase Libya’s national story on a local and international level and educate future generations of the price of war. The challenge for Metropolitan Workshop was to design an appropriate vessel for communicating this message. We drew from several sources: Dune landscapes, traditional desert camps and military camouflage netting. The result is a dramatic structure that references the subject matter whilst responding to its immediate context, physically and environmentally.”
Images: Metropolitan Workshop
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(Los Angeles, California - November 24, 2008) - The AIA’s California Council presented an Honor Award for Urban Design to Culver-City, California-based ah’bé landscape architects for its streetscape for “South,” the first new high-rise residential development in downtown Los Angeles in 23 years and a key part of its revitalization. The award, which was presented at the AIA California Practice Conference in San Diego, California, on November 14, recognizes outstanding urban design.
The five-acre South development, bordered by Hope Street to the west, 11th Street to the north, Grand Avenue to the east and 12th Street to the south, has become a 24-hour urban neighborhood with the infusion of new residents and businesses. In addition to nearby dining and entertainment options that create a vibrant urban lifestyle, South offers Angelenos pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and green spaces where residents and visitors can relax and mingle.
Designed by ah’be landscape architects, South’s new streetscape was planned to encourage interaction at the street level and to complement the architecturally striking surroundings, as well as to incorporate environmentally friendly storm-water management practices. Specific elements include extra-wide sidewalks (24 feet instead of the typical 12 feet), sustainable plantings, shade trees, pedestrian lighting, bike racks and street furniture. Curb bump-outs (curb extensions) slow traffic and provide extra visibility to pedestrians crossing the street.
“In order to encourage visitors and residents to interact with their surroundings and one another, we have developed a mix of public and private outdoor green spaces that function as oases of green in the city,” says Calvin Abe, FASLA, president of ah’bé landscape architects.
The streetscape’s accessible outdoor spaces include a 6,267-square-foot landscaped garden that is open to the public during the day and gated for security at night. This is the first time that the public has had access to a development’s private open space in Los Angeles, according to Tom Cody, principal at Gerding Edlen, a partner in The South Group.
“In keeping with our overall ‘green’ mission, creating a welcoming environment for pedestrians was a key component of South’s Master Plan,” says Cody. “To that end, we worked with the City of Los Angeles to stop a planned street widening, so that we could introduce wider sidewalks for strolling and café seating.”
The South Group’s “South” development in Downtown Los Angeles consists of a trio of buildings: Elleven, Luma and the 24-story Evo, which opened to the public on October 5, 2008. All three buildings include landscaped areas by ah’bé landscape architects. Evo is expected to become only the third residential building downtown to earn a coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. (The other two are Elleven and Luma.)
“The South Park neighborhood streetscape in downtown Los Angeles is a leadership project in terms of storm-water infiltration and we are really pleased with the work of ah’bé landscape architects in their design of it. We hope to see more of these around the City. This streetscape, one of two that ah’bé landscape architects is doing in the City, is setting the standard for the kind of forward-thinking green infrastructure planning that we want to create throughout Los Angeles,” says Commissioner Paula Daniels of the Los Angeles Department of Public Works. Daniels heads the City’s Green Streets initiative, which is tasked with updating design guidelines for street planning throughout all of Los Angeles.
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On November 17, 2008 in Naples, David Chipperfield received the Cubo d’Oro Prize.
The prize is presented annually by the Annali dell’Architettura Foundation and the city of Naples in order to recognize the contribution made by architecture professionals towards the development of architecture and urban territorial planning in this region of Southern Italy.
At the moment, London-based Chipperfield is working on the Palace of Justice in Salerno, Italy.
Past recipients of the award include Dominique Perrault for the redesign of Piazza Garibaldi in Naples and the plaza’s underground transport station, Zaha Hadid for her designs for new High Speed Train station in Afragola, and Peter Eisenman who designed the stations for the ‘Circumvesuviana Santuario’ and the Villa dei Misteri, in Pompei.
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Victoria Walsh and Hannah Purdy from Walsh & Purdy Architects, and Aurelie Paradiso from Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects, were awarded the 2008 Independent Projects grant from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Architecture, Planning, and Design Program for their proposal: FlyNY: A Kite Competition.
The international design competition is open to architects, artists, engineers, and designers who will participate in a public kite flying event scheduled for April 18, 2009 in Central Park. The event will include kite-making and kite-flying lessons for community children who will be taught basic principles of design. Creative director Aurelie Paradiso stated that “Designing and building a kite, like a building, involves an understanding of structure, proportion, craft, and function. Form and function are inextricably intertwined and constructability is paramount. Kites use wind energy to perform, creating the opportunity for a discussion of sustainability in design and performance.”
Competition participants will be asked to donate their original designs to FlyNY for an auction to raise funds for Architecture for Humanity New York – a non-profit service organization that contributes architectural design services to underserved communities in the New York metropolitan area. The silent auction will be held during an exhibit of the kites that is being scheduled for May 2009. The date and venue will be determined.
Project director Victoria Walsh stated that “FlyNY gives architects the opportunity to share their talent with the community, participate in a dialogue about design and design limitations, and contribute to a great cause. Participants, architects and the public alike will enjoy the rare opportunity to “build” their designs in a world-renowned context – the New York City skyline.” Marketing director Hannah Purdy adds, “The kite auction gives us all an opportunity to own an original design by a famous architect or artist. While you may not be able to afford a Frank Gehry house, you may be able to afford a Frank Gehry kite!”
FlyNY is soliciting monetary and in-kind donations from corporate sponsors. Interested parties should contact at FlyNY. For further information on the kite design contest, kite flying event, and kite auctions, visit http://www.FlyNY.org. For further information on Architecture for Humanity New York, visit http://www.afhny.org.
This event is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency and Van Alen Institute: Projects in Public Architecture.
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The Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization, the organization involved in the comprehensive promotion of design, recently announced the results of the 2008 Good Design Awards. Applications for this year opened on May 8, and 3,023 entries were received. As a result of initial and second screenings, 1,067 items received Good Design Awards. These included the Good Design Award Best 15 and other special awards.
Good Design Awards Selected from the Perspective of “The Consumer of the Near Future”
Screening of the 2008 Good Design Awards was carried out with an emphasis on the perspective of people who use the products and receive the services concerned. The winners, which are selected from a wide range of design fields, incorporate the viewpoint of “images of life in the near future and designs that lead the way to next generation lifestyles.”
The Sustainable Design Award and Life-Scape Design Award Selected as New Special Award Categories
The special awards awarded include the Good Design Award Best 15, which include the candidates for the Good Design Grand Award, together with the Good Design Sustainable Design Award and Good Design Life-Scape Design Award, which were newly instituted this year.
The Long Life Design Award Selected with Input from Consumers
The Good Design Long Life Design Award recognizes designs that have received longstanding support
