Architectural Details: Why Metal Is the Perfect Material for Dynamic Educational Projects
CategoriesArchitecture

Architectural Details: Why Metal Is the Perfect Material for Dynamic Educational Projects

As designers imagine the future of educational buildings, the values and materials of today will inform school environments for decades to come. With priorities around durability, longevity, cost-efficiency, and ease of installation, metal plays a starring role in high-traffic education spaces.

For its renewability, durability, and ever-evolving versatility, architectural metal offers long-term solutions that bring beauty, reliability and safety to schools. At Presidio Knolls School in San Francisco, and the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences in Seattle, Washington, leading metal manufacturer BŌK Modern’s solutions have set a new standard for how educational spaces are designed and experienced.

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Ken Gutmaker

Nestled in San Francisco’s SoMa District, Presidio Knolls School is a serene escape from the bustling city. Studio Bondy Architecture was tasked with renovating the PKS campus, including two historic buildings and the main U-Wing building containing the interior courtyard.

The team wanted to design a new public-facing identity while creating a safe, enduring environment for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. They called on BŌK Modern to design custom metal treatments for the building’s exterior façade, front gate, interior stairs, and balcony guardrails to strike that balance.

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Kevin Quach

The distinctive element of the façade and interior courtyard is the perforated metal screen used across all solutions. The pattern is based on a Chinese ice-ray design, a common motif in wood lattice window designs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,” says Laura Rambin, Principal at Studio Bondy Architecture. “On the street-facing façade, the pattern decreases in density as it rises to the third story of the building, giving a feeling of lightness. Within the interior courtyard, the pattern creates dynamic shadows and has the effect of standing in a bamboo forest.”

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Kevin Quach

Designing patterns for kid-centric environments can be challenging, so BŌK and Studio Bondy Architecture carefully selected a pattern that didn’t prohibit climbing but naturally discouraged them from doing so. The custom ice-ray design also has holes too small for toes and feet to fit, and narrow vertical openings prevent anyone from crawling through.

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences. Photo by Rachel Godbe

In the common areas of the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences’ new STREAM building, The Miller Hull Partnership tapped BŌK Modern to collaborate on guardrails, stairs, and louver covers for the school’s interior. The fun and open patterning, combined with a consistent look, helped to unify the space for students and faculty alike.

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences. Photo by Rachel Godbe

Turning structural staircases into textural focal points, BŌK Modern fabricated their panels from 14GA steel with a primer and powder-coated finish for durability. Specified in the A26 pattern across all solutions, the finished products elevate the staircases beyond essential elements of the complex while letting the student’s art installations shine.

Providing architects and designers with endless possibilities to create engaging and resilient educational environments that can withstand the test of time, architectural metal provides sustainable, cost-saving solutions that will be part of a school’s identity for decades to come. Inspiring creativity and enhancing learning, BŌK Modern’s educational projects embrace metal materials as catalysts for resilient structures and compelling design.

To see more architectural case studies and learn more about how metal could be utilized in your next project, visit BŌK Modern’s website.

Credits & Key Information

Presidio Knolls School

  • Architect / Designer: Studio Bondy Architecture
  • Contractor: Plant
  • Construction Photography: Ken Gutmaker and Kevin Quach
  • Location: San Francisco, CA
  • Product Type: Wallscreen, Stair Guardrail, Gate, Balcony Guardrail

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences

  • Architect / Designer: Miller Hull General
  • Contractor: GLY Construction
  • Photography: Rachel Godbe
  • Product Type: Stair Guardrail, Balcony Guardrail, Louver Cover
  • Location: Seattle, WA

Reference

Ideal Fall tapestries
CategoriesInterior Design

Kustaa Saksi creates vivid tapestries to explore “reality and illusion”

Multidisciplinary designer Kustaa Saksi has unveiled In the Borderlands, an exhibition of jacquard textiles at the Helsinki Design Museum, which includes a piece featuring scenery generated by AI software.

Conceived as objects that straddle both art and design, Saksi’s large-scale textiles were hung from the ceilings and arranged across various rooms within a gallery at Helsinki’s Design Museum.

Ideal Fall tapestries
Ideal Fall is a duo of tapestries featuring AI-generated imagery

To create his pieces, the designer uses jacquard weaving – a technique invented in 1804 where patterns are woven with yarn using a loom to create a textile, rather than printed, embroidered or stamped onto fabric.

Ideal Fall is a single oversized tapestry featuring bright and abstract forms depicting waterfall- and plant-style forms.

Large-scale colourful textiles by Kustaa Saksi
Kustaa Saksi also created a series exploring migraines

Saksi created the colourful textile using AI software, which he instructed to generate images that would depict “ideal” scenes of nature. The designer then picked his favourite suggestions and used the imagery as a stimulus for the tapestry’s patterns.

“The exhibition explores moments between reality and illusion, which are the starting point for many of Saksi’s works,” said the Design Museum.

Dramatically lit tapestry at Helsinki Design Museum
The tapestries were suspended from the ceiling at the Design Museum

Migraine Metamorphoses is another series of textiles featuring similarly bold designs, which Saksi created to refer to the various phases of migraines – intense headaches that the designer has suffered since the age of seven.

According to the museum, the soft texture of the textiles intends to “mitigate the painful subject matter”.

Colourful textiles
Monsters and Dreams is a series informed by stories about hallucinations

Often influenced by the boundaries between dreams and imagination, Saksi’s first-ever tapestry series was also on show at the Design Museum.

Called Monsters and Dreams, it is characterised by striking patterns that take cues from hallucinations experienced by one of the designer’s family members. These textiles were draped across or hung from the ceiling of a single room with dark blue walls, which had been painted to enhance the pieces’ dramatic theme.

Saksi has created his pieces in collaboration with Dutch studio TextileLab since 2013.

“The jacquard technique can be referred to as one of the early precursors to the computer,” said the Design Museum.

“It was the first mechanised technique which enabled the transfer of information about a particular pattern to a weaving machine with the help of a punched cylinder, to eventually become a piece of textile.”

In the Borderlands exhibition by Kustaa Saksi
The exhibition is on display in Helsinki until mid-October

Throughout the gallery, the textiles were illuminated with controlled levels of lighting in order to preserve their appearance, according to the museum.

In the Borderlands is on display until 15 October as part of the museum’s 150th-anniversary programme. Elsewhere at Helsinki Design Week, designer Didi NG Wing Yin presented a series of amorphous timber furniture while last year’s edition of the event featured projects including plant-based textiles.

The photography is by Paavo Lehtonen.

Helsinki Design Week takes place from 8 to 17 September 2023 in Helsinki, Finland. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

Drones boost biodiversity at scale
CategoriesSustainable News

Drones boost biodiversity at scale

Spotted: Today’s scientists are considering whether current levels of species loss constitute a sixth mass extinction event. But what we do know for sure is that we are facing a significant biodiversity crisis. As biodiversity declines, so too does the effectiveness of entire ecosystems. And this can cause significant harm to humans in the long run, damaging our food systems and increasing the chances of infectious diseases, among other issues.  

Hoping to assist in the protection and rejuvenation of biodiversity around the world, Switzerland-based startup Inverto has developed an innovative drone-based system. The startup combines hardware and software technologies to create innovative and custom solutions to support climate restoration and agriculture. Using the drones, Inverto can sample soils, select and monitor sites, and release seeds for reforestation. 

So far, Inverto has mainly focused its efforts on mangroves, as these are efficient carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots. In December 2022, the company partnered with Delta Blue Carbon to plant 350,000 hectares of mangrove forest along the Indus River in Pakistan. And, as well as replanting mangroves, Inverto can also use its drone technologies to release beneficial insects.

Video source Inverto

Inverto is still a relatively new venture, having only been founded in 2022, but has received attention from various investors and accelerators. For example, in May this year, it received a €200,000 grant from the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre in Switzerland to help it make use of space technologies. 

The natural biodiversity that exists on our planet is precious and fortunately, innovators are working hard to protect it. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor biodiversity on farmland and a startup that puts a financial value on biodiversity to incentivise more companies to protect it.

Written By: Amanda Simms

Reference

© Sheppard Robson Architects
CategoriesArchitecture

25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a treasure trove of architectural gems, with diverse buildings across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The four countries that make up the larger sovereign state each have their own unique history, which plays out in an architecturally unique way. So while London-based firms may be more heavily represented in ranked lists, many of the designers working in the city’s offices come from further afield, bringing knowledge and culture from more distant parts of the islands.

The United Kingdom’s strength is the sum of its parts. Firms commissioned with projects in the state’s more rural areas are forging a uniquely modern rural aesthetic. At the same time, growing cities in the north and south alike have served as fertile ground for new civic designs. As a result, both established and younger UK firms alike are finding ways to design more sensitive to context and typologically innovative.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in United Kingdom based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

  • The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
  • The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
  • The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
  • The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
  • The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of United Kingdom architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in United Kingdom:


25. Sheppard Robson Architects

© Sheppard Robson Architects

© Sheppard Robson Architects

The practice’s work is underpinned by fully integrating a sustainable design methodology that balances efficiency and performance with form.
In the practice’s 75-year history, Sheppard Robson has designed award-winning architecture, interior design and masterplanning projects around the world, building a strong reputation across numerous typologies – including office, education, residential, healthcare, science and retail projects.

From our head office in London and studios in Manchester, Glasgow and Abu Dhabi, the founding principles of innovation and sustainability continue to shape the work of the practice and its interior design group (ID:SR), reinterpreted and enlivened by the creative talent of our designers. The work of the practice benefits from an ability to have a constructive dialogue with clients and end-users, as well as collaborating closely with other members of the project team throughout the design and delivery of a project.

Some of Sheppard Robson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Siemens Middle East Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • BBC Broadcasting House, London, United Kingdom
  • The Avenue, Manchester, United Kingdom
  • St Ambrose College, Manchester, United Kingdom
  • Waingels College, Wokingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Sheppard Robson Architects achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 10

24. 6a architects

© 6a architects

© 6a architects

6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 6a architects rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won a RIBA Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include a new 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016), which garnered a RIBA Regional East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016), which was winner of both RIBA London Building of the Year (2017) and a RIBA National Award (2017).

Some of 6a architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Tree House , London, United Kingdom
  • Façade for Paul Smith, Mayfair, London, City of London, United Kingdom
  • V&A Gallery 40, London, United Kingdom
  • Photography Studio for Juergen Teller, United Kingdom
  • Cowan Court, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped 6a architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 6

23. Carl Turner Architects

© Carl Turner Architects

© Carl Turner Architects

Carl trained at the Royal College of Art, gaining a first class honors degree and a RIBA Bronze Medal (runner-up) before undertaking an MA at the Royal College of Art in London. The RCA provided a foundation for collaboration and working across platforms with an integrated approach; Carl sees his approach to design and construction as an extension of his time there as a ‘maker’.

User-focused design was embedded as a founding principle for practice, through a two year research post for the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the RCA, investigating new strategies for wayfinding for BAA plc at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. After working for Norman Foster on the Citibank Tower (Canary Wharf), and Penoyre and Prasad on various community-based projects, Carl formed a partnership (TurnerCastle).

Some of Carl Turner Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Carl Turner Architects achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 5

22. Atelier Chang

© Kyungsub Shin

© Kyungsub Shin

Atelier Chang is an international design praxis based in South Kensington, London and Zurich since 2011. Our design philosophy is to create innovative design through focusing on the unembellished basics – basics of nature, social behavior and urban phenomena. To achieve this absolute simplicity of content through impactful forms takes extra effort in researching the context, a devotion to material and technology, and active interaction with other industries. Currently we work on projects in Asia and Europe at multiple scales of design, covering master plans, architecture, interior design, installations and products.

Some of Atelier Chang’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Atelier Chang achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 2
Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 4

21. Levitt Bernstein

© Phil Boorman

© Phil Boorman

As architects, landscape architects and urban designers, Levitt Bernstein creates award winning buildings, living landscapes and thriving urban spaces, using inventive design to solve real life challenges. Putting people at the heart of our work, each of our projects is different but the driving force behind every one is the desire to create an environment that is beautiful, sustainable and functional.

Some of Levitt Bernstein’s most prominent projects include:

  • Vaudeville Court, London, United Kingdom
  • Sutherland Road, London, United Kingdom
  • King’s School, Bruton, Somerset, United Kingdom
  • The Courtyards, Dovedale Avenue, Lancashire, United Kingdom
  • Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The following statistics helped Levitt Bernstein achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 10

20. mcgarry-moon architects

© mcgarry-moon architects ltd

© mcgarry-moon architects ltd

McGarry-Moon Architects are a RIBA and RSUA Award Winning Practice located near Kilrea, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. At McGarry-Moon we specialise in contemporary, sustainable, environmentally conscious architecture which is of its time and place

Some of mcgarry-moon architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped mcgarry-moon architects achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 10

19. Fraher and Findlay

© Fraher and Findlay

© Fraher and Findlay

Fraher Architects was founded in 2009 by Joe and Lizzie, delivering small scale and award winning residential projects throughout London. Since then, our practice has grown in size and project scope, with the aim of constantly improving areas of our expertise, and where possible, beyond those boundaries, toward even broader fields.

This has been achieved by consciously evolving our practice, and we’ve done this by placing learning, improving, and refining every aspect of what we do, at the very core of our business. This means being aware of opportunities as they arise, and being proactive in making positive change. Most visibly, it is this philosophy that led to our joining forces with Findlay Construction.

Some of Fraher and Findlay’s most prominent projects include:

  • The Green Studio, London, United Kingdom
  • The Lantern, London, United Kingdom
  • Fan House, London, United Kingdom
  • The Ladder Kitchen, London, United Kingdom
  • The Signal House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Fraher and Findlay achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 16

18. John McAslan + Partners

© Hufton+Crow Photography

© Hufton+Crow Photography

We create architecture that improves people’s lives.We do it like this: we aim for an architecture which is rational and poetic, robust and delightful; we tread carefully and build with conviction; we tackle problems head on and think laterally; we deconstruct a brief and let a design emerge from close examination of the pieces; we don’t necessarily take ‘no’ for an answer; we believe the power of architecture extends much further than the dimensions of individual buildings; we believe architecture is about making life better. We believe that buildings should be underpinned by a powerful idea; that the idea should be an intelligent and logical response to functionality and a sense of place; and the power of that idea should be embedded in the built form.

Some of John McAslan + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

  • UK Holocaust Memorial
  • Void Practice Rooms, London, United Kingdom
  • King’s Cross Station, London, United Kingdom
  • Library + Student Hub, Ambleside Campus, University of Cumbria, Cumbria, United Kingdom
  • Lancaster University Engineering Building, England, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped John McAslan + Partners achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 13

17. Hawkins\Brown

© Gareth Gardner

© Gareth Gardner

The first time someone decided to mix sweet and salty popcorn, their guests must have been horrified. Minutes later though they would be guzzling the lot. That’s the thing about new combinations — you have to be a bit odd to consider them in the first place, but when they pay off you’re left wondering how you managed before they existed. Admittedly, this isn’t a usual sort of About page for an architectural practice, but we’re not a usual sort of practice. We believe that projects come alive through uncommon combinations of ideas and people. In fact, we think that’s the only way they really come alive at all.

Some of Hawkins\Brown’s most prominent projects include:

  • 1235 Vine Street, Los Angeles, California
  • Corby Cube, Corby, United Kingdom
  • Student Village, Royal Veterinary College, Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
  • Beecroft Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Park Hill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped HawkinsBrown achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 7
Total Projects 19

16. Bennetts Associates

© Bennetts Associates

© Bennetts Associates

Bennetts Associates creates sustainable and enduring architecture. As one of the UK’s leading practices, their diverse portfolio has been celebrated with more than 150 awards over 30 years and covers education, cultural and workplace projects in both the public and private sector, ranging from masterplans to small historic buildings. They are an employee-owned trust of 70 people with studios in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and have recently earned Building Design’s Higher Education Architect of the Year 2019 Award. Bennetts Associates also leads in their field in sustainability — in April 2019 they became the world’s first architects to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.

Some of Bennetts Associates’s most prominent projects include:

  • The Royal College of Pathologists, London, United Kingdom
  • Storyhouse, London, United Kingdom
  • Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom
  • Bennetts Associates’ London Studio, London, United Kingdom
  • London Fruit and Wool Exchange, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Bennetts Associates achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 4
Total Projects 18

15. Andy Martin Architecture

© Andy Martin Architecture

© Andy Martin Architecture

Our mission at ama is to carry out ambitious building projects at multiple scales and programmes, with a commitment to innovation, design and sustainability. We build within the city as if it is our own, and we are proud of the result and conscious of the effect that our buildings have on both the city around and the inhabitants within.

AMA was established in 2000, is a dynamic practice blending youth with experience and creativity with control. The studio takes a holistic approach to architecture and design – incorporating architects, interior designers, craftspeople, furniture, lighting and product designers.
The design of projects aims to become a ‘gesamtkunstwerk’, a totally integrated work of art, with architecture, interior design, furnishings, equipment and selected art pieces receiving equally dedicated consideration to become a cohesive whole.

Some of Andy Martin Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Andy Martin Architecture achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 7
Total Projects 9

14. Allies and Morrison

© Luke Hayes

© Luke Hayes

We are architects and urbanists. We strive to design beautiful buildings that have long life and can adapt over the generations. We also shape enduring places whether new pieces of city or settlements at any scale. All our projects are concerned with the crafting of every detail and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each context.

As architects, we are known for the rigor of our technical delivery, a commitment to quality, to embedded environmental performance. As urbanists, we are known for developing plans that are flexible and pragmatic, inspirational in vision, responsive to the local climate and character. Based in London and Cambridge, we come from around the world and our diversity is one of our fundamental strengths.

Some of Allies and Morrison’s most prominent projects include:

  • Sir Michael Uren Hub, London, United Kingdom
  • 100 Bishopsgate , London, United Kingdom
  • 2150 Lake Shore, Toronto, Canada
  • The Design Museum, London, United Kingdom
  • South Place Hotel, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Allies and Morrison achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 3
Featured Projects 7
Total Projects 23

13. Alison Brooks Architects

© Jake Fitzjones

© Jake Fitzjones

Founded in 1996, Alison Brooks Architects has developed an international reputation for delivering design excellence and innovation in projects ranging from urban regeneration, masterplanning, public buildings for the arts, higher education and housing. ABA’s award-winning architecture is born from our intensive research into the cultural, social and environmental contexts of each project. Our approach enables us to develop pioneering solutions for our buildings and urban schemes, each with a distinct identity and authenticity.

Combined with rigorous attention to detail, ABA’s buildings have proved to satisfy our client’s expectations and positively impact the urban realm. Our approach has led ABA to be recognized with both national and international awards including Architect of the Year Award 2012 and Housing Architect of the Year 2012.

Some of Alison Brooks Architect’s most prominent projects include:

  • The Smile, London, United Kingdom
  • Lens House, London, United Kingdom
  • Newhall Be, Harlow, United Kingdom
  • Quayside, Toronto, Canada
  • Severn Place, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Alison Brooks Architects achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 2
A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 5

12. AL_A

© Hufton+Crow Photography

© Hufton+Crow Photography

Architecture studio AL_A was founded in 2009 by the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet. Their designs are conceived not just as buildings, but as urban propositions. Spaces that promote reciprocity between nature and neighbourhood; projects that express the identity of an institution, reflect the ambitions of a place, and hold the dreams of a community. Recently completed projects include an undergraduate and outreach centre for Wadham College at the University of Oxford and a new centre for the cancer care charity Maggie’s within the grounds of University College Hospital in Southampton.

Some of AL_A’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 10

11. Studio Seilern Architects

© Studio Seilern Architects

© Studio Seilern Architects

Studio Seilern Architects is a London based international creative practice established in 2006 by Christina Seilern with the intent of producing exceptional architecture that lasts, working across geographies, building sizes and typologies. Our diverse portfolio of built work spans the UK, Europe and Africa.

While we tackle a diversity of projects, it is our conscious decision to keep working on the smaller and larger scales both simultaneously and continuously: from new build to restoration works. Irrespective of size or context, each project we undertake informs another. The smaller scale keeps our pencils sharp on questions of intricate detailing and the unraveling of the human condition both on the living and working fronts.

Some of Studio Seilern Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Andermatt Concert Hall, Andermatt, Switzerland
  • El Gouna Plaza, Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
  • G.W.Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
  • Boksto Skveras, Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Kensington Residence, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Seilern Architects achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
A+Awards Finalist 3
Featured Projects 6
Total Projects 9

10. Steyn Studio

© DOOK Photography

© DOOK Photography

Steyn Studio is a collaborative architecture practice. We believe that design has the power to solve problems, inspire and improve lives and work hard everyday to realize this ambition. We always aim to do this honestly and with the freedom to creatively explore meaningful design solutions. Designs that make a real difference to the end-user and the client; culturally and commercially.

Some of Steyn Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Steyn Studio achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 4
Featured Projects 5
Total Projects 4

9. bureau de change

© Gilbert McCarragher

© Gilbert McCarragher

Bureau de Change is an award winning architecture practice founded by architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos. Its work is a direct product of the founders’ upbringing, passions and experiences — combining the pragmatism and formality of their architectural training with a desire to bring a sense of theatre, playfulness and innovation to the design of spaces, products and environments. The result is a studio where rigorous thinking and analysis are brought to life through prototyping, testing and making.

Some of bureau de change’s most prominent projects include:

  • The Interlock, London, United Kingdom
  • Homemade, London, United Kingdom
  • Folds House, London, United Kingdom
  • Slab House, London, United Kingdom
  • Step House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped bureau de change achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 16

8. Hopkins Architects

© Marc Goodwin

© Marc Goodwin

Hopkins Architects is an international architectural practice with studios in London and Dubai. Led by its five Principals, the practice’s work is rooted in clear and logical design thinking, a deep understanding of the potential of materials and craft, and consideration of context. A consistent and rigorous approach has resulted in a portfolio of ground-breaking, beautiful and functional buildings across Europe, the US and Asia which have added tangible value for both clients and users. The practice has designed and delivered a portfolio of renowned, award-winning projects, including Portcullis House at Westminster and the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome.

Some of Hopkins Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
  • Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • Eton Sports & Aquatics Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
  • Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Hopkins Architects achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 1
A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 11
Total Projects 18

7. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Helene Binet - © Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Helene Binet – © Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins is an award-winning British architectural studio united by a commitment to integrity, intellectual quality and the art of making beautiful buildings. Founded in 1991 by Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins, the rapidly-growing London-based studio consists of 70 people, and specialises in bespoke buildings in the public, cultural, private and financial sectors. Acclaimed projects include the Everyman Theatre, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2014, Young Vic Theatre, Royal College of Art campus in Battersea, Coin Street housing development and the London Library, for which they received the prestigious American Institute of Architect’s Excellence in Design award. The studio is currently working on a number of highly anticipated schemes including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Fish Island Village, Bristol Old Vic and Kingston University.

Some of Haworth Tompkins’s most prominent projects include:

  • National Theatre ‘The Shed’, London, United Kingdom
  • Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
  • Dovecote Studio, Snape, United Kingdom
  • Open Air Theatre, London, United Kingdom
  • Park View School, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Haworth Tompkins achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 9
Total Projects 10

6. AR Design Studio

© AR Design Studio

© AR Design Studio

AR Design Studio is an award-winning RIBA certified contemporary architectural practice, based in Winchester, Hampshire, specializing in elegant modern new homes, extensions, renovations and multi-plot developments. Established over a decade ago by Andy Ramus, AR Design Studio is a modern architecture practice with a talented, young and ambitious team creating an exciting hub of contemporary architects. After spending four years working for several large scale practices in London on a wide variety of projects, Andy set up his practice in Winchester, Hampshire and Dorset.

Some of AR Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

  • Black House, Kent, England, United Kingdom
  • The Climber’s Cabin, Hampshire, United Kingdom
  • 4 Views, Winchester, United Kingdom
  • The Lighthouse 65, Fareham, United Kingdom
  • Manor House Stables, Headbourne Worthy, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped AR Design Studio achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects 14
Total Projects 29

5. Adjaye Associates

© Adjaye Associates

© Adjaye Associates

Since establishing Adjaye Associates in 2000, Sir David Adjaye OBE has crafted a global team that is multicultural. The practice has studios in Accra, London, and New York with work spanning the globe. Adjaye Associates’ most well-known commission to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington DC and was named “Cultural Event of the Year” by The New York Times. Further projects range in scale from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centers, civic buildings and master plans.

Some of Adjaye Associates’s most prominent projects include:

  • Winter Park Library & Events Center, Winter Park, Florida
  • 130 William, New York, New York
  • Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo, Russia
  • Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, Washington, DC
  • Silverlight, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Adjaye Associates achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 3
Featured Projects 13
Total Projects 32

4. Squire and Partners

© Squire and Partners

© Squire and Partners

Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning four decades, earning it an international reputation for architecture informed by the history and culture of where it is placed. Their award winning portfolio, for some of the world’s leading developers, includes masterplans, private and affordable residential, workspace, retail, education and public buildings.

In addition, the practice has a series of dedicated teams for modelmaking, computer generated imaging, illustration, graphics and an established interior design department, which has created a number of bespoke product ranges. Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location.

Some of Squire and Partners’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Squire and Partners achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist 2
Featured Projects 11
Total Projects 48

3. Heatherwick Studio

© Hufton+Crow Photography

© Hufton+Crow Photography

Heatherwick Studio is a team of 180 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studio in Central London, we create buildings, spaces, master-plans, objects and infrastructure. Focusing on large scale projects in cities all over the world, we prioritise those with the greatest positive social impact.

Working as practical inventors with no signature style, our motivation is to design soulful and interesting places which embrace and celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design dogma. The studio’s completed projects include a number of internationally celebrated buildings, including the award-winning Learning Hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries.

Some of Heatherwick Studio’s most prominent projects include:

  • Coal Drops Yard, London, United Kingdom
  • Maggie’s Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
  • Bombay Sapphire Distillery , Hampshire, United Kingdom
  • 1000 Trees Phase 1, Shanghai, China
  • Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Heatherwick Studio achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 11
A+Awards Finalist 1
Featured Projects 20
Total Projects 13

2. Foster + Partners

© Foster + Partners

© Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners is a global studio for sustainable architecture, engineering, urbanism and industrial design, founded by Norman Foster in 1967. Since then, he, and the team around him, have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, we work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.

Some of Foster + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

  • Ombú, Madrid, Spain
  • Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
  • The Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • House of Wisdom, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Foster + Partners achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 6
A+Awards Finalist 8
Featured Projects 42
Total Projects 91

1. Zaha Hadid Architects

© Zaha Hadid Architects

© Zaha Hadid Architects

Internationally renowned architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects works at all scales and in all sectors to create transformative cultural, corporate, residential and other spaces that work in synchronicity with their surroundings.

Some of Zaha Hadid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

  • Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing, China
  • KnitCandela, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
  • Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • Striatus 3D Printed Bridge, Venice, Italy

Top image: Investcorp Building, Oxford, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Zaha Hadid Architects achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner 17
A+Awards Finalist 11
Featured Projects 62
Total Projects 64

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

  • Project completed within the last 3 years
  • A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
  • Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
  • High quality, in focus photographs
  • At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
  • Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
  • Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

 


 

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

Reference

Bully Hill House by Studio MM
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten living rooms decorated with textural cowhide rugs

From a ranch in Colorado to a treehouse in Australia, the living spaces in this lookbook are united by the grounding presence of cowhide rugs.

Animal skins have been used in dwellings for warmth and decoration for thousands of years. More recently, cowhide rugs – which were popularised in America – have become a common sight in interiors around the world, thanks to their recognisable pattern, outline and durability.

Each hide has unique colourations and patterning, with variations in texture depending on the breed of the animal. One side features the hair, while the reverse is plain leather – the result of the tanning process.

Cowhides imbue a cosy cabin-like feel, and can both blend into rustic homes and add timeless contrast in more minimalist interior schemes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring underground bedrooms, kitchens that combine stone with wood and interiors with bright yellow accents.


Bully Hill House by Studio MM
Photo by Brad Feinknopf

Bully Hill House, USA, by Studio MM

A tan and white cowskin rug adds warmth to this lofty living space in a rural house in upstate New York.

The skewbald floor covering lends a rustic edge to the living space, and is bolstered by the saloon-style bar stools and a fire surround clad in Corten steel with a niche for storing chopped firewood.

Find out more about Bully Hill House ›


Seating area with cow hide rug and book shelves
Photo by Fernando Marroquín, Jaime Navarro and Beto Lanz

Mexican house, Mexico, by Amezcua

A dappled cowskin rug adorns the volcanic stone floor of the living room in this modular holiday house in Mexico.

The brown and white rug zones the seating area, which comprises two chairs and a side table made from wood and leather and is flanked by a simple bookshelf in matching hues.

Find out more about the Mexican house ›


Open-plan living and dining room in a timber farmhouse with open walls
Photo by Christopher Stark

Sonoma farm house, USA, by Tyreus Design Studio

Nature is ever-present in this house in California, thanks to its expansive sliding doors as well as the earthy elements of the interior scheme, including a pale cowskin rug.

The lightly dappled coat appears to glow in the sunlight and echoes the striated white marble kitchen counter on the other side of the interior.

Find out more about Sonoma farm house ›


Seating area in front of large window overlooking trees
Photo by Matthew Millman

Paintbrush Residence, USA, by CLB Architects

A vast picture window and a cylindrical log burner flank the cowhide floor covering in this contemplative seating area in a house in Wyoming.

The curving outline of the grey and white hide provides a textural contrast to the regular linear shapes in the timber wall and ceiling cladding that encloses the area.

Find out more about Paintbrush Residence ›


Photograph showing loft room with skylight and chair
Photo by BoysPlayNice

Czech house, Czech Republic, by Atelier SAD and Iveta Zachariášová

This gabled living space in the ceiling of a house in the Czech Republic is dominated by a large brindle cowhide.

The rug’s naturally irregular patterning is offset by the geometric floor lamp and a ribbed seat covered in black-and-white zigzag upholstery.

Find out more about the Czech house ›


Interior of Pepper Tree Passive House by Alexander Symes
Photo by Barton Taylor

Pepper Tree Passive House, Australia, by Alexander Symes

A cream cowhide with a pronounced brown stripe running down its centre straddles two types of flooring in this unique house in New South Wales, Australia.

Built around a 60-year-old pepper tree, the interior has a fundamentally neutral colour palette punctuated by plants.

Find out more about Pepper Tree Passive House ›


Living room and kitchen with brown cow hide rug
Photo by Cristóbal Palma

LBS house, Chile, by Umberto Bonomo and Felipe Alarcón

Overlooking a V-shaped wall made from cinder blocks, the industrial-style living space in this Chilean house is softened by the presence of a glossy brown cowhide.

The use of concrete and metal throughout the interior is offset by the rug’s organic feel.

Find out more about LBS house ›


Reforma Alas by OMCM Arquitectos
Photo by Leo Mendez

Reforma Alas, Paraguay, by OMCM Arquitectos

A classic black-and-white spotted cowhide lines the floor in the airy open-plan living room of this house in Paraguay.

The rug provides a focal point in the otherwise minimally decorated space, which is defined by the use of grey and white hues on the walls and floors.

Find out more about Reforma Alas ›


Rockham House is a house in Devon that was designed by Studio Fuse
Photo courtesy of Studio Fuse

Rockham House, UK, by Studio Fuse

The laid-back living room in this house in Devon centres around a pale cowskin that sprawls across the concrete floor.

The room’s broad picture windows frame views of the countryside, with the hide retaining the space’s cosiness with help from a suspended fireplace.

Find out more about Rockham House ›


Goatbarn Lane by Renee Del Gaudio
Photo by David Lauer

Goatbarn Lane, USA, by  Renée del Gaudio Architecture

An orange leather sofa, a side table made from gnarled wood and a light-coloured brindle cowskin rug huddle around a fireplace in the corner of the living room in this house in the Rocky Mountains.

Despite the rugged setting, warmth and comfort are instilled in the interior through the use of soft furnishings and warm-toned wooden floors.

Find out more about Goatbarn Lane ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring underground bedrooms, kitchens that combine stone with wood and interiors with bright yellow accents.

Reference

Reducing the cost of electrolysers for green hydrogen
CategoriesSustainable News

Reducing the cost of electrolysers for green hydrogen

Spotted: Hydrogen is often touted as a green technology, but although it produces only water when consumed in a fuel cell, the hydrogen itself is generally produced using fossil fuels. Green hydrogen, or hydrogen produced using carbon-free electricity, is a path to decarbonising global hydrogen supplies, but it is generally too expensive today to be adopted at scale.

That may be about to change, however, with a new type of hydrogen electrolyser developed by Advanced Ionics. Ted Dillon, Advanced Ionics’ Interim Vice President of Marketing told Springwise that the company’s technology reduces the electricity required from around 51 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per kilogramme of hydrogen to just 35 kWh of electricity per kilogramme of hydrogen produced.

Importantly, the technology does not require any rare or expensive metals or ceramics, which are common in other electrolysers. The company’s Symbiotic Electrolysers use process or waste heat to generate steam for powering electrolysis. By tapping into excess heat that is already available in industrial settings, they are able to lower the amount of electricity used for the process.

Advanced Ionics has recently closed a $12.5 million (around €11.6 million) series A financing led by BP ventures, with additional investors including Clean Energy Ventures, GVP Climate, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Dillion confirmed that the funding will be used to, “expand our team, our facilities, and our work on demonstration projects with future customers.”

The drive to adopt hydrogen for use as a power provider has been picking up steam. Springwise has spotted this in a number of recent innovations in the archive, including technology that produces green hydrogen from bio-waste and a hydrogen-powered data centre.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockies
CategoriesArchitecture

CCY architects hides this DNA alpine cabin in the colorado rockies

a mountain hideaway for nature-lovers

 

Deep into the rugged wilderness of Colorado‘s San Miguel County, this newly completed house known as DNA Alpine has been crafted by CCY Architects. This secluded retreat high in the Rocky Mountains offers a tranquil retreat for a family who had owned and loved the 70-acre plot of land for over two decades. Their wish for a permanent dwelling — from which they could hike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski — led to the design of this humble trio of cabins. Perched along the northern edge of a gentle bowl and backdropped by towering spruce trees, the copper-clad dwelling results from the owners’ intimate knowledge of the site. Their commitment to preserving the environment led to the structure’s minimal footprint on the land.

 

Accessible by car only in summer, occupants must reach the cabins by snowshoe in the winter months,writes CCY Architects, describing the unique remoteness of the forested site.

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockiesimages © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA

 

 

ccy architects clusters a trio of cabins

 

In a thoughtful response to the hidden site’s challenging topography, CCY Architects divided DNA Alpine into three distinct buildings: the main house, garage, and sauna. This division allowed each structure to respectfully adapt to the natural contours of the land, weaving between the existing trees. These buildings are linked together by a network of walking paths.

 

To ensure space for gatherings across generations, the architects employed a clever strategy of multi-functional areas. Instead of allocating space for four dedicated bedrooms, a flexible room serves as an office or sleeping area with two daybeds, while a sleeping loft is nestled beneath the sloping roof. The outcome is a beautifully designed home that accommodates both the family and the environment it inhabits.

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockies

 

 

The clients wanted a generational house that respected their land, so we paid close attention to the scale of the structures,’ Consulting Principal John Cottle, FAIA tells designboom.The house lives large, with flowing spaces, but because of the folded roof the highest point is only fourteen feet above the undulating topography. It’s a statement of deference to the beauty of the landscape.’

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockies
the copper cladding pattern mirrors the DNA sequence of the site’s heritage spruce trees

 

 

dna alpine’s namesake copper cladding

 

For the cladding of its DNA Alpine, CCY Architects turned to copper sheeting, which was carefully formed into four profiles that could be arranged in any pattern. Inspired by the client’s interest in synthetic biology, the chosen pattern mirrors the DNA sequence of the heritage spruce trees that encircle the house. This non-repetitive sequence wraps the structure, creating a dynamic and slightly reflective facade that interacts with the changing daylight. As seasons pass, the cladding will gracefully patina, further harmonizing the house with its natural surroundings.

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockies
the angular, sloping roof is expressed along the interiors CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockiesthe trio of cabins are linked by a network of footpaths

Reference

Living room with bronze fireplace, two armchairs and transparent staircase
CategoriesInterior Design

ATRA outfits Olson Kundig-designed house in West Hollywood

This townhouse in Los Angeles by US firm Olson Kundig is outfitted by furniture brand ATRA with “the best that Mexico has to offer”.

The Garden House, which sits between West Hollywood and Beverley Hills, was designed as one of eight single-family homes that form the The Houses at 8899 Beverly development.

Living room with bronze fireplace, two armchairs and transparent staircase
The interior of the Garden House is divided into two areas by a central void, which contains the staircase

Each of the two-storey residences was designed by Olson Kundig with a unique look and layout while retaining a cohesive language across the set.

For this particular house, which is decorated for a fictional future client, Mexico City-based design studio and furniture brand ATRA used many of its own products to create an environment that complements the architecture.

Sculptural dining table, branch-like chandelier and textured wall artwork
To decorate the house, ATRA used several of its own products including the dining table, along with pieces by Mexico-based artists and designers

“We wanted to sublime the minimalist architecture and the simplicity of the volumes by keeping the home versatile – imagining that the owner could be a young family as well as a Hollywood actor or a tech entrepreneur and that the design should not only fit but inspire all the above,” said the ATRA team.

From the street, the house presents as austere – comprising dark cladding materials and emphasised horizontally by an extended flat roofline and porch cover.

Volcanic stone desk
The volcanic stone desk in the study is also designed by ATRA

The building is entered into a double-height space from the side, effectively splitting the plan into north and south areas.

A staircase with open risers and glass balustrades rises up through the central void, its transparency allowing views from one side of the house to the other.

Kitchen with wooden cabinetry and thin metal stools against the island
Earth tones are used throughout the ground floor, including in the kitchen

The living room to the north is anchored by a large bronze feature that frames a fireplace, while ATRA’s Egge velvet sofa and pair of armchairs face one another across a low stone coffee table.

On the other side of the staircase is the dining room, where the brand’s sculptural Pebble dining table sits below a branch-like chandelier by Isabel Moncada, and beside a highly textured artwork by Julio Rizhi.

Vertical striped painting behind a burgundy-hued lounge chair
Upstairs, bolder colours are used to appear like “happy accidents”

“We curated the best that Mexico has to offer to enhance this house with unexpected artworks and thoughtful designs,” said Gabriella Kuti, ATRA’s lead designer.

Earth-toned furniture and textured finishes are used prominently throughout the ground floor, including a volcanic stone desk in the study and warm wood cabinetry in the kitchen.

A slightly different colour palette was employed upstairs, where grey sheen walls and burgundy-hued chairs are found in the primary bedroom.

“Some unusual warm and vibrant colors were introduced like a happy accident,” said ATRA.

Works by international artists in the home include a wall piece by Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey made from a patchwork of yellow gallon containers, and bold-striped paintings by French artist Edouard Ng.

Private patio with plunge pool
A private patio at the back of the house features a plunge pool

Tucked out of view at the back of the property, a small outdoor patio features a square plunge pool and sculptures by Pablo Arellano.

The eventual owners of the house will also have access to the amenities of the adjacent residential tower 8899 Beverly, including a pool, a covered dining area and gardens, an indoor fitness centre and a yoga studio.

House exterior with dark cladding and flat roof
The architecture by Olson Kundig comprises dark materials and exaggerated horizontal planes

ATRA also provided furniture and decor for a show apartment in New York’s One Wall Street designed by FrenchCalifornia, and launched its Nerthus-Sofa modular system in 2020.

The company was founded by Alexander Díaz Andersson, who is also its creative director and works across furniture, sculpture, interiors and hospitality projects.

The photography is by Michael Clifford and Nils Timm.

Reference

Minus Chair in blue stacked up at Minus Furniture exhibition in Oslo for Designers' Saturday
CategoriesSustainable News

Minus launches subscription furniture with ambition to go “beyond zero”

Norwegian brand Minus is looking to disrupt the interior design industry by offering carbon-negative furniture on a subscription basis.

Minus debuted its first furniture collection, designed by Oslo studio Jenkins & Uhnger, at the biennial Designers’ Saturday event in the Norwegian capital.

The ambition is to go “beyond zero” by creating timber products that are carbon-negative across their lifespan. This led the brand to develop a rental service model.

“We started Minus to realise an optimised value chain for both production and consumption,” said Kristian Notland Harnes, the brand’s CEO and co-founder.

Minus Chair in blue stacked up at Minus Furniture exhibition in Oslo for Designers' Saturday
Minus staged an exhibition for Designers’ Saturday in Oslo

The strategy, he told Dezeen, is to design with “a 100-year perspective”.

This means taking responsibility for a product after it has left the factory, ensuring it stays in use as long as possible and is recycled at the end of its life.

“In the western world, a chair generally lives for 10 years,” Harnes said. “If the wood takes 100 years to grow, there is an imbalance there. It’s 90 per cent deforestation.”

“It’s about material control,” he added. “That leads us to subscription because it enables us to take responsibility for the material lifespan.”

Minus Chair and Table with natural wood finish at exhibition in Oslo for Designers' Saturday
The brand produces its furniture in pine wood

Minus’s first product, the Minus Chair, was launched as part of the Norwegian Presence exhibition in Milan last year and has since been longlisted for a 2023 Dezeen Award.

The brand has now added a stool, a bench and a table to its collection, all produced in pine wood.

When the pieces are no longer serviceable, Minus says it will take them back and convert them into a charcoal-like substance called biochar, stabilising the carbon contained in the timber and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

The result is a kind of fertiliser that can be added to soils to help them sequester more carbon.

Minus Chair in black
The furniture is designed for both subscription and sale

According to Minus’ calculations, the chair produces -2.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions throughout its life when rented or 1.9 kilograms when purchased outright, compared with an industry standard of 27 kilograms.

Minus plans to offer all of its products for sale or subscription, although the subscription model is currently still in the trial phase and only available to select businesses.

“Customers initially sign a 30-month subscription period, which basically covers our production cost,” said Harnes.

“The price falls 30 per cent every three years, giving you an incentive to keep the furniture longer. It is also possible to subscribe to used chairs at a lower price.”

Minus Stool in black
The products are designed to be carbon-negative across their full lifecycle

Designers Thomas Jenkins and Sverre Uhnger played a key role in shaping Minus’ manufacturing operations.

With a brief to “design the most environmentally friendly chair possible”, they took a holistic look at how the production process could be adapted to minimise energy use and make optimal use of materials and resources.

This led Minus to adopt a decentralised approach. Instead of setting up a single production facility, the company manufactures in various factories and sources timber from as close to those locations as possible.

The furniture, meanwhile, is designed to require as little machining as possible, with few curves and no unnecessary details. The goal was to make the designs highly efficient but still functional and attractive.

By being involved from the project’s outset, Uhnger and Jenkins were able to impact the carbon footprint across every aspect of Minus’ business.

“Quite often it’s too big of an investment for a manufacturer or the brand to change all these aspects for one product or one product range,” Uhnger said.

“Therefore it is almost easier for a start-up to make real change than the bigger brands.”

Minus Furniture exhibition in Oslo for Designers' Saturday
The inaugural collection includes a chair, table, bench and stool

Customers can choose to leave the furniture unfinished or have it treated with linseed oil. Colour can also be added, with either a paint or lacquer finish.

“We wanted to offer different ways of purchasing the chair and different finishes, all with different levels of CO2 consumption, and allow the customer to make the choice themselves,” Jenkins told Dezeen.

“It’s a way of challenging and disrupting the industry, just as much as our work on the production side.”

The products are deliberately oversized to make them more robust, which also means they can be sanded down and/or retreated if they get marked or dented in the future.

Minus Bench
Customers can choose the level of finish they want based on its carbon footprint

Jenkins said that “emotional durability” was also an important consideration. The designs are very simple, but they do have some defining characteristics.

Flat surfaces are made up of two pieces, meaning they can be made from standard-sized planks while legs are cylindrical.

The chair also features a double-curved backrest – a playful element that makes it comfortable from different angles.

“One of the key aspects of circularity is keeping the product in use in its original form for as long as possible,” said Jenkins. “We need people to still want to use these products for 20, 30, 50 or even 100 years.”

Wood chippings
Minus’ process includes converting waste wood into biochar

Minus launched its collection in a pop-up exhibition for Designers’ Saturday, which took place in Oslo from 8 to 10 September.

Here, the company showcased new black and blue stain finishes for the Minus chair as well as seaweed-based bio-foam seat cushions by its partner brand Agroprene.

Minus plans to further improve its processes over the next 12 months, with the belief it can bring the CO2e of each chair down to as low as -15 kilograms.

One challenge the brand faces is that it can’t back up its claims with an environmental certification, as the end-of-life benefits of biochar are not considered within Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and there is no guarantee they will ever be.

Agroprene foam
Minus is partnering with Agroprene to offer bio-foam cushions for its chairs

Yet Harnes is confident of its effectiveness, pointing to research stating that the production of biochar can stabilise 50 per cent of the carbon in biomass such as pine.

The brand has big ambitions for the future but needs to build its audience in order to make that happen.

“Getting the contract business going is a very important part of the Minus project succeeding,” said Jenkins. “Then we can start looking at bigger projects. We want this to be sourced by local councils for schools.”

The photography is by Kristianne Marøy.

The Minus exhibition was on show as part of Designers’ Saturday from 8 to 10 September 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

Reference

Creating sustainable packaging with fungi
CategoriesSustainable News

Creating sustainable packaging with fungi

Spotted: Analysis of the global food packaging market predicts the value of the industry will increase every year and reach just under $600 billion (around €560 billion) by 2033, up from $335 billion (around €313 billion) in 2022. Unsurprisingly, demand for plastic food packaging remains particularly high. Seeking a scalable alternative to plastic packaging that requires no infrastructure change for manufacturers and distributors, Israeli startup MadeRight created a fungi-based option.  

Grown on a variety of organic waste materials, MadeRight packaging can be made locally, further increasing the circularity of the product and reducing its carbon footprint. The fungi used in the process feeds on industrial streams of organic waste. The resulting growth is then converted into a new biomaterial. Because the fungi grow well on a range of materials, the technology is deployable next to current food production systems, making it usable in many different environments and as a secondary market for a diversity of crop waste. 

Once the fungus has been transformed into a biomaterial, it is mixed with bioplastics, making it immediately usable in the existing machinery of current production systems. This not only makes the material more affordable, it makes it easier for businesses to switch from their current plastics to green packaging. MadeRight packaging is both biodegradable and reusable. 

The company recently raised $2 million (around €1.85 million) in seed funding, which the founders plan to use to produce a commercially viable prototype by late 2024 and continue to improve the overall production process. As part of the Fresh Start incubator, MadeRight has the opportunity to connect with other food tech startups also working on sustainability initiatives.  

From a biodegradable coating for paper packaging to naturally biodegradable packaging, innovations in Springwise’s archive highlight the myriad ways innovators are seeking to replace plastic pollution with truly sustainable alternatives.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference