Zarkon Group, Author at Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers

Sustainable News

Socks with a social conscience

By Zarkon Group,22/08/2023

Spotted: At any given time, there are approximately two million people behind bars in the United States according to the Prison Policy Initiative. And an estimated 68 per cent of released prisoners are re-arrested within three years, which jumps to a massive 83 per cent before a decade is up.

Knitwear company FutureStitch, which is based in the US, is looking to end this cycle by providing meaningful work, new skills, and mental health support to once-incarcerated women.

Reintegrating into society post-incarceration is an uphill battle, and finding work is foremost among the barriers. On top of providing a stable job, FutureStitch has an education programme in its US facility. It provides the women who work there with essential skills like sending emails and using Google Docs in tandem with more entrepreneurial expertise so they can work towards reaching managerial roles.

As a leading manufacturer of socks that also has capabilities in shoes and circular knit, FutureStitch has already made waves in the industry. And Nike, Under Armour, Stance, Crocs, Toms, New Balance, Lulu Lemon, and the NBA number among its partners.

In line with its social justice ethos, sustainability is woven into the company’s operations. For example, the FutureStitch facility located just outside of Shanghai received the highest possible LEED Platinum Certification for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility at every stage of its operations.

In the archive, Springwise has spotted other fashion companies with a focus on inclusion. These include another startup that also mainly hires formerly incarcerated individuals and a social enterprise that provides women with craft-based employment opportunities.

Written By: Amanda Simms

Reference

Architecture

thinned trees from japanese forest compose barrel-shaped sauna with stepped ceiling

By Zarkon Group,22/08/2023

kairi eguchi studio’s private sauna fosters interplay of light

Based on the classic structure of a barrel sauna, Kairi Eguchi Studio’s YOKI SAUNA sits on the site of an abandoned elementary school in Hyogo, Japan, as a rejuvenating experience rooted in nature and local heritage. Its wooden form is shaped by thinning trees collected from the engulfing natural environment, and is marked by a long, slender window crowned by a stepped ceiling. This distinct feature welcomes an interplay of light and shade into the space, immersing visitors in an ethereal, tranquil ambiance.

all images courtesy of the author

a tranquil experience rooted in nature

Located in Aogaki, Tamba City, the facility fosters a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding environment, with the water used in the sauna’s baths being drawn from the headwaters of the Kakogawa River. Further, extending its scope of the project beyond architectural design, Osaka-based Kairi Eguchi Studio’s branding of YOKI SAUNA pays homage to the backdrop of the nearby mountains. The project is shaped from thinning trees felled in the mountains — an operation initiated by the facility’s management company Ki-ei Co. — which informs the sauna’s logo depicting four interconnected trees.

YOKI SAUNA sits on the site of an abandoned elementary school in Japan

a long, slender window crowned by a stepped ceiling punctuates the elevation

this distinct feature welcomes an interplay of light and shade into the space

thinning trees collected from the engulfing natural environment shape the sauna

a long and narrow window from the stepped ceiling allows morning light to enter

the water used in the sauna’s baths is drawn from the headwaters of the Kakogawa River nearby

diffused natural light enters the sauna from the stepped ceiling

sauna entrance

Kairi Eguchi Studio completes the architecture and brand identity of the sauna

four interconnected trees are symbolized in the logo

project info:

name: YOKI SAUNA
architecture: Kairi Eguchi Studio

location: Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

Reference

Store with concrete breezeblock displays and metal cans on the ceiling

Interior Design

“Fashion meets art and design” at Pittsburgh boutique by NWDS

By Zarkon Group,21/08/2023

Global team NWDS took a spontaneous approach to designing the Tons fashion boutique in Pittsburgh, which contains a mix of modest materials and iconic furniture pieces.

The Tons store in the city’s East Liberty neighbourhood occupies a long, narrow building with its shorter side facing the street.

Formerly an atelier, the two-storey structure was reimagined by NWDS to create a light-filled destination “where high-end fashion meets art and design”.

“Inside is a spacious and light-filled interior that now hosts a multifunctional venue designed to meet the needs of a modern-day sartorialist equally interested in fashion, art, and culture,” said the group.

Seating area beside clothing display — In the lobby, new apparel collections are displayed below a tapestry-like artwork

Designing the interiors of the 400-square-metre space involved dividing up the floor plan into several distinct areas that all flow together, but serve different purposes.

Throughout the various retail and office areas, a selection of unexpected materials were combined and layered.

Walls splashed with white paint — Some of the walls are splashed or streaked with white paint

Immediately through the glass front door is a lobby where new collections are presented.

Here, product displays were built from concrete breeze blocks, while the upper walls above the clothing rails were dressed in transparent plastic curtains.

Glass panels partition different retail areas — Glass panels are used to partition different retail areas

The ceiling above was covered with metal tubes of different lengths and diameters, and gives way to a double-height space where tall tapestry-like artworks by Sasha Brodsky hang over opposite walls, and white paint was seemingly dragged across another.

“There was a lot of spontaneity and many design decisions taken on site: some surfaces were uncovered and left in an unfinished state, and some were splashed with white paint,” NWDS said.

Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair next to clothing displayed on rails — A selection of iconic furniture designs can be found around the store, including Frank Gehry’s Wiggle Chair

Further along, fitting rooms are lined up behind black and white streaked partitions to one side, facing a room defined by glass panels that hosts monobrand products.

Towards the back, a lounge area that also displays shoes is reached by descending a short flight of stairs, which run parallel to a raised, built-in seating area.

Built-in seating area in front of shoe display room — A built-in seating area at the back of the store overlook the sunken shoe room

The lower floor level in this space results in a higher ceiling, which NWDS took advantage of by extending a mural the full height behind a wall-mounted shoe display.

A staircase at the very back leads to the upper storey, where retail displays and office areas for store employees sit side by side, and a photography studio is in full view.

“Inside Tons, the client space and the workspace are blended,” said NWDS.

“Buyers and managers have their work desks right next to the sale rails on the first floor, and store visitors are welcome to take a peek at the fashion photo shoot happening right there at Tons.”

Upper-floor rooms partitioned by artworks and glass balustrades — The unfinished aesthetic continues across the upper storey, where retail and offices spaces are blended

Throughout the store are a selection of iconic furniture pieces that continue the theme of unexpected materials and functionality.

They include metal-mesh Hi Tech armchairs by Piero Lissoni, a Mate chair by (A+B) Dominoni, Quaquaro that doubles as shelving, and Frank Gehry‘s compressed cardboard Wiggle Chair for Vitra.

“An interior comprising modest materials is a backdrop for high-end Italian furniture pieces, a collection carefully curated by the NWDS team,” said the designers.

Photography studio viewed from across a double-height void — An open photography studio allows shoppers to watch shoots as they happen

NWDS was established in 2013 as a team of architects, designers, curators and researchers from cities including New York, Tbilisi, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Yerevan, Lisbon and Dubai. The group’s projects span residential, retail, hospitality, culture, exhibition design and more.

Other recently completed boutiques that feature unusual materials include the Boyy flagship in Milan, which reveals layers of the store’s history, and a Parisian jewellery store featuring rippled sheets of acrylic.

The photography is by Ekaterina Izmestieva and Alexandra Ribar.

Project credits:

Design concept: NWDS
Supervision and project management: Brnz Bureau
Lighting design: Natalia Markevich
Art: Sasha Brodsky

Reference

Sustainable News

Seeded toilet paper encourages plants to grow with human-waste fertiliser

By Zarkon Group,21/08/2023

Industrial design student Avia Revivi has designed a biodegradable toilet paper named O-SOW, which integrates seeds to encourage plant growth.

Revivi first devised the product to be used by people going to the toilet outdoors during a hiking trip in an Israeli desert.

“There were days when I didn’t encounter any other travellers, but I did come across toilet paper,” the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design student told Dezeen. “That’s when I realised that I wanted to solve this problem.”

O-SOW was made from orange, aloe vera and plant seeds for hikers who “prefer to sow and fertilise the earth, rather than leave human waste behind”. She incorporated orange for its flexibility properties and aloe vera due to its softness.

She explained that the quick decomposition of citrus combined with active E.coli bacteria, which can be found in human faeces, allows the toilet paper to biodegrade quickly when left in the wild.

“Since we are talking about an orange slice, it can easily dissolve in moisture and liquids,” said the designer.

“Animals eat it, it decomposes in the ground and even on a sidewalk on the street.”

Each packet of toilet paper has different seeds woven into it that travellers can choose based on the vegetation in their travel area.

“Seeds of different plants are woven into O-SOW and with the help of the nutrient-rich human waste, natural seeding occurs simply through its use,” said Revivi.

“The seeds I used are mint, peony, rose, parsley and cress, but I aim to map popular trekking areas and assign each a number of seeds suitable for growing.”

In ideal conditions, the seeds in the O-SOW toilet paper can nourish the soil and grow plants when dispersed.

O-SOW is wrapped in single-use packaging made from biodegradable paper, has a tear thread for opening, and a label which highlights the seed type and the number of sheets in the package.

Revivi also designed a case made from leftover parachute fabric which can be used to carry the remaining sheets, once the package is open.

To keep the sheets moist the case also has an inner coating and, for easy opening, it has a layer of polyex which creates high friction allowing the sheets to be taken out individually.

After researching the most adequate and suitable wiping method, Revivi chose a rounded shape as she found its length and width would be suitable for different hand sizes and would allow dual wiping. Each sheet has a smooth side and another side which is slightly dotted to increase users’ grip.

“When choosing the shape, it was important for me that there would be a double response option that would be product-oriented and look pleasant and promising but renewable and supporting the product values,” she said.

“It is a little thicker than toilet paper, very flexible and strong. It can break like ordinary paper, but only if you try.”

To come up with the most efficient and convenient wiping design, Revivi conducted a study with four participants who used the sheet at different points during a two-month trip.

She asked them questions about the material and shape before giving them new products to try based on their feedback.

“It seems that the conventional square-shaped toilet paper we are familiar with doesn’t serve its purpose during the act of toileting,” she explained. “However, manufacturing square-shaped sheets is easier and more convenient for factories, even though the corners remain clean when used.”

“This prompted me to explore and discover a new and innovative way for effective toileting,” she continued.

Other sustainable product design stories recently published on Dezeen include a rewilding trainer which enables the dispersion of plant seeds by Central Saint Martins graduate Kiki Grammatopoulos and a biodegradable juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material.

Photography is by Amit Martin Mansharof and Nadav Goren.

Reference

Sustainable News

A fresh-produce-packing robot with a human touch

By Zarkon Group,21/08/2023

Spotted: In many countries, agriculture faces a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers. According to recent research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), much of the decline comes from the combination of a long-term decrease in agriculture’s percentage of GDP, technological advances, and changes in consumer demand. In order to fill some of the sector’s workforce gaps, UK agritech company Wootzano created a fresh produce packing robotic system called Avarai.

Designed explicitly to work alongside human packers, the robot’s hands have integrated electronic skin called Wootzkin that provides the smart machine with the ability to grasp, pick up, and move fragile produce. Avarai’s algorithm allows distributors to set parameters that include vine length and package weight for every type of produce. When installed on the packing line alongside and amongst current workers, the robot increases productivity by up to 50 per cent, according to Wootzano. Avarai’s arm moves on six axes to allow for optimum angles when handling non-uniform, fragile fruits such as grapes and vine tomatoes.

Using advanced vision technology alongside the algorithms and cloud updates, Avarai continually learns and improves. Each set of robotic fingers is unique, and the e-skin makes it possible for Avarai to handle delicate fruits with no internal or external damage. Additionally, when the robot picks up a piece of produce, it automatically weighs it, making it easy to pack to retailer specifications.

As part of Wootzano’s goal to democratise robotics, the company provides the system via lease, meaning that even very small packhouses can afford the technology. The lease cost per robot is set at the price of a human labourer’s salary. That allows businesses flexibility to decide whether to prioritise production capacity increases of around 25 per cent or salary savings and then make changes as the available workforce expands or contracts.

Already in use by a European provider of table grapes, Wootzano expanded into the United States in the second half of 2023, beginning with partnerships with California producers.

Other examples spotted in Springwise’s archive of robots that help to improve the food supply chain include pest-control indoor robots and a solar-powered weed-seeking field robot.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Arts space by The Grid Architects in Ahmedabad

Architecture

Flowing vaulted roofs top Tarang arts space by The Grid Architects

By Zarkon Group,21/08/2023

Undulating vaults shelter this multipurpose arts space in Ahmedabad, India, which local studio The Grid Architects designed to defy “conventional architectural norms”.

Named Tarang after the Hindi word for waves, the sweeping structure is formed of a series of timbrel vaults made from locally-sourced terracotta tiles without supporting beams or reinforcement.

According to The Grid Architects, with an area of 279 square metres, it is one of the largest vaulted structures of its kind in India.

“[Tarang] emerged from the desire to create a structure distinct from the urban context, where box-like structures dominated the surroundings,” said studio founders Snehal Suthar and Bhadri Suthar.

“The vision was to craft a cornerless edifice, harmonic waves that defied conventional architectural norms,” they told Dezeen.

A series of brick plinths on the perimeter of the oval-shaped site support the vaulted roof and create a series of arched openings of different heights that lead inside.

Aerial view of Tarang arts space by The Grid Architects in India — It is sheltered by undulating vaults. Photo by Vinay Panjwani

At the centre of Tarang, three circular plinths form funnel-shaped openings that provide sunlight and water to small planters positioned at their base.

The construction of Tarang was carried out by So Hath – 100 Hands Foundation For Building Artisans, a local organisation that advocates for and provides training in traditional construction techniques.

Vaulted building by The Grid Architects — It is made from tiles without supporting beams

The tiles are designed so that if Tarang’s arches are ever deconstructed they can be repurposed.

“Minimizing waste and concrete use, and prioritizing local resources and labour, it serves as a model for environmentally conscious architecture that celebrates local culture and positively contributes to the community,” explained the studio’s founders.

Inside, the tiles and polished stone floors are intended as a backdrop to a range of activities, from performances to artistic exhibitions and gatherings.

“The interplay of sunlight and shadow within the space is nothing short of mesmerising, imbuing the simplicity of the tiles and bricks with a quality that is truly remarkable,” said the duo.

Vaulted brick interior of Tarang — Planters feature inside

“Indeed, the structure itself is the finished product, where the rawness of the materials is transformed into something sublime and transcendent,” they continued.

The Grid Architects is an Ahmedabad-based studio founded in 2002. In 2021 it was longlisted for the studio of the year in the Dezeen Awards.

Vaulted arts space in India — It is intended as a backdrop to a range of activities. Photo by Vinay Panjwani

The studio previously turned to the brutalist buildings of the 1960s to create a home sheltered by a geometric, folded concrete shell.

Other recent projects in Ahmedabad include a factory by Iksoi Studio with an exposed concrete grid and the timber and stone-tiled VS House by Sārānsh.

The photography is by Photographix unless stated otherwise.

Reference

Interior Design

Eight interiors that feature reclaimed and recycled materials

By Zarkon Group,20/08/2023

For our latest lookbook, Dezeen has selected eight examples of interiors that were created with reclaimed and recycled materials, including a restaurant in Bangalore and a brick house in Ghent.

Recent decades have seen more awareness and reflection on environmental and sustainable issues both inside and outside the design world, leading a number of designers and architects to choose sustainable design for their projects.

From the use of unwanted items to the application of reclaimed bricks and recycled plastics, the eight projects in this lookbook present ways in which designers have rediscovered the value of waste.

This is the latest in Dezeen’s lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring sunny yellow interiors, beds that have been built into interiors and tiled kitchen worktops.

Circus Canteen, India, by Multitude of Sins

Bangalore studio Multitude of Sins designed this restaurant interior, which was shortlisted in the sustainable interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022, to showcase a collage of unwanted objects.

The salvaged objects were sourced locally from a donation drive in a few weeks. The studio categorised them, then organised them into a colourful, stylish interior.

Find out more about the Circus Canteen ›

Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre, Japan, by Hiroshi Nakamura

The Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre (above and main image) was created as an eco-friendly community and educational space for recycling activities, and features a facade made of 700 windows donated by the local community.

Architect Hiroshi Nakamura attached harvesting containers from a mushroom factory to the wall to be used as bookshelves. Unwanted objects were also collected from abandoned houses, previous government buildings and schools in the local area.

Find out more about the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre ›

Silo restaurant designed by Nina+Co — *Photo by Sam A Harris*

Silo, UK, by Nina+Co

The dining tables of this zero-waste restaurant in London consist of flecked recycled-plastic tops and sustainably-sourced ash wood legs, with mycelium pendant lamps dangling above.

The dining space also features a long bar counter made from recycled plastic packaging.

Find out more about Silo zero-waste restaurant ›

Urselmann Interior’s office, Germany, by Urselmann Interior

The renovation of the ceiling in this Düsseldorf office was completed using poplar wood sourced from a tree felled in the nearby city of Krefeld. The studio preserved the existing wooden and terrazzo flooring.

The refurbishment of the office, which is the studio’s own, also included the use of biodegradable materials, glueless joinery and cellulose-based cladding.

Find out more about Urselmann Interior’s office ›

The Wendy House by Earthscape Studio — Photo by Syam Sreesylam

Wendy House, India, by Earthscape Studio

This vaulted residence in Bangalore, which sits among eight acres of dense forests, was covered with recycled mudga tiles. Its glass walls were framed with recycled rods.

Earthscape Studio also constructed the building with sithu kal bricks, a traditional technique that is currently not in use. This design revisited the neglected technique to help bring work opportunities to the local community.

Find out more about the Wendy House ›

GjG House built of reclaimed bricks by BLAF Architecten in Ghent, Belgium — *Photo by Stijn Bollaert*

GjG House, Belgium, by BLAF Architecten

Built without supporting interior walls, this house was constructed with reclaimed bricks and features a curved form and brick bonding.

BLAF Architecten designed the unusual curvilinear walls in order for the house to fit in between surrounding trees on the site in Ghent.

Find out more about GjG House ›

10K House by Takk — *Photo by José Hevia*

10K House, Spain, by Takk

In the context of global climate change and the energy crisis, 10K House was built on a material budget of only 10,000 euros and features rooms built inside each other to maximise insulation.

Spanish Architecture studio Takk used recycled white table legs to lift one of the interior rooms in the Barcelona apartment, creating space for water pipes and electrical fittings without the extra cost of adding wall grooves.

Find out more about 10K House ›

Rylett House by Studio 30 Architects — *Photo by Agnese Sanvito*

Rylett House, UK, Studio 30 Architects

Studio 30 Architects transformed an old carpenter’s bench into a kitchen island for this London house extension, which includes a living, kitchen and dining area.

The extension was built on the site of a previous conservatory and overlooks the garden through a timber window decorated with plants.

Find out more about Rylett House ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Scaling ‘metrogrids’ in the Democratic Republic of Congo

By Zarkon Group,20/08/2023

Spotted: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has enormous energy potential, with large reserves of oil, natural gas, and uranium, as well as ample hydroelectric, biomass, solar, wind, and geothermal resources. However, less than 10 per cent of the population currently has access to electricity.

Solar energy company Nuru (Swahili for ‘light’) is working to change this with solar-based mini-grids that it hopes to use to help bridge the country’s energy gap. Nuru’s utility-scale solar ‘metrogrids’ are designed to provide the DRC’s urban communities with round-the-clock reliable and renewable energy.

Nuru has recently closed $40 million (€36.6 million) series B equity funding round, with participation from the International Finance Corporation, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform, among others. The company also anticipates the closing of an additional $28 million (around €25.6 million) in project finance very soon.

The funds will enable Nuru to begin construction on three projects, which will have a combined capacity of 13.7 megawatt-peaks. These will join Nuru’s 1.3-megawatt solar hybrid metrogrid site in Goma, currently the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa, and three other solar sites already in operation.

Speeding up the roll-out of solar power is the goal of a number of recent innovations spotted in the Springwise archive. These include a digital field factory for the on-site construction of solar farms and modular solar systems designed to bring power to remote areas.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

Designing with Light: 6 Ways Architects Are Using Swisspearl’s Progressive Cladding Panels

By Zarkon Group,20/08/2023

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

We first understand architecture through it’s façade, the face that it presents to us. This first impression is deeply tied to the materials and building systems a structure is made of. As designers and architects collaborate with manufacturers and fabricators, they continuously reimagine what this “first impression” can be and how buildings perform. A global provider based in Switzerland, Swisspearl is a manufacturer known for rethinking cladding and façades. The company’s guiding principle is to develop and produce forward-looking, functional and aesthetically convincing designs with architects, craftspeople and building material suppliers.

The headquarters of today’s Swisspearl Group is located in Niederurnen, where one of the first production facilities for fiber cement was founded in 1903. For many years, Swisspearl has been developing products made of natural materials for use in building envelopes, interior design and landscapes. The company’s products from their workshops in Niederurnen and Payerne have shaped Swiss building culture and, over time, have been used in projects worldwide. Swisspearl became well-known for cement composite panels (formerly called fiber cement panels or fiber-reinforced cementitious panels) offered in a wide color range. The following projects highlight their panels and product innovations used in architecture worldwide.

Denver Botanic Gardens Science Pyramid

By EUA, Denver, CO, United States

This iconic Science Pyramid was inspired by nature. The team wanted the façade of the building to mimic the hexagonal structure of a honeycomb. The pyramid’s two peaks and 16 facets twist and turn towards the sky as if it was a result of the earth’s colliding tectonic plates. Located in the center of the gardens, the pyramid’s proportions are a inverse of the adjacent amphitheater, made to create harmony between the building and the surrounding landscape.

Faced with the task of designing a transparent pyramid, as specified in the competition brief, the architects of the winning competition entry drew their inspiration from the geological processes causing the ragged rock formations of the nearby mountain ridges. The envelope of the structure informed by a biological metaphor and features almost 500 dark gray, hexagonal Swisspearl panels interspersed with thirty photo-voltaic collectors and multiple windows and skylights.

US Land Port of Entry, Warroad MN

By Snow Kreilich Architects, Warroad, MN, United States

Snow Kreilich designed the Warroad Land Port of Entry to support the mission-driven demands of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The 40,108 square foot facility was conceived as a specific response to the vast open landscape along the Minnesota-Canadian border. In turn, its form reiterates the dominant horizon of the landscape while making reference to the East-West border. Inflected building forms facilitate intuitive use by visitors, the officer’s ability to survey the entire site, and vehicle access to secondary inspections.

Swisspearl was used along the building façade, along with cedar planks stained black. Surfaces that face inward, in contrast, are an auburn-colored cedar. The Warroad Land Port of Entry sets a new standard for remote, small ports in achieving the highest design standard for public buildings. While embracing CBP’s operational procedures and inevitably changing technologies, the design advances the dual mission to protect national security while facilitating trade and travel in a comfortable, efficient facility.

Davis-Harrington Welcome Center

By Dake Wells Architecture, Springfield, MO, United States

Dake Wells designed the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center as a new “front door” welcoming visitors to Missouri State University’s campus. The 13,000 square foot facility includes a two-story lobby and 100 seat presentation room to provide a multi-purpose venue for special events. Tasked by the University with providing a “signature piece of architecture”, the design solution was made to be both economical and monumental. The building program is arranged in a two-story scheme, placing administrative functions on an upper level in order to increase the building’s visual presence as it reinforces the campus edge.

The building enclosure combines a variety of materials in response to the surrounding campus context. The architects used a seemingly paper-thin layer of white Swisspearl panels to sheathe the fully glazed upper sections of the east and west façades. As the team explains, the latter extends slightly beyond the pointed corner of the building where the lower part folds slightly away to extend a welcoming gesture to visitors. Inspired by the pattern of a composition booklet, a seemingly random arrangement of circular perforations feeds dappled light into the atrium and allows views from the second-floor walkway.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

By Gensler, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

The design team wanted to transform Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens from an underused park to a vibrant center of activity for residents and visitors. By adding a new restaurant, open-air pavilion, bandshell and addition to the existing conservatory as well as redesigning the landscape, the design team set out to give the park new appeal. The buildings are linked through consistent geometry derived from the pure Euclidian form of the original botanical conservatory. The compositional elements that form the architectural language include single-story geometric forms, white cementitious panels, water-clear glass and extended overhangs.

Each structure has its own unique character informed by its distinct program. Swisspearl was used as siding for the project throughout. The restaurant is a perfect square, where cantilevered overhangs extend 18 feet on the west side to provide shade from the harsh summer sun. Twelve foot curved glass panels form the circular dining area. While the bandshell is a complex 3D sculptural and monumental form. Since the park’s grand re-opening, the new Myriad Botanical Gardens has added vitality to downtown Oklahoma City attracting visitors each year.

Kindergarten Cerkvenjak

By Superform, Municipality of Cerkvenjak, Slovenia

Desigend as a kindergarten is in the village of Cerkvenjak, this project is located in the center of the Slovenske Gorice region of Slovenia. The kindergarten was designed to be inseparably connected with the natural surroundings of the trees and playground equipment. The concept of the kindergarten is similar to its local surroundings with the rhythmic string of volumes and roofs. Because of this concept, the kindergarten does not surpass the scale of an individual house and gives the user — a child — a sense of home.

The architects drew the inspiration for this kindergarten from a nearby learning path running through the Slovenian village of Cerkvenjak. Intended to enrich the children‘s spatial experience, the hallway inside varies in width and each playroom unit boasts a unique, irregular and contorted shape. The design of the Swisspearl envelope support this idea. The kindergarten is a new program and function that upgrades the existing learning path. The result of using the principle of a learning path is a unique division and rhythm of the playrooms, where the kindergarten is closer to the scale of a child.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

By SPF:architects, Denver, CO, United States

SPF:architects took on the revitalization of the dormant Beverly Hills post office site to create a new performing arts center. Built on the historic site, the new project includes a 500-seat theater building connected via promenade and outdoor sculpture garden. The historic WPA building built in 1934 is repurposed to house a 120-seat studio theater, a café, gift shop, box offices, administration facilities and a 3-classroom theater school for children. Outside, a garden and courtyard connect the historic with the new building with direct visual connection to the shops and restaurants of downtown Beverly Hills.

Celebrating the history of the site, the skin is formed in copper-colored concrete panels. A 4 foot by 9 foot envelope-shaped panel is repeated across the façade. The result is an abstract textural pattern, engraved into the building skin. Made out of Swisspearl cement boards, the team redesigned the façade to alter the size and modulation of the gaps between panels, resulting in 30% savings in material. The plan preserves and celebrates the historic architecture, as well as affords the Center the opportunity to create a new, state-of-the-art, flexible performing arts facility with ample back-of-house amenities.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

Reference

Kitchen interior by DAB Studio with wood-lined walls, floors and cabinets

Interior Design

DAB Studio lines kitchen of Dutch home with oak and Afromosia wood

By Zarkon Group,19/08/2023

Dutch interior design practice DAB Studio has transformed the kitchen of a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, by covering the floors and ceiling in one type of wood and the walls and cabinets in another.

DAB Studio aimed to create a “calm yet soulful” interior with an earthy colour palette made up of tan and neutral shades.

The floors and ceiling were covered in hand-scraped oak with a smoked and black-oiled finish, laid in a pattern of side-by-side plank pairs.

Afromosia wood, a tropical hardwood native to west Africa, was applied to the walls and cabinets. The wood was quarter sawn to create a decorative grain pattern and add a sense of playfulness to the interior.

Wood-lined dining room with a built-in seating nook — Oak planks were laid in side-by-side pairs on the floors and ceiling

DAB Studio co-founders, Lotte and Dennis Bruns, designed the interior to be a space that would balance “feminine and masculine elements” and reflect both of the owners’ design tastes.

According to the duo, the repeating wood choices for the different surfaces give the space a sense of completeness.

Wood-lined kitchen with a black door and marble worktops — Marble worktops extend down the sides of the kitchen units

“Per the client’s request, we wanted to merge the feminine and masculine vision of their new home, balancing each other out in one curated space,” the co-founders told Dezeen.

“This allowed us to create unique areas in line with our client’s habits and interests while imbuing the space with a sense of spaciousness and lightness.”

“In order to merge all elements of the design, it felt important to prioritise the theme of consistency,” the duo added.

“For that particular reason, the wood of the floor is repeated on the ceiling, and the wood used for cabinetry is continued into the walls of the room.”

The centrepiece of the kitchen is the island, which features Afromosia wood cabinet doors and a waterfall countertop made from Arebescato Orobico marble.

Wood cabinets along one kitchen wall were also topped with a marble worktop, which extends down one side to frame the unit.

Wood-clad seating nook with upholstered seating and a marble table by DAB Studio — The studio balanced “masculine and feminine” elements in the interior

DAB Studio added a dining nook below a window, designed to be a space flooded with natural light where the family can gather.

Seating with rounded corners wraps the three walls of the nook. The seating base was covered in the same wood as the interior walls, while the seat and backrest are covered in plush upholstery.

Wood-lined kitchen by DAB Studio with marble worktops — The quarter-sawn Afromosia wood creates a decorative grain

At the centre of the nook, a rectangular table with two blocky legs made from Arebescato Orobico marble contrasts the rounded seating.

“The dining nook is where the family can spend time together, welcome new conversations, and create core memories,” said Lotte and Dennis Bruns.

“The asymmetrical built-in banquette seating feels inviting with its round edges, and adds a dynamic feel to the space.”

Banquette seating in a dining room nook with wood flooring, ceiling and walls by DAB Studio — The dining nook sits below a window

Decorative items and free-standing furniture were introduced to the interior to add more rounded elements, including a Wiggle Chair by Frank Gehry.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Francois Verhoeven Architects has created a bungalow clad in vertical timber slats and Julia van Beuningen added a plywood staircase to a barn conversion.

The photography is by Daniëlle Siobhán.

Reference

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