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Sustainable News

A novel design cuts the cost of wind power

By Zarkon Group,03/12/2023

Spotted: The cost of onshore wind energy has fallen steadily over the last decade. However, wind installations have also steadily increased in size, and while bigger turbines generate more energy, they also make it more difficult to secure public approval and find financing, appropriate sites, and materials. Wind company AirLoom is taking a new approach to address these challenges.

Instead of huge blades on tall towers, AirLoom’s design consists of vertically oriented, 10-metre-long wings attached to a lightweight track. The blades intercept the wind, which propels them down the track, generating power. Supported by 25-metre-tall poles arranged in an oval, the track can range in length from metres to miles, depending on the desired scale.

A key advantage of the design is that it is quieter and lower profile than skyline-dominating turbines, which could help to reduce complaints about local disruption and ruined views. The system is also low-cost and modular, which means it can be deployed at different scales using a standard set of components.

AirLoom recently announced that it has secured $4 million (around €3.7 million) in seed funding. The round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, which supports new clean technologies, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital and energy fund MCJ Collective. The money will help AirLoom scale up to the megawatt scale and full deployment.

Despite the difficult market for new wind energy projects, a number of innovations seek to make wind power more affordable. These include a low-cost, single-bladed floating turbine and small turbines for powering microgrids.

Written By: Lisa Magloff and Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Built Works design red timber sauna in East Sussex

Architecture

Built Works creates Drying Shed sauna in East Sussex woodland

By Zarkon Group,03/12/2023

Red shingles and an oversailing roof characterise this sauna, which London studio Built Works has completed in a woodland in East Sussex.

Located on the edge of a family-run farm in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Drying Shed serves guests staying in two nearby cabins.

The sauna was commissioned by Architects Holiday, a platform created by the Built Works team that specialises in architect-designed holiday cabins in the countryside.

It is situated in a small clearing within walking distance from the cabins and is reached via woodland paths.

The Drying Shed in East Sussex — The structure is covered with red shingles

Built Works’s design references the historical agricultural drying sheds of the area, evident in its geometric form and the patterned use of larch shingles.

The rich, red hue of the cladding aims to complement the surrounding woodland while ensuring it is easily identifiable.

Interior view of the Drying Shed commissioned by Architects Holiday — A wood-burning stove features inside

“The choice of red adds a subtle, updated twist to aid wayfinding, yet still sits harmoniously within its setting,” said the studio.

“Detailing features at each corner, in a contemporary take on the traditional cladding found on drying sheds,” the studio continued. “Overhanging panels would open and close to aid the drying process.”

Wood-lined interior of Built Works' sauna — The interior is lined with alder wood

The Drying Shed is constructed from a timber frame, insulated with recycled plastic and sheep wool. It is crowned with a corrugated roof that oversails the structure and offers cover from the elements.

Elevated above the ground, the sauna offers views of a stream and the adjacent countryside through a large picture window.

“The sauna is elevated above ground to reduce harm to surrounding habitats and features discrete root-sensitive screw piles for additional stability,” the studio told Dezeen.

“[It is] perched on stones salvaged from an old barn on the site.”

Built Works create sauna in East Sussex — The Drying Shed is elevated above the ground

The interior is lined with alder timber, a choice inspired by trees in the vicinity.

Central to the experience of the Drying Shed is a wood-burning stove. A bench beside it is crafted from the trunk of a silver birch, the top of which has been carved to form a flat, slatted seat that echoes the floor and walls.

Built Works design red timber sauna called the Drying Shed in East Sussex — Its red colour aims to make it identifiable in the woodland

Built Works was founded in 2020 and has studios in both London and the Lake District. The construction of the Drying Shed was carried out through a live-build workshop involving staff from Built Works and Architects Holiday as part of an annual summer programme.

Other saunas featured recently on Dezeen include one in Devon with blackened-wood cladding and a large square window and a lakeside one alongside an Art Museum in Finland.

The photography is by Holly Farrier.

Reference

Interior Design

Kelly Wearstler designs Ulla Johnson store interior that “speaks to LA”

By Zarkon Group,02/12/2023

American interior designer Kelly Wearstler has paired a towering tree with speckled burl wood panelling and vintage furniture by Carlo Scarpa at the Ulla Johnson flagship store in West Hollywood.

Wearstler created the light-filled, two-storey shop as the flagship Los Angeles location for Johnson’s eponymous clothing brand.

The duo worked together to envisage the sandy-hued interiors, which Wearstler described as “something that really speaks to LA”.

“A priority for me and Ulla was to ensure that the showroom encapsulated the quintessence of the West Coast, firmly grounded in both the surrounding environment and local community,” the designer told Dezeen.

Sunroom at the Ulla Johnson Los Angeles store by Kelly Wearstler — The “Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor” permeates the interior

Visitors enter the store via a “secret” patio garden lined with desert trees and shrubs rather than on Beverly Boulevard, where the original entrance was.

“This Californian idea of merging indoor and outdoor is evident from the moment you approach the store,” said Wearstler, who explained that her designs tend to nod to the “natural world”.

Sandy-hued interior of — Wearstler designed textured interiors to reflect Johnson’s collections

Inside, three interconnected, open-plan spaces on the ground floor were dressed with textured interiors that mirror Johnson’s similarly rich collections, which hang from delicate clothing rails throughout the store.

Standalone jewellery display cases by Canadian artist Jeff Martin feature in the cavernous accessories space. Clad with peeling ribbons of grooved, caramel-coloured tiles, the cases echo floor-to-ceiling speckled burl wood panels.

Double-height Brachychiton tree at the Ulla Johnson store — The mezzanine includes a double-height tree

The other living room-style area was designed as a sunroom with a pair of boxy 1970s Cornaro armchairs by modernist Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, as well as parquet flooring with Rosa Corallo stone inlay.

“Vintage pieces are infused into all of my projects and I enjoy experimenting with the dialogues created by placing these alongside contemporary commissions,” explained Wearstler.

Lumpy resin table at the Ulla Johnson store in LA — A lumpy resin table features in an upstairs lounge

The largest of the three spaces, the mezzanine is illuminated by skylights and houses a double-height Brachychiton – a tree that also features in the designer’s own Malibu home.

A chunky timber staircase leads to the upper level, where another lounge was finished in burnt orange and cream-coloured accents including a lumpy marbelised resin coffee table by LA-based designer Ross Hansen.

“We collaborated with a variety of local artisans to imbue the spirit of southern California into every facet of the project,” said Wearstler.

Ribbed plaster walls and textured flooring line a fitting room close by, which was created to evoke a residential feeling, according to the designer.

“We wanted people to feel at home in the store so we prioritised warm and inviting elements,” she said.

Another striking display cabinet made from “wavy” burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”.

Wavy burl wood cabinet at the LA Ulla Johnson store — Wavy burl wood evokes “a touch of 1970s California nostalgia”

The Ulla Johnson store is also used as a community space, which hosts rotating art installations, talks with guest speakers and other events.

Wearstler recently designed an eclectic cocktail bar at the Downtown LA Proper hotel, which she previously created the wider interiors for. Her portfolio also features a 1950s beachfront cottage renovation in Malibu.

The photography is by Adrian Gaut.

Reference

Architecture

Sustainable Practice: The Miller Hull Partnership’s “Regenerative Porch”

By Zarkon Group,02/12/2023

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

Front porch living is a staple activity in many parts of the world; this culture of chatting with passersby, catching a fresh breeze and watching over the neighborhood was long viewed as a cultural mainstay of the southern United States. In addition to contributing to more socially-oriented communities, porches were historically important design features to help inhabitants cope with warmer weather (and a signature element of the New Urbanism movement). As the advent of air conditioning revolutionized the way architects and the broader population alike responded to heat, the porch became less integral to home design; however, today, several firms are making a strong case for its revival.

Architects have a responsibility to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare. Between climate change and increasingly extreme weather conditions, this charge also encompasses more sustainable and resilient design. For the Kendeda Building in Atlanta, the team at The Miller Hull Partnership (who took home the jury accolade for Best Sustainable Firm in the 10th Annual A+Awards) set out to create a model architecture that could foster environmental education and research. The resulting building doubles as a forum for community outreach, grounding approaches to sustainability and resiliency within the campus and beyond — all hinging on a clever evolution of the “porch” concept.

Located in the heart of Atlanta, The Kendeda Building was designed to make a statement. Created for the Georgia Institute of Technology, the building’s design also became an expression of its value system. These ideas are shown on display both inside and out, from the massing to material choices like mass timber. Working with Lord Aeck Sargent, a Katerra Company (LAS), the team at Miller Hull wanted to demonstrate that rigorous design and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

The concept of The Kendeda Building is inspired by the vernacular southern porch. Taking this element and expanding it from the residential to the civic scale, the team imagined a “regenerative porch” that could create a cool microclimate on the surrounding site. The resulting structure invites visitors inside to rest, learn and to look up as they learn about the space around them. Inside, the building continues the concept of learning by example through the design itself. As the team explained, gravity and lateral elements are left exposed creating a visual register of the structural forces at work.

The Kendeda Building hosts a variety of learning spaces to welcome all students and disciplines from campus. Traditional classrooms as well as laboratory space and meeting rooms fill the building. Each space has generous daylighting, operable windows and is free of Red List chemicals. Indoor environmental quality was the primary driver in the design of these spaces to support learning. The Kendeda Building is Georgia Tech’s first timber building since its earliest load bearing masonry and timber structures from the 1880s. Climate smart mass timber was selected for its significantly smaller embodied carbon footprint, compared to concrete and steel systems.

The design of the Kendeda Building demonstrates that ‘Living Buildings’ are possible in even the most demanding climates. The Living Building Challenge is one of the world’s most rigorous performance sustainability certification standards for buildings. It was assumed Living Buildings could never be built in the hot and humid climate of the southern United States, especially Georgia, where swampy summers typically necessitate the use of high amounts of energy to keep buildings cool.

“People thought that a building like Kendeda could work in other places – California. Arizona, maybe. But certainly not Georgia,” says Shan Arora, Director of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.

Yet, the project achieved full Living Building Certification in 2021 after proving its net positive energy and water performance during its year-long occupancy period. At the heart of this was the “Regenerative Porch” — a structural system and PV canopy that generates more than 100% of the building’s energy demand and captures enough rainwater to meet 100% of the water used in the building. At the same time, the design blurs interior and exterior conditions while providing weather-protected outdoor classroom space. As the first Living Building of its kind in the Southeast US, the project set a new standard for design.

The Kendeda Fund provided ongoing funding to support programs in the building that engage local Atlanta communities beyond the university. The atrium, lecture hall, roof garden, and multipurpose room were all designed to be made available for community events. As the team outlined, Georgia Tech’s mission is to maximize the impact of the building by exposing as many students as possible to the project. After learning in a building expressing such a strong position on resiliency and sustainability, the hope is that they will take those values with them into the future.

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

Reference

Monteverdi Tuscany boutique hotel by Michael Cioffi and Ilaria Miani

Interior Design

Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the history of the Mediterranean

By Zarkon Group,01/12/2023

This lookbook collects 10 interiors in Italy with a distinctly rustic feel, including homes and hotels replete with wooden beams, cool stone and other rich textures.

As well as being known for its contemporary furniture and lighting design, Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest buildings and has numerous historic cities and villages.

From a 17th-century house in Puglia to a hotel in a 1,000-year-old castle, below are 10 examples of projects that pay homage to the Mediterranean country’s history while catering to modern tastes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.

Monteverdi Hotel, Tuscany, by Ilaria Miani

Restoration specialist and interior designer Ilaria Miani helped transform several crumbling buildings in Val d’Orcia into a boutique hotel that aims to balance the history of the area with contemporary design influences from Milan and Rome.

In the bedroom suites, chunky exposed beams made from salvaged wood are complemented by natural colours and textures, while nearly all the furniture is handmade by local artisans.

Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel ›

Cascina by Jonathan Tuckey Design — Photo by Francesca Iovene

Cascina, Piemonte, by Jonathan Tuckey Design

London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with returning this 19th-century farmhouse in northern Italy to its original state following a heavy 1980s renovation.

Stone walls and wooden beams now feature prominently, with a cool chalky palette offset by brass lamps and chestnut panelling and furniture.

Find out more about Cascina ›

Casa Soleto living room — Photo by Salva López

Casa Soleto, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez

Parts of Casa Soleto in Puglia are more than 400 years old. Architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez renovated the building without making any structural changes, leaving the irregular walls in place.

To give the interiors an authentic, natural feel, the designers used lime plaster for the walls, linen fabrics for the sofas and curtains, jute rugs, terracotta ceramics and antique furniture.

Find out more about Casa Soleto ›

Monastero Arx Vivendi, Trentino-Alto Adige, by Network of Architecture

Network of Architecture applied rippled antique-effect plaster to the walls of this 17th-century ex-monastery near Lake Garda, which is now a hotel.

The plaster is complemented by pale wooden floors, black iron furniture and earth-toned fabrics, while the original doors have been retained and restored.

Find out more about Monastero Arx Vivendi ›

Interior of Casolare Scarani in Puglia by Studio Andrew Trotter — Photo by Salva López

Casolare Scarani, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Potter

Casolare Scarani is a home created from the renovation of a long-abandoned girls’ school built in the style of a traditional Puglian villa – but still modest in size.

The vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered in lime plaster, while the rooms were finished with earthy tones and traditional stone flooring.

Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›

Hotel Castello di Reschio, Umbria, by Count Benedikt Bolza

Hotel Castello di Reschio occupies a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian hills that was transformed by count Benedikt Bolza and his family.

Rooms have been decorated with terracotta-brick or wooden floors, hand-stitched linen curtains, Italian fabrics and locally crafted marble and brass vanities alongside portraits sourced from nearby antique markets in a reference to the building’s rich history.

Find out more about Hotel Castello di Reschio ›

Appartamento Brolettuono by Archiplanstudio — Photo by Davide Galli Atelier

Brolettouno Apartment, Lombardy, by Archiplan

Located in a building in Mantua that dates back to the 15th century, this apartment was overhauled on a budget by local design studio Archiplan.

The studio decided to honour the interior’s timeworn aesthetic by retaining the distressed floor tiles and faded frescos, combining these features with functional light-hued wooden furniture.

Find out more about Brolettouno Apartment ›

Interior of Casa Maiora by Studio Andrew Trotter in Puglia — Photo by Salva López

Casa Maiora, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter

Another project from Studio Andrew Trotter, this villa is in fact a newly built project – but carries heavy rustic influences from traditional homes in the area.

Flagstone floors, lime-washed walls and locally sourced antiques combine to create a soothing, timeless feel.

Find out more about Casa Maiora ›

G-Rough hotel Rome — Photo by Serena Eller

G-Rough, Lazio, by Gabriele Salini

Features showcasing the building’s 400-year-old history were juxtaposed with contemporary art and mid-century furnishings at this boutique hotel in Rome, Italy’s capital.

The imperfections of age, particularly on the patina walls, combine with furniture inspired by modernist Italian designers like Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Piero Fornasetti for a rough-yet-refined aesthetic.

Find out more about G-Rough ›

Bedroom at the Vipp pop-up hotel — Photo by Irina Boersma César Machado

Palazzo Monti hotel, Lombardy, by Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and Vipp

A collaboration with Danish homeware brand Vipp saw interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard create a pop-up hotel in a 13-century palazzo in Brescia.

To keep the focus on the building’s many historic features, Mølsgaard took a minimalist approach to the furnishings, with mattresses sitting directly on the floor and artwork propped up against the walls.

Find out more about the Palazzo Monti hotel ›

Reference

Sustainable News

Could microbe-derived dyes transform the fashion industry?

By Zarkon Group,01/12/2023

Spotted: With the dyeing industry relying on petrochemicals to affix colour to textiles and requiring around 200 tonnes of fresh water for every tonne of coloured fabric, the challenge of reducing even part of the fashion industry’s environmental footprint is huge.

Now, however, one company, UK-based Colorifix, has created a transformative technology for the textile industry’s dyeing needs. Using fermentation and microbes, the startup creates bioengineered dyes. At the start of the process, Colorifix identifies a colour produced by an animal, plant, or microbe, before isolating the section of the organism’s DNA where the colour is coded. Microbes can then be made to recreate this DNA sequence in the lab without needing to use toxic chemicals.

The company ships a small amount of this microbe-produced colour to a manufacturing client, which then ‘brews’ as much dye as needed for each batch of fabric in a process similar to beermaking. All-natural feedstocks – such as sugar, plant by-products, and yeast – fuel the fermentation process, feeding the fast-growing microbes to create a batch of dye in one to two days.

Colorifix dye is usable in industrial machinery, with no special mechanisms or tools needed. To bind the colour to a fabric, Colorifix, again, replicates a natural process for maximum sustainability. The startup uses engineered microbes to bind the dye to the fabric by concentrating salts and metals that occur naturally in water, making it possible to dye textiles at much lower – almost ambient – temperatures. The binding process is swift and strong, requiring far fewer rinses to attain a colour-fast finish.

The entire process hugely reduces water consumption and carbon emissions, while eliminating the release of chemicals into the world’s waterways. Colorifix was an Eartshot Prize 2023 finalist in the ‘Build a waste-free world’ competition category, and the company is working towards a goal of dyeing 15 per cent of the world’s clothes by 2030.

Developments in the process to detoxify the dyeing process are improving rapidly, with examples in Springwise’s database including a new low-temperature, bio-based process and a recycling programme that creates jobs and reduces water waste by turning temple flowers into natural dyes.

Written By: Keely Khoury and Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Architecture

7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco

By Zarkon Group,01/12/2023

Colorful and dreamlike: this is how Morocco’s architecture and built environment could easily be described. Located between the edge of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, Africa’s most “Western” country is fascinating and full of contradictions. Also known as The Kingdom of the Western Place, Morocco has a diverse array of landscapes and rich architecture, thus becoming one of the most famous cultural destinations as well as film sets in the world.

From the signature riads — courtyard houses — located in Marrakesh to the modernist architectural identity of Casablanca to the famous Zellij tilework found across the country, Morocco’s architecture is imbued with many distinct cultural elements. An evocative example is Maison Brummell Majorelle, a “dreamy” new boutique hotel designed by Moroccan-based architect Amine Abouraoui Architects and Spanish architect Bergendy Cooke. The design playfully employs the iconic vernacular shapes of Moroccan architecture, adding, however, a contemporary twist and successfully integrating it into the surrounding context. In its entirety, the country’s unique architecture has been faithfully preserved throughout Morocco’s history, becoming somewhat of an architectural legacy.

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 Morocco 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 Morocco architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 7 best architecture firms in Morocco:

7. Estrecho Studio

Based in Tangier and Brussels, this young international firm creates unique and new experiences through architecture. We believe sharing knowledge and experience will make our community stronger. We consider architecture as a key of resilience, growth and development. Our approach is based on research, speculation and experimentation. We seek to provide solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues.

Some of Estrecho Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Estrecho Studio achieve 7th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

6. Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design

Grégoire Maisondieu is a DPLG architect and interior designer. After working for a long time with Philippe Starck, Bruno Borrione and Christophe Pillet, he is now developing his own projects, mainly in France and Morocco.

Some of Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design achieve 6th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	1

5. Yachar Bouhaya Architecte

Yachar Bouhaya Architecte is an architecture and interior design firm based in Casablanca. The firm was founded by Yachar Bouhaya, a graduate of the Special School of Architecture in Paris, he continued his training in the Parisian agencies Anne Démians and AW2. At the end of 2010, he founded the eponymous architecture agency Yachar Bouhaya Architecte, whose project methodology frees itself from formal language and ready-made, thus revealing the uniqueness of each project.

Some of Yachar Bouhaya Architecte’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Yachar Bouhaya Architecte achieve 5th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

4. Driss Kettani Architecte

Driss Kettani graduated from the National School of Architecture in Rabat in 2003 and founded the agency Driss Kettani Architect in 2005, after some collaborations and study trips. He has a constant interest in the place, culture and inhabitants as an essential starting component of a reflection, a project. This approach goes hand in hand with an imperative of modernity and contemporaneity, in a constant quest for creativity and meaning.

His work is part of an approach combining architectural rigor and research into the sensitive and poetic dimension of architecture. Architecture being the reading canvas of our time, which it can contribute to raising by offering users a living environment expression of a culture and high aspirations.

Some of Driss Kettani Architecte’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Driss Kettani Architecte achieve 4th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

3. El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects

El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects is an architecture firm based in Morocco specializing in educational and mixed-use buildings.

Some of El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects achieve 3rd place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	3

2. Studio CAYS

Born in 2019, Studio Cays owes its name to the founders of the agency. Twin sisters and associates, CAYS is in fact the anagram of the abbreviations of their respective first names. CAYS is a duality naturally creating a complementarity, a link of interdependence of two phenomena: beauty and ergonomics. Eclecticism is the motto of the agency; each project differs from another. The objective is to learn from each project, we must feed this appetite through the nature of our architectural design.

Some of Studio CAYS’s most prominent projects include:

ZAI House, Casablanca, Morocco
LNKO Office, Casablanca, Morocco
Studio Cays X Studio BO, Casablanca, Morocco
MAYZ House, Rabat, Morocco
Atelier Skin, Casablanca, Morocco

The following statistics helped Studio CAYS achieve 2nd place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	10

1. TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE

We are an international award-winning architecture studio. Based in Morocco since 2008, during these many years we have worked a lot on various projects such as social housing, health or education… In our opinion, architecture is about poetic and spatial translation of human’s aspirations for a better life. we believe in contextual architecture, whit sense of belonging to a place, like if it has always been a part of it.

We think that architecture must resist to the collective temptation of “Folk Mimicry” and passing fashion by yearning for timelessness. We love the dramatic mood of ruins, witnessing the collective memory, that time roots in space, the grass that grows in the roadway; and the nature taking back gradually its rights.

Some of TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE achieve 1st place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	2

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

Interior Design

Martin Brudnizki draws on “gritty glamour” for Broadwick Soho hotel

By Zarkon Group,30/11/2023

Interior architect Martin Brudnizki has used Italian maiolica tiles and bespoke furniture from India to give London’s Broadwick Soho hotel an eclectic look.

The eight-floor hotel was designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) to evoke the history of Soho – the London neighbourhood that surrounds it.

“Inspired by ‘gritty glamour’ and the diverse history of Soho, MBDS’s design influences range from 1970s disco pop elements to British eccentricity,” studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.

The hotel was also influenced by “the strong women who frequented Soho during the 1960s and 70s such as Mary Fedden, Molly Parkin and Muriel Belcher.”

Bar at Broadwick Soho — Maiolica tiles decorate the restaurant bar

Broadwick Soho is comprised of 57 rooms, which Brudnizki decorated in opulent colours and patterns. For the downstairs Italian restaurant, Dear Jackie, Brudnizki sourced materials and accessories that nod to its cuisine.

“A split-level restaurant, the communal dining takes centre stage with long counter-style tables featuring 1970s Formica tops and Memphis-inspired chandeliers suspended from coral lacquered ceilings,” he said.

Bar Jackie by Martin Brudnizki — Floral patterns cover the walls of the restaurant

“The bar features maiolica tiles in traditional southern Italian patterns,” Brudnizki added. “This compliments the maiolica wall covering adorned with Sicilian folk motifs of grapes and flowers.”

The handpainted ceramic tiles for the bar were developed by the studio itself together with a family business in Sicily.

Elephant wallpaper at Broadwick Soho — Rooms feature decorative elephant wallpaper

In some of the guestrooms, walls were decorated with marbled wallpaper with a pattern of tigers and elephants. The elephant was chosen as a symbol for the hotel and was also turned into mini bars in the hotel’s suites.

“A huge amount of bespoke pieces were designed by the studio and produced by talented craftspeople across the world,” Brudnizki said.

Elephant minibar in Soho hotel — Martin Brudnizki Design Studio had elephant minibars crafted in India

“The wonderful elephant mini bars in the suites were designed by the studio and crafted in India,” he added.

“We actually travelled to India to work with the craftspeople directly, ensuring each detail was as we envisioned.”

The Nook at Broadwick Soho — A vintage Murano glass chandelier hangs in The Nook

The studio also sourced a number of vintage pieces for the hotel, including a 1970s Murano glass chandelier that hangs from the ceiling of The Nook – Broadwick Soho’s residents-only ground-floor lounge.

MBDS also commissioned new Murano glass lamps that are scattered throughout the space.

“All of the Murano glass lights throughout the property have been made and developed by local artisans in the Venice region,” Brudnizki said.

“Lastly, there is a collection of antiques throughout the hotel that have been sourced from independent Italian and British antique dealers, auction houses and shops.”

Flute bar in Soho — Rooftop bar Flute features a variety of polished materials

Broadwick Soho’s rooftop dining bar – named Flute after a 19th-century flute maker on Broadwick Street – is an example of how Brudnizki played with multiple colours and patterns to create a space that he describes as combining “cocooned comfort with maximalist glamour”.

Here, saturated green and pink pastel colours contrast gleaming marble and brass details, while contemporary art decorates the walls.

Reading area in Broadwick Soho — The Nook has a cosy reading area

The overall aim of the project was to create a hotel that would suit the context and history of Soho.

“We were conscious of ensuring that what we were designing felt authentic and true to the Soho context and neighbourhood,” Brudnizki concluded.

“It has such a strong and important cultural history, we were conscious we needed to draw this out and bring it to the forefront of our design concept.”

Previous London projects designed by Brudnizki, who was one of the judges for Dezeen Awards 2023, include a mythology-informed restaurant and the redesign of members’ club Annabel’s.

The photography is by James McDonald.

Reference

Sustainable News

Hydrogen generators for carbon-free electricity

By Zarkon Group,30/11/2023

Spotted: In the construction sector, 98 per cent of all energy comes from diesel, and fossil fuel generators are also commonly used in a range of other settings such as outdoor live events. In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, diesel generators produce air pollutants harmful to human health, as well as disruptive noise. As a result, companies are increasingly looking for alternative methods for powering their sites.

One promising technology for the future of site energy is hydrogen power, and UK startup GeoPura has successfully trialled the technology on two UK infrastructure projects (National Grid’s Viking Link interconnector project and HS2), potentially paving the way for its wider adoption.

Following ten years of research and development, GeoPura has developed its Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU), which combines hydrogen fuel cell technology with battery storage and real-time electrical conversion. The fuel cell splits the hydrogen into protons and electrons, which creates an electrical current that charges the batteries. The batteries, in turn, provide power to the site for applications such as electric vehicle charging, heating, and hot water. The HPUs are housed in a 20-foot portable shipping container, and it generally only takes a few hours to set up the system. The hydrogen fuel is delivered by HGVs.

Hydrogen is attractive as a fuel because it only emits water vapour at the point of use. If the hydrogen is produced sustainably, the whole system is carbon-free. GeoPura produces its own green hydrogen by using electricity from renewable sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It then tops up its own supply with hydrogen purchased from natural gas producers (which is not emissions-free).

Springwise has spotted various ways that sites could produce and store their own green power, including using volcanic rock cells and spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Architecture

marc thorpe’s livingston manor exemplifies passive design upstate

By Zarkon Group,30/11/2023

Livingston Manor: A Graphic Designer’s Rural Retreat

Hidden among the forested West Catskills just two hours northwest of New York City, the Livingston Manor house takes shape with architecture by Marc Thorpe Design. Covering just 1,800 square feet, the remote dwelling offers a private rural escape for a Brooklyn-based graphic designer and his family. Central to the design is a spacious open living and dining room, two bedrooms, as well as utility and bathroom areas. What sets this project apart is its unique cantilevered roofline, triangulated to provide a sense of weightlessness as it gracefully hovers over the surrounding deck.

the low-energy home beneath a cantilevered roof

The defining feature of Livingston Manor is its deep triangulated cantilevered roofline, which architect Marc Thorpe shapes to create a sheltered outdoor space over the wrapping deck. In alignment with contemporary environmental awareness, the Livingston Manor house adheres to the principles of passive design. The architects strategically reduced the building’s ecological footprint by implementing standards that ensure ultra-low energy consumption for space heating and cooling. This commitment to sustainability exemplifies the studio’s dedication to responsible architecture.

just two hours from the city, Livingston Manor is a private escape designed for a Brooklyn-based graphic designer

passive design + responsible architecture by marc thorpe

Marc Thorpe Design works together with the Narrowsburg-based team at Wild & Balanced High-Performance Building to construct the Livingston Manor using responsible strategies. Advocates for thoughtful building practices, the contracting group adopts a methodology centered around passive construction. Its approach involves creating an air-tight, super-insulated, and thermally broken structure that is continuously vented with filtered fresh air (ERV/HRV). This method results in a range of benefits, including significantly lower heating and cooling bills, even temperature distribution, and a reduced reliance on fossil fuels and electricity. ‘One shouldn’t get caught up in the term (passive),’ says the firm, describing its methodology. ‘Simply put, Passive construction is the evolution of homebuilding and renovations.’

the home is enclosed by a unique cantilevered roofline, sheltering a wrapping deck

Livingston Manor follows passive design standards, ensuring ultra-low energy use for heating and cooling
Marc Thorpe Design reduces the project’s ecological footprint with eco-friendly construction

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the low-energy home beneath a cantilevered roof

passive design + responsible architecture by marc thorpe

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