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Architecture

Non-Architectural Challenges Architects Face When Converting Offices into Housing

By Zarkon Group,27/08/2023

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COVID-19 has left many office buildings half-empty in city downtowns across the United States, and as vacancies rise, commercial property values drop. The demand for office space might not rebound to pre-pandemic levels as some observed have augured.

Banks, city governments and property management companies fear the severity of the situation and its potentially dismal economic consequences. At the same time, the housing shortage is becoming a major problem for many cities. Could empty office buildings be the remedy to the housing crisis? What does it take to convert office buildings into housing?

One would think that the idea of converting office buildings into residential would presumably face little-to-no opposition and be promoted by cities and planning authorities as a possibility to mitigate the housing shortage and activate districts. It could be a win-win situation if not for the red-tape bureaucracy — local building and zoning regulations — and the technical difficulties, including structural, energy/mechanical, accessibility and fire safety upgrades, among other requirements. These requirements limit the number of vacant office buildings that could potentially be converted into residential use.

Zoning Regulations

Image by Eloi Smith via Unsplash.

There is no general rule for turning office space into housing, and each building must comply with local building and zoning regulations. Zoning rules vary, but they often share the common purpose of separating occupancies — i.e. separating residential from commercial use. For this specific reason, it is difficult to change the use of an existing building, and developers wanting to undertake such a task will have to apply for a variance, which may face opposition before it is granted. Difficulties don’t end here. In addition to zoning regulations, building codes will influence redevelopment projects.

Generally, building codes applied to residential projects are considerably different from those that apply to office buildings. Adapting an existing structure to a new use will involve the cooperation of different agencies to address the complexities that come with the change of occupancy use. But given the extraordinary situation where on the one hand, we have thousands of vacant office square footage and, on the other hand, an urgent housing shortage, it would make perfect sense to relax these regulations and try to solve both problems. City authorities have in their hands the opportunity to make change recommendations in city zoning regulations. In this respect, New York’s Mayor Eric Adams has been encouraging modifications to zoning and building codes to spur the office-housing transformation.

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Image by Nils Timm.

For the time being, zoning and building regulations make it hard for office buildings to be turned into a different use, especially into residential, simply because the requirements for one are so different from the other. Let’s look at some of the specific requirements to turn an office building into housing: Light and ventilation are perhaps the most critical factors that play into the equation.

Light and Ventilation Requirements

One crucial requirement is that habitable spaces need to be provided with a minimum amount of light and ventilation. Oddly, pre-air-conditioning-era office buildings are potentially better suited to office-to-housing transformation. Their size and configuration were dictated by the necessity to provide offices with light and ventilation. When air-conditioning and fluorescent lighting became characteristic features of the office environment, the narrow, rectangular footprint of the typical office building — and its U-, L-, C, and E-wing variations — could expand to larger floor plates filled with rows of offices that no longer needed a window close by. That is when things got complicated for the office-to-housing transformation. The distance from the center of the building to an exterior wall is often so great — even when the center is formed by a circulation and utility core — that it is impossible to create an effective layout where all the units have windows.

Adding to this problem is the type of building envelope. The interiors of modern office buildings are, for the most part, sealed behind curtain walls. To comply with the light and ventilation rule required in residential buildings, the entire glass skin needs to be replaced with a system that incorporates operable windows.

The Structure Lofts by H2 | Hawkins + Hawkins Architects, Inc. San Diego, California | Image by Brent Haywood.

Other factors, including the configuration of the structural grid and the window location, impact the viability of office-to-housing conversion projects and dictate the layout and size of the rooms in new apartments. Above, the Hawkins + Hawkins Architcts‘ office building-turned-apartment complex shows the typical floor plan for all levels above the ground floor with units around a circulation and storage central core. The open plan of all the units allows for natural light to reach every corner.

The design reimagines a four-story, modern office building that served as San Diego’s Blood Bank for nearly 40 years. Offering panoramic views of the city skyline, a central park and a bay, the building inspired the conversion to loft apartments. The goal was to create expansive, energy-efficient living units through adaptive reuse while preserving a landmark. The interior structural elements such as the concrete floors and coffered ceilings, were exposed to create a clean, industrial look. Single-glazed windows were replaced with energy-efficient, dual-glazed, floor-to-ceiling vinyl windows; and new, energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems were installed.

The International Design Center, originally designed by Richard Dorman in 1964 (left) and 8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Image by Joe Fletcher (right).

Olson Kundig's office to housing tower conversion

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California| Images by Joe Fletcher.

Here is another office-to-housing redevelopment example. The International Design Center, originally designed by Richard Dorman in 1964, is located in today’s heart of West Hollywood’s vibrant arts and design district in Los Angeles. Olson Kundig‘s redevelopment design maintains the building’s original integrity while transitioning its function to a 48-unit luxury condo complex.New additions are set back from the structure to acknowledge the building’s form. The upper levels contain a mixture of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units, fifteen of which are designated market rate. Private amenities on the lower level include a residential lobby, fitness room and an adjacent pool area. The building’s new design highlights indoor-outdoor connections through a generous use of glass while maintaining the building’s original concrete balconies. The updated façade incorporates a shutter system to control shade and privacy. Roof terraces on the new penthouse level extend livable areas outdoors, opening to views of West Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills beyond.

Are Large Office Buildings Doomed?

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Images by Joe Fletcher.

The way office buildings are designed factors in the suitability for office-to-housing transformation, and for now, large office buildings offer a hornet nest of unsolvable technical difficulties after factoring in cost, profitability and physical limitations. The amendment of local zoning and building regulations is critical to facilitate the redevelopment of offices into homes. In the most extravagant — and extraordinarily expensive — cases, developers can allow their imagination to run wild: carve out portions of a building to create outdoor terraces that bring light and air into otherwise windowless apartments or blow up holes in the floor plates to run lightwells. Mix-use occupancy could be an option worth exploring. In this case, fire separation and exits would be challenging issues that would need to be addressed.

Office-to-housing redevelopment costs can be exorbitant, and most certainly, such projects would only be viable when offered as luxury apartment buildings. At this rate, the office-to-housing redevelopment projects will probably have little positive impact on the housing shortage, at least for now. Code relaxation and economic incentives to allow these conversions to take off are urgently needed.

Reference

Architecture

maayaa retreat in south india reflects tropical modern aesthetic

By Zarkon Group,26/08/2023

MAAYAA tropical retreat draws from Balinese architecture

Architectural studio aslam sham architects constructs MAAYAA, a Balinese-themed getaway nestled within a lush palm plantation. Located just an hour’s drive from Coimbatore, at the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the retreat showcases earthy tones and textures, instilling a sense of calm. The spaces are designed to evoke an eye-soothing serenity, as pathways adorned with verdant foliage exude tranquility and elegance.

Aiming to encapsulate Bali’s essence, MAAYAA’s design forms around tropical modernism. Perched in Anakkatti and embraced by the converging Siruvani and Bhavani Rivers, the building is set atop a cliff with river vistas. The resort’s core design objective is to amplify and preserve the surrounding scenery.

all images by Ishi Sitwala

fluid transition between the built and the land

With most of the construction situated below the entrance level, visitors descend to these spaces, greeted by shallow, expansive water bodies integrated into the roof slabs. This fluid transition through the entrance passage leads to the restaurant, where panoramic views of the river and distant mountains unfold.

The lower floors house banquet halls, conference rooms, and offices, while the lowest level boasts an infinity pool seamlessly blending with the landscape. The design team achieves a harmonious fusion between architecture and nature, creating an environment where boundaries blur between built and natural elements. The resort consists of two types of accommodations; standard rooms with river-view balconies, and independent cottages featuring plunge pools that overlook both the river and the hinterland. These structures follow the natural contours of the land, interconnected by passages and bridges at various levels, conveniently linked to the clubhouse and communal amenities. Drawing from Balinese architecture, the chosen materials and design vocabulary mirror the tropical retreat concept, paying homage to the region’s aesthetic.

the Balinese-themed getaway nestled within a lush palm plantation

MAAYAA’s design forms around the concept of tropical modernism

Reference

Exterior of a multi-storey home in California by Montalba Architects

Architecture

Montalba Architects prioritises nature at Manhattan Beach House

By Zarkon Group,25/08/2023

A slender pool lined with a “vertical garden” features in an oceanfront home in southern California designed by US studio Montalba Architects.

The house is located within a dense, beachside neighbourhood in Manhattan Beach outside of Los Angeles. Designed for a couple who are long-time residents of the area, the dwelling is imbued with a sense of calm and a connection to the outdoors.

“Manhattan Beach House is intended to provide a spacious, peaceful feeling, offering an experience close to nature throughout the interior of the building itself,” said Los Angeles-based studio Montalba Architects

Situated on a narrow, sloped lot, the home rises three levels and encompasses 6,000 square feet (557 square metres).

Courtyard with a planted tree in a Californian home by Montalba Architects — Montalba Architects aimed to provide a connection to nature in the home

Facades are clad in smooth-troweled stucco and western cedar. Along the front elevation, a cedar and aluminium screen provides privacy and acts as a guardrail.

The slatted screen wraps around the north side of the home, where the main entrance is located. The screen adds definition to an entry courtyard while also providing visual continuity between the front and side facades.

Steps leading to an outdoor swimming pool with a green wall — A green wall sits beside an outdoor swimming pool

The front elevation looks west, toward the ocean, while the rear side faces an alley. To form sight lines and usher in daylight, the team focused on creating openings on both the exterior and within the house.

“Behind the street front, the volume of the house dissolves, with glimpses through openings between floors and between distant rooms.”

On the ground level, the team placed a four-car garage, gym, laundry room and guest quarters. The first floor holds the primary bedroom suite and a pair of offices, along with a two-car garage that is accessed via the alley.

A double-height courtyard on the first floor showcases a maple tree that is meant to be “a reminder of natural time and the seasons”.

“The courtyard is visible throughout the house, whether moving along the length of the house or up to the third floor,” the team said.

Living room in a Californian home with seating, a piano, and glass sliding doors with views of the city skyline — Glass doors on the top floor lead to a balcony

The top floor encompasses a kitchen, dining area, living room and media room. Glazed doors provide access to a balcony and a pool terrace.

The pool is lined with a “vertical garden” filled with drought-tolerant plants, including hardy geraniums, creeping Jenny and blue chalksticks.

Open-plan kitchen and dining room with large windows looking onto an outdoor swimming pool — Cedar covers the ceilings while oak lines the floors

“To maintain the living wall, the gardener is suspended over the adjacent pool on a rolling platform, which is stored on-site,” the team said.

Throughout the home, the team used earthy finishes such as cedar ceilings and white oak flooring and millwork.

Exterior of a multi-storey home in California by Montalba Archietcts — The home was designed for a couple living in Manhattan Beach

The kitchen is fitted with oak cabinetry and Caesarstone countertops, and the fireplace surround is made of silver travertine.

Other recent projects by Montalba Architects include the renovation of a 1960s Los Angeles building by Edward Durrell Stone and the completion of a hillside home in Santa Monica that features ample glazing and a clever siting strategy.

The photography is by Kevin Scott.

Project credits:

Architect: Montalba Architects
Landcape design: Pamela Burton
Living wall: Habitat Horticulture

Reference

Architecture

Modern Masterpiece: Architect David Strand on Designing the Perfect “Home in the Woods”

By Zarkon Group,24/08/2023

If there is one thing that architects and their clients can agree on, it’s that architecture should always work in harmony with nature. When it came to Silver Residence, a stunning modern home located in Minneapolis, nature wasn’t just a consideration — it was the starting point for developing the architectural concept.

Local architect David Strand, Principal and Director of Strand Design, was tasked with creating a private residence that remained intimately connected to its site, while providing light, open spaces and high-end finishes to meet the needs of its client. The resulting house comprises an elegant arrangement of three volumes, cleverly oriented to provide a sense of privacy while maintaining uninhibited views of the surrounding forest.

Architizer’s Editor in Chief Paul Keskeys sat down with Strand to discuss the conception and development of Silver Residence, including the material choices and product specification decisions that helped make the design a reality.

Paul Keskeys: How did the client brief and the project’s unique site help to shape your initial concept for Silver Residence?

David Strand: This was a truly unique site. The lot was essentially an established woodland in the backyards of the neighboring homes. Encircled by their neighbors, our main goal was to utilize the large wooded site while maintaining discretion for the neighbors and our clients. Careful site placement and rotation, focused view corridors and room placement was our initial goal.

What most influenced your choice of materials and products for the project and why?

We wanted the house to stand stoically, but also fade into the surroundings. Getting two large, flat roofed volumes to blend in with nature isn’t that simple. The soft tone of the siding and mixed palette of dark brick and concrete helped reduce the impact. The vertical siding has a very calm and natural look that mimics the linear trees and sky.

The expansive windows reflect the woods, so it appears that you are seeing through the home to woods beyond, helping to minimize the mass of the structures. The home changes throughout the seasons, with the warm glow of the windows in the evening accentuating the natural wood ceilings and cabinetry.

For this project, we chose Marvin windows for several reasons. Firstly, both the builder and Strand Design are familiar and comfortable with the brand, and they know they can trust Marvin to stand behind its product. We were also aiming to maintain the crisp and clean aesthetic of the home, and wanted a product that was more streamlined for the windows within the primary spaces of the living room and kitchen.

The Marvin Modern line brings a refined option to the residential market and allows us to intermix supplier and installer within one brand, facilitating multiple sizes and styles of windows throughout the home. These windows allow for massive pieces of glass with minimal structure between them.

In the Silver Residence, the clean lines and minimal articulation create a truly modern and elevated experience for the public spaces of the home. To be cognizant of the budget and quality we established, we chose Marvin Ultimate due to its durable exterior aluminum extrusion and finish.

In terms of the building envelope, what were your goals and how did you achieve them through detailing?

The expansive glazing of the Silver Residence creates movement and intrigue within its harmonic envelope. From the exterior, during the day, the windows reflect the trees and sky surrounding the home, adding tones of green and blue to the otherwise neutral exterior palette. At night, they allow for the warm interior light to filter out to enliven the facade as it blends into the fading light.

From the interior, the glass connects the home to its site and allows the family to interact with nature, even while inside the home. By drawing natural light deep within the home, we created a dynamic and inviting quality that energizes the interior and enriches the time spent at home.

It is always about purposeful material usage and clean transitions. We strive to design each home within its own scale, allowing for quality material usage inside and out. We aim to create a jewel box, whatever size that may be. The main problem with what is often perceived as the modern architecture aesthetic today, is the patchwork application of trendy materials that serves no purpose and has no correlation to the massing of the structure.

This home, like most of our homes, is thought of in terms of overall massing to create a relevant aesthetic for the site, with consideration for the scale of the project and also the clients. We created interest by using textural and material changes rather than jarring transitions. By maintaining one primary tone, we were able to create a refined yet tactile material palette. These elements carry subtly into the home, reminding you of what you are inhabiting.

What was the biggest design challenge you faced during the process, and how was it overcome?

For this question, we need to go back to the site. What seemed like a large and blank canvas became very compact and directional when taking all of the neighboring homes into account. Managing the sightlines and drawing the natural light into the homes was the main priority.

Which elements of the project do you feel are most successful and may influence your future designs?

From both the exterior and interior, the large expanses of glass that cleanly transition from one to another add depth and refinement to the home. Blurring that line of transparency and reflection is something we feel this home does well and will aim for in future homes. Purposeful material transitions are a huge part of the success of this home. Simplicity starts and stops with the absence of adornment.

Another programming element that is incorporated very well with this home is the screen porch. Protected between the wings of the house and backed by the glass breezeway, this space allows for intimate family moments and transitions from an open deck to a screened porch seamlessly. Watching the screen slice through the building façade is a satisfying moment.

What has the client’s response to the project been like?

Our clients truly love their home and utilize the residence to its fullest. It’s a home that selflessly demands little of their time and thought, while encompassing comfort, space and warmth. The home serves as the “form and function” backdrop, enriching their own free flowing lives within it.

To explore more case studies featuring Marvin Modern and learn how to harness windows and doors like these for your next project, click here.

Photographs by Chad Holder Photography; plan drawing courtesy of Strand Design.

Reference

Architecture

25 Best Architecture Firms in London

By Zarkon Group,23/08/2023

London is a city that has been forced to redevelop constantly. Like many cities, it has accrued layers of history. However, events like the Great Fire and The Blitz have also torn holes in the urban fabric, necessitating moments of reflection and rethinking. Nowadays, Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture are intermingled with hulking Brutalist structures and curving glass façades. From John Nash’s influential residential and urban plans to Alison and Peter Smithson’s radical housing proposals to the anonymous steel giants of Canary Wharf, the city has always been at the forefront of the latest city design trends.

Nowadays, the city remains home to preeminent architectural schools such as UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture. In addition, London’s galleries and museums nurture a design culture with thought-provoking exhibitions about space and society, including the ever-popular Serpentine Pavilion. Meanwhile, as a global metropolis, the British city’s diversity is one of its great strengths. So it’s no wonder that the city is home to a bevy of heavyweight firms and up-and-coming studios whose names are known locally and abroad.

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 London 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 London architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 24 best architecture firms in London:

25. Buckley Gray Yeoman

Formed in 1997, Buckley Gray Yeoman is an award-winning architecture and design practice based in Shoreditch, London. Directed by Matt Yeoman and Paul White, the firm provides pragmatic and deliverable solutions to complex design issues. Founded on the premise that outstanding results require careful planning and an intuitive approach, Buckley Gray Yeoman’s designs adapt and respond to the context of each project to create intelligent and enduring architecture.
The practice’s work is driven by the needs and ambitions of its clients.

Some of Buckley Gray Yeoman’s most prominent projects include:

Henry Wood House, London, United Kingdom
Channing School, London, United Kingdom
The Buckley Building, London, United Kingdom
C-Space, London, United Kingdom
Fashion Street, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Buckley Gray Yeoman achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

24. Jamie Fobert Architects

Since its inception in 1996, Jamie Fobert Architects has had a reputation for innovative and inspiring architectural design in the residential, retail and arts sectors. The practice has demonstrated a consistent approach to resolving client ambitions and site complexities into a tactile architecture of volume, material and light.

Jamie Fobert Architects has garnered several awards, including the RIBA London Award 2014, the Manser Medal and the RIBA and English Heritage ‘Award for a building in an historic context’. The practice has won three major public commissions for cultural organisations: Kettle’s Yard Gallery; the Charleston Trust; and Tate St Ives.

Some of Jamie Fobert Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Jamie Fobert Architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

23. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) is an award-winning, international architectural practice based in London. Over three decades, RSHP has attracted critical acclaim with innovative projects across Europe, North America and Asia. The practice is experienced in designing a wide range of building types including: office, residential, transport, education, culture, leisure, retail, civic and healthcare. The quality of its designs has been recognised with some of architecture’s highest awards, including two RIBA Stirling Prizes, one in 2006 for Terminal 4, Madrid Barajas Airport and the other in 2009 for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, London. RSHP employs around 180 people in offices across the world – London, Shanghai, Sydney and Madrid.

Some of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

Jean Prouvé 6×6 Demountable House, 1944, Adaptation 2015, Paris, France
One Park Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
International Towers Sydney, Barangaroo, Australia
Conservation and Storage Facility, Musée du Louvre, Liévin, France
Oslo Airport Competition, Oslo, Norway

The following statistics helped Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	15

22. Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

At Allford Hall Monaghan Morris we make buildings that are satisfying to use and beautiful to look at; an architecture that is defined by the experience of users who should be able to understand and use each building with ease and enjoyment. We design very different buildings, for very different people to use in very different ways and, since our early days in the late 1980s, we have grown from four to over one hundred and fifty people and our budgets from a few thousand to tens of millions of pounds. Through our wide range of projects we search for the opportunities in every site, budget and programme and pursue a pragmatic, analytical and collaborative working method to produce a responsive, intelligent and delightful architecture.

Some of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Allford Hall Monaghan Morris achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	16

21. David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects was founded in 1985 and has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice works internationally on cultural, residential and commercial projects providing full architectural and interior design, master planning, product and furniture design services for both public and private sectors. Our diverse built portfolio includes museums and galleries, libraries, apartments, private houses, hotels, offices, master plans and retail facilities. David Chipperfield Architects has won more then fifty national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence.

Some of David Chipperfield Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, United Kingdom
Cafe Royal, Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, London, United Kingdom
Villa Eden, Italy
James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Nobel Center, Stockholm, Sweden

The following statistics helped David Chipperfield Architects achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	8

20. Eldridge London

London architectural practice Eldridge Smerin was established in 1998 and has since relaunched as Eldridge London. Architect Nick Eldridge’s vision continues to inspire the design and material quality of the practice’s recent projects in the UK and abroad defined by a series of cutting-edge houses including the Stirling Prize nominated Lawns project and the House in Highgate Cemetery. The practice has also completed a number of high profile retail, commercial and cultural projects including interiors for Selfridges Birmingham, Villa Moda Kuwait, O2’s Mobile Applications Development Centre, the Design Council Headquarters, The Business and Intellectual Property Centre and a restaurant at the British Library and the Globe Theatre’s Sackler Studios. The practice demonstrates a consistent approach to producing intelligent and unique solutions to specific client briefs and often constrained budgets with an unerring attention to detail from concept through to completion.

Some of Eldridge London’s most prominent projects include:

Cor-Ten House in Putney, London, United Kingdom
House in Coombe Park, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
House in Epsom, Epsom, United Kingdom
House in Chelsea, London, United Kingdom
House in Highgate Cemetery, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Eldridge London achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

19. FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)

Architecture has the power to transform environments and quality of life. FORM studio aims to create places that can be inhabited and experienced by people in a natural and instinctive way. Enjoyable places with a tranquil sense of simplicity, which create a supportive and uplifting backdrop for life.

Individual solutions are developed for our clients which are an intelligent, inventive and sustainable response to the complex matrix of issues that shapes each project. Solutions with a lucidity and apparent simplicity which belie their underlying complexity. Listening, analysis, discussion and clarification are at the heart of an inclusive approach that recognizes the fact that some of the best ideas are generated in the space between people rather than by individuals.

Some of FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture)’s most prominent projects include:

Bermondsey Warehouse Loft, London, United Kingdom
Walcot Square mews, London, United Kingdom
Flatiron House, London, United Kingdom
Benbow Yard, London, United Kingdom
Narrow House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped FORM studio (previously FORM design architecture) achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	7

18. Studio Octopi

Studio Octopi is an award winning architecture practice based in central London and working across all sectors including private residential, arts, education, commercial fit-out and public swimming pools. The practice has completed numerous complex refurbishments including, Bradfield College’s 1,000 seat outdoor theatre and the expansion of the Delfina Foundation, London’s largest artist residency. In 2019 we completed a multi award winning contemporary art installation in collaboration with Turner Prize Mark Wallinger for the National Trust. We’ve also designed the offices of leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and MullenLowe Group ranging in size from 5,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.

In 2015/2016 Studio Octopi raised over £200,000 on two crowdfunding campaigns for public swimming pools in London. Thames Baths C.I.C. (www.thamesbaths.com) is a self-initiated campaign to design and build a floating lido in Central London. Founded in 2013, the project has attracted global interest since raising £142,000 on Kickstarter. In 2016 Studio Octopi helped the community of Peckham, south east London to raise £60,000 via Spacehive to launch a campaign to rebuild the Peckham Lido. Studio Octopi undertakes private residential refurbishment and new build homes. In 2012 the practice completed a new house in Wiltshire to Code 4 on the Code for Sustainable Homes and in 2021 construction will commence on two new homes for Baobab Developments in Brighton.

Some of Studio Octopi’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Studio Octopi achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	11

17. 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, 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 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

16. Levitt Bernstein

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 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

15. John McAslan + Partners

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 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	13

14. Hawkins\Brown

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 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	19

13. 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 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

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

12. Alison Brooks Architects Ltd

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 Architects Ltd’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 Ltd achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

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

11. AL_A

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 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	11

10. Steyn Studio

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 AL_A achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	4
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	4

9. 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, 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 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

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

8. bureau de change

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 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	16

7. Hopkins Architects

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 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

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

6. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Philip Vile – © 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 specializes 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 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

5. Adjaye Associates

Adjaye Associates, founded in 2000, comprises a multicultural global team. 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. 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 London:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	31

4. 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 model-making, 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 London:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	48

3. Heatherwick Studio

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 prioritize 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.

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

Top image: Coal Drops Yard by Heatherwick Studio, London, United Kingdom

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

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

2. 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 London:

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

1. 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, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
Striatus 3D Printed Bridge, Venice, Italy

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

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

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

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

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

Architecture

Sustainable Practice: When Will Recycled Timber Have Its Moment

By Zarkon Group,19/08/2023

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

The new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has now been enacted as part of the wider European Union Green Deal. This mandates heightened due diligence on the value chain for operators and traders in various commodities, including soy, palm oil, cattle, coffee and wood.

Between 1990 and 2008, the bloc’s imports in products now covered by the revised rules amounted to 36% of total associated deforestation worldwide. The changes won’t bring an end to this, but any firm that wants to do business in the economic union, no matter where their headquarters, now needs to prove sustainable sourcing of these materials and that products have not contributed to deforestation that occurred after 31st December 2020.

Last October, Construction Europe reported on a lack of EUDR preparedness across built environment sectors within the context of a rise in timber as a building material. The ‘plyscraper’ race is perhaps the most visible sign of this, with several World’s Tallest Timber Building hopefuls topping out in the past few years. Ascent by Korb + Associates currently holds the title in Milwaukee, US, at 284 feet (87 meters). This is followed by the 280-foot (85-meter) Mjøstårnet by Voll Arkitekter, in Brumunddal, Norway, and HoHo Wien by RLP Rüdiger Lainer + Partner, a Vienna mid-rise boasting 18 floors at 275 feet (84 meters).

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

A little shorter, Sara Kulturhaus by White arkitekter AB in Skellefteå, Sweden, is a strong example of the carbon savings good timber design can offer. Housing a library, gallery, museum and hotel, over 50 years this 239 foot (73 meter) cross-laminated timber (CLT) design will sequester more carbon than the total of its embodied footprint from materials, transportation, construction and operation. The carbon negative status is thanks in part to properties of the core structure, but this isn’t always the case.

Two of construction and architecture’s greatest environmental adversaries are steel and concrete. But the widely-trumpeted climate gains from switching to timber aren’t guaranteed. The real test is always in the quality of what is built. In the best case scenarios, impacts from physical construction, ongoing use and material sourcing will be outweighed by carbon sequestration and storage capacity. In the worst, building with wood can be worse for the planet than its alternatives, but recycled timber is often a safe bet in ecological terms.

Measured Architecture Inc’s Shor House, Popular Choice Winner in Sustainable Private House at this year’s Architizer A+ Awards, is a beautiful example of what can be done with reclaimed wood. Completed in 2022, the design focuses on one truth: “The most progressive edge of designing with wood is to recycle it.” Much of the lumber was sourced from the old home and barn that occupied the site at Mayne Island, Canada. The original structures were dismantled rather than demolished, so cladding, floors and frames could be de-nailed, stored and reused.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

Some timber also came from the remnants of the Englewood Railroad, Northern Vancouver Island, which was decommissioned in 2017. The outside is then clad in Corten raw plate steel, chosen for its low upkeep and long lifespan. Architect and the property owner Clinton Cuddington describes the material as “eminently recyclable”, and its use emphasizes the importance of product diversity in green construction. Without this rust-colored layer, timber would be far more exposed to the elements, increasing the speed of degradation and likelihood of repairs. The steel also has the potential for reuse at a later date.

Of course, however it features recycled timber presents some problems. These woods are often thought of for the rustic aesthetics of a “past life effect.” Surfaces may be marked, nailed or chiseled, giving them stacks of personality but — crucially — often a lack of uniformity.

There’s also a cost issue. Reclaimed wood is usually priced higher than virgin timber because additional resources are needed to bring it back to spec. Toxins, contaminants, natural pests and other risks must be eliminated before it re-enters the supply chain. Nevertheless, the benefits are significant, not least in emissions terms. Recycled timber extends wood lifecycle, and with it the time carbon is stored before decomposition releases it into the atmosphere. At Shor House, dating suggests some lumber can be traced to trees that stood for 1,000 years.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

The materials certainly pack the aged, historic look people love reclaimed wood for, but elsewhere developments are underway that could bridge a gap between this and the mass timber many new wooden structures rely on, which can be a major cause of deforestation. University College London researcher Dr. Colin Rose won Rambøll’s 2022 Flemming Bligaard Award for his work on CLST, or cross laminated secondary timber, which uses reclaimed rather than virgin wood as the feedstock for ‘new’ CLT stock.

In an interview published when the prize was announced, Rose explains his belief this material can be a viable alternative to steel and concrete in strength, production levels and affordability. He also says built environment professionals have not caught up with CLST yet, and most still see the material as “in lab phase”. He then predicts this will change as embodied carbon begins to define our approach to construction, which CLST performs well on, as do recycled woods generally.

According to his estimates, you could build around 1,000 new homes each year using the discarded wood from building sites in London alone. Widening the lens, every 12 months we create 16 million tonnes of waste wood globally, and currently recycle just 15% of that. These facts emphasize the idea that access and systems are major obstacles to wider use of reclaimed timber, and how urgently change is needed to maximize the way lumber is used to minimize waste and deforestation. Achieving that requires a number of things, including the scaling up of operations and infrastructure, not to mention fresh thinking on the part of architects and designers.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

Reference

sited in rural japan, this exclusive retreat by terunobu fujimori recalls a sailing ship

Architecture

exclusive ‘kodomari fuji’ retreat by terunobu fujimori recalls a ship

By Zarkon Group,18/08/2023

kodomari fuji, a ship-like retreat crowned with cherry trees

In the town of Fujimi, close to the Nagano-Yamanashi prefectures border, Kodomari Fuji emerges as an exclusive and snug retreat designed by Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori. Standing on a small hilltop and overlooking the rural landscape as if it were the sea, the property’s elongated structure recalls the body of a ship drifting into open waters. Charred cedar panels envelop the building skin, while a roofscape composed of hand-crafted copper plates and planted cherry trees crown the retreat — offering visitors the chance to enjoy the property’s changing appearance over the years. According to Kodomari Fuji, a nearby 300-year-old weeping cherry tree inspired the planting along the roof. This is Fujimori’s first accommodation project in Japan.

all images courtesy Kodomari Fuji

Terunobu Fujimori brings pristine qualities to the interiors

As for the interiors, Terunobu Fujimori used plaster to coat the walls and chestnut wood to cover the floors and build the furniture. The material palette ultimately echoes the ‘pristine’ quality of the Fujimi context. Visitors pick up on this impression by entering the living room, boasting a relaxing atmosphere and an open deck, devoid of unnecessary ormanents and distracting color compositions. Meanwhile, the bedroom, a 63 sqm private space, provides a quiet space for a peaceful slumber. Kodomari Fuji provides guests with environmentally friendly amenities, including air conditioning, underfloor heating, wood stove, electric kettle, refrigerator, rice cooker, a full set of cooking utensils, a full set of tableware, Wi-Fi, and a Bluetooth speaker.

the small inn is located in Fujimi, close to the Nagano-Yamanashi prefectures border

creating an exclusive atmosphere amid the japanese hillscape

Considering its geo-historical and folkloric context, the 4,000 sqm property area has established a strict set of rules to maintain an exclusive atmosphere for current and future visitors. Essentially, access is limited to registered guests and to five people per day; sharing interior photos on social media is forbidden; and wearing strong fragrances or heavily scented fabric softeners is advised against so as not to ‘distub’ the aromatic character of Kodomari Fuji. Lastly, as the inn occupies a small village where children and elderly reside, visitors are encouraged to reduce driving speed upon arrival and to avoid entering nearby fields, gardens, or private areas when taking a stroll in the surroundings. The address to the inn is also provided at the time of booking.

entrance to Kodomari Fuji

living room area coated in plaster

keeping the interiors ‘pristine’

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kodomari fuji, a ship-like retreat crowned with cherry trees

Terunobu Fujimori brings pristine qualities to the interiors

creating an exclusive atmosphere amid the japanese hillscape

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