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Pink accessory dwelling unit in Los Angeles

Architecture

John Friedman and Alice Kimm include crane in Los Angeles house

By Zarkon Group,17/08/2023

Architects John Friedman and Alice Kimm have stacked a white concrete mass with sinuous cutouts into a hillside as a home for their family in Los Angeles, complete with a yellow crane in the kitchen and a pink accessory dwelling unit.

Named the JArzm house – using the first initial of each family member – the home is set into a 60-foot slope in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood.

The 3,725-square foot (346-square metre) residence is “intensely livable and playful, as well as architecturally inventive, open, and highly crafted” according to the architecture studio.

John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK) completed the house – and 540-square foot (50-square metre) accessory dwelling unit (ADU) – in November 2021.

ADU with curved roof structure — It is set into a slope in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake area

The white cement plaster envelope is “neither box nor blob” with curved cutouts and large expanses of glass removed from a flat cube combining the arched influences of Alvaro Siza (for whom Friedman worked in the late 1980s) and the crisp detailing of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner (whose designs are scattered throughout the neighbourhood).

Accessed from the top of the slope, the house is inverted and sits below the street level preserving views out to the Silver Lake Reservoir and Dodger Stadium for the surrounding homes.

The entry’s curving concrete steps transition to a stainless steel staircase that leads down into the open living, kitchen and dining area, as well as two children’s bedrooms.

“Designing our own house was great because we didn’t have to ask permission,” Friedman told Dezeen. “We could do whatever we want, and we did in fact integrate some ideas and elements that other clients turned down for their particular houses.”

Yellow construction crane above the dining space — A yellow construction crane was mounted into a linear skylight in the dining area

The studio included a yellow construction crane mounted into a linear skylight above the kitchen and dining room that lifts the mirrored aluminium dining table, extends it out over the balcony and lowers it to the pool deck two storeys below.

A large central staircase with open teak treads, a glass railing and a powder-coated aluminium bookcase wall connects all three levels.

Large central staircase with teak treads — All three levels are connected by a large central staircase

The middle floor contains the primary suite, laundry room, two home offices, and the third child’s bedroom, which is separated from the rest of the house by a small glass bridge that spans a triple-height light well adjacent to the staircase.

The ground floor includes a multipurpose family room that leads out to the pool deck, which is set at the same height as the roof of the pink accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

Colourful interiors within LA hillside house — Large windows open the various rooms to the forest-like landscape

The ADU sits atop an embedded garage and is topped by an urban roof garden with a sinuous aluminium sunshade structure.

“The pool deck and roof garden together create a ‘middle ground’ suspended between the streets at the site’s top and bottom,” the team explained.

Because the house is lowered in the steep terrain, it doesn’t align with the neighbouring properties.

Large windows open the various rooms to the forest-like landscape on each side of the house, while skylights and interior glazing allow sunlight to reach deep into the plan.

Bedroom with sliding glass walls — Sliding glass walls dissolve the transition between interior and exterior

Disappearing sliding glass walls dissolve the transition between interior and exterior.

The studio said that “functional domesticity” was a key requirement for the home.

“The functional and workaday are the foundation for achieving artfulness and architectural innovation,” said the studio. “[These traits] are hallmarks of JArzm House that place it firmly within the rich lineage of experimental Southern California domestic architecture.”

White house with curved openings — The house does not align with neighbouring properties

Established in 1996, JFAK Architects is the only studio to receive two Rudy Bruner Silver Medals for Urban Excellence and was longlisted for the website of the year in the 2021 Dezeen Awards.

Nearby in Los Angeles, Anonymous Architects recently embedded a concrete house into a hillside with a two-storey pool.

The photography is by Benny Chan.

Project team:

Architect: John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, John Friedman FAIA (lead)
General contractor: Bonomo Development
Landscape contractor: Pablin Arevalo
Special fabrications: Chris Berkson, BerksonFab
Cabinetry: Evan Pohlmeier
Structural engineer: Parker Resnick
Landscape architecture: Kathleen Ferguson Landscapes, Matson Walter
Civil engineer: JMC-2

Reference

Architecture

Seamless Integration: The Revitalization of 712 Fifth Avenue Lobby

By Zarkon Group,16/08/2023

712 Fifth Avenue Renovation – Returning to one of our projects more than 30 years later, we were challenged with how to reimagine the entry and lobby to a prestigious postmodern building. This led to bigger questions; how do we engage with the discourse of history today? And how do we discuss postmodernism through built work? Our response was to generate a fundamental dialogue between glass, stone, and human occupation; to utilize advanced modern technology to fabricate the materials in a way that is both futuristic yet grounded in traditional historic construction methodologies; and to change everything without changing anything.

Architizer chatted with Hugh Trumbull, Design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Hugh Trumbull: Without changing the program or layout of the space, we countered the original proposition of placing ornate objects within a room with the concept of making space that integrate people and room.

Originally, the lobby was designed with postmodern ornamental columns clad in many types of stone, objects within a grey granite room. The object-ness of these elements restricted the ease of movement in and out of the building.

Our new proposition embraced a more tactile approach. The columns and wall are unified with one material, a soft welcoming stone detailed in a curving shape so that its vein and form are its sole ornament. Walls seamlessly transform into benches and a reception desk, inviting people to interact with one another and the architecture. At the entry, the sinuous structural glazing promotes a clear view and a seamless, organic flow in and out of the space.

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

We’re thrilled that our work has been recognized in the A+ Awards. There are so many beautiful components of this project, but I think the way they work together is what makes this project truly stand out. The combined effect of the sinuous glass wall and unified stonework creates a clean and elegant space that simultaneously feels light yet solid. And I think the use of advanced technology to manipulate classical material is particularly successful.

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

By engaging in advanced technical fabrication for the stone and glass, we were able to engage in a dialogue between the future and the past and examine the postmodern condition in a new way.

For the stone, the challenge was the fabrication of very large pieces. We utilized modern CNC milling techniques, yet also relied on age-old craftmanship of stereotomy found in medieval gothic construction. To ensure a seamless grain flow from one stone to the next, pieces were rotated ever so slightly in three dimensions.

For the glass, the challenge was to build a high-performance double wall cavity that utilized the inherent structural capabilities of large curved panels while simultaneously defining an artful threshold that immerses the user into the architecture. The 14- foot-tall panels encase a mechanically isolated conditioned space that mitigates temperature differentials and humidity.

How did the context of your project — environmental, social or cultural — influence your design?

An interesting aspect of the context is that we were returning to work on a building that our firm designed. I think that touches on a really powerful idea, that buildings need to evolve and change with the cities around them, and it is up to architects to help achieve this goal. When presented with the project, we had to determine how we wanted to interact with the style today, and how to make this a more usable space without undermining the integrity of the original building. Because of the postmodern aesthetic, albeit fairly minimal version of postmodern work, this was a loaded problem full of historical references and thought history.

What drove the selection of materials used in the project?

We selected Magny Le Louvre limestone for the interior as a continuation of the tower’s Indiana limestone exterior. We wanted the interior to offer a sophisticated take on stone and give people the opportunity to touch and engage with it directly.

For the exterior wall, we shaped glass to create an immersive experience for the user as they pass through. They become part of the building as they enter or exit, and that process is completely visible, though distorted, to others passing by or pausing in the lobby. We also removed metalwork to unify the experience between the spaces.

What is your favorite detail in the project and why?

It’s always hard to pick a favorite anything when it comes to one’s own project, but one the things I think came out best here is this dialogue between materials that we’ve created. I think the way both the stone and glass are shaped and formed ergonomically enables the project to achieve its goal of serving as a point of engagement with users. Similarly, I think the contrast we’ve created between these materials – the solidity of the sedimentary veined stone and the transparency of the sculpted glass. Notably, both materials are created from sand, linking them in an essential way.

How important was sustainability as a design criteria as you worked on this project?

Sustainability is a key aspect of all of our firm’s work. In this case, as a renovation project, we were starting out with an existing structure. We upgraded mechanical systems in the lobby to be more efficient, and we designed the new a high-performing façade for the entry.

How have your clients responded to the finished project?

We’ve been fortunate to work with a great and truly supportive client, Paramount Group, on this project. Since we first brought them our design concept all the way through construction and project completion, the Paramount team believed in our vision and remained dedicated to seeing it through. It has also been exciting to see the positive reaction from the building’s tenants as they experience the new space.

What key lesson did you learn in the process of conceiving the project?

Creating an architectural dialogue with the past, present, and future, though challenging and ever-evolving, is a great foundation for developing new designs, particularly within existing projects.

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

I think our work on this project represents KPF’s commitment to the evolution of cities and urban spaces. By reimagining this space, working within its constraints and addressing its challenges, we have enhanced the usefulness of this entire office building and met the needs of its current users. And, as a renovation, this project also reflects a commitment to sustainability and which is a core aspect of our work.

Team Members

Design Principal: Hugh Trumbull / Managing Principal: Richard Nemeth / Project Manager: Greg Mell / Team: Chris Dial, Xi Chen, Alex Lightman, Parker Russo

Consultants

AECOM Tishman (Construction Manager) / ETMA (Stone Fabricator) / Front Inc. (Facade Consultant) / Wilkstone (Stone Installation)

Photographer credit: Michael Moran / OTTO

Products and Materials

Magny Le Louvre limestone, Cristacurva glass

For more on 712 Fifth Avenue Renovation, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

712 Fifth Avenue Renovation Gallery

Reference

Architecture

20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco

By Zarkon Group,15/08/2023

Unlike many cities, San Francisco’s most iconic structure is not a building but a bridge. While the Golden Gate looms large in popular culture, it casts a shadow over some of the hilly city’s more iconic buildings. Likewise, although bay windows may rival the bridge’s iconic status, the city’s eclectic mix of Queen Anne and Victorian homes with modern architecture is less often remarked upon as noteworthy in and of itself. Yet, designing and building with heritage in mind is just one of many challenges that the city’s architects rise to in any design (steep hills and a meandering waterfront representing other prominent hurdles).

As Silicon Valley has grown, making property prices skyrocket, architects are increasingly pressed to address rising inequality and the affordable housing crisis. At the same time, they have responded to the growth of wealth and business by designing campuses, offices, masterplans and the like. The urban issues that San Francisco faces are both daunting and complex, but the high caliber of local firms makes the city well-suited to rise to the occasion.

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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in San Francisco:

20. Fougeron Architecture

Fougeron Architecture is a nationally recognized design firm whose work exhibits a strong commitment to clarity of thought, design integrity, and quality of architectural detail. The firm’s decidedly modernist attitude is the result of founder Anne Fougeron’s vision to create a practice dedicated to finding the perfect alignment between architectural idea and built form. Her work can be defined by three basic tenets:

Architectural space is modulated by the quality and character of natural light,
Innovative use of structure becomes the architectural ornament, and
Exploration into the visual and tactile nature of materials enhances how people engage a building.

Ms. Fougeron’s keen interest in crossing disciplinary boundaries has led the firm to develop a collaborative design process that capitalizes on her relationships with craftsmen and artists who are experts in their fields.

Some of Fougeron Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Fougeron Architecture achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	39

19. MWA Architects

At MWA Architects, we approach each project with a holistic design vision because we know that our work can create a positive and lasting impact for both people and the environment. Our primary markets focus on humanity’s essential needs — housing to support our well-being and access to healthy infrastructure – however, we pursue various project types all integral to a thriving community. The common thread in all of our work is that we deliberately take on challenging projects with complex and diverse stakeholder needs as these opportunities can often inspire meaningful change. A West-Coast-based firm, founded in 1988, we strive to create a legacy of beautiful and sustainable architecture that positively impacts the world.

Some of MWA Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Brooklyn Basin Township Commons, Oakland, California
San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2, San Francisco, California
Renaissance Commons, Portland, Oregon
Oak Harbor Clean Water Facility & Windjammer Park, Oak Harbor, Washington
Palo Alto Dewatering & Loadout Facility, Palo Alto, California

The following statistics helped MWA Architects achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	17

18. STUDIOS Architecture

STUDIOS believes in the transformative power of design to lift the trajectories of individual lives and entire communities. We’ve seen it happen again and again since our founding, back when the first tech boom was just a spark. As those early innovators changed the way we all live, learn and work, we changed the way they thought about space — as a strategic resource for expressing their unique vision and fueling extraordinary success.
While our impact and expertise have expanded, our flexible approach to design remains fundamentally the same. We push boundaries, guided by the wisdom of close client partnerships and the confidence needed to take big and small steps forward together.

Some of STUDIOS Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Kearny, New Jersey
Dow Jones, New York City, New York
IAC Building, Interiors, New York City, New York
200 Fifth Avenue, New York City, New York
Nike – New York Headquarters, New York City, New York

The following statistics helped STUDIOS Architecture achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	47

17. Studio O+A

At Studio O+A, our work process combines creativity and flexibility with the technical expertise to realize appropriate solutions for our client. Because our professionals are trained and experienced in all aspects of corporate planning and design, we exercise a degree of control that carries projects from concept to finish with consistency and economy.

Some of Studio O+A’s most prominent projects include:

adidas East Village Expansion, Portland, Oregon
Slack, San Francisco, California
Vara, San Francisco, California
McDonald’s Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois
Facebook HQ, Palo Alto, California

The following statistics helped Studio O+A achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	11

16. OPA

Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects is a progressive San Francisco-based office that has been globally recognized for projects ranging in scale from institutions to private homes, as well as interior and object design. Founded in 2004, OPA is an idea-driven office committed to finding design solutions that both expand the possibilities inherent in architecture and resonate within their particular context.

While every project originates as a response to specific requirements of site, program and client, it evolves as an exploration of its own internal potential rather than reflecting a predetermined architectural style. In all the work, there is an emphasis on shaping and choreographing spatial experiences through the consideration of movement, perception and formal logic.

Some of OPA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped OPA achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	9

15. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

Motivated by a conviction that landscape design has the power to alter perception and ultimately initiate a deeper respect for the environment, ACLA designs spaces that offer opportunities for users to forge new relationships with their surroundings. Through an iterative process, we find simple responses to complex problems, and seek to elevate experiences through layering and choreography of movement. The trust we build with our clients through long-term partnerships is an important foundation of our work, as each new project expands our expression of design and craft.

Some of Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Windhover Contemplative Center, Stanford, California
Richardson Affordable Apartments, San Francisco, California
Los Altos Residence, Los Altos, California
Telegraph Hill Residence, San Francisco, California
Birmingham Residence, Detroit, Michigan

The following statistics helped Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	13

14. Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors

We believe that masterful design is unique, relevant and timeless. We really like iconic architecture that is conceptually interesting and also reveals an attention to detail, materiality and authenticity. We admire boldness balanced with simplicity, innovation balanced with functionality and power balanced with precision. We see ourselves as well-traveled creators with a conviction that a talented and experienced team that conscientiously listens is a valuable ally. We are professionally motivated to connect the aspects of artistic ambition, problem solving, environmental responsibility and style within demanding requirements.
‍
We are an award-winning multidisciplinary firm dedicated to design excellence. We were founded in 1992 by Architect Cass Calder Smith and are now comprised of four principals that include Barbara Vickroy, Taylor Lawson and Tim Quayle.

Some of Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors’s most prominent projects include:

Print Lounge, New York City, New York
Diane Middlebrook Studios, Woodside, California
Stairway to Heaven, San Francisco, California
Aptos Retreat, Aptos, California
Mill Valley Residence, Marin County, California

The following statistics helped Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	22

13. Rapt Studio

We’re into branding, design, and the spaces that bring them together.
We love connecting things. Sites, design, and strategy — we think it’s better when they all come together.
We’re a group of designers, builders, thinkers, and fans of culture who love creating inspiring spaces, digital places and everything in between. In short, we help companies stand out and stand for something.

Some of Rapt Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Vans Global HQ, Costa Mesa, California
Make, Carlsbad, California
Basalt, Napa, California
J Dawgs, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dropbox HQ, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Rapt Studio achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	28

12. Mork Ulnes Architects

With offices in San Francisco and Oslo, Mork Ulnes Architects approaches projects with a combination of Scandinavian practicality and Northern California’s ‘can-do’ spirit of innovation.

Some of Mork Ulnes Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Skigard Hytte, Fåvang, Norway
Mylla Cabin, Oppland, Norway
MOOSE ROAD RESIDENCE, Ukiah, California
MEIER ROAD BARN, Sonoma, California
Troll Hus, Placer County, California

The following statistics helped Mork Ulnes Architects achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	9

11. S^A | Schwartz and Architecture

S^A | Schwartz and Architecture is a modern architecture and interior design studio established by Founder + Principal Neal J. Z. Schwartz, FAIA in 1997. Our expertise is in guiding clients through a highly interactive design process tailored to their personalities, budgets and needs. Rather than imposing a pre-conceived aesthetic, we begin our work by thoughtfully analyzing the particular opportunities posed by any site and constraint. We remain involved at every stage of design and construction and thrive working with fixed schedules and resources.

Some of S^A | Schwartz and Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped S^A | Schwartz and Architecture achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	8
Total Projects	23

10. Mark Cavagnero Associates

Mark Cavagnero Associates is a San Francisco-based architecture firm focused on cultural, commercial, education, and civic projects. Since its establishment in 1988, the firm has completed a wide range of architectural and master planning projects, including large and small scale institutional, non-profit, commercial, and residential projects. The firm provides a full range of services, from programming, master planning, site planning and conceptual design, through construction documents and administration.

Some of Mark Cavagnero Associates’s most prominent projects include:

UC San Francisco, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building, San Francisco, California
Quest Diagnostics Next Generation Lab, Clifton, New Jersey
Confidential Investment Firm, California
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California
San Francisco Conservatory of Music – Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Mark Cavagnero Associates achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	5
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	9

9. Klopf Architecture

Klopf Architecture brings the outside in. Our firm creates warm, modern designs that admit natural light and allow openness to nature. Our design approach weighs many factors to create custom designs with just the right level of connection to the outside world: clients’ goals and lifestyle, site orientation, views, climate and neighborhood context. Our primary goal is to create spaces people love to inhabit.

Specializing in new warm, modern net-zero energy houses, we are widely recognized for our work remodeling and adding to mid-century modern and Eichler homes. We believe in bringing these wonderful homes back to life for another generation to love, or creating new, green modern homes that provide the same level of warmth and connection to nature that follow a similar philosophy.

Some of Klopf Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Klopf Architecture achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	47

8. Arterra Landscape Architects

Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm specializing in contemporary, sustainable design. We collaborate with our clients and their design team, providing imaginative solutions and clear communication. The Arterra Team is a diverse and slightly quirky group of creative and nerdy individuals. We are dedicated to the art and the craft of our profession. We consider it an honor and a privilege to do the work we do — and we do it well.

We share ideas and inspiration in our beautiful, open studio space, where design ideas come to life. We are dedicated to doing sustainable work and living sustainable lives. Our greatest achievement is creating a meaningful and sustainable landscape legacy.

Some of Arterra Landscape Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Dry Garden Poetry, Santa Cruz, California
The Painterly Approach, Belvedere Tiburon, California
Farm to Table, Woodside, California
Inspired by the Land, Healdsburg, California
Taronga, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Top image: Art House, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Arterra Landscape Architects achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	15

7. Aidlin Darling Design

With a shared interest in exploring design across a wide range of scales, programs, and disciplines, partners Joshua Aidlin and David Darling started Aidlin Darling Design around a woodshop in 1998. With an emphasis on designing for all of the senses, they have cultivated a diverse and collaborative studio that acts as the creative hub for an extended network of builders, fabricators, artists, engineers, chefs and other collaborators. The firm’s work explores a closely held conviction that design can enlighten the human spirit by engaging all of the senses.

Some of Aidlin Darling Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Aidlin Darling Design achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	21

6. Jensen Architects

At JENSEN we are passionate about creating buildings and environments that enrich the experiences of organizations and individuals. Guided by a responsibility to achieve the most using the fewest resources and to engage a broader cultural perspective, we develop solutions that embody each client’s values and larger purpose.

Our wide-ranging portfolio — encompassing arts, education, residential, workplace and retail — is underpinned by an abiding interest in how we live and work today, and the pleasure we take in collectively solving design challenges through research, unconventional thinking and a focus on craft. The economy and directness in our work reflects not only a clear concern for ecological sustainability but also a deep appreciation of the inherent beauty that emerges when functional, experiential and environmental goals are efficiently and gracefully resolved. We are recognized for innovative applications of proven building systems and materials and valued for our collaborative approach to design and construction.

Some of Jensen Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Stanford Residence, Stanford, California
The Shed Healdsburg, Healdsburg, California
Blue Bottle Morse Building, Oakland, California
Turner Residence, Larkspur, California
SFMOMA Rooftop Sculpture Garden, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Jensen Architects achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	15
Total Projects	25

5. Form4 Architecture

Form4 Architecture believes in returning a sense of humanity to Modernism through emotional meaning and poetic design. The San Francisco-based award‐winning firm measures success by our contributions to society through a 2nd Century Modernist approach that balances expressive design, rigor, empathy and sustainability to create captivating buildings and spaces that resonate with people and enhance their lives.

Some of Form4 Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Form4 Architecture achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	12
Total Projects	26

4. Feldman Architecture

Feldman Architecture is an innovative residential and commercial studio known for creating buildings that sit lightly on the earth: beautiful, healthful, and soulful spaces that enhance our clients’ lives, our communities and the environment.

Some of Feldman Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Mill Valley Cabins, Mill Valley, California
Slot House, Los Altos, California
The Sanctuary, Palo Alto, California
Sunrise, Healdsburg, California
Surf House, Santa Cruz, California

The following statistics helped Feldman Architecture achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	20
Total Projects	37

3. IwamotoScott Architecture

IwamotoScott Architecture is an award winning architecture and design firm established by Lisa Iwamoto and Craig Scott. Based in San Francisco, the firm has gained national and international recognition for innovative design with projects around the country and overseas. Committed to pursuing architecture as a form of applied design research, IwamotoScott proceeds from the belief that each project can achieve a unique design synthesis.

IwamotoScott’s client list includes arts organizations, educational institutions, media firms, commercial developers and private clients. Our projects consist of work at all scales including urban design, buildings, interiors, full-scale fabrications, museum installations and exhibitions and theoretical proposals. IwamotoScott has received over eighty design awards and honors.

Some of IwamotoScott Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Pinterest HQ, San Francisco, California
Pinterest HQ2, San Francisco, California
Heavybit Industries, 325, 9th Street, San Francisco, California
City View Garage, Miami Design District, Miami, Florida
Pinterest NY – Scissor Stair, New York City, New York

The following statistics helped IwamotoScott Architecture achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	7
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	39

2. Salter

Salter consults on over 900 worldwide projects each year with headquarters in San Francisco and branch offices in San Jose, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Seattle. In 1975, Charles Salter founded the company on principles of sound engineering, scientific process, inquisitive problem solving, and personal integrity. His motto was simple: to be better every day. Having grown from 1 engineer to a team of 50 that includes acoustical, audiovisual, telecommunications, and security experts, that commitment remains the same.

At Salter, our legacy is 45 years of award-winning projects. We are a team of Professional Engineers, LEED Accredited Professionals, Certified Technology Specialists, Registered Communications Distribution Designers, Fellows of the Audio Engineering Society and Fellows of the Acoustical Society of America.

Some of Salter’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Salter achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	4
A+Awards Finalist	10
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	42

1. Gensler

Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 53 locations and more than 7,000 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas. Founded in San Francisco in 1965, the firm serves more than 4,000 clients across more than 29 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, community and health sectors. Gensler designers strive to make the places people live, work and play more inspiring, more resilient and more impactful.

Some of Gensler’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Gensler achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco:

A+Awards Winner	8
A+Awards Finalist	28
Featured Projects	49
Total Projects	163

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

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions

Architecture

here’s what we know so far

By Zarkon Group,14/08/2023

what we know so far about expo 2025 osaka

Expo 2025 Osaka will soon come to life as an international fair that brings together people and innovations from around the world to address issues facing mankind on a global scale. Running from April 13th to October 13th, 2025, the program will be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka, Kansai, Japan — 55 years after Asida held its first world fair in 1970. Dubbed Designing Future Society for Our Lives, the 2025 theme responds to the unprecedented pace at which environmental changes are kicking in, coupled with the disruptive forces instigated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of this paradigm shift, the world’s fair invites exhibitors to reconsider our way of life through sustainable solutions powered by technological innovations.

Revealed back in December 2020, the new Masterplan design for Expo 2025 Osaka will be developed Sou Fujimoto as a huge, ring-shaped structure that serves as the main circulation path. The Japanese architect shared details of his vision in a recent interview with designboom: ‘The roof not only protects people from sunlight and rain but is also enormous, with a diameter of almost 700 meters. We are designing it using a wooden structure, which presents unique challenges due to the scale and materials involved. However, Japan has a wonderful tradition of historical wood construction, and I aim to draw inspiration from it and blend it with new technology in the construction process. This work is not only a wonderful trial for working on such a large scale but also an exciting challenge in terms of innovative construction techniques.’

From Sou Fujimoto’s impressive Masterplan design to unveiling the first national pavilion proposals, here’s what we know so far about the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka that is set to take shape in Japan.

the new Masterplan for Expo 2025 Osaka | render © Sou Fujimoto Architects via Instagram

sou fujimoto’s masterplan to rise as a giant timber ring roof

For the Expo 2025 Osaka Masterplan, jointly with Tohata Architects & Engineers and Azusa Sekkei, Sou Fujimoto (see more here) proposes a 60,000 sqm green roof structure made of timber. Spanning about 700 meters in diameter, the design reflects traditional Japanese timber construction and will serve as the venue’s main circulation ring, provide scenic vistas from above while protecting visitors from rain and sun exposure. ‘On the rooftop, visitors can go up and experience a lifted surface that resembles a bank, allowing them to appreciate the sky above and feel completely immersed in the environment. As the location is in the middle of Osaka Bay, no tall structures are around, offering a clear view of the sky in a pure circle,’ Fujimoto told designboom.

60,000 sqm timber green roof structure | render © Sou Fujimoto Architects via Instagram

unveiling some of the first national pavilion proposals

THE NETHERLANDS PAVILION

Expo 2025 Osaka is expecting to host 150 nations, including The Netherlands, which has recently announced its participation under the theme of ‘Common Ground: creating a new dawn together.’ This vision explores new technologies that harness the power of water to produce emission-free energy, providing access to clean power for all. Responding to the theme, the Pavilion will take shape as a circular design with an illuminated sphere, or abstracted ‘rising sun’, that will shine brightly at the center to symbolize infinite clean energy, sustainability, and circularity. Water, as an abundant and clean energy source, plays a prominent role, elegantly reflected in the facade and roof. An important design element is its ability to be dismantled and reassembled as needed. The project is a collaboration between RAU Architects, engineering consultancy DGMR, experience design studio Tellart, and Japanese construction company Asanuma. (Read more here)

The Netherlands Pavilion | render © Plomp

CZECH REPUBLIC PAVILION

Joining The Netherlands is the Czech Republic, with a dynamic glass spiral structure designed by international studio Apropos Architects. Called ‘Sculpting Vitality’, the proposal arises as a transparent sculpture that is visible on the city’s coastal promenade. The architects sought to play with the concept of vitality and movement, presenting an exhibition ramp wrapped around a central auditorium. ‘The dynamic spiral movement upwards is an allegory of the ideal life path,’ describes the team. The resulting structure sees a distinctive silhouette that fosters visitors into physical activity through continuous motion. Its glazed body that pivots upwards around itself recalls the rich history of glassmaking in the Czech Republic and provides distinctive exhibition spaces with a changing interior atmosphere. The artificial light throughout the interior gives the structure a delicate glow that makes it shine from the outside. (Read more here)

Czech Republic Pavilion | image © ZAN studio

ITALY PAVILION

Up next is the winning design for the Italian Pavilion by Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA). The proposal titled ‘La Città Ideale’ reflects a modern interpretation of the Ideal City, a symbolic image of the Italian Renaissance. More specifically, MCA’s project spotlights the country’s vision of a social space based on integration, inclusivity, and a culture of hands-on engagement founded on real relationships and interactions — well-represented by concepts deeply rooted in the Italian tradition, like the ‘piazza’ (public square), ‘teatro’ (theater), and ‘giardino’ (garden). The Pavilion’s flexibility and adaptability will also allow it to host the Holy See: a spacious and recognizable area that facilitates the organization of cultural events and major art exhibitions.

Italy Pavilion | render © Mario Cucinella Architects, courtesy Expo 2025 Osaka.it

JAPAN PAVILION

‘What lies in the place between lives?‘ is the question that guided the design of the Japanese Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka. Architecture studio Nikken Sekkei joined forces with Oki Sato and Yoshiaki Irobe to conceptualize that query. The trio was effectively inspired by the tiny cyclical loops and interconnected dynamics that make up the natural world. In other words, when one life ends, another begins, and so on. The visual system at the Pavilion therefore materializes as a living organism that breathes, grows, and multiplies — ever-evolving and changing. ‘It represents the purpose of the Pavilion: to turn our eyes toward that which lies between lives, and impress guests with memories, not of a design, but of a process,’ comments the team.

Reference

Garden room for Horatio's Garden by Mcmullan Studio

Architecture

Mcmullan Studio designs garden room as “restorative haven”

By Zarkon Group,13/08/2023

Wooden shingles clad this pod-like garden room by London practice Mcmullan Studio, which has been created for spinal-injury charity Horatio’s Garden.

The small space was conceived by Mcmullan Studio as a “beautiful, immersive, restorative haven” for patients with spinal injuries at a hospital in Sheffield.

It has large openings and a central circular skylight to create a close connection to the outdoors, informed by the Japanese concept of forest bathing.

“Our design addresses the issue of monotony and lack of stimulation experienced by patients who are confined to staring at hospital ward ceilings, particularly those who cannot move or lift their heads due to spinal injuries,” director Andrew Mcmullan told Dezeen.

“We all know how good being in nature can make us feel,” he added. “We have known it for centuries. The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort.”

The wooden pavilion was originally created for Horatio’s Garden‘s exhibit at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, for which Mcmullan Studio worked with landscape designers Harris Bugg Studio.

Wooden shingles — It is clad in wooden shingles

The pavilion is now being transported to the Princess Spinal Injuries Centre in Sheffield as a permanent space for the charity, due to open in 2024.

The garden room’s skylight sits at the centre of a reciprocal roof – a twisting circle of interlocking beams that requires no central support, allowing the interior to be as open and unobstructed as possible.

“Apart from the technical aspects, the reciprocal frame also has intrinsic beauty. The nest-like character of this structure creates a visually intriguing and comforting atmosphere,” described Mcmullan.

“The structure frames a glazed rooflight that invites daylight into the space while providing ever-changing views of the overhanging tree canopies,” he added.

Reciprocal roof inside Horatio's Garden pod — It has a reciprocal roof

Wooden finishes have been used inside and out, with space for seating and a bed beneath the central skylight and a pattern of circular ceramics mounted on the walls.

Ease of transportation was central to the structure’s design, allowing it to be easily lifted as a single unit for its transportation from London to Sheffield.

Exterior of Garden room for Horatio's Garden by Mcmullan Studio at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show — It was on show at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Photo by Jim Stephenson

Once in place, it will be accompanied by two additional garden rooms and a larger communal garden building, all of which will also be designed by Mcmullan Studio.

Other garden rooms featured on Dezeen include an artichoke-shaped workspace by Studio Ben Allen and a writer’s shed by WT Architecture.

The photography is by Lucy Shergold unless stated otherwise.

Reference

Architecture

Plot Twist — Generative AI May Actually Encourage Architects to Draw MORE

By Zarkon Group,12/08/2023

Keir is an AEC Domain Expert operating at the intersection of architecture practice, sustainable development and software design. With over 15 years in practice, he has crafted high-quality projects across various sectors, including education, health, housing, and workplaces. He helps Architects, Clients and Startups thrive in an ever-changing industry. Connect on LinkedIn.

A new week, a new way for Generative AI to blow our minds.

Images generated from text prompts have now filled my news feed; they have swiftly ascended the viral ladder, caused heated debates and gained ‘meme status.’ When these arresting visuals started appearing, it felt like each novel experimentation demanded our close attention: “What has this inexplicable new tool done now?!”

Yet modern attention spans are increasingly short, and bold imagery can quickly become ubiquitous. Our sense of wonder is easily replaced by boredom and ambivalence.
Incredibly, the development of Generative AI actually appears to be evolving faster than our agitated modern attention spans. Just as I was beginning to become nonplussed by the latest hybridization of Batman X The Simpsons, I discovered sketch-to-render.

Most people are familiar with models that use simple text prompting, where you describe everything about a composition using words only. Much can be achieved with these tools, but when it comes to exact composition and configuration, you are working at the model’s behest. However, fewer architects are aware that you can now combine an image with a text prompt to further your creative control.

While these are enormously promising developments, it has been hard to understand exactly how an architect might be able to use these tools. How can we use them to augment the design and visualization processes we are already doing? In architecture, we work in the gritty reality, not the synthetic imagination of AI. Planning and construction is a messy business that requires precision solutions.

Yet, sketch-to-render is a different kind of approach and takes user control to the next level again, utilizing an additional step in the generation feature called Control Nets, which allow for far greater control over how an image is constructed and where the trained model will go to work on a composition. Think of Control Nets as a framework or bounding box within which the AI will go to work — it puts you in the driving seat of the model’s explorations.

Sketch by author (of NWLND’s “Refuge” project), render produced in Prome AI

Sketch-to-Render

This is a 20-minute process and the idea here is to go straight from primitive line work to vivid render.

Midjourney can produce incredibly high quality and vivid imagery, but offers limited control over the exacting composition of the subject matter. For fields like architecture, the ability to fix the areas within an image around which the model will iterate is absolutely essential for actual tool adoption and use.

There are now various methods to combine generative image tools with ‘fixed’ image subjects and composition to give more exacting control over a single viewpoint and to then iterate ideas on top.

Here are some good emerging methods that are worth experimentation:

Control Net: A Stable Diffusion model that creates an abstract segmentation using a preprocessor and then combines this with a text prompt. The install is complicated for regular users and the software needs a powerful computer. If you can’t run this locally due to hardware, you can now do it on the cloud, where the Stable Diffusion with ControlNet is now being hosted by various providers.
PromeAI: The easiest interface that I’ve tried for sketches, complete with preset filters and styles. Its mostly free baseline features are powerful and worth a play. The workflow is simple just login, upload a sketch or hidden line view, add text description prompts and off you go.
Veras: This works directly within the viewport of everyday software interfaces (SketchUp/Rhino/Revit). It is simple and easy to use and is frictionless because it’s a 3D CAD plugin. The more detail and surface materials you can add, the better it will do at recognizing components.

Example of varied rendered outputs produced from the original sketch

Sketch-to-Render-in-Context

This is a more complex process and takes about 30 minutes once you understand how to do it.

The direct sketch-to-render tools are great to use, but having experimented with them in detail, I felt they were best suited to interior design work only. When it comes to external envelope and massing, we always need to place our ideas in context and render with appropriate scale, visualizing the buildings and landscapes within which they sit.

Then, I discovered the idea of using two control nets together: one for a process called “in-painting” and the second for the sketch proposal. There is quite a bit of trial and error to get the workflow right, but it’s made possible by running Stable Diffusion with ControlNet model on your local machine and is repeatable for any photo and sketch combo (provided you can draw).

Photograph taken by author of an imaginary development site while on a cycle ride home

The aforementioned simple “sketch-to-render” process works with one ControlNet active. However you can now use Stable Diffusion with a second ControlNet at the same time which can be used for a process called “in-painting” and this allows you to tell the model exactly which parts of a source image you want to experiment with and which you want to leave exactly as they are.

What I love about this application of Generative AI is that it relies solely on your direction and discretion as a designer and what you do with the pen. It takes out the “middle-man” of painstaking digital modeling of an idea and goes straight to vivid imagery. This is rendering without the hours of boring 3D modeling.

In a world where you can get straight to a high-quality render with just a site photo, a sketch and an ability to describe your idea in the form of an effective prompt, you immediately bypass the need to build detailed 3D models of initial concept ideas.

Design sketch by author, drawn quickly directly on top of original photograph.

Arguably, most major practices working with developers have to run projects with a high degree of waste. Options are tested, digitally modeled in 3D, rendered, photoshopped and perhaps mocked up quickly in foam or card model for a client to review. Then we respond to comments, requests for changes, new constraints, new information and a continuous process of change occurs.

Throughout this design process, each rendition must be exhaustively conceived, drawn and modeled before it can be vividly represented in context; this means much of the previous work is discarded or inevitably thrown away almost immediately. Quick iteration tooling could massively reduce the waste and grunt work associated with the process we call “optioneering.” This term is not used affectionately in practice because it can feel so non-linear, but unfortunately some form of option testing is always required to discover a design and each option requires lots of time and energy.

Screenshot produced by author showing process of in-painting using Stable Diffusion with 2no ControlNets – the black area tells the model which part of the image to experiment upon

In a race to produce powerful concept imagery for a new feasibility study or competition, someone who can draw their ideas well is going to beat 3D modeling in turnaround time and speed of iterations using a tool like this .

Soon, clients will be getting rendered ideas in a matter of days from a commission, not weeks. Their expectations about what is possible in a given time frame are going to change — and quickly.

There remains loads of space for improvement, but the foundation is there for a very different approach to design and visualization that could be really empowering for architects (and clients too).

Final Image produced by author using Stable Diffusion with two ControlNets for an imaginary project in Herne Hill, London. The image was produced in less than an hour including sketching time.

My first attempt is a bit rough but demonstrates the enormous potential here; imagine how powerful this will be for early stage feasibility work. I definitely don’t love the outcome, but it’s some version of what I was thinking in the sketch. I would still be happy to present this image to a client as an early study at feasibility stage to give them a more vivid sense of a project’s massing and scale alongside a set of 2D drawings before developing the preferred option in fine detail myself.

In the example shown, I would estimate the model achieved about 50% of my line intentions and about 20% of my material intent on the façades. However, the perspective, massing, lighting, context placement, reflections and sense of scale are all bang on — and all this is done with a general purpose, open-source model.

As this technology continues to improve, specialized architecture models will be trained on data sets that focus specifically on façade and architectural composition. Different architectural styles and materiality options will be made possible and they will be far better at understanding façade componentry such as floor zones, balustrades, windows, curtain walling and columns. The models will need to learn “archispeak” which will now be expressed using text prompt inputs and require architects to say what they actually mean in simple language.

As these models improve we will be able to discern discrete elements within the design concept, identify them as an architectural building component and then refine them directly with prompts as we work. We will be able to apply different prompts to different parts of the image, add people, change the lighting and mood — designing over and over in a live render environment — without modeling anything, all potentially driven from a sketch idea.

There will be many more experiments to come… and when Midjourney can do ControlNets too, it will probably feel like “game over” for much of the traditional 3D model and rendering that we do currently.

Keir is an AEC Domain Expert operating at the intersection of architecture practice, sustainable development and software design. Connect on LinkedIn.

With thanks to:

Ismail Seleit who was the first person I saw demonstrate this idea.

@design.input who put out a great video that helped to describe each step of the process.

Hamza Shaikh for pointing me at ControlNet in the first place when I got frustrated with Midjourney.

Architizer’s new image-heavy daily newsletter, The Plug, is easy on the eyes, giving readers a quick jolt of inspiration to supercharge their days. Plug in to the latest design discussions by subscribing.

Reference

Architecture

Stop the Presses: Can Adapting an Abandoned Newspaper Facility Revitalize the Suburbs?

By Zarkon Group,11/08/2023

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.

When you think of the American suburbs, what words come to mind?

No matter how much affection you have for your hometown, one of those words is probably “bleak.” While many millennials, including this author, are still moving out to the suburbs to raise children — a pattern first established by their grandparents in the post-war era — few see these car-centric communities as ideal. The charmless strip malls, the big box stores, the neglected highway medians filled with litter from passing cars — how can one contemplate all this without crying out in despair?

The question isn’t really if the suburbs are bad but why they are this way. Are the people who live in the suburbs really more boring than the people in cities? Or does the archetypal suburban ambiance of loneliness and fatigue stem instead from poor urban planning?

Tract housing in a suburb of Cincinatti, Ohio, 2005. Photo by Derek Jensen via Wikimedia Commons.

My feeling is that it is the latter. Culture happens in places where people have the opportunity to move around, observe each other, and interact. The flâneur, that prototype of the modern artist or bohemian, emerged in mid 19th century Paris at the same time that the arcades were constructed, and this was no coincidence. As Baudelaire understood, the arcades provided the first modern artists with a stage on which to observe la comédie humaine firsthand. He argued that this new way of relating to society produced modern subjectivity as we know it.

It stands to reason that the suburbs, by removing would-be flâneurs from their stage, sapped their creativity as well. A life that moves from home, to car, to cubicle, to drive-through and back provides few chances for people to observe and interact with one another. Over time, the suburbs have led to an epidemic of loneliness in America — a fact that has been recognized since at least 2000, when political scientist Robert D. Putnam published his best-selling book Bowling Alone.

This trend has only been exacerbated during and after the pandemic, as more Americans have begun not only to work from home, but to have their groceries, entertainment and other consumer goods delivered straight to their doorstep, obviating the need to go outside altogether. This has led to a shuttering of retail spaces in the suburbs, among other changes. Suddenly, people are nostalgic even for those commercialized, “fake” public spaces like the mall that were widely derided in the 90s.

The Press won the 2023 A+ Jury Award for Commerical Renovations and Additions.

So how to fix it? What the suburbs need, most of all, are places where people can work, shop, wander and simply be. One project that tries to restore some of this urban energy to the suburbs is The Press, a former Los Angeles Times printing facility in Costa Mesa, California that was “reincarnated as a multidisciplinary workspace with a dining Canteen and a public Rail Trail on its 23.4-acre site” by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects. Located in Orange County, California, Costa Mesa is a small city with a decidedly suburban feel, a place where people sit in traffic for twenty minutes to reach the In-N-Out Burger drive through.

This project, which won the 2023 A+ Jury Award in the Commercial Renovations and Additions category, stands out for seeming like a truly inviting, interesting place to spend time. Not just an office building, and not just a place to shop or eat, The Press avoids the sense of falseness or contrivance that plagues most suburban workspaces and shopping centers. While this is of course a privately owned campus, it feels more public than, for instance, a mall.

Industrial details elevate The Press above most commercial spaces one finds in the American suburbs.

Part of this is due to the sense of history that is preserved in the space. As the architects explain in their project notes, “precise cuts through precast concrete walls and roofing bring in fresh air, daylight and views. This subtraction exposes the beauty of the existing, reviving what has since been neglected and inviting the landscape to enter in through and around the campus.” Like a repurposed Bushwick warehouse, or even a Parisian arcade, The Press preserves a sense of place that pushes against the anonymity of “cookie cutter” suburbs.

Some of the details in this project are just extraordinary. As the architects explain, “The design celebrates both material and organic markers of time. Paint chips, rail spurs and conveyor belts are left as is and an existing tree is placed to grow through the structure itself — hinting at history, site and context.” My favorite detail is probably the rail trail, a partly shaded walking path that follows the course of a former rail line. Like the now iconic New York High Line, the Rail Trail repurposes outdated infrastructure in a way that both feels perfectly natural and encourages health and interaction.

The Rail Trail gives Costa Mesa, California its own version of the High Line. A stunning feature of the project is that its campus extends over 23 acres.

Time will tell how The Press evolves with its environment. Currently, the complex has fifty-five tenants, including a number of incredible artisans and local restaurants. My hope is that, with this project, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects have created a template for a new kind of suburban redevelopment, one that works with existing architecture to imprint the faceless suburbs with a vibrant sense of place.

Reference

Architecture

uniform skin of bricks coats casa perucho’s facades in ecuador

By Zarkon Group,10/08/2023

Pedro Calle and El Sindicato Arquitectura design Casa Perucho

Designer Pedro Calle and El Sindicato Arquitectura consrtuct Casa Perucho, a single-family house nestled in Perucho, a rural enclave within the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. Embracing its natural surroundings of mountains and green landscapes, the residence harmoniously coexists with nature.

The main design principle revolves around fostering an intimate connection with the natural environment while enveloping its inhabitants in a shelter-like space. The project takes advantage of the mountain vistas employing expansive windows on the western facade. Additionally, the development ensures privacy through a continuous skin of bricks unfolding from the southern facade, transitioning into the roof, and eventually covering the northern facade. The red brick protruding formation shields the interior from both neighbors and the adjacent street, resulting in a secure living environment.

all images by Francesco Russo unless stated otherwise

Casa Perucho develops a simple and efficient layout

The design team meticulously outlines the spatial arrangement of Casa Perucho. The ground floor is dedicated to communal spaces, including a well-appointed kitchen, a living area, a dining space, a convenient bathroom, and a sheltered outdoor deck. The upper floor encompasses a bedroom, a versatile workspace, a welcoming guest area, and a well-equipped bathroom. Designed with an emphasis on simplicity and efficiency, a prefabricated structure takes center stage. Comprising robust wooden frames, this construction method ensures a seamless assembly process while minimizing environmental impact and reducing mobilization and on-site manufacturing costs.

Casa Perucho nestles in Perucho, a rural enclave within the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador

a continuous skin of bricks enfolds the two-story residence

the red brick protruding formation shields the interior from both neighbors and the adjacent street

Reference

An A-Frame with a terrace overlooking the forest

Architecture

PPAA submerges bedrooms underneath A-Frame house in Mexico City

By Zarkon Group,09/08/2023

Local studio Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados has completed a wooden A-Frame house with underground bedrooms in a forested area outside Mexico City.

Nestled in the forest of Valle de Bravo, the residence has two volumes stacked on top of one another, with public areas above ground and private ones below.

On the ground level, the A-Frame structure contains a semi-open living and dining room, kitchen, and family room, with a minimal footprint to create space for a terrace. The A-Frame structure consists of pre-fabricated elements brought to the site.

The top and sides of the A-Frame are enclosed in glass, as is the space at the back of the structure. An outdoor pool and lounge area were placed on the terrace to bring occupants closer to the surrounding forest and to take advantage of the large base where the underground aspects are located.

A large dining table underneath an A-frame structure — The residence is made of two perpendicularly stacked volumes

“The main goal of this project was to give more importance to the surroundings present and to the open space given, embracing the idea of emptiness even with the possibility of having the architecture disappear,” Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.

A submerged staircase on the terrace leads to the lower level, which contains three bedrooms, each with a private bath, and a small study.

A kitchen with a large black cabinet unit — The A-Frame structure contains the house’s public areas like a kitchen and living room

The sleeping areas were buried into the ground, with windows facing out and privacy offered by the surrounding trees.

“This design method gives you the possibility to really disconnect while enjoying your own solitude in the surrounding nature, gently forcing you to have that moment of relationship with the site, even if you’re just going to bed,” said Pérez Palacios

A long rectangular structure placed beneath an A-Frame — The rectangular structure beneath the A-Frame contains the house’s private sleeping areas

The black finish on the exterior of the lower volume and the dark roof tiles were selected to help the home blend into the environment.

“The palette focuses on one core material – certified timber – to convey a sense of admiration and respect for the home’s surroundings,” said Pérez Palacios.

“Whilst the stainless steel, onyx joinery and hand-finished walls are used to evoke an unpretentious sensibility and as I would say ‘give prominence to the forest’.”

Rainwater is collected from the pitched roof, which is then ushered into an open water deposit for reuse.

In addition to rainwater collection, the open-air A-Frame structure also works to filter light and passively ventilate the house.

To further reduce the impact on site, the studio only removed one tree which it repurposed as a handrail on the terrace.

A bed in a room with a large window and light wood paneled walls — The underground bedrooms were designed to feel enclosed by the surrounding forest

The interiors were adorned in natural materials in neutral tones, with certified wood used also on the interior walls.

Other residential projects around Mexico City include a home with a dramatic cantilever by LBR&A and an expansive holiday home with a sunken living room by Romero de la Mora.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo.

Reference

Architecture

Chat GPT for Architects and Designers: Prompt Formula and Working Examples

By Zarkon Group,08/08/2023

For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers.

We recently published our first Chat GPT Cheat Sheet for Architects, a handy guide for exploring the potential of using the tool to enhance your daily workflow. While the sheet is a helpful reference point, nothing beats seeing a real example of how Chat GPT can be used in action.

To this end, the following example demonstrates how one prompt can produce a variety of starting points for further exploration at the beginning of a project, either as part of a feasibility study or the conceptual design phase. But before we dive in, here’s a quick introduction to Chat GPT itself.

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of a female architectural designer sitting at a drawing board using Chat GPT, architectural ideas and models floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

What is Chat GPT?

Chat GPT (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is the remarkable creation of OpenAI. A large language model-based chatbot, this AI-powered tool was launched in November 2022 and became the fastest-growing consumer software application in history earlier in 2023. Why? Because this easy-to-use tool brings unprecedented capabilities to the world of conversation.

With ChatGPT, users hold the reins, steering discussions precisely where they desire. It is possible to tailor every aspect of the conversation to your liking — from length and format to style, level of detail, and even the language used. It’s like having a conversation partner who adapts perfectly to your preferences.

The secret to ChatGPT’s brilliance lies in prompt engineering. At every step of the interaction, it deftly analyzes successive prompts and replies, leveraging this contextual understanding to craft responses that align with the ongoing dialogue.

For architects and designers, Chat GPT can unlock a whole new avenue of research, exploration and ideation. For more information on the application and to start experimenting with your own prompts, click here.

Chat GPT Prompt for Architects

Here’s a simple Chat GPT prompt formula, a slight variation on the one shown in our cheat sheet, which can be specifically tailored for architects and designers:

“[Introduction or context] + [Specific question or instruction] + [Optional additional details or constraints]”

Let’s break it down:

1. Introduction or Context

Start by providing some context or background information to set the stage for your question or instruction. It helps guide the AI’s understanding of the topic and focus its response on the relevant aspects.

Example: “As an architect working on a residential project, I need assistance with…”

2. Specific Question or Instruction

State your question or instruction clearly and concisely, focusing on the specific aspect or topic you want to explore. Be as specific as possible to receive targeted and relevant responses.

Example: “…optimizing natural lighting and ventilation. What are some effective design strategies to achieve this?”

3. Optional Additional Details or Constraints

If necessary, you can include additional details or constraints to guide the AI’s response. This helps provide more context and narrow down the focus of the answer.

Example: “…for a compact urban site with limited access to direct sunlight.”

Putting that all together, here’s an example of a complete Chat GPT prompt for architects, using our formula:

“As an architect working on a residential project, I need assistance with optimizing natural lighting and ventilation. What are some effective design strategies to achieve this? The site I’m working with is a compact urban area with limited access to direct sunlight.”

By following this prompt formula, you can effectively guide Chat GPT to provide targeted and insightful responses. You can adapt or add to the formula to produce more in-depth or nuanced information.

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of an architectural designer using Chat GPT, ideas floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

Chat GPT Prompt for Architects: The Output

We plugged the above prompt into the basic, free version of Chat GPT (version 3.5); here is the response it produced:

“When working on a residential project in a compact urban area with limited access to direct sunlight, optimizing natural lighting and ventilation becomes crucial. Here are some effective design strategies to achieve this:

Incorporate Light Wells and Skylights: Introduce light wells or courtyards within the building to bring in natural light from above. Install skylights strategically to maximize daylight penetration into interior spaces.
Use Reflective Surfaces: Incorporate light-colored or reflective surfaces, such as white walls or glossy finishes, to bounce natural light deeper into the space and create a brighter ambiance.
Implement Clerestory Windows: Install high-level windows, known as clerestory windows, near the top of the walls to allow natural light to enter while maintaining privacy. This helps bring light deeper into the space and improves overall illumination.
Design Open Floor Plans: Create an open layout to enable better light distribution throughout the living areas. Minimize the use of interior partitions or walls that could block natural light flow.
Utilize Light Tubes: Light tubes, also known as solar tubes or sun tunnels, are tubular devices that capture sunlight from the roof and transport it into interior spaces. They can be an effective way to bring natural light into areas with limited access to windows.
Optimize Window Placement: Strategically position windows to maximize daylight penetration. Consider the orientation of the site and place windows on the south-facing side to capture the most sunlight throughout the day.
Use Light Diffusing Materials: Employ materials, such as frosted glass or translucent screens, that diffuse natural light to reduce glare while still allowing light to pass through. This helps create a softer and more even distribution of light.
Implement Natural Ventilation Strategies: Incorporate operable windows and vents to facilitate cross-ventilation and promote natural airflow throughout the space. This helps improve indoor air quality and thermal comfort.
Consider Light-Controlling Elements: Integrate shading devices, such as louvers, blinds, or adjustable curtains, to manage direct sunlight and prevent overheating during peak daylight hours. This allows occupants to control the amount of light entering the space.
Incorporate Greenery and Vertical Gardens: Introduce indoor plants and vertical gardens to create a connection with nature and enhance the perception of natural light. Plants can also help improve air quality and contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

Remember to adapt these strategies to suit the specific requirements and constraints of your residential project in the compact urban area. Implementing these design strategies will help optimize natural lighting and ventilation, creating a comfortable and inviting living space.”

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of a black female architectural designer sitting at a drawing board using Chat GPT, architectural ideas and models floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

Conclusion and Further Explorations

The above example shows how text-based AI tools can be harnessed by designers in a simple yet effective way, and demonstrates its utility in terms of information recall and automated curation. Most architects will be aware of the possible design solutions listed above, and could use ‘traditional’ internet research to surface them as well, but they could easily overlook one of these strategies while addressing the many nuances of a complex site and design brief.

In effect, Chat GPT’s response to the prompt acts as a reciprocal prompt for the designer, acting as a reminder of concepts that may be worth considering as a project develops. When viewed from this perspective, AI can be seen to augment an architect’s workflow, helping them to research and ideate more efficiently than ever before. As the technology develops, this augmentation will surely only continue to grow within the profession.

How are you using Chat GPT and other AI tools in your architectural workflow? We’d love to hear from you: Follow Paul Keskeys and Architizer on LinkedIn to join the discussion!

For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers.

Reference

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Chat GPT Prompt for Architects

Chat GPT Prompt for Architects: The Output

Conclusion and Further Explorations

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