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Architecture

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland’s lakeside setting

By Zarkon Group,18/05/202319/05/2023

Villa K by Saukkonen+Partners stands on a remote Finnish island

Architectural firm Saukkonen + Partners designs an escape retreat located on a remote island in lakeside Finland, surrounded by nature. Dedicated to a couple’s occasional stay in the rural site, the hideaway cabin is a thought-through entity that adapts to the changing seasons and landscapes. The main cottage and a separate sauna building are carefully positioned on the island. The two separated volumes are connected by their overlapping roof structures. A bridge leading to the island is also a part of the designed whole. The beautiful views of the lake are generally westwards where the sun sets in the evening. The building’s main living spaces and generated views are developed following the sun’s patterns.

all images by Timo Pyykönen

material selection and color scheme reflect the natural setting

The design is based on respect for the surrounding nature, aiming to place the buildings on the terrain as naturally as possible, without overpowering the environment. Thereby, the villa aims to become one with the lake scenery. The design team opts for the effective maximizing of all available building permits to allow for a practical and desired program for leisure purposes. The intention is to create a design that would be as maintenance-free as possible while bringing the surrounding nature into the atmosphere of the spaces. From a technical point of view, the buildings are formed to be ecological and low-energy-consuming. The material selection and color scheme of the building merge the architecture with its natural environment. The villa is made to be as long-lasting and durable as possible.

the hideaway cabin is a thought-through entity that adapts to its landscape

the main cottage and a separate sauna building are carefully positioned on the island

the villa aims to become one with the lake scenery

the buildings are placed on the terrain as naturally as possible, without overpowering the environment

Reference

Exterior of the Book Depository building transformed by Gensler for the Newlab Detroit headquarters

Architecture

Gensler and Civilian transform Detroit post office into technology centre

By Zarkon Group,17/05/2023

American architecture studio Gensler and interior design studio Civilian have restored the historic Book Depository building in Detroit and transformed it into the headquarters for technology company Newlab.

Gensler and Civilian transformed the art deco building to be usable by tech companies, adding purpose-built prototyping labs, open-plan co-working spaces and outdoor green spaces.

The 270,000-square-foot (25,083 square metres) building will be used as a centre for startups, entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists working in mobility technology.

The Book Depository building was originally built in 1936, designed by American architect Albert Kahn as a post office and mail-sorting facility. It was later used as a place to store books by Detroit Public Schools, from which it draws its name.

The building now includes an exhibition space, an event space, a robotics and prototyping facility, and two open studio spaces with desks, lounge areas, classrooms and meeting rooms.

The interior has an industrial appearance with concrete floors and exposed services.

Lounge chairs, circular tables and planting fill the central atrium space, which provides a collaborative workspace lit by the skylight above.

Interior atrium space with large skylight and open-plan co-working space — An atrium space lets natural light into co-working spaces

“The building has been repositioned to meet the demands of the city’s top innovators, including ample access to daylight, open internal connectivity and destinations for exchange, and an engaging ground floor as a connective intersection within the overall development, serving as a boulevard for the community, industry partners, and the neighbourhood,” said Gensler.

“Embracing the rich history of the building, juxtaposing design elements with the industrial strength and structure associated with Albert Kahns work, Gensler reimagined the building with a focus on connection and collaboration,” added Newlab.

Newlab has an existing headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and hopes that transforming the Book Depository building into the company’s Detroit headquarters will attract jobs to the area.

“Building on its success in Brooklyn, Newlab is scaling its model of applied innovation to create the conditions for a sustainable high-tech startup ecosystem to take hold in the region,” said the company.

Technology labs at the Newlab Detroit headquarters by Gensler — The building includes and robotics and prototyping facility

“Projected to attract thousands of new jobs to Michigan Central, the campus will offer high-design innovation and collaborative workspace, dozens of acres of green and open space for the community,” Newlab continued.

Architecture studio Ghafari assisted Gensler and Civilian with the interior design of the project and landscape design studio MYK created the landscaping scheme.

Interior of the Newlab Detroit headquarters — The interior has an industrial appearance

The building is situated on the Michigan Central campus, a district dedicated to mobility innovation that also includes Ford’s restoration and transformation of the Michigan Central Station.

Other large-scale projects set to be built in Detroit include a slanted glazed building designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox for the Detroit Center for Innovation campus and OMAs design to transform a derelict bakery into a mixed-use art and education facility.

The exterior photography is by Jason Keen. The interior photography is by Brian Ferry.

Reference

Architecture

Paper Architecture: What’s the Point?

By Zarkon Group,16/05/2023

Architizer’s Vision Awards is a global awards program for architectural media and representation, recognizing the world’s best architectural photographs, videos, visualizations, drawings and models, and the creators behind them. Enter for a chance to see your work published in print: Start Entry >

At first glance, one might assume the question posed in the title of this article is a rhetorical one. With a growing number of industry leaders advocating — with good reason — for students and young architects to receive more real-world construction experience, you could be forgiven for thinking that conceptual projects are a distraction, getting in the way of the invaluable education awaiting designers on the building site.

Make no mistake, though — anyone who tells you paper architecture is pointless needs reminding:

Ideas are the lifeblood of architecture.

Behind each award-winning project we see come to fruition each year, there lie countless sketches, models, and renderings created during the design process, as well as unrealized, theoretical concepts, commonly known as paper architecture. At their best, unbuilt architectural projects — just like their constructed counterparts — hold the potential to tell a powerful story, communicate fresh concepts and advance our profession through ideation.

Left: “Mind Palace” by Mylan Thuroczy, Manchester School of Architecture; right: “Break and Float” by Michael Turner; finalists in Architizer’s One Drawing Challenge competition.

These architectural images, and the ideas they embody, are worth their weight in proverbial gold to the next generation of architects. From the outlandish drawings of Archigram to the abstract paintings of Zaha Hadid, conceptual works form a vibrant exhibition of ideas and inspiration, each contributing to the global discourse over the advancement of the profession and our built environment as a whole.

For this reason, it’s vital that we provide a platform to recognize architectural ideas and visual creations, no matter whether they are built or not.

Enter the Architizer Vision Awards. This brand new awards program is designed to celebrate every form of paper architecture — from napkin sketches and lost competition entries to thesis projects and early models — and give them the global spotlight, now and long into the future.

Enter the Vision Awards

Vision Awards Winners will be published in the inaugural ‘Visions of Architecture’ Anthology, as well as being celebrated year-round through innovative storytelling by Architizer’s team of architectural writers. Film Winners will be premiered in Architizer’s first ever Architectural Film Festival, a unique digital event to air later this year. Every Winner and Finalist will be exhibited on Architizer’s iconic Winners’ Gallery, the definitive directory of world-class architecture and design and an evergreen source of inspiration for the profession.

“Concrete Atla(nti)s” by Hannah Christy and Craig Findlay, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Winner in Architizer’s One Drawing Challenge

Showcasing the Unending Value of Paper Architecture

Whether it is ultimately realized or not, paper architecture is a critical creative outlet for the profession. Drawings, renderings and models provide a perpetual record of the ideation process that architects go through when developing concepts, offering insights into how they approached design problems in the past. To honor the many mediums of architectural ideation, Vision Awards categories include:

Best Architectural Drawing
(2 categories: Hand-drawn, Computer-aided)
Best Architecture Model
(Special category for physical models)
Best Architectural Visualization
(3 categories: Photorealistic, Illustrative/Artistic, AI-Generated)
Architectural Visualizer of the Year
(Portfolio award for studios and professionals)
Architect Creator of the Year
(Mixed media portfolio award for professionals)
Student Creator of the Year
(Mixed media portfolio award for students)

Together with categories for architectural photography and video, these awards will honor the best in architectural representation today, including the most compelling examples of paper architecture. By entering their work, architects can help to build a rich archive of ideas and designs that will motivate future generations of architects and push the boundaries of what is possible in the built environment.

Left: “The Built Pension” by Yehan Zheng; right: HIGH- RISE TOPOLOGY. Infrastructure for energy creation” by Daniel Garzon; Finalists in Architizer’s One Drawing Challenge competition.

A Second Life for ‘Lost Projects’

The Vision Awards presents a golden opportunity for architects to showcase their unbuilt works, including former competition entries, speculative creations, and drawings or models for projects that stalled due to forces outside of their control. There are countless reasons why many brilliant architectural projects are ultimately left on the drawing board: budget cuts, site complications, changes in a client’s strategy or direction, or even some larger and impossible to foresee — like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sometimes, an initial design might contain ideas that are ahead of their time, or deemed too ambitious to be realized when first conceived. Revisiting these ideas in the context of the Vision Awards may inspire new approaches to architecture in future, as new technologies emerge and changing social conditions give rise to new creative possibilities.

By bringing the best unrealized projects and conceptual designs together through the Vision Awards, Architizer is aiming to create a powerful repository of ideas, one that can be a touchstone for emerging architects long into the future. By entering their work for the program, architects can help to build on the legacy of the great ‘paper architects’, contributing to the ongoing creative conversation that fuels the wider profession.

If you are an advocate for the power of paper architecture and its potential to advance the profession, the Vision Awards needs you. Submit your most innovative work before the Main Entry Deadline on June 16th, and let your ideas and those of your firm inspire the next generation of architects!

Start Entry

Reference

Architecture

21st Century Architect Guide: 7 Visualization Tools Architects Can’t Live Without

By Zarkon Group,15/05/2023

Judging for the 11th A+Awards is now underway! While awaiting the Winners, learn more about Architizer’s Vision Awards. The Main Entry Deadline on June 9th is fast approaching. Start your entry today >

The architectural design process is an intricate dance between creativity and technical mastery. From beginning to end, as each act of a project unfolds, and visions come to life, every architect must rely on an array of visualization tools to help them successfully navigate project stages. These tools are our trusty partners throughout the performance that is design.

From sketching the earliest of ideas to unveiling new worlds in digital landscapes, many tools have revolutionized the way we work and transformed how we communicate our ideas. While we each have individual preferences, undoubtedly, from concept to completion, there are some visualization tools we can all agree we would rather not live without.

Conceptualization: Sketching and Diagramming – The Napkin Chronicles

Interior of the reimagined Autodesk Gallery, San Francisco, CA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

We’ve all been there — a moment of divine inspiration striking in the middle of lunch, hastily scribbling our ideas on a napkin, a receipt, even our hand. Be it through traditional (pen and paper) sketching or digital tools like SketchBook by Autodesk and Morpholio Trace, conceptualization is the wild west of design documentation, and that’s precisely what these programs are built for.

By allowing us to quickly test various design concepts, proportions, and relationships while providing a platform for experimentation and ideation, such sketching software helps to support and facilitate mark-making and disjointed thought. The intuitive interface and versatile features of these digital sketching apps enable architects to easily switch between mediums, layers, and scales, streamlining the concept process and ultimately helping us make sense of our own ideas effectively.

Schematic Design: 2D CAD Drawings – Back to the Grid

Autodesk Technology Center, Boston, MA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

With concepts refined, then comes the time to embrace the precision and orderliness of 2D CAD drawings. Bidding adieu to the delightful chaos of the napkin sketches, programs like AutoCAD and Vectorworks become our new best friends. During the schematic phase, meticulously articulating our visions is essential, ensuring that not even a single datum line goes astray.

Whatever your preferred platform may be, CAD programs allow us to create detailed, scalable drawings, facilitating coordination with consultants, and fine-tuning the review process for and with clients. Over the years, the software’s extensive libraries and automated tools have increased the efficiency of drawing tenfold, reducing errors and resources required at this stage of the design development process.

Design Development: 3D Modeling – The Taming of the Shrewd

Interior of the new reimagined Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco, CA, United States Photograph provided by Autodesk

The design process can often feel a lot like herding cats, chaotic and unpredictable. 3D modeling software such as SketchUp, Rhino, and Revit can feel like our trusty shepherd’s staff in times of uncertainty and compromise. With these tools, we can juggle competing interests — structural engineers advocating for fewer cantilevers and environmental officers requesting more green space alongside MEP consultants demanding cavernous service risers.

3D models give us the capacity to study the spatial relationships and materiality of our designs, enabling us to make informed decisions on practicality with as little impact on the design ambition as possible. The real-time rendering capabilities of these programs thrive in the quest for seamless collaboration between team members, promoting an iterative design process and ensuring that all disciplines are working in harmony.

Visualization: Rendering and Virtual Reality – The Picture-Perfect Performance

The Lumion office building by atelier PRO architekten, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photograph by Jan Paul Mioulet

During the design process, renderings are akin to a grand soiree, a sumptuous feast for the eyes that unveil creations in all their splendor. With virtuosos like V-Ray and Lumion at the helm, 3D renders allow us to conduct a mesmerizing performance of light and texture, conjuring spellbinding visuals that leave clients entranced.

These rendering maestros boast an array of sophisticated features, from global illumination to physically-based materials and ethereal atmospheric effects, empowering architects to craft lifelike images that impeccably embody their design aspirations. Furthermore, VR technologies such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive transport us to a realm where we can meander through our masterpieces as though they already stand tall — always remember to mind your footing in the tangible world as you navigate the virtual one.

Construction Documentation: BIM – The Clash of the Disciplines

The pièce de résistance of the design process, construction documentation through BIM software, such as Revit, is where the rubber meets the road. Architects know that, in today’s world, coordination is the name of the game, and nothing tests resolve quite like the clash detection feature in our BIM software.

By consolidating architectural, structural, and MEP models into a single, comprehensive database, BIM enables us to identify and resolve conflicts early in the design process, preventing costly and time-consuming issues during construction. BIM’s powerful parametric capabilities also facilitate the generation of detailed schedules and specifications, ensuring that the information is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date.

Digital Fabrication: Parametric Design – A Brave New World

Designed using CATIA V&A Dundee by Kengo Kuma and Associates, Dundee, Scotland. Photograph by Hufton+Crow

As we explore the frontiers of design, the relatively new realm of digital fabrication beckons. Unlike days of old, armed with kappa board and scalpel, parametric design and computational tools like Grasshopper, Dynamo, and Catia empower us to translate complex geometries and intricate patterns into buildable forms. These tools enable us to visualize and rationalize our boldest ideas, bridging the gap between digital models and physical constructs.

We can optimize our designs for structural efficiency, environmental performance, and material utilization by scripting algorithms and generating parametric models. As we venture into the brave new world of 3D printing, CNC milling, and robotic assembly, these visual documentation tools are our invaluable guides, helping us push the boundaries of architectural possibility.

Interactive Presentations: Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – The Future is Now

Autodesk, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Photograph provided by Autodesk

As the future of architecture unfolds before us, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies are poised to revolutionize the way we present and experience our designs. Tools like Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap, and Apple ARKit allow us to superimpose digital information onto the physical environment, creating immersive and interactive presentations that captivate our clients and collaborators. These cutting-edge technologies enable us to visualize and manipulate design elements in real time, engaging with our projects in novel and exciting ways. By overlaying digital models onto site photographs, AR can enhance client presentations by demonstrating the proposed design in context. As we embrace AR and MR, we stand at the forefront of a paradigm shift, forever changing how we document, present, and interact with architecture.

Throughout the timeline of a project, architects employ an ever-evolving array of visualization tools, from the nascent stages of conceptualization to the emerging realms of digital fabrication and interactive presentations. By embracing these tools and the many more sure to be introduced over our careers, we can continue to push the boundaries of architectural possibility, shaping the world around us with passion, precision, and innovation. As we salute the visual documentation tools accompanying us on our architectural odyssey, let’s not forget the camaraderie and ingenuity that defines our profession. Together, we can create spaces that inspire, transform, and endure for generations.

Reference

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan

Architecture

white ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan

By Zarkon Group,14/05/2023

Studio Marco Piva reconstructs Torre Antonini after fire

Architectural Studio Marco Piva takes over the reconstruction of the skyscraper that caught fire in Milan on August 29, 2021, leaving 80 families homeless. The project provides for the partial restoration of the architecture of the pre-existing tower ‘Torre Antonini’, giving it a distinctive morphology that stems from the cues from the previous structure and translates into a modern architectural solution. The design composes loggias that, by enveloping the entire building, establish a connection with the surrounding area and offer usable and scenic outdoor spaces. The concept holds a soft aesthetic with sinuous shapes that enfold the structure, ‘like light and elegant ribbons’. The project is planned to be completed between 2025 and 2026.

Torre Antonini exterior by Studio Marco Piva | all images courtesy of Studio Marco Piva

dynamic parapets and innovative green spaces adorn the tower

The building has two floors below ground and nineteen above, with a total height of approximately 70 meters. Starting from the lower floors, the dynamic elegance of the parapets extends fluidly over the entire height of the tower, softening its overall profile. The studio designs a stylistic element to be featured on the building, a special glass insert positioned in an irregular pattern in each parapet enabling residents to enjoy captivating views of the city of Milan.

The Torre Antonini project follows the ‘Green Wave’ concept by Marco Piva, offering an innovative and contemporary urban lifestyle that is expressed through the selection of high-quality finishes and materials and attention to every detail of the external spaces, and shaping new comfortable and functional living areas. The design of the outdoor zones and restructured loggias is the combination of research, inventiveness, and functionality, from the first objective of increasing private external areas to the subsequent implementation of sliding ‘brises soleils’ on all sides to mitigate exposure to the sun. Fixed planters and green-covered vertical grilles are provided near the lift shafts to increase the privacy of the adjacent terraces. The project aims to enhance the osmotic relationship between the Tower and its surrounding landscape, between indoor and outdoor areas, while fostering the necessary domestic intimacy.

the facade as it looks before the restoration

the designed loggias envelop the entire building offering usable and scenic outdoor spaces

the current state of the skyscraper

Reference

Paire House and rural surroundings viewed from above

Architecture

Paire House by Rodolfo Cañas provides shelter for a Chilean family

By Zarkon Group,13/05/2023

The tale of Jonah and the Whale informed the design of this house in Chile, which architect Rodolfo Cañas shaped around two gardens.

In the rural town of Pomaire, less than an hour southwest of Santiago, Cañas designed the single-family home to shelter its inhabitants from the elements and the surroundings.

The architect likened the shielding quality of the house to the whale that swallowed the prophet Jonah in the biblical story.

“In some ways, the Paire House can be comparable to the whale that protected Jonah during the storm,” said the architect. “In a rural, dry, rugged environment and also close to a highway with a heavy traffic flow, this house works as a container; a protective body, which separates its inhabitants from the hostile environment and makes them look towards a more sheltered interior.”

Entrance through a garden under a canopy — Entry to the home is via a shaded garden

Viewed from above, the house is shaped like an abstract human body with four limbs that protrude at different angles.

Two parallel circulation routes – one public and one private – and a desire to orient rooms towards specific views dictated this unusual layout.

Living room opens on to enclosed garden — A second enclosed garden sits at the centre of the house

Entrance to the property is via a garden to the north, which is shaded by a canopy and landscaped to funnel visitors towards one gate, and the residents to another.

“This forms the cut between the rugged exterior and the sheltered interior of the house,” said Cañas. “It is a covered garden and considers a more controlled natural lighting in order to generate the cut coming from the outside.”

Kitchen and dining room — An open-plan kitchen, dining room and lounge occupies one of the building’s “legs”

The “body” of the house contains a row of four bedrooms that all face an enclosed garden through floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

Guests pass through the garden on their way to the living spaces, while the family can traverse an interior corridor that passes behind the bedrooms.

Bedrooms facing onto garden — Bedrooms face the central garden through floor-to-ceiling glass doors

Light is brought into this passageway via a skylight that protrudes at an angle above the low roofline.

Overlooking the central garden, an open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area occupies the building’s southwest “leg”.

The primary suite is located in the other, facing southeast. Both open onto terraces that face carefully chosen views of trees in the foreground and hills in the distance.

“The trees are a little misleading when you’re inside, hinting that the outside is wooded and less hostile than it really is,” Cañas explained. “Meanwhile, the nearby hills speak of the real context: a wild and dry environment.”

Paire House at dusk — The home’s layout was dictated by a desire to orient rooms towards particular views

Off the central outdoor space, close to the entry, is another small appendage that contains a games room.

Largely devoid of windows, the exterior walls and internal gardens are wrapped in blackened wood, while interior spaces are minimally decorated and furnished.

Charred timber appears to be a popular choice of cladding material for Chilean houses.

Other examples of its use in the country include a home sheathed entirely in blackened pine, an angular mountain cabin and a beach residence comprising stacked volumes.

The photography is by Aryeh Kornfeld.

Project credits:

Architect: Rodolfo Cañas
Builder: Mauricio Fuenzalida
Drawings: Samuel Riveros

Reference

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina

By Zarkon Group,12/05/2023

From its conserved colonial architecture to its contemporary craft, Argentina’s built environment is colorful and individual. Cities like Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Mendoza have been heavily influenced by European architecture. From Spanish colonial to Art Nouveau to Neoclassical design, the architecture of Argentina offers unique translations of similar programs in 19th-century Europe.

In the 1930s, Argentine architects looked to the work of Le Corbusier, and many began to adopt a rationalist sensibility. The nation’s urban fabric began to shift: the ornate edifices from decades prior were now paired beside geometric and clean-lined designs. Decades later, skyscrapers began to dominate the skylines of Argentine cities, signaling a generation of designers who embraced modern techniques yet maintained a similar aesthetic to their predecessors. And today’s architects continue to push new limits through designs that respond to the country’s breathtaking landscape and celebrate Argentine culture.

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 Argentina 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 Argentina architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 32 best architecture firms in Argentina:

30. BAM! arquitectura

We are a versatile design, urbanism and architecture studio created by young entrepreneurs, who have a comprehensive, creative and challenging look and who are aware of the social and natural environment. We believe that buildings, as people, are more than the sum of its parts. We believe that it is possible to accomplish a blend of design, functionality and context. We believe that in projects co-creation better
results are achieved thanks to teamwork.

Why BAM!? Because we believe in design process innovation as a problem solution. Our clients are those who dare a better living. We create spaces that enable people to interact and communicate.

Some of BAM! arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BAM! arquitectura achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

29. Ça

Ça Arquitectura is an architecture firm based in Argentina. The studio specializes in residential design and commercial design.

Some of Ça’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Ça achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

28. La Base Studio

La Base Studio is a workshop with a triple disciplinary approach, a synergy between architecture, furniture design and landscape. It was founded in Buenos Aires in 1985 by Alejandro Sticotti. Since 2021 is integrated by a group of professionals where Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento lead the architectural area. The main goal is to combine all the knowledge in a coherent language from any scale of intervention. Materiality is fundamental in our work, it is a constant dialectic between thinking and doing. This search is supported by our workshop, where we experiment from construction details to prototypes and production of objects. Focusing on processes, trades and people. With a strong academic imprint in public and private, local and international universities, La Base Studio share this theoretical proposition and establishes new geographical contexts such as its spaces in New York and more recently in Barcelona.

Some of STICOTTI’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped STICOTTI achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

27. Claudio Walter Arquitectos

WALTER Arquitectos is above all a team. The studio, founded in 1992 and led by Claudio Walter, produces rigorously contemporary architecture committed to the responsible use of natural resources . Its coherence is based on its own work methodology, deliberately avoiding the development of a style or formalisms. Each project is a specific search, with clients and technology as inalienable references . The response to program, context, budget and time is necessarily unique.

The WALTER arquitectos team pays special attention to the construction process in order to give the highest quality to the project . In this work, those responsible for the different areas are involved, in the design and development of architectural projects.

Some of Claudio Walter Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Claudio Walter Arquitectos achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

26. forma

forma is a group of young architects and designers who aspire to provide a space for creation and innovation committed to architecture and sustainable development. Design and construction, architects and labor, carpenters, and masons. We seek to be present in every step of the process, we promote the use of both the mind and the hands. We specialize in design, in an integral Architecture, and as we want our projects to be done correctly and under our high standards of definition, we like to be very involved in the construction and execution of the projects. Working together with experienced carpenters and builders we generate a united human group with the same aspirations to offer a quality product.

As a young studio we are in a phase in which wood predominates over other materials. With each project we explore the limits and possibilities of the material with its logics and systems to reach a product that is coherent throughout the whole process from the idea to the material. Wood is a noble material that in addition to its thermal capabilities and malleability means a negative carbon footprint to the ecosystem so its use is highly sustainable. In any case, we look forward to the possibility of exploring new materials.

Some of forma’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped forma achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

25. Nicolás Fernández Sanz

Nicolás Fernández Sanz is an architect based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His specialty includes cultural, commercial and retail architecture.

Some of Nicolás Fernández Sanz’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nicolás Fernández Sanz achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

24. Nidolab Arquitectura

Photo: Federico Kulekdjian – © Nidolab Arquitectura

Nidolab Arquitectura is an architecture firm based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded by Lucía Villarreal and Sol García del Río, the firm specializes in retail, restaurant and residential architecture.

Some of Nidolab Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nidolab Arquitectura achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

23. Najmias Office for Architecture NOA

Najmias Office for Architecture [NOA] offers a wide range of professional services related to the built environment, ranging from new buildings and master plans to small interventions in existing buildings. The common denominator in this diverse portfolio is our experience that is based on finding the balance between an innovative and strong identity with the level of customer expectations and the overall quality of projects.

Our experience, with both public and private clients, has given the team the flexibility to meet customer requirements and needs, while maintaining tight cost control. In NOA, we formulate solutions that create a unique architectural identity, optimizing costs and maximizing the value of the project while considering the social, emotional and intellectual implications both to the environment and users we serve.

Some of Najmias Office for Architecture NOA’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Najmias Office for Architecture NOA achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	4

22. Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS

STC Arquitectos is led by partners Juan Salassa, Ivan Castañeda, and Santiago Tissot. All graduates of the School of Architecture and Design at the National University of Córdoba, secondary colleagues and friends, all three designers have different ideas and ways of thinking with the same goal, trying to reflect and make an architecture that is socially useful in the context that we live today.

The studio was founded back in 2006 and since 2010, the firm collaborates with other professional designers. Our business focuses primarily on two axes, first orders both private and public and other contests architecture.

Some of Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS’s most prominent projects include:

Suburban house, Alta Gracia, Argentina
Refuge in Cordoba, Argentina, Villa Serranita, Argentina
PH Solares, Alta Gracia, Argentina
Spinlock – Magnetic Resonance Solutions, Córdoba, Argentina
contest winners Convention Center Alta gracia, Alta Gracia, Argentina

The following statistics helped Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

21. BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos

Our study brings more than 15 years designing and directing works of architecture with a mission of service to clients seeking effective responses to their needs and budgets, offering spaces with professionalism and quality design.

Some of BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Building in Seguí Street, Santa Fe, Argentina
Castelli Building, Santa Fe, Argentina
House in “Los Molinos”, Santa Fe, Argentina
Brew Bar in Belgrano Station, Santa Fe, Argentina
Building on Candioti street, Santa Fe, Argentina

The following statistics helped BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	9

20. Botteri-Connell

Based in La Plata, Argentina, Estudio Botteri-Connell is known for their cultural and residential designs. The firm takes a collaborative approach to architecture, arising from a deep relationship with their clients and understanding of their needs.

Some of Botteri-Connell’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Botteri-Connell achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

19. Morini Arquitectos

Lucio Morini is an architect based in Córdoba, Argentina. The firm specializes in hospitality and commercial architecture.

Some of Morini Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Morini Arquitectos achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	3

18. Studio Cella Architects

Estudio Cella is an architecture practice based in Argentina. The firm has been around for over three decades and today, is executed by Daniel Cella, Lucía Cella and Pedro Peralta.

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

The following statistics helped Studio Cella Architects achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	2

17. Nicolas Pinto da Mota

Nicolás Pinto da Mota is an architect and lecturer based in Buenos Aires. He founded his practice Nicolás Pinto da Mota Arquitectos in 2008, which has seen developed an extensive portfolio of residential and industrial designs.

Some of Nicolas Pinto da Mota’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nicolas Pinto da Mota achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	4

16. Estudio BaBO

Estudio BaBO was brought to life in 2007 when, after having coincided in a diversity of academic and professional interests, Francisco Kocourek from Buenos aires, Francesc Planas Penad from Barcelona and Marit Haugen Stabell from Oslo, decided to settle in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. From the Colegiales area within the city of Buenos Aires, Estudio BaBO works in Argentina, Spain and Norway, both independently and in collaboration with local practices.

Some of Estudio BaBO’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Estudio BaBO achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

15. Moirë Architects

Moirë arquitectos was founded by Mariel Cámara and Ezequiel Muñoz. Based in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the firm manage all aspects of a design project, from developing the architectural work, managing the construction and advising investors.

Some of Moirë Architects’s most prominent projects include:

House Lucerna, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Atelier Gael, Mar del Plata, Argentina
House Cronos, Pinamar, Argentina
Mio Building – Bonjo III, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Houses Strobel, Mar del Plata, Argentina

The following statistics helped Moirë Architects achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

14. CCPM Arquitectos

At CCPM Architects we work between concept and matter, assembled and designed, landscape and object. We reflect con the place architecture occupies in contemporary culture and we seek in form the critical role of the project. We work in Buenos Aires on a wooden board on two industrial trestles with computers, drawings, models, books, photos, printers, mugs, and mate.

Some of CCPM Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped CCPM Arquitectos achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	3

13. Pablo Gagliardo

Pablo Gagliardo is an Argentine architect who in 2003, founded the architecture practice within the construction company Obring. Pablo Gagliardo develops projects of various scales with a speciality in residential design.

Some of Pablo Gagliardo’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Pablo Gagliardo achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	3

12. Besonias Almeida arquitectos

Besonias Almeida arquitectos is an architecture studio integrated by Argentinian architects María Victoria Besonias and Guillermo de Almeida. They both are engaged in the profession independently since 1975 and as holders of BAKarquitectos architecture office from 2000 until 2012. They leave the certainties to assume that doubt can be a valuable creative material and that any progress on those unknown frontiers should be done walking between boldness and caution.

Some of Besonias Almeida arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Torcuato House Pavilion, Malvinas Argentinas, Argentina
Besonías Almeida House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Wein House, Pinamar, Argentina
Mar Azul House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Concrete House, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Besonias Almeida arquitectos achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	20

11. Estudio Ramos

Based in Buenos Aires and New York, Estudio Ramos has developed a distinctive style that relies on a well defined vision of modernism. Through 40 years of experience the firm has developed its work with a deep respect for architecture’s principles. In their long trajectory of residential and commercial building they seek to understand and interpret each project’s context, pursuing its ideal scale and sustainability. Their goal is to encourage reflection through a simple, pure, and honest architectural language.

Some of Estudio Ramos’s most prominent projects include:

Figueras Polo Stables, General Rodríguez, Argentina
Nacho Figueras House, General Rodríguez, Argentina
Yacht Club House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Accesos Puertos del Lago, Tigre, Argentina
56th Street Apt., New York, United States

The following statistics helped Estudio Ramos achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	33

10. REMY arquitectos

In 2004, architect Andrés Remy founded his studio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where projects with an original style matching functionality and design, are developed. With a focus on residential design and hospitality architecture, the firm has a presence in Argentina as well as the United Arab Emirates.

Some of REMY arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

The Black House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Carrara, Pilar, Argentina
Devoto House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
FSY House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cabos House, Tigre, Argentina

The following statistics helped REMY arquitectos achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	6

9. IR arquitectura

R architecture is a cooperative platform created in 2008 by Luciano Intile and Andrés Rogers. Composed by architects and industrial designers trained in different academic and practical areas, this platform serves as an open, malleable, and symbiotic system. It is its multidisciplinary nature which allows it to address the integrated management of work. IR architecture makes focus on social, environmental and economic issues with the objective of creating urban, architectural and object-based models, responding to functional and aesthetic requirements self-imposed, seeking higher energy efficiency records. The harmonious relationship with users and their environment mobilizes this thinking applied to each stage of the process, from the choice of materials, construction systems to the function of the parts themselves.

Some of IR arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped IR arquitectura achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

8. RTN Arquitectos

Founded by Javier Rivarola, Gustavo Trosman and Ricardo Norton in 2000, RTN is an architectural and urban planning firm based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The firm commits to high quality standards beginning with concept design phase up to construction documents. Our intent is to get involved in the overall process, even during construction phase, in order to maintain strict control over the final quality.
RTN develops projects locally and internationally.

Some of RTN Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Beale Street Landing, Memphis, United States
Dashi, Buenos Aires, Argentina
White and Gray House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
MB House, Tigre, Argentina
Ruiz Huidobro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped RTN Arquitectos achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

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

7. MSGSSV

MSGSSS is an architectural practice based in Buenos Aires with more than 50 years of professional experience. Through unexpected pathways we develop an architecture far away from imitative procedures, for away from repeating models. Multi-dimensional approaches, minor interventions and major projects all form part of our background and they are all handled with the same interest. Each and every problem is worthy of an in-depth search for the right solution, because the magic of architecture lies in the intensity and passion that go into it.

Some of MSGSSV’s most prominent projects include:

HOUSE IN MARTINEZ, Martínez, Argentina
Coca-Cola Headquarters, Buenos Aires, Argentina
PRO.CRE.AR Buenos Aires Station Sector 10 , Buenos Aires, Argentina
Campus La Calandria, Pilar, Argentina
Paraguay Government Offices, Asunción, Paraguay

The following statistics helped MSGSSV achieve 7th place in the 32 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	9

6. Hitzig Militello arquitectos

We are an architectural firm which develops civil construction and interior design, according to the commission. We have a long experience in F&B, leisure and hospitality design, where we focus in generating creative concepts. We also take commissions of housing and multiple housing. The office counts with an integral team for each one of the phases required in the project, according to the commission, which works together with technical consultants and specialized suppliers.

Our philosophy is based on the idea of integral design. This means we merge aspects of a brand, use abstract concepts for its contextualization, work with artistic tools and visual communication, (archigraphy), and interior design.

Some of Hitzig Militello arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Atelier Vilela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Office + House Luna, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Goodsten, Martínez, Argentina
Victoria Brown Bar & Restaurant, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Art Gallery – Objeto A, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Hitzig Militello arquitectos achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	26

5. Alric Galindez

Alric Galindez began its activities in 1995, designing from the beginning different types of works with a special interest in the development of contemporary proposals. The firm has completed more than 250 works and projects of different scales and programs. With offices in Buenos Aires and San Carlos de Bariloche working together in the search for a proactive synergy in search of ideas.

Training and professional growth is of particular interest to the firm. Participation in national and international competitions and teaching at the University of Buenos Aires, as well as participation in exhibitions and conferences are part of this concern.

Some of Alric Galindez’s most prominent projects include:

MD House , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
CS House , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Vizu Jaus , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
RM House , Mar de Ajó, Argentina
Dachas , San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

The following statistics helped Alric Galindez achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	8

Top image: MD House by Alric Galindez, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

4. Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus

This architecture studio is oriented to the design, direction, and execution of works. Working as a team, they interpret the client’s needs through a different, global, and creative vision, which transforms project objectives into precise and uniquely efficient proposals, immersions in a real economic context. They follow up and evaluate throughout the creative process, select both in the project and in the operational technician, optimize and refine the results.

Some of Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Nido, San Fernando Partido, Argentina
Casa Tana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa L, La Costa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Graffiti House, Tigre, Argentina
Casa Rampa, Belén de Escobar, Argentina

The following statistics helped Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	14

3. Estudio Galera

Estudio Galera is dedicated to the design, management, and construction of architecture, providing complete solutions and appropriate responses to challenges. In this sense, the architectural studio becomes the right place to reformulate conventional issues related to architecture considering the environment, climate, economic, and personal factors that might affect those people who will inhabit those places.

The methodology consists of the collection of data and analysis of the problem from different points of view towards ensuring the best results. Thus, the teamwork allows orderly planning and optimization of the resources. The organization of management, documentation, and communication enables developments to be achieved in a timely manner. Cordiality, respect and personalize attention are key factors to enjoy the process. Therefore, the active participation of clients is essential so that the completion of projects can meet their expectations.

Some of Estudio Galera’s most prominent projects include:

Casa AYYA, Pinamar, Argentina
Casa RINCÓN, Ostende, Argentina
Batin House, Pinamar, Argentina
KVS House, La Esmeralda, Argentina
Wanka House, Cariló, Argentina

The following statistics helped Estudio Galera achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	17

2. Luciano Kruk Arquitectos

Luciano Kruk Arquitectos was founded in 2012 by Argentine architect Luciano Kruk. The practice is known for its residential designs.

Some of Luciano Kruk Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

House in the Dune, La Costa Partido, Argentina
S+J House, La Costa Partido, Argentina
10 House, Buenos Aires, Argentina
House in the Trees, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The following statistics helped Luciano Kruk Arquitectos achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	15
Total Projects	13

1. BAK Arquitectos

BAK Arquitectos is an Argentine firm founded in 2000 by architects María Victoria Besonías, Guillermo de Almeida, and Luciano Kruk. The team believes that modern architecture should be flexible and responsive to the client’s wishes.

Some of BAK Arquitectos’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Carassale, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa Pedroso, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Casa JD, Mar Azul, Argentina
Casa en La Playa, Mar Azul, Argentina
AV House, Mar Azul, Argentina

The following statistics helped BAK Arquitectos achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Argentina:

Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	13

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

katata yoshihito's exhibition-like gallery showcases tojiro knives in tokyo

Architecture

katata yoshihito’s exhibition-like gallery showcases knives in tokyo

By Zarkon Group,11/05/2023

katata yoshihito design unveils tojiro knife gallery

Katata Yoshihito Design shapes Japanese knife manufacturer TOJIRO’s first store in Tokyo as an interactive and informative exhibition space that encapsulates the brand’s quality of craftsmanship. The TOJIRO Knife Gallery is conceived as a multipurpose complex divided into two sections that showcase the product ranges and their context with full transparency. A main gallery space bathed in hues of grey and geometric frames uniformly exhibits the knives along the wall at eye level to maximize the site’s small area and encourage engagement. Meanwhile, a maintenance room equipped with the machinery used at TOJIRO’s main factory allows visitors to explore the technical manufacturing process.

all images courtesy of Katata Yoshihito

spatially translating the knife brand’s values

Spatially translating the knife brand’s values and characteristics, creative consulting and design firm Katata Yoshihito Design’s material palette comprises steel frames, wood wool boards, and corrugated panels to echo those used in TOJIRO’s main factory space in Tsubame City. This is enhanced by the integration of various grey tones which work to spotlight the products themselves while unifying the two divided zones and establishing a sense of cohesiveness.

Designed to house various functions, the gallery’s kitchen studio engages in a clean and sharp aesthetic where visitors are invited to partake in cooking classes and also experience the products first-hand. In the maintenance room, customers can experience a factory-like ambience and learn more about TOJIRO,

project info:

name: TOJIRO Knife Gallery
designer: Yoshihito Katata

location: Tokyo, 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

Architecture

MVRDV designs “stack of country villas” for Montevideo housing block

By Zarkon Group,10/05/2023

Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has released visuals of Ziel, a pixelated residential block made up of stone-clad family units for Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo,

Described by MVRDV “as a stack of country villas”, the 15-storey building is being developed to offer residents of the dense Punta Carretas neighbourhood a more suburban lifestyle.

The design responds to the trend of Uruguayans moving out of the city and to the countryside in search of more space and greenery when starting a family.

“In Montevideo, like in many other cities, it’s common that once people start a family, they leave – buying a villa in the countryside and reducing the vitality of the city,” said founding partner Jacob van Rijs.

“With our design, we wanted to show that you can have the spaciousness and nature of the countryside on the tenth floor in the middle of the city,” added partner Frans de Witte.

“We believe the city should be for everyone, including families with children,” de Witte continued.

Visual of staggered exterior for housing block in Uruguay — The building will be made up of stone-clad family homes

Ziel is MVRDV’s first project in Uruguay. It will comprise 40 homes designed in collaboration with Argentinan architect Monoblock for local developer IXOU.

The site of the project is close to the ocean and next to the Villa Biarritz park in Punta Carretas, on the southern tip of Montevideo.

Courtyard of Ziel by MVRDV — A courtyard sits at its centre

The distinctive, pixelated form of the building will be created by shifting the floorplans of all 40 homes.

Externally, they will be clad in various stones with “warm, earthy tones” and complemented by bronze window frames.

Inside, there will be ten different home types, ranging in size from two to four beds. There will also be a rooftop lounge and dining room, a restaurant and shared swimming, gym and spa facilities.

To recreate the feeling of living a suburban lifestyle in a dense urban area, a key feature of Ziel’s design will be the integration of open green spaces. According to MVRDV, the pixelated arrangement of the block will also maximise natural light and air that can enter.

Apartment balcony of Ziel by MVRDV — There will be a series of outdoor spaces

The green spaces at Ziel will include a central courtyard, as well as private terraces, shared patios and “sky gardens” across its levels.

These sky gardens will occupy the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth floors of the building and will be filled with plants and landscaped for various activities.

Rooftop pool overlook Uruguayan capital — A swimming pool will be shared by residents

Founded in 1991, MVRDV is an architecture studio led by Winy Maas with van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries.

Another recent housing project by the studio includes Ilot Queyries in Bordeaux, France, which is folded around a large red courtyard.

The visuals are courtesy of MVRDV.

Reference

ADU Portland. Exterior view and section.

Architecture

ADUs Bring Organic Growth to Suburbia, And We Desperately Need More Of It.

By Zarkon Group,09/05/2023

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) mandated by the State of California override local planning regulations to permit a second unit on almost any single-family zoned property. The law also allows any single-family zoned lot to be subdivided into two parcels. Additionally, it allows ADUs to be built with just a four-foot setback or no setback at the new interior property line of a subdivided parcel, in contrast with most towns, which have setbacks of more than 7 feet, up to 30 feet. It also mandates very relaxed parking requirements or no parking if the project is near public transit.

Is California paving the way for ADUs across the US?

ADU Portland. Left: Exterior view; right: building section. Courtesy of Webster Wilson Architect. Image by Caitlin Murray.

ADUs: A Solution for Affordable Housing Shortage

California has long grappled with an acute housing shortage, especially affordable housing. Local governments, under the thrall of NIMBY residents trying to preserve the rural/suburban “character” of their communities, have not been very cooperative with state goals for new housing.

Local planning departments bristle at their authority being usurped by the state, but for growing numbers of people, these ADU rules offer welcome flexibility and opportunities for growth in a place that is building better, more stable communities, providing housing, and stemming sprawl.

ADUs for Families of all Sorts of Forms

The endless swaths of single-family houses spreading across the hills and valleys of suburbia are the physical manifestation of a culture that fetishized the nuclear family — and conspicuous consumption. But, a simple nuclear family unit has never been anywhere near the universal living arrangement and is becoming ever less universal. Homeowners are using the ADU rules to build houses for a kaleidoscopic variety of living arrangements and “families” of all shapes, types, and sizes.

Drone view of suburban Utah town and Modern addition to existing house in the Salt Lake City area

Left: Drone view of similar houses, driveways, and yards in the Utah suburbs. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons via rawpixel; right: Modern addition to an existing suburban house in the Salt Lake City area. Image by Brian Babb via Unsplash.

From Granny Flat to Rental Property

Having a place for “granny” is hardly the only use for these units. Homeowners may be looking for something affordable for grown children and their partners that doesn’t force them to move hours away. They’re also looking for flexibility and future-proofing. What is grandma’s house today can become an income rental property that allows a homeowner on a fixed income to afford to stay in place.

Family party BBQ. Chicago. Image by Tela Chhe via Flickr.

Building Stronger Communities

The law allows a single-family zoned parcel to be subdivided into two parcels, and each of these parcels to have two units, so up to four units can be made from a single-family house. This lets people do what traditionally has often been standard operating procedure: houses are extended to accommodate growing and branching families. It can help keep extended families together, which in turn, builds stronger communities.

Breaking the Monotony of Suburban Architecture

These new units are also changing the look and feel of suburbia for the better as well. Blank two-car garage doors are being replaced by lively facades of windows and openings. The tighter setbacks help give the remodeled houses a different rhythm and feel on the street, breaking the monotonous sameness of cookie-cutter ranchers.

Courtyard DADU, Seattle, Washington. Left: View from the courtyard; right: floor plan. Courtesy of Robert Hutchison Architecture. Photo by Eirik Johnson.

YIMBY!

Until the advent of professional planners, towns and cities almost always grew and became more densely developed in small steps in exactly this way. This laisser-faire method of “planning” has produced most of the best, most treasured urban landscapes across the world. Our banal suburban sprawl may yet be redeemed through organic in-fill growth done by and for residents who are increasingly proclaiming YIMBY! (Yes, In My Back Yard).

This article was written in collaboration with Californian architect Ian Ayers.

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter.

Reference

Architecture

Villa K by Saukkonen+Partners stands on a remote Finnish island

material selection and color scheme reflect the natural setting

Showcasing the Unending Value of Paper Architecture

A Second Life for ‘Lost Projects’

Conceptualization: Sketching and Diagramming – The Napkin Chronicles

Schematic Design: 2D CAD Drawings – Back to the Grid

Design Development: 3D Modeling – The Taming of the Shrewd

Visualization: Rendering and Virtual Reality – The Picture-Perfect Performance

Construction Documentation: BIM – The Clash of the Disciplines

Digital Fabrication: Parametric Design – A Brave New World

Interactive Presentations: Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – The Future is Now

Studio Marco Piva reconstructs Torre Antonini after fire

dynamic parapets and innovative green spaces adorn the tower

How are these architecture firms ranked?

30. BAM! arquitectura

29. Ça

28. La Base Studio

27. Claudio Walter Arquitectos

26. forma

25. Nicolás Fernández Sanz

24. Nidolab Arquitectura

23. Najmias Office for Architecture NOA

22. Salassa-tissot-castañeda / STC ARQUITECTOS

21. BIAGIONI / PECORARI arquitectos

20. Botteri-Connell

19. Morini Arquitectos

18. Studio Cella Architects

17. Nicolas Pinto da Mota

16. Estudio BaBO

15. Moirë Architects

14. CCPM Arquitectos

13. Pablo Gagliardo

12. Besonias Almeida arquitectos

11. Estudio Ramos

10. REMY arquitectos

9. IR arquitectura

8. RTN Arquitectos

7. MSGSSV

6. Hitzig Militello arquitectos

5. Alric Galindez

4. Estudio PK – Ignacio Pessagno & Lilian Kandus

3. Estudio Galera

2. Luciano Kruk Arquitectos

1. BAK Arquitectos

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

A Guide to Project Awards

katata yoshihito design unveils tojiro knife gallery

spatially translating the knife brand’s values

ADUs: A Solution for Affordable Housing Shortage

ADUs for Families of all Sorts of Forms

From Granny Flat to Rental Property

Building Stronger Communities

Breaking the Monotony of Suburban Architecture

YIMBY!

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