Emma Walshaw is the founder of First In Architecture and Detail Library. She has written a number of books aiming to facilitate a better understanding of construction and detailing. First In Architecture is a website providing resources and guides for architects and students. 

For many people, work is their life. They spend 40+ hours a week at the office and this time can be some of the most rewarding or most frustrating depending on how well your office space is set up. The planning of a workplace or office is not just about how the space looks, but also about what is important to employees.

There are many things to take into consideration as there are different factors that can impact productivity and employee morale. Here are just a few things to consider when designing a new office or workplace.

A Changing Workplace

The shape of offices has changed over the last couple of decades, with office design becoming a way to attract talent, increase productivity and creativity, show off the companies modernity and get into architectural design websites and magazines. Google, anyone? In the 21st century, office design became fashionable.

Yet, with the era of Covid 19, work practices are rapidly changing. Suddenly, companies are not only offering flexible working hours, multiple work locations within one building, but also work from home. Only time will tell how long the work from home option continues.

These changes are leading to different new concepts for office design and a necessity for flexibility more than ever. Meeting the current needs of the organization is not the only challenge that designers face; they must also anticipate the company’s future needs and design with the adaptability required to fulfill them. Good office design has been attributed to improved health and wellbeing of employees, increased productivity, staff retention and sense of community. All the more reason to invest time and effort in creating a great office design.

Office Planning

There are many variables and factors that will inform a new workplace design and this guide cannot cover the full gamut. However, we will explore some of the design considerations and key points to address when designing a new office.

Establishing the requirements of the organization that will use the office will be one of the first aspects of the design. At this point, input from many of the end users will be useful in creating a picture of the workplace experience that the company are looking to achieve.

How Will the Office Be Used?

What are the aims and objectives of the organization? What different duties and roles are carried out in the organization and how might that change in the future? How do the employees work now, and how do they want to work? What do the employees need in order to be as effective as possible? Do visitors come to the office?

How Does the Company Want To Portray Its Brand?

Does the organization want to show its brand and personality in the design of the office? What kind of brand values and messages does the company want to portray to its employees and visitors? Many more questions can be asked about the culture of the company and more to gain a deep understanding of who the company is and what they are trying to achieve.

Journey Design

Journey design is a large part of the early office design. This goes beyond considering the journey from the entrance of the building to your desk, and how you might get there.

Journey design is about understanding the experience, through all sensory factors, in each part of the building. How are people going to interact with the building? What will their experience be and how will they perceive the company? These questions apply to both employees and visitors.

Most offices can be separated into zones:

Arrival or Entrance Zone

First entry into the office for both staff and visitors. Staff could have alternative entrance in larger office buildings. The entrance is often welcoming and open to the public.

Visitor or Public Zone

The visitor zone is where meetings may take place, whether in a formal meeting room or cafe. The visitor zone consists of employees and people that don’t work for the company. Usually, in larger offices, the visitor areas are kept separate from the main staff working areas.

Working Zone

The working zone is accessible to staff only and usually will consist of office/desk space, meeting rooms and the core functions of the company.

Social Zone

The social zone allows for more informal meetings, refreshments and other activities that aren’t suited to the working zone. How the employees and visitors journey to and through these zones should be carefully considered.

Spatial and Room Requirements

In addition to these types of questions, it is also important to establish spatial and physical requirements from the organization. In short, what rooms/spaces do they need, how many staff do they have, what size canteen will they need, how many sanitary facilities, and so on.

These spaces will perform a variety of functions. The functions will have an impact on how that space is designed. For example, if the offices require focus work, consideration will be taken in minimizing noise and creating a good working environment without distraction. Let’s look at the room types:

• Focus work: routine work, long durations
• Casual / informal: more mobile spaces, small short casual meetings
• Private / quiet space: concentration, confidential, reflection
• Group work: casual/information meeting spaces, group tasks, away from focus area
• Meetings: dedicated rooms for meetings, work, learning, interviews etc.
• Amenities: areas for refreshment, relaxation, social interaction, wellbeing
• Services: support services such as IT, cleaning, security

Office Design Considerations

The following section will give general tips and pointers for good office design. Some of the suggestions below will be dependent on the size and nature of the office to be designed.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

All accessibility design standards should be met and exceeded where possible. Creating an inclusive and accessible office ensures it can be used by a wide and diverse range of people. Consider both visible and non visible disabilities and how the spaces can be used without the need for assistance. Spaces and facilities should be provided that avoid separation, segregation or unnecessary effort.

Flexibility

As mentioned earlier, offices are changing environments. The design must include flexibility to adapt to changes of the organization. Modular designs that are multifunctional can help to allow for these changes. Designs can also include options for easy upgrading as technology advances.

Safety and Security

Depending on the nature and location of the office, security measures are often an important consideration. Entry to the building itself should be welcoming and without obstruction, but it is often necessary to incorporate secure access to the non public areas. This should be done discreetly, and with the option of upgrading or altering as required.

Technology

Technology is a key part of a successful organization. Digital infrastructure must be integrated into the design early to ensure a strong workflows. Again, the technology must be organized and designed in such a way that upgrades are possible with minimal disruption.

Employee Wellbeing

Working to conserve employee wellbeing can come in many forms. Work is a key part of our lives and it is important that employees feel supported and are given the opportunity and amenities to flourish. If an employee is feeling physically and mentally fit, they are more likely to feel engaged and driven in the workplace.

Provide an office that is comfortable, with a healthy working environment, along with good indoor air quality with a mix of natural and mechanical ventilation. Design facilities for reflection, and ensure the use of lighting, acoustics and colors reduce stress.

If appropriate, an onsite gym or social area can also be provided.

Lighting

An office contains a variety of spaces that fullfil different roles. The lighting design will need to reflect the different spaces. For example, the reception area may be designed to be light and bright and welcoming. While office spaces might have more focused lighting and measures to prevent glare. Quiet spaces and areas for reflection will have softer lighting. The lighting design of an workplace will enhance the mood and activities of the spaces. Lighting design incorporates both natural and artificial lighting techniques.

Acoustics

Similar to lighting design, the acoustics must be designed according to the spaces and functions carried out within those spaces.

For some open plan offices provide a challenge for some employees, as noise levels and distractions around them can have a negative effect on productivity. However, if an office is too quiet some report this to be a little unnerving.

Finding a good balance in the acoustics is important. Acoustic materials that absorb excess noise can help to improve communication between teams, improve privacy for private phone calls, and allow employees to focus better on complex or concentrated tasks.

Having a variety of spaces that are acoustically designed will allow for staff to select the space according to their requirements, ie, group discussion, formal meeting and so on.

Conclusion

Office design is a large topic and we’ve only scratched the surface here. The workplace has been changing over time and offices need to be flexible, considering how they will be used with employees of different generations who have varying needs for work-life balance. These considerations also include understanding what types of space are required in an office environment given that many people today don’t just use their desktop or laptop all day long at one location. We hope this blog post has provided you with some insight into getting started on your own journey towards designing an ideal workplace!

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Bricks have been one of the oldest construction materials in the history of architecture. Early bricks were blocks of mud or clay that were left to dry in the sun in hot climates and then used to build shelters after hardening. Centuries after they were first invested, man started using fire to bake them, helping their formation in colder climates. To this day, architects use bricks made from local soil or clay to build low-cost durable structures across the world.

Traditional Mexican homes were often built using clay-based soil bricks. These load-bearing structured offered good resistance against harsh climates. Yet, as Mexico became a mecca for modernism, concrete became more and more popular (just think of Felix Candela‘s thin shell marvels!). However, given the increasing awareness around sustainable materials, architects are also now shifting back to locally made clay or adobe bricks given their low cost and easy availability in the region. Here are a few examples of how Mexican architects are using bricks not only for construction but also as the dominant aesthetic features in projects.

Iturbide Studio by TALLER Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Mexico City, Mexico
Popular Winner, 2018 A+Awards, Private House (XS <1000 sq ft)

This three-story home resembles a solid block of clay from the outside. Three planes of marble, concrete and wood combine to create different levels and voids within. The remaining vertical surfaces are covered in different brick arrangements throughout the house. The external facades almost form a brick lattice to allow light to enter the adjacent courtyard. Here, clay becomes the dominant material with furnishings to match.

Cultural Center at Centro Educativo de Morelia by doho constructivo + Iván Marín Arquitectura, Morelia, Mexico
Popular Winner, 2019 A+Awards, Architecture +Brick

Part of a school complex, the cultural center replaces the old library that was present on site. It makes use of two metal containers, the foundation, floors and peripheral walls of the older structure. The structure features brick lattices and open spaces to maximize the amount of light entering it given the close proximity of buildings around it. The brick pattern on the walls continues through the roof as well to make it seem like one homogenous block.

Pavilion ( ) by MICHAN ARCHITECTURE, Kababie Arquitectos, Colectivo Seis and Taller Paralelo Mexico City, Mexico

Pavilion ( ) stands as a symbol of resilience after the physical destruction and emotional toll caused by the earthquakes in 2017. It takes the form of a crater, creating a cocoon for reflection. The structure resembles an inverted vault constrained by a square perimeter. People can enter the space through a triangular gap on one side and then find themselves surrounded by walls of bricks. The studio wanted to use the structure to remind visitors that the emptiness they felt at that moment wasn’t permanent. The bricks from this temporary exhibit were then used to reconstruct houses in San Gregorio Altapulco.

Casa UC by Daniela Bucio Sistos // Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, Morelia, Mexico

Conceptualized as a “walkable residence”, this home blurs the boundaries between the outside and inside. As one explores the house, they come across different textures and micro-environments stimulating their senses at every turn. Given its monochromatic palette, the architect uses bricks in a variety of ways to create a rich texture, thereby enriching the spatial experience. These walls are paired with floating roofs, circular openings and austere brown surfaces. The home features several voids that change the user experience as light travels across them throughout the day.

Davy Johns Café by RED arquitectos, Heroica Veracruz, Mexico

Unlike the other structures on this list, brick features prominently in the roof of this café. The studio remodeled an old house with charming brick vaults and a patio to imagine this cozy and earthy eatery. The tones of the bricks in the walls are replicated using wood and leather throughout the space. These are contrasted with tiles floors, dark accents and a variety of plants to make it more inviting and homely.

1200 Bricks Little Chapel by S-AR, Santiago, Mexico

More meditation space than a worship structure, this chapel is meant to serve just one person at a time. The form is a simple trapezoidal block of human scale with a cross at one end and a seat at the other. It is made up of 1,200 hollow red bricks that are slid onto metal rods of different heights, almost creating a cage. This gives the illusion that they are simply placed on top of one another without any binding agents. In order to create a seamless introspection bubble, the floor is covered with bricks as well.

Saint Peter House by Cafeína Design, Cholula, Mexico

Red brick, which is a popular building material in San Pedro Cholula, features prominently in this house. What makes it stand out is the angular arrangement of bricks on the front façade to create visual interest in a cost-effective way. The double-height home also includes an internal courtyard and an interior terrace to increase the amount of natural light inside.

Centinela Chapel by Estudio ALA, Arandas, Mexico

The rectangular form of this chapel draws inspiration from the mixed-use spaces that were originally found in this region. It combines covered and open spaces for gatherings and events. The building cantilevers over a lake and overlooks a factory and agave fields. Users enter the building through a low-height doorway that evokes a sense of intimacy and privacy and then transition to a large open volume. The brick and pink sandstone complex has two main blocks that open into a courtyard to make the space more flexible. Furthermore, the cross can also be moved depending on the requirements of the events that are held within.

Ruta del Peregrino Refugies by Luis Aldrete, Jal., Mexico

This structure is designed as a module that can be multiple to serve different functions and scales. Its height is divided into two parts, a solid base and a perforated top for light and ventilation. One of the sides has a big window and the other is also covered in perforations for air circulation. These perforations are created by staggering the bricks within the arrangement, ensuring that the exterior remains homogenous.

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Explore a further 25 extraordinary architectural visualizations, each one a Finalist in the 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge. Let us know which are your favorites on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #OneRenderingChallenge!

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“7th Element” by Hugo Ferreira, Pedro Teixeira, Gonçalo Alves and Catarina Brites (okdraw studio)

“This image is part of a set of images developed for a competition for the 7th bridge on Douro’s river in Porto, Portugal. Porto is a very foggy city, with a very peculiar light. We tried to embrace this atmosphere, alongside the idea of scales, between the old city and the new architecture.

architecture: CNLL architects + Helder da Rocha”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“Field trip” by Hugo Ferreira, Pedro Teixeira, Gonçalo Alves and Catarina Alves (okdraw studio)

“This image is part of a set of images done for the Environment Museum Design Competition, V.N. Gaia, Portugal. We got inspired by the natural materials like concrete and brick, of this very straight forward auditorium, and wanted to give this atmosphere of deep space, a hole on the ground like somewhere between Wieliczka Salt Mine and James Turrel.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“Mountain Cabin” by Qiantailong Shi

“In the cottage in the mountain, you don’t have to buy flowerpots and plant all kinds of flowers and plants in order to create a quiet and elegant environment like city people. There are countless flowers and plants in the mountains. As long as you set foot outdoors, you will enjoy countless fragrances and surprises. These beautiful messengers of nature breathe the breath of the mountains, enjoy the sunshine of the mountains, suck the rain and dew of the mountains, and bloom gorgeous and dazzling flowers.”

Software used: 3ds Max, SketchUp, Corona Renderer

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“Do Look Up” by Weiwei Toh

“What happens when post-anthropogenic destruction of forests has necessitated a new paradigm of above-ground forestry labs, catalyzing the radiant hope for a flourishing of ecosystems of mycelium and plant growth? “Do Look Up” is predicated upon the anxieties of living and reconciling with the preceding age of environmental collapse and landscape desolation.

A spatial spectacle is formed through the physicalization of what is often not seen, allowing a public approach to understanding the roles of deep root systems and soil pedogenesis in influencing carbon storage of forests. Under-soil ecologies of mycology thrive and enable studies on mycelium biomaterials; communal-living is activated through the open experimentations of using organic, plant-based, low-emission substrates from fungiculture or horticulture as a means of constructing pod-based lived habitats for humans. The prototypical mega-living typology situates itself as an antidote to chaos — a new mode that allows us another chance to live with nature.”

Software used: Rhino, Photoshop, Other

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“Copenaghen Opera House” by Antonio D’avolio

“The image depicts one of the icons of the city of Copenhagen, the Opera house, designed by the Danish architect Henning Larsen between 2001 and 2004. During my trip to the Danish capital I took some photos of it and used them as a reference to reproduce this personal work of mine. I focused my attention on reproducing a lighting that could emphasize not only the building but the whole context.
I hope you like it!”

Software used: 3ds Max, Rhino, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“The winter of Cipea” by Vann Roark

“The Context: The Cipea house is located within a natural forest context in Nanjing, China, the introspective architecture brings the main focus inward allowing the organically shaped openings to simulate the shape of a traditional Chinese scroll cohabiting with the immediate landscape.

The Archviz | The winter history: A black building in a winter context, a cold environment with warm lighting, I want to achieve visual confusions between the real context and the influence of colors and light.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Other

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“Above the water surface” by Jakub Ptaszny

“He stopped at the edge of giant round space and looked up at the delirious structure towering beyond the entire landscape. The main ring rose in the last few months over 10 cm through the accelerating speed of rising water caused by massive iceberg melting. In everyone’s mind was if the height of the pillars is enough to protect them from an ongoing catastrophe. Floating City has been growing in the past decade extremely quickly, as the area of dry land was shrinking.

This is the only solution for the fate that they prepared for us, the Landers, our ancestors and our downfall. He turned out to the nearest staircase and looked down at the people. They look like thousands of tiny fireflies, only a few meters from being put out. They are gonna move us up another 10 cm” he said and started going to his apartment.”

Software used: Blender, Other

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“Gaia Responds” by Alan Curtis

“A house being swallowed by the sea
Who’s responsible, is it you or me?
Or is it both of us
Striving for fame and fortune,
But instead, gaining infamy.

We’ve built a house of cards on the foundations of bereft mythologies, in particular mythologies that promote the devaluation and commodification of nature with the result being alienation, loneliness and anxiety. Maybe the final question will be: was it worth it?”

Software used: SketchUp, Other

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“Southworld: East Park” by Zoe Russian Moreno

“The park is in an envisioned theme set in the 1960’s retro futuristic Latin America. Visitors can feel the experience of a ‘wild’ space where nature harmonizes with its architectural surroundings making it appear organic. Using landmarks that defined generations of happy memories as a source of inspiration it engages with the possibility of extension and adaptability with different influential settings of culture. The park has created lifelike androids that ‘act’ as the animals supplanting their real counterparts for education and entertainment purposes. Although it’s an engaging experience, people will still need to use their own ‘air purifiers’ because things are never what they seem. Tailored prevention inside the park is most important. One never knows what could happen… A reality not so different from our own.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop

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“The Ocean Regeneration Alliance – The General Assembly” by Wee Kee Goh

“The Ocean Regeneration Alliance becomes a beacon of hope in the South China Sea and seeks to create regional peace through cooperative ocean protection efforts. Reassessing our relationship with ocean plastics and oil rigs, and turning our problems into potential solutions.

The image depicts an ongoing hearing in the General Assembly Chamber, whereby the architecture harnesses the power of complete scene immersion to induce empathy among policy makers when making big governmental decisions. The occupants will not only be immersed visually with the state of the ocean around them, but are also able to touch, feel and smell the interior furniture designed from recycled ocean plastics.

With huge advancements in computation design and additive manufacturing technology, material properties such as PET plastics can be recycled and incorporated into digital models for construction. Hence, the blue washed interior and beautiful marbling textures from the plastic recycling process, creating a Plastic Architecture.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino, Blender, Photoshop, Other

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“Disk House” by Karim Rashid

“Dubbed “The Disk House”, the design of this circular, see-through residence, came as response to the Covid lockdown.The concept of the Disk House is to have 360 degrees views, with no sharp corners and no obstructive columns. “Being locked down for so many months now, made me realize how important the connection with the exterior is – and how much a glazed surface can do for you. Transparency is immaterial, hence your space always feels much larger and it creates a positive mental psyche”, says Karim.

Fully glazed, both the architecture and interior design flow freely in this curved home. The central column not only creates the overall support, but also runs all electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing, and technology. The two-bedroom, two and a half bathroom house expands over 200 square meters and two floors. Outside, a circular pool delineates the house, adding to the fresh environment.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Rhino

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“A Postcard from Brutalism” by Sara Martella

“This image represent one of the iconic architecture of Brutalism: the Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Highway Construction (today Bank of Georgia) located in Tblisi (Georgia). The concept of this work, ideally inspired by Christopher Herwing’s photography , is to restore luster to architectures “unexpectedly beautiful” of brutalism; from that the idea of conceiving the image as a postcard, extrapolating the architecture from its current decay context and make it the protagonist.

The architecture is not portrayed in its entirety on purpose to be able to give a more intimate and subjective representation; we cannot see the building in its entirety but we are able to understand its grandeur, its forms and at the same time its fragility. The atmosphere is melancholy and with the use of color try to find and emphasize the essence of brutalism and Soviet architecture.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop

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“Crystalline” by Dawid Wisniewski

“The image has been created for a design competition featuring a high rise commercial development in Hudson Yards, New York. A rhythmic and geometric composition has been chosen over a more dramatic perspective to bring focus to the subtleties of the facade and lobby space behind.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Other

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“LAX 2150 Spaceport” by Joseph Gregory Siml

“The LAX 2150 Spaceport imagines what the travel center may become as our civilization inevitably trends towards advancement. As technology becomes more complex and the population grows, new challenges arise for architectural planners. How will flying vehicles be accommodated? How will giant crowds move through LAX? How will climate pollution and sustainability be addressed?

The LAX 2150 Spaceport envisions how these issues might be addressed and paints a hopeful picture for the future of humanity. In this future, technology is responsibly used, ushering in a new age of prosperity for all. All socio-economic classes can access the port and the unlimited potential of outer space.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Rhino, Enscape, Photoshop

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“The Meeting” by Zana Bamarni

“- Hey! Im glad you could make it.
– Hi Deckard! Yeah of course. Wouldn’t want to miss this.
– How are you doing? How was your flight? Better than the last time, I hope.
– Doing great, thanks. The flight was amazing. Still can’t believe you can cross the pond in an hour nowadays.
– Pretty amazing, isn’t it?! Come on, lets head inside. The others allready ordered their drinks.
– Wait a second I need to …
– Forgot something?
– Nevermind. Let’s go inside.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino

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“Succubus” by Hristo Rizov

“The image depicts a contemporary concept theater hall in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia that stages the ballet dance performance called “Succubus”.
Bold and modern – both space and show leave audiences in awe with the final words:
“Roaming the realm of dreams
Showing in unexpected places.
Why did I love you
But never told you?
Why did I try to save you
But never could save myself?””

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop

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“The Eden Initiative” by Hudson KadeHudson Parris Matthew Cox

“Fourteen billion pounds of trash, most of it plastic, is carelessly dumped in the world’s oceans every year. The enormity of this waste problem requires an equally scaled solution. The Eden Initiative is a waste-to-energy plant that seeks to converge and address two of the greatest challenges confronting mankind today—pollution of our oceans and pollution of our atmosphere.

The form gives way to combining a fluid dynamic structure with a tower-like presence that allows one to see for kilometers. The system gathers and consumes tons of trash every hour with the massive intake on the structure’s front. In the building’s belly, waste is burned, and energy is produced in the form of hot gases used to heat water, produce steam, and turn a turbine that generates electricity. The height symbolizes the scale of the issue as it floats from port city to port city.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino, Photoshop

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“The Collectors” by Utkan Yonter

“It will happen soon. Sooner than you expect.
We will surrender and they will conquer.
One day we will all be gone, and they will live.
Destroying our world as we know it, they will make it their own. They will bludgeon down our walls, smash through our roofs, level our cities … They will trample over everything with disdain for our values.
Except … they will not be insensible to beauty.
Perfect, so intelligent, they will honor our artistic endeavors. They will know them better than us, understand them better than us: study them, analyze them, even try to copy them.
But they will not succeed. Without the human touch, creativity is not absolute. Perfection requires imperfection.
So, one day they will come and destroy almost everything.

but ART will survive.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“The Makeshift Studio” by Rachel Dash

“An oil painter sets up a temporary studio in an empty Victorian drawing-room. Having the best light in the house, it will make a perfect temporary workspace. A rug is pushed to the back of the room as the space slowly fills with finished and unfinished works, half-used paint tubes and dirty paint water glasses. Rolls of paper overflow into the hallway, accompanying forgotten paintbrushes and drops of paint now soaked into the hardwood floor.

Messy, unkempt and dusty, this was only supposed to be temporary.

As the soft light of the afternoon sun filters through the window and illuminates the hallway, the artist feels a sense of accomplishment in their latest piece. The workspace is a mess, but that is a problem for another day.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max

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“The Outsider” by Jirair Maghakian

“In a time not too far in the future, most of us people have already moved to the digital world of Metaverse. However, a lot of communities in our society are having some difficulty accepting the idea of this unusual and strange piece of technology.

Leaders and people have neglected their neighborhoods. Everyone in downtown is too busy building a new life in the new world, creating a massive gap and a huge contradiction between what we were and what we are about to become.

This outsider on the other hand, is here to learn about this “underdeveloped” neighborhood trying to find new ways to convince its people for them to make this unwanted shift. This shift that we still don’t know what it is and how it is going to affect humanity. Will it affect us to the better or to the worse?”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop

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“Modern temples of culture” by Maurizio Gastoni

“In history, architecture has been an instrument to worship gods, emperors, and kings. In modern times, with a world moving towards a godless season, architecture hasn’t lost its symbolic value. The greatest locations are saved for those buildings that move people, gather them, and educate them. A temple of culture, a natural museum. Sitting on the coastline, in harmony with the rocky shore, showing a glittering skin like that of a giant snake sitting on the water. A strong palette of warm colors was the chosen to give a mystic atmosphere.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“Beyond” by Javier Wainstein

“Surrealism is the new reality. Inspired by the masters of surrealism of Europe, the image shows a simple concept about the boundaries of the space, the beyond and the void.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“Closed” by Javier Wainstein

“Nothing more to do. Only darkness.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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“Differentiate” by Tamer Kumas

“”In a reality where everything starts to melt into the same paradigm, the essence of differentiation shall resurface again.” In my rendering, I took an unorthodox approach in which I tried to fuse the abstractness of what I imagine about differentiation in the process of designing a structure in architecture. The iridescent glass structure above the white Mustang, resembles differentiation while also revealing the essence of creativity of architecture. Its surrounded by all concrete structures, depicting the monotony. The cubic structures above the same type of vehicle’s depict the exact same theme as the surrounding environment.”

Software used: Blender, Photoshop

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“WAVE” by Roman Huzar

“The unity of nature and architectural form. The architecture seems to echo the shapes of the swans that live there, turning into waves and distorting the shape. It’s like a big stroke trying to unite the architecture with its surroundings by repeating it.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop

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Università Cattolica of Milan has been promoting important projects to accommodate the growing number of students: thus, the two phases of the impressive expansion project of the historic university complex of Largo Gemelli have been started. The first phase concerns the construction of the new didactic pole in Via Lanzone and the second for the redevelopment of the neighboring Caserma Garibaldi on Piazza S. Ambrogio.

Both interventions, located in contexts of high historical and testimonial value and subject to the protection of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Milan, were designed by the historic Milanese studio Beretta Associates that has paid careful attention to the preservation and enhancement of the typological and figurative characteristics of the pre-existing, without sacrificing a contemporary language as regards the new buildings that are placed in an effective dichotomous relationship with the historic buildings.

 

The new gravitational pole of via Lanzone is part of the renovation of an eighteenth-century residential complex, formerly owned by the university, that consists of three buildings that encircle a central courtyard. The project, designed to accommodate 7 new classrooms — from 50 to 100 seats — also involves the restoration of the historical portions of the complex, as well as the demolition and reconstruction of the building facing Via San Pio V, which was bombed and rebuilt after the war.

The new building, with its projecting glass and metal façade, highlights the new university function through a contemporary vocabulary, creating a lively dialogue with the modern architecture of the neighboring buildings (designed by the famous duo of Milanese architects Asnago and Vender). Inside, the materials and colors of the original courtyard have been recovered. According to the new university’s needs, the replacement and integration of the horizontal and vertical structures, as well as the realization of the plant networks, were prioritized.

The redevelopment for the conversion of Caserma Garibaldi — the former Milanese headquarters of the State Police dating back to the Napoleonic period — into the headquarters of the Università Cattolica is part of a complex urban revision of the entire area aimed at creating spaces for educational activities and services.

The historic building, with a quadrangular plan articulated around two large courtyards of equal size, in coherence with the original military destination is characterized by a severe neoclassical setting. The fulcrum of the project is the optimization of the internal layout respecting the existing plant and the realization of a new building in the north courtyard to meet the need for classrooms.

From a restoration point of view, the project has a clear philological intent, bringing the monumental building back to its original consistency through the demolition of inconsistent buildings added over time, restoring the trend of the roof pitches and returning the height of the attics in the original positions (modified in the seventies).

The conversion of the nineteenth-century complex into a university building required important plant and structural upgrading interventions to meet the static safety and seismic improvement verifications of the building. Particular attention has also been paid to the issues of sustainability, energy and water saving, reduction of emissions and improvement of the ecological quality of the interior with the use of low-carbon materials: the complex will be certified according to the LEED BD+C v4 Core & Shell GOLD level standard and to the WELL® protocol, managed by the International WELL® Building Institute (IWBI) for the comfort, health and well-being of people.

 

From a functional point of view, the project foresees the realization of classrooms of various size, among which the aula magna (main classroom). The existing plan consists of a sequence of spaces, delimited by transversal load-bearing walls, which overlook particularly large central corridors (apparently also used for military exercises on horseback). The respect of this configuration — extremely constrained from a structural point of view — has allowed the construction of classrooms with an average capacity of about 50 seats and only in a few cases of a hundred seats: to overcome this limitation, a major intervention underground was designed in the north courtyard, where there was already an underground garage, which will allow the construction of two classrooms for three hundred seats, two for four hundred and the aula magna for eight hundred.

The new building, which contains the vertical connections to the underground classrooms, is characterized by a parallelepiped volume that is almost completely glazed: the choice of a sober, essential and “ethereal” volume emphasizes a clear desire to differentiate the intervention from the morphology of the imposing historical buildings, with which the new building relates without any conflict.

As the architect and engineer Mario Dezzi Bardeschi used to say, “restoration is the sum of two orders of operations: restoration = project of preservation of the existing (as overall value) + project of the new (as additional value)”. And this dualism seems to best express the spirit of Studio Beretta’s projects to give new lymph to the University of Milan.

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