Andyrahman Architect’s Al-Muttaqin Grand Mosque Cakranegara
The Al-Muttaqin Grand Mosque in Cakranegara, Mataram, Indonesia, originally founded in 1973, underwent renovations in 1992 and 2007. After the collapse of the old mosque in a 2019 earthquake, Andyrahman Architect designed a new mosque in 2020 with a responsive approach to nature, users, and space requirements. The design balances contemporary elements with local traditions, culture, and Islamic law, adapting to the times.
all images courtesy of Andyrahman Architect
mosque fuses contemporary design with religion and tradition
The roof design combines the tajug roof of Bayan Beleq mosque with the Sasak rice barn roof, presenting a fusion of religion and tradition. The black, lightweight roof enhances safety during earthquakes. The mosque’s openings resemble a Sasak granary, symbolizing the balance between prayer and worship practices. Traditional ornamental details, such as Lombok-style wickerwork, use synthetic rattan, maintaining local character. The mosque, designed by Andyrahman Architect, integrates Sasak weaving motifs into wall ornaments, creating a recognizable local identity.
Al-Muttaqin Grand Mosque in Cakranegara, Mataram, Indonesia, underwent renovation by Andyrahman Architect
mosque’s open and inclusive space serves as community hub
The spatial concept prioritizes ample space, positioning the mosque closer to the west side for optimal accommodation during peak times. This strategic placement ensures an efficiently utilized courtyard without overflow. Qibla direction guides design lines, aiding in determining the direction during large gatherings. The square main space accommodates 1750 worshipers, with additional spaces totaling over 2800. The mosque promotes natural ventilation and serves as a social hub, attracting the community with its open and inclusive design.
the mosque’s design prioritizes a responsive approach to nature, users, and space requirements
sasak granary-shaped openings symbolize the delicate equilibrium between prayer and worship practices
traditional Lombok-style wickerwork incorporates synthetic rattan, preserving local character
A resourceful Response to Morocco’s Recent Earthquake
In the wake of the devastating earthquake that rocked Morocco‘s Marrakesh–Safi region on September 8th, 2023, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has once again demonstrated his unwavering commitment to disaster relief efforts. This natural disaster, which registered a moment magnitude of 6.8–6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII, left in its wake a trail of destruction and claimed the lives of over 2,900 people. It is in this time of dire need that Shigeru Ban and his team, known globally for its humanitarian architecture, has extended a hand to the people of Morocco.
images courtesy Shigeru Ban Architects
sHigeru Ban: A Champion of Disaster Relief
Shigeru Ban’s involvement in disaster relief spans over three decades, with his work taking him to disaster-stricken regions across the globe, from Kobe to L’Aquila, Turkey to Haiti. His humanitarian approach to disaster relief is marked by resourcefulness, a quality that has become synonymous with his architectural practice and contributed to his winning the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2014. Shigeru Ban is celebrated for repurposing materials, even those not known for their durability like paper and cardboard, into structural elements for his designs. This same spirit of innovation permeates his planning and execution of disaster-relief housing projects.
the first Paper Log House mock-up shelter has been constructed in Marrakech
paper log houses to be deployed across the region
In response to the recent earthquake tragedy in Morocco, Shigeru Ban has launched a commendable initiative to aid the victims. This humanitarian effort is being spearheaded by the Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN), an organization founded by Shigeru Ban in 1995 to coordinate post-disaster construction aid. A significant facet of this project is the construction of a mock-up of Shigeru Ban’s iconic Paper Log House. This temporary dwelling, designed to provide shelter for those in urgent need, has been constructed at the National School of Architecture of Marrakech. It stands as a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
the team will assess the affected areas, identifying potential locations for the deployment of the Paper Log House
Shigeru Ban’s dedication extends beyond the blueprint. On September 27th, he is delivering a lecture where he will introduce the ‘Paper Log House’ and share his wealth of knowledge and experience in providing post-disaster support. Moreover, on September 28th, he will remain in Marrakech to assess the affected areas, identifying potential locations for the deployment of the Paper Log House.
If there is one thing that architects and their clients can agree on, it’s that architecture should always work in harmony with nature. When it came to Silver Residence, a stunning modern home located in Minneapolis, nature wasn’t just a consideration — it was the starting point for developing the architectural concept.
Local architect David Strand, Principal and Director of Strand Design, was tasked with creating a private residence that remained intimately connected to its site, while providing light, open spaces and high-end finishes to meet the needs of its client. The resulting house comprises an elegant arrangement of three volumes, cleverly oriented to provide a sense of privacy while maintaining uninhibited views of the surrounding forest.
Architizer’s Editor in Chief Paul Keskeys sat down with Strand to discuss the conception and development of Silver Residence, including the material choices and product specification decisions that helped make the design a reality.
Paul Keskeys: How did the client brief and the project’s unique site help to shape your initial concept for Silver Residence?
David Strand: This was a truly unique site. The lot was essentially an established woodland in the backyards of the neighboring homes. Encircled by their neighbors, our main goal was to utilize the large wooded site while maintaining discretion for the neighbors and our clients. Careful site placement and rotation, focused view corridors and room placement was our initial goal.
What most influenced your choice of materials and products for the project and why?
We wanted the house to stand stoically, but also fade into the surroundings. Getting two large, flat roofed volumes to blend in with nature isn’t that simple. The soft tone of the siding and mixed palette of dark brick and concrete helped reduce the impact. The vertical siding has a very calm and natural look that mimics the linear trees and sky.
The expansive windows reflect the woods, so it appears that you are seeing through the home to woods beyond, helping to minimize the mass of the structures. The home changes throughout the seasons, with the warm glow of the windows in the evening accentuating the natural wood ceilings and cabinetry.
For this project, we chose Marvin windows for several reasons. Firstly, both the builder and Strand Design are familiar and comfortable with the brand, and they know they can trust Marvin to stand behind its product. We were also aiming to maintain the crisp and clean aesthetic of the home, and wanted a product that was more streamlined for the windows within the primary spaces of the living room and kitchen.
The Marvin Modern line brings a refined option to the residential market and allows us to intermix supplier and installer within one brand, facilitating multiple sizes and styles of windows throughout the home. These windows allow for massive pieces of glass with minimal structure between them.
In the Silver Residence, the clean lines and minimal articulation create a truly modern and elevated experience for the public spaces of the home. To be cognizant of the budget and quality we established, we chose Marvin Ultimate due to its durable exterior aluminum extrusion and finish.
In terms of the building envelope, what were your goals and how did you achieve them through detailing?
The expansive glazing of the Silver Residence creates movement and intrigue within its harmonic envelope. From the exterior, during the day, the windows reflect the trees and sky surrounding the home, adding tones of green and blue to the otherwise neutral exterior palette. At night, they allow for the warm interior light to filter out to enliven the facade as it blends into the fading light.
From the interior, the glass connects the home to its site and allows the family to interact with nature, even while inside the home. By drawing natural light deep within the home, we created a dynamic and inviting quality that energizes the interior and enriches the time spent at home.
It is always about purposeful material usage and clean transitions. We strive to design each home within its own scale, allowing for quality material usage inside and out. We aim to create a jewel box, whatever size that may be. The main problem with what is often perceived as the modern architecture aesthetic today, is the patchwork application of trendy materials that serves no purpose and has no correlation to the massing of the structure.
This home, like most of our homes, is thought of in terms of overall massing to create a relevant aesthetic for the site, with consideration for the scale of the project and also the clients. We created interest by using textural and material changes rather than jarring transitions. By maintaining one primary tone, we were able to create a refined yet tactile material palette. These elements carry subtly into the home, reminding you of what you are inhabiting.
What was the biggest design challenge you faced during the process, and how was it overcome?
For this question, we need to go back to the site. What seemed like a large and blank canvas became very compact and directional when taking all of the neighboring homes into account. Managing the sightlines and drawing the natural light into the homes was the main priority.
Which elements of the project do you feel are most successful and may influence your future designs?
From both the exterior and interior, the large expanses of glass that cleanly transition from one to another add depth and refinement to the home. Blurring that line of transparency and reflection is something we feel this home does well and will aim for in future homes. Purposeful material transitions are a huge part of the success of this home. Simplicity starts and stops with the absence of adornment.
Another programming element that is incorporated very well with this home is the screen porch. Protected between the wings of the house and backed by the glass breezeway, this space allows for intimate family moments and transitions from an open deck to a screened porch seamlessly. Watching the screen slice through the building façade is a satisfying moment.
What has the client’s response to the project been like?
Our clients truly love their home and utilize the residence to its fullest. It’s a home that selflessly demands little of their time and thought, while encompassing comfort, space and warmth. The home serves as the “form and function” backdrop, enriching their own free flowing lives within it.
To explore more case studies featuring Marvin Modern and learn how to harness windows and doors like these for your next project, click here.
Photographs by Chad Holder Photography; plan drawing courtesy of Strand Design.
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.
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 >
New York architect David Rockwell has joined Dezeen Awards 2023 as a judge. Here, he selects five projects that best reflect his studio’s work.
Architect and designer Rockwell is the founder of US practice Rockwell Group. He aims for his work to “help facilitate storytelling, community-building and memory-making”.
“The core value I try to bring to all my work is empathy,” Rockwell told Dezeen.”I approach each decision from the perspective of those who will inhabit the spaces.”
Projects spanning “theatre, hospitality and the public realm”
“Working in the theatre has been an incredible training ground for strengthening my own capacity for empathy,” said Rockwell.
“Our work falls into three main categories: theatre, hospitality and the public realm,” he continued. “Rockwell Group has been fortunate to work across a diverse range of project types, from restaurants, hotels, schools and offices to museum installations, Broadway sets and theatres.”
The New York-based office is currently working alongside architectural firms Ennead Architects and SmithGroup to convert a museum at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC into an academic building for Johns Hopkins University,.
Rockwell Group is also designing several restaurants in New York City, including collaborations with Ethiopian-born Swedish-American chef Marcus Samuelsson and French restauranteur Daniel Boulud, as well as an outpost for the international Taiwanese restaurant group Din Tai Fung.
Rockwell among Dezeen Awards 2023 judges
Dezeen Awards 2023 launched last month in partnership with Bentley Motors. On Tuesday we announced five more Dezeen Awards judges, including interior designers Kelly Behun and Martin Brudnizki and architects Lara Lesmes, Jayden Ali and Rooshad Shroff.
Submit your entry before the standard entry deadline on Thursday 1 June. Click here for more entry information.
Read on to find Rockwell’s views on the five projects that best represent the work of his studio.
Nobu Hotel in Barcelona, Spain
Nobu
“Our work with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa started 29 years ago when we designed his now iconic restaurant in Tribeca.
“Chef Nobu’s innovative cooking, as well as his origins in the Japanese countryside, inspired an irresistible narrative we got to weave into our design.
“All these years later, we are still reinventing Nobu – as both a restaurant and hotel brand – in cities worldwide. It is, without question, one of the most significant collaborations of my career. “
DineOut NYC, New York City, USA
“We conceived our pro-bono project DineOut NYC at the height of the pandemic. Covid-19 had completely devastated our restaurant industry.
“In addition to providing over 300 thousand jobs for New Yorkers, I have always had a strong personal attachment to this sector.
“Designed in collaboration with the NYC Hospitality Alliance, DineOut is an adaptable, modular outdoor dining system. The project helped end our era of isolation by bringing people together again and getting restaurants back on their feet.
“Design is most meaningful to me when it fosters community and I feel like we made a real impact doing just that with DineOut NYC.”
Read more about DineOut NYC ›
Photo by Paul Warchol
Hayes Theater and Take Me Out, New York City, USA
“In 2018 we renovated the 100-year-old Hayes Theater, Broadway’s most intimate venue with only 600 seats.
“In addition to instilling the historic space with a modern, approachable design vocabulary, we also needed to accommodate the staggering technical demands of modern productions.
“Last year we had the chance to put our work to the test when we designed the sets for the revival of Take Me Out at the Hayes. Had the theatre been unable to meet our technical needs, I’d have had no one to blame but myself. Thankfully, I was a very satisfied customer.”
NeueHouse Madison Square, New York City, USA
“When it opened 10 years ago, NeueHouse Madison Square was a groundbreaking workspace collective that helped usher in a new typology in which art, life, culture, food, and work converge seamlessly.
“This kind of convergence has taken on profound new meaning in our late-stage pandemic era, in which people are craving bespoke, communal experiences.”
Read more about NeueHouse Madison Square ›
TED Theater
“Our portable TED Theater [for nonprofit foundation TED Talks] is approaching its 10th anniversary this year and it remains a great experiment in the power of ephemeral, shared experiences.
“The attention to detail recalls permanent works of architecture but its flexibility allows it to adapt and evolve as TED does.”
All images courtesy of Rockwell Group unless stated otherwise.
Dezeen Awards 2023
Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
Italian architect Paola Navone has joined Dezeen Awards 2023 as a judge. Here she selects five projects that best reflect her studio’s work.
Navone says she has “a free and nomadic nature”, which informs her practice, ranging from interior, furniture, graphic and accessory design to creative direction.
“I’m a dreamer, instinctive and always curious about the world,” she told Dezeen. “Somehow all of these things spontaneously flow in my way of being a designer.”
Navone is founder of Milan-based multi-disciplinary design office OTTO Studio, which is currently working on a project for Como Hotels in Burgundy as well as an interiors project in Athens, amongst others.
Paola Navone among Dezeen Awards 2023 judges
Dezeen Awards 2023 launched on 15 February in partnership with Bentley Motors. On Tuesday we announced five more Dezeen Awards judges including interiors stylist Colin King and design gallerist Rossana Orlandi, who will be joining architect Navone on the judging panel.
Submit your entry before Wednesday 29 March to save 20 per cent on entry fees. Click here to log in or create an account.
Read on to find Navone’s views on the five projects that best represent the work of her studio.
Photo by Dario Garofalo
Hotel 25hours Piazza San Paolino, Florence, Italy
“We enjoy interiors projects because it’s a bit like writing a new movie script – we are always the same authors but each new movie is unique.
“25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino in Florence takes cues from Dante’s symbolism of hell and paradise.
“The theme has allowed us to set a sequence of amazing scenography that involves the guests in an immersive and imaginative experience.”
Photo by Delfino Sisto Legnani
BiMstrò, Milan, Italy
“BiMstrò communicates our passion for ephemeral design, upcycling and reuse.
“The concept behind this temporary bar in Milan is upcycling. We used existing, raw and poor materials, hand-made finishes as well as recycled objects and furniture in an unexpected way.”
Azul Sofa by Turri
“All our projects are born from unexpected alchemies that always make them a little special.
“Azul Sofa by Turri is a blue velvet sofa characterised by macro weaving. The fabric allows you to discover a unique handmade weaving technique which gives the sofa a special softness.”
Baxter
“At OTTO Studio we enjoy mixing the perfection of the industrial process with something imperfect like craft.
“The singular Baxter leather furniture works the leather as a fabric. The extensive research on colours and touch makes these sofas particularly comfortable and cocooning.”
Hybrid
“Hybrid is an eclectic collection of indoor and outdoor fabrics with strong graphics and patterns.
“The collection was designed for the extraordinary manufacturing excellence of the brand Mariaflora.”
All images courtesy of Paola Navone.
Dezeen Awards 2023
Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
Sloppiness and misinformation are threatening to prevent large-scale wood construction from reaching its full potential, argues Hermann Kaufmann – the “grandfather of mass timber” – in this interview as part of our Timber Revolution series.
“Now is a really dangerous time for wood as a resource,” the Austrian architect told Dezeen. “You can say it’s the saviour of the construction industry. And I believe it has a part to play, where it makes sense to use it.”
“But it’s also a limited resource so you have to be careful not to overuse it, especially now that other industries are jumping on the bandwagon,” he continued. “Timber is being kind of abused.”
Mass timber could “shoot itself in the foot”
Since buildings offer long-term storage for the carbon locked away in wood, Kaufmann argues that the construction industry should have first dibs on the world’s limited timber supplies.
But currently, the industry is being held back by a lack of skilled craftsmen and technical knowledge, which he warns could have a detrimental effect on building quality.
Hermann Kaufmann (top) has designed notable timber buildings including Schmuttertal secondary school (above photo by Stefan Müller-Naumann)
“Building with wood requires diligence but diligence is disappearing,” Kaufmann said. “If you compare the building culture across Europe, there are huge differences in the execution quality when looking at a building in Switzerland or in, say, France or England.”
“If you do a sloppy job when you’re building with wood, and you get condensation or water ingress that you don’t notice right away, the material will rot quickly and you can get huge structural damages,” he added.
“So I’m a bit scared that there will be some cases of damage in the future, and mass timber could shoot itself in the foot.”
Building in mass timber for more than 30 years
Although perhaps less well-known outside of the German-speaking world, Kaufmann is considered a pioneer of modern timber construction, dubbed the “grandfather of mass timber” by Canadian architect Michael Green.
Born to a long line of carpenters, Kaufmann dedicated himself to the “forgotten topic” of wood construction as early as the 1970s, when he was studying architecture at the technical universities of Innsbruck and Vienna.
“At the time, there was beginning to be some modern timber construction in the Alpine region,” he said. “But internationally, there was almost nothing. Even in Japan, the good architects that are now working in wood didn’t do much back then.”
Kaufmann perched an office for an Austrian power company on top of a hydropower lake. Photo by Bruno Klomfar
“I questioned whether I was on the right path when my fellow students were getting bigger and bigger projects and I was still working on relatively small things,” he added. “Back then, there were no really big projects in timber.”
“You had to go to a welder and get them to make you custom screws and steel parts so that you could build modern wood structures.”
Kaufmann’s expertise in tall wood structures was also crucial in the construction of Brock Commons – a student residence at the University of British Columbia that was the tallest mass-timber building in the world upon its completion in 2016.
But even in places like Canada and Scandinavia, which currently have a number of other record-breaking mass-timber projects in the works, the architect says that there is still a considerable skills gap that needs to be addressed.
“Timber architects live off good craftsmen,” he said. “And in countries where you don’t have that, it’s difficult.”
“We advised on the construction of a high-rise in Canada with 18 storeys, which was the tallest at the time, and we were happy we found any craftsmen that knew what they were doing,” Kaufmann continued.
“And whenever I visit the nordic countries like Sweden and Finland, my colleagues complain that they don’t have any more craftsmen, just big manufacturers that end up screwing their buildings together.”
“It will be an evolution, not a revolution”
Kaufmann predicts that timber could only become the main building material in “very few countries” such as his native Austria, where timber is an abundant local resource and where manufacturers and craftsmen can build up the necessary skills to work with the material at scale.
“Many architects are changing course and discovering timber but the industry can’t keep up,” he said. “We need to have apprenticeships to train young people up and we need to build know-how amongst engineers.”
“This whole chain needs the right knowledge to get moving,” Kaufmann added. “This is happening at the moment and it could happen relatively quickly. But it won’t explode. It will be an evolution, not a revolution.”
The architect also advised on the construction of Brock Commons. Photo by Michael Elkan courtesy of Acton Ostry Architects
At the same time, he warns that a growing number of architects are already “playing fast and loose” with the term mass-timber and using it to greenwash their buildings.
“People will screw a couple of square metres of wood onto their facade and say the building is sustainable,” Kaufmann explained, comparing the process to adding a decorative spoiler to a vehicle to make it look like a racing car.
“It’s become a bit of an epidemic,” he added. “I will only speak of a sustainable building if the majority of its mass is made up of wood. Everything else is greenwashing.”
Architects can find opportunity in challenge
While the increased complexity and precision required for timber construction poses a challenge for the industry, Kaufmann says it also presents an opportunity for architects to once again become more involved in the process of building their projects, rather than just designing them.
“When you’re building with wood, you have to bring construction know-how into the process way earlier if you want the project to be successful,” he said. “This change in the planning culture is extremely exciting for us because it’s asking way more of the architect.”
“It’s much more interesting, and the competencies of the architect will likely have to go much deeper into the building process again, rather than just acting as a surface or colour designer and making renderings for anyone to build.”
This interview was conducted in German and has been translated into English by the author.
The photography is by Lisa Dünser unless otherwise stated.
This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.
Breaking news: Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, who designed hundreds of projects including skyscrapers 432 Park Avenue and the Walkie Talkie, has passed away aged 78.
Viñoly passed away early today in New York City, according to an announcement made by Elisa Carrió, an Argentine politician and friend of Viñoly’s.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, he studied at the University of Buenos Aires before co-founding his first studio Estudio de Arquitectura Manteola-Petchersky-Sánchez Gómez-Santos-Solsona-Viñoly in 1964. The studio would go on to be one of the largest in South America.
In 1978 he relocated to America and established his studio Rafael Viñoly Architects shortly after, which now has offices in the US, UK, UAE and Argentina.
His studio was responsible for designing numerous buildings across the globe including the super-skinny 432 Park Avenue skyscraper in New York.
In the UK he designed 20 Fenchurch Street in London, which is widely known as the Walkie Talkie due to its shape, along with the masterplan for Battersea Power Station and the Firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester.
Eitan Tsarfati is a serial tech entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of Swapp, an AI-based construction planning company that partners with architects to leverage the power of AI-driven platforms.
Retaining up-and-coming architects poses an immediate and serious challenge for the entire real estate development industry and for architecture firms in particular. In a December 12, 2021 article, the New York Times wrote about architects at a major firm who were considering whether to unionize. Reading the many comments other architects posted about this article reveals a true crisis in the architectural design and planning industry. Industry leaders must recognize that the rate of architect defections to other careers is systemic. Let’s analyze the problem and then understand the role new AI and machine learning technologies can and should play in achieving a long-term solution.
What factors cause entry-level and associate-level architects’ discontent and even their abandonment of the architect profession? Low pay is always a factor, as are the long hours and slow career growth that architects experience at large and prestigious architecture firms. Additionally, slow career progression often follows three years of graduate study after the bachelor’s degree.
But there is yet another factor: the pervasive assignment to less-experienced architects of the stressful, unedifying design document and construction document development work. Architects want to design. Documenting the design so construction professionals can do their engineering and building jobs may be a necessary part of the process. Still, architects would be happier if someone else, or an AI technology, were to transform their designs into the CD for the architect to review and then stamp.
A construction document generated by SWAPP’s AI
Traditionally, architectural firms have relied on having many “hands” working many hours to develop, complete and deliver sets of complete construction documents (CD). It’s a two-step process that starts with a set of design documents (DD) followed by developing the CD, and both of these steps require a high degree of accuracy and technical skill. Often, these steps are performed in a deadline-driven, pressure-cooker environment, because when the schematic design takes more time to complete than expected, the time frames for DD and CD development naturally must absorb the delay.
What do architects think about after spending long hours for low pay developing a set of construction documents? Do they find value in doing the CD development work? Or are they thinking about the 5-to-10 years they will spend in this role and wondering if it’s worth it?
With a limited number of new architects entering the field each year and the continual pressure from clients to deliver work ever more quickly, architects and architecture firms need a technology solution that relieves architects of the construction document design burden, while still getting this essential work done. The use of new AI technologies for these tasks will not only ensure accurate and quick generation of CDs, but will also result in higher retention rates of valuable architect employees.
Once upon a time, the prestige of architecture as a profession and the intrinsically rewarding nature of architecture attracted professionals by offering a career that spans several creative as well as technical disciplines. However, in today’s world of smart-everything, new entrants to the architecture profession are technically savvy. They expect the tools they use at work to be intelligent. They aren’t willing to spend multiple years doing tasks that a machine can do more quickly and with equal or better accuracy, while they wait for the opportunity to contribute to the aspects of architectural design that attracted them to the profession in the first place.
A construction document generated by SWAPP’s AI
Just as they want to be able to plan all the details of a vacation road trip, then get in a self-driving car and relax while the car takes them where they want to go, architects want to spend the time allotted to their work creating the architectural designs, then “hand off” the design decisions to an intelligent tool that produces the necessary construction documents or revision options. They want relief from the tedious last step of the design delivery process.
Like other professions that used to assume the easy availability of a steady stream of new professionals willing to trade long hours in junior roles for bright futures as principals and industry leaders, architecture firms now face competition from “high tech”. The ranks of future architects — the creative, talented and bright individuals studying architecture and starting careers — may be wooed away by the higher pay, less oversight by older generations and a quicker path to the top that “high tech” offers.
Nevertheless, the good news is that “high tech” is also now solving the architect retention problem! New technologies enable architects to spend most, if not all of their time on design and planning work, and then to simply — and literally — “push a button” to produce clean, accurate and complete construction documents. In addition, architects can use these same technologies to make quick work of the time-consuming tasks of producing design alternatives to meet the needs of change requests and other “curve balls” that cause late-night work crunches.
By utilizing automated tools and artificial intelligence, these new technologies — of which Swapp is proud to be one — can transform architects’ planning decisions into architectural plans and deliverable construction document sets within minutes. No longer are long hours and tedious documenting tasks required.
Are you surprised that machine learning and artificial intelligence can now support your architectural work this way? Or maybe you want to ask why now or why did it take so long for technology to advance to this point. Of course, every advancement has a story behind it. For Swapp, the story involves a small, diverse group of architects, algorithm and AI developers and entrepreneurs from the world of existing computerized architectural tools.
Other teams and companies also know about the retention problem and are building tools for architects in the AI and machine learning space, allowing for collaborations as well as competition. Ready-to-use services, features and options made possible by these new technologies are here now to solve the needs of architects and architectural firms — and more exciting tools are on the way.
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An exhibition of hand-crafted art and design pieces, including a seminal sculpture by Charles and Ray Eames, is on display at the former New Jersey home of 20th-century landscape architect James Rose.
At the Rose House is on show at the Ridgewood home that the late American modernist landscape architect designed and hand-built for himself and his family in 1953 and lived in for almost 40 years.
Pieces in the exhibition are displayed throughout the home as if they belong there
Organised by curatorial platform Object & Thing and furniture and interior design studio Green River Project LLC, the exhibition stemmed from Rose’s appreciation for craft and materials.
The show “emphasises the hand-made, beauty in nature and a sense of timelessness” according to the curators.
Rose self-designed and hand-built the house, which features several Japanese design elements
Green River Project LLC founders Aaron Aujla and Benjamin Bloomstein, who have admired the landscape architect for some time, have produced a series of new designs based on his work.
Created in collaboration with a group of designers, these pieces include a side chair by both Bloomstein Industrial and Luck Carpentry, rice paper lamps from Preziosi Lighting and carved grooming items on shelves in the bathroom by Teague’s Path.
Artworks and designs were selected to reflect Rose’s appreciation for craft and materials
“The ease in which Rose expanded the home using ready-made materials was an early point of reference for our practice,” said Aujla.
“In particular, there is a kitchen with mahogany shelves and pegboard that we must have spent over 100 hours dissecting and referring back to over the last five years.”
Green River Project’s products are presented alongside the work of mid-century and contemporary designers, including Alvaro Barrington, Bode, Charles and Ray Eames, Louis Eisner, Hugh Hayden, Nancy Holt, Kiva Motnyk, Michele Oka Doner, Johnny Ortiz-Concha and Anne Truitt among others.
Clothing based on Rose’s personal style is hung in closets
The works are installed as if they belong in the rooms and garden, which – like many of Rose’s later projects – feature elements of Japanese design, including the exposed timber structure and shoji screens.
“[Rose] spent considerable amounts of time in Japan and became a Zen Buddhist,” said the curators. “This influence is evident in the Ridgewood house, especially on the upper floor, which contains a room for his daily mediation practice that The James Rose Center is currently restoring.”
An edition of the 1943 Plywood Sculpture by Charles and Ray Eames is being presented in the US for the first time. Photo by Michael Biondo
Pieces on display include the Eames’ seminal 1943 Plywood Sculpture – the first time that this edition, which was made and released by Eames Office, is being presented in the US.
Among the designs created for the showcase are leather Adirondack chairs by Hugh Hayden, wood-fired micaceous pots by Johnny Ortiz-Concha and naturally-dyed framed textile works by Kiva Motnyk.
A selection of clothing by New York brand Bode, based on Rose’s “eccentric” personal style, is hung in the closets throughout the house.
Landscape paintings, rice paper drawings, flower vases, terracotta sculptures, and a screening of Nancy Holt’s 1975 film Pine Barrens that “portrays the New Jersey wilderness” also feature.
The house in Ridgewood, New Jersey, is preserved by The James Rose Center. Photo by Michael Biondo
Green River Project LLC is also producing new editions of one of Rose’s lanterns to coincide with this exhibition.
These will be sold to benefit The James Rose Center – a non-profit landscape research and study foundation, which is based at the house and has preserved Rose’s legacy since his death in 1991.
The exhibition, curated by Object & Thing and Green River Project LLC, runs until 2 October 2022. Photo by Michael Biondo
“Rose was an impossible maverick, called by one author, ‘The James Dean of Landscape Architecture,’ but I think he would be very happy with the vision Green River Project LLC and Object & Thing have brought to his house,” said foundation director Dean Cardasis.
At the Rose House runs until 2 October 2022. This is the latest in a series of exhibitions organised by Object & Thing within the homes of notable 20th-century artists and architects, following presentations at the houses of Gerald Luss, Robert Dash and Eliot Noyes.
Other exhibitions that showcase the work of modernist designers include an exhibition of Le Corbusier’s tapestries in Manhattan.
See our Dezeen Events Guide for information about other exhibitions, installations and talks.
images courtesy Shigeru Ban Architects
the first Paper Log House mock-up shelter has been constructed in Marrakech
For this project, we chose 
It is always about purposeful material usage and clean transitions. We strive to design each home within its own scale, allowing for quality material usage inside and out. We aim to create a jewel box, whatever size that may be. The main problem with what is often perceived as the modern architecture aesthetic today, is the patchwork application of trendy materials that serves no purpose and has no correlation to the massing of the structure.
Which elements of the project do you feel are most successful and may influence your future designs?
What has the client’s response to the project been like?
