Black Archives

Architectural studio Worrell Yeung has completed a two-storey, black-coloured home extension called Springs Artist Studio that is meant to offer the “experience of being perched in the trees”.

The Brooklyn-based firm was tasked with designing the 800-square-foot (74-square-metre) addition for a Long Island house belonging to a florist and a painter.

The couple has an extensive collection of art and special objects. Their home is located in Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton that is popular with artists.

“The hamlet of Springs has a strong history of painting,” said Max Worrell, co-founder and principal of Worrell Yeung. “We were drawn to that lineage; Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Jane Freilicher all painted out here.”

Artist studio interior by Worrell Yeung — It is an addition to a Long Island home

The team conceived a two-storey addition that contains a painting studio on the upper level and an exhibition space down below that doubles as a garage.

The ground floor also has a powder room.

Artist studio interior featuring a gabled roof — The building has a gabled roof

In response to strict zoning rules and environmental sensitivities, the studio created a small-footprint building that preserved existing trees and minimised the overall impact on the landscape.

Rectangular in plan, the building has a gabled roof and walls clad in pine boards that were stained black to match the main house.

Birch plywood interiors — Interior finishes include birch plywood

Different-sized boards were used “to create a sense of shifting, lateral scale that counters the vertical massing of the structure”.

The lower portion of the building is covered in 12-inch-wide boards (30 centimetres), while the upper areas are clad in 4-inch and 1-inch versions (10 and 2.5 centimeters).

In the power room, the birch plywood has been stained blue

“From afar the studio reads as an abstract volume,” the architects said.

“Up close, the textured wood and varied-sized planks break down the scale of the building to something more accessible and rich with detail.”

The black cladding is interrupted on the upper level by a band of ribbon windows.

The architects worked with Silman Structural Engineers to create the continuous windows, which are supported by steel-rod cross bracing and slender steel columns that match the mullions.

Within the building, the four-foot-tall (1.2-metre) ribbon windows offer immersive views of the landscape.

“Natural light streams in while unique views appear from each direction, framed by unobstructed glass corners,” the team said.

Ribbon windows in extension by Worrell Yeung — These offer immersive views of the landscape

“We wanted to create this experience of being perched in the trees – a retreat for working,” added Jejon Yeung, cofounder of Worrell Yeung.

Interior finishes include birch plywood, which was used for flooring, walls and cabinetry. In the powder room, the plywood is stained a rich shade of blue.

The decor includes vintage Eames molded fibreglass chairs and a vintage chandelier by David Weeks.

Black cabin in the woods — The siding was painted black to match the main house

The addition is connected to the main home by a glazed passageway that brings in the natural surroundings while “providing a moment of respite between home and the studio/work environment”.

Other projects by Worrell Yeung include a series of gabled timber buildings on a New York farm and a refresh of a cedar-clad dwelling on Long Island that was originally designed by famed US architect Charles Gwathmey.

The photography is by Naho Kubota.

Project credits:

Architecture: Worrell Yeung
Design team: Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Yunchao Le Structural Engineer: Silman
Contractor: Fifth and Dune

Reference

Architecture

Ten post-industrial structures from the Black Country

By Zarkon Group,19/10/2023

Artist Tom Hicks has spent the last six years documenting the built environment of the West Midlands. Here, he picks ten of his favourite photographs from his book Black Country Type exclusively for Dezeen.

From factories and warehouses to shop fronts and underpasses, Hicks explores the structures that make up the post-industrial landscape of the West Midlands region known as the Black Country.

“The Black Country is an area that has a strong tradition of manufacturing, particularly in terms of making things out of steel (known locally as metal bashing), and this has been in steady decline for years,” Hicks told Dezeen.

“The landscape I grew up in is human-made. I’m interested in conveying the changes in the region, largely brought on by deindustrialisation,” he added.

“Some parts of the Black Country feel like the land that planning forgot”

Taken while out cycling, many of Hicks’ photographs focus on signs and handmade lettering on buildings.

“The title of the book reflects the idea that the images are taken in The Black Country and originally featured typography,” Hicks explained. “Letterforms have the ability to locate a building in a certain time period”.

What the artist looks for in the built environment varies from time to time.

“Sometimes I focus on a building that was once grand but has fallen into disrepair,” he said. “Or I focus on a door that may seem like a minor detail, but that reflects the overall architectural style of the building – so it acts as shorthand for a time period and architectural genre.”

“Some parts of the Black Country feel like the land that planning forgot,” he added. “There are improvised and patched-up structures all over the region.”

“I rely on sunlight to illuminate the surfaces of the buildings”

As well as having an emphasis on typography, Hicks’ photographs are unified by a focus on bright colours and sharp lines, and the fact that they are always taken in direct sunlight.

“The vivid colours in the images are all as they appear. I rely on sunlight to illuminate the surfaces of the buildings,” Hicks continued. “Colour and surface material are key focuses for my work.”

“I love the contrast with the name of the region – The Black Country – and the colourful nature of the work,” he added. “Humour is an important part of the Black Country character and I try to convey that where possible.”

Read on for Hicks’ selection of ten photographs from Black Country Type:

Central Snooker Club exterior from Black Country Type

Central Snooker Club, Lye, 2019

I love the simplicity of the design of this building – not only in terms of the structure of the building but also the paint job. It took me a while to realise that the colours relate to the order in which you pot the balls in snooker.

This photograph is an example of how the project is documenting change in the Black Country; the building is now a warehouse and has been painted black.

Lollipop Oldbury from Black Country Type

Lollipop, Oldbury, 2021

For many, this conjures up the atmosphere of Miami. In actual fact, this is the side of the Mecca Bingo club in Oldbury, which is in the shadow of the M6 motorway.

When I was taking this photograph, I was stopped by the club’s security team, who informed me that the car park was for members only. My response was to join the Bingo club, and security let me finish the shoot. I still have my membership card.

SMO graffiti on building in Wolverhampton

Smile More Often, Wolverhampton, 2021

This building has now been demolished. It was empty for a long time but when I arrived the demolition crew was on site. For me, this image is tinged with regret, as the building was a sleek sixties design which spoke of the post-war ambition of the region.

SMO means Smile More Often and is the name of a local graffiti crew. I’m still trying to work out how they painted the letters on the building.

Yellow subway stairs against blue tiled wall Stourbridge

Subway, Stourbridge, 2021

Something about this image reminded me of a swimming pool. I gave it the alternative title ‘A Bigger Splash’ in a nod to Hockney.

I took this on a cold winter’s day. So cold in fact that I didn’t want to hang around for too long. I didn’t even dismount from my bicycle – I leaned against the tiled wall and took this before heading off.

Do Not Rush, Stourbridge, 2021

This ‘Do Not Rush’ sign is located at Stourbridge Junction Railway Station. When I saw it, it struck me as a quaint way to say ‘no running’.

For people who have bought this image as a print, it has become a kind of mantra – a reminder to slow down in life.

Adult Shop exterior from Black Country Type

Adult Shop, Cradley Heath, 2022

This shop is located in part of a now-derelict art deco cinema.

I love the font used on this – it seems more fitting for a balloon shop than an adult shop. Free customer parking seems like a polite touch.

Yellow Roof, Stourbridge, 2022

I’ve always been struck by the vivid yellow of this building in Stourbridge. It’s the main structure of what remains of the Scala Theatre. The unusual yellow roof gets its colour from lichen, which covers the entire surface.

This was a difficult building to photograph as from ground level you can’t see the roof in full. I shot this while travelling on the escalator in Tesco, which overlooks the building!

Industrial Unit Bilston, Wolverhampton, 2022

The building in this image is typical of large swathes of industrial buildings in the Black Country – cheap to construct and functional in nature.

This image represents the more minimal vein of my practice and shows the value of timing. For me, the shadow on the small wall behind the safety rails makes the image. If I’d arrived an hour later, it may not have been there.

Newly built warehouse in Oldbury from Black Country Type

Cloud Storage, Oldbury, 2023

Not all my images are of derelict or decaying buildings. I took this image of a newly-built warehouse in Oldbury in the same week it had been completed. The concrete was untouched by delivery trucks.

The cloud that we see in the reflection was in the sky behind me. When I reviewed the image, it appeared to me that the cloud was inside the building – hence the title.

Pies sign Tipton photographed by Tom Hicks

PIES, Tipton, 2023

This image is taken in the beer garden of the wonderfully named ‘Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory, which is in Tipton – considered by many as the heart of the Black Country.

The photography is by Tom Hicks.

Reference

Sustainable News

Making clean hydrogen and carbon black without combustion

By Zarkon Group,12/08/2023

Spotted: Hydrogen has long been touted as a clean fuel for the future. And the International Energy Agency forecasts that global hydrogen demand could reach 115 megatonnes by 2030, although this falls short of the 130 megatonnes needed by the same deadline to meet existing climate targets.

Hydrogen is promising as a fuel because it does not emit CO2 at point-of-use and has a broad range of existing and potential applications – from the power sector to transport and more. However, the way in which the element is produced determines whether or not it is a truly clean fuel.

Today, almost all the hydrogen we use is created from fossil fuels, which means that its production generates significant amounts of CO2. ‘Green hydrogen’ is an often-discussed alternative to fossil-derived hydrogen. It is produced by running an electric current through water to break the bond between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. If this current is produced from a renewable source, then the entire process is emissions-free. Although very promising, green hydrogen has its own limitations, such as the current high cost of electrolysers needed for its production.

Now, however, US startup Monolith, has developed a new clean way of producing hydrogen. Using a process called methane pyrolysis, the company heats up traditional or renewable natural gas or biogas with renewable electricity. This process heats the gas but does not combust it, which means no CO2 is released. Instead, the bonds between the hydrogen and carbon atoms in the gas are broken, and the two elements are collected separately.

Video source Monolith

Although Monolith’s process still results in a small amount of greenhouse gas emissions for each kilogramme of hydrogen produced, these are much lower than those produced by traditional fossil-derived hydrogen processes (at 0.45 kilogrammes of CO2 equivalent per kilogramme of hydrogen, compared to 11.3 for steam methane reforming). Moreover, the company claims that the process could be made carbon negative if renewable natural gas is used as feedstock.

The key benefit of Monolith’s technology is that it is more affordable than green hydrogen production and uses seven times less energy than is required to produce hydrogen with electrolysers. The leftover carbon from methane pyrolysis can also be used to produce carbon black, a material that is used in tyres and rubber products and as an ink, black paint, or dye. This carbon black is normally produced in very carbon-intensive ways, so its recovery from Monolith’s process offers a more sustainable alternative.

As hydrogen becomes more important for the energy transition, Springwise has spotted several innovators in the archive working on its clean production, including a company producing next-generation electrolysers, researchers making hydrogen from thin air, and oil-eating bacteria that produce hydrogen from spent oil and gas wells.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Photo of cement and carbon black supercapacitor by MIT researchers

Sustainable News

MIT engineers create battery alternative using cement and carbon black

By Zarkon Group,04/08/2023

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a low-cost energy storage system that could be integrated into roads and building foundations to facilitate the renewable energy transition.

The research team has created a supercapacitor – a device that works like a rechargeable battery – using cement, water and carbon black, a fine black powder primarily formed of pure carbon.

The breakthrough could pave the way for energy storage to be embedded into concrete, creating the potential for roads and buildings that charge electric devices.

Unlike batteries, which rely on materials in limited supply such as lithium, the technology could be produced cheaply using materials that are readily available, according to the researchers.

They describe cement and carbon black as “two of humanity’s most ubiquitous materials”.

“You have the most-used manmade material in the world, cement, combined with carbon black, which is a well-known historical material – the Dead Sea Scrolls were written with it,” said MIT professor Admir Masic.

The research team included Masic and fellow MIT professors Franz-Josef Ulm and Yang-Shao Horn, with postdoctoral researchers Nicolas Chanut, Damian Stefaniuk and Yunguang Zhu at MIT and James Weaver at Harvard’s Wyss Institute.

“Huge need for big energy storage”

They believe the technology could accelerate a global shift to renewable energy.

Solar, wind and tidal power are all produced at variable times, which often don’t correspond with peak electricity demand. Large-scale energy storage is necessary to take advantage of these sources but is too expensive to realise using traditional batteries.

“There is a huge need for big energy storage,” said Ulm. “That’s where our technology is extremely promising because cement is ubiquitous.”

The team proved the concept works by creating a set of button-sized supercapacitors, equivalent to one-volt batteries, which were used to power an LED light.

They are now developing a 45-cubic-metre version to show the technology can be scaled up.

Calculations suggest a supercapacitor of this size could store around 10 kilowatt-hours of energy, which would be enough to meet the daily electricity usage of a typical household.

This means that a supercapacitor could potentially be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house for little to no additional cost.

“You can go from one-millimetre-thick electrodes to one-metre-thick electrodes, and by doing so basically you can scale the energy storage capacity from lighting an LED for a few seconds to powering a whole house,” Ulm said.

The researchers suggest that embedding the technology into a concrete road could make it possible to charge electric cars while they are travelling across it, using similar technology to that used in wireless phone chargers.

Battery-powered versions of this system are already being trialled across Europe.

Carbon black key to “fascinating” composite

Supercapacitors work by storing electrical energy between two electrically conductive plates. They are able to deliver charge much more rapidly than batteries but most do not offer as much energy storage.

The amount of energy they are able to store depends on the total surface area of the two plates, which are separated by a thin insulation layer.

The version developed here has an extremely high internal surface area, which greatly improves its effectiveness. This is due to the chemical makeup of the material formed when carbon black is introduced to a concrete mixture and left to cure.

“The material is fascinating,” said Masic. “The carbon black is self-assembling into a connected conductive wire.”

According to Masic, the amount of carbon black needed is very small – as little as three per cent.

The more is added, the greater the storage capacity of the supercapacitor. But this also reduces the structural strength of the concrete, which could be a problem in load-bearing applications.

The “sweet spot” is believed to be around 10 per cent.

The composite material could also be utilised within a heating system, the team suggested. Full details of their findings are due to be published in an upcoming edition of science journal PNAS.

Other attempts at creating large-scale, low-cost energy storage systems include Polar Night Energy’s “sand battery”, which is already servicing around 10,000 people in the Finnish town of Kankaanpää.

The top image is courtesy of Shutterstock.

Reference

Architecture

SOM unveils black terracotta office block in New York

By Zarkon Group,28/07/2023

Architecture studio SOM has completed an office building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood clad in black-glazed terracotta that was designed to complement the surrounding neighbourhood.

Called 28&7, the 12-storey-tall office building was designed to complement the nearby masonry-clad structures, while maintaining a modern look.

“The scale of the building is modest in its context,” SOM design partner Chris Cooper told Dezeen.

“Our all-black design creates a distinguishing contrast within the immediate neighbourhood of masonry buildings.”

According to the studio, it is the first example of a structure in New York that uses black terracotta. The ceramic material was given a black glaze that is then polished to create a smooth, almost reflective surface.

SOM said that the material was chosen for the way it “harmonizes” with the clear glass used for the remainder of the facade.

Referred to the building’s minimalist look as a “perfectly tailored suit”, the cladding conceals the window’s aluminium frames.

“The black sheen in the glazing has an elusive surface quality that changes depending on the time of day, much like the glass,” said Cooper.

“As a contemporary interpretation of a historic typology, the facade design is an honest expression of the structure, construction and use,” he continued.

“The resulting tactility of the facade feels more comfortable and inviting than the sleek counterparts all in glass.”

Wooden louvres and terrazzo in office lobby — The lobby features wooden louvres and terrazzo

The terracotta was also chosen for its “high-performing, yet-low carbon” attributes, and Cooper noted that the material has less of a footprint than steel or additional glass. It was manufactured using a dark terracotta blend from the fabrication company Shildan in Germany.

Designed before the pandemic, the building’s smaller envelope is an attempt to create a “boutique” approach to offices. The construction marks what Cooper says is a marked shift from mega-scale developments towards smaller, more flexible building typologies for offices.

The size of the building was used to leverage what Cooper calls a “community-centred workplace”, and suggested that this smaller, more open arrangement can help attract workers back to office buildings.

Because the structural columns were integrated into the facade, the floor plates are column-free, creating clear lines of sight throughout the 90,000 square-foot (8361 square-metre) plan.

Interior materials were selected to create a “feeling of comfort and warmth”, especially in the lobby area which is clad in wood and a terrazzo tiling.

Other buildings in New York City that incorporate unique shades of glazing for terracotta facades include a high rise in Long Island City with British racing green terracotta and a fire station in Brooklyn by Studio Gang that incorporates bright red terracotta details to mimic fire engines.

The material is even finding its way into the city’s supertall skyscrapers. SHoP Architects’ Steinway Tower, the skinniest supertall in the world, has two full faces clad in terracotta.

The photography is by Dave Burke/SOM.

Reference

Architecture

Atelier-r refreshes neo-gothic church with angular black extension

By Zarkon Group,10/07/2023

Czech studio Atelier-r has refreshed the Red Church in Olomouc, the Czech Republic, adding an angular matte-black extension and public spaces informed by neo-gothic design.

The renovated church, along with the added black volume, holds an information centre and cafe as well as an events venue designed to host small concerts and exhibitions.

Built in 1902, the original church was closed to the public and has been used as a private storage space for the library next to the site for the past sixty years.

Despite its poor condition, Atelier-r aimed to open up the listed building for public use, opting to partially reconstruct the church and add an extension that reflects the existing structure’s neo-gothic style.

Exterior photo of Cerveny Kostel — The extension is an angular structure

“The building itself was preserved as a whole but in a very poor condition,” studio founder Miroslav Pospíšil told Dezeen. “We had to do a complete makeover with maximum effort to retain the original elements.”

“We designed the renovation with deep respect to the neo-gothic atmosphere of the place,” he added. “First, it was necessary to strengthen the foundations, mend the damp and salty masonry, repair the stucco and plaster, and tidy up and fill the gaps in the facade cladding,

“The floors were a complete redo, including the layers all the way down to the terrain base.”

Photo of the library at Cerveny Kostel — The extension contains a library

Due to damaged trusses, the studio entirely reconstructed the roof of the church, cladding it in copper squares that resemble the concrete tiles of the original roof.

Modern decorative elements created by local sculptor Jan Dostal were added to the roof to replace the original damaged features.

Photo of the church — The extension connects directly to the 20th-century church

“The original roof was clad in asbestos cement tiles, but it is a very fragile material and most of them were damaged by falling ice from the church tower,” said Pospíšil.

“So we decided to use copper tiles of the same size as the original ones,” he continued. “Copper’s colour changes gradually to a dark grey colour, which will be very similar to asbestos cement tiles in a couple of years.”

Inside the church, exposed brick structural elements stand out against white walls, while a large ring-shaped lighting fixture is suspended over rows of chairs. A raised platform at the end of the building holds a sculptural arrangement of staggered bookshelves.

To hold additional spaces, including a reception and a cafe, Atelier-r added a new structure between the church and library, connecting it to both existing buildings with glazed walkways.

Photo of the interior — The shape of the extension was informed by the form of the church

Surrounded by a patio area with outdoor seating, the building features a roof and walls made from black aluminium and has an angular form informed by the geometry of the church.

“The crystal-like mass of the annex responds to the neo-Gothic form of the church; it derives from its geometric shape, volume, and layout, ” said Pospíšil. “The floor plan is a cut-out of the part of the church floor plan, only moved outside of the original platform.”

Interior image of the library — The interior has a pink concrete floor

Entering through a glass door set within walls of full-height glazing, guests are met by a double-height cafe and reception space finished with a pastel pink concrete floor.

To one side of the room, a tall accent wall featuring shelves filled with old books acts as the centrepiece of the space, while a glass lighting fixture by Lambert & Fils hangs over the dining tables.

Photo of a reception desk — A reception desk was constructed from pink concrete

“The elegant and minimalist glass elements float in the air, suspended on the nylon ropes high above the visitors’ heads,” said the studio. “If you look at them from specific angles, they reflect the houses in the street or the church.”

At the back of the space, a pink concrete reception desk reflects the angular form of the building and sits beneath a bespoke lighting feature that follows the shape of the desk.

Designed in collaboration with local interior design practice Denisa Strmiskova Studio, the interior spaces across the new and existing building feature chairs made from walnut wood, as well as coffee tables that draw upon the traditional design of the church.

A storage space branches from the main hall, featuring a wall of black lockers and a cloakroom set behind a blocky pink counter.

An additional accent wall of shelves is arranged around the large opening to the space, providing further storage for the old books from the library.

Other renovated churches recently featured on Dezeen include a cathedral in Manhattan that Ennead Architects has refreshed with a copper dome and a community hub added to a 19th-century church.

The photography is by BoysPlayNice.

Reference

Architecture

Rendering the Future: An Architecture of Matte Black Façades

By Zarkon Group,28/05/2023

The winners of this year’s A+Product Awards have been announced. Stay tuned for the year’s edition of the A+Product Awards ebook in the coming months.

We first experience architecture through a façade. Whether made with an overhang for shelter, lively colors, or clear sight lines inside, buildings with a thoughtfully designed façade invite exploration. Over time, architects have worked with builders and manufacturers to rethink cladding, glazing, and doors to shape the entry sequence and building styles. Today, this exploration continues with the design and detailing of matte façades. Through diverse material and finish choices, designers are reimagining the building envelope.

Matte façades have increased in popularity around the world and across project types. By reflecting less light, these buildings hold a strong presence and become focal points in rural and urban environments. Depending on the type of material and color, the matte finish can highlight the cladding, structure or façade system in place. These projects have a textural look and feel, inviting interaction and connection. In turn, they can also be used as a counterpoint to other colors, textures or finishes. The surfaces can contrast glazing or the interior design to delineate between the interior and exterior. Representing the integration of materials and finishes in different climates and contexts, each of the following projects explores what it means to create matte façades today.

Sauna R

Designed by Matteo Foresti, Värmdö, Sweden

Made of black granite (Negresco) and dark wood (Oak), this sauna was designed to be a camera obscura, a box drawn to shape views of the landscape. Located in the middle of Stockholm’s archipelago, a narrow pathway brings the visitors to the sauna: a black box embedded in the rocks. The matte finish can be seen both inside and as part of the structure’s façade. As the team outlines, inside is a monolithic stone bench that faces the water through a large sliding window. On the back, a thick wall contains all the services: a small kitchen hidden behind the sliding doors and a bathroom illuminated by a skylight. At night, the small sauna resembles a lighthouse, a warm and cozy space illuminated from the inside.

Textilmacher

Designed by Tillicharchitektur, Munich, Germany

Tillicharchitektur designed this building to host production and office spaces for a textile finishing and vending firm. Its iconic feature is the folded façade, which reimagines the simple cube. The matte bright surface of the anthracite pigmented concrete responds to its environment. Depending on the season, time of day, weather, and lighting, the façade continuously changes its character. In contrast to the expressive façade, the interior design leaves more space for the production process and the products in the showroom. The team explains that the limitation on few, but high class materials, is the main factor driving the interior.

LOU – Einfamilienhaus

Designed by AllesWirdGut, Lower Austria, Austria

On the fringe of the Vienna Woods sits this compact single-family house LOU. Resting on a steeply sloping site, the designers wanted the first impression to be reinforced by the matte black skin of the building. Inside, the project offers a spacious and varied living environment on staggered half-story levels. As the team notes, at each level, the house opens differently to the outside world. The main residential levels are nestled against the slope, separated from the garden only by an all around-strip of windows which allows looking and stepping out in every direction.

Four Seasons House

Designed by Joris Verhoeven Architecture, Tilburg, Netherlands

This compact wooden house was designed by architect Joris Verhoeven for himself. Located within the Drijflanen nature reserve in Tilburg, the matte building is designed to be a part of nature. With its rough black façade, it was made to fit within the context of surrounding tree trunks. The cottage house is prefabricated and constructed out of wooden cassettes filled with flax insulation. In turn, the interior of the cassettes is made of birch plywood. Other parts of the interior, such as the interior door, kitchen and stair railing, are finished in matte black, just like the exterior window frames. In this way the inside and outside of the house were made to relate to one another.

Muangthongthani Carcare

Designed by Archimontage Design Fields Sophisticated, Nonthaburi, Thailand

Located in Muang Thong Thani, this project is the expansion of a car care center. The building is located on a 3230-square feet (300-meter) plot of land, with a long and narrow plot that required an in-depth organization of the building. Since the space of the car care center was too limited, a new space was necessary for project extension. The building consists of four small containers and four large containers. The design team made the building exterior to be painted in matte black but the interior is white. The external envelope includes the west façade and the roof, which have metal sunshades to reflect sunlight and protect the building from the heat.

The Wetlands

Designed by Alain Carle Architect, Wentworth-Nord, Canada

The ‘Les Marais’ project started with the design team’s fascination for the built landscape of the empty space that characterizes North American rural areas. For this design, depending on the observer’s location in the neighboring forest, the scales of the buildings are relative. The team explains that the wetland nature of this lakeside property was preserved and then the collective landscape of the built complex was designed. A large ‘plate’ of black wood links the three structures to establish a common base, while large cutouts were made in each ‘shape’, also of black painted wood, to reveal the interior materiality of the red cedar buildings.

JianYe LanHai ZhengFeng Hotel

Designed by Lacime Architect, Xinzheng, China

Sited at the future land-air transport hub of Henan, this hotel was made as a “paradise city with national customs” in Zhengzhou. Ideas of Chinese ancient garden construction were introduced into the “south garden” that make the most important building the starting point of the entire array. Moreover, the matte building façade is presented in the shape of arc to match the main garden in the front. The team choose a range of matte-finish materials like frosted earthenware tile, matte composite aluminum-plastic sheet and brushed stainless steel. It is the first floor of the building that is composed of external matte façade built from 100,000 earthenware tiles.

The winners of this year’s A+Product Awards have been announced. Stay tuned for the year’s edition of the A+Product Awards ebook in the coming months.

Reference

Architecture

Wonder Wood: Black Label Sets a New Standard for Sustainable Materials

By Zarkon Group,02/03/2023

For architects specifying materials for their projects, it’s hard to look past the building envelope as the most important element to consider. Not only is it one of the most visually significant aspects of a building, but it can also make or break a project’s sustainability credentials, given the potential environmental impact of sourcing, transporting, constructing and maintaining materials used for exterior surfaces.

Enter Black Label by Tropical Forest Products, one of the world’s most sustainable building products for decking, cladding and more. This forward-thinking manufacturer has refined its process to minimize the environmental impact of its products without compromising on the durability and incredible aesthetic qualities of its collection. The results are stunning: the warm, rich tones and resilient nature of tropical hardwood makes it a fit for a wide range of contemporary architecture projects, including hospitality, commercial, residential and landscape design typologies. Black Label Sustainable Lumber topped the popular choice vote in the Landscape Design category for the 2022 A+Product Awards.

Architizer spoke with Tropical Forest Products about their products, their processes, and how they see their work evolving in the future.

Congratulations on winning a 2022 A+Award! What does winning this accolade mean to you and your brand?

We are thrilled to have Black Label sustainable lumber named a winner in the world-renowned Architizer A+Awards. This prestigious recognition proves that the architectural community appreciates our efforts to bring high quality and organic tropical hardwoods to market.

The fact that we were awarded by People’s Choice makes it even more special. We would be equally thrilled if this was a jury award, but the fact that this came from architects, designers, contractors and homeowners who have been using Black Label wood confirms the great acceptance that the industry has given to our sustainable, architectural grade products.

What inspired the design of your product?

We are inspired by nature. We believe that natural hardwoods are not only the most sustainable and renewable building product in the world, but they’re also the most exquisite. So we keep our interference as minimal as possible. That means that Black Label hardwoods have no chemicals, additives or toxins – nothing is added. Our products are already what the engineered industry has tried to mimic for years, with no success.

From natural one-of-a-kind designs to unmatched structural strength, our hardwoods are born nearly impeccable. Our role is selecting the optimal boards – Premium Architectural Grade on all sides and edges, with no knots – and kiln-drying them in state-of-the-art Italian chambers.

Using advanced sustainable forest management techniques certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or Unfloresta, we go deep inside the forest and hand pick a limited number of trees with potential to become a piece of art in the hands of architects. Our mission is to give professionals the ability to create stunning, meaningful work that not only delights people, but that also reconnects them to nature.

Add to that the design of specific product profiles, along with the product testing and engineering into a system-based approach consisting of CAD details and CSI based specification language, and you have the essence of the Black Label brand.

Tell us about the manufacturing process — What are the key stages involved, and how do these help ensure a high quality end product?

Manufacturing sustainable wood products goes way beyond what meets the eye. Kiln-drying every board in Italian-made chambers until they meet precise humidity levels is a challenge, as is the world-class millwork we do with our state-of-the-art German-built planers. But it’s when we go into the forest to source our wood that we really set ourselves apart.

To craft every piece of Black Label hardwood, we use the most stringent forest management protocols, guaranteeing forests forever for all future generations. We remove less productive trees (that no longer store carbon) and make room for new trees to flourish.

Think of it as a garden, but on a bigger scale. We prune aging trees the same way you prune old branches in your backyard, allowing new life to grow. And not just any aging tree. From an area as big as a football field, only four to six trees are carefully selected, leaving the remainder intact. And for every one we harvest, up to 25 new trees benefit from the opening in the canopy of leaves and have a chance to flourish.

We go out of our way to keep our products not only sustainable and organic, but to make sure they bring a positive impact on both nature and people. Our multiple certifications with world-class organizations like FSC and Unfloresta only prove how seriously we take sustainability at Black Label.

What detail of your product was the biggest challenge to design, and why? How did you resolve it?

Solving design challenges are at the core of Black Label. Wood, by its very nature, is an incredibly flexible building product, and we take that to the next level by bringing unlimited profile options with state-of-the-art molders and CNC platforms. There’s nothing a commercial or residential project would need, no matter how big or small, that we could not provide.

We also have a dedicated department to serve designers and architects in their specification development process with all of the tools and data they require available on our website. Additionally, we always love to hear from designers directly so we can match their needs, from product sampling to our mill shop.

What makes your product unique and of great value to specifying architects?

Tropical hardwoods are the best in the world for a wide range of residential and commercial applications, and Black Label heightens this aspect. Black Label wood products such as Ipe, Garapa, Tigerwood, Jatoba, Cumaru and Bulletwood — the world’s most appealing species — are sustainably sourced and perfect for all climates. Besides, all of them have unmatched durability and require low maintenance, without the use of chemical treatments. They represent the perfect mix of beauty and unrivaled performance.

Black Label hardwoods have almost twice the strength of Generic FAS grade lumber, and because of the establishment of definitive grading rules, Black Label offers lifestyle products with Premium Appearance on all four sides and edges of each board. Our hardwoods are 100% organic — with absolutely no additives — harvested from sustainably managed forests, and some species have an impressive lifespan of up to 75 years. Hardwood last longer than other materials, and therefore does not have to be replaced nearly as often, making it even more sustainable. Plus, every piece of wood has enhanced stability, made possible by an optimal temperature control system that increases the structural performance by hardening the cell walls. It’s what the industry has been trying to match for years by using chemicals and toxic additives, with no success.

Combine this with FSC, Unifloresta, and even our own Legal Lumber certification program, and designers have a validated and comprehensive approach to biophilic design within the wood product category.

What has the reception to your product been like from architects/clients/consumers?

It has been amazing to watch the incredible reception for such a young brand that has been on the market for less than two years. Dealers all over North America are working with Black Label products every day, and we were awarded by People’s Choice at the Architizer A+Awards. On top of that, we received additional prestigious recognition, which made us the most awarded hardwood brand in our industry in 2022.

Technically, the architects and designers are astounded by the breadth of resources that are available to them to assist in specifying naturally durable hardwood products from our resource library and our availability to work through design challenges with them.

Both designers and consumers are reassured by our comprehensive environmental compliance certification programs, including FSC certification. But the real challenge remains in the continuing education about the Life Cycle Benefits of renewable wood products over non-renewable building products. We are extremely grateful to have received the Architizer A+Award and for any attention it brings to this most important environmental initiative.

How do you see the product evolving in the future?

We have just recently introduced prefabricated deck tiles into our Black Label roof deck system. And for the first time ever in our industry, they are kiln-dried, providing a resistance only similar to that of steel.

But only offering wood sometimes isn’t enough for a brand that aims to support architects and builders with everything they need to deliver world-class projects. So, we’re excited to announce the evolution of the Black Label brand into a wide range of accessories from deck and clad clips to tool kits to stains and beyond.

This evolution is how we guarantee our builders will always find the same quality standards we stand for, from the wood all the way down to the smallest screw.

To find out more about Black Label Sustainable Lumber, visit their website, and reach out to one of their experts to learn how to implement the product in your next project.

All images courtesy of Tropical Forest Products

Reference

Architecture

Travelling exhibition highlights unsung Black architects

By Zarkon Group,27/02/2023

The racial paradigm in the United States means that Black architects must continue to operate against the grain in order to get projects built, says From the Ground Up exhibition curator Hasaan Kirkland.

Kirkland believes that barriers to entry and recognition continue to disadvantage people of colour in architecture, making it important to highlight the background of architects.

“Extra work is being done to be a Black anything,” said Kirkland, curatorial consultant for the Seattle edition of a travelling exhibition called From the Ground Up: Black Architects and Designers.

“Why can we not just be architects?”

“Why can we not just be architects, why do we have to be Black architects?” he asked.

“Well, it’s because of the paradigm in this country that deals with separation and racism that is originated by a select individual cultural mentality. We will still have to contend with tropes that do no good.”

“There are many unsung heroes, if you will, in the industry of architecture, primarily because they’re African Americans and have to contend with the world and all of the concerns that would prevent African Americans from being able to have a central voice and an opportunity to be recognized.”

Kirkland believes that additional work must be done to shed light on Black architects and their contribution to city skylines as an important part of urban identity, both historically and in the present.

Impressive buildings can often be attributed to white architectural companies by default, which has led to Black architects and studios led by Black architects having less “scope to be recognized”, he argued.

A “feat of courage” for Black architects

“With the history of the country, to be an architectural firm became a feat of courage and of undoing some things that were racially motivated to prevent that from happening,” said Kirkland.

He contends that this context means it is important to have educational programming that informs people about the contributions of Black architects to the built environment.

“Architecture is what creates our skylines for every city, and every state, but it is often unknown how many African Americans are actually contributors to those skylines, to the buildings that we see and drive around every day,” said Kirkland.

“We just assume that they are created by another white architectural company, but there are Black firms.”

Recognising this contribution is part of the work the exhibition is carrying out. Originally conceived via the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the traveling exhibition zeroes in on the architects of specific regions alongside the core programming.

People should “see themselves” in architecture

However, Kirkland pointed out that just because an architect is Black, it doesn’t mean the spaces are necessarily designed for the community – although Black architects often work in areas like social housing that are traditionally ignored in legacy architecture.

“Just because they’re a Black firm doesn’t mean they make the building specifically for Black people,” he said. “If a Black person was never to set foot in those buildings, that’s not the primary concern. The primary concern is to create the building.”

But when people are shown the origin of the building, he says, that provides an added benefit.

“When you begin to have that context into your understanding, then people of color become inspired and empowered by the industry of architecture because they can begin to see themselves not just on the wall but the wall itself,” Kirkland said.

Read on for a look at five buildings worked on by Black architects highlighted in the exhibition.

Tuskegee Chapel — Photo courtesy of Library of Congress

Butler Chapel Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, by Robert R Taylor

Robert R Taylor was the first Black American to receive a formal architecture degree, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon graduating, he was offered a position as the director of the Department of Mechanical Industries at the Tuskegee Institute by founder and activist Dr Booker T Washington.

The first building in the county to have interior lights, the chapel was one among many Gothic-style brick buildings designed by Taylor for the institute.

Completed in 1898, the chapel was eventually destroyed in a fire in 1957. The institute’s new chapel was designed almost 70 years later by Paul Rudolph and the studio of John A Welch and Louis Fry, both graduates of the institute.

Arts complex sarah lawrence — Photo courtesy of Ben Schnall

Arts Complex at Sarah Lawrence College, New York, by Edward Durell Stone and Beverly L Greene

In 1952, Beverly L Greene worked with Edward Durell Stone to complete the brick-and-stone modernist art complex at Sarah Lawrence College.

Greene was the first Black woman to receive a degree in architectural engineering in the United States. Born in Chicago, she went on to work on numerous important modernist projects, including the UNESCO Heritage Headquarters by Marcel Breuer in Paris.

Greene also worked on a number of housing developments in New York City and Chicago, including Stuy Town on Manhattan’s east side. After also earning a masters degree in architecture at Columbia, Greene went on to design a number of buildings for NYU.

Theme building LAX — Photo by Eric Salard

Theme Building at LAX, Los Angeles, by Paul Revere Williams

Completed in 1961, the Theme Building at LAX was hailed as a prime example of late modern architecture. It was designed by Paul Revere Williams, a locally-born architect known for his work on homes for celebrities such as Frank Sinatra.

The Theme Building is a domed restaurant suspended by concrete arches. It was part of a major expansion of the airport during that time period and recently underwent structural stabilisation to maintain it.

US embassy Tokyo — Photo courtesy of Rs1421

US Embassy in Tokyo, Tokyo, by Cesar Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek

Completed in 1976, the US Embassy Building in Tokyo displayed the modernist sensibilities of American architecture in an international context. Norma Merrick Sklarek also worked with Argentine architect Cesar Pelli on other projects, including the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

Born in Harlem, Sklarek was the first Black woman to be listed as a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Moving her license from New York to California, Sklarek was also the first Black woman to lead a division of a white-owned architecture studio.

MLK branch library Columbus — Photo by Feinknopf Photography

Martin Luther King Branch, Columbus, by Moody Nolan

A branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio, the Martin Luther King Branch is an example of architecture explicitly dedicated to the African American community.

The first library branch to be named after King, it was completed in 2018 by Moody Nolan, a local, Black-owned studio run by Curtis Moody and Howard E Nolan. The project won the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Phil Freelon Professional Design Award in 2020.

Founded in 1982, Moody Nolan is now the largest Black-owned architecture studio in the country and has worked on a number of large-scale projects.

From the Ground Up is on show at MOHAI in Seattle from February 4 to April 30. Visit Dezeen’s Event Guide for more events, exhibits and talks about architecture and design.

Reference

Interior Design

Black staircases link SC Workplace by Behnisch Architekten

By Zarkon Group,25/02/2023

A variety of black staircases dogleg and spiral between the levels of this office in Southern California, designed by global firm Behnisch Architekten.

Tasked with bringing personality to a four-storey “developer box”, Behnisch Architekten 110,000 square feet (10,220 square metres) for an undisclosed client.

“We had the opportunity to work with a great client to transform this ubiquitous building type into a dynamic work environment, which promotes connection and collaboration,” said the studio.

The building shell, measuring 120 by 240 feet (37 by 74 metres), features glass facades and an elevator core at its centre.

Atrium with glass facade and two staircases — Behnisch Architekten carved the atria from the floor plates to bring in light and create visual connections

The team began by carving up the continuous floor plates to open up the levels to one another – allowing in more light and creating visual connections between multiple spaces.

On opposite sides of the core, they created two “eccentrically-shaped atriums” by staggering the walls of meeting rooms on the different storeys.

Underside of staircases — The staircases are wrapped in solid black on three sides

“A pair of hairpin-shaped stairs are situated in each atrium and connect users between office levels two to four, promoting inter-level exchange, but also serving as a sculptural element within the space,” said the studio.

Voids were also created in opposing corners, each containing a spiral staircase treated with the same solid black balustrades and light wooden treads as the doglegged ones.

Spiral staircase in corner void — More voids were formed at the building’s corners, which are used as lounge areas

“The multitude of options between levels allows users to move freely from floor to floor,” Behnisch Architekten said. “These voids also add communication and transparency between previously disconnected floor plates.”

Lounge areas also occupy the corner voids, which offer social spaces for employees and are flooded with light from the dual-aspect glazing.

Lounge area in front of staircase — Spiral staircases provide alternatives vertical routes through the building

Private offices are situated around the building’s perimeter so that users are afforded light and views.

Closer to the elevator lobbies, conference and meeting rooms feature glass walls, allowing some to overlook the atria.

Internal lounge area with colourful sofas — Meeting and conference rooms are located in the centre of the building

For wayfinding and booking, every meeting room is named after a river, while lounges are represented by lakes.

Each floor corresponds with two continental regions, which are identified through custom-designed wood artworks and photography.

Amenities for staff at ground level include a bouldering wall that wraps the core and is connected to a gym and a game room.

A large dining hall features pale materials and a slatted wood ceiling also found in other areas of the building.

Stefan Behnisch established Behnisch Architekten in Stuttgart in 1989 with his late father Günter Behnisch. The firm now has additional offices in Los Angeles, Boston and Munich.

It has completed a variety of different building typologies over the years, from kindergartens, schools and laboratories, to offices for Adidas and an academic building at Harvard University.

Dining hall — Staff amenities include a large dining hall

Behnisch was interviewed about his firm’s projects as part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival in 2020.

The photography is by Brad Feinknopf and Nephew.

Project credits:

Project team: Kristi Paulson (Partner in Charge), Daniel Poei (Director/Project Lead), Tony Gonzalez, Vera Tian, Laura Fox, Eric Hegre Apurva Ravi, Victoria Oakes
Consultants: John A. Martin & Associates (Structural), Loisos + Ubbelohde (Lighting/Daylighting), ARUP (Fire/Life Safety, Acoustical, Audio/Visual), ACCO Engineered Systems (Design-Build – Mechanical/Plumbing), Morrow Meadows (Design- Build – Electrical), Pinnacle (Design-Build – Audio/Visual), Ockert and Partners (Graphics), SPMDesign (Custom-fabricated Artwork)
General contractor: DPR Construction

Reference

Black

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Ten post-industrial structures from the Black Country

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MIT engineers create battery alternative using cement and carbon black

SOM unveils black terracotta office block in New York

Atelier-r refreshes neo-gothic church with angular black extension

Rendering the Future: An Architecture of Matte Black Façades

Sauna R

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Designed by Alain Carle Architect, Wentworth-Nord, Canada

JianYe LanHai ZhengFeng Hotel

Designed by Lacime Architect, Xinzheng, China

Wonder Wood: Black Label Sets a New Standard for Sustainable Materials

Travelling exhibition highlights unsung Black architects

Black staircases link SC Workplace by Behnisch Architekten

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