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Concrete grid defines Svendborg International Maritime Academy
CategoriesArchitecture

Concrete grid defines Svendborg International Maritime Academy

By Zarkon Group,

Danish studios EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects have completed the Svendborg International Maritime Academy in Denmark, using an exposed concrete frame to echo its industrial surrounds.

Overlooking the harbour in the North Quay of the former port city Svendborg, the 12,500-square-metre centre unites several previously separate departments of Svendborg International Maritime Academy (SIMAC), providing combined study spaces for 1,000 students.

Front elevation view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller ArchitectsFront elevation view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects
EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects have created a building for Svendborg International Maritime Academy

EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects designed a “resilient grid” for the building formed of prefabricated concrete elements, which nods to the surrounding architecture and is divided with glass partitions to create teaching spaces that can be easily modified or adapted in future.

“We set out with the desire to create an extremely raw and transparent grid structure, contextually adapted to its industrious setting while capable of staging the school’s workshop-based content,” explained CF Møller Architects partner Mads Mandrup.

Facade dusk view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller ArchitectsFacade dusk view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects
It is characterised by an exposed concrete grid

“[It is] a scaffolding of spatial possibilities, centred around encouraging young people to encounter and exchange ideas through informal meetings, both within and out towards its surroundings, activating the whole harbour front of Svendborg,” Mandrup added.

SIMAC’s teaching spaces are organised across five storeys around a central 20-metre-high atrium. Lined with balconies, this atrium visually connects each level to a communal seating area on the ground floor.

Internal frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller ArchitectsInternal frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects
Five storeys of educational facilities surround a 20-metre-high atrium

Double-height spaces house specialist workshops alongside conventional offices and classrooms, with the glass partitions intended to “stimulate communication and informal exchange” between areas, said the studios.

On the roof is a communal terrace for students and staff, providing both internal and external spaces with expansive views out across the harbour framed by the hollow concrete grid.

Taking cues from the raw concrete structure, interior finishes have been kept minimal and unfinished, with exposed ducting and steel balustrades. Social areas are visually softened by wooden details, including an area of tiered seating.

On the building’s exterior, panels of glazing and corrugated metal have been pulled back to express the concrete structure. In each corner, the grid is cut away to create sheltered external areas for the cafe and canteen, which are open to the public.

Stairs and frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller ArchitectsStairs and frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects
An area of tiered communal seating is among those with wooden detailing

“You see the same raw, minimalist exposed column-girder structure both from the outside and the inside,” said EFFEKT co-founder Sinus Lynge.

“The space essentially flows through the building’s structure, and the intriguing aspect concerning the concrete elements is that SIMAC’s structure is the architecture,” he added.

Education space in concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller ArchitectsEducation space in concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects
Exposed ducting contributes to the raw interior aesthetic

SIMAC is the first project to be completed as part of a wider masterplan for a new district in Svendborg, which is set to transform 5.5 hectares of industrial area with new education, business and residential buildings.

Elsewhere, EFFEKT also recently completed Denmark’s first treetop walkway at the Hamaren Activity Park in Fyresdal and CF Møller Architects created the headquarters for Lego in Billund with a bright yellow atrium.

The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

Reference

Robot-made tunnels could reshape the power grid
CategoriesSustainable News

Robot-made tunnels could reshape the power grid

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The US has a huge problem with its utilities. The country’s current grid is both outdated and overloaded. And the transition to renewable energy is exacerbating this problem, as increasing electrification – driven, in particular, by the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) – creates a greater demand for power. At the same time, increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions are straining the grid beyond its ability to function. According to startup EarthGrid, tunnels are the solution to these problems.

Normally, utility tunnels are time-consuming and expensive to construct. But, EarthGrid has developed a way to bore tunnels exponentially faster and at a fraction of the cost of conventional techniques. The company’s Plasma Trenching System uses a plasma robot powered by renewable energy to trench in hard rock at speeds of up to 600 meters per day.

EarthGrid uses its plasma torches to bore underground supergrids that can be used to transmit renewable energy as well as ultra-high-speed internet, clean water pipes, and even delivery services.

The company offers two services. Its Build, Own, Operate & Maintain (B.O.O.M.) service offers a long-term lease covering the commodities flowing through the EarthGrid tunnels. Meanwhile, Boring and Drilling as a Simple Service (B.A.D.A.S.S.), is designed for customers who want to own their own tunnels.

EarthGrid has been granted Utility Status and Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity in 34 States. A recent seed round was massively oversubscribed, raising $30 million (around €28 million), bringing the total equity to approximately $50 million raised since inception in 2016 (around €47 million).

Transporting renewable energy is becoming a big limiting factor for new projects. Luckily, a number of innovations are seeking to tackle this, and Springwise has spotted the use of modular fuel packs to transport energy and the development of thermal energy storage systems.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Flowing vaulted roofs top Tarang arts space by The Grid Architects
CategoriesArchitecture

Flowing vaulted roofs top Tarang arts space by The Grid Architects

By Zarkon Group,

Undulating vaults shelter this multipurpose arts space in Ahmedabad, India, which local studio The Grid Architects designed to defy “conventional architectural norms”.

Named Tarang after the Hindi word for waves, the sweeping structure is formed of a series of timbrel vaults made from locally-sourced terracotta tiles without supporting beams or reinforcement.

According to The Grid Architects, with an area of 279 square metres, it is one of the largest vaulted structures of its kind in India.

Arts space by The Grid Architects in Ahmedabad
The Grid Architects has created a multipurpose arts space in Ahmedabad

“[Tarang] emerged from the desire to create a structure distinct from the urban context, where box-like structures dominated the surroundings,” said studio founders Snehal Suthar and Bhadri Suthar.

“The vision was to craft a cornerless edifice, harmonic waves that defied conventional architectural norms,” they told Dezeen.

A series of brick plinths on the perimeter of the oval-shaped site support the vaulted roof and create a series of arched openings of different heights that lead inside.

Aerial view of Tarang arts space by The Grid Architects in India
It is sheltered by undulating vaults. Photo by Vinay Panjwani

At the centre of Tarang, three circular plinths form funnel-shaped openings that provide sunlight and water to small planters positioned at their base.

The construction of Tarang was carried out by So Hath – 100 Hands Foundation For Building Artisans, a local organisation that advocates for and provides training in traditional construction techniques.

Vaulted building by The Grid Architects
It is made from tiles without supporting beams

The tiles are designed so that if Tarang’s arches are ever deconstructed they can be repurposed.

“Minimizing waste and concrete use, and prioritizing local resources and labour, it serves as a model for environmentally conscious architecture that celebrates local culture and positively contributes to the community,” explained the studio’s founders.

Inside, the tiles and polished stone floors are intended as a backdrop to a range of activities, from performances to artistic exhibitions and gatherings.

“The interplay of sunlight and shadow within the space is nothing short of mesmerising, imbuing the simplicity of the tiles and bricks with a quality that is truly remarkable,” said the duo.

Vaulted brick interior of Tarang
Planters feature inside

“Indeed, the structure itself is the finished product, where the rawness of the materials is transformed into something sublime and transcendent,” they continued.

The Grid Architects is an Ahmedabad-based studio founded in 2002. In 2021 it was longlisted for the studio of the year in the Dezeen Awards.

Vaulted arts space in India
It is intended as a backdrop to a range of activities. Photo by Vinay Panjwani

The studio previously turned to the brutalist buildings of the 1960s to create a home sheltered by a geometric, folded concrete shell.

Other recent projects in Ahmedabad include a factory by Iksoi Studio with an exposed concrete grid and the timber and stone-tiled VS House by Sārānsh.

The photography is by Photographix unless stated otherwise.

Reference

Demountable electric-blue grid engulfs On-Off store interior in Milan
CategoriesInterior Design

Demountable electric-blue grid engulfs On-Off store interior in Milan

By Zarkon Group,

Italian architect Francesca Perani has teamed up with design studio Bloomscape to create a reversible fit-out for this clothing store in Milan, which is dominated by a flexible gridded shelving system.

Perani and Bloomscape installed the grid with its moveable shelves as a way to let the On-Off store effortlessly change its display arrangements.

Shelving system in Milan store by Francesca Perani and Bloomscape
A gridded blue framework covers the entire interior of Milan’s On-Off store

It was also a matter of making the store reversible, meaning that the fit-out could be easily dismantled should the retailer move on to a different site, saving waste and leaving behind a clean slate for the next occupier.

“Too often, the world of retail is still insensitive to sustainability; its lifecycle, however, is too short to continue being ignored,” explained Bloomscape co-founder Rosario Distaso.

Polycarbonate walls in ON-OFF store in Milan
Concrete chimney blocks form display plinths and benches

The gridded framework comprises beams of poplar wood surrounded by metal frames that were anodised to produce a vivid electric-blue colour.

The system runs along the walls and across the store’s ceiling, allowing On-Off to hang wayfinding signage.

Wood and metal shelving in Milan store by Francesca Perani and Bloomscape
Shelves can be moved around in the framework to create different displays

All of the shelves can be pulled out or slotted in at different points of the framework.

A fixed wooden clothes rail runs between two of the columns, allowing the hung garments to appear almost as part of the store’s architecture.

As the team was working with a limited budget, just a handful of materials were applied throughout the rest of On-Off.

The same metal-clad poplar wood was used to create freestanding clothing rails that appear at the edges of the store. Sheets of poplar also form the top of the store’s display plinths and bench seats, which have chimney cement blocks for a base.

Mirrored cash register in ON-OFF store in Milan
Mirrored panels clad the store’s cash register desk

At the rear of the floor plan is a mirror-clad cash register, set against a wall lined with translucent polycarbonate sheets.

More panels of polycarbonate were used to enclose On-Off’s changing rooms, with a shiny silver curtain suspended in front of each cubicle for privacy.

Polycarbonate changing rooms in Milan shop by Francesca Perani and Bloomscape
Polycarbonate walls and silver curtains feature in the changing rooms

Other striking retail spaces in Milan include the Marni flagship with its very own artists’ studio and IoNoi – a hybrid store and gallery dedicated to the work of Italian designer Fabio Novembre.

The photography is courtesy of Francesca Perani.

Reference

Decarbonize Your Home to Support a Greener Grid
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Decarbonize Your Home to Support a Greener Grid

By Zarkon Group,

Solar supply and residents’ demand

California already has a great deal of solar electricity being generated, both on buildings and in large-scale solar farms. For example, years of Prop 39 projects for school districts around California have been completed, installing megawatts of solar farms on campuses. These sites were targeted, in part, due to lower summer occupancies, and net metering rules allowed them to reap large financial benefits. Most of these campuses are net exporters of clean renewable energy all summer long. Every day, the managers of the electrical grid must stabilize local electric networks to share this abundant load throughout the day, and quickly ramp up centralized power once the sun goes down and folks head home.

As more all-electric buildings and homes come online, it is important to look at the impacts of these buildings on grid health. The grid must continue to be updated to guard against solar saturation: where solar generation exceeds the total usage in a given area. The grid is managed by local utilities and state agencies, and this balance of supply and demand drives time-of-day pricing that encourages responsible usage.

Energy industry experts point to what is known as the “duck curve,” the risk of over-generation of renewable energy (especially solar) and the impact of having to ramp up energy production (most often these are natural gas plants) to respond to rising demand when the sun goes down. In the belly of the duck (the middle of the day), solar production is peaking and electricity sells at a loss. Yes, California is paying other Western states to take solar energy off their grid. This lets baseload generation systems like nuclear, hydroelectric, and some natural gas plants run constantly, as they cannot easily, or cost-effectively, shut down and then come back on daily.

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