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What’s So Luxurious About Luxury Vinyl Tile, Part I: The Dirty Secret Behind a DIYer’s Dream Material
CategoriesArchitecture

What’s So Luxurious About Luxury Vinyl Tile, Part I: The Dirty Secret Behind a DIYer’s Dream Material

By Zarkon Group,

This article was written by Burgess Brown. Healthy Materials Lab is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the center of every design decision. HML is changing the future of the built environment by creating resources for designers, architects, teachers, and students to make healthier places for all people to live. Check out their podcast, Trace Material.

This is Part I of a three-part series on the hazards of vinyl flooring. In Part II we’ll explore the long history of worker endangerment by the vinyl industry and the ways that legacy continues in China today.

If you’ve stayed in a recently renovated AirBnB, stumbled upon quickly-flipped properties on Zillow, or tuned into the DIY corner of YouTube in the last couple of years, you’ll recognize a common interior design trend: imitation wood or stone floors branded as “Luxury Vinyl Tile.” These floors are everywhere and for good reason. LVT is affordable, durable, easy to maintain and quick to install — a DIYer’s dream! But it’s not just DIYers that have hopped on the LVT train —vast numbers of high-end hotels, schools, affordable housing units and office buildings have plasticized their floors.

Behind the slick rebrand and influencers’ stamp of approval, LVT manufacturers are hiding a “dirty climate secret,” according to a recent report from the Center for Environmental Health, Material Research L3C, and Autocase Economic Advisory.

What’s in a Name?

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney

Vinyl flooring has been around in some form since the plastics revolution of the early 20th century. It became a residential interior staple during the postwar housing boom. Sheet vinyl was a quick and affordable option for developers racing to house a growing population. Today’s vinyl can look quite different, but at its core, it’s still a petrochemical product made with chemicals of serious health and climate concern. The addition of the luxury classification in vinyl branding is a recent marketing term, and it is hoodwinking hordes of purchasers. It typically designates vinyl tiles or panels (LVT or LVP) that are made to imitate the look of wood, stone or ceramic.

The popularity of these tiles and panels, particularly of the loose lay variety, have exploded thanks to another boom period: pandemic renovations. In 2021, LVT sales grew by a whopping 37.4%. By 2022, vinyl flooring made in China alone became the most common flooring sold in the United States, accounting for over one- quarter of all flooring sold in the U.S. According to the report from Center for Environmental Health, there are serious issues with lack of transparency and accuracy around the human and environmental toll of the LVT boom.

A Dirty Climate Secret

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney

CEH’s report, titled “Flooring’s Dirty Climate Secret”, uncovers issues with the accuracy of reported carbon emissions by manufacturers of LVT and a lack of transparency around toxic chemicals used in production of vinyl flooring. Here are the four key findings from the report:

1. Carbon Emissions from producing PVC are underestimated by between 8% and 180% in Manufacturer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

According to the report, manufacturer EPDs use outdated data and rely on carbon emission estimates from a single U.S. based production plant that doesn’t accurately reflect global emissions.

2. Workers all along the supply chain, along with frontline and fenceline communities in the U.S. and abroad are endangered by exposure to hazardous chemicals used to make LVT; Vinyl flooring manufacturers use significant quantities of highly toxic chemicals like PFAS and mercury to produce PVC.

PFAS, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances also known as “forever chemicals,” are toxic to humans at extremely low levels of exposure. The production of PFAS chemicals releases greenhouse gasses that degrade the ozone layer while mercury, also used in PVC production, produces climate warming greenhouse gas emissions. You may have seen recent coverage of a report from the U.S. Geological Survey that found PFAS in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S.

3. Asbestos is used to produce chlorine to make PVC flooring in the United States – importing asbestos for PVC production represents the last remaining legal use of this toxic mineral fiber.

Yes, you read that right: asbestos. The U.S. imports approximately 373 metric tons of asbestos from mines in Russia and Brazil each year specifically to fuel the production of PVC. There is risk of exposure and release into the environment at all stages of this global supply chain. The EPA, which has partially restricted asbestos use in the U.S., proposed a ban on asbestos in 2022 that has been met with fierce opposition from the chemical industry.

4. Increased use of coal has resulted in higher carbon dioxide emissions because US manufacturers have shifted the majority of vinyl flooring production to China.

U.S. vinyl flooring manufacturers have shifted the bulk of production to China where coal is used to produce PVC instead of natural gas, which is used in the U.S. The use of coal as a feedstock releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

So, according to the CEH report, the LVT boom is causing an enormous increase in carbon emissions and is exposing workers, fenceline communities and residents to extremely toxic chemicals. All of this is under or mis-reported by vinyl manufacturers. Where does this leave architects, designers, and DIYers choosing flooring? We have to ask what is the true cost of this “inexpensive” product and why would we ever want to use this product? Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful, healthy, and affordable alternatives to LVT.

Healthier, Affordable Alternatives

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney

When choosing flooring materials, look for materials containing benign, regenerative ingredients and use non-toxic finishes. Here are some options to specify instead of vinyl:

  1. Linoleum (tiles, planks, and poured) is made primarily from plants—linseed oil from the flax plant and wood flour from trees. Other ingredients are added to ensure durability.
  2. Cork comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, which is harvested and regenerates without injuring the tree.
  3. Hempwood is a plant-based option that supports carbon sequestration through growing hemp. Its durability is equivalent to hardwood.
  4. Solid hardwood can be finished using products free of toxic solvents, allowing it to breathe and help regulate the interior climate and improve indoor air quality.
  5. Engineered hardwood made with soy-based binders is often more affordable than a solid wood option.
  6. Porcelain tile is benign and fully vitrified, making it highly durable and chemical-resistant.
  7. Reclaimed flooring, when made from healthy materials and found locally, saves materials that would end up in landfills and reduces carbon emissions and health impacts.

For more in-depth guidance on healthier flooring, check out the Healthy Materials Lab flooring materials collection. You’ll find detailed spec guidance and a list of rigorously vetted flooring products that have been holistically evaluated by our team for their content and performance.

This is Part I of a three-part series on the hazards of vinyl flooring. In Part II we’ll explore the long history of worker endangerment by the vinyl industry and the ways that legacy continues in China today.

Reference

Modern Masterpiece: Architect David Strand on Designing the Perfect “Home in the Woods”
CategoriesArchitecture

Modern Masterpiece: Architect David Strand on Designing the Perfect “Home in the Woods”

By Zarkon Group,

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.

Reference

Designing with Light: 6 Ways Architects Are Using Swisspearl’s Progressive Cladding Panels
CategoriesArchitecture

Designing with Light: 6 Ways Architects Are Using Swisspearl’s Progressive Cladding Panels

By Zarkon Group,

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

We first understand architecture through it’s façade, the face that it presents to us. This first impression is deeply tied to the materials and building systems a structure is made of. As designers and architects collaborate with manufacturers and fabricators, they continuously reimagine what this “first impression” can be and how buildings perform. A global provider based in Switzerland, Swisspearl is a manufacturer known for rethinking cladding and façades. The company’s guiding principle is to develop and produce forward-looking, functional and aesthetically convincing designs with architects, craftspeople and building material suppliers.

The headquarters of today’s Swisspearl Group is located in Niederurnen, where one of the first production facilities for fiber cement was founded in 1903. For many years, Swisspearl has been developing products made of natural materials for use in building envelopes, interior design and landscapes. The company’s products from their workshops in Niederurnen and Payerne have shaped Swiss building culture and, over time, have been used in projects worldwide. Swisspearl became well-known for cement composite panels (formerly called fiber cement panels or fiber-reinforced cementitious panels) offered in a wide color range. The following projects highlight their panels and product innovations used in architecture worldwide.

Denver Botanic Gardens Science Pyramid

By EUA, Denver, CO, United States

This iconic Science Pyramid was inspired by nature. The team wanted the façade of the building to mimic the hexagonal structure of a honeycomb. The pyramid’s two peaks and 16 facets twist and turn towards the sky as if it was a result of the earth’s colliding tectonic plates. Located in the center of the gardens, the pyramid’s proportions are a inverse of the adjacent amphitheater, made to create harmony between the building and the surrounding landscape.

Faced with the task of designing a transparent pyramid, as specified in the competition brief, the architects of the winning competition entry drew their inspiration from the geological processes causing the ragged rock formations of the nearby mountain ridges. The envelope of the structure informed by a biological metaphor and features almost 500 dark gray, hexagonal Swisspearl panels interspersed with thirty photo-voltaic collectors and multiple windows and skylights.

US Land Port of Entry, Warroad MN

By Snow Kreilich Architects, Warroad, MN, United States

Snow Kreilich designed the Warroad Land Port of Entry to support the mission-driven demands of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The 40,108 square foot facility was conceived as a specific response to the vast open landscape along the Minnesota-Canadian border. In turn, its form reiterates the dominant horizon of the landscape while making reference to the East-West border.  Inflected building forms facilitate intuitive use by visitors, the officer’s ability to survey the entire site, and vehicle access to secondary inspections.

Swisspearl was used along the building façade, along with cedar planks stained black. Surfaces that face inward, in contrast, are an auburn-colored cedar. The Warroad Land Port of Entry sets a new standard for remote, small ports in achieving the highest design standard for public buildings. While embracing CBP’s operational procedures and inevitably changing technologies, the design advances the dual mission to protect national security while facilitating trade and travel in a comfortable, efficient facility.

Davis-Harrington Welcome Center

By Dake Wells Architecture, Springfield, MO, United States

Dake Wells designed the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center as a new “front door” welcoming visitors to Missouri State University’s campus. The 13,000 square foot facility includes a two-story lobby and 100 seat presentation room to provide a multi-purpose venue for special events. Tasked by the University with providing a “signature piece of architecture”, the design solution was made to be both economical and monumental. The building program is arranged in a two-story scheme, placing administrative functions on an upper level in order to increase the building’s visual presence as it reinforces the campus edge.

The building enclosure combines a variety of materials in response to the surrounding campus context. The architects used a seemingly paper-thin layer of white Swisspearl panels to sheathe the fully glazed upper sections of the east and west façades. As the team explains, the latter extends slightly beyond the pointed corner of the building where the lower part folds slightly away to extend a welcoming gesture to visitors. Inspired by the pattern of a composition booklet, a seemingly random arrangement of circular perforations feeds dappled light into the atrium and allows views from the second-floor walkway.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

By Gensler, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

The design team wanted to transform Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens from an underused park to a vibrant center of activity for residents and visitors. By adding a new restaurant, open-air pavilion, bandshell and addition to the existing conservatory as well as redesigning the landscape, the design team set out to give the park new appeal. The buildings are linked through consistent geometry derived from the pure Euclidian form of the original botanical conservatory. The compositional elements that form the architectural language include single-story geometric forms, white cementitious panels, water-clear glass and extended overhangs.

Each structure has its own unique character informed by its distinct program. Swisspearl was used as siding for the project throughout. The restaurant is a perfect square, where cantilevered overhangs extend 18 feet on the west side to provide shade from the harsh summer sun. Twelve foot curved glass panels form the circular dining area. While the bandshell is a complex 3D sculptural and monumental form. Since the park’s grand re-opening, the new Myriad Botanical Gardens has added vitality to downtown Oklahoma City attracting visitors each year.

Kindergarten Cerkvenjak

By Superform, Municipality of Cerkvenjak, Slovenia

Desigend as a kindergarten is in the village of Cerkvenjak, this project is located in the center of the Slovenske Gorice region of Slovenia. The kindergarten was designed to be inseparably connected with the natural surroundings of the trees and playground equipment. The concept of the kindergarten is similar to its local surroundings with the rhythmic string of volumes and roofs. Because of this concept, the kindergarten does not surpass the scale of an individual house and gives the user — a child — a sense of home.

The architects drew the inspiration for this kindergarten from a nearby learning path running through the Slovenian village of Cerkvenjak. Intended to enrich the children‘s spatial experience, the hallway inside varies in width and each playroom unit boasts a unique, irregular and contorted shape. The design of the Swisspearl envelope support this idea. The kindergarten is a new program and function that upgrades the existing learning path. The result of using the principle of a learning path is a unique division and rhythm of the playrooms, where the kindergarten is closer to the scale of a child.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

By SPF:architects, Denver, CO, United States

SPF:architects took on the revitalization of the dormant Beverly Hills post office site to create a new performing arts center. Built on the historic site, the new project includes a 500-seat theater building connected via promenade and outdoor sculpture garden. The historic WPA building built in 1934 is repurposed to house a 120-seat studio theater, a café, gift shop, box offices, administration facilities and a 3-classroom theater school for children. Outside, a garden and courtyard connect the historic with the new building with direct visual connection to the shops and restaurants of downtown Beverly Hills.

Celebrating the history of the site, the skin is formed in copper-colored concrete panels. A 4 foot by 9 foot envelope-shaped panel is repeated across the façade. The result is an abstract textural pattern, engraved into the building skin. Made out of Swis­s­pearl cement boards, the team redesigned the façade to alter the size and mod­u­la­tion of the ​gaps between pan­els, result­ing in 30% sav­ings in mate­r­i­al. The plan preserves and celebrates the historic architecture, as well as affords the Center the opportunity to create a new, state-of-the-art, flexible performing arts facility with ample back-of-house amenities.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

Reference

Sustainable Practice: When Will Recycled Timber Have Its Moment
CategoriesArchitecture

Sustainable Practice: When Will Recycled Timber Have Its Moment

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

The new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has now been enacted as part of the wider European Union Green Deal. This mandates heightened due diligence on the value chain for operators and traders in various commodities, including soy, palm oil, cattle, coffee and wood.

Between 1990 and 2008, the bloc’s imports in products now covered by the revised rules amounted to 36% of total associated deforestation worldwide. The changes won’t bring an end to this, but any firm that wants to do business in the economic union, no matter where their headquarters, now needs to prove sustainable sourcing of these materials and that products have not contributed to deforestation that occurred after 31st December 2020.

Last October, Construction Europe reported on a lack of EUDR preparedness across built environment sectors within the context of a rise in timber as a building material. The ‘plyscraper’ race is perhaps the most visible sign of this, with several World’s Tallest Timber Building hopefuls topping out in the past few years. Ascent by Korb + Associates currently holds the title in Milwaukee, US, at 284 feet (87 meters). This is followed by the 280-foot (85-meter)  Mjøstårnet by Voll Arkitekter, in Brumunddal, Norway, and HoHo Wien by RLP Rüdiger Lainer + Partner, a Vienna mid-rise boasting 18 floors at 275 feet (84 meters).

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

A little shorter, Sara Kulturhaus by White arkitekter AB in Skellefteå, Sweden, is a strong example of the carbon savings good timber design can offer. Housing a library, gallery, museum and hotel, over 50 years this 239 foot (73 meter) cross-laminated timber (CLT) design will sequester more carbon than the total of its embodied footprint from materials, transportation, construction and operation. The carbon negative status is thanks in part to properties of the core structure, but this isn’t always the case.

Two of construction and architecture’s greatest environmental adversaries are steel and concrete. But the widely-trumpeted climate gains from switching to timber aren’t guaranteed. The real test is always in the quality of what is built. In the best case scenarios, impacts from physical construction, ongoing use and material sourcing will be outweighed by carbon sequestration and storage capacity. In the worst, building with wood can be worse for the planet than its alternatives, but recycled timber is often a safe bet in ecological terms.

Measured Architecture Inc’s Shor House, Popular Choice Winner in Sustainable Private House at this year’s Architizer A+ Awards, is a beautiful example of what can be done with reclaimed wood. Completed in 2022, the design focuses on one truth: “The most progressive edge of designing with wood is to recycle it.” Much of the lumber was sourced from the old home and barn that occupied the site at Mayne Island, Canada. The original structures were dismantled rather than demolished, so cladding, floors and frames could be de-nailed, stored and reused.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

Some timber also came from the remnants of the Englewood Railroad, Northern Vancouver Island, which was decommissioned in 2017. The outside is then clad in Corten raw plate steel, chosen for its low upkeep and long lifespan. Architect and the property owner Clinton Cuddington describes the material as “eminently recyclable”, and its use emphasizes the importance of product diversity in green construction. Without this rust-colored layer, timber would be far more exposed to the elements, increasing the speed of degradation and likelihood of repairs. The steel also has the potential for reuse at a later date.

Of course, however it features recycled timber presents some problems. These woods are often thought of for the rustic aesthetics of a “past life effect.” Surfaces may be marked, nailed or chiseled, giving them stacks of personality but — crucially — often a lack of uniformity.

There’s also a cost issue. Reclaimed wood is usually priced higher than virgin timber because additional resources are needed to bring it back to spec. Toxins, contaminants, natural pests and other risks must be eliminated before it re-enters the supply chain. Nevertheless, the benefits are significant, not least in emissions terms. Recycled timber extends wood lifecycle, and with it the time carbon is stored before decomposition releases it into the atmosphere. At Shor House, dating suggests some lumber can be traced to trees that stood for 1,000 years.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography

The materials certainly pack the aged, historic look people love reclaimed wood for, but elsewhere developments are underway that could bridge a gap between this and the mass timber many new wooden structures rely on, which can be a major cause of deforestation. University College London researcher Dr. Colin Rose won Rambøll’s 2022 Flemming Bligaard Award for his work on CLST, or cross laminated secondary timber, which uses reclaimed rather than virgin wood as the feedstock for ‘new’ CLT stock.

In an interview published when the prize was announced, Rose explains his belief this material can be a viable alternative to steel and concrete in strength, production levels and affordability. He also says built environment professionals have not caught up with CLST yet, and most still see the material as “in lab phase”. He then predicts this will change as embodied carbon begins to define our approach to construction, which CLST performs well on, as do recycled woods generally.

According to his estimates, you could build around 1,000 new homes each year using the discarded wood from building sites in London alone. Widening the lens, every 12 months we create 16 million tonnes of waste wood globally, and currently recycle just 15% of that. These facts emphasize the idea that access and systems are major obstacles to wider use of reclaimed timber, and how urgently change is needed to maximize the way lumber is used to minimize waste and deforestation. Achieving that requires a number of things, including the scaling up of operations and infrastructure, not to mention fresh thinking on the part of architects and designers.

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada | Photo by Ema Peter Photography 

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Reference

Seamless Integration: The Revitalization of 712 Fifth Avenue Lobby
CategoriesArchitecture

Seamless Integration: The Revitalization of 712 Fifth Avenue Lobby

By Zarkon Group,

 

712 Fifth Avenue Renovation – Returning to one of our projects more than 30 years later, we were challenged with how to reimagine the entry and lobby to a prestigious postmodern building. This led to bigger questions; how do we engage with the discourse of history today? And how do we discuss postmodernism through built work? Our response was to generate a fundamental dialogue between glass, stone, and human occupation; to utilize advanced modern technology to fabricate the materials in a way that is both futuristic yet grounded in traditional historic construction methodologies; and to change everything without changing anything.

Architizer chatted with Hugh Trumbull, Design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), to learn more about this project.

Architizer: What inspired the initial concept for your design?

Hugh Trumbull: Without changing the program or layout of the space, we countered the original proposition of placing ornate objects within a room with the concept of making space that integrate people and room.

Originally, the lobby was designed with postmodern ornamental columns clad in many types of stone, objects within a grey granite room. The object-ness of these elements restricted the ease of movement in and out of the building.

Our new proposition embraced a more tactile approach. The columns and wall are unified with one material, a soft welcoming stone detailed in a curving shape so that its vein and form are its sole ornament. Walls seamlessly transform into benches and a reception desk, inviting people to interact with one another and the architecture. At the entry, the sinuous structural glazing promotes a clear view and a seamless, organic flow in and out of the space.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

This project won in the 10th Annual A+Awards! What do you believe are the standout components that made your project win?

We’re thrilled that our work has been recognized in the A+ Awards. There are so many beautiful components of this project, but I think the way they work together is what makes this project truly stand out. The combined effect of the sinuous glass wall and unified stonework creates a clean and elegant space that simultaneously feels light yet solid. And I think the use of advanced technology to manipulate classical material is particularly successful.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

What was the greatest design challenge you faced during the project, and how did you navigate it?

By engaging in advanced technical fabrication for the stone and glass, we were able to engage in a dialogue between the future and the past and examine the postmodern condition in a new way.

For the stone, the challenge was the fabrication of very large pieces. We utilized modern CNC milling techniques, yet also relied on age-old craftmanship of stereotomy found in medieval gothic construction. To ensure a seamless grain flow from one stone to the next, pieces were rotated ever so slightly in three dimensions.

For the glass, the challenge was to build a high-performance double wall cavity that utilized the inherent structural capabilities of large curved panels while simultaneously defining an artful threshold that immerses the user into the architecture. The 14- foot-tall panels encase a mechanically isolated conditioned space that mitigates temperature differentials and humidity.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

How did the context of your project — environmental, social or cultural — influence your design?

An interesting aspect of the context is that we were returning to work on a building that our firm designed. I think that touches on a really powerful idea, that buildings need to evolve and change with the cities around them, and it is up to architects to help achieve this goal. When presented with the project, we had to determine how we wanted to interact with the style today, and how to make this a more usable space without undermining the integrity of the original building. Because of the postmodern aesthetic, albeit fairly minimal version of postmodern work, this was a loaded problem full of historical references and thought history.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

What drove the selection of materials used in the project?

We selected Magny Le Louvre limestone for the interior as a continuation of the tower’s Indiana limestone exterior. We wanted the interior to offer a sophisticated take on stone and give people the opportunity to touch and engage with it directly.

For the exterior wall, we shaped glass to create an immersive experience for the user as they pass through. They become part of the building as they enter or exit, and that process is completely visible, though distorted, to others passing by or pausing in the lobby. We also removed metalwork to unify the experience between the spaces.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

What is your favorite detail in the project and why?

It’s always hard to pick a favorite anything when it comes to one’s own project, but one the things I think came out best here is this dialogue between materials that we’ve created. I think the way both the stone and glass are shaped and formed ergonomically enables the project to achieve its goal of serving as a point of engagement with users. Similarly, I think the contrast we’ve created between these materials – the solidity of the sedimentary veined stone and the transparency of the sculpted glass. Notably, both materials are created from sand, linking them in an essential way.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

How important was sustainability as a design criteria as you worked on this project? 

Sustainability is a key aspect of all of our firm’s work. In this case, as a renovation project, we were starting out with an existing structure. We upgraded mechanical systems in the lobby to be more efficient, and we designed the new a high-performing façade for the entry.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

How have your clients responded to the finished project?

We’ve been fortunate to work with a great and truly supportive client, Paramount Group, on this project. Since we first brought them our design concept all the way through construction and project completion, the Paramount team believed in our vision and remained dedicated to seeing it through. It has also been exciting to see the positive reaction from the building’s tenants as they experience the new space.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

What key lesson did you learn in the process of conceiving the project?

Creating an architectural dialogue with the past, present, and future, though challenging and ever-evolving, is a great foundation for developing new designs, particularly within existing projects.

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

How do you believe this project represents you or your firm as a whole?

I think our work on this project represents KPF’s commitment to the evolution of cities and urban spaces. By reimagining this space, working within its constraints and addressing its challenges, we have enhanced the usefulness of this entire office building and met the needs of its current users. And, as a renovation, this project also reflects a commitment to sustainability and which is a core aspect of our work.

Team Members

Design Principal: Hugh Trumbull / Managing Principal: Richard Nemeth / Project Manager: Greg Mell / Team: Chris Dial, Xi Chen, Alex Lightman, Parker Russo

Consultants

AECOM Tishman (Construction Manager) / ETMA (Stone Fabricator) / Front Inc. (Facade Consultant) / Wilkstone (Stone Installation)

Photographer credit: Michael Moran / OTTO

Products and Materials

Magny Le Louvre limestone, Cristacurva glass

For more on 712 Fifth Avenue Renovation, please visit the in-depth project page on Architizer.

712 Fifth Avenue Renovation Gallery


© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

© Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates


Reference

Plot Twist  —  Generative AI May Actually Encourage Architects to Draw MORE
CategoriesArchitecture

Plot Twist  —  Generative AI May Actually Encourage Architects to Draw MORE

By Zarkon Group,

Keir is an AEC Domain Expert operating at the intersection of architecture practice, sustainable development and software design. With over 15 years in practice, he has crafted high-quality projects across various sectors, including education, health, housing, and workplaces. He helps Architects, Clients and Startups thrive in an ever-changing industry. Connect on LinkedIn.

A new week, a new way for Generative AI to blow our minds.

Images generated from text prompts have now filled my news feed; they have swiftly ascended the viral ladder, caused heated debates and gained ‘meme status.’ When these arresting visuals started appearing, it felt like each novel experimentation demanded our close attention: “What has this inexplicable new tool done now?!”

Yet modern attention spans are increasingly short, and bold imagery can quickly become ubiquitous. Our sense of wonder is easily replaced by boredom and ambivalence.
Incredibly, the development of Generative AI actually appears to be evolving faster than our agitated modern attention spans. Just as I was beginning to become nonplussed by the latest hybridization of Batman X The Simpsons, I discovered sketch-to-render.

Most people are familiar with models that use simple text prompting, where you describe everything about a composition using words only. Much can be achieved with these tools, but when it comes to exact composition and configuration, you are working at the model’s behest. However, fewer architects are aware that you can now combine an image with a text prompt to further your creative control.

While these are enormously promising developments, it has been hard to understand exactly how an architect might be able to use these tools. How can we use them to augment the design and visualization processes we are already doing? In architecture, we work in the gritty reality, not the synthetic imagination of AI. Planning and construction is a messy business that requires precision solutions.

Yet, sketch-to-render is a different kind of approach and takes user control to the next level again, utilizing an additional step in the generation feature called Control Nets, which allow for far greater control over how an image is constructed and where the trained model will go to work on a composition. Think of Control Nets as a framework or bounding box within which the AI will go to work — it puts you in the driving seat of the model’s explorations.

Sketch by author (of NWLND’s “Refuge” project), render produced in Prome AI

Sketch-to-Render

This is a 20-minute process and the idea here is to go straight from primitive line work to vivid render.

Midjourney can produce incredibly high quality and vivid imagery, but offers limited control over the exacting composition of the subject matter. For fields like architecture, the ability to fix the areas within an image around which the model will iterate is absolutely essential for actual tool adoption and use.

There are now various methods to combine generative image tools with ‘fixed’ image subjects and composition to give more exacting control over a single viewpoint and to then iterate ideas on top.

Here are some good emerging methods that are worth experimentation:

  1. Control Net: A Stable Diffusion model that creates an abstract segmentation using a preprocessor and then combines this with a text prompt. The install is complicated for regular users and the software needs a powerful computer. If you can’t run this locally due to hardware, you can now do it on the cloud, where the Stable Diffusion with ControlNet is now being hosted by various providers.
  2. PromeAI: The easiest interface that I’ve tried for sketches, complete with preset filters and styles.  Its mostly free baseline features are powerful and worth a play. The workflow is simple just login, upload a sketch or hidden line view, add text description prompts and off you go.
  3. Veras: This works directly within the viewport of everyday software interfaces (SketchUp/Rhino/Revit). It is simple and easy to use and is frictionless because it’s a 3D CAD plugin. The more detail and surface materials you can add, the better it will do at recognizing components.

Example of varied rendered outputs produced from the original sketch

Sketch-to-Render-in-Context

This is a more complex process and takes about 30 minutes once you understand how to do it.

The direct sketch-to-render tools are great to use, but having experimented with them in detail, I felt they were best suited to interior design work only. When it comes to external envelope and massing, we always need to place our ideas in context and render with appropriate scale, visualizing the buildings and landscapes within which they sit.

Then, I discovered the idea of using two control nets together: one for a process called “in-painting” and the second for the sketch proposal. There is quite a bit of trial and error to get the workflow right, but it’s made possible by running Stable Diffusion with ControlNet model on your local machine and is repeatable for any photo and sketch combo (provided you can draw).

Photograph taken by author of an imaginary development site while on a cycle ride home

The aforementioned simple “sketch-to-render” process works with one ControlNet active. However you can now use Stable Diffusion with a second ControlNet at the same time which can be used for a process called  “in-painting” and this allows you to tell the model exactly which parts of a source image you want to experiment with and which you want to leave exactly as they are.

What I love about this application of Generative AI is that it relies solely on your direction and discretion as a designer and what you do with the pen. It takes out the “middle-man” of painstaking digital modeling of an idea and goes straight to vivid imagery. This is rendering without the hours of boring 3D modeling.

In a world where you can get straight to a high-quality render with just a site photo, a sketch and an ability to describe your idea in the form of an effective prompt, you immediately bypass the need to build detailed 3D models of initial concept ideas.

Design sketch by author, drawn quickly directly on top of original photograph.

Arguably, most major practices working with developers have to run projects with a high degree of waste. Options are tested, digitally modeled in 3D, rendered, photoshopped and  perhaps mocked up quickly in foam or card model for a client to review.  Then we respond to comments, requests for changes, new constraints, new information and a continuous process of change occurs.

Throughout this design process, each rendition must be exhaustively conceived, drawn and modeled before it can be vividly represented in context; this means much of the previous work is discarded or inevitably thrown away almost immediately. Quick iteration tooling could massively reduce the waste and grunt work associated with the process we call “optioneering.”  This term is not used affectionately in practice because it can feel so non-linear, but unfortunately some form of option testing is always required to discover a design and each option requires lots of time and energy.

Screenshot produced by author showing process of in-painting using Stable Diffusion with 2no ControlNets – the black area tells the model which part of the image to experiment upon

In a race to produce powerful concept imagery for a new feasibility study or competition, someone who can draw their ideas well is going to beat 3D modeling in turnaround time and speed of iterations using a tool like this .

Soon, clients will be getting rendered ideas in a matter of days from a commission, not weeks. Their expectations about what is possible in a given time frame are going to change — and quickly.

There remains loads of space for improvement, but the foundation is there for a very different approach to design and visualization that could be really empowering for architects (and clients too).

Final Image produced by author using Stable Diffusion with two ControlNets for an imaginary project in Herne Hill, London. The image was produced in less than an hour including sketching time.

My first attempt is a bit rough but demonstrates the enormous potential here; imagine how powerful this will be for early stage feasibility work. I definitely don’t love the outcome, but it’s some version of what I was thinking in the sketch. I would still be happy to present this image to a client as an early study at feasibility stage to give them a more vivid sense of a project’s massing and scale alongside a set of 2D drawings before developing the preferred option in fine detail myself.

In the example shown, I would estimate the model achieved about 50% of my line intentions and about 20% of my material intent on the façades. However, the perspective, massing, lighting, context placement, reflections and sense of scale are all bang on — and all this is done with a general purpose, open-source model.

As this technology continues to improve, specialized architecture models will be trained on data sets that focus specifically on façade and architectural composition. Different architectural styles and materiality options will be made possible and they will be far better at understanding façade componentry such as floor zones, balustrades, windows, curtain walling and columns. The models will need to learn “archispeak” which will now be expressed using text prompt inputs and require architects to say what they actually mean in simple language.

As these models improve we will be able to discern discrete elements within the design concept, identify them as an architectural building component and then refine them directly with prompts as we work. We will be able to apply different prompts to different parts of the image, add people, change the lighting and mood — designing over and over in a live render environment — without modeling anything, all potentially driven from a sketch idea.

There will be many more experiments to come… and when Midjourney can do ControlNets too, it will probably feel like “game over” for much of the traditional 3D model and rendering that we do currently.

Keir is an AEC Domain Expert operating at the intersection of architecture practice, sustainable development and software design. Connect on LinkedIn.

With thanks to:

Ismail Seleit who was the first person I saw demonstrate this idea.

@design.input who put out a great video that helped to describe each step of the process.

Hamza Shaikh for pointing me at ControlNet in the first place when I got frustrated with Midjourney.

Architizer’s new image-heavy daily newsletter, The Plug, is easy on the eyes, giving readers a quick jolt of inspiration to supercharge their days. Plug in to the latest design discussions by subscribing. 



Reference

Chat GPT for Architects and Designers: Prompt Formula and Working Examples
CategoriesArchitecture

Chat GPT for Architects and Designers: Prompt Formula and Working Examples

By Zarkon Group,

For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. 

We recently published our first Chat GPT Cheat Sheet for Architects, a handy guide for exploring the potential of using the tool to enhance your daily workflow. While the sheet is a helpful reference point, nothing beats seeing a real example of how Chat GPT can be used in action.

To this end, the following example demonstrates how one prompt can produce a variety of starting points for further exploration at the beginning of a project, either as part of a feasibility study or the conceptual design phase. But before we dive in, here’s a quick introduction to Chat GPT itself.

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of a female architectural designer sitting at a drawing board using Chat GPT, architectural ideas and models floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

What is Chat GPT?

Chat GPT (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is the remarkable creation of OpenAI. A large language model-based chatbot, this AI-powered tool was launched in November 2022 and became the fastest-growing consumer software application in history earlier in 2023. Why? Because this easy-to-use tool brings unprecedented capabilities to the world of conversation.

With ChatGPT, users hold the reins, steering discussions precisely where they desire. It is possible to tailor every aspect of the conversation to your liking — from length and format to style, level of detail, and even the language used. It’s like having a conversation partner who adapts perfectly to your preferences.

The secret to ChatGPT’s brilliance lies in prompt engineering. At every step of the interaction, it deftly analyzes successive prompts and replies, leveraging this contextual understanding to craft responses that align with the ongoing dialogue.

For architects and designers, Chat GPT can unlock a whole new avenue of research, exploration and ideation. For more information on the application and to start experimenting with your own prompts, click here.

Chat GPT Prompt for Architects

Here’s a simple Chat GPT prompt formula, a slight variation on the one shown in our cheat sheet, which can be specifically tailored for architects and designers:

“[Introduction or context] + [Specific question or instruction] + [Optional additional details or constraints]”

Let’s break it down:

1. Introduction or Context

Start by providing some context or background information to set the stage for your question or instruction. It helps guide the AI’s understanding of the topic and focus its response on the relevant aspects.

Example: “As an architect working on a residential project, I need assistance with…”

2. Specific Question or Instruction

State your question or instruction clearly and concisely, focusing on the specific aspect or topic you want to explore. Be as specific as possible to receive targeted and relevant responses.

Example: “…optimizing natural lighting and ventilation. What are some effective design strategies to achieve this?”

3. Optional Additional Details or Constraints

If necessary, you can include additional details or constraints to guide the AI’s response. This helps provide more context and narrow down the focus of the answer.

Example: “…for a compact urban site with limited access to direct sunlight.”

Putting that all together, here’s an example of a complete Chat GPT prompt for architects, using our formula:

“As an architect working on a residential project, I need assistance with optimizing natural lighting and ventilation. What are some effective design strategies to achieve this? The site I’m working with is a compact urban area with limited access to direct sunlight.”

By following this prompt formula, you can effectively guide Chat GPT to provide targeted and insightful responses. You can adapt or add to the formula to produce more in-depth or nuanced information.

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of an architectural designer using Chat GPT, ideas floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

Chat GPT Prompt for Architects: The Output

We plugged the above prompt into the basic, free version of Chat GPT (version 3.5); here is the response it produced:

“When working on a residential project in a compact urban area with limited access to direct sunlight, optimizing natural lighting and ventilation becomes crucial. Here are some effective design strategies to achieve this:

  1. Incorporate Light Wells and Skylights: Introduce light wells or courtyards within the building to bring in natural light from above. Install skylights strategically to maximize daylight penetration into interior spaces.
  2. Use Reflective Surfaces: Incorporate light-colored or reflective surfaces, such as white walls or glossy finishes, to bounce natural light deeper into the space and create a brighter ambiance.
  3. Implement Clerestory Windows: Install high-level windows, known as clerestory windows, near the top of the walls to allow natural light to enter while maintaining privacy. This helps bring light deeper into the space and improves overall illumination.
  4. Design Open Floor Plans: Create an open layout to enable better light distribution throughout the living areas. Minimize the use of interior partitions or walls that could block natural light flow.
  5. Utilize Light Tubes: Light tubes, also known as solar tubes or sun tunnels, are tubular devices that capture sunlight from the roof and transport it into interior spaces. They can be an effective way to bring natural light into areas with limited access to windows.
  6. Optimize Window Placement: Strategically position windows to maximize daylight penetration. Consider the orientation of the site and place windows on the south-facing side to capture the most sunlight throughout the day.
  7. Use Light Diffusing Materials: Employ materials, such as frosted glass or translucent screens, that diffuse natural light to reduce glare while still allowing light to pass through. This helps create a softer and more even distribution of light.
  8. Implement Natural Ventilation Strategies: Incorporate operable windows and vents to facilitate cross-ventilation and promote natural airflow throughout the space. This helps improve indoor air quality and thermal comfort.
  9. Consider Light-Controlling Elements: Integrate shading devices, such as louvers, blinds, or adjustable curtains, to manage direct sunlight and prevent overheating during peak daylight hours. This allows occupants to control the amount of light entering the space.
  10. Incorporate Greenery and Vertical Gardens: Introduce indoor plants and vertical gardens to create a connection with nature and enhance the perception of natural light. Plants can also help improve air quality and contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

Remember to adapt these strategies to suit the specific requirements and constraints of your residential project in the compact urban area. Implementing these design strategies will help optimize natural lighting and ventilation, creating a comfortable and inviting living space.”

Midjourney image prompt: A mystical image of a black female architectural designer sitting at a drawing board using Chat GPT, architectural ideas and models floating above –ar 16:9 –v 5.2

Conclusion and Further Explorations

The above example shows how text-based AI tools can be harnessed by designers in a simple yet effective way, and demonstrates its utility in terms of information recall and automated curation. Most architects will be aware of the possible design solutions listed above, and could use ‘traditional’ internet research to surface them as well, but they could easily overlook one of these strategies while addressing the many nuances of a complex site and design brief.

In effect, Chat GPT’s response to the prompt acts as a reciprocal prompt for the designer, acting as a reminder of concepts that may be worth considering as a project develops. When viewed from this perspective, AI can be seen to augment an architect’s workflow, helping them to research and ideate more efficiently than ever before. As the technology develops, this augmentation will surely only continue to grow within the profession.

How are you using Chat GPT and other AI tools in your architectural workflow? We’d love to hear from you: Follow Paul Keskeys and Architizer on LinkedIn to join the discussion!

For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. 

Reference

Factory Reset: These Architects are Giving the Industrial Typology a Much-Needed Update
CategoriesArchitecture

Factory Reset: These Architects are Giving the Industrial Typology a Much-Needed Update

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Designing industrial buildings, particularly factories, is usually a process that is dominated by the complicated functional and logistical requirements that limit architects creatively, overpowered by the technical specifications of the machinery and the production lines that occupy the entirety of the building space and leave little space for the form to develop beyond the functional limitations.

That being said, one would ask, What comes first? Form or Function?

Site Overview of Project

The Oatmeal Factory in Ningwu, Shanxi province by JSPA Design.

This question has been the topic of hot debate among architects throughout history, with contrasting perspectives among the modernists and postmodernists, among others. During the late 19th and the 20th century, particularly within the field of industrial design, architects believed that “form follows function,” as expressed by architect Louis Sullivan, which indicated that the function of the building is what generates its form and guides its design process. For Frank Lloyd Wright, that design principle has been misunderstood, because, “Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”

When studying the design of the Ningwu Oatmeal Factory in Shanxi, China, which was both the Jury Winner and won the Popular Choice vote during Architizer’s 11th Annual A+Awards, one could argue that JSPA Design was inspired by Wright’s principle. This is especially evident in the way they eloquently strike the balance between both, breeding what could be described as a spiritual union between form and function. The design shows a high level of attention to the factory’s user experience, the selection of materials and the relationship with the site. In short, JSPA Design conceived of a home for production processes that is more than just a factory; the Ningwu Oatmeal Factory is a building that produces a lot more than just oatmeal.

The main entrance to the factory emphasized by the use of brick walls.

The Beijing-based French design studio produced a design that strokes the right balance between the complicated functional requirements and the humanization of the work environment, juggling the different design components while also introducing an interesting user experience that invited the public into the building while redeeming the integrity of the factory’s different operations.

From the outside, the surrounding context was challenging to work with, with the factory being located within dry and arid industrial landscapes punctured with coal mines on their outskirts. In response to this context, the design team chose to orient the building inwards, introducing a variety of horizontal and vertical boundary-demarcating elements that fostered a crisp and clean indoor environment, experientially detaching the building from the outside while enhancing the user experience and orchestrating an interesting walkthrough across the complex’s different sections. Meanwhile, visitors are spatially separated from staff for safety and logistical reasons.

An overview of the factory’s industrial context.

From an environmental perspective, the building’s relationship with the outdoors is further regulated through a network of patios and gardens that invite sunlight to enter the factory’s various spaces. These design provisions enrich the quality of the indoor environment, allowing floods of northern light to illuminate the central production space through a sequence of skylights.

A cross section through the main production space showing the skylights and the production machinery.

By using grey bricks as the main construction material, the designers establish a more materialistic connection with the surrounding context. By harnessing local construction methods to erect a series of brick walls that became the prominent design feature, the material amplifies the building’s relationship with the site and the surrounding landscapes.

Similar to the flow of production lines that transform raw oat into flour products, a variety of brick walls organize the circulation flows through the factory, starting at the entrance and leading each user group to their designated section, while also organizing entry and exit to the building, the delivery of materials and the loading of products. For the visitors, the ground floor serves as an opaque passage, with the brick walls concealing the technical spaces from the public that are lead instead to the first floor where the public spaces are located, including a café, a shop and a garden.

Brick walls guide the different users groups through the factory.

At the factory’s entrance, the public are greeted with a seating area and kids pools, mediating the relationship between the inside and the outside and softening the edge that separates the functional from the social sections of the factory. Brick makes a gradual and smooth appearance at the entrance, first appearing on the benches, before moving to the fences, and then extending vertically and becoming a series of walls that soon become the factory.

The seating area in front of the main entrance that acts as part of the public spaces of the factory.

The bricks walls that organize movement through the landscape aligned with the factory walls.

Despite how the brick walls have acted as boundary demarcating elements that organized the factory’s spaces, circulation and relation with the site, this project is an excellent example of architecture that blurs the line between form and function, with each fundamentally playing a role in shaping the other, without one necessarily needing to precede the other.

One of the interior gardens of the factory that regulate the relationship with the outside, demarcated by the brick walls .

The design team strategically chose key places to expose and conceal the factory’s different spaces, as well as varied sites where the factory is either connected or disconnected from the outside. Other binaries include rhythmic alternations between soft and hard, experiential and technical; and outward-reaching and inward-turning (click here to see plans, sections and more details from the A+Award-winning project). The sum of these complex calculations is proof that factory design need not be entirely automated. It shows that there is always a space for humans to intervene and be present within industrial sites.

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Reference

How to Create a Compelling Architectural Rendering Using Customizable Materials and Assets
CategoriesArchitecture

How to Create a Compelling Architectural Rendering Using Customizable Materials and Assets

By Zarkon Group,

Translating the architectural masterpiece in your head into a tangible visualization for clients and colleagues can feel like an impossible task if you don’t have the right tools in your arsenal. Fortunately, cutting-edge real-time rendering software like Enscape can help architects and designers bring their projects to life with breathtaking clarity — and improve the speed and efficiency of your workflow. 

Exploring 3D models in real time allows you to quickly evaluate every facet of a design. At the ideation stage, it’s easy to identify mistakes, experiment with different solutions and make instant alterations. Furthermore, with new levels of customization now possible, you can transform your concepts into immersive worlds for clients, imparting a compelling, human perspective to each project. Most importantly, your design intent is crystal clear from the outset.

Here are five steps to creating stunning architectural visualizations with adjustable assets and real-time rendering software.

1. Perfect your perspective.

Like a photographer, it’s important to consider the composition of your renderings. There are a number of general rules you can follow to make your framing more powerful — though these are yours to break.

The rule of thirds is an age-old principle. Dividing the frame into a three-by-three grid, this composition ensures the most important features fall along the lines or at their intersections. Alternatively, you could consider using one-, two-, or three-point perspectives anchored around crucial moments in the frame. If your scene is laden with multiple strong elements, it may be more impactful to hone in on one single focal point instead and tell that story succinctly.

If you’re an Enscape user, you have the ability to create handy presets for each view once you’ve settled on your composition. Every camera angle requires its own unique settings. In Enscape, you can link the preset to the view, so the visual settings will automatically change when you navigate through the different perspectives.

2. Plan your lighting setup.

Negotiating the balance between light and dark is key if you want to produce a realistic rendering. Think about what time of day your scene is set and examine the conditions in the real world. What position would the sun or moon be in? Depending on the orientation of any windows, where would shadows be cast and how dark would they be? Are there any surfaces light might reflect off? In Enscape, it’s possible to customize the time of day for each view to set the right mood for the scene.

For artificial lighting, consider the angle of the light, its strength and how intense shadows would be according to each particular lighting system. Extremely dark areas can lose detail and material quality, so ensure the frame’s main focal points are adequately lit. 

Enscape 3.5, the software’s newest iteration, features updates to their global illumination algorithm, including a host of changes to make the light quality in your renderings more lifelike. These include more accurate shading in mirror reflections and more realistic indirect lighting in interior scenes.

3. Customize your project materials.

Blurry and pixelated 3D textures result in lackluster visualizations. Material clarity can elevate your architectural renderings to the next level. Enscape’s Material Library offers an array of high-quality, versatile textures you can apply across interior and exterior surfaces. It’s easy to experiment with different materials and instantly swap them in and out until you arrive at the right finish. You can also import materials from other sites to expand your library. 

Textures with visual repetitions can be jarring and disrupt the illusion of realism. However, bump maps and reflections are automatically applied to materials from the Enscape Material Library to impart even more depth to your renderings. If these settings don’t align with the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve, you can use the Enscape Material Editor to customize displacement maps.

As well as the exterior and interior textures of your project, don’t neglect the other scene elements that will bring your image to life. Pay special attention to typically overlooked surfaces such as the asphalt of an adjacent road or the ripples of a lake in the background to ensure the entire composition feels palpable.

4. Utilize realistic assets.

Illustrating your renderings with the fixtures of everyday life, be it furniture, decorations, trees, vehicles and even people, can enforce your world-building and strengthen your design. Enscape’s recently released adjustable asset series offers options for you to modify assets to your liking. There are over 1,000 new 3D adjustable assets, encompassing texture alterations and variants of an item’s geometry, plus almost an infinite number of color options to choose from.

What’s more, the Enscape 3.5 update offers 93 new unique people assets to help demonstrate the functionality of your project and add a more emotive dimension to your scenes. In instances where architects and designers need specific assets, you can import your own models into the Custom Asset Library too. Check out this in-depth tutorial on harnessing Enscape’s asset library within Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Archicad and Vectorworks.

5. Fine-tune in post-production.

When you’ve finished crafting your scenes, there may be post-production tweaks you want to make to add the finishing touches to your renderings. In Enscape, you can easily export your images and continue work in any photo editing software. You can even export different types of rendering elements so you can quickly modify a specific object or material. For example, you can export object ID, material ID and channel depth for more targeted editing. 

Enscape 3.5 also benefits from improvements to the alpha channel functionality (the alpha channel is a layer that represents an image’s degree of transparency). The alpha channel export feature allows you to take renderings with a transparent background out of Enscape and edit them externally. The recent update now enables users to export semi-transparent materials too, such as windows and glass surfaces, speeding up post-processing.

Supercharge your design communication and try Enscape’s real-time rendering software for yourself with a free 14-day trial. The Enscape plug-in is compatible with popular modeling software, including SketchUp, Revit, Rhinoceros, Archicad and Vectorworks. 

Reference

Spill The Tea: How Architects Can Transform Workplace Culture and Call Out Toxic Office Environments
CategoriesArchitecture

Spill The Tea: How Architects Can Transform Workplace Culture and Call Out Toxic Office Environments

By Zarkon Group,

Wandile Mthiyane is an Obama Leader, TedxFellow, architectural designer, social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Ubuntu Design Group (UDG) and The Anti-Racist Hotdog. He is proud to introduce The Tea, a peer-to-peer inclusion rating platform.

For far too long, companies have chosen to remedy discrimination after the fact rather than proactively cultivating prevention tactics to ensure employees don’t endure negative and potentially traumatic experiences. This reactive default means that the people who plan our homes, neighborhoods and cities don’t have a plan preventing them from facing harmful and dangerous workplace situations. It’s too easy to simply blame architecture culture; architects shouldn’t have to depend on Plan B–lawsuits, support groups or even have therapists on speed dial. What if you had all the information you needed on a company’s culture before applying?

Recently, I asked some friends what they wished they had known before entering the workforce, and their responses shed light on the challenges they faced. Each told me a harrowing story about intersectional discrimination in the workplace: significant pay gaps, inadequate maternity leave and administrative reluctance to address these issues and others. Comparing their stories exposes how similar problems can be found anywhere in the world, with women and people of color trying to combat workplace discrimination while simply trying to do the jobs they were hired for.

One experience was shared by a Black female friend who worked as an architectural designer in South Africa. After her first year, the company hired her white male classmate from university, assigning her the task of mentoring him for six months and teaching him about the firm’s design philosophy. One day over lunch, he unexpectedly expressed his dissatisfaction with his salary and, in the process, revealed the significant pay gap between them. Surprised by this revelation, my friend confronted her boss, and the conversation that followed is almost unbelievable.

Library in Anzin by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Anzin, France

The boss initially justified the disparity by explaining that her classmate had financial responsibilities, such as paying rent to his mother. She pointed out that she paid rent to an actual landlord. The boss mentioned that his colleague — again, who she was mentoring — had a car, so they need to uphold his living standard, to which she responded she’d also have a car if she were compensated fairly. Only when she threatened to quit did she gain a raise to match her classmate’s salary.

These problems persist in North America, too. My Asian friend from Canada shared a comparable account of discovering that she was being paid significantly less than her colleagues. When she confronted her boss about the inequity, her boss quickly deflected the issue to the HR department, adopting a stance of concern and promising action. A week later, the boss informed her that the matter had been resolved and presented her with a list of goals she needed to achieve within a specific timeframe to earn a raise. Frustrated, she questioned the idea of needing to prove herself for a job she was already overqualified for just to receive equal pay. In the face of her threat to resign, the matter was resolved within a week.

Meanwhile, one of my white female friends in Germany revealed an age-based layer to gender discrimination. As she approached her mid-20s, she encountered difficulties securing a job. Once gainfully employed, she faced even greater hurdles in obtaining promotions. Companies perceived her as a potential liability because she could get pregnant, thus hindering her progress at work. Almost ironically, policies favoring maternity leave have led male bosses to view women as liabilities.

Clearly this problem is pervasive worldwide and is linked to problematic workplace cultures. While relevant in most workplaces, architecture is an industry well known for its toxic work culture. Architects have to deal with unnecessary competition between colleagues, work long hours, and pay off a mountain of school debt in the meantime. In 2023, Architecture Journal reported that over 40% of architects work at least 10 hours of overtime per week, largely unpaid, according to an AJ study completed by 400 architects. This work-pace leads to high burn-out rates, with almost 97% of architects reporting burn-out.

Take into consideration women and People of Color have to fight their own struggles against workplace discrimination while doing their own work in these already-toxic spaces. According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), out of the 121,603 licensed architects in the U.S. as of 2022, only 2% (2,492) are Black. Among them, only 566 are Black women, despite Black people making up 12.6% of the country’s population, with 52% of the Black population being Black women. These statistics clearly highlight the significant underrepresentation of people of color, particularly Black individuals and women, exposing them to vulnerability in white male-dominated studio spaces. Moreover, disparities in power structures within firms further exacerbate the situation, as women face additional challenges and are less likely to complete licensure, impeding their progression to principal roles. As one of my American friends noted, employees should have the ability to go to work and focus solely on their tasks without the added burden of being the unofficial and unpaid advocates for DEI within their companies.

Clearly, DEI programming is not enough to change our workplaces. Over the past two years, my team and I have partnered with leading social psychologists from Harvard, Columbia, Deloitte, and The Resolution Project, and closely studied company culture while consulting with architecture firms, both large and small. Throughout our research, we engaged with young professionals to understand what they wish they had known before entering the workforce, particularly what would have helped them make better decisions about the places where they would spend the majority of their adult lives.

Building upon this work, we developed The Tea: a demographic-specific, peer-to-peer inclusion rating platform that connects women and people of color to workplaces where they are truly valued. The Tea uses key workplace indicators that matter the most to individuals of similar demographics, based on research that shows why women and people of color leave or stay in workplaces. The platform uses ratings based on key workplace indicators such as salaries and benefits, path to growth, internal advocacy, external advocacy, authentic self, and valued expression. Users can also filter based on race, gender, sexual orientation and age to find how people that look like you have experienced a particular workplace.

The Tea is also built for firm leaders and HR directors, helping them know exactly what they need to improve in their own workplaces and the steps they have to take. Instead of providing negative anecdotes without clear solutions, The Tea’s data-driven key indicators show more precisely where companies need to improve. Companies can even upload their own efforts to address each indicator, so applicants can see how a company is dealing with certain problems. Above all, we value everyone’s identity and security, online and in the workplace: just log in with your LinkedIn, and your reporting remains anonymous.

In the end, The Tea benefits everyone involved. It provides employees with a safe space to identify companies that truly value their labor, eliminating the need for them to be BIM managers and the office’s designated MLK just because they’re a person of color. Simultaneously, employers gain valuable insights on how to create the most culturally diverse and inclusive firms in the world. We are transforming DEI from a mere aspiration into a tangible reality. Let’s join forces and spill the tea together, ensuring we never have to face these challenges again!

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