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New Year, New You? 8 Inspirational Resolutions for Architects in 2024
CategoriesArchitecture

New Year, New You? 8 Inspirational Resolutions for Architects in 2024

By Zarkon Group,

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

The story of the New Year’s resolution began over 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. From what we know, at the end of each year, the pious and virtuous, polytheistic Babylonians made promises to their various gods, pledging to settle outstanding debts and return any borrowed goods. It was their way of starting the coming year on a right and moral footing.

Our reasoning for making resolutions might not be as serious as returning your neighbor’s grain barrel before you curse your crops for the rest of the year; however, four millennia later, the purpose remains true. Bringing in the new year always feels like the right time to cast off old habits, reset and wipe the slate clean as best we can — I’m pretty sure the Babylonians could have related to that phrase, actually.

New Year, new you? Well, no, probably not. New Year, a slightly improved you? We can get on board with that one. So, recognizing that we are not Bablyonians and that resolutions no longer need to be life or death, Architizer has outlined eight manageable resolutions that employ minor changes that will hopefully inspire you to make the most of 2024. They might even make you a better architect if you’re lucky.

Read more.

Robarts Library Reading Room by Superkül, Toronto, Canada Photograph by doublespace photography inc. Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Institutional, Educational Interiors

Of course, you cry with a big eye roll at the lack of inventiveness. Wait —hear me out. Don’t close your tab just yet. There’s a reason “read more” is one of the most common resolutions people make. It’s because we never, ever, stick to it. We all read so much every day, but unfortunately, I don’t think Instagram captions and TikTok text overlays count. So here we are again: “2024 — Read more” (you can’t deny it’s got a ring to it).

We all know knowledge is the key and all that, so this year, why not try a different approach; what about starting or joining a book club? You could even focus it on architectural books if you wanted to double down. You could switch it up, a technical, a historical, and then a fictional, to stop things from getting too repetitive. You could choose to host it at your local library; they really need support, and they were literally made for book clubs, so it’s a win-win. What’s more, it’s my understanding that book clubs have biscuits, so what’s not to love, really?

Draw more.

The Last Resort by Nikhita Sivakumar, Student Winner, A+Vision Awards 2023, Drawing, Hand Drawn Drawing.

This is one for the people whose sketches look more like Minecraft models than multi-lined masterpieces.

Sketching is a skill; yes, some people are naturally good at it, others not so much. But skills can be learned, and that means practice. So, if you want to improve your illustration, sharpen your shading, and hone your hatching, make it your mission to fill an entire sketchbook by the end of the year with spontaneous architectural doodles, ideas and musings.

Or if carting around a sketchbook all day every day feels a little too “Renaissance painter trying to find a muse” for this century, why not sketch your ideas on anything but traditional paper? Napkins, walls, banana peels — get creative with your mediums. Collect them all up, and at the end of the year, you’ll have a unique timeline of precious “junk” that tracks your progress.

Both are a great way to keep the creative juices flowing daily, and who’s to know, we might even be looking at the next Le Corbusier (probably not, but it’s important to dream).

See more.

Francisco Tirado – Cobe Architects, Studio Winner, A+Vision Awards 2023, Best Of The Year, Architectural Photographer Of The Year 

There’s a Bart Simpson-esque joke in there somewhere, but let’s keep it professional…

Honestly, seeing more doesn’t always mean spending lots of money, booking lots of trips, and traveling around the world — as much fun as that can be. Seeing more can also mean taking notice of your immediate surroundings. We are almost all somewhere someone else wants to visit. So, be a tourist in your own town. Wander, explore and uncover the story of the architecture around you. Or, if you’re a fan of a plan, you could take it one step further and make a list of buildings you haven’t seen yet, or you’d like to see again and map out a route to visit them.

Explore where you are, and while you are at it, you can develop your photography skills by challenging yourself to take at least one photo a week of a building, a material or architectural detail that inspires you. By the end of the year, you’ll have fifty-two images that are a timeline of 2024.

You never know. You might even take a photograph that wins Architizer’s 2024 A+Awards.

Find Inspiration.

Finding new ways to be inspired is a year-round challenge. So, how about setting yourself a resolution that will give you the creative boost you need this year?

You could pick a country, one for each of the twelve months of the year, and commit to learning about its architectural heritage, its most recognized style, or its most well-known architect. You can find some great examples in Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture. By the end of 2024, you’ll have a knowledge of global architecture that could rival anyone in the office, and I bet you’ll be surprised at how much more diverse and exciting your projects become after just a few months.

Or if international architecture seems like too broad and overwhelming before you’ve even begun (this is always a pitfall with resolutions. They should be something you could actually achieve), why not work your way through the alphabet instead? A for Atrium, B for Balcony, C for Columns and so on? It’s a quick and easy approach to expanding your design horizons, and the topics can be as broad or as specific as you choose.

Go Green.

Eucalyptus Society Garden by SWA GROUP / Los Angeles, Guangzhou, China. Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Public Parks & Green Spaces 

I think it is safe to assume this one is on pretty much every architect’s list for 2024. Be more eco-conscious, be less wasteful and design smarter for the planet and its people. However, you frame it —this one is a biggie. Oh, but what to do? How about pledging to incorporate at least one additional sustainable design element in every project? This could range from using a recycled material to adding an innovative energy-saving product. But the catch is that it has to be one you added above and beyond your initial proposal; that way, you’re boosting your impact. Start with one and see how many you can add.

Or, if you’re the type of person who responds better to financial penalties, what about implementing a personal swear jar? Instead of being penalized for cursing, you need to cough up every time you specify using non-sustainable material. It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable for your choice, and at the end of the year, you can donate the cash to a worthy cause.

Prepare for the future.

Silk & Stone by Mohammad Qasim Iqbal. Student Winner, A+Vision Awards 2023, Visualization, Ai Assisted Visualization.

The future is here, and there is no denying it. AI, VR, and all the other acronyms you can think of are here to stay. So, this year, your resolution could help you prepare and keep you at the forefront of the monumental changes we are witnessing.

Get going with virtual reality. Whether it’s using VR for client presentations or exploring virtual construction, stop messing with the 2D and get yourself involved in the virtual world. Not only will you have a blast messing about in your models, but your clients will also thank you for making understanding space planning so much easier.

Or get ahead of the game in AI. If you still need to, resolve to learn what it is and how it’s going to help you as an architect. You can make it your mission to listen to every episode of Evelyn Lee’s Practice of Architecture podcast, or you can sign up for something like wordsmith Nikita Morell’s ChatGPT for Architects Masterclass.

You could even stick your alerts on for LinkedIn posts from our very own Editor-in-Chief Paul Keskeys and read the reviews on Architizer Tech to get updates on the latest applications, innovations and tips that will keep you up to date on what’s hot and what not in the tech-o-sphere. (we think you should do this either way).

Rein it in.

As architects and designers were often told, our industry is complicated, exclusive and inaccessible. And in some cases, they would be right. So, this year, why not simplify things? Ditch the dialogue. Challenge yourself to stop using architectural jargon, be direct and to the point and say exactly what you mean. At the end of the day, you might find it improves your business when people actually understand what you are talking about.

Or if thats not your problem, what about committing to downscaling overly ambitious ideas? We often get carried away, going smidge overboard every now and again. In all fairness, it’s often part of the fun. I do not deny there is a time and place for glass columns and gold-plated beams, but how about, if you find you’re one of those architects who spends more time scaling back than scaling up, that this year you challenge yourself to rein it in and refocus your precious time on to yourself instead of arguing the necessity of triple height ceilings in the guest bathroom that no one asked for?

Banish the beige.

GRiD by Spark Architects, Singapore. Jury Award Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Retail. Photographs by Fabian Ong.

Or, if your thinking, “count me out of reining it in,” then it’s time to toss out the tepid and embrace the bold. Beige isn’t just a color; it’s a symbol of safe choices that lull us into a creative slumber. This year you could set yourself the task of shake off that drowsiness and give your work some much-needed pizzazz.

Think about it. When was the last time you stepped out of our comfort zone with color? I’m not talking about a touch of terracotta or a splash of sage. I’m talking full kaleidoscope. It’s not just about painting the town red (or green, or purple). Let’s get inventive with our spaces have a heart-to-heart with our materials. This year could be a great time to experiment and give your designs the innovative eye they deserve.

And who knows, those eye catching hues it might just be what makes them stand out to our jurors in future A+Awards competitions.

Celebrate the wins.

And finally, and in my opinion, most importantly, celebrate the wins! We said that the new year is all about reflecting and looking back at our achievements, recognizing what we did well or not so well. But why wait? Why not celebrate the wins as and when they happen? Commit yourself to taking time out, whether it’s a day, an hour or a week, to really appreciate the times that things went well. Don’t just move on to the next challenge and forget to take time to pat yourself and your team on the back and say, “Well done!”

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

Reference

"Emerging Ecologies" at MoMA Celebrates the Utopian Side of Environmental Design
CategoriesArchitecture

“Emerging Ecologies” at MoMA Celebrates the Utopian Side of Environmental Design

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  

In 2023, terms like environmentalism and sustainability have a decidedly bleak emotional valence. Although the worst consequences of climate change are expected to arrive in future decades, the looming specter of this slow leviathan is having an emotional impact on people today. According to the Yale Program on Climate Communication, 3% of Americans regularly experience anxiety about climate change. The number is higher if you look at individual demographics. For instance, 5% of Americans under 35 suffer from climate anxiety, as do a shocking 10% of Hispanic Americans. 

Fear. Depression. These are the emotions that the phrase climate change evokes. Morally, the term coincides with a demand for austerity, an idea of living with less. It is no surprise, then, that many climate activists, like countless religious movements of old, have a decidedly iconoclastic rhetorical bent. The notorious Just Stop Oil organization made headlines by throwing soup on famous paintings like Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Like Girolamo Savonarola, who burned Renaissance masterpieces to protest sexual immorality, Just Stop Oil carries a grim and uncompromising sermon. They desecrate art, they say, to mirror the way industrial society desecrates nature. 

Girolamo Savonarola leading a “Bonfire of the Vanities” in 15th century Florence, encouraging his followers to burn “immoral” painitngs. Painting by Ludwig von Langenmantel, 1879, via Wikimedia Commons.

But here is the problem with puritanical movements: they fizzle out. Some people are motivated by a call for austerity, but most are not. People want joy. They want beauty. They want to be told that there is a way for them to live well, today, in this life. They do not want to forsake the present for the world to come. Well intentioned or not, if the vision of a sustainable future is a vision of deprivation, it will not motivate people to change their behavior. 

This has been my perspective for a while now. And it is why I enjoyed “Emerging Ecologies”, MoMA’s new exhibition on environmental design. Unlike another exhibition I recently visited on sustainability — “The Future is Present“ at the Design Museum in Denmark — “Emerging Ecologies” is not a dystopian lecture about the way our progeny will need to learn with less. To the contrary, the exhibition celebrates architects of the past who grappled with the question of how to design with the environment, taking their cues from the landscape. The show reveals how this approach is not only ethical, but has the potential to produce buildings that are beautiful, quirky, creative and stimulating. Drab this show is not. 

“Emerging Ecologies” showcases a few contemporary projects, but the emphasis is on work from the 1960s and 70s, the period when the idea of ecology was still “emerging.” The first thing visitors to the exhibition see is a magnificent model of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, perhaps the only 20th century building that both modernists and traditionalists agree to be a masterpiece.

The centrality of Fallingwater is, I think, the most inspired curatorial choice in the exhibition. But what does it have to do with sustainability? Quite a bit, it seems. Frank Lloyd Wright’s building is designed to complement the landscape rather than dominate it. While the building might not have been created with the purpose of lowering carbon emissions, it does represent the type of attitude architects might come to embrace if they are serious about the ideal of sustainability. Working with nature, rather than against it, could lead us to a future where people live and work in buildings like Fallingwater — an attractive prospect indeed.

Other projects featured early on in the show include Malcom Wells’s design for subterranean suburban dwellings, an approach playfully known today as “hobbitecture.” Wells was interested in these types of dwellings in the early 1960s, but they really caught on in the 1970s, when the oil crisis led individuals to consider ways to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels. Wells’s view was a bit more ambitious than this. He hoped that subterranean architecture would allow “wilderness” to reclaim the American suburbs, quipping that it has the advantage of “millions of years of trial and error” over human civilization. On the surface, this quote seems to echo the misanthropy of Just Stop Oil, but the designs themselves belie this reading. Wells’s houses are cozy habitats for human flourishing. 

“Emerging Ecologies” is the inaugural presentation by the Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and Natural Environment. Many of Ambasz’s works are among the 150 projects on display, and the curation, handled masterfully by Carson Chan, speaks to Ambasz’s commitment to an imaginative, even utopian vision of sustainable architecture. As Matt Shaw notes in his review for e-flux, the show “traces the twentieth century of American idealism, from crank scientists like Buckminster Fuller to later hippie fever dreams, such as Anna and Lawrence Halprin’s sixties-era nude summer workshops, in a surrealist collection of alternative US futures.” Within the exhibition, low-tech back to nature fantasies exist alongside futuristic visions such as that of the Cambridge Seven Associates, who proposed a lush and self-sustaining rainforest enclosed in a geodesic dome for the Tsuruhama Rainforest Pavilion in 1995. 

“Emerging Ecologies” is refreshing in its lack of pedantry. It does not propose to know the way forward. Rather, it looks back to a history of environmental architecture in order to highlight a number of potential pathways. If you are in New York this holiday season, I strongly recommend skipping the Rockettes and seeing this instead. The exhibition runs until 20 January. 

Cover Image: Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888. Image via Wikimedia Commons. 

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  

Reference

Floating Office Rotterdam
CategoriesArchitecture

Amphibious Architecture: Designing Resilient Coastal Communities for the Future

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  

As climate change unfolds, bringing about rising sea levels, increased occurrences of flooding and a surge in climatic events, the concept of living in a floating home — or houseboat — could potentially emerge as a pragmatic and innovative solution to face the environmental challenges associated with coastal living. Opting for a floating home is not just a practical choice but a visionary one. It signifies a departure from the vulnerabilities associated with traditional coastal housing and an embrace of a lifestyle that aligns with the dynamic and ever-changing character of coastal ecosystems. It is a bold step towards a future where adaptability and ingenuity are at the forefront of our response to the challenges posed by climate change along our coastlines.

Sustainably designed buildings that float on water could positively influence the preservation of at-risk waterside communities at a point where the evolution of coastal development stands at a critical juncture. This evolution demands a transformative shift to confront the adverse consequences of climate change, and the traditional paradigms governing coastal areas must undergo a profound reevaluation that calls for a departure from conventional practices. There is an imperative need for sustainable and adaptive approaches characterized by resilient infrastructure, eco-friendly design principles, and a profound understanding of the delicate balance between human settlements and the dynamic coastal environment.

Hope Floats: Embracing a Wetter Future

Floating Office Rotterdam

Floating Office Rotterdam by Powerhouse Company. Rotterdam, Netherlands. | Photo by Mark Seelen.

Coastal land areas have long endured the consequences of unchecked development. However, looking at the positive aspects amid the challenges of coastal development, there lies a realm of possibilities for innovative design solutions that address the complexities of proximity to water. Coastal development opens avenues beyond the construction of nature-based or man-made flood protection infrastructure, emphasizing adaptability and a symbiotic relationship with the dynamic forces of nature.

Within the realms of design and urban planning, attention turns to floating houses and amphibious architecture — some to float permanently, others built on special foundations allowing them to rest on solid ground or float when necessary. These creative solutions aim to mitigate environmental impacts and incorporate resilient design strategies in harmony with natural surroundings. Floating homes can integrate green infrastructure, sustainable building materials, and innovative water management systems, contributing to a reduced environmental footprint. This aligns with a broader ethos of harmonizing human habitation with nature, forging a symbiotic relationship between dwellings and the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. Ultimately, these solutions could make existing communities more resilient and allow them to keep living in the places they are closely connected to.

Tides of Change: The Integration of Floating Houses in Urban Spaces

Waterwoningen

Waterwoningen by Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer. Amsterdam, Netherlands | Photo by Marcel van der Burg.

Waterwoningen

Waterwoningen. Site plan.

Floating houses are integral to an urban design ethos. Financially categorized as immovable properties, they rival traditional land-based housing in both interior volume and comfort. The appeal of waterfront living lies in its practical response to climate considerations and its role in reshaping urban development paradigms. Additionally, there’s an aesthetic dimension, as living on the water fosters a sense of liberty and closeness to nature. This not only addresses environmental challenges but also contributes to the reinvigoration of urban areas and the sustainable utilization of available space.

Waterbuurt-est, within Amsterdam’s IJburg development, features a density akin to the central Jordaan district, with around 100 homes per hectare. The Netherlands has a history of living close to water. That means living on land protected by dykes, on mounds, ashore, or floating. Only recently have floating homes been eligible as a significant solution to Holland’s modern housing needs. The design challenge was highlighting water as a distinctive feature. Floating houses on jetties and the Quay building on a water-protruding platform solved this, providing an acoustic barrier and parking, considering the ban on vehicles on jetties. Jetties accommodate four to twenty-five houses each, creating a dynamic community. Three towering “pile dwellings” punctuate the landscape, aligning with bridges connecting jetties. This intentional arrangement ensures uninterrupted water views, blending architectural innovation with the natural setting.

Water Cabin: A Tranquil Oasis in Seattle’s Floating Home Legacy

Water Cabin

Water Cabin by Olson Kundig. Seattle, Washington, United States. | Photo by Aaron Leitz.

Water Cabin continues a long history of floating homes in Seattle. Located in a floating home community on Portage Bay, just south of the University of Washington, it establishes a cabin sensibility in an urban environment. Low to the water and small in stature, the home’s interior program is thoughtfully arranged across two levels to maximize connections to the surrounding marine environment. Water Cabin’s materiality draws inspiration from the weathered informality of a cabin. Lightly stained knotty western red cedar exterior siding will weather over time with minimal maintenance. Durable, low-maintenance metal elements like galvanized steel and flame-sprayed zinc nod to the demanding marine environment and will complement the color of the siding as it silvers.

Seascape Metropolis: Rethinking Urban Living with Vertical City

The visionary idea of residing on water transcends being solely an architectural marvel; it emerges as a comprehensive solution for coastal cities navigating the complexities of climate change. It is a testament to the possibility of redefining urban living to be not just sustainable but also regenerative, turning the threats of climate change into an opportunity for creating resilient, vibrant, and environmentally conscious urban spaces along our coastlines.

Vertical Cities

Vertical City by Luca Curci Architects. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Vertical City presents a visionary project proposing a water-settled “city-building” designed for 25,000 residents. This innovative initiative fosters a lifestyle deeply connected with water, challenging traditional notions of community and society. Integrating various renewable energy sources — such as wind and water turbines, solar panels, energy storage solutions, water desalination, and inclusive food production and farming — the project is dedicated to promoting a healthier lifestyle and reimagining urban living by eliminating suburban sprawl. By seamlessly blending sustainability with elevated population density, Vertical City aims to establish a zero-energy “city-building.”

While the challenges of developing land in contact with water are significant, they also offer a compelling canvas for reimagining urban landscapes. By embracing a holistic and sustainable design approach, we have the opportunity to transform potential drawbacks into catalysts for positive change, fostering resilient, inclusive, and harmonious urban environments along coastlines.

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  

Reference

Boston Coastal Flood Resilience Design Guidelines and Zoning Overlay District.
CategoriesArchitecture

Architects’ Guide: Short and Long Term Design Strategies for Flood Defense and Urban Resilience

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  

With over half of the world’s megacities located along coastlines, many are at risk of experiencing rising sea levels and potential flooding. Projections suggest that by 2050, sea levels will increase by 0.25 inches (0.65 centimeters) per year. Cities around the globe are increasingly embracing comprehensive coastal resilience initiatives to address the urgent challenges of climate change. With climate change triggering a range of impacts, including the alarming rise in sea levels, extreme storm surges and high tides, urban areas are recognizing the need for proactive strategies to safeguard their coastal regions and the communities within them.

A diverse array of measures and actions — including nature-based and/or man-made defenses — are aimed at fortifying cities against the adverse consequences of coastal hazards. The impacts encompass not only the physical encroachment of water onto land but also the destructive effects on infrastructure, buildings, open spaces, and the well-being of urban populations.

Adapting the built environment to reduce the impact of flooding could include building codes, restricting construction in at-risk areas, and planning to live with water. Inevitably, moving away from the coastline will occur in some places. Proactive, managed retreats will have significantly lower social and economic impacts than forced, reactive retreats after the event of coastal flooding.

Fostering Resilience Through City Initiatives and Guiding Principles

Boston Coastal Flood Resilience Design Guidelines and Zoning Overlay District.

Boston Coastal Flood Resilience Design Guidelines and Zoning Overlay District by Utile, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Resilient design principles serve as essential tools for municipal authorities, property owners and developers, facilitating informed, forward-looking decisions related to flood protection for existing structures and new construction. By following these guidelines, cities can minimize damage and disruption, all while fostering greater awareness among residents and businesses. The uniqueness of each at-risk location is considered in the design, tailoring strategies to the specific circumstances. For example, Boston has implemented initiatives like Climate Ready Boston and the city’s Coastal Flood Resilience Guidelines, which are exemplary instances of resilient design in action.

As a crucial component of the city’s Climate Ready Boston ongoing initiative, Utile spearheaded the creation of Boston’s first Coastal Flood Resilience Design Guidelines in collaboration with the Boston Planning and Development Agency. These guidelines, applicable to existing and forthcoming developments, ensure that structures are constructed or adapted to withstand the threats posed by sea level rise and storm surge. This initiative will be facilitated by a future zoning overlay, encompassing areas at a 1% risk of coastal flooding by 2070.

Working alongside Kleinfelder, Noble, Wickersham & Hart, LLP, and an advisory team featuring HDR and Offshoots, Inc., Utile employed a comprehensive project approach. This approach integrated national best practices, current regulations, analysis of Boston’s urban landscape, community input, and expertise in cutting-edge building technology. The Guidelines seamlessly complement various other initiatives within the Climate Ready Boston program, including neighborhood plans, public right-of-way guidance and existing zoning.

With a focus on retrofitting, the guidelines incorporate case studies outlining short- and long-term adaptation strategies tailored to the most common building types in flood-prone areas, effectively communicated through clear, concise graphics. Additionally, our zoning recommendations facilitate the implementation of these enhancements while striking a balance between private interests and their impact on the public domain.

Resilient Infrastructure: A Canvas for Innovative Design

Efforts to enhance flood defense and adapt to rising sea levels represent a design opportunity. These initiatives not only mitigate coastal hazards but also serve as remarkable engineering, architectural and urban creations. They blend aesthetics and functionality, fostering resilient, sustainable and visually appealing solutions that enhance urban landscapes while addressing climate challenges.

Located between St. Pauli Landungsbrücken and Baumwall in Hamburg, the new 2,050-feet (625-meter) Zaha Hadid Architects’ river promenade at Niederhafen is a vital component of the city’s upgraded flood protection system. Initially established in response to the catastrophic storm surge floods of 1962, which claimed 315 lives and displaced 60,000 residents, Hamburg’s flood barrier was erected between 1964 and 1968, reaching up to 24 feet (7 meters) above sea level.

Subsequent hydrological analysis and computer simulations pinpointed the necessity of raising the barrier by approximately 3 feet (1 meter) to fortify Hamburg against future winter storm surges and extreme high tides. Inspections in 2006 exposed overloaded supporting elements and foundation challenges, leading to a design competition and, eventually, the selection of Zaha Hadid Architects for the project.

The Niederhafen flood protection barrier occupies a prominent location encompassing Hamburg’s renowned riverside promenade — a tourist attraction and one of the city’s main public spaces. From its elevated position, the promenade provides unobstructed views of the Elbe River and the bustling port.

The finished project has reconnected Hamburg’s Niederhafen flood protection barrier with the city’s urban fabric, providing a popular riverside walkway and facilitating connections with nearby neighborhoods. The barrier’s eastern section stands 8.60 meters above sea level, while the western part reaches 8.90 meters, safeguarding the city from maximum winter storm surges and high tides. With a minimum width of ten meters (approximately 33 feet), the riverside promenade offers ample space for pedestrians, food vendors, cafes, shops, and public amenities at street level, enhancing its appeal as a vibrant public space.

Envisioning the Future: Flood Protection Infrastructure as Urban Catalyst

Next Tokyo 2045

Next Tokyo 2045 by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Tokyo, Japan.

The potential of flood protection infrastructure goes beyond its primary role as a safeguard against inundation. It has the capacity to provide the groundwork for the creation of dynamic recreational open spaces and the expansion of high-density urban communities.

Next Tokyo 2045 envisions a resurgent megacity that that adapts to the challenges of climate change by establishing a high-density eco-district firmly underpinned by robust infrastructure. This archipelago of reclaimed land is planned to accommodate half a million residents, while fortifying Tokyo Bay against various water-related risks, such as rising sea levels, seismic activity and an increased frequency of typhoons.

Next Tokyo 2045 addresses the vulnerability of the low-elevation coastal zones around Tokyo Bay by implementing coastal defense infrastructure along the upper Tokyo Bay shoreline. Not only do these resilient infrastructural components enhance the city’s safety, but they also lay the groundwork for the creation of recreational open spaces and the development of high-density urban areas across the bay. This ambitious vision even includes the remarkable Sky Mile Tower, reaching over 5,250 feet (1,600 meters) in height.

As part of this development strategy, a share of the value generated from this newly coveted waterfront real estate will be allocated to support the essential municipal infrastructure required to sustain this urban transformation.

Safeguarding Cities: Resilience, Collaboration, and Urban Innovation

Qianhai’s Guiwan Park by Field Operations, Shenzhen, China | Jury Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Urban Transformation

Cities are proactively implementing strategies not only to shield themselves from coastal hazards but also to create resilient, sustainable urban environments that can navigate the challenges of climate change. These coastal resilience initiatives aim at safeguarding current and future community well-being.

Collaboration and coordination among cities are pivotal, enhancing the effectiveness of actions and resource pooling, as the decisions of one location can affect neighboring areas. Coordinated efforts at various levels bolster regional climate resilience and promote the exchange of tools and knowledge. Moreover, community engagement is paramount to ensure inclusive action plans that address the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

The visionary Next Tokyo 2045 project demonstrates the potential of flood protection infrastructure extending beyond its core purpose. It not only safeguards against flooding but also serves as the foundation for the development of vibrant recreational open spaces and the growth of high-density urban communities. This innovative approach aligns resilience with urban expansion, showcasing how infrastructure can play a multifaceted role in shaping the future of cities.

Top image: Bai’etan Exhibition Center Landscape by Sasaki, Guangzhou, China | Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Landscape / Planning Project

Architizer’s 12th Annual A+Awards are officially underway! Sign up for key program updates and prepare your submission ahead of the Main Entry Deadline on  December 15th.  



Reference

Architecture and the Economy: Inside China's Ghost Cities
CategoriesArchitecture

Architecture and the Economy: Inside China’s Ghost Cities

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.

Susan Sontag once said that there were only three subjects she had been interested in her whole life: “freaks,” women and China. She isn’t alone — especially on that last point. The world’s oldest continuous civilization has always captivated Westerners, partly due to the perception that it is shrouded in secrecy.  

Even fifty years after Nixon visited China, this perception still has some basis. The political regime of President Xi is not known for its transparency. While China is by no means a hermit kingdom, there is much about its economy, military and politics that remains the subject of speculation. Little details, anecdotes or photographs from China are scoured like Rorschach tests, with Western spectators seeing in them what they want to see: evidence of either China’s strength or its weakness, its national virtue or its deep corruption. And as fear of China’s rising power has grown, these interpretations have trended toward the ominous. 

In recent months, as rumors of China’s economic crisis have spread, the images that seem to interest people the most are photographs of China’s so-called “ghost cities” — urban developments that are eerily under-occupied. The most famous of these, the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia, is also one of the most captivating, as it includes not only luxury residences but also city squares and museums. But what do these images signify? Are Ordos and similar developments simply modern-day Potemkin villages designed by the CCP to place a veneer of luxury on an economy with deeply flawed fundamentals? The answer seems to be yes and no. 

According to experts, China’s economic crisis is driven by an over-reliance on investment as opposed to consumer spending as the driver of economic growth. As counterintuitive as it might sound to those who, like me, never got past Econ 101, economic growth can be driven by capital investment even when there is a lack of demand for the products and services that are being invested in. Stephen Morgan, a professor emeritus of Chinese economic history at the University of Nottingham, explained this process in a recent interview with Vox. 

“Investment is largely going into, as I said, infrastructure, real estate. At present, probably about 40 percent of that is unproductive,” explains Professor Morgan. “One way to think of that is ‘bridges to nowhere.’ The thing about investment is it doesn’t matter whether the bridge goes to nowhere or it actually serves a purpose. It produces GDP growth.When I was living in China, between 2013 and 2020, in Ningbo, I used to take the bus to work every day. The bus stops between my apartment and the university were rebuilt three times — three times in about six years. The first time they needed rebuilding. The second time, there were some nice improvements, like electronic boards that told you when the bus was going to come. The third time they rebuilt all the bus stops with so much steel you would need a tank to knock them down. Other than that, there was very little welfare benefit. That’s wasted investment.”

The city of Ordos isn’t exactly empty, but it feels that way. Over two thirds of its apartments are unoccupied. Image: Popolon, architects : Ma Yansong, Yosuke Hayano, Dang Qun from MAD Architects[1], Ordos Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0

Real estate was long considered a “safe” investment, which is why the Chinese state encouraged and participated in this kind of investment. Some are still holding out, sitting on empty properties hoping they will get a return. However, the situation is strikingly unbalanced. According to a 2021 Business Insider article, there are about 65 million empty homes in China, almost enough to house the entire population of France. This is an especially daunting statistic when one considers the fact that many people in China live in substandard housing. The real estate that is being built is not being utilized by the Chinese population. 

So what do the Chinese ghost cities signify? Nothing more or less than the misallocation of resources in that country. It is a problem created by a set of policies that solved one problem (increasing economic growth) while creating others (debt and waste). Despite the spell China casts on the imagination of westerners, there isn’t anything mysterious about it — the misallocation of resources has always been the central problem in the field of economics and no nation has ever been able to solve it, whether through markets, central planning, or a mix of the two.

Maybe one day we will have housing “to each according to his need,” but for now that is not the case — whether you are in China or the US. The two nations have more in common than they think.

For architects, the last decade in China has likely been bittersweet. While there were no shortage of opportunities, architecture is at bottom a practical art, and I imagine the architects who worked on these ghost cities were filled with a sense of emptiness, perhaps even dread, as they contemplated the fate of their creations. A building without a purpose is a melancholy thing indeed, like a song that no one will ever hear. 

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.

Cover Image: Ordos City, Uday Phalgun, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reference

Because it can be cast into any shape, concrete opened up new possibilities for architects.
CategoriesArchitecture

Architects Should Continue Using Concrete. Change My Mind.

By Zarkon Group,

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. 

“What’s nice about concrete is that it looks unfinished.” 

– Zaha Hadid 

Before embarking on my argument, I want to get something out of the way: I believe that climate change is real. I also believe that mitigating climate change by lowering carbon emissions in as many areas of human life as possible is an urgent necessity in our century. Doing so is the only way to preserve the chance that future generations will be able to enjoy a decent and dignified existence. 

Another point to add in the preamble: I agree that concrete is an enormous contributor to climate change. It would be silly to try to deny it. The facts are there for anyone who cares to look. 

According to the Princeton Student Climate Initiative, the manufacture of concrete produces 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, about 8% of global emissions. By comparison, transportation accounts for 29% of global emissions. The reason concrete is so carbon-heavy has to do with the manufacture of cement, the binding agent that, when mixed with water and gravel or sand, creates concrete – that magical liquid stone that enabled the creation of modern cities and remains the most consumed product on Earth after water. (Food is not even in spitting distance). 

To create cement, limestone, clay and other materials are fired in massive kilns at over 1,200 degrees fahrenheit. And again, this is done a lot, all over the world, as concrete is used in almost every aspect of construction worldwide, from roads to sidewalks to bridges to pipes and more. Even most wood frame buildings have concrete foundations. As the architect Sarah Nichols put it, concrete is in “almost everything” and can be found “almost everywhere” in the modern world. 

In a brilliant 2022 essay for Noema, author Joe Zadeh explains that “such a monstrous scale of production has monstrous consequences.” He adds that “concrete has been like a nuclear bomb in man’s conquest of nature: redirecting great rivers (often away from the communities that had come to rely on them), reducing quarried mountains to mere hills, and contributing to biodiversity loss and mass flooding by effectively sealing large swathes of land in an impermeable gray crust.” 

It is no wonder that some writers have advocated abandoning concrete altogether, arguing that new techniques of engineering wood and other materials obviate the need for all this gray sludge. Right here in Architizer, Francesca Mercurio asserted bluntly that “architects should stop using concrete.” She writes that “we should be striving toward a mindset shift, one where humans understand their place on Earth and respect their ecosystems and natural terrains. We must shift our priority from grandeur and excess to preserving the Earth’s natural resources and ultimately, close the chapter on the concrete era.” 

Because it can be cast into any shape, concrete opened up new possibilities for architects.

Because it can be cast into any shape, concrete opened up new possibilities for architects, essentially enabling the development of modern architecture as we understand it. Via Phaidon and Architizer.

However, even Mercurio admits that “there is certainly no clear path” to abandoning concrete altogether, as there are no real substitutes that are as cheap and versatile to meet the needs of a world that is still in the process of urbanizing. And here is my worry. 

At times, the broadsides against concrete seem to be attacks on modernity itself, a claim that the time has come to scale back and learn to live with less. It is often linked to a call to repair existing infrastructure instead of always building more. But that is not an option for the developing world, where necessary infrastructure is still being constructed and the process of industrialization and economic growth is lifting millions out of poverty. When people say that “concrete built the modern world,” it almost seems to imply that the modern world has already been built, which is far from the case. Politically, economically, physically, and morally, humanity remains involved in a period of growth and transformation. 

As a democratic socialist, I am not happy with where we are. I do not want to stop building and go back to nature, as doing so would require an enormous amount of sacrifice on the part of the world’s most vulnerable people. A sustainable future is key, but it must be a high-tech future, one that is able to provide for the needs of a global population that continues to grow. To do this, we are going to need to move mountains — literally. Certainly, innovations toward a greener concrete should be commended, as should building practices that allow architects to use less concrete. In this vein, Philippe Block’s research into how architects can use vaulting to limit the amount of concrete used even in high rise structures is particularly fascinating. But until a real alternative to concrete presents itself, we are very much still in the “concrete era.”

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. 

Cover image: RW Concrete Church by NAMELESS Architecture, Seoul, South Korea

Reference

Wabi-Sabi: Why Architects Should Discover the Art of Imperfection
CategoriesArchitecture

Wabi-Sabi: Why Architects Should Discover the Art of Imperfection

By Zarkon Group,

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in
– Leonard Cohen

The most memorable buildings are not always the most stunning ones. A bit of awkwardness — clunkiness even — can help a building stick in the mind, much like a crooked nose or a lazy eye can give a human face “character.” There is a Japanese term for this idea: wabi-sabi. The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines wabi-sabi as an aesthetic attitude “which delights in the tarnish on an ancient silver bowl and the old uneven cobblestones.” Wabi-sabi is not the valorization of ugliness but of beautiful objects that seem to approach perfection, only then to veer away from it at the last moment. Perhaps in this way, they signal that they belong to the world of things and not ideas. 

Wabi-sabi is precisely what AI-generated designs will always lack. It is also what is missing from Brasilia, the immaculate, centrally planned capital city of Brazil that people famously hate living in because it seems too sterile. In fact, I would argue that it was precisely a lack of wabi-sabi that doomed the International Style, opening the way for postmodernists to restore decorative motifs, whimsy and weirdness of various kinds to their designs. 

You can’t bottle wabi-sabi though. Just because one intends to lend their building a charming sense of imperfection doesn’t mean one will succeed. In fact, it is perhaps not advisable to intend to create such an effect. Think back to the archetypal examples of wabi-sabi: a tarnished bowl, uneven cobblestones. These details simply emerged organically, and they remain as an index of the object’s contact with the world. 

The Kaleidoscope by Inrestudio, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Note the dramatically scaled and off-kilter roof.

Nevertheless, some new buildings do achieve a sense of wabi-sabi, a charming awkwardness. And I think they achieve this effect by working with the environment, seeking neither a pure functionalism nor a dramatic ornamental scheme. One building that inhabits this zone is The Kaleidoscope, a mixed-use workplace and residential studio in central Vietnam designed by the firm Inrestudio under the direction of lead architect Kosuke Nishijima.

The Kaleidoscope, which was Jury Winner in the 11th Annual A+Awards’ Office – Low-Rise category, makes a strong impression when one encounters it in the forests of Vietnam, wedged between a forested hill and the sea. Relatively small (two stories, 3,150 square feet) but sturdy, it at first appears to be a kind of squat brutalist fortress, perhaps some sort of municipal building or outpost for forest rangers. But then one notices the roof – heavy, sculptural,and off-centered, with dramatic eaves that shade the trunk of the building like a mushroom cap. Walking around the building, one then notices the perforated ventilation blocks and, finally, the outside of a white spiral staircase. The design elements all work together nicely but not cleanly. There is a sense of bricolage, of different ideas pieced together according to a design that is idiosyncratic but not random. 

The Kaleidoscope by Inrestudio, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam

When one looks into the rationale behind this beautiful roof, one learns that it indeed has a function tied to the harsh tropical climate of central Vietnam. “Resembling a “nón lá”, a traditional farmer’s hat of Vietnam, a large conical roof casts shadows on the entire building,” explains Inrestudio. “The ventilated cavity between the double layered roof functions as a natural heat insulator against the sunlight, while the deep eaves enable the central space’s windows to remain open even during the rains. The main function of the building is placed at the center of a floating slab, which keeps the space protected from the ground moisture.”

So this is the purpose of the squat Brutalist fortress – to allow individuals to experience fresh air even during typhoons. The perforated walls enhance this relationship to the outdoors. As the sun moves across the sky, the shadows cast inside the building change, much like the patterns of a kaleidoscope change when the end is rotated. 

The Kaleidoscope by Inrestudio, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam

“Perforated ventilation blocks are common building elements in tropical regions, not only to moderate environmental factors but also casting impressive light patterns,” explains Inrestudio. “Custom precast ventilation blocks compose the outer surfaces of the triangular volumes to provide privacy to the inner rooms. These fiber-reinforced concrete blocks have larger dimensions than usual, and match the grand scale of the surrounding backdrop.”

The Kaleidoscope by Inrestudio, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam | Interior view of perforated ventilation block.

The intended use of this building is interesting as well. It is both a living and working space. Located near a factory in a relatively remote area of Vietnam, the building houses offices on the lower level and residences above. Inrestudio explains that they placed a large emphasis on natural light in their design in order to highlight the transition from day to night, when the function of the building will shift from working to living. 

Notre Dame du Haut, nicknamed Ronchamp Chapel, is one of Le Corbusier’s most loved buildings. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese term, but the idea has been embraced by Westerners as well – even those one wouldn’t expect. Le Corbusier, for instance, is remembered as the archon of high modernism, drawing up wicked plans to flatten Paris to make room for concrete high rises. And yet, the building he is best remembered for looks a lot like The Kaleidoscope. In fact, it would be hard for me to believe that Inrestudio did not have the Ronchamp Chapel in mind when they designed The Kaleidoscope. 

Completed in 1954, near the end of his career, Ronchamp Chapel is a masterpiece that seems to bear little resemblance to the harsh symmetries of Corbusier’s earlier buildings. It replaced a stone chapel that had been destroyed in the second world war, and one gets the impression that Corbu understood that his design should preserve some of the gentleness, or wabi-sabi, of the original, even though his design was entirely original. Like the Kaleidoscope, its greatest features are its sculptural roof, which seems to float above the structure, and the way it draws in natural light in the interior. In the case of Ronchamp Chapel, this is done through a charming array of stained glass windows – arranged in an irregular pattern of course. 

Interior view of Ronchamp Chapel. Note the slight gap at the roof line, which lets in a crack of sunlight. Photo by Richard Hedrick on Unsplash

Like The Kaleidoscope, Ronchamp Chapel is possessed of a humble beauty that is easy to relate to. It might be an odd building, but it is not unserious of self-consciously quirky. Above all, it is very much itself. I hope to see more buildings designed in this mode in the coming years.

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

Reference

Curtain wall reflection
CategoriesArchitecture

Non-Architectural Challenges Architects Face When Converting Offices into Housing

By Zarkon Group,

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. 

COVID-19 has left many office buildings half-empty in city downtowns across the United States, and as vacancies rise, commercial property values drop. The demand for office space might not rebound to pre-pandemic levels as some observed have augured.

Banks, city governments and property management companies fear the severity of the situation and its potentially dismal economic consequences. At the same time, the housing shortage is becoming a major problem for many cities. Could empty office buildings be the remedy to the housing crisis? What does it take to convert office buildings into housing?

One would think that the idea of converting office buildings into residential would presumably face little-to-no opposition and be promoted by cities and planning authorities as a possibility to mitigate the housing shortage and activate districts. It could be a win-win situation if not for the red-tape bureaucracy — local building and zoning regulations — and the technical difficulties, including structural, energy/mechanical, accessibility and fire safety upgrades, among other requirements. These requirements limit the number of vacant office buildings that could potentially be converted into residential use.

Zoning Regulations

Curtain wall reflection

Image by Eloi Smith via Unsplash.

There is no general rule for turning office space into housing, and each building must comply with local building and zoning regulations. Zoning rules vary, but they often share the common purpose of separating occupancies — i.e. separating residential from commercial use. For this specific reason, it is difficult to change the use of an existing building, and developers wanting to undertake such a task will have to apply for a variance, which may face opposition before it is granted. Difficulties don’t end here. In addition to zoning regulations, building codes will influence redevelopment projects.

Generally, building codes applied to residential projects are considerably different from those that apply to office buildings. Adapting an existing structure to a new use will involve the cooperation of different agencies to address the complexities that come with the change of occupancy use. But given the extraordinary situation where on the one hand, we have thousands of vacant office square footage and, on the other hand, an urgent housing shortage, it would make perfect sense to relax these regulations and try to solve both problems. City authorities have in their hands the opportunity to make change recommendations in city zoning regulations. In this respect, New York’s Mayor Eric Adams has been encouraging modifications to zoning and building codes to spur the office-housing transformation.

8899 Beverly Boulevard

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Image by Nils Timm.

For the time being, zoning and building regulations make it hard for office buildings to be turned into a different use, especially into residential, simply because the requirements for one are so different from the other. Let’s look at some of the specific requirements to turn an office building into housing: Light and ventilation are perhaps the most critical factors that play into the equation.

Light and Ventilation Requirements

One crucial requirement is that habitable spaces need to be provided with a minimum amount of light and ventilation. Oddly, pre-air-conditioning-era office buildings are potentially better suited to office-to-housing transformation. Their size and configuration were dictated by the necessity to provide offices with light and ventilation. When air-conditioning and fluorescent lighting became characteristic features of the office environment, the narrow, rectangular footprint of the typical office building — and its U-, L-, C, and E-wing variations — could expand to larger floor plates filled with rows of offices that no longer needed a window close by. That is when things got complicated for the office-to-housing transformation. The distance from the center of the building to an exterior wall is often so great — even when the center is formed by a circulation and utility core  — that it is impossible to create an effective layout where all the units have windows.

Adding to this problem is the type of building envelope. The interiors of modern office buildings are, for the most part, sealed behind curtain walls. To comply with the light and ventilation rule required in residential buildings, the entire glass skin needs to be replaced with a system that incorporates operable windows.

Structure Lofts

The Structure Lofts by H2 | Hawkins + Hawkins Architects, Inc. San Diego, California | Image by Brent Haywood.

Other factors, including the configuration of the structural grid and the window location, impact the viability of office-to-housing conversion projects and dictate the layout and size of the rooms in new apartments. Above, the Hawkins + Hawkins Architcts‘ office building-turned-apartment complex shows the typical floor plan for all levels above the ground floor with units around a circulation and storage central core. The open plan of all the units allows for natural light to reach every corner.

The design reimagines a four-story, modern office building that served as San Diego’s Blood Bank for nearly 40 years. Offering panoramic views of the city skyline, a central park and a bay, the building inspired the conversion to loft apartments. The goal was to create expansive, energy-efficient living units through adaptive reuse while preserving a landmark. The interior structural elements such as the concrete floors and coffered ceilings, were exposed to create a clean, industrial look. Single-glazed windows were replaced with energy-efficient, dual-glazed, floor-to-ceiling vinyl windows; and new, energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems were installed.

8899 Beverly Boulevard

The International Design Center, originally designed by Richard Dorman in 1964 (left) and 8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Image by Joe Fletcher (right).

Olson Kundig's office to housing tower conversion

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California| Images by Joe Fletcher.

Here is another office-to-housing redevelopment example. The International Design Center, originally designed by Richard Dorman in 1964, is located in today’s heart of West Hollywood’s vibrant arts and design district in Los Angeles. Olson Kundig‘s redevelopment design maintains the building’s original integrity while transitioning its function to a 48-unit luxury condo complex.New additions are set back from the structure to acknowledge the building’s form. The upper levels contain a mixture of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units, fifteen of which are designated market rate. Private amenities on the lower level include a residential lobby, fitness room and an adjacent pool area. The building’s new design highlights indoor-outdoor connections through a generous use of glass while maintaining the building’s original concrete balconies. The updated façade incorporates a shutter system to control shade and privacy. Roof terraces on the new penthouse level extend livable areas outdoors, opening to views of West Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills beyond.

Are Large Office Buildings Doomed?

8899-Penthouse

8899 Beverly Boulevard by Olson Kundig, Los Angeles, California | Images by Joe Fletcher.

The way office buildings are designed factors in the suitability for office-to-housing transformation, and for now, large office buildings offer a hornet nest of unsolvable technical difficulties after factoring in cost, profitability and physical limitations. The amendment of local zoning and building regulations is critical to facilitate the redevelopment of offices into homes. In the most extravagant — and extraordinarily expensive — cases, developers can allow their imagination to run wild: carve out portions of a building to create outdoor terraces that bring light and air into otherwise windowless apartments or blow up holes in the floor plates to run lightwells. Mix-use occupancy could be an option worth exploring. In this case, fire separation and exits would be challenging issues that would need to be addressed.

Office-to-housing redevelopment costs can be exorbitant, and most certainly, such projects would only be viable when offered as luxury apartment buildings. At this rate, the office-to-housing redevelopment projects will probably have little positive impact on the housing shortage, at least for now. Code relaxation and economic incentives to allow these conversions to take off are urgently needed.

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

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

Stop the Presses: Can Adapting an Abandoned Newspaper Facility Revitalize the Suburbs?
CategoriesArchitecture

Stop the Presses: Can Adapting an Abandoned Newspaper Facility Revitalize the Suburbs?

By Zarkon Group,

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

When you think of the American suburbs, what words come to mind? 

No matter how much affection you have for your hometown, one of those words is probably “bleak.” While many millennials, including this author, are still moving out to the suburbs to raise children — a pattern first established by their grandparents in the post-war era — few see these car-centric communities as ideal. The charmless strip malls, the big box stores, the neglected highway medians filled with litter from passing cars — how can one contemplate all this without crying out in despair?  

The question isn’t really if the suburbs are bad but why they are this way. Are the people who live in the suburbs really more boring than the people in cities? Or does the archetypal suburban ambiance of loneliness and fatigue stem instead from poor urban planning? 

Tract housing in a suburb of Cincinatti, Ohio, 2005. Photo by Derek Jensen via Wikimedia Commons. 

My feeling is that it is the latter. Culture happens in places where people have the opportunity to move around, observe each other, and interact. The flâneur, that prototype of the modern artist or bohemian, emerged in mid 19th century Paris at the same time that the arcades were constructed, and this was no coincidence. As Baudelaire understood, the arcades provided the first modern artists with a stage on which to observe la comédie humaine firsthand. He argued that this new way of relating to society produced modern subjectivity as we know it. 

It stands to reason that the suburbs, by removing would-be flâneurs from their stage, sapped their creativity as well. A life that moves from home, to car, to cubicle, to drive-through and back provides few chances for people to observe and interact with one another. Over time, the suburbs have led to an epidemic of loneliness in America — a fact that has been recognized since at least 2000, when political scientist Robert D. Putnam published his best-selling book Bowling Alone.

This trend has only been exacerbated during and after the pandemic, as more Americans have begun not only to work from home, but to have their groceries, entertainment and other consumer goods delivered straight to their doorstep, obviating the need to go outside altogether. This has led to a shuttering of retail spaces in the suburbs, among other changes. Suddenly, people are nostalgic even for those commercialized, “fake” public spaces like the mall that were widely derided in the 90s. 

The Press won the 2023 A+ Jury Award for Commerical Renovations and Additions.

So how to fix it? What the suburbs need, most of all, are places where people can work, shop, wander and simply be. One project that tries to restore some of this urban energy to the suburbs is The Press, a former Los Angeles Times printing facility in Costa Mesa, California that was “reincarnated as a multidisciplinary workspace with a dining Canteen and a public Rail Trail on its 23.4-acre site” by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects. Located in Orange County, California, Costa Mesa is a small city with a decidedly suburban feel, a place where people sit in traffic for twenty minutes to reach the In-N-Out Burger drive through. 

This project, which won the 2023 A+ Jury Award in the Commercial Renovations and Additions category, stands out for seeming like a truly inviting, interesting place to spend time. Not just an office building, and not just a place to shop or eat, The Press avoids the sense of falseness or contrivance that plagues most suburban workspaces and shopping centers. While this is of course a privately owned campus, it feels more public than, for instance, a mall. 

Industrial details elevate The Press above most commercial spaces one finds in the American suburbs.

Part of this is due to the sense of history that is preserved in the space. As the architects explain in their project notes, “precise cuts through precast concrete walls and roofing bring in fresh air, daylight and views. This subtraction exposes the beauty of the existing, reviving what has since been neglected and inviting the landscape to enter in through and around the campus.” Like a repurposed Bushwick warehouse, or even a Parisian arcade, The Press preserves a sense of place that pushes against the anonymity of “cookie cutter” suburbs. 

Some of the details in this project are just extraordinary. As the architects explain, “The design celebrates both material and organic markers of time. Paint chips, rail spurs and conveyor belts are left as is and an existing tree is placed to grow through the structure itself — hinting at history, site and context.” My favorite detail is probably the rail trail, a partly shaded walking path that follows the course of a former rail line. Like the now iconic New York High Line, the Rail Trail repurposes outdated infrastructure in a way that both feels perfectly natural and encourages health and interaction. 

The Rail Trail gives Costa Mesa, California its own version of the High Line. A stunning feature of the project is that its campus extends over 23 acres.

Time will tell how The Press evolves with its environment. Currently, the complex has fifty-five tenants, including a number of incredible artisans and local restaurants. My hope is that, with this project, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects have created a template for a new kind of suburban redevelopment, one that works with existing architecture to imprint the faceless suburbs with a vibrant sense of place. 

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