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5 Ways Architects Can Combat Sterile Stereotypes of Elderly Care Homes
CategoriesArchitecture

5 Ways Architects Can Combat Sterile Stereotypes of Elderly Care Homes

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual A+Awards is officially open for entries! With an Early Entry Deadline of November 4th, 2022, the clock is ticking — get started on your submission today.

As the boomer generation grows old and cultural norms for caring for the elderly shift, retirement homes become increasingly important in our society. When we think of elderly care homes, a sterile and despondent image often comes to mind, one that typically lacks vitality, life and community. Retirement and nursing homes are complex spaces that facilitate a variety of tasks and undertakings. They do not only serve as living spaces; they are medical centers, social domains and spiritual places too. And such multiplex environments have proven to be complex design undertakings.

The architectural field plays an intrinsic role in the betterment of retirement communities. Through careful planning, a deep understanding of the elderly’s needs and a commitment to fostering community, elderly care homes can become places that nurture vibrant lifestyles for their aging population.

Encouraging Movement Through Accessible Floor Plans 

St John’s House Nursing Home by FKL architects, Dublin, Ireland, 2021

Physical mobility decreases with age, and it is imperative that elderly homes both limit and encourage movement. There is a fine line between accessible circulation and inaccessible movement, and architects can help encourage movement through well-devised and safe floor plans. The St John’s Nursing Home in Dublin, Ireland is a space that responds to elderly needs.

This renovation completely reconfigured its amenities in order to best serve its residents. The site’s original chapel was located in an inaccessible and non-central spot. The chapel was then relocated from its former position to a central spot that leads onto an external, enclosed structure. Centralizing this place of worship within the home makes for easier movement and as a result, encourages residents to engage in moments of devotion.

St John’s House Nursing Home by FKL architects, Dublin, Ireland, 2021.

At St John’s Nursing Home, a sheltered promenade was created to join the new building with the existing structure. Covered pathways are ideal for elderly residents as they encourage outdoor movement while protecting residents from extreme weather, such as heavy rainfall, which could cause slippery conditions. 

Moreover, herbs, vegetables and fruits were planted in the outdoor gardens, which create active outdoor spaces where residents can engage their senses through scents, textures and taste. The home’s interior design was carefully placed and boasts contrasting colors in order to remain accessible for residents with cognitive impairments. Thus, creating a space for accessible circulation and healthy movement. 

The Hainburg Nursing Home in Austria is another great example of accessible and tactical design. Inside, niches were implemented in front of each resident’s bedroom door, and thus turn the hallways into active spaces for circulation and gathering that are an extension of residents’ rooms. The interior surfaces are demarcated by their materiality: laminate and linoleum and wooden floors. Meanwhile, contrary to the anonymous and bland exteriors that lend a medical air to many nursing homes, this Austrian project is sheathed in a pattern of colored diamond-shaped Eternit-shingles, offering a unique expression of identity for the place that residents call home; which brings me to my next point.

Steering Away from Sterile Environments 

Home for Dependent Elderly People and Nursing Home by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Orbec, France. Photos by Eugeni Pons

Homes for the elderly encompass much more than a simple place to eat and rest. These spaces are typically equipped with large medical teams made up of doctors and nurses. More often than not, a pragmatic reality takes precedence over design creativity and as a result, sterile spaces are erected. 

However, there are ways to ensure that a caregiver’s work can be performed without a hitch while creating inviting and dynamic spaces. The simplest way to do so is through color. The Home for Dependent Eledery People and Nursing Home in Orbec, France chose unconventional colors for its design. The interior hallways are painted with a bright red and crisp white color, steering away from conventional medical palettes. Even the exterior’s green façade makes for an inviting space and connects the center to the surrounding landscape.

St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment by Nomade Architectes, Saint-Brieuc, France | Photo by Mathieu Ducros

This bold use of color can be seen in additional homes, including the St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment in France, which boasts a colorful interior and exterior purposefully done to energize the space. The design respects the area’s residential nature by breaking the program into nine small blocks and borrowing traditional architectural codes, such as double-pitched roof. The array of materials and color further differentiate units of the housing, reinforcing a sense of individuality for the residents in the community.

Encouraging Autonomy Through Separated Public and Private Spaces 

Indeed, balancing autonomy and independence can be a challenge when designing an old folk’s home, especially when most residents require assistance from staff. Separating public and private spaces in order to encourage independence — while not compromising community and efficient care — is key. The Old People’s and Nursing Home in Rolle, Switzerland finds a perfect balance between public and private spaces. Residents’ bedrooms are located on the upper floors while the main level is reserved for communal areas. Additional common spaces are added to upper floors, which encourages private gatherings and therefore, allow residents to socialize on their own terms. 

Old People’s and Nursing Home, Rolle by PIERRE-ALAIN DUPRAZ ARCHITECTE ETS FAS, Rolle, Switzerland, 2015.

Hospitality-Based Design

Some designers have approached the architecture of a senior’s home similarly to that of a hospitality space. The Nursing Home in Sceaux was informed by hotel designs and mimics a similar aesthetic through its thematic spaces. This home has three pronounced gardens, all of which boast a unique theme and create exploratory spaces for residents to discover.

Dining, lounging and media rooms are all separated to further encourage movement and exploration — just like one would in a hotel. Moreover, the entire façade is wrapped by wooden logs which create an enclosed passageway and provides an environment completely atypical of a nursing home but still safe for the elderly. 

Nursing Home in Sceaux by Philippe Dubus Architectes, Sceaux, France, 2013.

Hospitality-influenced design is equally see at the St Brieuc’s Eldery Establishment (mentioned earlier in this article) which has an in-house hair salon and delineated family reception area. These sorts of hospitality-focused spaces bridge the gap between the home and the outside world by providing a sense of ‘normal’ living. Residents can engage in mundane tasks such as visiting the hairdresser and hosting family. 

Improved Areas for Staff and Caregivers 

As important as it is to consider the residents’ needs when designing spaces for the elderly, it is equally paramount to take into consideration the very people that make these spaces possible — the staff. Caregivers have arguably one of the most challenging jobs and it is critical they are well-considered when designing nursing homes and retirement residences. Delineating clear environments where staff can perform their work, as well as look after themselves, help create an environment ideal for growing old.

Architizer is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual A+Awards is officially open for entries! With an Early Entry Deadline of November 4th, 2022, the clock is ticking — get started on your submission today.

Reference

Construction Is Underway on the First Multi-Story 3D-Printed House in the United States
CategoriesArchitecture

Construction Is Underway on the First Multi-Story 3D-Printed House in the United States

By Zarkon Group,

 How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!

Construction has began on the first two-story 3D-printed structure in the United States. Located in Houston, the 4000-square-foot home will soon become one of the world’s largest and tallest printed buildings, showcasing the rapidly expanding possibilities of 3D printing technology and mass customization in the field of architecture.

The project caps off a two-year collaborative effort between HANNAH, an experimental design firm and research studio based in Ithaca, PERI 3D, an international 3D construction printing provider, and CIVE, the leading engineering service and general contractor in Houston. The design uses a hybridized construction method that will combine printed concrete modules with wood framing, making it one of the first 3D printed to use wood and concrete in an integrative manner.

Spearheaded by Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, assistant professors at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University and principals at HANNAH, the project began with the objective of developing a 3D printed construction system that could be scalable and applicable for multi-family housing the future — not an easy feat given the additional structural challenges when printing beyond a single story. As such, Lok explains that it was necessary to develop the design in relationship to the material and construction process.

“Every aspect of the project, from the overall spatial configuration to the scale architectural detailing — such as how we create shelving and openings — was informed by the unique fabrication logic of 3D printed concrete,” Lok said. “With the structural engineering expertise from CIVE and the extensive printing knowledge of PERI 3D, we were able to develop an approach to 3D print the second story.”

Once completed, the project will alternate between concrete modules and glazed wooden frames; rendering by HANNAH

Though a handful of 3D printed multi-story projects have been built abroad, mostly in Europe, HANNAH’s design stands out for its adaptation to the American construction culture of wood framing. Whereas the use of precast concrete components for floors and ceilings has long been a European norm, wood framing as a construction technique is much more prevalent in North America, though their integration in 3D printed construction has so far been limited. In response to this, HANNAH sought to create a design that would be more easily applicable to the U.S. market. The final result is a house that alternates between wood and printed concrete volumes, a strategy that combines the best of both materials, the pair explain.

“What is unique about our modular design is that the printed concrete and the wood framing work hand in hand and we use them where they’re best performing,” Zivkovic said. “It’s not about printing concrete everywhere because you could, but where it makes sense.”

Photos by Anthony Vu via HANNAH

In part, the project is showcasing the usefulness of 3D printing for the future construction industry. The modular 3D printer — a COBOD BOD2 gantry printer — takes only one day to set up, and the printing can run 24/7. Although a handful of people are still needed on the worksite to supervise the machine, the printer does virtually all the heavy lifting.

Achieving the right printing mixture for the concrete was one challenge that necessitated the help of other industry partners. The PERI 3D printing team worked with engineers at Quikrete, a manufacturer of packed concrete, to achieve improved printability for their new generation of printing mixture at the specific site in Houston. The team conducted test prints on site earlier this summer to dial in the various printing parameters.

Designing the 3D printed house was another demanding part of the project, since unlike (human) contractors, 3D printing machines don’t read architectural plans but lines of code. The architects at HANNAH used special software to manually design the path that the printing machine uses to pour one continuous line of concrete for the new house; a meticulous process known as the ‘toolpath’ that equally comprises structural and aesthetic considerations, leaving no room for error.

Far from letting this complex process limit their design, HANNAH used the printing toolpath as an opportunity to push the design possibilities of 3D-printed structures. The repeated use of incremental cantilevers within the concrete modules serves as an architectural motif that is both ornamental and functional. Paired with the distinct horizontal layers of printed concrete, HANNAH creates a bold stylistic statement about 3D printed architecture; hinting at the opportunities of new design language for printed projects.

More broadly, the project is offering a glimpse of a future where 3D printing could become a major force in the construction industry; where automated construction could address a variety of pressing issues, from alleviating workforce shortages to constructing affordable housing. Still, much work lies ahead. For this project, the team hope to use the project as a learning opportunity to streamline the construction process, as well as to optimize material usage and cost for 3D printing buildings — all necessary steps that need to be undertaken if 3D printed architecture is to attain newer heights.

 How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!

 

Reference

An app helps to capture family stories
CategoriesSustainable News

An app helps to capture family stories

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Stories have always been a part of human culture, but the way we interact with them has changed dramatically in recent years. With the advent of social media, we now consume stories more passively than ever before, scrolling through photos and videos without really connecting with the people behind them. Startup Remento is working to change that. Its storytelling platform encourages users to share personal stories and connect with loved ones on a deeper level. 

The app provides conversation prompts to inspire the sharing of stories from every member of the family. The prompts include questions about a grandparent’s childhood home, to the context of images from wedding photos. The prompts are then selected and customised on the app, after which family conversations can be recorded. An interactive playback allows users to showcase stories from these sessions. These can then be shared and reminisced about at a later time.

The company’s co-founder and CEO Charlie Greene came up with the idea for Remento after recording various interviews with his mother after she was diagnosed with cancer. “The conversations our family recorded after we learned my mother had cancer changed our relationship forever. As she reflected on photos and answered questions about her early years for her grandchildren to one day watch, I learned more about her life than I ever could have imagined,” she explained.

Social media continues to change, and so is the way we interact with it – with growing concerns about its impact on our mental health and relationships. Springwise has spotted several related innovations including social media tools that help the public assess viral posts, and an app teaching people to trust the news again. 

Written By: Katrina Lane

Reference

NEOM: Will the Multi-Billion Dollar Mega-City Ever Come to Life? 
CategoriesArchitecture

NEOM: Will the Multi-Billion Dollar Mega-City Ever Come to Life? 

By Zarkon Group,

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!

Load the landing page for NEOM, and you’ll be met with a highly polished promo video of a young woman flying unsupported through a cityscape of towering buildings, flowing waterways and a lush abundance of mature plant life on every façade and elevated walkway. Having been dubbed the next step in humanity’s evolution, it is no surprise that about $500 billion worth of funding has already been poured into developing the online presence of the new city-state NEOM. While the marketing team at NEOM isn’t quite suggesting they can give you the powers of personal flight, they’re not far off.

The ultra glossy website unabashedly announces New Wonders for The World, where exceptional renders, CGI video content and bold statements appear to be the only way to communicate. “A destination like no other on earth” that runs on “100% renewable energy” and is built upon “an unspoilt virgin landscape.” The development claims to set new global standards in “architectural excellence,” “regenerative wellness programs,” “transformative experiences,” “premium luxury,” “protected heritage sites,” “thriving wildlife reserves,” “advanced technology observatory,” and “exclusive hotel, residences and events.” On the surface, it all sounds quite promising. Yet beneath the uplifting music, fantastical visualizations and extortionate production budgets, there are grounds for skepticism surrounding the world’s newest mega-city.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, also known as MBS, announced the proposal for his city at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 24, 2017. His aim, he said, is to help drive Saudi away from its dependency on finance from the crude oil industry, which has historically been the country’s largest export but is undoubtedly playing a part in the climate change that is adversely affecting areas across the Middle East. 

Born from two words, “Neo,” the Ancient Greek for “New” and “M” from Mustaqbal, the Arabic for “Future,” on its completion NEOM is estimated to cover an area that is roughly the size of Belgium in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia. MBS defines NEOM as a revolution that will transform Saudi Arabia’s economy and serve as a testbed for technologies that will change lives — not just the people of Saudi, but everyone in the world. According to the ruler, the city will attract foreign investment and diversify the country by attracting global industry, tourism and shipping alongside groundbreaking technology all based in the under-utilized desert.

Significant parts of the project were initially set to be completed by 2020, with a further expansion completed by 2025. But, five years into its development, the project is severely behind schedule and facing further issues at every junction.

While the dominant narrative is that NEOM is being built on “virgin, untouched land,” the area is actually part of the Red Sea coastline, which has long been one of Saudi Arabia’s most neglected territories. There are indeed several towns that exist there. Many of its people are part of a nomadic tribe known as the Huwaitat, who are now settled in the region where Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt meet. There was no place for them in the plans for NEOM, and in early 2020 thousands of people were told that they would be evicted. Unsurprisingly, efforts to relocate the indigenous residents have been turbulent.

While the forceful removal of indigenous people may to many seem a huge roadblock, it is just the tip of the iceberg insofar as the project is predicated on the use of advanced technology that does not currently exist. We’re talking artificial moons, a robot workforce, glow-in-the-dark beaches and flying cars as just some of the examples of what has been envisioned by the sci-fi enthusiast prince. 

In January 2021, MBS introduced NEOM’s most far-fetched component yet, a “civilizational revolution” called THE LINE: a linear city 170 kilometers long that is claimed will generate zero carbon emissions. The 200-meter-wide walled city seeks to host one million residents that would occupy a car-free surface layer sandwiched between two mirrored walls that slice through the desert landscape. The unique city promises to house all essential amenities less than a five-minute walk away for each of its residents. While extensive utility corridors and high-speed trains will be hidden underground along with infrastructure for moving freight. A swimmable waterway as an alternative to roads has also been proposed.

However, once again, despite the surface proposal appearing as innovative, on deeper inspection, it is estimated that the construction of the eco-city of the future would produce upwards of 1.8 billion tonnes of embodied carbon dioxide, equivalent to more than four years of the UK’s total emissions. Many critics suggest that this would counteract much of the proposed green initiatives.

An additional concern surrounding THE LINE is the suggestion that with the help of artificial intelligence, NEOM plans to use data as a currency for facilities such as power, waste, water, healthcare, transport and security. Officials revealed that data would also be collected from the residents’ smartphones, homes, facial recognition cameras and multiple other sensors throughout the city, claiming that this information will be used to help the more efficiently improve the lives of its inhabitants. Meanwhile, critics of the project suggest that Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record and current use of espionage and surveillance technology for spying on its citizens is a significant and worrying problem that would essentially create a surveillance state in turn limiting the number of people who would want to reside there.

 

Nonetheless, seeing a rare chance to shape a metropolis from the ground up has drawn many architects and designers into the folds of NEOM with an opportunity to test futuristic concepts and challenge the typical parameters of urban design. This is not to mention the immense pay packages offered to experts in the field, which are often upwards of $700,000, with many additional benefits added to sweeten the deal.

Despite this, the area known as TROJENA has shown money isn’t everything. Andrew Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, was hired to work on an extensive proposal for the project: a ski resort in the desert. In reality, the idea is slightly less absurd than it sounds, the mountainous area temperatures are regularly below freezing, and the area sits at roughly 10 degrees lower than the rest of the development. But upon starting work, much like reports for THE LINE, Wirth soon grew alarmed by the project’s environmental implications. The resort plans call for an artificial lake, which requires blowing up large portions of the landscape. During their initial works, the company claimed it couldn’t even estimate the build cost and that the fantasy and reality were intertwined in an utterly unachievable way. In a move many others have since replicated, the company resigned in August 2020, a mere five months into the job.

The latest proposal on the list for MBS’s mega city is the water-bound OXAGON. The industrial city is planned to support NEOM with a vast octagon-shaped city built partly on pontoon-like structures in the Red Sea. On its completion, it would be the largest floating structure in the world. Outlined to be a place where people, industries, and technology come together, focusing on state-of-the-art industry and the circular economy. The plans include factories for the design, development and manufacture of the products of the future where according to the website “innovators and entrepreneurs can accelerate ideas from labs to market,” and it will be “a city where people come together to live, work and play – in thriving communities.” With an aim to be called home by 900,00 people who will live alongside a fully automated port that will offer central connectivity to global markets physically and digitally. Neom’s chief executive, Nadhmi al-Nasr, has said the port city would “welcome its first manufacturing tenants at the beginning of 2022”. However, earlier this year, satellite images of the desert expanse show little more than rows of staff housing.

So far, the chaotic trajectory of NEOM suggests that MBS’s urban dream may never be delivered. Yet, as we speak, NEOM staff continue to work to deliver THE LINE and TROJENA. Early construction has started on the mountain resort requiring the removal of more than 20 million tons of rock—three times the weight of Hoover Dam. At OXAGON, workers dig the foundations of a hydrogen plant while an almost finished data center is said to be near completion. Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, claims even NEOM’s legal and political framework is coming to a conclusion. An entity called the NEOM Authority will govern the region with its head appointed by the Saudi king — almost certainly MBS, once he succeeds his 86-year-old father, King Salman. 

To NEOM’s backers, the hypermodern city is a bold initiative, not a ridiculous one, that sets a high bar for imagining what the future of cities should look like. On the other hand, many critics continue to ask if MBS’s utopian vision is simply that — a vision and an unrealistic dream that will never be realized. Is NEOM the ambition of a man with a slight god complex and unending stream of financial faculty that can’t take no for an answer? Or the future of humanity?  

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’re pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. We’re hosting daily virtual talks from September 12th to 30th, which are 100% free to attend.  Check out the full schedule!



Reference

Architectural Pilgrimage: Trace Millennia of Architettura Innovativa Across the Italian Landscape
CategoriesArchitecture

Architectural Pilgrimage: Trace Millennia of Architettura Innovativa Across the Italian Landscape

By Zarkon Group,

Browse the Architizer Jobs Board and apply for architecture and design positions at some of the world’s best firms. Click here to sign up for our Jobs Newsletter. 

With over sixty million visitors annually, Italy is the third most visited country in the European Union, and there is no surprise why. With pronounced coastlines, culture, food and architecture, Italy is the perfect destination for those hoping to unwind near the Mediterranean sea, hike the Italian Alps or explore a bustling city. It proudly holds the world’s most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country, with a total of fifty-eight wonders to visit.

The romanticized Italian culture also makes this country a highly desired tourist destination. The mannerisms, the music, the family focus, the constant aperitivos and, of course, the food make Italian culture highly idealized worldwide. Tourists are desperate to get a taste for themselves and embody this passionate culture for a brief moment; they come from far and wide not only for the cuisine but for the architecture. The country is home to an abundance of architectural styles that date over three thousand centuries. From remnants of the Etruscan and Ancient Roman civilizations, Gothic and Renaissance masterpieces to today’s contemporary marvels, there are a plethora of sites worth visiting trip after trip.

Storia e Architettura 

A1 House by VPS Architetti, Tuscany, Italy

One of the most common associations with Italian design is the Mediterranean villa. Historically these spaces were intended as country homes for upper-class families and date back to the Ancient Roman period. Today we see a plethora of lavish villas all throughout Europe. Some are modern and filled with 21st-century luxuries, while others are more carefully connected to tradition and Italian history.

Take A1 house by VPS architetti for example. Located in a medieval hamlet and renovated in 2006, the original edifice dates back to the 1500s and has undergone many transformations over the centuries. An important feature of the quintessential villa is a pronounced and expansive outdoor space. In keeping with the tradition of green spaces, the garden was designed around the site’s centuries-old pear tree. The lush grass and simple shrubbery contrast the villa’s brick façade which is flanked by newer and older shuttered windows.

A1 House by VPS Architetti, Tuscany, Italy

Inside the home, the design team worked to create spatial continuity by eliminating the many incoherent elements from past renovations. A pronounced, double-height entry greets visitors into the home and works to bring in natural light. Simple white walls and earth-toned materials decorate the interior space and compliment the home’s historic elements. The kitchen area balances old and new with quality appliances worked into original stonework. The home is unadorned and lets the historic bones speak for themselves. A1 House is a true emblem of the perfectly restored villa.

Cibo

Connecting through food is intrinsic to Italian culture. Touring around the country provides an incredible opportunity to experience and taste regional delicacies and cuisine. Whether in the north or south, the traditional dishes vary and will certainly not disappoint. 

Taglio by rgastudio, Milan, Italy

In Milan for example, tourists will experience the region’s meat-heavy cuisine, with dishes like ossobuco and cotoletta. Located in Milan’s bustling Navigli canal district is Taglio, a multifunctional hospitality space housing a restaurant, bar, cafe and small food shop. Designed by rgastudio, Taglio sits on the ground floor of a block of traditional Milanese flats and serves the local neighborhood as well as visiting tourists. The space is bustling from day to night as it serves an array of customers and dining patrons. Whether it be enjoying a quick espresso or dining with gourmet food and wine, Taglio provides numerous culinary services. 

Taglio by rgastudio, Milan, Italy

The interior plasterwork was removed to reveal the old brick and structural components, giving it an industrial and honest aesthetic. Divided into two sections, the first room houses the shop, cafe and part of the restaurant. While the second room boasts an open-plan kitchen visible to guests via a grand archway, thus providing a space where tourists can dine and watch the Italian chefs hard at work.

Geografia e Vino

Italy’s rich geography is a marvel to explore in and of itself. Whether it be the Alps in the north, the hilly central region, or the scattered volcanic islands in the south, the rich topography has given rise to wonderous architectural gems.

Winery on the Slope of Mount Etna by Vid’a Group, Castiglione di Sicilia, Italy

The island of Sicily is home to six volcanoes. Architects have learned to build and design around challenging topographical and environmental conditions, and in Sicily, respecting the local vernacular ensures a pronounced and secure structure. The Winery on the Slope of Mount Etna is an exceptional space to drink incredible Italian wine and marvel over this architectural achievement. Located in Castiglione di Sicilia, Italy, this architectural feat is thanks to design firm Vid’a Group. The challenge of building this winery was the land, which posed difficulties surrounding the active volcano, lava flow, and pietraie – dry stones which divide the territory.

Winery on the Slope of Mount Etna by Vid’a Group, Castiglione di Sicilia, Italy

The winery is located on a flat clearing surrounded by fertile soil and lava flow. The main building is made of quarry lava rock which ensures a secure structure and adheres to local building traditions. The primary structure takes the form of a monolith and directs visitors toward the cone of the volcano.

Architettura Innovativa

Italy’s mountainous region offers an abundance of resorts and outdoor attractions where visitors can ski and profit from the mountain air. Now, imagine sipping a glass of chianti amongst the clouds.

Hubertus Skypool by noa* network of architecture, Mitterolang, Italy, Photos by Alex Filz

The Hotel Hubertus located in Valdaora underwent an incredible renovation to include new suites, enhanced guest spaces and most notably a 25-meter sky pool. The Hubertus Skypool was developed by noa* network of architecture with the intention of connecting old and new.

Hubertus Skypool by noa* network of architecture, Mitterolang, Italy, Photos by Alex Filz

The pool is cantilevered overlooking the mountain range and sits between the old and new hotel wings. The pool appears like a floating rock with a glass front and glazed window floor. The sensation feels like somewhere between heaven and earth and truly is a breathtaking architectural accomplishment.

 

Reference

100 Photos That Tell Powerful Stories About Architecture in 2022
CategoriesArchitecture

100 Photos That Tell Powerful Stories About Architecture in 2022

By Zarkon Group,

One of the most exciting moments of Architizer’s year is upon us again — we are thrilled to reveal the 100 amazing Finalists for the 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge, architecture’s biggest photography competition! Including unique architectural images from around the world, this year’s vibrant exhibition is full of unusual perspectives and bold juxtapositions of form and void. Each photograph tells its own unique story about buildings, people and our world in 2022, demonstrating how architecture can be viewed as a landscape, an artwork, a stage, a refuge and a home.

The final judging process is officially underway, with our stellar line up of expert jurors reviewing each image in minute detail and reading the stories behind them. They will be judging the photographs based on the competition criteria to come up with their top entries. The jurors’ rankings will be converted into scores, which will then give us our two Top Winners and 10 Runners-up.

The 2 Top Winners — 1 student and 1 non-student — will win themselves $2,500, an exclusive interview with Architizer Editors about their image, and a spot on next season’s prestigious competition jury! If this sounds like a challenge you’d like to have a go at, you can register for next season’s One Photo Challenge by signing up here.

Without further ado, explore the 100 Finalists below (published across 4 posts and in no particular order), accompanied by their stories, written by the entrants. Tell us which is your favorite on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #OnePhotoChallenge! Below, “Part 1” presents the first 25 architectural photographs — you can jump to parts 2, 3 and 4 using these buttons:

Part 2     Part 3     Part 4

“Family” by Jeff Durkin

Breadtruck Films

“This was taken at the University of California San Diego’s world famous Geisel library by William Pereira. This was taken on a hot summer day when school is out and the campus becomes a playground for families and children in the area of La Jolla. I’ve spent many days at this library, but this day was special because many families where on campus to see the “Cat in the Hat” statue that is just out of frame.

Theodore Geisel a.k.a. children’s book author Dr. Seuss had lived in the area and his wife had donated his work and trust to the library, in his honor, so it’s a big place for kids. I snapped several photos that day, but this family in primary colors captivated by the inverted pyramid represents and idealistic childhood in the mid-century.”

Camera: Canon

“Urban Mountains” by Katharina Klopfer

“When walking through downtown I am constantly fascinated by highrise buildings and the impact they leave on us. Do we feel small and overwhelmed by this kind of architecture? Or is it similar to what we feel when we climb mountains or get lost in dark valleys? We certainly do enjoy the view when we reach the peak or rooftop. This urban landscape seems to be a reinterpretion of the white-top mountains that surround us and can be spotted vaguely in the distance.

While I was watching the facade workers doing their job the image of an alpine scenery was recalled. An urban mountain landscape waiting to be conquered by humans. Mysterious, frightening, but also loved. Excactly like pristine nature appears to us.”

Camera: Fujifilm SLR

“POPCourts!” by Shelby Kroeger, Alan Barker, Max Komnenich, Anezka Gocova, Vanessa Stokes & Missy Perkins

Lamar Johnson Collaborative

“POPCourts!, a 7,000 SF community plaza in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, was born from the pandemic and civil unrest and developed in concert with Mayor Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West initiative. The goal was to provide a safe community space that residents could enjoy outdoors during the pandemic while also creating a visible presence along Chicago Avenue.

The entire design team transformed this empty city lot into three-zone “Courts,” each serving a variety of community functions, allowing activities to “Pop” up and transform over time. The basketball court doubles as a community plaza. The gravel drive hosts food trucks, farmer’s markets, and other seasonal vendors, and the shaded lawn functions as a Food Court with casual seating. Local artists painted murals on the adjacent building walls, depicting figures such as Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and Maya Angelou.”

Camera: Canon

“‘Undersea Adventure’ on the Roof of Opus” by Wujingting Zeng

Politecnico di Milano

“One morning, I looked up at Zaha’s Opus and saw workers scrubbing the roof of the atrium. Then I walked to the top floor of the atrium and took this photo under the feet of the workers.

The sky bridge blocks the sun, and people lose the reference to identify themselves as on land.The glass makes the outside world a blue like the under the sea . The curved building shape makes people feel like they are at the bottom of a coral reef. “Divers“ are holding ”probes“ to find the lost treasures. Falling water droplets became the bubbles they exhaled.

In a city like Dubai, where the desert meets the ocean, the workers who clean the dust from the desert look like divers under the sea in the contrast of the building, which endows the picture with a mysterious poetry.”

Camera: Other

“Here’s looking at you, kid!” by Paul Ott

paul ott photografiert

“This image is my photographic translation of a space-dissolving surface design of a stairwell interior. Its design is part of the conversion of a bourgeois house from the 1900 into an apartment building.

The woman’s steady gaze questions the observer: What is the substance of this image? Is it real or imaginary?

“Here’s looking at you, kid!” – Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca.”

Camera: Hasselblad 500 C/M

“Steps” by Manuel Mergal

“The “steps” are of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The hard shadows on the photo serve to decontextualize it, thereby engaging the viewer with what he or she has in front as a photo itself, and not necessarily the fact that it is recognizable as the National Gallery of Art in DC. The sharp divide between the left and the right is a comment on the human condition: the decision that we are all confronted with and the fact that it is only in the light of knowledge (light which produces the hard shadows) that we see the right choice.”

Camera: iPhone

“Self-revealing.” by 易暹 李

YHLAA

“This is a chamber for yoga master to give lecture and practice.
The design concept is to build a cave for the master to hide himself from the noisy world.
It is hidden in the busiest area in Taipei City.
Outside the chamber is extremely busy and loud, but inside is totally different.
This place gives people a huge sense of tranquility, Where people can discover themself via yoga training.”

Camera: Sony

“Fountain of Youth” by Sean Wolanyk

McGill University

“Walking through the streets of Chefchaouen, one notices the distinct lack of authentic life. With vendors catering to groups of tourists, finding people genuinely living their lives is a rare sight.

However, upon turning around a corner, I saw a young girl sitting on the edge of a water fountain, filling a small bottle. I was fascinated by this sight, as not only was it a resident living their life, but a child on her own in the street. This seems distinctly foreign to me, having grown up in suburban North America. Perhaps this is an example of bad parenting, but maybe it is emblematic of an older way of life that has died in my world, but lives on here in Morocco.”

Camera: Canon

“Reflect” by Kim Smith

Kim Smith Photo

“In one still moment, our viewer inhabits the past, present and multiple futures. From her perch, she feels the power of the timeless.

Set in the context of bustling, time-worn Manhattan, our viewer reflects – literally and figuratively. Amongst iconic architecture of a classic era, she discovers the present moment. Comfortable, curious and captured, her future lies unwritten among infinite reflections.”

Camera: Fujifilm SLR

“Reflektor” by Adrian Aguilar H

“The cultural center Teotitlan Del Valle in Oaxaca Mexico, is a cultural center located in a community where the main income is art crafted textiles, this center not only allows small artisans to show and promote their work, the center also hosts various artistic activities for the development of young people, these activities are: music, painting, dance and theater.

The stairs that can be seen in the photograph, are the connection between 2 important levels that communicate to a main square where the artisans are located and the second level connects to the halls to practice the cultural activities, this portal is the daily crossroads of the community. The photo wants to reflect the important connection between the economic development of the community and the importance of cultural and artistic development in the society. The architecture becomes protagonist and spectator of the development of a community proud of its roots.”

Camera: iPhone

“Solitude” by Robin Quarrelle

Robin Quarrelle Photography

“Early 2022, when the Omicron Covid variant was ripping through the UK, it was hard to find a safe place where one could find comfort away from home. This is Clifton Cathedral, in Bristol, UK. A building i’ve walked past many times without realising what an architectural treasure the interior was. I’m not a religious man, but I do find these spaces incredibly peaceful. I was alone for an hour whilst taking some pictures of this space, except for a short few minutes when a student popped her head in to seek some peace, solitude, and perhaps comfort during an unsettling and difficult time for the country.”

Camera: Sony

“A Glimpse of Heaven” by Jean Claude Ardila

Jean Claude Photography

“This image was taken at the Tampa Museum of Art. There is an opening on the building guiding your eyes towards the sky. I laid there with my camera on my face to avoid shake and trying to capture the best angle using the lines in the structure towards the clouds. I noticed there were paragliders in the area and I waited patiently for one to appear in my frame. I am glad I did.”

Camera: Sony

“Arachnophobia” by Tiffany Liem

Brookfield Properties

“Suspended 40ft in the air, a woman floats on a web-like net.

The scale of the human form to the net equates to a spider and its web. The artist, Tomás Saraceno, transports the user to a sensory experience in which we become the arachnid. The sun-like sphere fades into black and we are transported to a universe where we feel every vibration of the web and our ears consume all of the frequencies echoing in the darkness.

It’s a subtle reminder of how small and isolating we can feel in a vast and expanding universe.

Photo from Tomás Saraceno’s exhibition Particular Matter(s): Free the Air: How to hear the universe in a spider/web exhibited at The Shed.”

Camera: iPhone

“Art Jameel” by Shoayb Khattab

Shoayb Khattab Photography

“My intention from this project was to reduce the minimalist architecture design of Jameel Arts Centre to a single frame and presents its white façade and clean lines in the simplest way possible. What made the capture more interesting is the passing mechanical guy which was a happy accident that contributed a human element to the otherwise too pure of a picture.”

Camera: Canon

“Fun in the Sun” by Daniel Francis

Dan Francis Photography

“In the year 2020, the world as we knew it changed.

Adults who spent hours at the office are now finding themselves at home a lot more than usual.

Work and home life has merged. The new addition of the house for this active family was completed in 2021 to bring some relaxation and to enjoy the outdoors with the ones that matter most.

The exterior finish of the home was a technique called Shou Sugi Ban and the deck brought the goal to have the backyard be an extension to their home.”

Camera: Canon

“Cadets” by Brad Feinknopf

feinknopf

“We had been hired by Ikon 5 to photograph Bastin Hall at The Citadel. The Citadel is a U.S. Military College in Charleston, SC. Bastin Hall had a beautiful screen that allowed dappled light into the atrium. It also created a beautiful backdrop for the Cadets heading to and from drills. This is a brief moment of relaxation on the way to drills in a rather structured environment.”

Camera: Canon

“Dancers” by Brad Feinknopf

feinknopf

“We were hired to shoot the new Cincinnati Ballet’s new home. If the lobby is a ceiling cut, people can look up into the studios above. A beautiful window into their great artistry.”

Camera: Canon

“Kites” by Lim yu heng

“This photograph was taken at the plaza of Kanagawa Institute of Technology in Japan designed by Ishigami Junya.

The photograph is titled Kites as the square openings on the thin metal roof distorts when viewed from above. At different seasons of the year, the metal roof expands and contracts according to the changing temperature. Thus, different shadows are casted on the plaza space below.

I intently waited until a passerby walk by underneath the roof in order to give the audience a notion of the sense of human scale as well as the feeling of vastness through architecture.

The negative white space is used as a metaphorical reference to the sky and the openings to be the kites floating in the wind. Through this expression, the photograph intends to evoke a feeling of isolation and to question our existence as mankind and the vastness of the space we inhibit.”

Camera: Sony

“Voyage” by Yin Tse Tseng

“I visited this expressionist Gothic church with vertical and minimal modern aesthetic. I captured a breathtaking moment on the first day of 2022. I experienced serene golden light sprinkling through the aisle while surrounded by pleasant music. To be a moment’s ornament, I am voyaging through the pulse of light.”

Camera: Nikon

“Down the Rabbit Hole” by Melissa Teo

“I stumbled upon Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, designed by Tadao Ando, during my mission to photograph minimalism in Kobe, Japan.

I was drawn to the maze-like staircase at the centre of the museum which connects the basement floor to to the outdoor space. This particular scene reminds me of the author, Lewis Carroll, who introduced the term “Down the rabbit hole” in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

I wanted to photograph the use colors, contrast of the concrete walls, space and natural light which heightens visitors’ curiosity to escape into the designed “rabbit holes” of the museum. It conveys a sense of time spent in transit where one could drift into a reverie.

This invites us to move forward, urging us to keep becoming, as Alice would say, “curiouser and curiouser” and experiencing delight with architecture, in a multi-layered and synergistic fashion.”

Camera: Canon

“The Atlas Building” by Michelle Aarlaht

“The confident Atlas Building being wrapped in by the London clouds. This residential and office tower, by Make Architects, was completed in 2019, and is easily spotted when walking around East London as it is one of the tallest buildings in the area. To watch this bold construction disappear in the clouds was quite a humbling experience, broadening the personality spectrum of the structure – showing for a brief moment that it also has an introverted side – before it fully revealed itself through the clouds again.”

Camera: Canon

“From the inside to the outside in one jump” by Ivo Tavares studio Architectural Photographer

Ivo Tavares Studio

“The pandemic has created a new way for people to relate to their home.
The house is a symbol of security and outside of it we tried to complement it with experiences and being ourselves.
As we spent more time inside our homes, we had to bring these moments of pleasure and fun, and it is here that architecture gained a new perception.

The architecture created by the Frari atelier allowed this family, in a single jump, to connect the security of the interior of the house, to the exterior and to their fun.”

Camera: Canon

“WALKING FOR THE PACHINKO” by Otto Lizst

G+C

“The Botín Center, new art contemporary center in Santander, is made up of two volumes linked by an element made up of steel and glass walkways and stairs whose function is to connect both volumes called Pachunko, which owes its name to a Japanese pinball machine. It is a structure of squares and steel and glass walkways, which is seven meters high and whose function is to connect the east and west volumes, distributing the flow of visitors to the building. In addition, a nine meter long trampoline flies over the cliff, cantilevering over the sea, and allows the public to contemplate the bay in a unique and special way.

With this descriptive work of Renzo Piano’s architecture, I also emphasize the juxtapositions that the building gives off, lightness – solidity, transparency – opacity, minimalist spaces versus cumbersome spaces in their perception, not in their function.”

Camera: Nikon

“waiting time” by Ivo Tavares studio Architectural Photographer

Ivo Tavares Studio

Restaurante 34 em Guimarães com Arquitectura REM’A e fotografias de Ivo Tavares Studio

“After months in confinement caused by covid, many restaurants waited closed for better days, this image represents this moment of anxiety, calm and hope for better days.
Restaurant 34 in Guimarães created by atelier REM’A was inspired by nature and its elements, the image represents that awakening of nature where the morning fog does not allow us to clearly see the past or the future.”

Camera: Canon

“relationships” by Jeff Durkin

Breadtruck Films

“For me architecture is all about relationships. So when when my daughter wanted to do a photoshoot on her birthday when it was raining I cooperated. We grabbed our rain gear and stopped by the new Miller Hull Engineering building at the University of California San Diego’s campus which is across from our house and sat for a few shots with my camera on a timer. I just love the relationship between the primary colors against the monotone concrete framed by the bright green grass below. She turned 7 that day, and we have this stunning photo to remember the moment.”

Camera: Canon

Next 25 Photos →

Reference

Architects Should Stop Using Concrete. Change My Mind.
CategoriesArchitecture

Architects Should Stop Using Concrete. Change My Mind.

By Zarkon Group,

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’ll pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. Launching in September, our three-week-long virtual event will be 100% free to attend. Register here!

Concrete is one of the most widely used substances on Earth, it has been around for centuries and makes up most of our modern-day and past world. It is used to build our roads, our buildings and the many historic monuments we cherish today. Humankind relies on concrete for everything: to build our hospitals, transportation systems and schools. We have greatly benefitted from this material and it is thanks to its relatively straightforward manufacturing process that makes it easy to use on a global scale.

When we think back, some of the most important historic monuments still stand thanks to concrete. Take the Colosseum for example, or Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation, such architectural wonders are owing to concrete.

The Colosseum metro exit, Rome, Italy, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Concrete has played a pronounced role in architectural movements like Brutalism and Futurism and its aesthetic properties have been contested and debated time and time again. When and where concrete was first used is often debated and it typically depends on how one defines the term “concrete.” Although its origins are contested, it is clear that ancient civilizations have combined limestone with water and sand for a very long time. This historic mixing of limestone, water and aggregates can be seen as a precursor to the modern-day cement-making practices we use today.

In 2022, we live in a world dominated by concrete.The Romans were known to use concrete similarly to the way we do today. This ancient civilization built everything with concrete – bathhouses, harbors and important religious structures like the Pantheon. What’s significant about these ancient Roman structures is their ability to have lasted centuries. The lifecycle of modern-day concrete is roughly 100 years, however, there was something about the Roman structures that stood the test of time. Many believe the longevity seen in the structures built by the Romans is thanks to the use of volcanic ash, otherwise known as pozzolana. 

Today, concrete is made by blending Portland cement with water and then mixing the paste with aggregates — typically sand, gravel and crushed stone — which hardens and binds into an incredibly durable substance. Portland cement is a limestone powder developed in the late 19th century and is hugely popular in today’s cement-making industry. Concrete’s unyielding nature mixed with its relatively straightforward construction process has helped it land its name as the most used substance on Earth (after water, of course).

The Pantheon dome, Rome, Italy, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

We are living through the age of concrete, and the time has come for this epoch to draw to a close. The world’s most beloved material is, simply put, detrimental to our planet.

Concrete has kept us sheltered and secure for a long time. Safe from the elements, inside our concrete fortresses unaware of what’s happening outside. We have reached a time in history where concrete is competing — and winning — against the Earth’s fauna. Concrete accounts for around 4-8% of the world’s CO2 emissions and most of that is produced during the manufacturing stage. The concrete industry has tried to divert attention toward the material’s positive capability of capturing CO2, but studies have proven that concrete absorbs a mere 17% of emissions produced, and that’s over its lifecycle of 100 years.

However, it’s not just CO2 emissions that worry scientists: the cement-making process accounts for one 10th of the world’s industrial water consumption. An equally worrying issue is concrete’s impact on natural resources. The cement-making process is draining many natural infrastructures that humans rely upon. For example, the acquisition of sand to make concrete is destroying many of the world’s beaches. The glorified concrete jungle is covering the productive land we rely upon for our very existence.

Unité d’Habitation by Le Corbusier, Marseille, France, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The craze for concrete, excess and grandeur is seen all over the world and is especially pronounced in China. Statistically speaking, China has poured more concrete into its land every three years than the United States has in the past hundred years. Not only is this significant in terms of environmental impact, but it is a costly endeavor for governments to replace and dispose of old concrete.

What can possibly be the solution to replacing the world’s most used substance? There is certainly no clear path to doing so, but there are ways to start. Architects, builders, manufacturers and consumers all carry a responsibility when it comes to making conscious choices that will impact our planet. Rethinking the production process, using alternative materials and conserving existing concrete structures are starting points. Finding alternative construction practices, such as timber-framed buildings, is important areas to explore. However, it is crucial not to replace one ecological issue with another.

The situation is complex, political and far from resolved. Demanding architects, who have been taught to rely upon concrete, to avoid the material altogether will take time. However, we need to start somewhere. 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.

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’ll pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. Launching in September, our three-week-long virtual event will be 100% free to attend. Register here!

Reference

The Future of Architecture: Stylish Home Furnishings With Lighter Ecological Footprints
CategoriesArchitecture

The Future of Architecture: Stylish Home Furnishings With Lighter Ecological Footprints

By Zarkon Group,

 The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Environmental ethics has been increasingly the concern of the built environment industry. When constructing buildings and styling interiors, more and more attention is paid to sustainably sourcing and recycling materials. Eco-friendly design does not limit products to just a few looks, nor does it compromise their functionality. These four beautiful A+Awards winning products will add tasteful texture to your designs while lessening the environmental impact of your project.

The Embossed Acoustic Panel Series from Woven Image, distributed in the USA by Kirei
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Acoustics

Acoustic panels are useful not only for workplaces and auditoriums but in domestic scenarios as well. Whether in a home office or a family theater, acoustic panels make sounds and voices sharper by reducing undesirable reflections on hard surfaces. They also insulate your room from external noises.

The Embossed Acoustic Panel Series by Woven Image offers high-quality acoustics together with a range of choices for styling. There are three types of patterns to choose from: the linear, simplistic ZEN, the rhythmic GEM, and the origami-inspired ION, each comes in 12 colors.

The panels are made from over 60% recycled PET and fiber while manufactured in a carbon-neutral production facility that utilized solar energy. The product has a low VOC emission rate of 0.023mg/m²/hr and a good Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.75. It is also easy to trim that a utility knife can cut it through. The subtle light and shadow created by the 3D patterns make the panels an addition to interior styling.

Silestone® Sunlit Days by Cosentino Group
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Hard Surfacing, Tiles and Stone

Quartz surfaces are popular in home designs for their stone-like appearance, high versatility, durability and accessibility, especially when compared to natural stones like granite and marble. They are cast from a mixture including small pieces of quartz, resins, pigments, etc. Bonded by resins, the finished surface comes sealed and flat, making them easy to clean. The mixture is made in a way that allows it to be colored as needed, ensuring that owners will not have to make compromises on home styling. AT present, Quartz surfaces from the Silestone® Sunlit Days series are available in white, light grey and red, blue, and green in low saturation. The soothing colors and clean shapes give interiors a modern looking.

Quartz surfaces have the appearance of stones but are more eco-friendly than natural stones. The Sunlit Days series provide carbon-neutral quartz surfaces that incorporate extra strategies to cut the material’s carbon footprint. The production uses 99% reused water, 100% renewable electric energy and a minimum of 20% recycled raw materials in its composition. Furthermore, the brand has committed to offsetting GHG emissions through the Voluntary Carbon Market. Being environmentally aware does not limit our choice of furnishing and surface texturing to synthetic materials that comprise recycled resources. Instead, natural materials can also be consumed sustainably.

Brace by Davis Furniture
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Contract Furniture

Brace from Davis Furniture is one of this kind. Each Brace table is made from a tree at the end of its lifecycle, leaving plenty of time for the material to store carbon during its growth. Furthermore, the brand has committed to planting two saplings for each tree they harvest. In this way, the sourcing is sustainable and the European forest is never overly exploited by the product’s production.

The solid wood table comes in various sizes and shapes to accommodate a range of events. For example, a long, rectangular table can be perfect as a home office desk while a small, round one can serve an intimate meal for two people, etc. The sleek table top is supported by the iconic legs. Each leg splits into two as it goes up, creating a slim triangular space within itself. More than 50 types of selectable coatings on each Brace table allow the table different colors and textures that best suit the home design. The design celebrates the uniqueness of the natural material with the technological precision of modern design.

Koroi Side Table by MAJA
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Residential Furniture

The Koroi Side Table also embraces the characteristics of natural materials. Each Koroi Side Table is handcrafted from solid wood by artisans in Bangladesh with a resource-efficient approach. Burls, deep cracks and other features of the tree remain visible from the smoothened surfaces. Comprising two geometric forms, the design of Koroi sets a subtle balance between fragile and sturdy. Althought the connection between the two parts looks delicate — precarious, perhaps — the piece’s solidity is guaranteed by the thick wood. The two parts are cut at opposing grains, giving them contrasting textures and different reflectiveness.

 The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Reference

Designing Domestic Interiors for the Microbiome
CategoriesArchitecture

Designing Domestic Interiors for the Microbiome

By Zarkon Group,

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

One of the clearest byproducts of the pandemic has been a renewed focus on the domestic interior. As stewards of our own homes, we have found ourselves examining them under a new microscope, both for their aesthetic ability to bring comfort during a difficult period and for imagined traces of the virus, which we may have reluctantly brought indoors from the outside world at any time. Early on, bags of groceries often spent a day or more outside of our homes; they were punished as alleged viral transmitters and forced to enter a period of quarantine before being allowed in to provide much-needed sustenance. Countertops, doorknobs, and other surfaces that regularly made corporeal contact were scrubbed with a renewed vigor in an effort to sterilize our home from any living presence but our own.

Over the course of the last century, much of modernist architecture can be understood as a consequence of the fear of disease; the construction of physical space to facilitate an ability to cleanse rooms where bacteria lurk. Clean, empty white walls, open floor plans and industrial, highly polished surfaces became synonymous with functional space that allowed the occupant to feel comfortable, safe and germ-free — at least to the naked eye. Architects such as Le Corbusier famously thought that a house should function as a “machine à habiter” or machine for living in his 1923 manifesto for future habitation, Towards a New Architecture. But the lines immediately following this iconic phrase are equally revealing:

“Baths, sun, hot water, cold water, warmth at will, conservation of food, hygiene, beauty in the sense of good proportion… We must clear up a misunderstanding: we are in a diseased state because we mix up art with a respectful attitude to mere decoration.”

The entrance hall in Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. © Thomas Nemesker

On the surface, Corbusier’s aesthetic focused on the qualities of unornamented, rectilinear spaces. Yet, a deeper reading reveals an agenda of moral and physical cleanliness. While diseases like tuberculosis and the resulting technologies developed to diagnose them helped to shape modernism and the work of architects like Corbusier throughout the 20th Century; similarly, Covid-19 and our cultural propensity to spend time indoors (up to 90% of our days) will influence architecture in the near future.

Today, our culture is saturated with products focused on sanitizing and architectural surfaces that help to facilitate this ritual cleansing. We commonly hold that sterility is the ideal state of existence, even though it is impossible to achieve for more than even a brief moment. We regularly consume antibiotic treatments for even the most minor illnesses, hoping to eradicate all germs or bacteria on contact. In reaction to the pandemic, architectural publications widely circulated articles detailing products and surfaces with natural anti-microbial properties, including copper and cardboard (to name a few). While there are certainly architectural contexts including the healthcare industry that require starkly hygienic environments, this strategy exists at the expense of the “good” bacteria we need to foster healthy immune systems.

Colonies formed by a variety of bacterial and fungal species. © Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

Conversely, we are composed of 100 trillion microbes, and over half of the cells in our body belong to foreign microbes that inhabit us. On an architectural scale, according to Emily Anthes’ book The Great Indoors, our homes are filled with up to 2000 different microbial “squatters” at any given time. Different areas of the home tend to reveal distinct differences; bacteria found in kitchens is most commonly associated with food, while doors and door knobs are covered in species most typically found in leaves and soil.

Domestic elements like toilet seats and pillowcases look more similar than you’d like to believe under a microscope — both harbor bacteria that typically lives on our skin and in our mouths. More recent research on hygiene espouses a modern microbial perspective that is complex and intertwined with both outdoor and indoor environments; a combination of strategies to expose the body to certain bacteria while targeting certain hygiene to create the framework for healthy protection from pathogens while restoring and reinforcing our microbiomes.

With this in mind, how should our interior domestic environments intervene to foster the restoration, growth or even flourishing of microbial cultures? Revisiting the kitchen with a renewed focus would not be a bad start. In order to re-frame our relationship with microorganisms, we should reference symbiotic examples from the world’s culinary traditions. Bread-baking, kombucha and other fermentation processes that revolve around the kitchen, all produce healthy bacteria that humans benefit from, both during the processes of production and following consumption. In some cases, as with sourdough bread, the microbes found on bakers’ hands even mirror the microbes within their starters, the bubbly mix of yeast, bacteria and flour that’s the basis of every loaf.

Kombucha is fermented by a floating biofilm made up of a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast, or SCOBY. © Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

In “Micro-ecologies of the Built Environment,” a chapter in The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture, Ted Krueger argues that architecture’s conventional focus on the human scale should be brought down in scale to the microbial and that architects should operate more like “creative chefs than forensic doctors”, manipulating conditions to encourage the cultivation of healthy microbiota. In turn, as the architectural discipline evolves into a more microscopic realm, we should promote the design of micro-ecologies within our domestic spaces through the careful selection of materials and spatial conditions, that do not only destroy bacteria but work to nurture what may be beneficial to us.

How can we reframe the notion of cleanliness through the lens of architecture in an age where filth and germs might actually help us survive? It’s clear that our interior environments and the products we use within them need to evolve from a purely adversarial position towards microorganisms, to a far more symbiotic relationship with “good” bacteria. There is an urgent need to develop “architectural probiotics”; environments and surfaces that support the complex conditions needed to partner with microorganisms for mutual benefit. What would this architecture look like?

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

Reference

What Can North Americans Learn About Design From European Cities?
CategoriesArchitecture

What Can North Americans Learn About Design From European Cities?

By Zarkon Group,

Judging is now underway for the 10th Annual A+Awards Program! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

As a Canadian ex-pat currently living in France, I was excited for and whole-heartedly welcomed a change of pace from North American life. Canadians and Americans often idolize Europe and its accompanying lifestyle, and after nine months in France, I can confirm the charm of European living has yet to wear off.

Europe covers a relatively small landmass, especially when comparing it to the rich array of countries that make up the continent. Each country offers its own distinctive culture and way of life, and because of this, it is difficult to categorically define ‘European living.’ Nonetheless, there are certain cultural similarities that can be strongly felt amongst countries (especially those in Western Europe). I will use my time residing in France as a case study to help make sense of North America’s infatuation with the European lifestyle. An infatuation that I continue to feel here in France.

I’ve been residing in Orléans, a small French city located one hour southwest of Paris. The city dates back to antiquity and has a charming mix of half-timbered medieval homes, Haussman-style buildings and Gothic architecture. Those living in the city center typically reside in the town’s older infrastructure, while those in the surrounding suburbs occupy newer, more contemporary buildings.

One of the most apparent reasons why North Americans are so charmed by Europe is its history. European cities are filled with an incredible history that is recognizable through architecture. As a North American, it’s hard not to be taken by such ornate and historic surroundings. When living in Orléans, I can confirm that walking past the striking gothic cathedral and rows of half-timbered homes never got old to my North American eyes.

Despite such apparent beauty, history and charm, there were certain aspects of French living that took some time to get used to. While in France, I said goodbye to the many North-American luxuries I had grown accustomed to: high-end heating, accessible infrastructure, dryers and large living spaces. At first, I missed such luxuries but I quickly discovered just how easy it is to live without them. All it took was a bit of adjusting to eventually realize that many North-American amenities are superfluous. In the winter months, I learned to layer my clothes and in the summer months, I made sure to keep my shutters closed during the day. Quickly enough, giving up modern amenities was easy to do when, in return, you get to live in a historic city.

Even as we enter the hot summer months, I do not long for North American amenities. One of the most pronounced differences between Europe and North America in the summer is the absence of air conditioning. Most old European apartments do not come equipped with air conditioning. European homes are often built with brick and stone, unlike North American homes, which are built with wood. Building with stone and brick provides much better insulation and thus a more temperature-regulated living space. Therefore in Europe, it is possible to keep a dwelling cool in the summer. Moreover, the use of exterior window shutters is common in Europe and helps keep out the heat during the days and ventilate the home at night. Perhaps it is less convenient not having air conditioning, but the traditional building infrastructure makes it possible to endure hot summers.

Window Shutters – ‘Pierre Bottero’ media library and park in Pélissanne by Dominique Coulon & Associés, Pélissanne, France, 2020

Stone Buildings – Former Monastery of San Giuliano by CN10 Architetti, Bonate Sotto, Italy, 2016

Moreover, I realized that Orléans’ architecture contributed to my ability to find community in a foreign country. For example, the tight living spaces and communal courtyards helped foster strong connections with my roommates and neighbors. Equally, the abundance of mixed-use buildings furthered this strong sense of community living. In North America, we are often used to separate residential and commercial districts. Whereas in Europe, everything is much more densely organized. We often perceive density as a negative urban characteristic, but in this case, it helped me find my place and personal rhythm in Orléans. Whether it was visiting my local boulangerie or pharmacie, the intertwined nature between commercial stores and residential dwellings fueled a strong connection between all Orléanais people. In addition, the numerous public squares sprawled throughout the city would hold weekly farmer’s markets and social events. These public squares further contributed to my ability to comfortably integrate into the local way of life.

Public Spaces – Leyteire Courtyard by Martin Duplantier Architectes, Bordeaux, France, 2012. Yohan Zerdoun Photography

Dense Architecture – Voltaire by SABO project, Paris, France, 2017

Before I knew it, the very things I at first disliked about France became the very aspects I now appreciate. Today I see claustrophobic close quarters as intimate spaces, narrow sidewalks as endearing and the bike-unfriendly cobblestone roads as a welcomed challenge to my daily commute to work. All in all, what I’ve taken away from my time in France is that European living is often more laidback. It’s at times less convenient and less polished but equally, if not more, enjoyable to North American life. The homes may not be equipped with the standard appliances found in North America, however, one will quickly find great satisfaction and purpose in navigating the quirks of European life.

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