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The Hanwha headquarters office tower in Seoul has been remodelled by Dutch architecture firm UNStudio, retrofitting its facade to hold solar panels.

UNStudio won the competition to retrofit the headquarters for the Hanwha Group – along with engineers Arup and landscape designer Loos van Vliet – in 2014.

The Hanwha Group wanted a more sustainable office to better reflect its position as the world’s third largest producer of solar panels.

An existing facade of flat, dark glass has been replaced by clear glass in an aluminium frame.

Hanwha headquarter’s facade is designed so the windows are angled away from direct sunlight, to stop heat gain and glare.

Parts of the facade that hold the solar panels are also angled to make the most of the sunlight while shading the windows below.

“The facade design for the Hanwha headquarters implements fully inclusive systems which significantly impact the interior climate of the building, improve user comfort and ensure high levels of sustainability and affordability,” said UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel.

UNStudio remodelled the building while it was still occupied.

The studio worked on three stories at a time, both inside and out, to allow the rest of the building to operate normally.

Landscaping around the plaza in front of the tower creates multiple pathways to the entrance, with planters that funnel people along and double as outdoor seating.

The lobby space was redesigned to feature higher ceilings and more natural light.

Wooden finishes and flashes of orange banding decorate the space, along with bands of lighting that direct visitors through the entrance space and to the lifts.

Meeting rooms have been redesigned with a combination of clear and translucent glass to balance natural light with privacy.

Executive-level boardrooms now feature different zones that cater to smaller, less formal gatherings as well as big meetings.

On the 28th floor the staff restaurant is decorated with wood panelling and planters filled with greenery to create a calming place for employees to spend their lunch breaks.

Founded in the Netherlands in 1988, UNStudio has a big focus on sustainability. The practice is currently designing a smart city in Helmond that will harness technology to help residents produce their own food and energy.

Photography is by Rohspace.

Project credits:

Architect: UNStudio
Team: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Ger Gijzen, Marc Salemink, Sontaya Bluangtook and Martin Zangerl, Hyoseon Park, Gabriele Decandia, Andrea Wong, Daniele de Benedictis, Luke Tan, Jooyoun Yoon, Nina Soltani, Albert Gnodde, Shuang Zhang, Yi-Ju Tseng, Alberto Martinez, Philip Knauf
Local consultant and executive architect: Gansam Partners
Landscape consultant and designer: Loos van Vliet
Haarlem
Facade and sustainability consultant: ARUP
Lighting consultant interior and facade: AG Licht

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British architecture studio Foster + Partners is publishing a series of architecture challenges, including building a paper skyscraper and creating a city, to keep children in coronavirus lockdown entertained.

Called #architecturefromhome, the initiative was launched by Foster + Partners to help entertain and educate children who are currently stuck at home.

“The recent lockdown has offered us an opportunity to create a number of online initiatives that educate and entertain our online community and support parents and carers with children who may not attending school at the moment,” said Katy Harris, senior partner at Foster + Partners.

“The #architecturefromhome initiative is a chance for all of us to have some fun and learn at the same time,” she told Dezeen.

The tasks released by the studio are designed to encourage children to make, play, draw and think about architecture.

So far the studio has challenged children to build a paper skyscraper and create their own city, as well as learning how to draw trees and create a photo story.

Each of the challenges has been created to encourage children to think more about their surroundings and the buildings around them.

“We have tried to engage children in activities that are practical as well as thought-provoking and that may complement the work they are doing at home-school,” said Harris.

“The main aim has been to get them to ask questions about their surroundings and start thinking about their built environment,” she continued. “For instance, the photo story activity teaches children about scale and prompts them to think differently about space and buildings.”

“The activities are predominantly aimed at children from ages two to 12,” explained Harris. “They have been designed in a way that everyone, no matter what their age, can get something out of it.”

“From the responses we are getting, even older children are taking something from these activities,” she continued. “The broad appeal means that anyone can develop them into something bigger and better.”

Foster + Partners has encouraged people to share their creations and has been sent creations from all across the world.

“The response has been absolutely fantastic and frankly a bit overwhelming!” said Harris.

“We’ve received emails from Canada, Spain, Italy and even as far as Australia and Cambodia sharing creations with us,” she continued. “We are glad to be able to brighten someone’s day or kindle their creativity in some ways –  stay tuned for many more fun activities!”

Foster and Partners is an architecture studio in London that was founded by Norman Foster in 1967. The studio has created ten activities, but will add more if the lockdown continues.

In a similar vein UK company Dyson has created 44 engineering and science activities for children in lockdown. They include making a balloon-powered car and building a bridge from spaghetti.

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VDF products fair: The Ztista chair that designer Victoriya Yakusha has created for design brand Faina takes cues from the organic materiality of traditional Ukrainian huts.

Yakusha, who hails from Ukraine, designed ZTISTA using clay, wood chips, straw, linen and recycled paper.

These materials have been roughly applied by hand across the chair’s powder-coated steel frame, leaving behind a bumpy surface texture that’s meant to reflect the charm of natural imperfection.

Irregularly-shaped holes are also punctuated in the backrest.

The chair has been designed so that it, if necessary, it can be disposed of sustainably – the steel frame can be recycled, while the remaining materials can be ground up and left to decompose in wet soil. According to the designer, the total process can take between three and seven years.

“I always try to make long-living furniture, which one day may be inherited by our kids,” Yakusha said. “From the other side, I am interested in life-after-use of my design objects. What will happen to the chair in 50-100 years?”

Product: ZTISTA chair
Brand: Faina
Designer: Victoriya Yakusha

About VDF products fair: the VDF products fair offers an affordable launchpad for new products during Virtual Design Festival. For more details email vdf@dezeen.com.

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VDF products fair: the In Situ Modular Sofa for Muuto “combines the grandeur of traditional Italian sofas with the refined simplicity of Scandinavian design,” according to designers Anderssen & Voll.

Designed by the Norwegian studio for Danish brand Muuto, the sofa consists of reconfigurable modular elements united by a powder-coated steel frame.

As its name suggests, the In Situ Modular Sofa can be configured according to the available space and the taste of the owner.

“With the In Situ Modular Sofa, we wanted to combine the functions of modularity with the beauty of simple, elegant lines and a deep comfort,” said designers Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll of Anderssen & Voll.

“We sketched a profile that runs along the seat and back of the sofa to subtly hide the visual elements of modularity, giving it a unique character while bringing the individual modules together for a complete appearance.”

“This is paired with grand, sculptural lines and the inherent comfort of its soft seat. The In Situ Modular Sofa combines the grandeur of traditional Italian sofas with the refined simplicity of Scandinavian design, making it the heart of any space.”

Product: In Situ Modular Sofa
Brand: Muuto
Designer: Anderssen & Voll

Video: the In Situ Modular Sofa.

Video: Anderssen & Voll explain the design of the In Situ Modular Sofa.

About VDF products fair: the VDF products fair offers an affordable launchpad for new products during Virtual Design Festival. For more details email vdf@dezeen.com.

The post In Situ Modular Sofa by Anderssen & Voll for Muuto appeared first on Dezeen.

Daily coronavirus briefing: today’s architecture and design coronavirus briefing includes AirAsia’s PPE cabin crew uniforms, a “bubble shield” and the UN’s coronavirus posters.

“This is not a hospital” says architect behind conversion of McCormick Place

Convention centres that have been rapidly turned into facilities for coronavirus patients should not be called hospitals, says Doug King, the healthcare principal of Stantec, which has overseen the transformation of Chicago’s McCormick Place (via Dezeen).

Puey Quinones designs PPE cabin crew uniform for AirAsia

Airline AirAsia has unveiled its new cabin crew uniforms (above) that include a full set of personal protective equipment (PPE). Created by Los Angeles designer Puey Quinones, the stewards will be dressed in a boiler suit, face shield and mask (via Puey Quinones).

UN reveals informative coronavirus posters

The United Nations and World Health Organisation have revealed a series of posters encouraging people to social distance and stay at home that are the results of an open call launched last month (via UN).

Design Libero creates inflatable bubble shield to protect against coronavirus

Milan design studio Design Libero has envisioned a “bubble shield” that would purify air to protect its wearer from coronavirus (via Business Insider).

Poland introduces vending machines selling face masks and hand sanitiser

Vending machines selling hand sanitiser and face masks have been installed in four cities in southern Poland (via TheMayor.EU)

How to keep your architecture practice afloat

UK architecture magazine Building Design has provided some insight and advice on how small architecture practices can combat current, and future, financial issues (via Building Design).

New York to close 40 miles of roads to create space for walkers

New York mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that 40 miles of streets in the city will be closed next month to create more room for people to walk safely (via Bloomberg).

UK’s Royal Mint to make two million visors for NHS staff

The Royal Mint in the UK has designed a face shield and is now manufacturing 100,000 items per week (via ITV).

Keep up with developments by following Dezeen’s coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. For news of impacted events, check Dezeen Events Guide’s dedicated coronavirus page.

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