A floating boathouse intended to help people reconnect with nature and a hotel designed to protect people and koalas from bushfires are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by My ArchiSchool.

Also featured is an astronomy tower by the seaside and a teahouse informed by the design of Japanese shrines.

My ArchiSchool

School: My ArchiSchool
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0

School statement:

“My ArchiSchool provides an introduction to architectural education and digital design for those seeking knowledge and skills to aid their future career aspirations.

“The Hong Kong-based organisation offers in-person and online courses to help young people develop 3D modelling skills that can be applied to future careers in architecture and urban planning.

“Geared towards children and teenagers between the ages of six and 18, the various stages of tuition start at beginner level and progress to cover a range of tools, interfaces, and outputs.

“One-off classes allow students to get a taste of the available courses and teaching styles.

“A variety of program packages are offered to those wishing to develop a wide range of skills, including writing and portfolio development, taught over several sessions. The most comprehensive package concludes with an exhibition of student work after eight months of study.

“One of the digital tools taught in the program is 3DExperience Platform, developed by Dassault Systèmes, which allows students to build and manipulate 3D digital models of cities such as Hong Kong and Paris.”

Astronomy Tower by Armelle Baranger

“The Astronomy Tower is made up of a semi-open observation deck and a small research laboratory to facilitate the data collection of space science. The gentle curvature of the facade was designed to recall a sail, suggesting the starting point of the journey.

“Internally, the optical observatory on the upper deck is linked to and supported by the digital mapping facilities on the lower floor. A visitors lobby is also incorporated near the main entrance, functioning as an educational science facility to the public.”

Student: Armelle Baranger
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: armellebaranger04[at]gmail.com

Bird Hotel by Audrey Liu

“At the Bird Hotel, utopia is imagined in the context of water. The design is a hotel for birds which takes the form of a big tree, with branches for the birds to perch on.

“It is a simple two-storey building with a steel structure and glass facade, which gives guests 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Designed as a retreat or weekend hideaway, the guests experience an enjoyable stay while being totally immersed in nature.”

Student: Audrey Liu
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: audrey.liuhk260[at]gmail.com

Astronomy Tower by Lynne Lee

“The Astronomy Tower takes a spiral form that creates an experiential journey for visitors looking for stars.

“The pathway is designed to lead people from the site entrance to the centre, where the scientific research work is conducted, and a giant telescope is installed on the upper floor for charting the stars.”

Student: Lynne Lee
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: lynneleehuining[at]gmail.com

Boat House by Allen Lam

“Floating in the middle of a lake, the Boat House is designed for small families. It is informed by the wooden structure of boats and consists of a wooden roof, a floating platform divided into a semi-covered forecourt, and an open balcony.

“It’s designed to be a communal area for families and friends to gather and serves as a connection point to help people reconnect to nature.”

Student: Allen Lam
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: allenlam7282[at]gmail.com

Koala Hotel by Kayla Yeung

“The Koala Hotel features a courtyard that sits amongst villas. The concept was motivated by the work of rescue teams during the disastrous bushfires in Australia.

“The courtyard is a sharing place between koalas and humans, where they can live together in close proximity. The structural framework of the building is a tetrahedral form that is self-standing and strong, protecting the guests and animals against any trees or falling debris during bushfires.

“The crescent-shaped layout helps to facilitate natural light and ventilation, while also shielding from strong winds.”

Student: Kayla Yeung
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: kayla.yeung2006[at]gmail.com

Astronomy Tower by Eric Tseng

“The Astronomy Tower is located by the seaside to achieve unobstructed views of the ocean to staff and visitors while they are looking at the sky.

“The star-shaped structure of the design symbolises stargazing. The curved glass facade is illuminated by indirect lighting to create the optimum setting for stargazing.”

Student: Eric Tseng
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: ericsmtseng[at]gmail.com

Teahouse by Jamie Shih

“Inspired by Japanese shrines, Teahouse is an extensive landscaped garden with a wooden hut-like structure. The upper part of the design has a translucent glass facade with wooden frames, which lets in natural light for the tea-making area below.

“An additional tasting area is located in the open area of the garden. The layout is designed to be a space where users can find their inner peace and enjoy the fragrance of tea.”

Student: Jamie Shih
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: jamieshih.0919[at]gmail.com

Observatory by William Yang

“The Observatory consists of two domed towers. In one tower is the telescope and in the other is a laboratory. The building is formed from a wooden structure, which is illuminated by indirect blue lighting.

“The project recalls the history of humanity, which is a tiny part of the history of the universe.”

Student: William Yang
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: williamyang9900[at]gmail.com

Green House by Patrick Zhang

“The Green House design consists of an elaborate drum-shaped volume and steel framework.

“The concept was informed by the American Southwest. Cowboys and the wild west have always been a theme Zhang has enjoyed. The desert feels stoic and desolate. Like a wasteland of violent beauty.

“The lower half of the Green House is open, while the upper half is enclosed by glass. The living area is elevated to achieve a wider view of the surrounding environment. The lower open part was designed to allow natural ventilation.”

Student: Patrick Zhang
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: patrick.0.zhang[at]gmail.com

Astronomy Tower by Gabriel Lee

“The Astronomy Tower is located on a small hill in the urban area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. A stepped profile facilitates an easy and welcoming entrance for the users. The initial concept began with an octagonal layout, which was later transformed into a circular roof.

“The telescope is placed on the upper floor and on the lower floor is a small laboratory with a separate entrance on the hill. Instead of reaching up to the sky, the design extends outwards into the city to invite more people in.”

Student: Gabriel Lee
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: archigabriellee[at]gmail.com

Resort by Moses Chiu

“Taking inspiration from camels walking in the desert, the design of the Resort is informed by the geometry of triangles.

“The project is located by the harbour, which gives visitors the best views of the city and has a low rise pyramid-like structure which optimises its structural effectiveness.

“The pyramid motif is replicated in different sizes across the open landscape, creating a mini-city of its own.

“The undulating roofline of this mini-city echoes the skyline of the city it resides beside.”

Student: Moses Chiu
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: chiu.moses[at]gmail.com

Astronomy Tower by Marvin Wu

“In the Astronomy Tower the observatory is located high on top of a mountain, with the intention for people to be close to the sky so they can see and experience the dimensions of the universe.

“Visitors take a hiking route before they reach this facility. The form and structure is a dome with outriggers taking the shape of leaves. Visitors come to stargaze and can also use the development as a campsite.

“The area where scientific research is carried out is elevated, providing privacy and a quiet working environment.”

Student: Marvin Wu
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: marvinwu369[at]gmail.com

Holiday Villas by Rochelle Ng

“Holiday Villas has a circular layout with extending acute triangular pyramids, inspired by the mountains. All villa entrances face the central courtyard, which functions as the common area of the development.

“Located in the mountains, the landscape also acts as a common area. The design was informed by the desire to return to nature, which is expressed through the unique architectural forms.”

Student: Rochelle Ng
Course: Architectural Design Program 1.0
Email: rochelleng905[at]gmail.com

Partnership content 

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and My ArchiSchool. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post My ArchiSchool presents 13 architectural projects appeared first on Dezeen.

London-based Ibibio Sound Machine—Eno Williams, Alfred Kari Bannerman, Anselmo Netto, Joseph Amoako, Philip PK Ambrose, Tony Hayden, Scott Baylis and Max Grunhard—teamed up with Hot Chip for their just-announced album, Electricity. To commemorate the announcement, the eight-piece released “All That I Want,” a masterful Afrofuturist pop track that incorporates elements of electro-pop, soul and Afrobeat. With Hot Chip’s trademark gleaming, synth-heavy sound and vocalist Williams’ big delivery, the song quickly becomes expansive and uplifting.

With over 700 stickers—including some that glow in the dark and others that sparkle—the Ultimate Sticker Book from Super Smalls features letters, shapes, gems, rainbows and more. Whether for crafting, decorating or just collecting, this booklet contains ample inspiration to spark creativity in young imaginations.

Automotive finishing expert Takahiko Izawa runs Rohan Izawa Art Design, a car customizer with peerless techniques. Izawa spent over ten years perfecting “IZ METAL,” a type of metal paint that he can spray onto a car and actually engrave into.

Other finishers can do similar things on small parts of a car, like side mirrors and door handles, that can be chromed and subsequently engraved; however, Izawa eschews this method because it produces a finish that breaks down under UV over time. Izawa’s IZ METAL technique, in contrast, not only retains its original finish over time, but allows him to engrave or “tattoo” the entire vehicle, not just parts that can be chromed.

The results are absolutely stunning:

He can also do it in gold:

Prices run from ¥11,000,000 (USD $96,027) to have a small car, like a Mercedes-Benz A-Class, painted and engraved in silver, up to ¥33,000,000 (USD $288,075) for a large car, like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, painted and engraved in gold.

Local Motors, the company that introduced the radical concept of what they called the “co-creation design” of small-batch automobiles, with royalites paid to the designers, has gone out of business.

Two years before the emergence of Quirky, a product development platform that also championed co-creation design, Local Motors set up shop in 2007 and began building an online community of designers and design fans. Members submitted automotive designs for the community to vote on for development, and by 2008 they’d chosen their first model: The Rally Fighter, designed by Sangho Kim, who was then a student at Art Center.

Startlingly, the off-road minded but street-legal Rally Fighter was successfully developed in just 18 months and at a cost of only $3 million. Built from off-the-shelf components like a Ford axle and a crate motor from GM, and skinned in a fiberglass body of Kim’s design, the first Rally Fighter rolled out of Local Motors’ microfactory in 2009. An additional 29 were produced over the next seven years, with purchasers invited to the microfactory to help assemble the cars themselves.

Image: markus941, CC BY 2.0

In 2014 Local Motors created a sensation with their electric Strati, by Italian designer and community member Michele Anoé. The dune-buggy-like Strati was largely created with large-scale FDM 3D printers developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, leading Local Motors to call it the world’s first 3D-printed electric car.

Despite creating a successful prototype and generating much press, the Strati never made it to batch production.

Image: z22, CC BY-SA 3.0

By 2016 the company had shifted direction; rather than personal cars they unveiled Olli, an autonomous electric shuttle bus designed by Edgar Sarmiento, a Colombian industrial designer just two years out of school. It was Sarmiento’s first design that made production, and with startling speed, at that; Local Motors had lined up some 100 partner companies and had built two Ollis within months of the design being green-lit. Two years later, NPR reported that 10 Ollis had been ordered, and that Sarmiento had earned $28,000 in royalties by then.

As of last year, Local Motors had Ollis deployed in 24 cities in the U.S. and around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia.

As of last month, Local Motors’ Facebook page announced they’d be showing up at this month’s CES.

Sadly, last week Automotive News reported Local Motors was shutting down, with no formal announcement made by the company nor explanation given. At press time the Local Motors website was still up and running as usual.

It’s possible, I’d say likely, that the pandemic killed funding for public transportation vehicles and that Local Motors was a casualty. It’s also worth noting that on December 16th of 2021, an Olli shuttle in Toronto crashed into a tree, leaving “the attendant onboard…critically injured,” according to Toronto’s City News, and it’s possible that played a role in the company’s decision to shutter.

In any case, Local Motors lasted for nearly 15 years. Quirky closed its doors after just 6 years in business. Co-creation design, at least for now, seems a tough nut to crack.