Hasta La Ideas

Exposed timber beams branch out from the tops of columns that support the roof of this cafeteria in the Ushimado district of Setouichi city in Japan by Niji Architects (+ slideshow).

Designed by Masafumi Harada of Tokyo office Niji Architects with AI Design and OHNO JAPAN, the cafeteria is used by employees from a nearby construction company and by members of the local community.

The architects developed a cross-braced timber frame made from Douglas fir columns with a section of 120 by 120 millimetres and beams of 180 by 120 millimetres, which supports a corrugated metal roof and is left exposed inside the single-storey building.

“The detailing and materials used [are] intentionally designed to appear unrefined to create a relaxing atmosphere helping visitors to unwind within the space,” explained the architects.

Throughout the interior, materials are used in their raw state, with chunky chipboard covering the ceiling and walls, bare light bulbs hanging from black cords and poured concrete used for the floor.

One side of the building is covered in full-height glazing, which is fixed directly to the timber frame using plywood battens. Translucent glass on the opposite facade provides privacy while allowing more light to reach the interior.

A kitchen at one end of the building can be seen from the main dining hall, which adjoins a lounge area containing comfortable seating and exercise equipment.

Photography is by Masafumi Harada.

Here’s a short project description from the architects:

This cafeteria is a timber framed, single-story building located in Ushimado of Setouchi city, Okayama prefecture, Japan.

It serves as a canteen for a local construction company as well as a cafeteria for the local community.

The building structure and its finishes are kept simple and the presence of the building is kept to a bare minimum.

The building design focuses mainly on its primary function as a cafeteria for the local people and to familiarise itself to the community.

The folded metal plate roof is directly fixed to the 3 m grid timber structural frame, which consists of 120 mm x 120 mm timber used for columns, foundation, bracings and 180 mm x 120 mm timber beams.

The building completes itself with glass walls, which are fixed directly to the timber structure with timber battens.

The detailing and materials used intentionally designed to appear unrefined to create a relaxing atmosphere helping visitors to unwind within the space.

With a single large internal space and full aperture to the external views, this highly transparent building becomes a bright, open and inviting cafeteria.

We believe this construction method can also be used for other building types. It can be a prototype of new prefabricated timber construction with endless possibilities for further development.

Project name: Cafeteria in Ushimado
Location of site: Okayama, Japan
Building area: 166.32 m2
Total floor area: 144.00 m2
Type of Construction: Timber structure
Number of stories: 1F
Building height: 3.37 ｍ
Principal use: Shop (Cafeteria)
Project by: Niji Architects + AI Design + OHNO JAPAN
Principal designer: Masafumi Harada / Niji Architects
Construction: UG Giken
Design period: August 2012 – December 2012
Construction period: January 2013 – April 2013

Finish

Structure: Exposed timber structure
Roof: Folded metal roof
External façade: Clear float glass t=10 mm with glass film
Window: Wooden sash window and aluminum sash window

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framework by Niji Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

This 25-metre wooden lookout in the Czech Republic by Mjölk Architekti is named Cucumber Tower in an attempt to discourage association with phallic forms (+ slideshow).

Constructed from larch, the tower has a straight shaft with a curved top, which accommodates a rooftop viewing platform looking out across the Czech woodland and on towards Germany and Poland.

“We called it a cucumber due to a certain shape similarity, and also in order to avoid other vulgar associations,” architect Jan Vondrák of Mjölk Architekti told Dezeen.

The architects designed the tower before finding a site or a client. It was then commissioned by the mayor of the town Hermanice for a rural site along a Czech mountain range called the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge.

The structure took three months to build and comprises a pair of staircases arranged in a double-helix foramtion. The exterior is made up of vertical, bolted lengths of wood and is supported by curved wooden slats, which act as cross bracing.

Five curved lengths make up a larch balustrade for the staircase and guide visitors to the top.

Photography is by Roman Dobeš.

Here is some information from the designer:

The Cucumber tower

One of our showcase projects was born shortly after our architecture office was founded.

We moved to a house on the Jested ridge and spent two weeks thinking about what we actually wanted to do as architects. And just like that, without a commission, without a specific setting in mind, we came up with the design of this observation tower.

Situating buildings in an open landscape is an unusual architectural discipline, yet in northern Bohemia it has a long tradition that we can take up with confidence.

Once the design was finished, we started looking for a customer. Naive, you say?
 Not a bit! Within a month we found an enthusiastic taker – the mayor of Hermanice, Mr. Stribrny.We found ourselves at a meeting of the town council in earnest discussion about how to carry out this project.

During the following couple of months, we received a building permit and secured EU funding for an extensive project involving the construction of a network of bicycle trails whose center point was to be the Hermanice observation tower.

Three villages have ended up participating in the project – Hermanice, Detrichov and the Polish village of Bogatynia.

Architects: Mjölk architekti, Jan Mach, Jan Vondrák, Pavel Nalezený
Height of tower: 25 metres
Location: Hermanice, Poland
Budget: 140,000 euros

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like “a cucumber” by Mjölk Architekti appeared first on Dezeen.

Holidaymakers can now spend nights sleeping beneath the surface of the ocean at this partially submerged hotel suite in the Zanzibar archipelago (+ movie).

Located 250 metres off the coast of Pemba Island, the Underwater Room forms parts of the Manta Resort, a holiday retreat on the mainland of the island, and comprises a three-storey floating structure with its lowest level positioned four metres beneath the water.

After being escorted to the remote suite by boat, guests use a staircase to descend to their underwater bedroom, where windows on every wall allow 360 degree views of the underwater coral reef and sea life.

“Some [reef fish] have taken up residence around the room, which affords them some protection from predators,” said the resort owners. “For instance, three bat fish and a trumpet fish called Nick who is always swimming around and seemingly looking in!”

Coral is expected to grow around the outer walls, plus underwater spotlights are fitted below the windows to encourage squid and colourful sea slugs to come into view.

The structure was designed and built by Swedish company Genberg Underwater Hotels and takes its cues from Utter Inn, a floating structure on Lake Malaren in Sweden that was modelled on a traditional Scandinavian house.

Like this structure, the Underwater Room has a timber-clad upper section that sits above the water. This includes lounge and bathroom facilities, as well as a roof deck that can be used for either sunbathing or stargazing.

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off the coast of Zanzibar appeared first on Dezeen.

Australian studio Tony Hobba Architects sourced weathered steel piles that had previously been used as flood barriers to build this kiosk beside a surfers’ beach in Torquay, Australia (+ slideshow).

Entitled Third Wave Kiosk, the small structure was designed by Tony Hobba Architects to provide changing rooms, toilets, a cafe, and a meeting point for the popular beach, and it is positioned in a prominent spot between the car park and the seafront.

The self-supporting sheet piles, which are typically used for constructing seawalls and piers, slotted together without any additional fixings to create large corrugated walls around the kiosk.

“The height and profile of the building has been designed to respond to the prevailing coastline undulations and windswept vegetation, and uses these natural inflections to inform its final folded appearance,” say the architects.

The rusted surface of the metal forms a weather-proof coating around the building that will protect it against erosion.

“These sheet piles have intentionally been left in their original condition to emphasise the reddish brown and yellow oxides of weathered steel and harmonise with the colour of the surrounding cliffs,” added the architects.

Although intended as a permanent facility, the structure has no fixed footings, so it could be easily dismantled and re-erected in a different location.

It is accompanied by an outdoor seating area and elevated lookout point, which features retaining walls made from the same sheet metal.

The kiosk was one of 38 projects recognised at the Australian National Architecture Awards last week, alongside a pointy artists’ studio in Japan and a Melbourne university building covered in scales.

Photography is by Rory Gardiner.

Here’s a project description from Tony Hobba Architects:

Third Wave Kiosk – The Esplanade, Torquay VIC

Central to the design of the Third Wave Kiosk is reverence for its environmental setting; engagement with beach culture; resilience to natural forces and energetic youths; and attention to modest and elegant simplicity.

The brief was to design a new public facility at Torquay Surf Beach that contained a new kiosk, toilets and change rooms that would be open year round, service an assortment of recreation users and provide an important beachside destination.

Due to the site’s high level of local, regional and international use throughout the year, together with its visual prominence along this section of coastline, the design of the project recognised the need to adequately service community, recreation and tourist requirements whilst sensitively integrating and respecting the local coastal environment and adhering to the Victorian Coastal Strategy.

The building is positioned adjacent to the nexus of pedestrian circulation, between the main car park and beach access path, to guarantee maximum foot traffic; and is visible from the beach and water’s edge as it gently emerges from the primary dune.

In order to engage beach goers, an elevated lookout and alfresco seating area (65m2) has been provided adjacent to the Kiosk which not only overlooks the beach but doubles as an easily identifiable landmark and meeting point. At only 20m2, the compact kiosk kitchen and servery caters for 1-3 staff depending on seasonal demand. A 25m2 service court out the back caters for additional storage, deliveries and a few empty milk crates keenly commandeered during smoko.

The height and profile of the building has been designed to respond to the prevailing coastline undulations and windswept vegetation, and uses these natural inflections to inform its final folded appearance. The form therefore takes on a sculptural quality which blends in with the surrounding environment and shrouds the utilitarian function of the working core.

This is accentuated through its use of coastally identifiable materials and colours by using recycled sheet piles typically used for seawall, bridge and pier construction to be the predominant exoskeleton and expression of the building. These sheet piles have intentionally been left in their original condition to emphasise the reddish brown and yellow oxides of weathered steel and harmonise with the colour of the surrounding cliffs.

This system of construction proved extremely efficient, both structurally and financially, as the sheet piles were used as permanent retaining walls for the alfresco terrace and lookout; provided permanent formwork for the building slab; and extended up as the primary structure and facade of the building. It appears that this is the first building in Australia to utilise the material in such a way, with the added bonus of reducing the projects embodied energy.

With sustainability and re-use integral to the outcome, the recycled sheet piles were procured from the 2010/2011 Victorian floods where they were last used for flood protection works along the Murray River to assist in mitigating the devastating water damage experienced by the local river communities during this extreme rain event.

Sustainability

Environmentally, the use of sheet piles for the project allowed for a system of construction which was extremely efficient, both structurally and financially, as they are self-supporting components which are linked together with no mechanical fixings and require no permanent footings. This allows the building to touch the ground lightly and be very easily dismantled and or re-erected if required.

The flexibility of the system also enabled the project to utilise the sheet piles as permanent retaining walls for the alfresco terrace and lookout; permanent formwork for the building slab; and as the primary structure and facade of the building; thus eliminating the need for a traditional two component sub-frame and cladding system.

With sustainability and re-use integral to the projects outcome, these recycled sheet piles procured from the 2010/2011 Victorian floods came with the added bonus of reducing the projects embodied energy.

Socially, the kiosk provides an important landmark and meeting point for the local community and services the growing number of tourists and recreational users that not only swarm to the coast during summertime, but right throughout the year due to its year round appeal.

Economically, the structural efficiency of the sheet pile system allowed for a project with a limited budget to be appropriately and innovatively completed, on time and on budget, and in the manner befitting such a unique location. It also provides employment for 1-3 staff and has a tenancy dedicated to sourcing regional produce in order to reduce its food miles.

Consultant Team Details
Architectural Practice: Tony Hobba Architects
Project Team: Michael Lucas, Tony Hobba, Jordan Wright
Client: GORCC (Great Ocean Road Coastal Committee)
Builder: Philip Jessen
Structural Engineer: Harrington Gumienik & Partners
Hydraulic Engineer: Peter Tibballs & Associates
Electrical Engineer: Dick Twentyman & Associates

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steel piles by Tony Hobba Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture firm Grimshaw has completed an ecological park in South Korea where tropical plants, waterfalls and penguins are housed within huge glass and steel biomes (+ slideshow).

Located in Seocheon, the Ecorium visitor centre was designed in collaboration between the New York office of Grimshaw and Korean architecture firm Samoo, and was intended as an exhibition of the world’s climates.

The complex is made up of five biomes, each dedicated to a different climatic zone. In plan, they all feature curved semi-circular shapes that are based on the form of lakes left over by moving rivers.

“The project concept is inspired by the form of an oxbow lake, an aquatic body created by the evolving erosion of a meandering river,” said the architects, who previously designed biomes at the Eden Centre in Cornwall, England.

Curving steel beams create arched rooflines, while lightweight glass walls help to maximise the natural light inside each space.

Visitors enter the complex through a grand lobby and are led first to the tropical zone – the largest of the five greenhouses. This structure has high ceilings that will allow trees to grow in the future, alongside waterfall and aquarium features.

From here, a route moves through climates that include sub-tropical, Mediterranean, and temperate, which mimics the natural ecosystems of rural Korea.

The final greenhouse contains a polar zone, which has a sub-zero temperature and offers visitors a chance to see living penguins.

“Ecorium plays an important role in providing opportunities for visitors to have a hands-on experience of various ecological environments around the world and learn the importance of conservation,” added the architects.

Photography is by Young Chae Park.

Here’s a project description from Grimshaw:

Grimshaw completes first project in Asia

Grimshaw is delighted to announce the completion of its first project in Asia. Ecorium is an innovative environmental visitor attraction at the National Ecology Centre in Seocheon, South Korea. The project, which was secured through a turnkey design and build competition hosted by Korea’s Ministry of the Environment, uses nature as an immersive teaching tool to showcase the world’s diverse ecosystems. Grimshaw’s New York studio worked alongside Samoo Architects and Engineers during the competition phase. Following the successful project win, Samsung Construction executed and delivered the final project.

The project concept is inspired by the form of an oxbow lake, an aquatic body created by the evolving erosion of a meandering river. The masterplan guides the visitor flow through a series of botanical gardens and into Ecorium. Visitors travel through five biomes, seeing, hearing, smelling and touching flora and fauna from the tropical rainforest, cloud forest, dry tropics, cool temperate and Antarctic regions. The enclosures were consciously designed as a continuous series, utilising climatic zones to emphasise diversity while maintaining the connections between regions present in nature.

Ecorium is completely unique in its physical form and design characteristics, and a model of efficient green design in operation. Steel arches delineate the ridgeline of each biome enclosure, supporting a lightweight glazing system to maximise the internal daylight level. This practice promotes vigorous plant growth and eliminates the need for supplemental electrical lighting.

With the vision of becoming a hub for education and research on ecology, Ecorium plays an important role in providing opportunities for visitors to have a hands-on experience of various ecological environments around the world and learn the importance of conservation.

Grimshaw was supported during the concept design phases by the following sub-consultants:
Structural Engineering: Thornton Tomasetti
Environmental Systems: Atelier Ten
Botanical Design Specialist: Zoo Horticulture
Exhibit Design: Lyons Zaremba

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by Grimshaw and Samoo appeared first on Dezeen.