Steven Holl begins construction of second arts building at the University of Iowa

News: American firm Steven Holl Architects has begun construction of a new building for the University of Iowa’s School of Art and Art History, adjacent to the award-winning Art Building West that the practice completed in 2006.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

Designed in collaboration with Missouri studio BNIM, the new Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa by Steven Holl Architects is required to relocate teaching spaces from the original 1936 faculty building, which was badly damaged when the campus was flooded in 2008.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

The new building will include 11705 square metres of open space for use by the ceramics, sculpture, metals, photography, print-making and 3D multimedia departments. It will also include graduate student studios, faculty and staff studios, plus offices and gallery space.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

The rectangular plan will be interrupted by six cutaways creating courtyards round the perimeter and a central forum boring down through the centre, crossed with staircases to join the four floors.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

“The courts are characterised by a language of shifted layers where one floor plate slides past another,” said the architects. “This geometry creates multiple balconies, providing outdoor meeting spaces and informal exterior working space.”

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

Large landing areas around the staircases will be furnished with tables, chairs and sofas for working and meeting, and there will also be an accessible green roof.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

The white concrete structure will be cast in-situ and clad in solid recycled zinc panels on the northeast and northwest sides. The southeast and southwest facades will be covered with custom perforated stainless steel panels, while the courtyards will be surrounded by channel glass.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

The new building will sit to the northwest of Steven Holl Architects’ Art Building West, which has received numerous accolades since its opening including an RIBA International Award, The American Architecture Award and four awards from the American Institute of Architects.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects

“While the 2006 Arts Building West is horizontally porous and of planar composition, the new building will be vertically porous and volumetrically composed,” said the studio. “Natural light and ventilation are inserted into the deep floor plates via multiple centers of light.”

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Site plan

Steven Holl Architects and BNIM won a competition to design the building organised by the University in 2010. The new building is due to open 2016.

Steven Holl is also working on a new institute for contemporary art at the Virginia Commonwealth University campus and a new sports centre for Columbia University in New York.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Ground floor plan – click for larger image

See all our stories about architecture by Steven Holl »
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Here’s some more information from Steven Holl Architects:


Steven Holl Architects’ Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa starts construction

The new Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa celebrates the beginning of construction. Designed by Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with BNIM, the new facility for the University of Iowa’s School of Art and Art History will provide 126,000 sf of loft-like space for the departments of ceramics, sculpture, metals, photography, print-making and 3D multimedia. It will also include graduate student studios, faculty and staff studios and offices, and gallery space.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
First floor plan – click for larger image

The new Visual Arts Building relocates and expands educational space from the original 1936 arts building, which was heavily damaged during a flood of the University of Iowa campus in June 2008.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Second floor plan – click for larger image

The new building will be located directly adjacent to and northwest of Art Building West, which was designed by Steven Holl Architects and has received numerous awards since its opening in 2006.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Third floor plan – click for larger image

While the 2006 Arts Building West is horizontally porous and of planar composition, the new building will be vertically porous and volumetrically composed. Natural light and ventilation are inserted into the deep floor plates via multiple centers of light.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Fourth floor plan – click for larger image

The aim of maximum interaction between all departments of the school takes shape in social circulation spaces. Seven vertical cutouts encourage interaction between all four levels. These light courts are characterized by a language of shifted layers where one floor plate slides past another.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Section A – click for larger image

This geometry creates multiple balconies, providing outdoor meeting spaces and informal exterior working space. Interior stairs stop at generous landings with tables and chairs, and lounge spaces with sofas.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Section B – click for larger image

Steven Holl said, “We are very pleased to be able to work again with the University of Iowa towards the creation of campus space as well as an inspiring new facility for the arts.”

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Detailed Section A – click for larger image

Chris McVoy added, “We are excited to begin construction on this ambitious studio arts building, which offers the rare circumstance to realize a complementary architecture and shape campus space with one of our favorite built works, the 2006 Art Building West.

University of Iowa Visual Arts Building by Steven Holl Architects
Detailed Section B – click for larger image

The new building is dedicated to space for the ever-evolving practice of art within and across different disciplines, from foundry to digital media, all connected by porous social spaces and light courts.”

The LEED Gold building includes an accessible green roof, and integrates active slab heating and cooling into the exposed loft-like concrete bubble deck structure.

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Ume-play and Karakusa-play ceramics by Nendo

Product news: Japanese studio Nendo has created a range of porcelain with patterns that play on archival designs from a traditional Japanese pottery.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The Ume-play and Karakusa-play collections were created in collaboration with Gen-emon, a 260-old ceramics company located in Arita, the Japanese town famed for its potteries in the Saga Prefecture on the northern part of Kyushu island.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The process involved a re-editing of one of the firm’s most well known patterns, a small plum-blossom repeat known as ume komon.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The ceramics also play with the traditional foliage scrollwork known as kara-kusa-e.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The process involved enlarging and re-arranging the original patterns by cutting them up, turning them upside down and layering the shapes.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The resulting pieces seem to have an eclectic mix of patterns at first glance but are tied together by the same basic shapes and the kiln’s identity of blue and white underglaze with contrasting dark and light blues.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The traditional porcelain method was also reinterpreted by introducing a charcoal-based resist method called sumi hajiki, in contrast to the usual way of filling in outlines. This method allowed for finer lines and reduced cost.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

See more ceramics »
See more work by Nendo »

Photos by Akihiro Yoshida.

Some words from the designer:


Gen-emon is one of the most renowned Arita-yaki porcelain kilns, with a 260-year history dating to 1753.

We undertook an unorthodox re-edit of one of the kiln’s most famous patterns, a small plum flower repeat known as ‘ume komon’ and foliage scrollwork known as ‘karakusa-e’.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

Like children playing with paper, we blew up the pattern until it was enormous, as though viewed through a magnifying glass.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

We cut it up with scissors, pasted it, lined it up, turned it upside down and layered it, too.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

This faux-naïve strategy allowed us to activate Gen-emon’s key visual signifiers – the blue and white underglaze and strong contrast between the dark and light blues – while developing a rich assortment of variations.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The result: a delightful selection of ceramics that may have different patterns, but can be used together on the table without breaking visual unity.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

Traditionally, Gen-emon’s porcelains are made by drawing the outlines, then filling in the centre.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

We introduced a charcoal-based resist method, ‘sumi hajiki’, that allows both fine lines and an accessible price for the consumer.

Patterned porcelain ceramics by Nendo

The ume-play collection upholds Gen-emon’s long history and traditions and reflects the kiln’s commitment to constant change and evolution.

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Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid photographed by Edmon Leong

Here’s an exclusive set of images showing the inside of Zaha Hadid’s Innovation Tower at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, sent to us by photographer Edmon Leong (+ slideshow).

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Exterior image

Hong Kong-based architecture photographer Edmon Leong captured the images as some levels of the building were still being completed and faculty staff and students were moving in.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Exterior image

The building is now partly in use, with some floors still under construction.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Escalators in main entrance

Leong describes his journey round the building: “The first thing I saw were escalators… I was limited to angles since the entrance was heavily decorated with gold celebration balloons and student installations to mark its opening.”

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Escalators

Leong also took some shots standing at the top of the escalators in the main entrance looking downwards.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Side view of escalator

“The rest of the space feels more like a museum than a university. You can see the design’s similarity to the Guangzhou Opera House but on a smaller scale,” he added.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Side view of escalator

Walking around the third floor, Leong described how you encounter a small atrium on one side and a large lecture theatre.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Roof in main entrance

“On the other side of the third floor you will find a larger atrium and this looks up to the ninth floor,” he said.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Top of the main entrance escalator

“The atrium looks pretty amazing, just next to it you find a staircase leading up to the ninth floor while floors four to nine are still under construction.”

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Top of the main entrance escalator

Leong took a lift from the third to the ninth floor. He captured the unfinished space there and walking into a classroom with a view of the surrounding campus.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Top of the escalator

“I wish I’d had a space like this when I attended university,” he said.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Small third floor atrium

“Many areas are still unfinished and I can’t wait to go back and finish photographing it at my own pace.”

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Small third floor atrium

He described the exterior and how he felt that it morphs into three different buildings.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Small third floor atrium

“It looks completely different from various angles and sticks out amongst the landscape filled with box shaped buildings,” he said.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Lecture theatre

“Hong Kong needs more buildings like these because its such a modern metropolis.”

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Lecture theatre

Zaha Hadid Architects were commissioned to complete the 76-metre high building in 2008.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Lecture theatre

Planned as the university’s design school, the building is close to Hung Hom station in Kowloon.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Large atrium

The leaning tower will provide a space for more than 1500 university students.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Large atrium

We published a story on the Innovation Tower with a series of exterior image by Edmon Leong a few months ago.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Staircase

More Zaha Hadid projects include the Serpentine Sackler Gallery that opened in London last week, images of a boutique chain interior for American shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and the forthcoming design for the National Stadium of Japan.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
View from staircase to third floor

See more Zaha Hadid projects »

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Classroom

All images are copyright Edmon Leong and used with permission.

Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid
Exterior image

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Competition: five MINI Weekender bags by Puma to be won

Competition: five MINI Weekender bags by Puma to be won

Competition: to celebrate the Dezeen and MINI World Tour we’re giving readers the chance to win one of five leather weekend bags designed for MINI by sportswear brand Puma worth £110.

Puma designed the black holdall for MINI to fit travel essentials for a weekend away, with details such as a lime green zip and luggage label plus Internal compartments for credit cards.

The bag has short leather handles for carrying by hand and seatbelt-style straps for slinging it over a shoulder.

To enter this competition email your name, age, gender, occupation, and delivery address and telephone number to competitions@dezeen.com with “MINI Weekender” in the subject line. We won’t pass your information on to anyone else; we just want to know a little about our readers. Read our privacy policy here.

You need to subscribe to our newsletter to have a chance of winning. Sign up here.

Competition closes 25 October 2013. Five winners will be selected at random and notified by email. Winners’ names will be published in a future edition of our Dezeen Mail newsletter and at the top of this page. Dezeen competitions are international and entries are accepted from readers in any country.

See more bag designs »
See all our Dezeen and MINI World Tour movies »

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Special feature: design by celebrities

Special feature: design by celebrities

Kanye West was in the news last week for venting his creative frustration, but he isn’t the only celebrity who wants to be a designer – Pharrell Williams, Brad Pitt, Vanilla Ice and even Buzz Aldrin have had a go at furniture and lighting. With varying degrees of success…

In an interview that was meant to be about his latest album with DJ Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1, West revealed he wants to design everything from water bottles to architecture and claimed to be “working with five architects at a time” to learn their craft.

Air Yeezy trainers by Kanye West for Nike
Air Yeezy trainers by Kanye West for Nike

He has already designed a line of high-top trainers for Nike and shown his womenswear collections at Paris Fashion Week.

West announced plans to start his own design company DONDA last year, and hoped to enlist a number of designers and architects to join him. In 2007 he commissioned architect Claudio Silvestrin to design his New York apartment.

The Tank chair by Pharrell Williams
The Tank chair by Pharrell Williams

Other famous faces branching into design include vocalist and producer Pharrell Williams, who designed a chair with transparent plastic caterpillar tracks for legs.

Vanilla Ice designs lighting collection
Vanilla Ice designs lighting collection

Rapper Vanilla Ice launched a collection of chandeliers and wall lamps earlier this year.

We’ve also featured a movie in which rapper Ice Cube, who previously trained as an architectural draftsman, explains his love of architecture and how he’s inspired by the work of renowned architects Charles and Ray Eames.

Pitt-Pollaro furniture collection by Brad Pitt
Pitt-Pollaro furniture collection by Brad Pitt

Away from music, actor Brad Pitt has created a range of furniture that features a dozen pieces including a bed, tables, chairs and a marble bathtub for two.

Duplex by Frank Gehry for Brad Pitt's Make it Right charity
Duplex by Frank Gehry for Brad Pitt’s Make it Right charity

Pitt has also dabbled in architecture. His charity Make It Right signed up a series of architects including Frank Gehry, Morphosis and MVRDV to help provide solutions to the housing crisis created in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2008.

Kate Winslet designs for Habitat
Kate Winslet designs for Habitat

Titanic actress Kate Winslet and Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe are among Hollywood stars who have designed products for British brand Habitat.

Astronaut designs moon-shaped lamp
Astronaut designs moon-shaped lamp

Second man on the moon Buzz Aldrin created a lunar-inspired pendant lamp for the brand as well.

Special feature: design by celebrities
Moby launches architecture blog

Finally, technology firm Blackberry named singer Alicia Keys as its creative director earlier this year while musician Moby began an architecture blog to post his photos and musings on the subject in 2012 – see it here.

We’ve also featured a roundup of architects who’ve tried their hand at designing shoes, which includes footwear by Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Oscar Niemeyer.

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December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

London Design Festival 2013: British designer Jasper Morrison and Japanese designer Wataru Kumano have designed a self-assembly chair with a linen seat and backrest (+ slideshow).

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

Morrison and Kumano created the December chair for Finnish manufacturer Nikari. The firm commissioned designers to produce a wooden product or piece of furniture for each day of the month as part of its 12 Designs for Nature project, which also featured work by Alfredo Häberli, Martí Guixé and Harri Koskinen.

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

The chair comprises an ash wood frame and a linen seat and backrest. It is intended to work in a country home, city apartment or hotel lobby, according to the designers.

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

Morrison and Kumano wanted to create a chair that could be bought in a box and built at home by following simple instructions.

“The core of the design is the seat frame which is already assembled, to which the legs and backrest structure are attached with a combination of screwing and gluing,” Morrison explained.

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

“It’s a basic but comfortable low chair with a slightly rural character and definite Scandinavian influence,” he added.

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

The chair was displayed during London Design Festival at Morrison’s temporary Library of Design at his east London shop, alongside his Fionda chair for Mattiazzi and Palma cookware for Oigen.

December chair by Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari
December chair components

Other products by Jasper Morrison that we’ve featured recently include the Please watch for fashion brand Issey Miyake and an outdoor chair for Spanish brand Kettal.

See all our stories on Jasper Morrison »
See all our stories about London Design Festival 2013 »

December chair in the Library of Design by Jasper Morrison
December chair in Jasper Morrison’s Library of Design

Photography is by Chikako Harada.

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and Wataru Kumano for Nikari
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Speakers confirmed for Downtown Design Dubai

Dezeen promotion: designers Giulio Cappellini, Pauline Deltour and Ora Ito plus architects Ludovica and Roberto Palomba are confirmed to speak during trade fair Downtown Design Dubai, taking place from 29 October to 1 November.

Downtown Design Dubai
Vases by Serralunga. Main image: furniture by Muuto

The guest speakers will lead design talks during the inaugural Downtown Design Dubai, at the foot of the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa.

Downtown Design Dubai
Furniture by Cappellini

Furniture, lighting, accessories, flooring, textiles and new technologies will all be on show at a purpose-built venue on Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in central Dubai.

Downtown Design Dubai
Verreum wine and champagne set by Sebastian Bergne. Photo by Patrik Borecky-Tomas Brabec

Confirmed exhibitors include Italian furniture brands Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini as well as US chair manufacturer Emeco.

Downtown Design Dubai
Textile flooring by Bolon

Installations by design groups Temporary Museum of New Design, Nouvelle Vague and Craftsmanship at The Workshop will be created inside the venue.

Downtown Design Dubai
Cykno bike

The four-day event will be free for trade visitors and industry professionals between 12pm and 8pm daily from 29 October to 1 November.

Downtown Design Dubai
Navy chair by Emeco

Members of the public can also visit from 5pm to 8pm on 29-31 October and 12pm to 6pm on 1 November.

Downtown Design Dubai
Coat stand by Discipline. Photo by Paul Barbera

Register to attend on the Downtown Design Dubai website or at the entrance desk of the venue. Images show products by confirmed exhibitors.

Keep reading for more information from the organisers:


Downtown Design announces exhibitors, speakers and special installations

» Carefully selected global interior design brands to showcase iconic and unique products.
» Guest speakers include designers Giulio Cappellini, Pauline Deltour, Ora Ito and architects Ludovica+Roberto Palomba.
» Special installations from the Temporary Museum, Nouvelle Vague and Craftsmanship at The Workshop.

Downtown Design, a new design trade fair in Dubai has announced its final list of 40 exhibitors for its first show, taking place from 29 October to 1 November. As well as individual brands, there will also be a stunning showcase of three special installations and a series of design talks hosted by high profile designers.

Downtown Design Dubai
Cabinet by Chi Wing Lo

Downtown Design will for the first time in the Middle East bring together a selection of international design brands renowned for their quality products and focus on manufacturing craftsmanship. The inaugural show will be held at the custom-built location, ‘The Venue’, in Emaar’s Downtown Dubai, located on Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard. The event is geared specifically towards design industry professionals including architects, real estate developers and interior designers from across the Middle East and North Africa.

Confirmed participants include some of the world’s leading design brands exhibiting for the first time in the region. Featuring the very best in furniture, lighting, accessories, flooring, textiles and new technologies, Downtown Dubai’s exhibitors include: Atelier AK, Bolon, Cappellini, Carl Hansen, Cassina, Chi Wing Lo, De Castelli, De Vecchi Milano 1935, Dilmos Milano, Discipline, Emeco, Engeenius – Cykno, Evita Vonni Collections LTD, Fritz Hansen, Gaggenau, Gaia & Gino, Hossein Rezvani, Il Laboratorio dell’Imperfetto, Lamellux, Lisa Corti, Louis Poulsen, Muuto, Nouvelle Vague Volume 2, Pinetti, Poltrona Frau, Pouenat Ferronnier, Preciosa, Quadrature, Seletti, Serralunga, Temporary Museum for New Design, Theodore Alexander, USM, Verreum and Vitra. Al Khaznah Tannery from the UAE will also be making a surprise announcement during the fair.

Downtown Design Dubai
Armchairs by Cassina

To bolster the exhibition of high end design brands, Downtown Design will also be hosting a series of design talks to inform and educate visitors to the fair. Guest speakers include world renowned designer Giulio Cappellini, iconoclastic artist and designer Ora Ito, French product designer Pauline Deltour and the Italian Architect duo Ludovica+Roberto Palomba.

In addition to the trade fair, Downtown Design will host three installations, specially curated for the event, to engage its visitors and emphasise the quality, innovation and craftsmanship behind today’s contemporary design. Installations include: Nouvelle Vague, Craftsmanship at The Workshop and the Temporary Museum for New Design.

Organised by the Institut Français in the UAE, Nouvelle Vague is a unique design exhibition curated by Cédric Morisse. Nouvelle Vague is coming to the Middle East for the first time and will feature a specially curated collection of design with an exhibition curated in partnership with UAE’s Khalid Shafar.

Downtown Design Dubai
Tables by Lamellux

The Craftsmanship at The Workshop installation will aim to show visitors the quality and skill that goes into product manufacturing in factories in Denmark and the careful selection of materials used. The stand will showcase works from Fritz Hansen, Carl Hansen and Louis Poulsen as well as featuring live craftsmen working on two items, the upholstery of the iconic egg chair and the weaving of a wishbone chair’s seat.

The Temporary Museum for New Design, the cornerstone of Milan’s Design Week and reputed for exhibiting work from some of the world’s leading product designers such as Karim Rashid, Marc Sadler and Marcel Wanders, has chosen Downtown Design for its first exhibition outside Milan. Known for their innovation and design entrepreneurship, they will be exhibiting pieces from cutting edge brands including Astrini, Crjos, Landor, Melongranoblu, Slide, Slide Art, Tagina and Zava.

Cristina Romelli Gervasoni, Downtown Design Fair Director, said: “Downtown Design brings quality driven, international commercial design brands to the Middle East. We aim to act as a platform for business networking. The Middle East is a very appealing market for the brands we have selected and we are delighted to be able to bring to Dubai new brands who are debuting in the Middle East for the first time at Downtown Design.

Downtown Design Dubai
Lamp by Muuto

“Alongside the exhibition, Downtown Design will also feature an extensive programme for trade professionals and visitors to engage with some of the world’s leading designers and to network with key figures in the industry. By providing a unique platform to give international brands access to the rapidly growing market of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), Downtown Design is set to become a key design show on Dubai’s creative landscape, thereby fulfilling His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, recent decree of increasing the overall contribution to the creative sector to Dubai’s GDP.”

The four-day event, which will be free for trade visitors and industry professionals between 12pm and 8pm daily, will also be open to members of the public from 5pm to 8pm on 29-31 October and 12-6pm on Friday 1st November.

www.downtowndesign.com

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Oke collection by Nendo

Product news: Japanese studio Nendo has made this range of drinking vessels and wine bottle holders in the same way as pails and barrels (+ slideshow).

Oke collection by Nendo

Nendo worked with traditional Japanese barrel maker Nakagawa Mokkougei, using wooden bucket-making techniques to create smaller versions for the Oke collection.

Oke collection by Nendo

The range includes a tumbler, drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher.

Oke collection by Nendo

Nendo altered the silhouette of the buckets, which normally have straight edges. “We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand,” the studio said.

Oke collection by Nendo

The lighter-coloured pieces are crafted from Japanese cypress and darker items are made out of Jindai cedar, a rare wood removed from the ground after being buried for 2000 years.

Oke collection by Nendo

Both woods are treated with urethane to prevent warping caused by sunlight, dirt and moisture.

Oke collection by Nendo

One metal hoop rather than the usual two is used to bind the wooden slats. The hoop is sandblasted for a matte finish.

Oke collection by Nendo

The slats forming the larger Uneven-Oke Bucket are different heights so a bottle neck can rest against them. It has two hoops instead of one so it looks distinctly barrel-like.

Oke collection by Nendo

All designs will be available from Seibu department stores in Japan from 22 October.

Nendo has also designed a collection of office furniture that is screwed together with a coin rather than tools and a chair inspired by the spike heels on a pair of stilettos. See more design by Nendo »

Photos are by Akihiro Yoshida.

Here are some more details from Nendo:


Oke Cup, Oke Carafe, Uneven-Oke Bucket

Nakagawa Mokkougei is a traditional Japanese cooper whose pails, buckets and other wooden items have long been beloved of exclusive Kyoto inns and restaurants. We designed a collection of drinking items – a tumbler, guinomi drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher – that utilise the same barrel-making skills and techniques. Somewhat unconventionally, we decided to bind the wooden slats with one hoop, rather than the usual two. We made the walls thicker than usual and created nearly imperceptible spaces between the slats, a new construction that disperses the stress around the structure.

Oke collection by Nendo

Using only one hoop makes for a clean look, and the thicker wood has a strong, comforting feel against the lips when lifted to the mouth. We also played with the cups’ silhouette. The walls of Japanese wooden buckets ordinarily lie straight. We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand.

Oke collection by Nendo

To soften the hoop’s metallic gleam, we sandblasted it to a matte texture then coloured it with a powdered paint, developing another new technique. The pieces are made from a combination of Japanese cypress (hinoki), the traditional material for buckets, and Jindai Cedar, a rare, darker wood uncovered from having been buried in the earth for more than 2000 years.

Oke collection by Nendo

We treated both woods with urethane to keep warping from ultraviolet rays, dirt and moisture to a minimum. A collection that combines old and new techniques to bring out the best in its materials. All the items will be sold at Seibu department stores in Japan exclusively from 22 October.

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Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski

Minnesota architect Josh Lewandowski has started a blog where he’ll post one meaningless architectural diagram every day for a year (+ slideshow).

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Up and Over Aaltoesque

Since 7 September, Lewandowski has been publishing a single drawing to his Pointless Diagrams blog every day, and intends to continue for a whole year.

“I started the blog because for as long as I can remember I’ve always drawn and doodled 3D sketches that have an unapologetic dearth of meaning,” Lewandowski told Dezeen. “I’m doing it because of my sincere belief that setting aside time to doodle useless stuff is extremely useful.”

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Imaginary Religion

The drawings depict imaginary structures and architectural scenarios, and some of the diagrams also feature directional arrows. “I like that people I’ve shown them to see different things based on their own experiences,” he said.

“I draw my inspiration from architecture, furniture, engineering, geometry, cereal boxes, Lego instructions and Etch A Sketch memories,” explained the designer. “I always use pen and ink because an early art teacher told me erasing is for wimps.”

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Walk Carefully

The original drawings are made in pen and ink on buff acid-free paper and are available for purchase from Lewandowski.

Lewandowski studied Art and Architecture at the University of Minnesota and a Masters of Architecture at Yale University. He is the founder of furniture design firm Nordeast Industries.

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Monument to the Pink Flags

Other illustrations featured on Dezeen include Toby Melville-Brown’s drawings of impossible architectural structures and Tom Ngo’s Architectural Absurdities series featuring a building made of stairs and an impossible lighthouse.

See more architectural illustration »

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Parallax in Teal and Pink

Images are courtesy of the designer.

Here’s a full description from Lewandowski:


Pointless Diagrams

I started the blog because for as long as I can remember I’ve always drawn and doodled 3d sketches that have an unapologetic dearth of meaning.

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Deco Aqua Lake

Whether it was in a 6th grade English class, during a Peter Eisenman lecture in grad school, or when I should have been CADing while employed at Robert A M Stern Architects; I was drawing.

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
I Can’t Stop

The sketches are usually meaningless and aesthetically could be described as equal parts Draw Squad and James Stirling.

I draw my inspiration from architecture, furniture, engineering, geometry, cereal boxes, lego instructions, and Etch A Sketch memories. I always use pen and ink because an early art teacher told me erasing is for wimps.

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
A.13

This blog chronicles my attempt at a year-long endeavor to draw one diagram a day, because of my sincere belief that setting aside time to doodle useless pictures is extremely useful.

Pointless Diagrams by Josh Lewandowski
Climb, then Leap

They appear meaningful without actually being helpful. Some might seem to reference real things or show some sort of relationship between things, but that is merely coincidental. Enjoy.

The post Pointless Diagrams by
Josh Lewandowski
appeared first on Dezeen.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara and Assistant Studio

Three separate sections built in different cities make up this steel-framed house in Nara, Japan, by Tokyo architects Megumi Matsubara and Hiroi Ariyama (+ slideshow).

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Megumi Matsubara worked alongside Hiroi Ariyama of Assistant Studio to design House of 33 Years, which is made from a mixture of exposed raw materials including steel, timber, concrete, steel cables, clear corrugated plastic and glass panels.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Located next door to an ancient Buddhist temple, the house was designed for an elderly couple who decided to move house after 33 years living in their original home together.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Each part of the house was simultaneously built in three separate locations – the cities of Nara, Sendai, and Aomori – before being transported to the site and put together as one unit, which the architects felt would create an architecture that “moves”.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

The roof shell was built in Nara, while the main rooms were built in Aomori from local timber. Meanwhile, a section of the first-floor was built at the Sendai School of Design and housed a farm in the school’s courtyard, before being transferred to Nara.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Architect Megumi Matsubara said the house’s location has a special meaning for the couple. “The husband is originally from Nara and had an attachment and melancholic nostalgia with the temple, having spent a considerable amount of his childhood there,” Matsubara said.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

A layered arrangement of glass panes and wooden structures through the interior create different visual perspectives depending on where you stand inside the building.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

“By framing views across different areas, images are continuously produced by the inhabitants’ movement,” Matsubara said. “Every image is given its own space of possibility, then overlaps as multiple additions to the home to update the family’s memories.”

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Accessed by steel staircases and a wooden ladder elevated at different heights, the first-floor bathroom is cantilevered and offers residents a view of the temple’s bamboo forest while bathing.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

This floor is the brightest part of the house, while the smaller, darker room on the ground-floor level is used as a bedroom. The combined living, dining and kitchen space is positioned at the back.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Another project we’ve featured by Megumi Matsubara is an installation in Tokyo featuring 10 conceptual machines all beginning with the letter ‘B’.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Other recently completed houses in Japan include a narrow timber house in Tokyo and a residence with angular cutaways create through the walls, floors and ceilings. See more houses in Japan »

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

Photography is Tadasu Yamamoto, Shinkenchiku-sha.

Here’s a project description from the architects:


House of 33 Years

Megumi Matsubara & Hiroi Ariyama of the architecture firm Assistant are pleased to announce the completion of House of 33 Years after five years since the project’s inception. The House of 33 Years is a residence located next to the world heritage Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan. The house was designed for an elderly couple who decided to move to a new house thirty three years after living in their first house.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

The House of 33 Years is a house for a collector who collects memories, whose memory and future exist simultaneously in the same space. By framing views across different areas, images are continuously produced by the inhabitants’ movement. Every image is given its own space of possibility, then overlaps as multiple additions to the home to update the family’s memories.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara

In 2012, during the construction process, the fabrication of the house was partly supported by Aomori Contemporary Art Centre and Sendai School of Design. Its design/fabrication process has been an academic research subject of Adaptable Futures, Loughborough University, UK. The house has been awarded SD Review prize in 2010.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Axonometric diagram – click for larger image

The house consists of multiple pavilions and rooms in wood structure that stand under the big steel-frame house. The relationship between the individual elements defines the character of the house as a whole. Its construction process has been pursued in three separate locations simultaneously; Nara, Sendai, and Aomori. In Nara, the exterior steel roof to cover the whole residence has been constructed on-site.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Section A

Then, having accepted offers by two public institutions, Sendai School of Design and Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, to participate in their artist-in-residence programs, the duo decided to build an unknown experience by linking the two institutions through a single residential housing project, to eventually constitute the house in Nara.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Section B

They broke House of 33 Years, which had been designed as a single house, into parts suitable for making in the two programs, so that the architecture would “move,” so to speak. Each work was also realised as an individual installation piece on which additional features were elaborated, responding to demands from the institution, characteristics of the space, and the chosen method of exhibiting.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Section C

In Sendai, Ghost House, a pavilion to sit on the roof, was built with the students of Sendai School of Design. The pavilion is an homage to Ghost House, one of the pavilions scattered on the large premises of the famous house of Philip Johnson and was given the same name. Over the summer it was sitting in the courtyard of a university campus and the students had grown a farm inside.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Section D

In Aomori, the main rooms in wood-structure was built and developed together with local carpenters, using materials available in Aomori, as an installation piece Obscure Architecture (House of 33 Years, Study), then to become a part of ‘Kime to Kehai’ exhibition at Aomori Contemporary Art Centre. This work always had a fresh look depending on the movement of the sunlight. Physically, this architectural work remained present in the same position, whereas the natural phenomena created by it kept flowing without stopping. After the exhibition period in each city, those elements were disassembled and loaded on a 4-ton truck, and carried to the destination, Nara, where they were recomposed to form the House of 33 Years.

House of 33 Years by Megumi Matsubara
Section D

Project name: House of 33 Years
Location: Nara, Japan
Architects: Megumi Matsubara and Hiroi Ariyama (Assistant Studio)
Client: private
Purpose: private residence
Structural engineer: Mitsuda Structural Consultants
Site area: 189 square metres
Building area: 76 square metres
Total floor area: 104 square metres
Structure: steel frame, wooden
Number of storeys: 2 storeys
Construction period: March 2011 – June 2013

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Matsubara and Assistant Studio
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