Hasta La Ideas

This slatted structure by architects Plasma Studio looks like it’s crawling over an apartment building in the Italian Dolomites (+ slideshow).

Plasma Studio were faced with the dual tasks of adding a circulation space and a new family home to an existing block in the South Tyrol village of Sesto, close to the Austrian border.

“An under-utilised roof space gave way to an angular crown, connected to a ground floor reception space and architectural office by the host’s renovated spine,” said the architects.

Parametric software created an angular shape that folds around and on top of the original cuboid form, covered by thin strips of larch wood similar to the Strata Hotel the studio designed just down the valley.

The structure appears to grow out of the hillside, snaking up the back of the building as a series of faceted planes.

Two levels are housed inside the extension, which uses the sloping site so the lower floor nestles against the top floor existing building but opens out onto a garden on the same level behind.

Inside, bedrooms face on to a corridor lit by a glass chasm that extends up and over the building.

An open-plan living, kitchen and dining area are housed in the upper storey, which sits at a slight angle to the structure below to further differentiate it.

The large balcony on this level looks out to the forested hills and snow-capped peaks on the other side of the valley.

These two floors are linked by internal and external staircases, and also connect to the circulation core that provides access to each of the six apartments in the whitewashed building underneath.

Plasma Studio has also designed an apartment block with jagged copper balconies and angular LED street lamps.

More houses set in the rugged Italian landscape include a gabled home with stripy wooden walls and a holiday retreat that incorporates an enormous window frame into a reconstructed stone wall.

Photography is by Hertha Hurnaus.

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The architects sent us the project description below:

Paramount Residence Alma

This project was conceived to fulfil a two-part problematic: (1) Residence Alma -a Tyrolean guest house with 6 holiday apartments from the 1960s adorned with a pitched roof – was due for a common circulation and service core, and (2) the project architect, Ulla Hell, was looking for a new home for her young family of five in the mountain community of Sesto. The result: an under-utilised roof space gave way to an angular crown, connected to a ground floor reception space and architectural office by the host’s renovated spine.

Having already made their mark on nearby Residence Königswarte with the addition of the Strata Hotel in 2007, Plasma Studio sought to follow a similar skin organization. A timber strip section in larch wood was borrowed from the neighbouring Strata and extruded along two paths. The first stretches across the site, picking up the topography on either end of the building and climbing to enclose a third storey balcony. Here, the edge skirts around the existing footprint, leaving corners exposed to acknowledge its presence.

A second path draws the timber skin up from behind, folding around the chimney to return to the ground. Interstitial spaces between the exterior walls and wooden bands swell at ground level to offer sheltered outdoor living spaces. The design team employed parametric modelling software to optimize the density of these timber strips and their metal substrustructure, balancing budget, aesthetics, privacy and views. This approach allowed for flexibility throughout the design phase and output shop drawings for pre-fabricated elements at an efficient pace.

The Alma addition departs, however, from the Strata in its approach to volume. The practical constraints of a multi-room hotel structure called for a regular distribution of modules along a connecting spine. The perceived volume was achieved through horizontal sections around free-flowing terrace spaces. With the Alma, we took advantage of a more flexible program to create unique spatial conditions. These interior volumes are rendered legible from the exterior by the timber strips–an honest depiction of the playful activity within.

The interior of this family home is characterized by 360-degree views. Perhaps the most spectacular of these being a view of the sky through an incision over the central stair. This opening delivers an immediate reading of exterior weather conditions, collecting precipitation and receiving direct sunlight.

The main living spaces are split over two floors with first floor bedrooms off a skylit corridor, and an open plan kitchen, dining and family room encircling a fireplace on the second floor. By grouping functional elements in orthogonal cores, the surrounding space is liberated. The exterior walls of the main living spaces collapse inwards to catch light, views and varying degrees of enclosure.

All living spaces in the private residence have direct access to the outside through a series terraces or gardens. Its multiple access points include: a main entrance through an internal connection to the neighbouring house, a series of openings that follow the natural topography, and an external stair connecting the third floor terrace to the garden. Each inhabitant has come to find their own favourite route.

Limited material and colour palettes give strength to the space, with splashes of colour in the children’s washroom. The otherwise white walls provide a backdrop for an ever-changing display of shadows from the pleated roof above.

As the extension sits within the steep topography, substructural elements were developed in reinforced concrete, while the superstructure was built from prefabricated cross laminated timber (CLT) insulated with wood fiber and sealed with black bitumen. The outer skin in larch wood strips on a galvanized steel structure was determined according to cost and aesthetics by the aforementioned parametric model. A consistently limited colour code was applied to the exterior, allowing the volume to dissolve into the surrounding hillside when viewed from afar.

Through its use of form, materials and views, this newly completed addition flirts with its context at three scales. The first, and most immediate, with its host: as an addition to the Alma residence, it shares a newly renovated core, carrying the fractal geometry from the roof down to Plasma’s Italian office through the Alma’s cartesian skeleton. The second, with its neighbour: together the Strata and the Alma define the next generation of the family-owned hotel complex. And finally, with its terrain: the sculptural addition acts, not as a parasite, but as a mediator between the existing house and surrounding topography, extending from the landscape like a lichen.

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by Plasma Studio appeared first on Dezeen.

News: the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam has acquired Solid C2 by Patrick Jouin, the first item of furniture to be 3D-printed in one piece.

Created in 2004 by French designer Patrick Jouin in collaboration with digital manufacturers .MGX by Materialise, the Solid C2 chair was made from intersecting ribbons of material that ignored furniture-making traditions in favour of the freeform shapes that 3D printing allows.

“The Solid chair was the first furniture piece made with the SLS [selective laser sintering] technique in one piece,” says the museum’s curator of industrial design Ingeborg de Roode. “It clearly shows the possibilities of this technique to make very complicated structures.”

This is the first 3D-printed chair in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum – whose bathtub-like extension we featured last autumn – and the curators have chosen to buy it in red.

The museum also holds two One_Shot.MGX stools by Jouin from 2006, five Snotty Vases by Marcel Wanders from 2001 and a Miss Piggy ring by Ted Noten from 2009.

We visited Materialise Leuven, Belgium, as part of our road trip for Print Shift, our one-off magazine about additive manufacturing.

More about 3D printing »

Here’s some more information from .MGX by Materialise:

.MGX is thrilled to announce that a red Solid C2 chair by Patrick Jouin has been selected to join the permanent collection of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Patrick Jouin is one of the major protagonists of contemporary design on the French and international scene. In 2004, Jouin first became aware of 3D Printing which until then, had only been used for small ‘scale models’ in plastic. Together with .MGX, Jouin took the entire process to a previously unheard of level, creating forms that were once thought impossible to produce. The Solid C2 chair was among these first designs and is reminiscent of blades of grass waving in the wind and weaving together.

Founded in 1874, the Stedelijk Museum is a leading modern and contemporary art museum with a collection featuring some of the greatest artists of this century and the last, including: Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, and Vincent van Gogh.

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first 3D-printed chair appeared first on Dezeen.

News: printing and packaging retailer The UPS Store has launched an in-store 3D printing service in six shops across the USA.

Stratasys, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems, has announced today that it is providing its 3D printing technology to The UPS Store, a subsidiary of United Parcel Service (UPS) of America that provides printing services and packaging materials in over 4700 shops in the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.

“The project is part of a test program by The UPS Store that will make it the first national retailer in the US to offer 3D printing service to entrepreneurs, architects, start-ups and other retail customers,” Stratasys said.

As part of their pilot, The UPS Store will install Stratasys’ uPrint SE Plus printers into six locations, starting in San Diego. Customers will be able to bring a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file in to the participating stores and have their designs 3D-printed on-site.

“The UPS Store and Stratasys share the vision of strengthening innovation and competitiveness by making 3D printing accessible to a growing number of users,” said Stratasys Executive Vice President, Jon Cobb.

This news comes only a month after UK electronics retailer Maplin became the first UK chain to sell a 3D printer aimed at the domestic market. In other news, NASA has approved the first 3D printer for use in space, which will be flown to the International Space Station [ISS] next year.

You can read more about the way 3D printing is changing the worlds of architecture, design, food and medicine in Print Shift, our one-off print-on-demand magazine all about additive manufacturing.

Read more coverage on 3D printing »
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Image is by Stratasys.

Here’s the press release from Stratasys:

Stratasys to provide 3D printers to The UPS Store for new retail 3D printing service

Stratasys uPrint SE Plus systems will be used in pilot program.

Stratasys, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems, today announced that it has been selected by The UPS Store to provide its 3D printing systems to The UPS Store as part of a test program that will make it the first national retailer in the U.S. to offer 3D printing service to entrepreneurs, architects, start-ups and other retail customers. This service will enable UPS Store customers to have their 3D design 3D printed on-site.

The test signals a collaborative effort by Stratasys and The UPS Store to make 3D printing accessible to small businesses as awareness of the technology and its capabilities grows. Stratasys 3D Printers can create on-demand, custom objects of virtually any complexity in a fast and simple process.

“3D printing technology is becoming increasingly accessible to a growing number of companies and consumers. Small businesses are beginning to realise how this revolutionary technology can help them to be more competitive,” said Stratasys Executive Vice President, Jon Cobb.

“The UPS Store and Stratasys share the vision of strengthening innovation and competitiveness by making 3D printing accessible to a growing number of users.”

While the program is aimed at small businesses, it is open to anyone interested in trying out on-site 3D printing services. “After doing a lot of research, we went with the Stratasys uPrint, because it has a small footprint and is easy to operate,” said The UPS Store small business technology leader, Daniel Remba.

Following the launch of the test, retail customers will be able to bring a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file to participating UPS Store locations and have their 3D design printed on-site.

The UPS Store is installing Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D Printers in six test locations, beginning in San Diego.

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to offer 3D printing service appeared first on Dezeen.

A Dutch artist has captured a fluffy white cloud in a beaux-arts style room in San Francisco for the latest in his series of photographs of indoor clouds (+ slideshow + interview).

Berndnaut Smilde creates his indoor clouds using a smoke machine. He adjusts the humidity of the room by spraying water, and reduces the temperature – this allows the smoke to take a cloud-like shape for just long enough to be photographed before it dissipates.

“It has to be cold, damp and really wet, so I’m moisturising the air as much as possible,” Smilde said in an interview with the BBC. “The moisture will stick to the smoke, making it heavier.”

“I cannot really control the cloud – it’s different every time. So, I create hundreds and hundreds [of images] and select just one to be the [final] work,” Smilde said.

Smilde spoke to Dezeen about his latest installation, Nimbus Green Room, which he created at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, “The space is kitsch, but it has great architectural ornaments,” Smilde said.

“As you probably know the Green Room is an American interpretation of the mirror room [Hall of Mirrors] in the Palace of Versailles, France. Its interior is classic and symmetrical, and represents perfection,” he added. “The green walls and features such as the chandeliers almost look like they’ve turned into plastic because of the extreme sharpness of the photographs.”

For his Nimbus photography series, Smilde has created indoor clouds within buildings including the Hotel MariaKapel in the Netherlands and Aspremont-Lynden Castle in Belgium.

Smilde’s clouds were listed by TIME Magazine as one of the top 10 inventions of 2012.

Here’s a BBC interview, where Smilde discusses how he makes the clouds:

Other stories we’ve posted on Dezeen recently include a cloud-shaped holiday cabin in south-west France, a warehouse filled with luminous clouds in Toronto and a weather-forecasting lamp that creates an indoor cloud to warn of grey skies outside.

See more weather features »
See more installations »

Photographs are courtesy of Ronchini Gallery.

Here’s the full interview with Smilde:

Kate Andrews: Can you tell us about the motivations behind your cloud installations? How did this start?

Berndnaut Smilde: The idea started when I was working in a small scale space for art projects. Model spaces are a recurring subject in my work. Because you have total control over these spaces it enables you to create an ideal situation. This is one of the reasons I think a model can stand for an idea. I wanted to see if it would be possible to exhibit a raincloud. I’ve modelled the exhibition space after my ideal perception of a museum space and wanted to create an ominous situation.

Kate Andrews: What’s unique about the Nimbus Green Room from your other installations? Can you tell us a little about the building and the interior space?

Berndnaut Smilde: The Green Room is a great example of a representation of an ideal space. As you probably know the Green Room is an (American) interpretation of the mirror room in the castle of Versailles. Its interior is classic and symmetrical and represents perfection.

The space is kitsch but it has great architectural ornaments. The materiality of the room really stands out and in the photographs. The green walls and features such as the chandeliers almost look like they’ve turned into plastic because of the extreme sharpness of the photographs.

I also like the reflection in the mirror. The room continues and you can see the backside of the cloud reflecting in it providing the work with an extra dimension.

Kate Andrews: Do you take your own photography?

Berndnaut Smilde: I am not a photographer and always work with local professionals. In San Francisco I worked with RJ Muna. He was great to work with and had fantastic equipment.

Kate Andrews: How does architecture and interior space affect your work?

Berndnaut Smilde: My work is often about situations that deal with duality. They question: inside and outside, size, the function of materials and architectural elements. Lots of time I work in a site-specific way reacting to the architecture or history of a location.

I am interested in in-between situations and situations that don’t really have a function yet and are to me therefore open for interpretation. Sometimes I create these situations, like I did with the clouds.

I also like to collect these moments when I see one. For instance the work Bored Art (2008) represents a ‘found situation’ were a painting is resting against the wall for a brief abandoned moment. Here it is the context of its surrounding (the museum) that changes the interpretation of this painting and situation.

Kate Andrews: What will you be working on next?

Berndnaut Smilde: I am preparing for a project at the Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht, where I will be creating an exhibition with their collection and my work.

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by Berndnaut Smilde appeared first on Dezeen.

News: the topping-out ceremony for the Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower, the world’s second-tallest building, takes place in Shanghai tomorrow (Saturday).

The 632 metre-high tower has now reached its full height and is second only to the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, which measures 828 metres.

The topping-out ceremony, to be held at the construction site in the Lujiazui development zone in Shanghai, will be attended by Gensler founder Art Gensler and senior figures from the Chinese government.

The twisting form of the tower is the result of wind-tunnel tests and is designed to reduce wind load by 24% during typhoons.

The 121-storey tower will be divided into nine vertical zones, with retail at the bottom and hotels, cultural facilities and observation decks at the top. The zones in between will contain offices.

Shanghai Tower is due to open in 2014. It forms the centrepiece of the emerging Lujiazui high-rise district in Pudong, which is located on a bend of the Huangpu river opposite downtown Shanghai.

The building already towers over neighbouring buildings including the 421 metre-high, pagoda-shaped Jin Mao Tower by SOM, and the 492 metre-high Shanghai World Financial Center by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

Last summer, research by the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats found that nine of the twenty tallest buildings under construction in the world were in China.

Work briefly started earlier this month on what would be the tallest building on earth – the 838 metre-high Sky City in Changsha in central China, which its developers believe they can build in just seven months. However construction was abruptly postponed due to issues with safety certificates and building permits.

Here’s some text about Shanghai Tower from Gensler:

Shanghai Tower will anchor the city’s Lujiazui district, which has emerged as one of East Asia’s leading financial centers. Designed by a local team of Gensler architects to embody Shanghai’s rich culture, the 632-meter-high mixed-use building will complete the city’s super-highrise precinct. It is the most forward-looking of the three towers symbolizing Shanghai’s past, present, and future. The new tower takes inspiration from Shanghai’s tradition of parks and neighborhoods. Its curved façade and spiraling form symbolize the dynamic emergence of modern China. By incorporating sustainable best practices, Shanghai Tower is at the forefront of a new generation of super-highrise towers, achieving the highest level of performance and offering unprecedented community access.

Gensler’s vision for Shanghai Tower has taken tangible form after completion of the immense foundation. Soil conditions in Shanghai—a clay-based mixture typical of a river delta—meant supporting the tower on 831 rein- forced concrete bore piles sunk deep into the ground. For three days, a small army of workers assembled to complete the marathon, 60-hour continuous concrete pour. When the job was finished, more than 61,000 cubic meters of concrete had been used to create the six-meter-thick mat foundation.

The tower’s scale and complexity have created so many “firsts” for China’s construction industry that more than 100 expert panels have been established to analyze every aspect of the design. Workers are busy building forms for the concrete core and erecting the gigantic composite supercolumns—measuring 5 x 4 meters at the base and reinforced with steel plates that weigh 145 metric tons each—that will provide structural support for the tower. To carry the load of the trans- parent glass skin, Gensler designed an innovative curtain wall that is suspended from the mechanical floors above and stabilized by a system of hoop rings and struts. And the strategic division of the tower into nine vertical zones will supply the lifeblood of the building’s heating, cooling, water, and power throughout with less energy and at lower cost.

Gensler won the Shanghai Tower project in an invited multi-stage competition among leading international architects. What secured the win were the tower’s design and performance, and Gensler’s commitment to China. To refine the tower’s shape, Gensler’s team used a series of wind tunnel tests to simulate the region’s greatest natural force, the typhoon. Results produced a structure and shape that reduce wind loads by 24 percent—ultimately yielding a savings of $58 million in construction costs. A simple structure, public spaces within the double façade, and sky gardens based on Shanghai’s traditional open courtyards will make Shanghai Tower an unrivaled asset for the Lujiazui district.

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