Hasta La Ideas

This leisure centre in Amsterdam by Dutch architects VenhoevenCS was designed as a fortress covered in plants (+ slideshow).

SportPlaza Mercator is positioned at the entrance to a park in the De Baarsjes neighbourhood. The architects wanted it to fit in with its surroundings, so they added a camouflaging facade of bushy plants and flowers.

“Because the building was constructed in a park we wanted to preserve as much as possible, we completely covered it in vegetation, camouflaging its diverse program,” explains VenhoevenCS. “From a distance, it seems like an overgrown fortress flanking and protecting the entryway to the nineteenth century city.”

Behind the planted walls, the three-storey building contains swimming pools, a sauna and fitness studios, as well as an events hall, a fast-food restaurant, a cafe and a nursery. An outdoor pool is also included at the rear.

Windows nestle in amongst the planted exterior but feature tinted glass to reduce visibility into the swimming-pool halls. Skylights were also added to bring in more natural light.

The building was completed in 2006 but recently picked up a nomination for the inaugural Green Building Award, organised by Dak & Gevel Groen magazine in the Netherlands.

Other buildings we’ve featured with planted facades include a townhouse in Portugal, an office building in France and a pharmacy in Japan. See more green walls on Dezeen.

Photography is by Luuk Kramer.

Here’s some extra information from VenhoevenCS:

Amsterdam’s ‘De Baarsjes’ is a multicultural neighbourhood that is home to people from 129 different countries. The city district wanted to boost community life in this area. The authorities therefore opted for a building which combines swimming pools, a therapy pool, fitness, aerobics, a sauna and steam bath, a party centre, café and childcare alongside a fast food restaurant. Each individual element attracts different target groups, so the entire population will be able to use it in the end. Inside, everyone can see other activities, intriguing their interest and inspiring them to use other facilities as well. Because the building was constructed in a park we wanted to preserve as much as possible, we completely covered it in vegetation, camouflaging its diverse program.

Now, with its green façades and roof, Sportplaza Mercator marks the start and end of the Rembrandtpark. From a distance, it seems like an overgrown fortress flanking and protecting the entryway to the 19th-century city. Glimpsed through the glass façade, a modern spa-style complex glistens, complete with swimming pools, fitness space, and restaurant and party facilities. The entrance seems like a departure hall from which the various visitors can reach their destination.

The building was designed as a city – a society in miniature – inside a cave. The building is full of lines of sight and keyholes that offer perspectives on the various visitors, activities and cultures in the building. Sunlight penetrates deep into the building’s interior through all sorts of openings in the roof. Low windows frame the view of the street and the sun terrace.

Above: ground floor plan – click for larger image

Above: first floor plan – click for larger image

Above: second floor plan – click for larger image

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by VenhoevenCS appeared first on Dezeen.

Les équipes basés à Pékin de MAD Architects viennent de livrer ce nouveau concept avec le Sheraton « Huzhhou Hot Spring Ressort » Hotel. Située sur les rives du lac Tai en Chine, cette structure surprenante contenant près de 321 chambres se dévoile en images et en détails dans la suite de l’article.

Researchers at MIT plan to 3D print a pavilion by imitating the way a silkworm builds its cocoon.

The research team, headed by architect and Mediated Matter Group founder Neri Oxman, attached tiny magnets to the heads of silkworms to discover how they “print” their pupal casings around themselves.

“We’ve managed to motion-track the silkworm’s movement as it is building its cocoon,” said Oxman. “Our aim was to translate the motion-capture data into a 3D printer connected to a robotic arm in order to study the biological structure in larger scales.”

The pavilion is part of a research project to explore ways of overcoming the existing limitations of additive manufacturing at architectural scales and follows recent proposals for a house made of 3D printed concrete sections and a dwelling made of prefabricated plastic elements.

Top image: colour scanning electron microscope image of the exterior surface of a silk moth cocoon. Image by Dr. James C. Weaver, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Today’s 3D printers are mostly able to produce homogeneous materials with the same properties throughout, whereas natural materials often exhibit varying properties, or “gradients”. A silk worm, for example, is able to produce a cocoon with a tough exterior and soft interior by varying the density and pattern of the silk fibres it deposits.

“The worm rotates its head in 8-figure movements so as to allow for the distribution of silk, its density, its thickness and through these manipulations it controls its mechanical properties based on structural and environmental constraints,” says Oxman. “For instance, the inner layers of the cocoon are relatively soft while the outer layers of the cocoon are stiffer. The silkworm than varies the properties of silk according to function and can be considered the biological equivalent of a mobile 3D multi-material printer.”

The Silk Pavilion will be built using digital fabrication technologies at MIT’s Media Lab. It will be installed on 22 April and will measure around 12 feet by 12 feet.

Oxman believes that freeform printing using robotic arms has more potential for architecture than existing 3D printing systems, which use gantries that can only move in three directions and which require complex support structures to be printed at the same time to prevent the building components collapsing under their own weight.

“In traditional 3D printing the gantry-size poses an obvious limitation; it is defined by three axes and typically requires the use of support material, both of which are limiting for the designer who wishes to print in larger scales and achieve structural and material complexity” explains Oxman. “Once we place a 3D printing head on a robotic arm, we free up these limitations almost instantly.”

In the future, buildings may be constructed by swarms of tiny robots, she says. “I would argue that 3D printing is more than anything an approach for organizing material. When considered in this way it is possible to move beyond the technology and its current limitations into larger scale constructions with geometrical and material complexity.”

Oxman believes material limitations can be overcome by printing with responsive materials (which she calls “4D printing”); gantry limitations can be overcome by printing using multiple interactive robot-printers (“swarm construction”); and process limitations can be overcome by moving from layering to weaving in 3D space using a robotic arm (she calls this “CNC weaving”).

Oxman believes that in the immediate future 3D printing in construction scales can only be successful if it is to challenge traditional construction techniques while being sensitive to cultural contexts.

She adds: “Transcending the scale limitation by using larger gantries can only offer so much; but if we consider swarm construction or rebar-integrated printing we are truly pushing building construction into the 21^st century”. Mediated Matter group research assistant Steven Keating is investigating these possibilities.

The CNSilk Pavilion is being developed by the Mediated Matter group at the MIT Media Lab in collaboration with Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto at TUFTS University and Dr. James Weaver at the WYSS Institute at Harvard University.

Researchers at the Mediated Matter Group developing this work include Markus Kayser, Jared Laucks, Carlos David Gonzalez Uribe, Jorge Duro-Royo and Michal Firstenberg (Mediated Matter, MIT Media Lab).

Note: a version of this story was first published on 6 March. It has been edited and updated following feedback from MIT.

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News: a team of London “space architects” has developed a proposal for a lunar base that would be 3D printed by spider robots using microwaves, solar energy and lunar dust.

Tomas Rousek, Katarina Eriksson and Dr. Ondrej Doule are collaborating with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on plans for a modular architectural structure at the lunar south pole. Each module would be printed using a NASA robotic system, which would produce a ceramic-like material by microwave-sintering lunar soil, also known as regolith. There would be no need for glue, as the particles would naturally bond themselves together when heated to the right temperature by the robots.

“In the future, we could build structures of entire cities on the surface of the moon by using solar energy,” explains the team. “We can significantly decrease mass, costs and environmental impact if we don’t need to send glue or other binding agents from Earth.”

Unlike rival proposals by Foster + Partners, which involve building layers of soil up around an inflatable frame, the Sinterlab concept is based on a system of rigid modules that can be pieced together to form a structure. Inspired by the formation of bubbles found in nature, the architects have developed a process that will enable the construction of flat walls and surfaces, based on the geometric rule that neighbouring bubbles must be in equilibrium.

The concept has been developed using a Microwave Sinterator Freeform Additive Construction System (MS-FACS) and would be carried out by NASA’s six-legged ATHLETE robot (pictured below). A prototype of the robot has been tested in the Arizona Desert for some of the processes it would use on the moon.

The team first started developing the concept in 2009 at the International Space University in Strasbourg, in collaboration with Richard Rieber from NASA JPL.

Foster + Partners unveiled its plans for 3D-printed lunar structures earlier this year. Meanwhile various architects are racing to be the first to build a 3D printed house while a 3D-printed car is set to hit the road in two years. See more stories about 3D printing on Dezeen.

Here’s a press release from the team:

3D-printed Moon base concept SinterHab envisions an outpost baked from lunar dust

Architectural proposal of SinterHab moon base could be built by large NASA spider robots by using microwaves, solar energy and lunar dust

A microwave 3D-printed Moon base could be a sustainable solution for presence on the Lunar South Pole, the SinterHab concept shows. Space architects Tomas Rousek, Katarina Eriksson and Dr. Ondrej Doule have unveiled their vision for a lunar module which shows the potential of 3D printing technology from NASA. Modules would be constructed from lunar soil by microwave sintering and contour crafting making use of NASA JPL robotics system near the Shackleton crater.

Imagine that you took the solar energy and the dust from the ground and baked the dust using microwaves to directly construct any shape you wanted. On Earth it would sound like science fiction but on the Moon it would be feasible due to the unique properties of the lunar soil and the absence of an atmosphere. Microwave sintering creates a solid building material similar to ceramics, purely by microwave heating of the dust. Robots equipped with this technology could bake the lunar dust without any glue brought from Earth.

Due to the nano-sized iron particles in the lunar dust produced by space weathering, it is possible to heat the dust up to 1200 – 1500 0C and melt it even in a domestic microwave oven. When the lunar dust (regolith) is heated and the temperature is maintained below the melting point, particles bond together and the building blocks for the lunar habitat can be created. In the future, we could build structures of entire cities on the surface of the Moon by using solar energy. We can significantly decrease mass, costs and environmental impact if we don’t need to send glue or other binding agents from Earth. Furthermore, the hardening of the surrounding surface of the base would help mitigate the hazards of contamination from lunar dust, which is highly abrasive and harmful to both astronauts and equipment.

An innovative internal membrane system of SinterHab offers up to four times bigger volume of the module than classic rigid modules at the same weight shipped from Earth. Nature provides inspiration for the inflatable structures in the form of foam bubbles. The intention of building several compartments with sintered walls led to a design based on the geometry of bubbles, where the forces of neighbouring bubbles are in equilibrium and enable the building of flat walls. It would be possible to make the modules large enough to accommodate even a green garden that recycles air and water for the lunar outpost. An architecturally integrated bioregenerative life support system does not only provide for the mere survival of the astronauts, but contributes to a higher level of habitability, enhancing the comfort and psychological well-being of the inhabitants.

The radiation shielding is provided by regolith structure, polymer layers of inflatable membrane and water tanks in critical places.

Project SinterHab was initiated at the International Space University by space architects Tomas Rousek, Katarina Eriksson and Dr. Ondrej Doule in collaboration with Richard Rieber from NASA JPL in 2009. London-based space architect Tomas Rousek, director of A-ETC.net, then carried out an internship with the NASA Habitation team at NASA JPL in Los Angeles where he worked with Scott Howe, a co-author of this 3D printing robotics system. The design of SinterHab was then presented to the scientific community in the leading aerospace journal Acta Astronautica in 2012. Scientists from NASA JPL have used SinterHab as an example in proposal for funding the development of this microwave sintering technology. Sinterhab 2.0 is currently being developed in international collaboration.

The SinterHab construction method is based on the MS-FACS. Scientists at NASA JPL have proposed the Microwave Sinterator Freeform Additive Construction System (MS-FACS), a large six-legged multi-purpose robot called ATHLETE holding microwave printer head that would create walls and domes. The lunar dust would be excavated and manipulated by Chariot rover in bulldozer configuration and then fed to printing head of ATHLETE. This would cover inflated membranes made of multiple layers of Kevlar, Mylar and other materials. The prototype of the ATHLETE robot has been tested in Arizona Desert for various tasks, such as moving habitats and using different tools.

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News: Danish studio BIG has been appointed to lead a team of architects and engineers to redesign the campus of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Under the direction of founding partner Bjarke Ingels, BIG will work alongside landscape architects Surface Design, preservation consultants Traceries and engineers Robert Silman Associates to rethink the public routes and spaces around the 160-year-old campus, which consists of 11 museums spaced out between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol, along the National Mall.

“It’s a great honour and a humbling challenge to be invited to reimagine one of the most significant American institutions on the front lawn of the nation’s capital,” said Ingels. “The abundance of historical heritage, the diversity of architectural languages and the cacophony of exhibits are tied together by a labyrinthine network of spaces above and below ground – inside and outside.”

BIG’s plans include reinstating the Smithsonian Castle as the cornerstone of the plan, creating an entrance hub and information point for visitors. A new entrance route will relink the Central Garden with the National Mall at ground level, while an underground route with connect the subterranean galleries of several different museums.

“Our task is to explore the collections with The Smithsonian and together attempt to untie the Gordian Knot of intertwined collections to unearth the full potential of this treasure chamber of artifacts,” added Ingels.

The design team will present its phase one masterplan proposals this time next year. Christopher Lethbridge of the Smithsonian Institution commented: “BIG designs are innovative, analytical, unexpected and intelligent. We believe they can develop a plan that will enable us over the next decade to transform a disparate group of much-loved buildings and outdoor spaces into a place that is more dynamic, social and active.”

The Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum and research centre in the world and encompasses 19 museums, nine research centres and one zoological park. Construction is also underway on the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was designed by architect David Adjaye and will open in 2015.

This month BIG has also been appointed to design a Lego visitor experience centre in Denmark and celebrated the ground-breaking of the Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant in Copenhagen, a combined power plant and ski slope that will blow smoke rings. See more architecture by BIG.

Photograph is by Shutterstock.

Here’s a statement from BIG:

BIG is selected to design the Smithsonian Institution master plan in Washington D.C, USA

BIG leading a Core Design Team including Surface Design, Traceries and Robert Silman Associates, further supported by Atelier Ten, GHT Limited, Wiles Mensch, Weidlinger Associates, VJ Associates, Protection Engineering Group and FDS Design Studio is today officially announced as the winning team to rethink the historic Smithsonian campus, world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities.

Located at the south side of the National Mall in Washington DC, the 160-year-old cultural campus including 11 of the renowned institution’s museums and the Smithsonian Castle from 1855, is in need of being refreshed and re-connected to its adjacent buildings and the public realm. The Smithsonian envisions the winning team of the $2.4 million contract to draft the first phase of the master plan, creating a gateway that invites visitors to learn, experience and navigate seamlessly through the Smithsonian buildings and gardens.

BIGs design seeks to reinstate the original Castle as the cornerstone building and the symbolic home of the Smithsonian Institution to serve as a welcoming entry point and an information hub for the visitors. The currently hidden Central Garden is to be reconnected to the National Mall by creating a striking grand entrance for the Castle and adjacent Museums.

The vision is to also include an entrance from the Central Garden providing access to a subterranean museum network which connects more than four museums in a maze of underground galleries, tunnels and annexes. Large public voids tunneling from collection to collection, space to space simplify and reorganize the existing condition below ground, improving the connectivity and access to the underground spaces. As the visitors descend down the lower levels from the corner entry, they are able to see and enjoy all the levels of the museum at once.

The first phase of the Smithsonian Campus Master Plan is expected to be delivered in the next 12 months.

Size: 700,000 Square Feet
Client: Smithsonian Institution

Collaborators: Surface Design (landscape), Traceries (historic preservation), Robert Silman Associates (structural), Atelier Ten (sustainability),
GHT Limited (MEP), Wiles Mensch (civil), Weidlinger Associates (security/anti-terrorism) VJ Associates (cost), Protection Engineering Group
(fire/life safety), FDS Design Studio (food services)

Location: Washington D.C., USA
Status: Concept
Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader: Daniel Kidd
Project Manager: Ziad Shebab
Team: Suemin Jeon

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