Hasta La Ideas

Put down your digital device and step away from that glossy stack of design magazines to join us in person tonight at New York’s Center for Architecture, the setting for “Architecture and Media: Evolving Media Platforms.” The panel discussion, moderated by Molly Heintz (The Architect’s Newspaper), will explore technological advances and the proliferation of platforms forcing changes in architectural magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and design blogs. How is self-publishing and the multitude of micro-sites changing communications strategies? What are the most effective ways for architects to get their story heard? Find out this evening, when we’ll be joined by fellow panelists Susan Szenasy (Metropolis), Alexandra Lange (Design Observer), and Jenna McKnight (Architizer). The panel-based architectural fun starts at 6 p.m., and we hope to see you there!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

A home and studio for a photographer are contained inside this Corten steel bunker that Undercurrent Architects has squeezed beside and beneath the arch of a railway viaduct in south London.

The brick viaduct is typical of the nineteenth century railway architecture that runs through the city’s neighbourhoods and project architect Didier Ryan explained how they wanted to come up with new uses for the vacant spaces under and around them. ”Pocket sites are full of potential,” he said.

Undercurrent Architects designed Archway Studios as an architectural prototype for other similar sites and the building contains living and working spaces that are acoustically protected from the noises of trains rattling by during the day.

The Corten steel cladding gives the building its hard shell-like exterior, but light penetrates the interior through sideways-facing windows and a long skylight at the front.

“The most challenging problem was how to amplify a keyhole site and bring light deep into the railway arch,” said the architect. He explained how they “focused light from all directions” into the deep recesses of the arched structure.

In front of the arch, the building has three storeys that accommodate bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room, while beneath is a workspace with a five-metre-high vaulted ceiling.

“This dual-use building is the first of its kind, but it could be a model for others in the micro-regeneration of London’s arches and viaducts,” added Ryan.

The last project we featured by Undercurrent Architects was a pavilion in Australia with a roof that resembles fallen leaves.

Other Corten steel buildings we’ve published include a sports centre in Portugal and a facilities building for London’s amateur football leagues.

See all our stories about Corten steel »
See more studios for artists, designers and creatives »

Photography is by Candice Lake.

Here’s some more information from Undercurrent Architects:

Archway Studios is a prototype live-workspace built in and around a 19thC rail viaduct. The project works with the constraints of an inner-city, industrial site next to a train line, and the challenges of a fortified design that engages its surroundings.

Above: axonometric diagram

London is crossed by Victorian viaducts. These structures dominate and divide neighbourhoods, creating corridors of conflict, compounded by industrial use of the viaduct arches. Due to de-industrialisation there is an abundance of centrally located, vacant ‘brownfield’ arch spaces. Adapting these to new uses or to social or creative applications is critical to inner-city communities.

Archway Studios occupies part of the viaduct, a vaulted workshop linked to an atrium with residential alcoves. The design works with the contrast between the compressed, cavernous qualities of the arch & the slender, ecclesial spaces of the atrium & alcoves.

The site is severely constrained by its narrow plot and limited access to light, aspect and views. The building subverts its tight site conditions, encapsulating light and lofty interiors that offer release in spite of constraint.

A ring of slender steel foils mould the narrow site, forming a protective acoustic shell cupped around interior spaces. Daylight filters into the building through slits in the segmented foils, acting to scoop light into the deep recesses of the arch.

The site presented unique challenges relating to vibration and noise proofing. To address these, the building is isolated and suspended on a rubber foundation with an independent casing lining the arch. Dense steel walls form a ‘stressed skin’ husk carrying the building loads, with a sandwich of multilayered acoustic blanketing and dampening technologies.

Above: floor plans and roof plan

The building shell is made from weathered and worn materials that blend into the industrial environment. This provides privacy and introspection while maintaining highly open connections with the surroundings. The facade maximises a slim southerly aspect, capturing skyviews & bringing distant tree foliage to the foreground.

The building’s unique design and appearance helps it to stand out even when dwarfed by inner-city neighbours. As one of 10,000 arches that dissect neighbourhoods across London, it is a model that can be adapted for broad community benefit and regeneration.

Project Details:
Archway Studios, London, UK
Area: Southwark
Year: 2010 – 2012

Team:
Architect: Undercurrent Architects
– Project Architect: Didier Ryan
– Assistant: Alessandra Giannotti
Engineer: Eckersley O’Callaghan Engineers

The post Archway Studios by
Undercurrent Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Le cabinet Fernando Menis Architects nous propose de découvrir son plus récent projet et musée, appelé sobrement « Sacred Museum ». D’une superficie de plus de 5,500 m2, cette construction en béton pour le Sacred Museum of Adeje à nécessité un budget de plus de 3,7 Millions d’euros. Plus dans la suite.

The upper floors are stacked at right angles across garages at this fire station in the Netherlands by René van Zuuk Architekten.

Located on an educational campus in Dordrecht, the fire station is positioned between the motorway and a school, so René van Zuuk Architekten was asked to design a building at least twelve metres high to function as a noise barrier.

The fire station comprises five building volumes, including a row of three at ground level, plus two more stretched across the rooftops.

Garages, workshops and a car park are contained inside the double-height ground floor spaces, while offices and social spaces occupy the two upstairs floors.

The architects used an industrial materials palette, including perforated aluminium, green-tinted-glass and translucent polycarbonate.

This is the second fire station we’ve published on Dezeen, following one with an illuminated glass tower.

We’ve also featured a few police stations, including one with a wall of copper louvres and one with four concrete arms.

Photography is by Christian Richters.

Here’s a project description from René van Zuuk Architekten:

Fire Station Dordrecht – René van Zuuk Architects

Together with the GHOR and ROC on the Learning Park in Dordrecht, a plot was assigned for a second fire station. This ‘Multi functional aid station’ lies on the edge of an educational district. A triangular plot was assigned to the fire station, where the front line should form a zigzag border edge. The urban plan also states that the fire station should be a minimum of 12 meters in height to act as a noise barrier between the school it backs on to and the N3 road opposite.

The project mainly consists of fire engine garages, two workshops, a 24 hour social area and an office area. In total they occupy 5560 m². In addition, parking spaces are provided for 24 employees. There is also a smaller garage for the special ambulance service and supporting functions which covers 400m². A 190m² Regional Training Centre occupies the smallest part of the complex which houses a number of classroom and practice examination rooms.

The length of overhead doors required for all vehicles exceeds the length of the useable site parameter, the solution was found in creating two streets in which there was the right amount of space for all the doors.

Reading left to right, the three volumes that align the streets are firstly the fire brigade and the special ambulance service; secondly the workshop, and lastly 24 parking spaces.

The entrance can be found on the Western facade, from here you can access the upper levels. The upper levels consists of two perpendicular volumes; in the first, facing the highway, there are the workshops; in the second volume, which is over two storeys, is the 24 hour social area which is paired with the Regional training area. The offices are on the second storey.

The concept of stacking the volumes is enhanced by the detailing used. On the ground floor there is a combination of polycarbonate and dark sandwich panels. The translucent polycarbonate adds an even spread of light to the workshops and garages. The 24 parking spaces are enclosed by a stretched sheet metal fence.

The first storey is clad with perforated aluminium sheeting which simultaneously allows light into the spaces without compromising the privacy of the workers. On the second floor the facade is completely open using a green tinted glass to provide a light working environment. There is an industrial palette used to help read the building as fitting to its function.

Function: Fire station, special ambulance service and a regional trainings centre
Location: Leerpark – Professor Kohnstammlaan 10, 3312 KL Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Project: René van Zuuk Architekten
Project Team: René van Zuuk, Kersten Scheller, Peter Hagelaar, Wulf Oschwald,
Client: Municipality of Dordrecht,
Start of design: 2006,
Completion: 2010-2011,
Area: 7.000 m²,
Volume: 32.850 m³
Building costs: €10.000.000

Above: site plan – click for larger image

Above: ground floor plan – click for larger image

Above: mezzanine floor plan – click for larger image

Above: first floor plan – click for larger image

Above: second floor plan – click for larger image

Above: elevation A – click for larger image

Above: elevation B – click for larger image

Above: section C – click for larger image

Above: section D – click for larger image

Above: section E – click for larger image

Above: section F – click for larger image

Above: section G – click for larger image

The post Fire Station Dordrecht by
René van Zuuk Architekten appeared first on Dezeen.

This university building in Melbourne by Australian architects Lyons is covered in brightly coloured scales (+ slideshow).

Above: photograph by John Gollings

Lyons used a pixellated image of the surrounding buildings to create a map of colour across the exterior. ”The building derives its identity from its surroundings,” Lyons architect Nicholas Ling told Dezeen. “It’s a chameleon and a mirror.”

Above: photograph by John Gollings

As part of technology and design university RMIT, the Swanston Academic Building provides learning spaces for the college of business, right in the centre of Melbourne.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

The walls have both curved and folded surfaces, creating a series of jagged edges that give the building an uneven profile. ”In the same spirit as the facade, the undulating walls were a result of the building being ‘affected and influenced’ physically by its surrounds,” said Ling.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

At ten storeys, the architects describe the building as a “vertical campus,” where double-height lobbies are intended to function as social spaces that take the place of the traditional college green.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

Most of these spaces feature vivid colours or pronounced geometric patterns. “The profile of each space and its character – including colour, materials, type of furniture and details – is informed by the landmark it faces,” said Ling.

The building contains a variety of flexible learning spaces, from 300 person lecture theatres to 30 person classrooms.

Above: photograph by Dianna Snape

Lyons also recently completed a scientific research centre in Canberra for another university.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

See all our stories about Lyons »

Here’s some extra information from Lyons:

A new student experience for Gen Z and beyond – RMIT University’s new Swanston Academic Building Project

Active student learning spaces are a key emerging trend in both University and TAFE campuses.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

While many universities have designed progressive teaching and learning spaces at the ‘experimental’ end of their teaching and learning activities, RMIT has recently completed its new Swanston Academic Building (SAB) which incorporates nearly 100 new spaces designed on new learning concepts.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

This major new building will provide the University with significant new capability into the future, as well as significantly enhancing the student experience within its city campus.

The brief for the project developed by RMIT, includes 85 learning spaces, 11 informal student ‘portals’, accommodation for 800 staff from the Colleges of Business, all within a footprint of approximately 35,000m2.

Integral to the teaching and learning brief is to achieve high sustainability benchmarks – including both substantive energy reductions, and improved amenity.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

A further key objective is for the new building to reinforce RMIT’s position and character as an urban campus – a campus in the city and of the city.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

The design creates a ‘vertical campus’, rather than a multi-level teaching building, where the journey through the building is connected by student and staff social spaces, or ‘portals’.

Above: photograph by Dianna Snape

This concept is characterised by a series of double height social spaces, dispersed throughout the building as a main focal point on each floor, providing space for informal student learning.

They are characterised by their connection to natural light and air, variety of furniture, and a marked difference to other teaching spaces.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

This is envisaged to encourage and support the type of peer-to-peer learning traditionally associated with the ‘college lawn’.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

The portals provide students with a place for informal learning, social interaction access to technology, and respite from the formal academic program in a varied array of designs and locations throughout the building.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

A diverse range of 85 new learning spaces are provided in the SAB, ranging from 30 to 360 person capacity, each responding to the teaching and learning needs identified by the University through an innovative joint timetabling project run by RMIT and Lyons.

Above: photograph by John Gollings

The building design responds to a wide range of class sizes and a diverse mix of teaching modes; didactic, collaborative, discursive, project-based group work, team teaching and workplace simulation.

Above: site plan – click above for larger image

Above: basement plan – click above for larger image

Above: ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: first floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: second floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: cross section – click above for larger image

Above: long section – click above for larger image

Above: Swanson Street east elevation – click above for larger image

The post RMIT Swanston Academic Building
by Lyons appeared first on Dezeen.