More Bug Nest Casting: Scott Turner’s Termite Mounds

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When it comes to casting bugs’ nests, looks like Walter Tschinkel’s not the only game in town; scientist and SUNY biology professor Scott Turner also produces “endocasts,” though he does them of aboveground termite mounds rather than undergound ant colonies, and uses plaster rather than molten aluminum.

The results, which display a similarly alien architecture to Tschinkel’s ant hives, give me the heebie-jeebies:

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Turner’s endocasts take months to complete, as you’ll see below, and obviously he’s not putting in the time just for fun; he’s after specific answers. Writes Turner, who refers to the physiology of social insects as “my current obsession,” on his website:

Social insects, specifically termites, cooperate to produce “emergent physiology” at a scale much larger than the individuals in the colony. How do they manage the trick? How is it that swarms of termites “know” to build a structure that functions as an organ of physiology at a scale much larger than themselves? Just how do termite mounds work in the first place? These are questions we have long thought we understood, but in fact understand little.

In this video of Scott’s process, be sure to peep the bugged-out (sorry) sequence that runs from 3:34 to 4:26, where they animate the layer-by-layer slicing open of a mound:

(more…)


Work to restart on Herzog & de Meuron’s stalled “Jenga building”

56 Leonard Street by Herzog & de Meuron

News: construction is set to recommence on 56 Leonard Street, a 250-metre-high residential tower in New York designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and dubbed the “Jenga building”.

Work on the building stopped in late 2008 as its recession-hit developer, Alexico Group, failed to raise the last portion of the project’s $600 million in financing.

Representatives from construction manager U.S. Lend Lease this week told a community meeting that work on the 60-storey building could start up again as early as next week.

56 Leonard Street by Herzog & de Meuron

While the architects’ plans have not changed significantly, Lend Lease could not confirm if the street-level stainless steel sculpture (pictured above) designed by British artist Anish Kapoor would still be going ahead.

The new timetable of works, as reported by the Tribeca Citizen, sets a completion date for the building of spring 2016.

See more images of the design in our earlier story.

Earlier this year Herzog & de Meuron worked with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to create a pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery in London, and Dezeen filmed an interview with Pierre de Meuron at the opening in May as well as a tour of the cork structure led by Jacques Herzog. You can see all our stories about Herzog & de Meuron here.

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stalled “Jenga building”
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Slideshow feature: Stirling Prize nominees

Slideshow feature: the winner of this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize will be revealed tomorrow at a ceremony in Manchester, but in the meantime here’s a reminder of the six buildings nominated, which include the London Olympic Stadium, a botanical laboratory and two projects by OMA.

The six competing to be named best building designed or constructed in Britain in the last year are:

» The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire by David Chipperfield Architects;
» London Olympic Stadium by Populous;
» The Lyric Theatre, Belfast by O’Donnell + Tuomey;
» Maggie’s Centre, Gartnavel, Glasgow by OMA;
» New Court, London by OMA with Allies and Morrison;
» Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge by Stanton Williams.

A £20,000 prize will be awarded to the winner, which we’ll announce here on Dezeen as it happens.

Previous winners include Zaha Hadid for the Evelyn Grace Academy (2011) and the MAXXI Museum (2010) and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners for the Maggie’s Centre they designed in London (2009) – see all our stories about previous winners here.

See all our stories about the Stirling Prize »

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Prize nominees
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Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Canadian architect Omar Gandhi has completed a wooden cabin for two artists that appears to be climbing up a hill in rural Nova Scotia (+ slideshow).

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Surrounded by woodland, Moore Studio is built on the side of a slope so that the upper floor is accessible through the back door – an arrangement that creates jagged, asymmetrical elevations at each end.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

While the western side of the house has a simple gabled roof, the eastern side of the roof has been split to create a long clerestory window on the upper floor.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

The exterior walls are clad with vertical timber while seamed aluminium has been used on the roof.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Inside the house, plywood and chunky chipboard appear on the walls, floors and ceilings alongside industrial fixtures such as bare bulbs and concrete floors, ”emphasising the rawness of the interior,” as the architect explains.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

On the ground floor are a double height kitchen, dining area and living room, leading to two bedrooms at the front of the house and two bathrooms and a storage room at the rear.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Two separate first-floor studios overlook the kitchen and are partly lit by the narrow glazing in the roof.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

We’ve previously featured a writer’s retreat in the woods of upstate New York and a series of artist’s studios on a small island off the coast of Canada.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

See all our stories about Canada »

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Above photo is by Omar Gandhi

See all our stories about houses »

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Photographs are by Greg Richardson except where stated.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Here’s some more information from the architects:


The clients, who are new empty-nesters with two dogs, had previously been full time artists before finding other work to support their family. The project is intended to be a vehicle for pursuing their youthful ambitions once again. The new home is built on a recently purchased piece of land amidst a dense forest in the small town of Hubbard’s, Nova Scotia, approximately 45 minutes south of the city of Halifax.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image and key

The 1500 square foot house is designed to be left exceedingly raw, providing open spaces and allowing plenty of natural daylight to penetrate the interior. The objective was to provide a platform for their artistic aspirations to flourish once again, while also providing a quiet setting for the couple to enjoy the surrounding landscape with their dogs, free of the stress of the city.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

First floor plan – click above for larger image and key

The project relies heavily on idea of metamorphosis. The point of departure for the form began as a simple and elegant gable with a 12:12 roof pitch, a vernacular form commonly found in Nova Scotia. As the design process began, the undemanding form began to shift and change to allow for the space and natural lighting requirements of the clients, while still relying heavily on the simplicity of the original gable.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Section

The unique product of this distortion is a result of the relationship between all of the entities involved, including the landscape, the programme and the clients.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

Section

The palette of the designed house is soft wood, exposed to the sometimes harsh weather of Nova Scotia, aluminium roofing and concrete floors. The interior walls, floors and ceilings are clad in plywood and OSB, reducing the need for drywall to a minimum and emphasizing the rawness of the interior.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

East elevation – click above for larger image

The ground floor includes a double height kitchen and dining space, a living room, 2 bedroom and bathrooms. The upper floor is separated into two individual studios for Peg and Garth, each looking down upon the kitchen from above.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

South elevation – click above for larger image

Materials such as caged industrial fixtures, salvaged steel grating and natural construction materials (plywood) flank the interior space. Stretching along the main façade of the house is a continuous strip of windows, which allow for a long view of the property and opens up the main floor to the exterior.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

West elevation – click above for larger image

The upper floor is lit by an end to end clerestory window. The upper floor also opens up to the rear bank as the house is built on the side of a natural hill. Adjacent to the house, a steel shipping container has been re-used as a shed. The house was built by young and highly skilled local contractors Mike Burns and Adam Smith at MRB Contracting.

Moore Studio by Omar Gandhi

North elevation – click above for larger image

Moore Studio
Client: Peg and Garth Moore
Location: Hubbards, Nova Scotia
Project Status: Completed Winter 2012
Architect: Omar Gandhi Architect
Contractor: MRB Contracting (Mike Burns)
Structural Engineer: Andrea Doncaster
Physical Model: Ryan Beecroft, Jeff Shaw, Omar Gandhi (photography)

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Omar Gandhi
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Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

This student housing building in Paris by Slovenian studio OFIS Arhitekti was designed to resembled a stack of wooden baskets.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

“Our concept was of spinning and rotating baskets,” architect Rok Oman told Dezeen, before explaining how he wanted to avoid creating a “predefined” linear building.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Located between a football pitch and a tram route, Basket Apartments comprises two ten-storey blocks and every ‘basket’ is a cluster of rooms that each have their own private balconies.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Despite the irregular facade, each study bedroom is exactly the same size and has an identical layout.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Open-air corridors run along the rear elevation of the building and are contained behind a tessellated mesh screen. The architects explain how they intended these galleries as an “open common space for students”.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

A bridge connects the two blocks at second floor level and oversails a small garden in the space between.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Other projects we’ve featured by OFIS Arhitekti include a scaly apartment block and an apartment with staggered floors.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

See all our stories about OFIS Arhitekti »

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Photography is by Tomaz Gregoric.

Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Here’s some extra information from OFIS Arhitekti:


Basket Apartments in Paris

Urban plan conditions

The project is located on a long and very narrow site, on the edge of Parc La Vilette in Paris’s 19th district, within an urban development done by Reichen & Robert architects.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

On the northeast, new Paris tram route is passing along the site. The site is bordering with tram garage on the southwest, above which is a football field. The first 3 floors of the housing will inevitably share the wall with the tram garage.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Site plan conditions

The parcel has a very particular configuration; 11m in width and extending approximately 200m north-south.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

This foreshadows the importance of processing the eastern facade overlooking the extension of the street Des Petits Ponts which hosts the tram and both cyclist and pedestrian walkways.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

New Plot

The long volume of the building is divided into two parts connected with a narrow bridge. Between two volumes there is a garden.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

The building has 11 floors: a technical space in the basement, shared programs in the ground floor, and student apartments in the upper nine floors. The layout is very rational and modular.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Program – student dormitory with 192 studios

The major objective of the project was to provide students with a healthy environment for studying, learning and meeting. Along the length of the football field is an open corridor and gallery that overlooks the field and creates a view to the city and the Eiffel tower.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

This gallery is an access to the apartments providing students with a common place. All the studios are the same size and contain the same elements to optimize design and construction: an entrance, bathroom, wardrobe, kitchenette, working space and a bed. Each apartment has a balcony overlooking the street.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Design concept

Narrow length of the plot with 10 floors gives to site a significant presence. Each volume contains two different faces according to the function and program:

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

The elevation towards the street des Petits Ponts contains studio balconies-baskets of different sizes made from HPL timber stripes. They are randomly oriented to diversify the views and rhythm of the façade.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Shifted baskets create a dynamic surface while also breaking down the scale and proportion of the building.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

The elevation towards the football field has an open passage walkway with studio entrances enclosed with a 3D metal mesh. Both volumes are connected on the first floor with a narrow bridge which is also an open common space for students.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Plans 1-5 – click above for larger image

Sustainable efficiency

The building is energy efficient to accommodate the desires of Paris’ sustainable development efforts. The Plan Climates goal is that future housing will consume 50KW-h.m.² or less. The objectives of energy performance and the construction timetable were met by focusing on a simple, well insulated and ventilated object that functions at its best year round.

Plans 6-10 – click above for larger image

Accommodations are cross ventilating and allow abundant day lighting throughout the apartment. External corridors and glass staircases also promote natural lighting in the common circulation, affording energy while also creating comfortable and well lit social spaces. The building is insulated from the outside with an insulation thickness of 20 cm. Thermal bridge breakers are used on corridor floors and balconies to avoid thermal bridges.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Section – click above for larger image

Ventilation is controlled by double flow mechanical ventilation, providing clean air in every apartment with an optimum temperature throughout the year. The incoming air also reuses heat from the exhaust air. The roof is covered with 300m² of photovoltaic panels to generate electricity. Rainwater is harvested on site in a basin pool used for watering outdoor green spaces.

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Front elevation – click above for larger image

Status:
Invited competition: 2008
Construction start: 2009
Completion: 2012

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Rear elevation

Location: 19th district, Paris, France
Program: (student) apartment studios, common spaces, dining area, living space, storage
Details: low energy consumption building, 10 floor building with 192 studios
Type: student housing
Client: Regie Immobiliere de la Ville de Paris

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Concept drawing

Area: site 1981 m2; size of studios 35 m2; building 931 m2; gross floor area 8500 m2; landscape 1050 m2
Dimensions: 29,20 m max height
Budget: 17.5 M €
Materials: concrete, glass, metal, plaster, high-density stratified timber panels, expanded metal mesh

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Standard room plan

Project team:
Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik
Robert Janez, Janez Martincic, Andrej Gregoric, Janja del Linz, Louis Geiswiller, Hyunggyu Kim, Chaewan Shin, Jaehyun Kim, Erin Durno, Javier Carrera, Giuliana Fimmano, Jolien Maes, Lin Wei

dezeen_Basket Apartments by OFIS Arhitekti

Standard room section

Technical team:
Structural engineering: INTEGRALE 4; Bruno PERSON
Mechanical & electrical engineering, sustainable development: Cabinet MTC; Cyril GANVERT

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by OFIS Arhitekti
appeared first on Dezeen.

Stratified Structure

The Innovation Tower dissolves the classic typology of the tower and podium into a seamless, fluid and visually stimulating structure that reflects the diversity and layered urbanism of Hong Kong. As a driving force in the development of the city as a design hub in Asia, the tower will accommodate more than 1500 students of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and will serve as the home of the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation on some 129167 square feet. Hit the jump to take a 360 tour!

Designer: Zaha Hadid


Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
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(Stratified Structure was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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EDITION29 HOUSED for iPad

EDITION29 HOUSED for iPad lets the architects and builders of dwellings from across the globe tell the stories behind these modern habitats. Each Issu..

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

Chunky concrete boxes form a grid of secluded balconies across the facade of this apartment block in Kyoto by Japanese studio VIDZ Architects.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

The architects explain that the five-storey building is located on a main road near “many factories”, so the balconies have high concrete walls to “ensure privacy”.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

Windows infill the spaces between each balcony, with translucent glazing that also helps to maintain privacy for residents.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

The building was completed in 2007, and a concrete stairwell connects it with a second block completed by the architects back in 2000.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

Offices with exposed concrete walls occupy the top floor of the block and open out onto a terrace with a view of the city skyline.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

We’ve previously featured an apartment block with a mask of wooden louvres, as well as one with indoor balconies for keeping an eye on who’s coming and going.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

See all our stories about housing »

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

See all more projects in Japan »

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

Photography is by Yoshiharu Matsumura.

Housing in Onmae by VIDZ Architects

Elevation – click above for larger image

Project credits:
Principle use: Housing
Location: Kyoto,Japan
Completion: 2000 (1st), 2007 (2nd)
Site area: 925.58 sq m
Total floor area: 1,969.86 sq m
Number of stories: 5F
Structure: RC

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by VIDZ Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Pisacco: An artful new restaurant in Milan

Pisacco

Milan’s airy new bar and restaurant Pisacco was born out of a collaboration between consulting firm food.different and a group of food- and art-loving friends. As a result, the new eatery is characterized by its close connection to contemporary art, from the name (a deliberate misspelling of Picasso), to…

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150 Meter House

Situé sur la colline de Khao Yai en Thaïlande, ce projet architectural incroyable conçu par Shinichi Ogawa & Associates est une des plus longues résidences au monde. Avec une longueur de 150 mètres, cette maison proposant des espaces magnifiques ainsi qu’une piscine aux dimensions impressionnante.

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