Hasta La Ideas

Spanish firm External Reference has converted a taxi garage in Barcelona into a home and studio for an art director with a wire framework for showcasing objects and a bed concealed inside an island seating area (+ slideshow).

The converted warehouse was designed by External Reference for art director Chu Uroz, who wanted a home where he could also hold meetings, fashion shows, castings and photography shoots. “The space becomes a kind of inhabited scenery where public and private interact with few apparent limits,” said the architects.

The living area is an open-plan space located on the first-floor mezzanine. It features a white panelled floor broken up into zig-zagging contours, which appear to flow over a series of angular seating units.

The largest of the two sofas conceals a bed, which can pulled out or hidden away as required, as well as storage areas for magazines and portfolios. This allows the room to be used as a bedroom, a living area, or as a space for castings and fashion shows.

A kitchen, bathroom and walk-in wardrobe are located along one side and can be concealed behind a series of sliding doors.

The staircase linking the mezzanine with the ground floor is fronted by white metal-frame structure, used by the resident to exhibit different objects and design collections.

The ground floor accommodates a large open space for photography shoots. There’s also an office and meeting area tucked beneath the mezzanine.

External Reference are an architectural design firm based in Barcelona, Spain, founded by Nacho Toribio and Carmelo Zappulla.

We’ve previously featured a photography studio in Brazil with walls that fold open and one in London with Herringbone parquet across the walls and floor.

See more studios on Dezeen »
See more architecture and interiors from Spain »

Photography is by Lorenzo Patuzzo.

Here’s more information from External Reference Architects:

Joan D’Austria, Barcelona 

Domestic space affects the user very personally and has been discussed extensively over the history of architecture. At present new lifestyles, new families and more flexible professional routines, have favoured the emergence of a unique user profile, one that is complex and involves having a clear understanding on personal needs.

This is the case of the inhabitant of this residential and work space: an industrial designer, active art director and one who is very involved in the world of fashion, advertising and performing arts.

Our user raised the idea of devoting a warehouse to hold a photoshoot studio, office space, meeting room, space for auditions, castings, fashion shows and a home. Therefore, creating a space that one would be able to live, work and play in.

Due to this the project acquired exceptional guidelines. The spirit of all design decisions were based on giving shape and structure to a domestic space, that seeks to be understood mainly, as a space to share. In this sense, the social, outgoing and energetic personality of the user is reflected in the project. The space becomes a kind of inhabited scenery where public and private interact with few apparent limits.

The project exists over two floors, the ground floor and the mezzanine area.

GROUND FLOOR: On the entrance level there is a large space for photoshoots to take place in. The ground floor also includes the users work space, which incorporates a meeting area that sits below the living space in the loft.

FIRST FLOOR: The mezzanine holds a large liveable space in which domestic programs hybridise with common spaces. The kitchen, bathroom and walk-in wardrobe areas are positioned on the side of the space, creating a service area which can be covered by sliding doors when necessary. The central space is occupied by a group of island-sofas, the larger island-sofa acts as an object that conceals the sliding bed, which slides in and out as the user needs. This space can also be used as a casting and catwalk area.

As a link between the two levels, we integrated a light and large structure made of steel within the project; it serves as a display area for the user’s collection of pop and kitsch objects.

OSB white painted panels, metal rods, polycarbonate and black painted bricks are the main materials used in the project. Every element of the design was hand-crafted; no CNC cutting machines were used for making any part of the refurbishment.

The original building, a taxi garage, offers a powerful industrial spirit, which serves as a reference for the project and its future evolution. All in all, the functional program, the reduced budget and the client ambitions leads to low cost systems but to eloquent dramatic effects.

Project: Joan d’Austria, Barcelona
Architects: External Reference Architects
Design architects: Nacho Toribio and Carmelo Zappulla
Team: Poppy Boadle, Nimi Gabrie, Daniel Rodriguez, Elsa Rodriguez, Katinka Szodenyi
Building contractor: Crafts Art Labor
Client: Chu Uroz
Area: studio 400 m2; apartment 80 m2
Constructor: Laboor Crafts and Arts

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External Reference appeared first on Dezeen.

Spanish architects Taller Básico de Arquitectura hoisted this pair of concrete laboratories in northern Spain onto red metal stilts (+ slideshow).

Taller Básico de Arquitectura used the red structures to create flat levels for the box-shaped labs, which sit on a gently sloping site at a technology park in Vitoria, close to Bilbao.

Two beams cross beneath each block so the columns sit under the middle of each external wall. Each wall features a single square window or doorway.

The square boxes sit at a slight angle to one another, almost touching but connected by a short bridge that’s glazed on the sides and above.

The first block contains two small rooms and places to sit, while the second is a single open research space filled with work benches.

Black window frames stand out against the clinical white interior.

Taller Básico de Arquitectura have also designed a university complex in Zaragoza with a facade of overlapping white scales.

We’ve also featured an earthquake-proof research laboratory in Tokyo and the world’s first mobile research facility in Antarctica.

See more laboratory design »
See more architecture and design in Spain »
See more concrete architecture »

Here’s some additional information from the architects:

Biokilab Laboratories

Two boxes in the air and a structure as architecture

The technologic Park of Vitoria colonises a little bit of nature. The quality of the site and its steepness make us question where to build. Two boxes made from air rise above the slope. The structure become architecture carries on its shoulders these boxes, showing a new plane.

We investigate new ways of entering new places. Our place appears on a new level, determined by a four-legged and colourful structure. Two hollow boxes of concrete inhabit this new place on the structure. The whole complex in a permanent flight reveals a new gravity.

Quadruped anatomies

The metallic structure that raises the boxes in the air is a quadruped structure. Its two horizontal elements form a cross inscribed in the square floor of the boxes. The sides of these floors measure twelve and thirteen meters respectively. The horizontal beams where the boxes rest avoid any interlocking.

Consequently, the structure is visible in its entirety. The ends of the beams join vertical elements, which become the legs of this quadruped anatomy. Legs are as wide as beams, managing a continuity that makes all the pieces be understood as a unique element. Different lengths of the legs let the slope remain unaltered.

The structure of the box

The box is thought as a second structure that replaces walls with beams and roofs with double slabs. The vertical faces of the box are beams as high as the box. These wall-beams have only one hole, defined by the maximum dimensions that let the beams work properly. Outside, the concrete structure is visible on all faces of the box.

Inside, plasterboards cover the structure. The window frame, drawn as a single line, stays hidden between both sheets. The gap between sheets, both in walls and slabs, contains all building systems, as plumbing, electricity, voice and data. This net of systems solves the flexibility needed by the laboratory for its continuous transformation.

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Taller Básico de Arquitectura appeared first on Dezeen.

A dilapidated car showroom in north-west London has been transformed into this flexible workspace by Hackney designers the Decorators and community initiative Meanwhile Space (+ slideshow).

Meanwhile Space set up the communal office for creatives to hire. Cottrell House is located on the ground floor of a vacant building close to the stadium and arenas in Wembley.

“The design of the space responds to the context of Wembley, whose landscape is regularly transformed by the large scale events of Wembley stadium,” said designers The Decorators.

A central table in the shape of the nearby national stadium can be surrounded by blue curtains to create a private meeting room.

The unit also contains a cafe, a shared studio, eight fixed desks and hot-desking spaces, which are hired out to more than one occupant to use at different times.

Metal-framed desks backed with peg board can be wheeled outside and used as stalls so designers can flaunt their wares during an event at the stadium.

Black and white tiles randomly pattern the floor, while smaller ones cover the circular columns in a similar style.

The space was built by volunteers in exchange for free membership at the venue.

More unusual offices on Dezeen include one where walls are peeled back to reveal meeting rooms and a Stockholm branding and design agency with surfaces that resemble cardboard boxes.

Photos are by Dosfotos.

See more office design »
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The following information was sent to us by the designers:

Cottrell House is an enterprise space in Wembley set up by Meanwhile Space and initiated by Brent Council to support local start-up businesses and entrepreneurs with affordable workspace.

Cottrell House overlooks the fast paced, large scale development of Wembley City and is almost invisible amongst the shadows of it’s grand structures. In these shadows, meanwhile projects like Cottrell House are providing local alternatives to inaccessible and intangible large scale development.

For this project The Decorators worked with Meanwhile Space to convert the ground floor of a prominent, long term vacant, building on Wembley Hill Road.

This former retail unit was rearranged to provide a small cafe, one shared studio for rent, eight fixed desks for hire and hot-desking space, catering for different needs and budgets.

The space was built with volunteers from Meanwhile Space’s Coming Soon Club, who gave time to the project in exchange for free membership days at Cottrell House.

The design of the space responds to the context of Wembley, whose landscape is regularly transformed by the large scale events of Wembley stadium.

A central round table with the profile of the stadium was built to give room to the many other things Wembley has to offer beyond its football matches.

The self-contained desk units can be wheeled outside and reconfigured as market stalls to provide an opportunity for makers of Wembley to sell and promote their work.

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and Meanwhile Space appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Dutch office UNStudio has won a competition to design a world trade centre in the growing city of Wenzhou, China, with proposals for a family of segmented skyscrapers.

Occupying an eleven-hectare site near Wenzhou’s riverfront, the Yongjia World Trade Centre will add to the growing number of international trade centres in China – currently standing at 26 – but will also create a mix of retail, leisure and residential uses in a district presently dominated by offices.

UNStudio‘s design concept is for a collection of “precious objects on a tray”, comprising five towers rising up from a podium with a landscaped roof. “The continuous podium landscape occupies the entire site and serves as a tray-like, green plain for the towers,” says the studio.

The two tallest towers, including one with a height of 287 metres, will be positioned to the north of the site and will house the World Trade Centre operations. Apartments will occupy the uppermost floors, while the three towers to the south will accommodate a mix of residential, shops, offices and a hotel.

A series of overlapping frames will give a segmented form to the elevations of each tower, intended to break down the scale and outline different communities. Where these frames overlap, the architects will create gardens and meeting areas for both offices and apartments.

The surrounding gardens and terraces will unite the buildings, creating a publicly accessibly green route from the buildings to the river.

UNStudio recently announced its relaunch as an “open-source architecture studio” inspired by technology start-ups. Find our more in our interview with studio principal Ben van Berkel.

The studio is also working on several skyscraper proposals, including a residential tower for London and a cactus-shaped skyscraper for Singapore. See more design by UNStudio »

Here’s a project description from the studio:

Yongjia World Trade Center, Wenzhou, China, 2013

The Yongjia World Trade Centre will create a new image for the WTC brand and will become a unique symbol for the new riverside city of Wenzhou. Wenzhou city lies in the dense economic zone along the coast of southeast China, next to the Yangtze River Delta region. The deep water sea port outside of Wenzhou and the inland channel to the sea expands the city’s access advantages for international and domestic markets.

The World Trade Center is located in the Oubei Sanjiang Area which has the highest development potential in Wenzhou. According to the masterplan, the Oubei Sanjiang Area in Yongjia is positioned as an integrated functional area with, among others, business, modern residence, tourism service, leisure and entertainment functions rolled into one.

The functional shift of the WTC area, from a business and financial district to a mixed-use development which includes cultural and recreational facilities and a high percentage of residential properties, will create a forward-looking and sustainable city district that has all the components needed to support economic growth whilst propelling social connectivity and local identity.

UNStudio’s competition design proposed 5 towers ranging from 287m for the main tower to 146m for the smallest tower. The office towers, including the World Trade Centre offices, are situated in the north area of the development. High end residential apartments are located on the upper levels of these towers, with residences that enjoy the best 360 degree views overlooking the whole peninsula. The programme mix of office and residential ensures an intertwining of functions and activation throughout the day and night. In the south part of the development residential towers and a hotel tower are located. In accordance with the competition brief the total above ground area adds up to 500,000 sqm, including shopping and commercial areas of 150,000 sqm, office areas of 160,000 sqm, hotel area of 50,000 sqm and a high-rise condominium are of 140,000 sqm.

UNStudio’s design for the new World Trade Centre presents a green neighbourhood in the sky which is combined with three main elements:
» Trade and business
» Diverse programme mix
» Accessible public landscape

The notion of precious objects on a tray drives the main design concept, where the continuous podium landscape occupies the entire site and serves as a tray-like, green plain for the towers. The harmonious composition of the towers affords a unique image of the development from all different views. The composition will interweave with its surroundings, yet will remain recognisable as family of objects.

On the tower scale ‘frames’ underline the concept of neighbourhoods in the sky which create unique locations with distinct identities. Where these frames overlap the so-called ‘Eyes’ are located. These are commonly used spaces such as sky gardens and lounges for use by residents, or social gathering places for office areas that afford the best views towards the river and Wenzhou city centre. Both the frames and the ‘eyes’ enhance the character of this future city symbol.

The landscape is the unifying element in the overall design, providing the display element for the tower objects. It is in large parts publically accessible and establishes a continuous green connection that links through the central green axis to the riverfront area.

The competition design proposes zoning by differently themed areas embedded into the landscape that are related to cultural and entertainment functions. At the central water stream and on the lower podium level the landscape has a lively character with various functions. In contrast, the top of the roof enjoys a more private character. This zoning creates diverse green areas that can satisfy the different needs of residents, visitors and business people alike.

Client: Shanghai World Trade (Shanghai) Holdings Group
Location: Wenzhou, China
Building surface: 500.000 m² above ground
Building site: 4 plots total 154,900 m2, the developable area is 111,237 m2
Programme: Towers with Offices, Residential and Hotel, Podium with Retail and cultural functions
Status: Competition 1st prize

Credits: Ben van Berkel, Astrid Piber with Hannes Pfau, Ger Gijzen, Juliane Maier, Martin Zangerl and Sontaya Bluangtook, Amanda Chan, Albert Gnodde, Jan Kokol, Patrik Noome, Mo Lai, Jan Rehders, René Rijkers, Stefano Rocchetti, Shuang Zhang

Landscape consultant: Loos van Vliet
Structure consultant: ARUP Shanghai
Sustainabilty consultant: ARUP Hong Kong

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Yongjia World Trade Centre appeared first on Dezeen.

Danish architects 3XN have completed a star-shaped regional headquarters for the United Nations in Copenhagen – but the real star is the spectacular staircase rising through the centre of the atrium (+ slideshow).

The UN City complex, located at the tip of the Marmormolen wharf in the city’s docks, takes the form of an eight-pointed star in plan and houses 1,700 UN staff.

3XN specially developed the white perforated aluminum shutters that clad the building and which can be controlled by workers via their computers.

Environmental features include sea-water cooling, rainwater collectors to flush the toilets, aerator taps to reduce water use and rooftop solar panels that can generate 297,000 kWh/year.

The sculptural central staircase is intended to encourage staff to circulate and interact, representing the UN’s role in encouraging positive dialogue between nations.

Likewise the star-form of the building is a metaphor for the UN’s work at all the compass points of the world.

See more projects by 3XN, including the dune-shaped Blue Planet Aquarium in Copenhagen, which was today shortlisted for the World Building of the Year award.

Here’s some info from 3XN:

3XN’s eight pointed star shaped UN City is inaugurated in Copenhagen

The new regional head office of the United Nations is designed with clear references to the UN’s identity and values: It is a building that physically reaches out to all parts the world, while the sculptural staircase in its core reflects the UN’s work to create global dialogue.

Delivering as One

Bringing together the various agencies and functions of the United Nations regional offices in Copenhagen, the new UN City is located at Marmormolen (The Marble Pier) north of Copenhagen’s city center. 3XN’s design is a response to the UN’s wishes for an iconic building expressing the organization’s values and authority. More specifically, the design reflects the independent, efficient and professional nature of each UN unit, while at the same time clearly rooted in a mutual set of values – Delivering as One.

Located on an artificial island the building is naturally separated from its immediate surroundings, while still being highly visible from both the city and the water.

The Star

From above, the eight-pointed star shape is a clear visual reference point, which, like the UN, reaches out to all corners of the world. Similar to the surrounding rusty pier edges, the UN city has a dark burnished steel base from which the white main building rises. This is a reference to the elegant white ships that characterize this part of the Copenhagen harbor.

The building has a façade cladding of white perforated aluminum shutters, developed by 3XN and contractor Pihl specifically for the UN City. The shutters ensure solar shading without blocking the view or the daylight. Since the facade is divided into three meter long modules, it is possible for the employees to control the sunshade from their computers. The result is an improved indoor environment, and a dynamic façade expressing a building full of life.

From the core of the star-shaped building, a daylight filled atrium connects the lobby level containing all common functions, with the office levels, where the various UN agencies are distributed.

From the atrium a central staircase binds all levels together. 3XN has created the staircase as a dramatic spatial sculpture, which is to be seen as a symbol of the UN’s work to create dialogue, interaction and positive encounters between people in all parts of the world. In the daily life, the sculptural form inspires the UN employees to want to use the stairs, and thus the staircase also forms the basis for dialogue, cooperation and informal meetings between the various UN organizations.

Sustainability

All office levels are characterized by an open and flexible layout encouraging knowledge sharing and interaction as well as individual immersion. Work stations are ensured plenty of high quality daylight and a good indoor climate. The working environment is further improved by an overall health policy including green recreational areas and a number of sustainable features including:

Air quality – The building has been designed to limit the use of chemicals and pollutants during both its construction and its use. The building is entirely ventilated with filtered outside air. This ensures that only clean, fresh air is present in the building and helps balance the interior humidity level.

Solar panels – More than 1,400 solar panels are lining the roof of the building to support the goal of generating renewable energy onsite. With an estimated total production of 297,000 kWh/year, the solar panels significantly reduce the need for electricity from the grid.

Sea water cooling – Cold seawater pumped into the building’s cooling system, almost entirely eliminating the need for electricity to power the cooling cycle.

Water efficiency – Innovative aerators have been placed in the taps in kitchens, toilets and showers throughout the building. The low-flow taps reduce water usage. In addition, pipes on the roof capture almost 3,000,000 litres of rainwater annually, which is almost enough to flush the toilets of the entire building without using potable water.

Solar shades – Sophisticated solar shades on the building’s facade can be opened and closed to either trap or reflect the sun’s heat.

Reflective roofs – The roof of the building has been coated with a white, recyclable membrane, made from plant-based materials. The environmentally-friendly coating reflects sunlight and reduces the solar warming of the building.

The UN City is expected to become one of Denmark’s most energy efficient buildings with an annual energy consumption of less than 50 KwH per m2 (Danish Energy Class 1). The UN City is registered with the LEED sustainability ratings system with the certification goal of LEED® Platinum. UN City has been awarded the prestigious GreenBuilding Award 2012 by the European Commission.

Project Data

The project is delivered in two phases: Phase 1 was completed in December 2012 and phase 2 will be completed in December 2013. The official inauguration took place July 4 2013 with the participation of the General Secretary of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon.

Client: FN Byen p.s. (Copenhagen Port & City Development)

Architect: 3XN

Engineer: Orbicon a/s

Landscape: Schønherr

Contractor: Pihl A/S

Interior Design: PLH / UN Common Services

Size: 45,000 m2 office and public facilities + 7,000 m2 archives and secondary facilities

Capacity: 1700 employees

Budget: Approx. 134 mio. EURO

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by 3XN appeared first on Dezeen.