Hasta La Ideas

Over 170,000 visitors to this year’s Sochi Winter Olympics will be able to have their faces scanned and recreated on the facade of a building as part of an installation by London designer Asif Khan.

Named MegaFaces and dubbed the “Mount Rushmore of the digital age”, Asif Khan‘s facade is designed to function like a huge pin screen where narrow tubes move in and out, transforming a flat facade into an interactive three-dimensional surface capable of morphing into the shape of any face.

The facade will display up to three eight-metre-high faces at a time for a period of 20 seconds each, and anyone visiting the games will be able to participate by visiting a 3D photo booth and having their face digitally scanned. Five photographs will be taken of each participant’s face from different angles, before being assembled into a single 3D image.

After a scan has been made, the 3D image will be fed through to a engine and cable system attached to over 10,000 narrow cylinders, called actuators, that can extended out to lengths of up to two metres to recreate the shape of the face.

Each actuator will have an RGB-LED light at its tip, making it possible to precisely calculate the position of every pixel.

A fabric membrane is to be stretched over the facade to give a smooth surface to the changing forms, and the actuators beneath will be laid out on a triagonal grid to disguise junctions between pixels.

“In the area of a three-dimensional modelling of organic forms a trigonal structure is more suitable, because it makes three-dimensional forms appear natural and flowing even with only a small amount of pixels,” said Valentin Spiess, the chief engineer on the project.

The system will take approximately one minute to calculate a three-dimensional model from the five individual pictures taken.

“The difficulty in our case was the development of a system that would meet all the requirements of the project in relation to speed, usability and image quality,” said Spiess.

“We couldn’t ask people to sit still for a whole minute and have themselves 3D laser scanned. The process needed to be as fast and simple as using a commercial photo booth,” he explained.

Images will be queued up on a digital scheduler and users will be informed what time to expect their face on the wall. Each participant will also be emailed a personal 20-second video so they can relive the moment.

MegaFaces will be installed on the facade of a temporary pavilion belonging to Russian telecom operator MegaFon and will remain in place for the duration of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Here’s a video showing part of the facade being tested:

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digital age” for the Sochi Winter Olympics appeared first on Dezeen.

A hotel comprising four prefabricated fibreglass tubes has opened near the top of Europe’s highest peak (+ slideshow).

Named LEAPrus 3912, the complex is designed by LEAPfactory, a team of Italian architects who specialise in designing accommodation for extreme environments and who previously constructed a survival unit atop a mountain in the Alps.

The hotel is located on the southern side of Mount Elbrus, a dormant volcano with an altitude of 5642 metres in Caucasus, Russia, and it offers accommodation for up to 49 mountain climbers.

Communal bedrooms and lounge areas are contained within two of the tubes, while a third houses a restaurant and staff accommodation. Toilets and showers are located within a smaller fourth block.

All four bunkers were prefabricated in Italy using a composite sandwich of resin and fibreglass. They were then airlifted to the site in pieces and assembled by a team of technicians.

The architects integrated various technologies into the structures to make efficient use of energy and to recycle available resources.

These include a system that melts snow to supply water for sanitation, a hybrid system that produces electricity and a sewage treatment plant.

“The activity of LEAPfactory is centred on the continued search for and the realisation of innovative solutions in response to the problems of creating infrastructures in the natural environment,” said the designers.

The hotel opened to the public in September and is operated by the North Caucasus Mountain Club. It is the first phase in a series of planned projects intended to encourage tourism in the region.

Photography is by the architects.

Here’s a project description from LEAPfactory:

LEAPrus 3912 is the name of the new Eco-Hotel located on the southern side of Mount Elbrus, at 4.000 metres in altitude: completed by Italian firm LEAPfactory in September 2013 it is now already open to the public.

Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe, and is one of the Seven Summits, the circuit of the highest mountains in each of the seven continents. It is located at the centre of the Northern range in the Russian Caucasus, halfway between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Mt Elbrus is a dormant volcano, characterised by twin summits of 5642 and 5621 metres, dominating all the mountains in the area, the lowest of which is at least 1000 metres. Its environmental and climatic conditions are known for their extreme severity.

The installation of LEAPrus 3912 was developed on behalf of the North Caucasus Mountain Club, a Russian company which is responsible for the development of tourism of the mountainous region in the North of the Russian Caucasus; LEAPrus 3912 is the first stage in the complete reorganisation of hospitality on Mount Elbrus. The entire region has a great potential for tourism: the vastness of the unique natural landscapes and the ancient troubled history of its peoples are the centrepiece of a great potential interest.

The complex is situated on the normal ascent route of the mountain, on the immense southern glacier, a few hundred metres from the historic refuge Priut 11, destroyed by fire in the 1990s and never rebuilt.

The new station accommodation is structured with four completely prefabricated buildings. The modular structures were designed and manufactured in Italy by LEAPfactory, and then transported to Russia. The installation on the slopes of the Mount Elbrus took place in a few days in July; the modules were transported by helicopter and assembled by a team of highly trained technicians from the company.

In the first days of September, after the final set-up of the technological systems the Eco-Hotel has been opened for activities.

LEAPrus 3912 in brief
» altitude: 4.000 metres above sea level
» 49 beds, living area, restaurant with kitchen, toilets, reception and staff accommodation
» 3 separate LEAPs1 units, with synthetic composite shells
» 2 newly designed s2 type units, with natural composite shells, in which the toilets, the biological depurifier and the sophisticated technological systems are housed
» timing for the project realisation: 10 months in total, just 20 days after positioning “in situ” before the opening to the public

The structures of the new alpine station are made with durable materials of the highest quality, using cutting-edge technologies in the field of environmental sustainability.

Getting the best possible performance in terms of energy efficiency and home comfort was the main goal along with the achievement of maximum self-sufficiency of the new settlement on the highest mountain in Europe.

» the high efficiency structural shells contribute to the dramatic reduction of the energy requirement which supplies lighting, heating and indoor air treatment, hot water and a system for monitoring and remote management of all devices
» a stand-alone hybrid system for the production of energy, with high efficiency and integration of the various sources used, with an innovative park for the ecological accumulation of sodium
» a specific internal air circulation system with heat recovery
» LED lighting
» underfloor heating designed to work at very low outdoor temperatures
» a system for melting of snow for the supply of water to the sanitation services
» a sewage treatment plant (LEAPecoR) specifically designed to work at high altitude that permits the centre to almost completely overcome the dispersion of organic pollutants into the environment
» the whole system is regulated and controlled, also remotely via satellite, facilitating effective management of the structure throughout the year

The interiors and the architectural design of the units are unique in the panorama of buildings at high altitude: there is a close visual relationship with the surrounding landscape, they have elegance, functionality and durability – and are carefully designed to provide users with real comfort. The Italian company that designs and manufactures modular prefabricated buildings with minimal environmental impact, LEAPfactory has realised already the successful of Nuova Capanna Gervasutti (Mont Blanc, Courmayeur, 2011). The activity of LEAPfactory is centred on the continued search for and the realisation of innovative solutions in response to the problems of creating infrastructures in the natural environment.

Designers: Luca Gentilcore, Stefano Testa, Davide Barreri, Morena Caredda
Project Team: Edoardo Boero, Stefano Girodo, Tamara Panetta, Edoardo Riva
Geologist: Alberto Morino (Gd Test)
Structural engineer: Luca Olivari (Olivari Composite Engineering), Andrea Bruzzone
Energy and plant systems: E++ srl, DANTE srl, SASSO srl
Client Relationship Manager: Cristiana Minetto
Client: North Caucasus Mountain Club
Project Responsible: Andrey Kataev

Main Technical Partners: ACTIS, CICLES, CLEAF, FIAMM, GEMAP, GERFLOR, GIOCOsolution, GP Tecno, GVM arreda, HOVAL, LCM group, NAYLcomposite, NDA nova design automazioni, NORDCOMPENSATI, SALT, VABER

Leap on site equipe: Alberto Altavilla, Gabriele Basile, Saverio Crocco, Emanuele Foglia, Giorgio Garzena, Luciano Pisu, Stefano Quaranta, Andrea Sasso, Paolo Sasso, Alessandro Simeoni, Roberto Toffanin, Luca Tomatis

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by LEAPfactory appeared first on Dezeen.

This guest house by Russian architect Peter Kostelov has a patchwork timber facade with perforated panels that look like paper doilies (+ slideshow).

The Deco Pattern House is located in the grounds of a house in Russia’s Konakovsky district and was influenced by the decorative style of early nineteenth-century Russian architecture.

“It’s reminiscent of old Soviet-time buildings when people had limited access to building materials, so as a result most private houses looked like patchwork blankets,” Peter Kostelov told Dezeen.

The timber facade is broken up into a series of squares and rectangles, differentiated with pine slats of different sizes, orientations and finishes. All joints are hidden behind overlapping planks of white-painted wood, fixed to one another with zinc screws.

Doors and windows are surrounded by the decorative plywood panels and trims, featuring laser-cut patterns that look like computer pixels.

“The ornament seems to consist of enlarged pixels, bringing the modern computer to the decor,” explained Kostelov. “Similar drawings used to be seen on ornaments embroiled on tissues and were copied and multiplied like patterns framing the edges of the shape,” he added.

The guest house encompasses two bedrooms, an office space, a shower and a toilet along with a small kitchen and dining area. The living room sits between the two bedrooms while a workshop area is isolated from the rest of the house.

This isn’t the first time Kostelov has created a house with a patchwork facade. He previously designed a riverside summerhouse clad with an assortment of wooden slats in Tverskaya, Russia. See more design by Peter Kostelov »

See more holiday homes on Dezeen »
See more architecture in Russia »

Photography is by Zinon Razutdinov.

Here’s some more from the architect:

Function

This house is the second after the bigger cottage on the same plot. It is the guests’ house. Apart from living room and a kitchen there are two bedrooms, toilet with shower, a workshop and storage. There is also a veranda and a garage for two cars. This house faces the bigger cottage. Its facade is richly decorated, which is sure to ennoble the plot and makes an attractive view if to look out of the bigger cottage. The house’s dimension is due to the size of the plot – 21 metres long and 6 metres wide – which is corresponding to the minimal size for two cars parking. Each of the two rather small bedrooms has kingsize beds, office zones and storage place for guests’ comfortable staying. Shower and toilet are next to the entrance. The living room is between two bedrooms. There are also a small kitchen, dining room and a divan area. Open air veranda with its small window for airing is under the housetop of the building. As for the workshop it is isolated so that the residents wouldn’t disturb the guests.

Decorations

The idea of the house decorations is recognisable for Russian style: a lot of decorative elements placed around windows and doors. Simple shapes and classical decorative elements should have created harmony. Walls are cut into segments and differ from each other in size of trimming wooden elements, colour and texture all of which create moving background. Above them decorative elements – trims and shutters are fixed. Joints of linings and threads are covered with crosswise planks fixed with visible zinc screws creating a bulge effect on simple shape of facade. Ornament of decorative elements is graphically processed. Oval elements are removed from it. The ornament seems to consist of enlarged pixels bringing modern computer origin of decor.  Similar drawings used to be seen on ornaments embroiled on tissues and were copied and multiplied like patterns framing the edges of the shape.

Technologies

Foundation is like a belt made of channel and is based on steel piles screwed evenly every 3 metres. Roof made from metal panels. Frame and panel technology is implemented in building of this house with timber 50 х 150 mm, insulation, hydro and wind proof pellicle and wooden trimming of both sides of walls. Decorative elements are made of waterproof plywood of 15 mm. thick.

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by Peter Kostelov appeared first on Dezeen.

Russia was the guest of honor at this year’s edition of Art Paris Art Fair, and thanks to the combination of a dozen Russian galleries in attendance, as well as numerous galleries from all over the world representing over 90 artists from the…

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Russian studio Arch Group has filled an old building in Moscow with its portable sleeping capsules to create the first Sleepbox hotel.

The modular hotel rooms were first developed for travellers taking naps in busy urban environments, but have also allowed Arch Group to convert an awkward building in the city centre into a functioning hotel.

Conceived as a midpoint between a hotel and a hostel, the four-storey building contains units for up to two people on its first and second floors, while the top floor is filled with single-person capsules.

Each Sleepbox is mobile and can be placed anywhere, provided it can be connected to a power source. As well as beds, the rooms are equipped with LED reading lamps, plus sockets for charging laptops and mobile phones.

A lobby and reception occupy the ground floor and includes an information zone where guests can use iPads to access the internet, plus a storage area filled with lockers.

Showers and toilet cabins are located on each floor and have bright green circular lights on the outside to indicate when they are occupied.

The building also contains a handful of regular hotel rooms, which were added to the top floor in spaces where the ceiling heights were too low for a Sleepbox.

Arch Group developed the concept for the Sleepbox in 2009 and the first capsule opened at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport two years later.

See more stories about sleeping on Dezeen »

Here’s a project description from Sleepbox:

Sleepbox Hotel Tverskaya

The first Sleepbox Hotel creates a special niche in hospitality services between hostels and common hotels. Hostels are mostly cheap, which directly affects service quality.

Traditional hotels have high level of comfort that it conditioned by high prices. Sleepbox Hotel Tverskaya is partly based on hostel principles to keep price low, but it offers considerably different quality of hotel services.

Every guest has an opportunity to live in his own module that has no comparison with any other type of hotel room. The hotel is a totally new and unique experience for every traveler, however it can boast low prices and excellent location.

Sleepbox hotel is located in Moscow downtown in the immediate vicinity of Kremlin. The hotel doors open to 1-st Trevskaya Yamskaya Street and it is only 3 minutes away from Belorusskiy Railway Station, where Aeroexpress trains arrive from Sheremetyevo International Airport. Hotels with such location are mostly expensive, but staying in Sleepbox Hotel is 3 times cheaper than in nearby hotels.

This is owing to the use of Sleepbox modules created by architectural bureau Arch Group that allow organizing in only 4 sq.m. a proper place for rest and relax in a variety of buildings from airport terminals to offices. These modules are mobile, can be installed anywhere inside the building and just need to be connected to the power supply. These features give an opportunity to open a hotel in a building that has never been intended for a hotel.

Sleepbox Hotel has 4 floors. On 1st floor you can find reception, information zone, lobby, individual lockers for visitors and management. Snow-white seamless reception desk with sleepboxish design is made of Corian. The desk can be seen from the street though glass doors. A visitor finds himself in a futuristic space that underlines unusual idea of the Sleepbox hotel. By the entrance there is an information zone that helps visitors to orient themselves or to find out railway schedule. For this purpose besides the maps there are iPads with Internet connection affixed to the wall.

While working on the design of this hotel we aimed to create something absolutely different from the rest of Russian hotels. We wanted to make it so that even experienced European visitors make a booking here without hesitation. As for the expenses we sought to ensure that technical realization of this project was cheap so that the lodging cost could remain on minimum level as planned.

The design of Sleepboxes is supplemented with a structure, which represents lighting and forms a part of ceiling and walls at the same time flowing by the boxes from the ceiling to the walls. It is made of transparent stretch sheet with LED spot lights behind. We have used this piece of design at all floors and even at the staircase, which gives a feeling of consistent space uniting all the floors of the hotel. To reduce the price of finishing works is was decided to leave the existing ceramic granite on the floor covering it with rubber. The floor pattern is similar to the ceiling pattern so each group of boxes is visually separated from walls and floor with black zones, which underlines boxes design and helps to combine wooden surface with general monochrome background.

Wooden double Sleepboxes are located on floors 2 and 3, and single black and white boxes are located on floor 4. These boxes are equipped with an inbuilt TV set. There are common hotel rooms on the same floor with attached washrooms and dormer windows. This was made to use effectively the space under the inclined roof, where ceiling height in not enough to install a Sleepbox.

Showers and toilet cabins are located on every floor and made in the general futuristic style. Toilet cabins look like separate capsules fixed in a row. Joints between them are illuminated with LED. There is a big round occupancy indicator, which shines green when the cabin is free and red when it is occupied.

Area: over 800 m2
Architectural bureau: Arch group
Architects: Mikhail Krymov, Alexey Goryainov, Alexey Poliakov
Project and building: 2011 – 2012

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by Arch Group appeared first on Dezeen.