As part of their Cultural Drivers event series, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. will be presenting the ‘Culture as Catalyst: Past, Present, Future’ event from 6:30pm-8:00pm on February 25th. Cities are increasingly defined by their civic spaces such as museums, theaters, libraries, parks, and cultural districts. Designers, public officials, and non-profit leaders from across the U.S. will share how their cultural facilities and civic spaces are re-energizing neighborhoods, spurring economic development, and responding to the needs of the community. For more information, please visit here.
The first prize winning proposal in the competition to design the masterplan of Padideh Kish, a destination resort in Kish Island, Iran, creates a fantastic and exciting place to improve and deepen the experience of a trip and remain in the mind of any visitor. Designed by Shirdel and Associates Architects, their idea of Padideh is a result of juxtaposition, the interaction and development of concepts where each one is dependent on the architectural achievements and architectural history of Iran. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Elkiær + Ebbeskov Arkitekter shared with us their winning proposal, titled ‘GROW YOUR CITY’, in the Suburb of the Future competition. The idea is not to reinvent the suburbs from scratch, but they believe that if one is able to identify their existing strengths and exceptional features, the areas sometimes referred to as “the fringes” may have the potential to become “the cutting edge”. Their design describes a modern area of suburban cultivation – “the Growth Zone” (Vækstzonen) – as a new residential quarter in the town of Nykøbing Falster. Its underlying notion is based on the broad links sweeping from countryside to seaside and on into the close-grained structure of the Danish fields and farmlands. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Kokkinou – Kourkoulas Architects shared with us their proposal in the competition for the redesign of the existing cereals stock house building facilities (SILO) and its surrounding open space into a Museum for Underwater Antiquities. This also includes the regeneration of part of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) Coastal Zone – transformation into an open public space for outdoor activities. With their main strategy based on preserving the memory and the effective wealth of the industrial past of the port, their goal is the creation of a cultural center at the western edge of the port amongst the wharfs and other industrial infrastructure. More images and architects’ description after the break.
In 1969, zoologist Desmond Morris released a book titled The Human Zoo; in it, he argued that human beings, tribal by nature, aren’t wired to live in the big, crowded modern-day cities we find ourselves in:
“Some people call the city a ‘concrete jungle’ — but jungles aren’t like that. Animals in jungles aren’t overcrowded. And overcrowding is the central problem of modern city life. If you want to look for crowded animals, you have to look in the zoo. And then it occurred to me: The city is not a concrete jungle — it’s a human zoo.”
Humans in a city are like animals in a zoo. It’s a fascinating claim, one that led me to a rather unusual thought.
If we take for granted Morris’ claim that the city is essentially a human zoo, and that, as we are all aware, it’s far more difficult for animals to mate in captivity, then - could cities actually limit our capacity for love? As our world becomes more and more urbanized, will it also become more lonely?
Two dynamic post-graduate programs offered by the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles have been charged with examining core contemporary issues facing architecture today. Spanning topics from advanced manufacturing methodologies and new building systems, to urban planning and design challenges faced globally, these post-professional tracks allow students to rethink architecture and design through the creative lens of the SCI-Arc community.
The architecture school’s Emerging Systems, Technologies & Media (ESTm) and Future Initiatives (SCIFI) programs are conceived as intensive one-year (three semesters) post-professional degrees in architecture, functioning as think tanks and research engines within the larger framework of the school.
Taking place at 6:00pm PST on Friday, March 1, internationally acclaimed architects Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano will deliver their fourth presentation in the “Placing” lecture series offered by the Department of Architecture at Portland State University, which is free and open to the public. Based in Madrid and Berlin, Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos is known for projects that marry a contemporary architectural language with traditional settings and historic structures. Their work includes the Madinat al Zahra Museum in Córdoba—recipient of a 2010 Aga Kahn Award—and extensions to the Joanneum Museum in Graz. More information after the break.
With love in the air this Valentine’s Day season, there is undoubtedly no better way to express your feelings to the architecture enthusiast in your life with these one of a kind architecture love cards. Made especially to share with your loved ones and those you care about most, celebrate this year’s loveliest season with these simple, yet elegant cards featuring well-known architectural wonders throughout the world from the Eiffel Tower to the Golden Gate Bridge. Thanks to Architecture for Humanity, just by visiting here, you can easily download one, two, or several of these cards which remind you why you love architecture so much! More images of love cards available can be viewed after the break.
OKRA, in collaboration with CCO, ACT, and Smith Innovation, recently won the competition for their Ejby Campus Business area proposal located in the Glostrup Commune near Copenhagen. Their sustainable and innovative development strategy focuses on the creation of a diverse program and the use of public space. With the opportunity to rethink the business areas of suburbia, the business area currently plays an important role in providing economically attractive workplaces in an accessible, open and green setting. More images and architects’ description after the break.
That was the question I posed yesterday, in response to our publication of The WA100, Building Design’s ranking of the world’s largest architecture firms. My conclusion was that ranking, by size, tells you very little about the success of the world’s largest firms. But ranking by income and efficiency? Well, that tells you quite a bit more.
By looking at the Top 5 Fee Income Earners and the 5 Most Efficient Firms of 2012 - and their strategies - we can understand far more what it takes to be successful in this tough market. Since The WA100 is much more than a list of rankings, but also a compendium of information, I went back to the source to investigate these firms more.
The big guns (Aecom, Gensler, etc.) have aggressively pursued a diverse range of projects on an international scale (particularly in China and the Middle East) - a stance that is far from surprising, considering how competitive they are.
More interesting, however, is that the most “efficient” firms (those firms that, while nowhere near the size nor clout of the Big 3, have earned higher fee incomes per employee), have either stayed in strong markets or diversified internationally, creating a niche for themselves in these markets (a strategy discussed at length in “The 7 Things You Need To Know Before Doing Business Abroad”).
Learn the business strategies of the top income earners and most efficient earners of 2012, after the break...
A unique ecological resource for an otherwise densely-populated urban region, the Xiasha district is a rural, coastal setting outside of Shenzhen. FCHA‘s second prize winning proposal for the masterplan project of Xiasha Wander Bay seeks to strike a balance between the preservation of the site’s pristine ecology and the needs of a four-season tourist town. More images and architects’ description after the break.
With the proposal title of ‘Expose the Structural DNA’, PWFERRETTO’s design for a new National Contemporary Art Storage of Korea amplifies the power of the existing structure by revealing its bare structural logic. Their main goals are to create an engaging experience and relate to the visitor in a more raw and immediate way, which makes it different from a museum. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Cell, by Tarse Singh, is a visually powerful film in which every set is carefully prepared in terms of color, composition and atmosphere. Ranging from subtle scenes to really baroque ones, the film is loaded with surrealist, sophisticated imagery that helps the viewer experience the story with the characters.
As usual we invite you to enjoy these films, let us know your comments, and propose more for the list!
The ‘Gate 81′ project has been set up to imagine how Preston Bus Station could be adapted for the future and to strongly encourage all who are interested to develop your ideas using open, shared resources. In December 2012 Preston City Council voted ‘in principle’ to demolish the building and replace it with a surface car park. However, to many, the building is a major cultural landmark and it should be preserved and creatively adapted to serve the city. It should act as a key space to make Preston accessible and temper the decay that is affecting our city, and so many other city centers across the UK. This is a great way to maximize resources and collective intelligence through this very open site. More information after the break.
Conceived through a spatial inversion, the proposal for the new Antiquities Museum of Piraeus is an industrial typology that is reinvented as a cultural destination. Designed by PAR, in collaboration with ARUP, their interest lies not only in the complex program of the museum, but in the site’s unexploited urban potential as a civic link. Transformed into an iconic, world class museum, the building’s openness activates the Cultural Coast District. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Yesterday, we published The WA100, Building Design’s ranking of the world’s largest architecture firms’ physical and financial growth for 2013. The ranking is - although not by any fault of its own - inherently misleading.
Why? Because we’re wired to read a ranking subjectively, looking to #1 as the best in some capacity, and then to compare other entries, with higher or lower rankings, as somehow better/worse than their neighbors.
But this list is objectively ordered by size (a.k.a the number of employees). Not by the amount of money earned. Not by the number of projects completed. Not by the prestige of those projects, or even the quality of the work.
So what does it mean to be in the Top 5 of this ranking? Qualitatively, not very much.
Which is not to say that the list isn't worth a longer look...
Check out the Top 5 Most Admired Firms of 2012 (and other ways we should be evaluating the world’s largest firms), after the break...
The new information centre, designed by Studio DMTW, aims to be the central representative identification point in the overall context of the Georg-Simon-Ohm-Hochschule. With the program including a library with an open reading area, individual working spaces, and several seminar and meeting facilities, the design stipulates a clear structuring for all the functions with regard to both the outdoor areas and the new building itself. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), recently launched their Spring 2013 Guest Lecture Series in architecture, titled “DigitalAnalog”, which is free and open to the public. Most lectures take place at 6:00 pm in Dokkhuset, Dokkparken 4, Trondheim, Norway unless otherwise noted with the first lecture taking place this coming Thursday, February 14th. The series will focus on the differences and commonalities between analogue and digital workflows. Keynote speakers include Michael Hansmeyer, Anette Spiro and Lund &Skare. For more information, please visit here.
Median, a magazine that focuses on exploring pressing societal issues, recently launched their open call for contributions for their upcoming ‘Post-Industrial’ issue. As cities around the world experience tremendous declines from their industrial peaks, it is critical to re-imagine the future of the Post-Industrial City. They are looking for innovative ideas from public policy, urban design, economics, or architecture that can contribute to shaping the post-industrial landscape’s uncertain future. Submissions are due no later than March 31. For more information, please visit here.
The latest technological developments and new areas of application in the field of Green Roofs will be presented at the 3rd International Green Roof Congress, which will be held in Hamburg. Organized by The International Green Roof Association (IGRA), the event will take place May 13-15, where acknowledged international Green Roof experts from various disciplines will discuss the status quo and the future trends of Green Roofs with architects, designers, landscape contractors and more. If you are interested in ‘Building with Nature’, this unique event will encompass a range of related topics To register, and for more information, please visit here.
Building Design has released their annual ranking, The WA100, of the world’s largest architecture firms. Coming in the #1 spot (up from #2 last year) is Nikken Sekkei (ranked #4) were the top 3 earners of 2012, each making over $400 million US Dollars in Fee Income.
Of the top 10 largest firms, 5 are based in North America, 3 in Asia, and 1 in the UK (Aedas, which ranked 5th, is dually based in both China and the UK). A similar trend is also evident in the list as a whole - as you can see from the graphic we compiled (after the break), US firms remain the biggest employers of architects and the highest-earners. Although the UK represents about half the number of employed architects as the US, UK firms earned almost as much in fee income.
Interestingly, the only firms to grace both the Top 10 list and Building Design's survey of the Top 5 Most Admired Firms of 2012, were Gensler (#2 Largest; #4 Most Admired) and Foster & Partners (#10 Largest; #1 Most Admired). Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, ranked as the 45th largest firm).
See our graphic and the full list of the world’s largest firms, after the break...
Designed by Barcode Architects & Habiter Autrement, their proposal for the multi-functional headquarters of Edel AG in Berlin contains a strong mix of program with public functions as an art gallery, café, bookshop and auditorium, versus private functions as the 3000m2 offices for Edel AG and the exclusive penthouses. The 7-storey building is located on the Spandaur Schiffahrts Kanal and will be in the future together with the opposite museum of modern art “Hamburger Bahnhof” and the “Flick Art collection” an important link in the development of the Berlin KunstCampus. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Recently honored in the first edition of the ‘OFF du dévelopment durable’ as ‘sustainable and desirable area’ and awarded in the recent ‘Barème carbone’ Prize, Tekhnê Architects‘ proposal for the Urban Development project of Beausejour ZAC in La Réunion aims to meet a tremendous challenge. It consists in taking an outstanding 80 ha site of sugar cane fields and then conceiving and creating a town that will be loved by its population and will go through time without hindrance, by integrating it into the environmental setting of the 21st century. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Grimshaw Architects shared with us their construction update video on the Reading Station redevelopment, which consists of the existing station facilities being enhanced with two new entrances and by the addition of a new transfer bridge over the tracks, designed to accommodate a 100% uplift in passenger growth. One of the major interchanges of the south east, and one of the busiest stations outside London, it is also the Great Western Main Line’s biggest constraint in terms of performance and capacity in its current form.
