The challenge of solving practical safety issues in the atrium of Bobst Library represents an opportunity to enhance the quality, character and identity of this important NYU institution. Our design is guided by the dual objective of creating an attractive security membrane that is secure yet visually porous while at the same time aesthetically compatible with the existing atrium designed by Philip Johnson in 1968.ComponentsThe Pixel Veil is composed of two layered components —aluminum panels are mechanically attached to vertical aluminum structural supports. The components are painted bronze to match the existing bronze handrail. Each laser-cut panel is inscribed with a perforated pattern–the Pixel Matrix—composed using an underlying 4” grid whose spacing aligns with the vertical stanchions of the original bronze railings while also complying with ADA building codes. At the top level, the perforated veil terminates in a glass clerestory that differentiates the administrative floor from the other library functions below and heightens the impression that the veil floats within the atrium.Secure Yet PorousOur design reconciles opposing demands for security and porosity. On the one hand, the new interior lining of the atrium possesses sufficient surface area to form an effective security barrier that is vandal proof, durable and …
Architects: Architectare
Location: Itaipava – Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Project Architects: Flavia Quintanilha e Rodrigo Fernandes
Area: 704 sqm
Photographs: Leonardo Finotti
Lightning: RBF arquitetura de iluminação
Construction: K2 Engenharia
Structural Project: MPompei Engenharia
Site Area: 2790 m²
From the architect. Despite being in a proportionately large lot, the building has its shape defined by the small triangle of its buildable area on the entrance of the lot, resulting from enforcement of the condominium and local legislation. The whole building area is embedded in this triangle, with the exception of the deck, which was designed as permeable construction, as allowed. Those restrictions forced the house to be very exposed to the street and that was taken as a design proposition.
The façade towards the street was designed to give the impression that it is all closed, with exception of the library and some small openings on the first floor. The graphic texture of this façade represents the integration of the architecture with the land. From the soil, a well-defined form arises, with organic texture, made with rocks gathered in the place. On this strong base, another volume is lightly settled.
This volume contains the rooms and interacts with the street by means of theirs big sliding panels made of aluminum. This very rational texture is interrupted by the library bookshelf, which is dominated by the disordered timber wood graphism working as a moucharebiya.
The façade towards the inside of the land is made of sliding glass panels, receiving direct sun during the winter afternoon, warming the house for the night. and increasing the integration between the interior and the nature outside. Those glass panels provide the necessary input of light during the day.
To increase the interior sun light, a skylight above the stairs was designed. At night, the lighting design benefits from the material´s textures to preserve the warm atmosphere. The entire 1st floor is designed to ensure full interaction among the different uses and spaces of the house. For this, the sliding glass panels can be completely open; transforming the living room into a veranda and the deck becomes an extension of the internal space, annulling the barriers between the swimming pool and outside kitchen.
The 2nd floor is more private and all the bedrooms turn to the mezzanine where the library is, from which you can see the first floor without being too exposed.
Australian-based designer Stephanie Ng has created a modular lighting system called Halo.
From the designer
Inspired by a halo type light source, the Halo Modular Light offers lighting without any hot spots or visible globes, appealing to both the domestic and commercial market. Simple, sleek lines for a minimalistic take, a lighting system that has cohesive synergy with the space in which its placed. It is a versatile design that is customisable from user to user to reflect their individuality through arrangement and color. As a modular lighting system, the Halo has the potential to grow as large as one’s space allow.
Spun out of steel, the magnet of one module attracts and sits flush to the next module with potential to rotate at any angle. It is just as easy to pull it apart and readjust when ‘refreshing’ the ambience and has unlimited opportunities to create a fresh look without adding to landfill. Modularity and interchangeable features will become the heritage of the future as mass consumerism continues. Without supporting the buy and throw away habits, users will be able to achieve a new look by reconfiguration and/ or adding modules or splitting them up. Limitless are the boundaries of its versatility, with clusters interlinking and cords suspended at staggered heights within the entirety of the space. Be it snaking above a long kitchen bench, over a staircase, in a circular formation or in clusters of clouds to be seen from a multi level foyer.
The Halo Modular Light runs on LED lights and consume very little energy. Furthermore, the components of the lighting design has been kept to its bare minimal with only an outer shell and diffuser with minimal waste on material.
The intervention that is proposed is located within the urban perimeter of Aldeia do Meco. It is a narrow strip towards sunrise / sunset, flat up to about half of the land and thereafter acquiring an pending until the river bordering the west. The settlement program includes the construction of three houses, two for rent and a residence for the owners. The first two houses are grouped together (casa 1 and casa 2) on the flat part and closer to the street and settled the other house (casa 3) on the ground to the west. 3 This house adapts to the topography, adjusting to the presence of existing trees, and enjoying the views through a system of terraces that extend the house outdoors. Unlike casa 3, casa 1 and casa 2, more exposed to neighboring buildings, enjoy a more intimate relationship generated by a system of courtyards. Important starting point was the impossibility of any sophistication constructive opting for current building systems. The banality of the building grew into a minimal architectural lexicon composed of white unequal volumes, but similar in nature. This game was complemented with the austerity of the chosen materials. {% blog_media_item 674835 …
Hihou is located in Melbourne’s central business district but the design concept provides patrons with a sense of being transported to Tokyo, Japan. The patrons’ journey begins at the anonymous entrance, through a minimalistic corridor, before arriving into a Japanese inspired venue where they are welcomed by sophisticated staff.
Design Brief
The project brief was to refurbish and convert a two-hat restaurant, Verge, located opposite Treasury Gardens in Melbourne’s central business district, into a Japanese style café and bar. The first meeting with the client was held in November 2011 and the venue opened in June 2012. The client’s vision was to utilise the existing split-levels and turn the venue into two separate identities, a café (day time operation) and a bar (night time operation), by using sliding screens inspired by Japanese architecture. The aesthetic brief was very simple; create a bright and fresh café on the lower level, and a dark and moody bar on the upper level.
Design
The bar entry is located on Flinders Lane in Melbourne. There is no signage, just an intercom at the door. The anonymous entry enhances patrons’ sense of being transported to another city – Tokyo. Inside the venue, sliding screens are used to create flexible planning and to separate the two identities located within the one venue, a café and a bar. The screens slide in and out to create two different, almost conflicting themes between the day and night time operations. A minimalistic corridor guides patrons to the bar on the first floor. The bar space is designed with a timber chandelier which also doubles as a wine rack and a screen. A feature wall is created with timber battens arranged into a three-dimensional piece of artwork; bottles and glasses are displayed in between the battens to add another dimension. Opposite the feature wall, along the Flinders Lane glass façade, timber planter boxes have been designed to form a screen between the inside and the outside, as well as to create a vertical garden which responds to the surrounding Treasury Gardens and street trees.
Innovation
The Hihou design uses simple ideas to achieve a distinctive Japanese atmosphere. The use of sliding screens, feature wall and planter boxes achieves an effective multipurpose use of the space. The sliding screens enable the venue to interchange between a bright and fresh atmosphere, to dark and moody, by sliding into different positions. A timber chandelier is suspended over the communal table in the middle of the bar area. LED light fittings are arranged and embedded into the timber battens to bring indirect light into the space. It also forms a screen dividing the communal table and the wine rack. The feature wall is constructed with timber battens arranged to form a three-dimensional piece of artwork and is used to display bottles and glasses. LED light fittings are again used between the battens to light up the space, and also cast reflections on the items on display. The design of the planter boxes is based on a brief to obscure the view from the outside and reduce the ‘goldfish-in-tank’ effect. A green vertical garden responds to the surrounding Treasury Gardens and street trees. This feature was again designed with flexibility in mind – as a screen, planter boxes and/or display shelves.
Client Testimonial
The project challenge was to make over a modern design, retaining most of the existing structure while giving the venue a sense of something new, with a strong Japanese feel. The Senior Architect on the job was Japanese, allowing us to naturally instil a strong Japanese ethos into the design, while retaining the unique style of the firm. The success of creating two businesses under the same umbrella has been successfully achieved, with most customers unaware of the space above or below.
The brief for Hihou was to create a sense of being transported to Tokyo and this has been realised through the secret entrance, Japanese screens and the design of the bar area. The discreet lighting, timber battens, blackened bar top and stone tables exude an elegant Japanese feel with a sense of modernity and seriousness. Most importantly neither the practical operations of the bar nor the importance of strong, effective design, were compromised. The end result is a successful bar which combines food, design and culture to create a unique Japanese feel.
From the architect. MODU’s Outdoor Room project for the 5th China International Architecture Biennial creates an urban public space that reactivates Beijing’s iconic Olympic Park while focusing on the air quality crisis in Beijing. The competition-winning project will be open in Beijing through November 2013 and will be installed in six other cities in China.
Outdoor Room serves as an engaging urban public space and a barometer of Beijing’s well-documented air quality levels. Along with the weather report, daily readings of air particulate contaminant have become part of everyday urban life in Beijing. On most days, pollution creates a dense fog that transforms the city with an unsettling palette of colors—from dull grey to off-white and yellow-beige. On the occasional day of better air quality, urban forms suddenly materialize “out of the fog.” The concept of a city that disappears and reappears is central to the public experience of Outdoor Room. Inside the pavilion, a large elliptical roof opening provides a visual measure of the air quality. On days of good visibility, the roof void frames clear views of the Olympic Observation Tower and beyond to the National Stadium. On days of poor air quality, the landmarks virtually disappear from sight. The uncanny experience of a city disappearing and reappearing comes into focus from within Outdoor Room and draws attention to the crisis of air pollution in Beijing.
The design of Outdoor Roomprecipitated the concept of the “room in the city”andits converse, the“city in the room.” Viewed from the Olympic Park, the “room in the city” does not attempt to recreate the urban boundaries that separate polluted outdoor air from conditioned and filtered indoor air throughout Beijing. From within the public space, the openings between the fabric panels frame a “city in the room.” This “city in the room” offers changing views of the OlympicPark and the air that surrounds it. The glossy translucent fabric panels both reflect and transmit the color hue of the polluted air enveloping the city—from blue to grey to yellow. The torque geometry of the fabric panels reflects the colors differently, especially when viewed fromdifferent vantage points within Outdoor Room. All of the fabric panels were recycled from nearby exposition tent structures in the Olympic Park, highlighting existing environmental opportunities even in Beijing.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation recently launched its newest documentary as part of the ongoing Oral History series, this time focusing on the ideas and career of Laurie Olin, a recipient of the National Medal of the Arts and one of the greatest landscape architects of our time. Olin’s influential work as a practitioner, educator and author over the past forty years has helped to guide the future of landscape architecture and shape urban life around the world.
Shot in 29 segments totaling more than 90 minutes, the documentary is multiple interviews in which Olin discusses his philosophy, life, and influences. Jumping from the OLIN studio in Philadelphia to projects at Battery Park City, Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle in New York City, the oral history includes Olin’s study and work at the University of Washington with Richard Haag, fellowships and travel in England and Italy, his professorship at the University of Pennsylvania and other significant milestones. The video also includes interviews with OLIN partners, from Lucinda Sanders to Susan Weiler and Dennis McGlade.
The series is an outgrowth of the Pioneers of American Landscape Design Project, formatted to examine each designer’s personal and professional history, their overall design philosophy and how that approach was carried out in their most emblematic projects. Richly edited, the video segments include never before seen archival footage, new photography, and on‐location videography.
“Laurie Olin is a towering and enormously influential figure in the landscape architecture profession and one of its most esteemed practitioners – an erudite thought leader, a terrific designer, and a compelling speaker,” said Charles A. Birnbaum, TCLF founder and president. “When Laurie discusses his work and influences we all go on an extraordinary and revelatory voyage that touches on fascinating moments in history, literature, art, music and design – there’s no one quite like him.”
A downloadable transcript of the complete interview is available here, as are reflections by Olin’s friends, family, colleagues, collaborators and co-workers about his life, career and legacy.
Laurie Olin is currently a professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and is the former chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the recipient of the 1998 Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Design Medal from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2005. Olin is also the author of many books and has written extensively on the history and theory of landscape design.
Check out the video series here, and more about Laurie Olin here.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation is a 15-year-old non-profit foundation that provides people with the ability to see, understand and value landscape architecture and its practitioners, in the way many people have learned to do with buildings and their designers. Through its Web site, lectures, outreach and publishing, TCLF broadens the support and understanding for cultural landscapes nationwide to help safeguard our priceless heritage for future generations.
HAO’s counter proposal seeks to adaptively reuse the existing factory buildings, including the iconic Civil War-era Domino Sugar Refinery — which has defiantly held its ground amidst heavy redevelopment in surrounding areas. Not unlike SHoP’s proposal, HAO aims to regenerate these spaces into a “world-class cultural destination” that combines public and private programs.
The difference, however, is in scale. The current master plan envisions five residential towers that rise 600 feet to, according to SHoP, create “a new skyline for Brooklyn — one that relates to the height of the Williamsburg Bridge and scales down to meet the neighborhood.”
The counter proposal is a defiantly smaller scale — adapting to the average building heights of the surrounding area – reminiscent of Beijing’s 798 Art District with Bauhaus-inspired, sawtooth-like roof-scoops. “We explored possibilities that would open up the site and create a vibrant, mixed and cultural destination. We believe that, destinations like the 798 Art District and the Tate Modern, the Domino Sugar Factory has the potential to attract millions of visitors every year.”
HAO’s counter proposal captures approximately 700,000 square feet of publicly accessible gallery space (surpassing even the MoMA by 70,000 square feet). The proposal divides the site into two general zones: a green energy technology center, educational, community and hotel-driven programming are located near the south; to the north, publicly accessible private museum space, exhibition and theater space.
For now, the counter proposal is merely an alternative. HAO and local Brooklynites, however, believe that to create a sustainable and revitalized Williamsburg, the city should reconsider caving in to mega-luxury-developments.
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
An enterprise architecture tries to describe and control an organisation’s structure, processes, applications, systems and techniques in an integrated way. The unambiguous specification and description of components and their relationships in such an architecture requires a coherent architecture modelling language.
Lankhorst and his co‑authors present such an enterprise modelling language that captures the complexity of architectural domains and their relations and allows the construction of integrated enterprise architecture models. They provide architects with concrete instruments that improve their architectural practice. As this is not enough, they additionally present techniques and heuristics for communicating with all relevant stakeholders about these architectures. Since an architecture model is useful not only for providing insight into the current or future situation but can also be used to evaluate the transition from ‘as‑is’ to ‘to‑be’, the authors also describe analysis methods for assessing both the qualitative impact of changes to an architecture and the quantitative aspects of architectures, such as performance and cost issues.
The modelling language presented has been proven in practice in many real‑life case studies and has been adopted by The Open Group as an international standard. So this book is an ideal companion for enterprise IT or business architects in industry as well as for computer or management science students studying the field of enterprise architecture.
