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Architecture

 

New skyscrapers in the City of London (Image: Hayes Davidson for NLA)
Some are sharp, some are boxy, some tubular. Some will be built in pairs, groups of three or clusters. More than 230 new towers are being built or planned for London, making Renzo Piano’s Shard look like a modest proposal and St Paul’s almost quaint.  Read More
A green roof will be installed at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (Image: Shop Architects)
The Barclays Center in Brooklyn is set to have a green roof installed. The idea has been planned since before the arena was even built. Developers believe the new addition will be one of the largest and most impressive green roofs in the city.  Read More
Ingameoffice has installed a green wall system into the TYJ Office Building in Shenzhen, C...
The benefits to health and wellbeing of having plants and greenery around an office are well documented. This project by Ingameoffice is more than just a few pot plants, though. Its TYJ Office Building refurbishment uses a vertical planting system in which plants can be moved around.  Read More
The American Institute of Architects has chosen 10 recipients for its 2014 Housing Awards
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has revealed what its judges reckon to be the 10 best new American homes and housing complexes, for the organization's 2014 Housing Awards. Though not explicitly marketed as a list of green housing, almost all of the winners feature some degree of sustainable technology or design.  Read More
Eastern aspect of Battersea Power Station Phase 3 proposal
London's iconic Battersea Power Station has had numerous proposed reincarnations over the years, including being turned into a "green mountain" and livening up the design with a roller coaster. Now, as part of its regeneration, architecture firms Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners have announced their plans for it, which sees the building becoming the focal point of a new town center.  Read More
First Place - Vernacular Versatility by Yong Ju Lee (United States)
The winners of the 2014 eVolo skyscraper competition were announced in March. Now in its ninth year, the contest aims to recognize outstanding ideas for vertical living. This year's entries included wooden structures, sky cities and buildings that grow.  Read More
Set to open in 2017 the City of Dreams Hotel features a mix of 780 guestrooms, suites and ...
The 2008 Beijing Olympics provided China with the ideal platform to showcase highly elaborate, world-class architectural designs. Now with Zaha Hadid’s new City of Dreams project set to open in Macau in 2017, the country can add another unique architectural structure to its resume.  Read More
The Goods Line is a former rail track in Sydney that is being turned into a public space
Work has begun on transforming an area in Sydney, Australia into a new public space. The Goods Line is a disused rail track that was used for transporting freight. Now, inspired by New York's High Line project, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is working with Aspect Studios and Chrofi to reinvigorate the space.  Read More
Port X, by Czech architecture firm Atelier SAD (Photo: Port X)
Czech architecture firm Atelier SAD recently unveiled an interesting modular prefab home that can either be installed on the ground like a normal home, or float on the water like a (non-motorized) houseboat. Dubbed Port X, the unusual dwelling comes in several sizes, can be expanded upon to increase living space if needed, and operates either on or off-grid.  Read More
One of the Bochum metro shelters by Despang Architekten (Photo: Olaf Baumann)
Exposed street escalators in Bochum, Germany, have been given a new lease of life with clever shelter designs by Despang Architekten. Described by the architects as "urban waterfalls," the seemingly simple shelters had to be tough enough to withstand the impact of a large truck, while presenting an elegant glass entrance to the underground metro. A series of metal supports covered in glass sheets allow rainwater to cascade over the sides, producing the waterfall effect. The ribbed steel structure also protects against vandalism.  Read More

Stadio della Roma is due for completion in time for the 2016 - 2017 season (Image: Woods B...
Italian soccer team AS Roma needs new digs, and architectural practice Woods Bagot has duly risen to the occasion, producing impressive plans for a large stadium that draws inspiration from the ancient Roman Colosseum.  Read More
 

Port of Seville receives shipping container-based cruise ship terminal

April 2, 2014
The shipping container-based terminal is located in Spain's only river port, based in Sevi...
In order to accommodate the growing number of cruise ship passengers who regularly disembark at the Spanish Port of Seville – the country's sole inland port – a new cruise ship terminal has been built using shipping containers. While they aren't always the best building material for every situation, in this case they appear to have proved a good fit.  Read More
OMA has won a competition to design the new Axel Springer building (Image: OMA)
A design by international architecture firm OMA has been selected for the new Axel Springer media center in Berlin. The design is aimed at encouraging collaborative working in a digital age. It was chosen in the final round of a competition ahead of designs by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Buro Ole Scheeren.  Read More
The Imai House, by architectural firm Katsutoshi Sasaki and Associates (Photo: Katsutoshi ...
When designing a small home for a family, it's only possible to downsize so much. One might fairly guess that a house with a total width of 3 meters (10 ft) would be pushing things too far, but Imai House, by architectural firm Katsutoshi Sasaki and Associates, offers a good argument to the contrary. The home is also an example of how apparently too-small inner-city plots can be put to good use.  Read More
Kingsgate House by Horden Cherry Lee Architects (Photo: Horden Cherry Lee)
Forget the "Shard," the "Walkie Talkie" and the "Cheese Grater," the real revolution in UK buildings is in timber construction, which saves on build time, carbon emissions and boasts energy efficiency. One new apartment block in Chelsea is calculated to use the same energy as a Smart car.  Read More
Park Passive House is Seattle's first certified Passive House (Photo: Aaron Leitz)
Well, it could theoretically be heated by a hairdryer, at least. While that attention-grabbing headline needn't be taken too literally (it appears to refer to the equivalent energy required for heating), in Park Passive House, NK Architects has produced an energy-efficient and attractive modern family home. It also happens to be Seattle's first certified Passive House, and so will hopefully provide inspiration for more similarly efficient homes to be built in its wake.  Read More
The façade itself is not solid; instead it incorporates a field of pixilation and perforat...
Known for her futuristic, curvilinear architectural forays, Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi Pritzker prize winning architect, has never been one to shy away from making a statement. From London’s Aquatics Centre to the Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion to the Guangzhou Opera House, Zaha’s architectural style remains unique. Now the Iraqi born designer can add Korea’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza to her resume.  Read More
The Tsunamiball is the sole work of designer Chris Robinson (Photo: Chris Robinson)
Following the tsunami that hit Japan in March, 2011, designer Chris Robinson was inspired to create an escape pod to ensure he and his family could survive if such a disaster were to occur in his home city of Palo Alto, California. After some two years of painstaking design and construction, his floating off-grid shelter, dubbed Tsunamiball, is nearing completion.  Read More
The Garden House by De Matos Ryan (Photo: De Matos Ryan/© Hufton+Crow)
A new house on the Thames in London not only accommodates a family of 10, but offers special flood-prevention measures and a clever scheme for taking in natural light while maintaining privacy. It’s called the Garden House, as it sits in a sunken garden courtyard surrounded by open terrace and greenery. But its real achievements are harder to guess. The sculptural volumes contain a five-bedroom house; the glamorous-looking courtyard is actually a high-sided watertight concrete container, and the blank upper walls conceal light wells that cleverly let in sunlight without overlooking the neighbors.  Read More
The structures of the MobiVersum are all made of timber (Photo: Uwe Walter for Autostadt, ...
If you’re interested in seeing the latest, most advanced car designs while also taking in some modern art and learning about sustainability, then you might want to stop in at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany. The museum-showroom-education complex is now also home to the "MobiVersum," by Jürgen Mayer H. The new interactive sculptural installation by the Berlin-based architect is made up of a cluster of abstract shapes that resembles an architectural playground, but is meant to offer lessons in motion and sustainability.  Read More
The ESCAPE home looks like a cabin but is actually rated as an RV (Photo: Canoe Bay)
Perhaps due to the fact that the challenge of designing viable tiny homes pushes architects to come up with creative space-saving solutions, the tiny house movement is bursting with great ideas. The latest such dwelling to come to our attention, dubbed ESCAPE, is a 37 sq m (400 sq ft) home that boasts a handsome design, lots of customizable options (including operating completely off-grid), and legal status as an RV.  Read More

Artist Janet Echelman has created a huge net sculpture that is being exhibited in Vancouve...
The TED Conference has a long history of artworks and performances accompanying its talks and the conference taking place this week in Vancouver is no different. It's featuring a huge net sculpture floating above the city that's hung from a skyscraper and incorporates an interactive light-show at night.  Read More
The Pop-Up House, by Multipod Studio (Photo: Elisabeth Montagnier)
French architectural firm Multipod Studio recently unveiled a new sustainable house prototype that's lightweight, recyclable, and promises to be an inexpensive purchase and extremely efficient to run. The suitably-named Pop-Up House also boasts another notable selling-point: all that's required to assemble it is four day's patience and a standard electric screwdriver.  Read More
The design of the Orchid House was inspired by Tawian's innovative greenhouse technologies...
In high-density areas like the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, people have long looked to expand vertically to make use of the limited land, resulting in a lack of vegetation, high humidity and high energy usage. According to Unicode, a team of Taiwanese architects and designers, 50 percent of the county's housing constructions are either common multiple-story rowhouses or larger duplex apartment buildings, many of which have illegal makeshift shelters on their rooftops to provide extra living space. Unicode has developed a concept house which would give these shelters a greenhouse-inspired makeover, shifting reliance to renewable energy sources and improving Taipei's sustainability in the process.  Read More
The Quiet Treehouse is currently installed at this year's Ideal Home Show in Earl's Court,...
Luxury treehouse manufacturer Blue Forest has teamed up with noise abatement specialist Quiet Mark and UK retailer John Lewis to produce the Quiet Treehouse. Constructed for this year's Ideal Home Show, the cosy retreat packed with noise-reduction technology and low-noise home appliances. Once the show is over, it will be installed in the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice, West Sussex.  Read More
Live-Lib, a concept for a two-part residential building, could form part of a sustainable ...
Small capsule-like homes where management of utilities, such as electricity and water, is left to the city could form part of a sustainable future for Paris, according to a team of the city's designers and architects. Live-Lib, a concept for a two-part residential building, is designed to provide a degree of privacy while feeding off communal, sustainable resources to drive down costs and energy usage.  Read More
Present Architecture has proposed a network of composting, green space islands for New Yor...
As with every major city, New York creates a huge amount of waste. Disposing of it requires a variety of environmentally damaging processes, such as landfill and transportation. To try and minimize the impact of waste disposal, Present Architecture has proposed a series of composting islands along the city's waterfront.  Read More
The redevelopment is being carried out by architectural firm Moatti-Rivière (Photo: Moatti...
Landmarks don't come much more iconic than the Eiffel Tower, but if you've ever visited it in person you may have found the first floor mildly underwhelming. Architectural firm Moatti-Rivière aims to change this, and add some sustainable technology to the mix, during a redevelopment of the tower's first floor that's currently underway.  Read More
The Cultybraggan shelter is up for auction with bids starting at £200,000 (US$300,000)
You can never be too careful, and if you have a upwards of £200,000 (US$330,000) laying around, you could sleep a little easier as the new owner of a nuclear bunker. Built by the British government during the Cold War to ride out a Soviet attack, the decommissioned Cultybraggan Camp bunker is being put on the block as part of a plan to preserve and redevelop the former British Army camp.  Read More
Emerson College Los Angeles provides spaces for education, accommodation and administratio...
Bringing together form and functionality in harmony is the holy grail for design of any type. The newly opened Emerson College Los Angeles (ELA) achieves just that. The building needed to be sustainable and provide spaces for education, accommodation and administration whilst at the same time fostering social activity and creativity.  Read More
The In Orbit exhibition is open until April 5 (Photo: Pierogi Gallery)
If you've ever felt your daily routine was like being stuck on a hamster wheel, then spare a thought for architectural artists Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder. The pair actually did live in a "home" shaped like an oversized hamster wheel for some 10 days as part of their art exhibit, dubbed In Orbit.  Read More

A memorial for the victims of Norway's July 22 terror attack will see a slice of land remo...
The terror attacks in Norway on July 22, 2011 that resulted in 77 people being killed left the country with a sense of abrupt loss. That feeling will be echoed in a memorial designed by artist Jonas Dahlberg, which will see a slice of land removed from the landscape at SørbrÃ¥ten.  Read More
A render of how the front of the house could look
The eastern span of the historic San Francisco to Oakland Bay bridge is slated for demolition, following its recent replacement by a newer bridge located nearby. However, one local resident hopes to ensure that the old bridge lives on – in some form at least – and plans to reuse some of the resulting scrap metal as building material for a sustainable home in a project suitably dubbed the Bay Bridge House.  Read More
A team of the university's students has developed a concept for a solar-powered skin to be...
Around 60 percent of the homes in the Netherlands are row house terraces, with around a quarter of those built in the post-war period. While these constructions characterize much of the Dutch urban landscape, they weren't exactly built with energy efficiency as their first priority. A team of Delft University students has developed a concept for a solar-powered skin designed to optimize energy usage, while also preserving this classic Dutch architecture.  Read More
The Community Cube center was built to service Shanghai's migrant workers (Photo: Jennifer...
Non-profit organization INCLUDED has produced a new community center for Shanghai's migrant worker community. Dubbed Community Cube, the two-storey 150 sq m (1,614 sq ft) structure was completed in 2013 and comprises a number of used shipping containers as a primary building material.  Read More
The Flavours concept is made up of three types of villa design within the settlement: the ...
Architect Vincent Callebaut has unveiled ambitious plans to create an energy-producing community comprising 45 futuristic villas in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. Though likely to remain on the drawing board for the foreseeable future, the Flavours Orchard concept offers plenty of food for thought and some interesting renders to pore over.  Read More
Oregon boat builder, Brian Schulz has put his carpentry skills into building his very own ...
Oregon boat builder Brian Schulz has turned his carpentry skills towards creating the Japanese Forest House – a 200 square foot (18.5 sqm) home built from predominantly reclaimed wood and salvaged materials.  Read More
The Bamboo Micro-House prototype unit is designed by Hong Kong architectural firm AFFECT-T...
In a bid to ease the plight of the homeless living in Hong Kong and other cities throughout southeast Asia, architectural studio AFFECT-T recently designed the Bamboo Micro-House prototype. The firm proposes that the tiny bamboo dwellings, which can be placed nearby other units to form small communities within Hong Kong's disused industrial buildings, would serve as temporary shelter while the occupants secure more stable and permanent public housing.  Read More
Night view of the 'ultra ruin' courtyard (photo: AdDa Zei/Casagrande Laboratory)
The "ultra ruin" is a work of modern architecture and unusual preservation built in and around an abandoned brick farmhouse in the jungle of Taipei. From certain angles it appears as a decayed structure overtaken by vegetation; from other perspectives it resembles the high-design spaces of a boutique hotel.  Read More
Y:Cube is the result of a partnership between YMCA London South West and architectural fir...
Rising house prices and changes to the UK's housing benefits system have resulted in rent becoming too expensive for many London residents, leading to an increasing number of people living on the streets or in shared hostels. YMCA London South West and architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners have joined forces to provide a potential solution to the burgeoning housing crisis. Dubbed the Y:Cube, the tiny home is built using mostly renewable materials, and offers residents independence and privacy that exceeds what can be offered in a shared hostel.  Read More
Bubbles is a huge sealed canopy filled with clean air proposed for Beijing
According to a report by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, environmental conditions in China's capital are so bad as to be "almost unfavorable for human living." Officials have recently passed new laws and set aside billions of yuan to try and curb air pollution in Beijing, which has been recording some of its worst smog levels ever. Architecture firm Orproject has proposed the construction of a sealed canopy filled with clean air. Bubbles would cover a park and botanical garden, providing a healthy, temperature- and humidity-controlled oasis.  Read More

Architecture

London's proposed Garden Bridge will cross the Thames between Temple Station and the South...
Plans for London's proposed Garden Bridge are beginning to flourish following the recent confirmation that the UK government and Transport for London (TfL) will each commit £30 million (US$50 million) of funding to the project. Conceived by Joanna Lumley, designed by architect Thomas Heatherwick and to be planted by renowned horticulturist Dan Pearson, the bridge will provide a green public space and a link between the bohemian South Bank and lively Covent Garden. Gizmag spoke to Dan Pearson about his vision for the project.  Read More
The UK-based Limpley Stoke Eco House has been designed from scratch with sustainability in...
British architectural firm Hewitt Studios LLP recently completed work on the 400 sq m (4,305 sq ft) UK-based Limpley Stoke Eco-House. Designed with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, the futuristic home features more green technology than you can shake a (sustainably-sourced) stick at, including rainwater collection, passive ventilation, solar power, and an EV charging point.  Read More
'The Waters of Olympic Park', Sochi (Photo: WET)
At the center of the Sochi games Medals Plaza, the "The Waters of the Olympic Park" fountain forms a backdrop for the medals awards and is part of the opening and closing ceremonies. Created by California design firm WET, the fountain features a basin that measures 75.3 meters (247 feet) in diameter and holds about 700,000 gallons (2.65 million L) of water. For the centerpiece performance, hundreds of air-powered jets launch vertical columns of water up to 70 meters (230 feet) high to form the five Olympic rings in vivid color – but this is only part of the show.  Read More
View along the main pedestrian route with buildings by Hitoshi Abe (left), BUSarchitektur ...
The new campus of the WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) is like a smorgasbord of 21st century architecture, with signature buildings by Zaha Hadid, Hitoshi Abe and Estudio Carme Pinós, among others. But the world-class campus has equally high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability.  Read More
Clearpoint Residencies in Sri Lanka will be the tallest vertical garden in the world when ...
Clearpoint Residencies, based in Kotte just outside Colombo, will be the first sustainable high-rise apartment complex in the country, with solar panels for electricity generation, a waste water recycling system and planted facades. Building began last year and is expected to be complete by 2016, at which time it is claimed that the building will be, "the tallest residential vertical garden in the world, with planted terraces circling the entire structure."  Read More
String is an artwork by Numen
Cultured arachnid fans are in for a treat with a new artwork from Vienna-based collective Numen. String is a 3D grid of ropes suspended within a huge inflated cube. Users can enter the exhibit and clamber their way around its intricate mesh in a blank and disorientating environment.  Read More
The Mill Junction student accommodation is based in Newtown, Johannesburg  (Photo: Citiq)
South African property developer Citiq has recently completed the renovation of unused grain silos in Newtown, Johannesburg, into low-cost – and rather unique-looking – student accommodation, which also features multi-colored shipping containers to the top and side.  Read More
The rear sections of the RD House come into direct contact with the hillside, so are natur...
Cave homes, pit houses and other part or fully-underground dwellings all offer benefits in energy efficiency when compared to typical above-ground homes, thanks to natural insulating properties that help to maintain a near-constant interior temperature. Architectural firm Vasho made use of the same principle to keep RD House cool by partially burying it within a steep Dominican Republic hillside.  Read More
The Bolshoy Ice Dome (image: Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee)
The XXII Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, are said to have cost around US$50 billion, which makes them the most expensive Games to date. The bill includes many new buildings and the first ever Winter Olympic Park, planned by stadium designers Populous, who also created the Fisht stadium, venue for the opening and closing ceremonies. But the lack of big-name architects is noticeable, as is the fact that most of the venues are designed for re-use; some will even be dismantled and moved elsewhere after the Games.  Read More
The Energy Bunker was originally constructed in 1943 to serve as a Nazi anti-aircraft bunk...
Energy and utilities company Hamburg Energie has joined forces with IBA Hamburg to transform a former Nazi anti-aircraft flak bunker into a green energy power plant. The Hamburg-based "Energy Bunker" has already begun producing energy for the local community, but once running at full capacity will provide up to 3,000 homes with heating, and another 1,000 homes with electricity.  Read More

A tower made of organic bricks has won the Young Architects Program 2014
A tower made of organic bricks has won the Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program 2014. Hy-Fi, conceived by New York architecture firm The Living, is a circular sculpture that will be built with bricks grown from corn stalks and living root structures. It will be exhibited outside MoMA PS1 in Long Island City.  Read More
London-based architecture firm Make has re-imagined the kiosk
The humble street kiosk tends to vary little from its default box-like design. London-based architecture firm Make, however, has re-imagined the kiosk based on the concept of origami. The Make kiosk uses a fan-like folding structure that is both functional and aesthetically exciting.  Read More
goCstudio has designed a floating sauna that it plans to launch on Lake Washington, Seattl...
Saunas are traditionally places to relax and few things can be as relaxing as floating peacefully on the surface of a lake. Architecture firm goCstudio is planning to launch a floating sauna on Lake Washington, Seattle, later this year. According to goCstudio, the sauna will be accessed by kayak and will provide, "an enticing refuge from the city, a moment to escape, relax and reinvigorate."  Read More
Viewpoint is a new floating platform that will be located on Regent's Canal in London
As with any major city, the pace of life in London can be torrential and it's easy to get swept along, so it's always good to find a place where you can take a quiet moment to pause and reflect. Viewpoint is a new project due to open to the public on Feb. 10, that aims to provide Londoners with a secluded sanctuary in the peaceful surroundings of nature.  Read More
Adaptable house by Henning Larsen Architects (Photo: Jesper Ray/Realdania Byg)
It uses sliding partitions and storage walls, extension modules and a puzzle of garden components. Danish architects Henning Larsen's new Adaptable House is designed to accommodate the most common lifestyle changes, from having children to settling into retirement. The energy-efficient home can even be fairly separated in case of divorce.  Read More
Casa Flotanta is located in Playa Santa Teresa, Costa Rica (Photo: Benjamin Garcia Saxe Ar...
Following the Gooden-Nahome family's decision to purchase a plot on a steep slope in Playa Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, they then tasked Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture with building a house upon it. The result is the recently-completed Casa Flotanta: a home which boasts an attractive design that both reduces the structure's impact on the local environment, and lends the appearance of it "floating" above the hillside.  Read More
The four-story Vertical Glass House, by architectural firm Atelier FCJZ  (Photo: Atelier F...
Glass houses aren't typically very practical to live in (take the Santambrogio home for example), but the Vertical Glass House differs from most similar structures thanks to a design that combines architectural novelty with a degree of privacy. Though it sports see-through ceilings and floors, a concrete facade ensures occupants are shielded from the gaze of passers-by.  Read More
Ufogel is situated in the Austrian village of Nussdorf (Photo: Ufogel)
We're spoiled for choice when it comes to unusually-shaped European getaways lately, what with Portugal's Sustainable Tree Snake Houses, and Bordeaux's Le Tronc Creux. Now the recently-completed Austria-based Ufogel retreat can be added to the list, and it might be the strangest looking so far.  Read More
Work has finished on Blackfriar's Bridge in London, now the largest solar bridge in the wo...
Work has finished on what is now the largest solar bridge in the world. Blackfriars Bridge, part of Blackfriars Station in London, has been fitted with 4,400 photovoltaic panels, which are expected to reduce the station's CO2 emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes (563 tons) per year. Work began in spring 2009 and the station was operationally complete in time for the 2012 Olympics, with the solar array installation complete in March 2013. The full refurbishment of the station is now also complete.  Read More
Studio Apxe has completed a new house that generates more energy than it uses (Photo: Miss...
Architecture firm Studio Apxe has completed a new house that generates more energy than it uses. As well as high energy efficiency, the house in Kladnica, Bulgaria, features biomass heating and solar panels on its roof to generate electricity.  Read More
 
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