kio

World's most eye-catching architecture

This is from an article on unusual architectural structures selected by Popular Mechanics, the magazine:

This July, the American Institute of Architects forecasted steep declines in nonresidential construction spending through 2010. Spending is projected to decrease by 16 percent this year and another 12 percent in 2010. With less money flowing through the industry, high-end design projects are likely to be scaled back; architects, builders and regular folk are opting for retrofits with more practical design. While the demand may be turning to minimal and frugal architecture, unusual design still holds a place for museums and other prominent locations, primarily because it is so effective at turning heads. Here are some of our favorite unusual designs for museums, offices, homes and libraries—and why they are so effective at drawing attention.

LINK to the World's 18 'strangest' buildings according to Popular Mechanics.

The Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the National Assembly of Bangladesh, by Louis Kahn, should have surely been included in the list:

Images from Wikimedia Commons

New Water, Naaldwijk: Europe’s First Floating City Development

The Dutch have been fighting the rising and falling tides for centuries, building dikes and pumping water out of areas that are below sea level. Now, rather than fight the water infiltrating their land, the Dutch will use it as part of a new development called ‘New Water‘, which will feature the world’s first floating apartment complex, The Citadel. This “water-breaking” new project was designed by Koen Olthuis of Waterstudio in the Netherlands, and will use 25% less energy than a conventional building on land thanks to the use of water cooling techniques.

This article in Inhabitat outlines an eco-hotel project by OFIS, the Slovenian architectural firm, to be built  in the Maldives. They have been granted four islands and each island’s plan demonstrates concern for the local environment, the ability to self-sustain, and the  intent to maintain the cultural and ecological authenticity of the local area.

Guy Battle is one of the founding partners of Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers, a multi-disciplinary practice that specializes in the design and delivery of sustainable solutions for the built environment. This is an interview that he did with betterbricks, where he presents some of his views on the current state and the trajectory of sustainable construction.

THE INTERVIEW

Apam Napat is the name of an Indian water god who appears in Rig Veda, the oldest Indian sacred texts. Apam Napat is also the name of an architecture project  in India. The project is run by Sohey who is staying in India as an Young Overseas Artist  sent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. The plan is to build a futuristic off-grid Eco-House, named Cell House, collecting ideas and sutainability knowledge from the Internet and its users. The place to construct the Cell House and the materials that are going to be used will be developed and guided through the consultation with internet users and specialists. They have started to develop their own greywater and blackwater systems -  interesting!

Check out their SITE

Check out their online Model

This relates to earlier posts about the KIO Panel design and C2C design principles. A few months ago we had a video post of William McDonough's explaining his C2C design principles up here. Below is a more recent and much longer video of him explaining and outlining these design specs in greater detail. It provides for an excellent introduction into his holistic approach to design and sustainable architecture.

If every building had a white roof, building clusters would be able to cool their surrounding areas. That is the reasoning behind a Californian law about to go into effect next month requiring light reflective roofs on all new buildings. It is already the law for new flat roofs in California.

White elastomeric roof coating paint like this product provide additional water proofing and deflect heat hitting the surface of the roof. This is resulting in more temperate buildings and cooler surroundings. While roofs made from KIO Panels already provide R40+ energy ratings additional elastomeric roof coating adds additional water proofing and cooling properties to KIO Panels.

Architectural Historian and Educator Dora Epstein-Jones and City Planner/ Architect Larry Dodge discuss some of the historical context behind the modern prefab movement and its relationship to sustainability.

Exhibition: The Art of Architecture: 19 Feb - 24 May 2009

Le Corbusier — The Art of Architecture is the first major survey in London of the internationally renowned architect in more than 20 years. This timely reassessment presents a wealth of original models, interior settings, drawings, furniture, photographs, films, tapestries, paintings, sculpture and books by designed and written by the architect himself.

Evolving out of the “Arts and Crafts” movement, the Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, bringing with him lessons learned under Peter Behrens, a highly influential German architect whose studio helped to develop Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (head of the Bauhaus School, 1930-1933), and Le Corbusier, a leader in the French Modernist movement. The Bauhaus founders and architects emphasised the creation of classical forms without extraneous ornamentation; embracing technology, their philosophy stressed the search for solutions to contemporary design problems in urban planning, housing and utilitarian mass-production. Today this has again become a core topic in architectural design and planning for tomorrow. The scalability and versatility of some of today's prefab technologies, such as the KIO Panel, are aimed at increasing the design freedom for architects and planners, while also allowing for a mass-production approach to building solution. 

Many consider Bauhaus, which like almost no other movement in architecture or design so defined a style, the very synonym of classical Modernism. Under the title “Bauhaus twenty-21” Deutsches Architekturmuseum is showcasing 12 of the most important works of Bauhaus architecture in dialogue with 12 contemporary building projects by renowned contemporary architects – all illustrated by a series of images created by US photographer Gordon Watkinson. The exhibition, and it bridges the fields of architecture, design and photography, places the heritage of Bauhaus architecture in the context of current architectural trends and visualizes its ongoing influence on 21st-century architecture.

LINK TO EXHIBIT

 

OFIS in the Maldives

This article in Inhabitat outlines an eco-hotel project by OFIS, the Slovenian architectural firm, to be built  in the Maldives. They have been granted four islands and each island’s plan demonstrates concern for the local environment, the ability to self-sustain, and the  intent to maintain the cultural and ecological authenticity of the local area.

Trends in sustainable architecture & construction: an interview with Guy Battle

Guy Battle is one of the founding partners of Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers, a multi-disciplinary practice that specializes in the design and delivery of sustainable solutions for the built environment. This is an interview that he did with betterbricks, where he presents some of his views on the current state and the trajectory of sustainable construction.

THE INTERVIEW

Cell House eco building/ art project in India

Apam Napat is the name of an Indian water god who appears in Rig Veda, the oldest Indian sacred texts. Apam Napat is also the name of an architecture project  in India. The project is run by Sohey who is staying in India as an Young Overseas Artist  sent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. The plan is to build a futuristic off-grid Eco-House, named Cell House, collecting ideas and sutainability knowledge from the Internet and its users. The place to construct the Cell House and the materials that are going to be used will be developed and guided through the consultation with internet users and specialists. They have started to develop their own greywater and blackwater systems -  interesting!

Check out their SITE

Check out their online Model

McDonough on Cradle-to-Cradle Design - Take #2

This relates to earlier posts about the KIO Panel design and C2C design principles. A few months ago we had a video post of William McDonough's explaining his C2C design principles up here. Below is a more recent and much longer video of him explaining and outlining these design specs in greater detail. It provides for an excellent introduction into his holistic approach to design and sustainable architecture.

White roof coating cools buildings & their surroundings

If every building had a white roof, building clusters would be able to cool their surrounding areas. That is the reasoning behind a Californian law about to go into effect next month requiring light reflective roofs on all new buildings. It is already the law for new flat roofs in California.

White elastomeric roof coating paint like this product provide additional water proofing and deflect heat hitting the surface of the roof. This is resulting in more temperate buildings and cooler surroundings. While roofs made from KIO Panels already provide R40+ energy ratings additional elastomeric roof coating adds additional water proofing and cooling properties to KIO Panels.

Expert Interviews: Prefab housing in historical context

Architectural Historian and Educator Dora Epstein-Jones and City Planner/ Architect Larry Dodge discuss some of the historical context behind the modern prefab movement and its relationship to sustainability.

Le Corbusier Exhibit - London

Exhibition: The Art of Architecture: 19 Feb - 24 May 2009

Le Corbusier — The Art of Architecture is the first major survey in London of the internationally renowned architect in more than 20 years. This timely reassessment presents a wealth of original models, interior settings, drawings, furniture, photographs, films, tapestries, paintings, sculpture and books by designed and written by the architect himself.

Bauhaus Exhibit

Evolving out of the “Arts and Crafts” movement, the Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, bringing with him lessons learned under Peter Behrens, a highly influential German architect whose studio helped to develop Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (head of the Bauhaus School, 1930-1933), and Le Corbusier, a leader in the French Modernist movement. The Bauhaus founders and architects emphasised the creation of classical forms without extraneous ornamentation; embracing technology, their philosophy stressed the search for solutions to contemporary design problems in urban planning, housing and utilitarian mass-production. Today this has again become a core topic in architectural design and planning for tomorrow. The scalability and versatility of some of today's prefab technologies, such as the KIO Panel, are aimed at increasing the design freedom for architects and planners, while also allowing for a mass-production approach to building solution. 

Many consider Bauhaus, which like almost no other movement in architecture or design so defined a style, the very synonym of classical Modernism. Under the title “Bauhaus twenty-21” Deutsches Architekturmuseum is showcasing 12 of the most important works of Bauhaus architecture in dialogue with 12 contemporary building projects by renowned contemporary architects – all illustrated by a series of images created by US photographer Gordon Watkinson. The exhibition, and it bridges the fields of architecture, design and photography, places the heritage of Bauhaus architecture in the context of current architectural trends and visualizes its ongoing influence on 21st-century architecture.

LINK TO EXHIBIT