Blog Archives
You Wanna See This Award-Winning Micro-Apartment?!?
If there is one issue in particular that is affecting New York City, it is housing. To address this concern, the adAPT NYC Competition was held in the city to find an example of an mini-apartment complex that could be developed into a new housing model for a smaller household population in the city. The competition recently announced a winner (along with five finalists) in which many of the entries focuses on condensing the sizes of typically larger living areas to save space, offering multi-functional rooms. Each of the submitted proposals also include concentration on local community interaction, which makes up for the small apartment units with more public amenities provided in the building. Read the rest of this entry
Twofold House is Ten-fold in Environmental Initiatives
This pair of 4-bedroom luxury townhouses was designed by BKK Architects, where the developer client’s wishes of high quality-low density housing were met with the firm’s interests in addressing issues of containment and scale while still providing a high standard of living amenity. The home also delivers a high level of environmental design with varied green/sustainability measures to complement the home’s luxury. Read the rest of this entry
Pharrell/Zaha Collab on Smartwatches w/ Mad Dog Dropkicks – WIRed #29
On this week’s more stable episode of WIRed (between the yelling and shameless plugs of my CES 2013 posts), I discuss the architectural collaboration between Zaha Hadid and Pharrell Williams, concepts of the Google smartwatch, the PS3 re-release of FMV trailblazer “Mad Dog McCree, and the HIGHEST DROPKICK EVER DONE IN THE HISTORY OF PRO WRESTLING (maybe; still VERY impressive). Read the rest of this entry
Cranes of Palermo Proposal, or Who Needs Wood, Bricks & Concrete?!
What you see here is the proposal for the Cranes of Palermo in Sicily, proving that architectural design can be used as an artistic trolling mechanism in reference to interpreting the how the city’s historic Baroque architecture is perceived despite the style’s ornament-based characteristics, as well has presenting the city’s historic architecture. The proposal from DeFournier & Associados (that’s “associates” for you ‘Merican-speakin’ folks) aims to become the landmark structure and place for the Sicily’s revitalization efforts at its port, with the additions of a cultural and leisure center, and the new square located along the entire floor space on the ground floor. Read the rest of this entry
Design + Cans + Charity = Canstruction
Hey, now you have something to do with all of those canned goods in your kitchen…or pantry…or garage…or shed….or wherever you hoard your aluminum cans full of food.
Canstruction is a U.S.-based non-profit organization providing canned food to local food banks in cities holding Canstruction competitions. Founded in 1992 by Cheri Melillo, the charity has since raised millions upon millions of pounds of food for food banks in participating cities across the world. Canstruction grew to become one of the largest food drives for food bank donations in the world, with over 170 cities and more than 30,000 volunteers taking part in Canstruction competitions worldwide. The competition involves teams of design professionals (namely architects, engineers, contractors) and the students they mentor, competing to design and build large structures made completely from full, unopened cans of food. Read the rest of this entry
Design Fails the USB Tentacles for $25K in SNES Games & Finished Them – WIRed #25
Whenever my life gets be so down, I know I can go down…wait a minute!
This week’s SILVER edition of WIRed features failures in architectural desgin, a USB tentacle device from ThinkGeek, $25,000 worth of EVERY North American SNES Game, and some awesome finishing moves in pro wrestling. Also, I sing a little bit… Read the rest of this entry
God-Awful Architectural Design Decisions. WOW…
The Stairway to Nowhere…
I’ve covered some of my favorite aspects, buildings, projects, and feature in the world of architecture in the course of the 1.5 years of writing content for The PractitioNERD, but now it’s time for something completely different. What about the works of architectural design that are not quite up to snuff? You know, architecture and design that’s not that good? OK, I’m talking about architectural design that reeks of complete sucktitude (that is a word; I’m ALMOST sure of it). Check out more terrible, horrible, and lazy architectural design decisions in the collection of images after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Julian Treasure Asks Architects in TED Talk to Use Their…EARS?!?
Practically any conversation involving architecture involves space, place, form, experience, and meaning, which derive from architecture’s sensory experience involving light, touch, smell and sound. The latter of the senses is to topic of the TED Talk given by sound expert Julian Treasure, as he petitions architects to design for our ear. The basis of this plea on how the quality of a building’s acoustics affect us physiologically, socially, psychologically and behaviorally. Read the rest of this entry
The Los Almendros Social Center, All Under ONE Roof!
The “Los Almendros” Social Center, designed by Ferrer Arquitectos, features a covered public square, and it was one of the early ideas behind the building’s design that found its way into the final product. The centre’s site is in an elevated and privileged area in one of the routes into Almería, Spain. The Social Center’s location was set there to make sure that its design and presence takes full advantage of the local outdoor views. The “weightless” terrace in the café area of the centre hangs over the site, set against the roof’s round presence that rises from the ground. Read the rest of this entry
The Mobile Container Hospitals, aka the “Insta-Hospital”!
This is the Mobile Hospital, a container that expands into a medical structure three times its original size, created by designer Kukil Han. The structure can carry the beds, supplies, and has the ability to combine up to four modules to create a mini-hospital with four wings. Han was influenced by the idea of having a “go-anywhere” solution for providing medical aid to victims globally of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and storms. Read the rest of this entry
Ever Heard of Architecture for Humanity? Well, You Have NOW!
OK children, gather ’round as I tell you about the great charitable orgainization called Architecture for Humanity. So sit down, and listen closely.
The main purpose of Architecture for Humanity is to seek architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings professional design services to communities in need. They believe that where architectural and construction resources and expertise are scarce, innovative, sustainable and collaborative design can make a difference, one building at a time. The organization was founded on April 6, 1999 by Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr in response to the need for immediate long-term shelter for refugees from Kosovo returning to their home country after the region’s bloody conflict. After hosting a series of open design competitions, the organization started taking on a number of built projects, pairing local communities with design professionals to develop a ground-up alternative to development and reconstruction. Read the rest of this entry
DjavadMowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; Now, Say That Five-Times Fast.
The DjavafMowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is designed to be a translational research facility defined by present and future medical practices that interact and collaborate under both patient care and research. The facility, to be located at the University of British Columbia (UBC), located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is designed by Stantec, who aimed to consider all of the spatial dynamics of the building and be able to coordinate interaction between the centre’s researchers and clinicians. The DjavadMowafaghian is 134,500 square feet facility that and includes exam/consultation rooms, patient and animal MRI capabilities, a brain tissue and DNA bank of samples collected from consenting patients, lab benches, and a full conference centre.
Get a 3D-Printed Jaw So You Can Eat Again
Remember children, if you do not take care of those ol’ chompers, you’ll have to live with badly conditioned teeth, gums, numerous surgical procedures and battling the evil disease of GIN-GA-VITIS!!! Or…..you could always get yourself a new pair of the old incisors, canines, premolars, and molars from a freaking printer!! Last year, an 83-year-old woman in Belgium had her entire lower jaw replaced with a 3D printed replica.
Black History: Paul R. Williams, First African-American Member of the AIA, FAIA (1894 – 1980)
Continuing with the celebration of Black History Month, I want to introduce architect Paul Revere Williams, FAIA. Mr. Williams was a Los Angeles-based architect, and a Fellow Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA); in fact, he became the first African-American member of the AIA in 1923, and the first African-American voted Fellow in 1957. He practiced largely in Southern California, and designed many public and private buildings, as well as the homes of numerous Hollywood star, ranging from Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz, and Lon Chaney.
Question: How Do You Like Your Designs/Architecture?
I found this beautiful & colorful Venn diagram illustration on Arthitectural. It was originally created by graphic designer Colin Harman in regards to, well, graphic design. However, similar logic can also relate to architecture, or any other design profession (i.e., web design, industrial design, etc.). Harman makes it simple to see why graphic design that’s “fast,” “cheap” and “great” is an “impossible utopia,” “fast” and “great” results in “you get what you pay for”, and getting something “great” and “free” requires you to “try again.”
