This small apartment (45 m2) in Amsterdam, Holland is completely renovated because of foundation repair. In it’s new layout by i29 interior architects all the functions of the house are placed in two wall units. Entrance hall, wardrobe and kitchen equipment are hidden behind a pinewood wall. On the opposite a second wooden wall of the same material is placed. This wall integrated a bench, fireplace and storage. Floor, ceiling and walls are all white. A custom designed table and bench, together with the fireplace are anthracite gray. The simplicity of the design and choice of materials give this apartment lots of space within the limited area.

This year Kivik Art Centre presents a new work that manifests the basic concept of our project: an architect and an artist in collaboration. It is also the first time that both are women and we can present a Swedish participants. Architect Petra Gipp has created a Refugium, a refuge in the forest of solid wood and concrete. An architectural sculpture that doubles as a small cinema, a walk-in-cinema” with a few seats for both a contemplative and an intense experience. The film shown was filmed by Runa Islam in a museum in Washington during her research stay at the Smithsonian Institute. The film called Cabinet of Prototypes, was commissioned by Kivik Art Centre and form an exquisite combination with Petra’s architecture.

From previous summers most works are still here. The five structures by Snøhetta Architects, three in collaboration with the photographer Tom Sandberg (2007). The visionary Venturo house by Matti Suuronen (1971/2009) and the sculpture for the individual experience of architecture, a collaboration between David Chipperfield and Antony Gormley (2008). In one of the old stables on the farm the exhibition KIVIK ART 2020 will be installed.
individually studied the conditions for Kivik Art Centre, and then, without any thoughts on politics or money, have visualized their visions for the future. Local presence, sustainability and environmental aspects have formed the critical platform for the project. It is important to note that these are indeed visions - sometimes utopian - but are all healthy stimulus to our imagination and for our dreams of what Kivik Art Centre one day might become.

Photo by Gerry Johansson.

In the U.S., where wood-frame homes are the most common form of single-family housing, the concept of underground or bermed homes is nothing new, but still a bit of an oddity.

Underground homes are generally built at ground level and then all or partially covered in earth, or built directly into the side of a hill. They are hailed by proponents as being exceedingly environmentally-friendly and representative of green, sustainable living. These homes are also criticized by traditional homebuilders as being dark and claustrophobic—generally not pleasing to the eye. However, it is important to note that there are certain design innovations taking place in the architecture of underground homes that are increasing their aesthetic appeal. After all, interior attractiveness is vital if eco-friendly homes ever expect to have a more mainstream appeal.

For instance, one builder of these homes, R.C. Smoot, runs a Texas-based construction business in the U.S. called Earth-Sheltered Homes. One way he brings natural light into these dwellings and increases visual appeal is to incorporate domed ceilings and roofs, which he says allows light to travel on it, reflecting light more effectively than flat, vaulted or cathedral ceilings. The dome also contributes to a feeling of spaciousness. Another way is through the addition of skylights, which are already popular in more traditional homes. Smoot incorporates luxuries such as indoor swimming pools and rooftop putting greens into his earth-sheltered homes, making the dwellings a place to exercise and play as well as a place to sleep. Rooftop putting greens are made possible by the fact that the roof of the house are grassed over, or incorporate some other type of vegetation to combat erosion.

The aesthetic appeal inside some underground homes simply cannot be denied. More and more of them are designed to feel positively light and airy. For instance, check out the lovely, almost ethereal interior featured in this photo in The Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living. The interior radiates cleanliness and serenity. Also, take a close look at these photos of the stunning interior and exterior of an earth-sheltered home in New Hampshire conceived by architect Donald Jasinski. Jasinski Architects International adheres to a “humanist design philosophy.” For lovers of nature for whom the central principle of aesthetics is to interrupt their natural surroundings as little as possible, the underground or earth-sheltered home is also a design solution. See another example here.

This guest post is contributed by Kristie Lewis, who writes on the topics of construction management degrees.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: Kristie.Lewis81@gmail.com.

Studio Power / Tim Power Architects was awarded Third-Prize in the International Design Competition ‘Housing Sociale’ in Via Cenni, Milano, Italy.

The three winning projects were chosen by an international jury, composed of  11 experts in Social Housing from 5 european countries. The affluence of participants was from over 1100 enlisted studios, with 140 registered projects participating in the competition.

The competition was aimed at finding an efficient and sustainable solution for 9000 Sq.mts of Housing and Community services including Apartments for 110 families, Infrastructure, commercial and social areas, playgrounds and urban farms.

Located north-west of the city Center in Milan, the project site will be developed by Polaris Investment Italia on behalf of the ethical real estate Fund “Abitare Sociale 1” in collaboration with the Fondazione Cariplo.

‘Our proposal, based on a ‘new sustainability’ prescribes that in order to project and nurture the environment, we must look beyond engineering: instead, a ‘new sustainability’ proposes to mix urban density and social variety with natural and physical phenomenon.  Landscapes, weather patterns and the metropolis combine to create living environments . This project is as much a landscape as it is a building.  Our proposal is a significant intervention deliberately emphasizing its great mass, as if it were as much part of the natural environment as it is of the urban environment.  It is in fact an eco-system which focuses as much on social interaction, the environment and nature as it does on architecture and the urban environment. Its insertion in the city balances the multivalent needs of its inhabitants with the existing urban fabric of Milan.’  TIm Power - Founding Partner, Studio Power

The project emphasizes the horizontal morphology of the city of Milan. The housing units are oriented towards the south, to maintain views and natural light, and are placed on a vertical expanse like a precipice which rises above the alpine pastures below. The units themselves have ‘oversized’ semi-collective terraces. Crossing the grey facade are tree lined paths, connecting  the sloping grasslands and their collective functions below to the peaked green roof above.

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Of the many new estates at Copenhagen Harbour, Havneholmen by architect Lene Tranberg from Lundgaard & Tranberg is one of the most interesting. Located on an island at the entrance to the harbour - just opposite Fisketorvet and with a walkway to Islands Brygge.

The project builds upon an urban plan that transforms a former industrial area to a modern, integrated residential and business zone, taking better advantage of the harbour front location. The project consists of 236 apartments in two U-shaped blocks with inner courtyards opening towards the harbour.

Varying heights of 5 to 8 storeys visually reduce the scale of the project and, along with the thin proportions of the glass partitions, give the white facades a light and graceful appearance. The entire project, including the projecting bays, is rendered in warm white stucco with teak fenestration, giving the entire project a maritime feel.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec presented their design for the new Kvadrat showroom in Copenhagen the other. See images below.

KjellgrenKaminsky architects just presented a vision for Heden in city of Gothenburg. It’s a new multifunctional and sustainable Heden with parks, apartments, shops, offices and sports facilities.

After interviews with inhabitants in Gothenburg a conceptual vision of a new Heden has emerged:

“With a unique identity of sustainable densification the new town block Heden creates a vision of a garden block that connects green space, healthy lifestyle and pleasant surroundings to a modern living atmosphere.”

Heden of today is an open field in the middle of Gothenburg.

According to KjellgrenKaminsky it could be transformed into a green lung for the Gothenburgians.

This is how the architects see the future  sustainable Heden:

New Heden looks green from above. Even though denser developed it has a much greater biomass than its predecessor. Local cultivation of fruits and vegetables is a natural part of living in the area. Grass roofs and parks enrich the animal life and plant life and let nature become an integrated part of the city centre. They also absorb rain water that can be purified and reused as household water. The buildings are well insulated with low energy consumption. Since situated closely to existing public transportation the residents are not depending on cars in their daily life.

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Andra bloggar om: arkitektur, stadsplanering, hållbar utveckling, miljö, samhälle, göteborg

A trailer  for an upcoming documentary, MY PLAYGROUND by Kaspar Astrup Schröder. It is a film about movement, tricking, freerunning and parkour engaging fully BIG’s recent project the Mountain Dwellings as backdrop. The Mountain Dwellings recently were awarded the Best Housing Project in the World at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Andra bloggar om: parkour, arkitektur, bjarke ingels, film

Here is an animation of the proposal for Slussen in Stockholm by BIG Architects of Copenhagen, Denmark, and NOD Landscape Architects of Stockholm, Sweden. By moving the public program towards the most attractive place, and integrating the heavy traffic under the cover of a public square, it is possible to regain the waterfront, and at the same time connect the city parts around Slussen. The edge towards the water is terraced to provide day light to the public and commercial spaces behind.

See the original post about the Slussen project.

Andra bloggar om: arkitektur, stockholm, slussen, stadsplanering, bjarke ingels

The collaboration between BIG Architects of Copenhagen, Denmark, and NOD Landscape Architects of Stockholm, Sweden, provides not only a solution to Slussen, one of Scandinavia’s busiest intersections but most importantly privileges the pedestrian and cyclist.
When the Stockholm City Council invited BIG and NOD to act as design consultants on Slussen, the direction given was to create a proposal that reconnects the historic Gamla Stan with Södermalm. Understanding the long legacy of previous attempts to solve Slussen’s traffic chaos, the team set out to create a single form within which the different modes of traffic are layered. The proposal touches the waters surrounding Gamla Stan and slowly terrace up using ascending and descending ramps to create a new, coherent area focusing on providing an attractive and functional setting for both movement and rest.

Currently considered inaccessible to pedestrians and cyclists, Slussen is a black hole in the heart of Stockholm. It is no wonder then that Danish-Swedish collaboration has made sure to offer cyclists as well as pedestrians easy access to and through the area. The proposal turns Slussen into an urban recreational area assuring easy movement for the citizens and tourists of Stockholm. Slussen will gain a whole new kind of urban space unlike any other in the world, where artwork, a summer’s midnight stroll and outdoor theatre can cohabitate with the need to move cars, buses, trains, metro, and boats. The strength of Slussen lies in its continual and varied movement which the proposed ramped landscape only underscores. The heavy traffic of cars and buses is carefully immersed under the rising hillside. Suddenly due to the submersed traffic, large areas have been freed and are made attractive to the entire city to enjoy. As a result, new opportunities for urban life are created.

The basic traffic system has already been developed by Nyrens Arkitektkontor as part of an architectural competition, with soft traffic and a public program on the top and with heavy traffic at ground floor level, storing away boats, buses, metro, cars and trains. But instead of separating the different levels, connected only by stairs and elevators in a traditional way, we propose to integrate all public, accessible areas around Slussen by interweaving the levels using descending and ascending ramps as this will allow people to move freely between the levels.

Pedestrian zones are designed to connect the already existing promenades and road crossings, and all areas of the new Slussen are as such accessible to pedestrians. The bicycle lanes follow the road as well as the promenade along the waterfront, and are pulled away only where the curvy bays of the new Slussen are created to leave space for pedestrians to enjoy the waterfront.

Today Slussen does not take advantage of its rising topography. Seeking to utilize its unique setting the proposal uses the terraced hillside to house kiosks, shops, and tourist information stands accessible through the network of ramps. In this way, a new and active urban area is created. In addition to the landscaped contours and pathways characterising BIG and NOD’s proposal, the dispersion of light has been instrumental in developing the site and the various levels. By day, natural light will pierce through circle shaped skylights into the lower levels. By night, the skylights will be illuminated from below. The expression will thus vary from dusk till dawn, from season to season and depending on the weather. This dynamic process and the continual hum of traffic will serve as the backdrop to a new urban form and regenerate life into the surrounding neighbourhoods.

There is an animation showing the complete program as well. I will put it up in a separate post as well.

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Andra bloggar om: slussen, stockholm, kultur, arkitektur landskapsarkitektur, bjarke ingels, stadsbyggnad