No. 582 - 2013.0821 Brooklyn is a hub of innovative architecture and design, with dozens of young professionals commissioning or undertaking their own eco-sensitive renovations to existing brownstones and low-rise attached buildings throughout the borough. Tighthouse, a Passive House brownstone retrofit, sits at the end of a string of two-story buildings constructed in 1899 that share a tree-lined block with larger brownstones built around the same time, centrally located off Fifth Avenue in the neighborhood of Park Slope. It is the first certified Passive House in New York City and meets the standards for new construction, surpassing the EnerPHit certification. Remodeling Approach Architecture Spectacular scenery – and sheep – are the first things that come to mind for most of us when we think of New Zealand. For an architect, spectacular scenery is always both a challenge and an opportunity. This was very much the situation for David Ponting, founder of Ponting Fitzgerald (in 1998) of Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand, when he saw the site for what his affluent client hoped would be a “sanctuary.” The site was breathtaking with unbelievable views of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, and the mountains beyond. Rocky, powerful terrain.
No. 570 - 2012.1024 Trees are fundamental to urban landscapes and natural ecosystems. Wood from trees is a fundamental material for architecture. The tension between wood in living trees, and wood in buildings and other products, is arguably at an all-time-high on planet Earth. This is especially true in North America, where primary harvest of irreplaceable primeval forest, having swept across the continent during the last 300 years, is still underway. Czech Cubism Image Tour Czech architects distilled from Cubism in painting a distinct style in architecture. It was revolutionary in appearance both because of the new shapes facades could take, being different from contemporary and historical styles and because of the use of (reinforced) concrete structures. In this sense Cubism was richer in content than Modernism since it considered the facade as a plane of expression that could hold more than plain white stucco. However, the plans of the buildings usually were less radical than those developed by Modernism. Also, one may wonder whether properties of Cubism in painting such as transparency, the suggestion of three- and four dimensions, and ambiguity hold when they are applied in architecture.
Dream Homes In designing the project, NY-based architecture firm GRADE responded to two disparate conditions of the site: the expansive views of Chesapeake Bay and the mystic wooded area on which it resided. The objective was to reconcile the client’s need for a studio in which to design and create while not rendering the space hermetic and closed off to its surroundings. GRADE brought nature’s elements indoors, establishing a foundation of earthy textures including natural mahogany wood and a curved zinc rooftop, complemented by imported materials such as Italian marble. Through thoughtful design, the house became an apparatus for filtering the views of the water, with the curved roof allowing the scale of the beachside room to expand the closer one’s proximity to the bay. I just love the mirror mosaic – so glam… Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 25 April, 2014
The Best Architectural Websites The Top Architectural Websites in the World That sounds pretty important doesn’t it? At the very least it sounds comprehensive … it suggests an extensive and exhaustive collection of the best architecturally themed websites in the world. I’m not sure if that is this list but it is my go-to list of websites. Compiling a list of the top architectural websites is far more difficult than it sounds, particularly if there isn’t any particular manner of evaluation employed other than these are the sites that I go to the most often.
What's New at Cupola? Welcome to Cupola. Hope you enjoy your visit. If you do, you might want to check back in the future. Your host, Howard Partridge of Cupola Consulting is always collecting and processing new material, which he will add as time allows. Modative Modative Interview by Business of Architecture Posted by Derek Leavitt on Tue, Apr 15, 2014 @ 08:05 AM Last year we had the pleasure of having Enoch Sears from the Business of Architecture visit our office and conduct an on-camera interview. Autodesk 123D Design: 3D Modeling for the Masses Autodesk123D Design is a new free 3D modeling tool that allows users to create a digital model and then 3D print or fabricate their idea whether on the iPad, Mac, PC or via their web browser. Autodesk 123D Design helps users get their projects started by providing base shapes and example models that help move past a blank screen and into the design quickly. Using natural interactions to add objects to the canvas and assemble parts together, users can enjoy the design process and create amazing 3D-printable designs.
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square - Architecture Gallery - Australian Institute of Architects, The Voice of Australian Architecture NGVA presents the National Gallery of Victorias collection of Australian art with gallery exhibition areas of approximately 7,000m2 in a building of with a total area of 14,250m2. The building showcases each part of the collection: on the ground floor aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands work, nineteenth and twentieth century art on Level 2, and contemporary art, photographs, prints and drawings, fashion & textiles and special exhibitions on Level 3. The scope of the commission was comprehensive, involving not only the design of the building itself, but the gallery interiors, the laying out of all secondary
Daily tonic ‘Jellies Family’ tableware by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell ‘Jellies Family’ is a line of plates, trays, glasses, bowls and carafes made of brilliant coloured and transparent PMMA designed by Patricia Urquiola, part of a designer series of tableware for Kartell known as Kartell in Tavola. (more…) Chez Carl Tapas & BBQ by Jean de Lessard, photo: © Adrien Williams Montreal-based Jean de Lessard has created a restaurant interior inspired by fractal theory, an interpretation of nature’s geometry and its irregularities, matched with vibrant colours and complemented with natural materials. (more…) Architecture - Sweet Station Shingle House by Ramella Architects Concepts for the Shingle House are drawn from the American roofed houses, included the request for a large Bay-Window with roof Shingles. The sloping lines of the coverage, form a sloping wall that gives a movement in the facades, and the roof touch the ground.
Order, Formulas, and Rules by Frank Cunha III It seems like when you finally get it right in Architecture, Art, Music, Fashion, etc, you become a “sellout.” So what is Right? How can we get it right? Will anyone know the difference? Architecture 13. Beijing National Stadium Also known as Bird’s Nest, this phenomenal stadium was built for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.