W.R. Healy Guest House
by: Paul Rudolph + Ralph Twitchell
in: Sarasota, Florida, USA
Check out this small residential structure from 1950… it’s so Semper! The roof gets its form from flexible insulation boards affixed to steel insulation straps that are connected to the enclosure. It’s protected from rain by an applied vinyl compound that was originally developed and used by the military to weatherproof ship parts. The whole house is elevated on a platform, so not to touch the site or neighboring waterway. We checked google earth and it’s still standing (at least it was in 2011). With a new coat of paint, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it in a contemporary design publication.
Mound, hearth, enclosure, roof, and column. The way we see it, Gottfried Semper and scholars already figured out what makes honest tectonic form. We're looking for the element that satisfies our primitive urge to value architecture that's good.
Maggie’s Centre Aberdeen
by: Snøhetta
in: Aberdeen, Scotland
Maggie’s Centres, drop-in Cancer support centres in Great Britain founded by and named for cancer victim Maggie Keswick Jencks, are designed to provide help for people facing cancer while contributing to the architecture in the region. Jencks believed that buildings have the ability to uplift people, and the network of seven facilities all aim to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort. Snøhetta’s proposed structure, which sits in a grass field, will have a hard exterior concrete shell and soft timber interior finishes. The transition between roof and enclosure is seamless, and nearly touches the site allowing for a secluded courtyard connectivity to the surrounding landscape. While the proposal is still in review by town council, we can only hope that at the very least, such a centre will inspire others to design thoughtful methods to treat the patient and not just the disease.
pavilion in the woods
by: parque humano
in: valle de bravo, mexico
It’s not often we find a structure that encompasses all of Semper’s elements, and look quite contemporary in its execution. This small retreat/meditation shelter sited along a path of trees, changes based on the path and intensity of the sun. The architecture comes to life by the presence of time, and users experience the change firsthand.
Metropol Parasol
by: J. Mayer H. Architects
in: Seville, Spain
What’s being touted as the worlds largest wooden structure, and the world’s largest building held together by glue, has just been added to our architecture bucket list. The waffle grid structure of CNC milled wooden panels and steel connections floats over an open space for a farmers market, bars/restaurants, archeological sites, and a public plaza. It’s a modern catalyst for urban activity in a dense medieval city.
Factoría Joven
by: Selgas Cano
in: Mérida, Spain
You’ve got to check out this huge playground that includes a skatepark, climbing walls, graffiti, performance space, and youth center, tucked under a undulating metal roof structure. The space is open to the city, and welcomes in users that may not have other places to hang out or call their own. We’ve got to admit, for a program that would typically earn a temporary or even second rate structure, the permanent bad-ass-ness of this project has us smiling. It’s nice to see alternative ideas and hobbies embraced.
selgas cano architecture office
by: iwan baan
in: madrid, spain
alibaba headquarters
by:hassell architects
in: hangzhour, china
Inspired by Chinese window screens, a web-like enclosure turns into a latticed roof which cools both indoor and outdoor spaces passively. It’s a bit too porous for year round application at our rainy Pacific Northwest campuses, but we’d almost suggest using an umbrella if something similar was implemented here. Almost.
Flat Tower
by: Yoann Mescam, Paul-Eric Schirr
Bonnans, and Xavier Schirr-Bonnans
in: Rennes, France
To channel a cult favorite breakfast cereal jingle, this honeycomb tower’s big… yeah yeah yeah! it’s not small… no no no!
It’s so big, in fact, that if the proposed structure were built, it’s diameter would be equal to length of Burj Khalifa laid on its side. Designed in an attempt to keep the skyline of the city open, the mixed-use mound doubles as roof to protect inhabitants, while using the square footage for rain collection and solar panels.
waste to energy plant
by: BIG
in: copenhagen, denmark
It’s about as easy to imagine fire and ice together as it is to percieve a waste plant with a ski slope. However, the use of the roof as a community recreation point suggests that public utilities do not not need to be hidden from the public. Rather, it is an opportunity to combine sustainable technologies with social connectivity in what Metropolis Mag calls “a celebration of health and well being”.
hat tea house
by: A1Architects
in: Ostrava, Czech Republic
So this is what happens when you take a traditional Japanese tea house and place it in an entirely different environment, in this case Middle Europe. The elements are all present, and constructed of local materials that will age as the structure does. We’d very much like to drink a cup of tea here, but for some reason, wouldn’t say no to a nice czech beer on a warm summer day either.
(Source: dezeen.com)
ballard library
in: seattle, washington
by: bohlin cywinski jackson
a green roof covered in 18,000 low water plants reduces rainwater runoff and heat gains, while its sweeping form lets northern light into the open library plan. the deep overhang creates a porch location for people to gather, regardless of the weather.
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