record roof
by: matt glassmeyer
in: nashville, tennessee
350 damaged records repurposed as shingles for a covered porch.
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.
cradle to cradle home design
by: matthew coates + tim meldrum
in: seattle, washington
Designed as a home that “ends the paradigm of consumption and beings the paradigm of giving”, this C2C competition winner utilizes passive technologies and a state of the art system infrastructure. Unlike typical single family units, this project reaches out to the community by distributing excess energy, treating shared waste, and linking outdoor space with neighbors
Tye River Cabin
by: Olson Kundig Architects
in: Skykomish, Washington
Here’s a slick looking cabin described by the designer as a “wooden tent on a platform that opens to the forest and the river.” Located east of Seattle, Washington, the small building has a cast in place concrete core with a wood/glass panel wall system . It emphasizes all four of Semper’s elements. The building responds to the context, ultimately blurring the threshold between indoors and outdoors, which is an elegant way to create a large space while maintaining a small footprint. Though we wonder how often the cabin is experienced that way, especially given the frequently rainy and cold months in the northwest.
Moses Mabhida Stadium
by: gmp-Architekten
in: Durban, South Africa
With less than 12 hours before much of the world sinks their souls into one month of football, there’s an opportunity to take a moment and check out the South African stadiums that will soon house international competition.
Moses Mabhida Stadium, capacity 70,000, catches eyes with its signature arch and tensile roof membrane. While most contemporary arenas are built to maximize efficiency sight-lines inside, and to be iconic monuments outside, the designers of MMS also addressed green building practices. Daylighting, water and energy conservation, and natural ventilation techniques are all employed. With an average temperature range of 46-64°F during the cup, and also during the peak of their rainy season, the stadium’s new mechanical system rainwater collection process will be put through a rigorous test.
As an added (and awesome) programmatic element, visitors can ride to the top of the arch in a cable-car which offers vertigo inducing views of the surrounding landscape as well as the match below. We wonder how many people can ride to the top at a time, and what the wait would be for such a trip. Regardless, it’s bound to be a popular attraction, even if football isn’t your thing.
