Achitecture and Design

Feilden Fowles completes the timber-framed dining hall at the University of Cambridge

Feilden Fowles completes the timber-framed dining hall at the University of Cambridge

Architecture studio in London Feilden Fowles has constructed a timber-framed dining hall with a faience-tiled volume situated above a pigmented-concrete colonnade at the University of Cambridge's Homerton College. The dining hall features the main eating space, as well as a smaller room for eating called a buttery, kitchens, and staff amenities, and was designed to reflect the adjacent arts and crafts-style Ibberson Building and the college's Victorian Gothic Revival structures.

The structure was created by the London-based studio of Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles to replace Cambridge's youngest college's former dining hall and dark, cramped, and obsolete kitchen facilities. The college relocated to the site in 1894 from its previous location in east London, and it now occupies many buildings built for Cavendish College in the 1870s.
Edmund Fowles, director of Feilden Fowles, said the hall's design was reflective of Homerton's modern attitude and daring objectives while still being in conversation with Cambridge's rich architectural legacy. There were echoes of King's College Chapel's marching buttresses, references to Homerton's Cavendish College buildings' Victorian Gothic Revival, and themes from the nearby arts and crafts Ibberson Building. They come together as a symbol of contemporary architectural thinking, an embodiment of low-tech principles, and 21st-century arts and crafts. The structure is intended to serve as a social hub for the college campus, with a number of courtyards and cloisters surrounding it, providing informal gathering spaces for unexpected encounters. The ground floor plinth is made of pigmented concrete, with columns spaced on a three-meter grid to give the elevations a logical and orderly appearance. The structure is partially coated with green faience tiles that reference the arts and crafts movement while also complementing the college's previous buildings, particularly the Great Hall, which are made of red brick, sandstone, lead, and oxidized copper. The 3,200 tiles were created in collaboration with architectural ceramics manufacturer Darwen Terracotta and may be found on numerous Victorian public buildings in the United Kingdom. The architecture studio went on to say that the design
25.05.2022
Populous designs solar-powered arena as "landmark for Munich"

Populous designs solar-powered arena as "landmark for Munich"

The Multifunctional Concert and Congress Center stadium, which architecture group Populous is creating in Munich, Germany, will be surrounded by a colorful exoskeleton that echoes the Bavarian flag. The spherical 20,000-capacity arena, which will hold a mix of concerts and large-scale events, will be built on parkland next to Munich Airport's LabCampus innovation hub.

According to Populous, the design will have a "high recognition factor" while paying respect to Bavaria's legacy, which includes Munich. The building's distinctive rhombus-shaped exoskeleton, which reflects the lozenge-like features that make up the Bavarian state flag, will help achieve this. The design, according to Populous associate principal Sin-Jae Yoo, strives to create a distinctive destination that is compact, efficient, and visually attractive.
It would be an easily recognizable location that reflected the area's identity and culture while providing an unrivaled visitor experience. Munich will gain a new landmark with the arena. The winning submission in a multi-stage competition for the design of the Multifunctional Concert and Congress Center (MUCcc) was Populous' proposal. It is now being constructed in partnership with local developer SWMUNICH Real Estate with the goal of enhancing the region's cultural offerings and local economy. Along with a homage to Bavaria, the design will integrate renewable energy sources, which are expected to provide all of the energy needed to run the stadium. A row of trees will wrap around the roof of the structure, which is intended to be visible "even from afar." MUCcc's seating will be laid out in a horseshoe shape with a high gradient to maximize sightlines and stage views. According to the firm, the design would use "state-of-the-art technology and the knowledge of acoustic professionals." The project's start date has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to open within the next five years, according to the MUCcc website. Populous is also
23.05.2022
Tiled facade wraps curved convention centre by Woods Bagot and Warren & Mahoney

Tiled facade wraps curved convention centre by Woods Bagot and Warren & Mahoney

The Te Pae Convention and Exhibition Centre, designed by Australian firm Woods Bagot and New Zealand studio Warren & Mahoney, has a curved exterior tiled in herringbone tiles. The sinuous structure, which overlooks the Avon River in New Zealand, is designed to avoid the typical "big box" image of convention centers. Te Pae Convention & Exposition Centre has a 2,000-seat auditorium, exhibition space, food facilities, and meeting rooms.
Woods Bagot and Warren & Mahoney ringed the building's periphery with glazed foyers that frame outward views, pushing these functional sections to the center.
Woods Bagot said that unlike conventional convention centers, which tend to be a generic 'big box', the building was smaller in scale and wrapped in a fluid facade. Views from the function room back to Cathedral Square; the opening out onto Victoria Square; the leaning toward the river – these were very specific moves to make the building engage strongly with what's around it. The Te Pae Convention and Exhibition Centre's architecture, like much of the reconstruction following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, pays homage to New Zealand's indigenous Ngai Tahu people. Puamiria Parata-Goodall said that the new Ōtautahi (Christchurch) reflected both its was Ngai Tahu and European histories. The center's tiled façade, irregular curved parts, and windows that cut across its form allude to the braided riverbeds of the Canterbury Plains and the shape of New Zealand's Southern Alps, both important areas in Ngai Tahu's history.
18.05.2022
Jacquemus creates surrealist interpretation of his own bathroom for Selfridges pop-up

Jacquemus creates surrealist interpretation of his own bathroom for Selfridges pop-up

At London department store Selfridges, French fashion designer Simon Jacquemus has unveiled a series of surrealist pop-up installations, including a luxury bag vending machine and a swimming pool changing room.

The exhibit, titled Le Bleu, can be found throughout the store, including the brand's creative retail section The Corner Shop and the Old Selfridges Hotel, a former hotel that is currently being used as a pop-up event. Pale blue tiles cover the interior of the Corner Shop, which serves as the installation's main retail space. A giant transparent tube of toothpaste pours red and white gel ribbons into the shop's window.
In the space, a large bathtub, sponges, shower facilities, and sinks serve as exhibition places for a range of unique Jacquemus items and pieces from the brand's Spring Summer 2022 collection. Selfridges described the pop-up spaces as a "surrealist reinterpretation of Jacquemus creator Simon Jacquemus' very private bathroom." After seeing a tablet fizzing in a glass of water, the designer was inspired to construct one of the installations, an enormous glass. A life-sized vending machine packed with exclusive editions of the brand's Chiquito and Bambino bags can be accessed for shopping 24 hours a day on Edwards Mews behind Selfridges. The area, a square room lined with five-by-five rows of bags and accessories displayed in gigantic, deep blue-hued vending machines, is entered through a wide circular doorway. The final pop-up in the Old Selfridges Hotel, Le Vestiaire, is a sensory piece inspired by swimming pool changing rooms.MThe now-familiar blue tiles that cover the walls, floor, and furniture of the room greet visitors. A curving welcoming desk was placed in front of a tile-covered wall that held a stack of rolled-up
13.05.2022
Zaha Hadid Architects completes dune-like Beeah Headquarters in Sharjah

Zaha Hadid Architects completes dune-like Beeah Headquarters in Sharjah

When designing the sinuous headquarters for environmental management company Beeah Group in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Zaha Hadid Architects sought graphic cues from undulating desert dunes.

The long-awaited Beeah Headquarters, designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, takes the shape of a series of "interconnecting dunes" that mimic the desert surroundings of Al Sajaa.

The 9,000-square-meter structure houses Beeah Group's management and administrative offices. It has a focus on sustainability, according to Zaha Hadid Architects, to mirror the company's work. It is solar-powered and satisfies LEED Platinum certification criteria, the highest level of the green building certification program, establishing "a new norm for future workplaces." The form of the Beeah Headquarters is planned and oriented to resist the extreme weather conditions experienced at the location while reflecting the neighboring sand dunes. The building is powered by a solar array connected to Tesla battery packs, which, according to the studio, meets the structure's energy requirement all day and night. To avoid exposure to the strong desert sun, the office's glazing is kept to a minimum, while glass-fiber-reinforced concrete panels on the exterior aid to manage internal temperatures. Additionally, on-site water treatment facilities filter effluent to reduce consumption. The structure is separated into two wings on the inside. The public and managerial departments of the Beeah Group are housed in one, while the administrative zone is in the other. The center courtyard, defined by Zaha Hadid Architects as an "oasis within the building" that helps supply natural ventilation, connects these regions. The building's 15-meter-high domed entrance, which has been built to increase natural ventilation and enable natural light to seep through, is a centerpiece of the
02.05.2022
"Smog-eating" ceramic fins cover hospital in Milan by Mario Cucinella Architects

"Smog-eating" ceramic fins cover hospital in Milan by Mario Cucinella Architects

The wave-like structure of this hospital building in Milan, designed by Italian group Mario Cucinella Architects, is covered in large ceramic fins with a titanium dioxide coating that can break down pollution particles.

The Iceberg, a 40,000-square-metre hospital with a 284-bed inpatient facility, integrates university teaching and research areas with an emergency room and 10 stories of San Raffaele Hospital.

With a curved, nearly totally glass structure sitting on a single-story podium dressed in earth-colored tiles and planted with a garden on its roof, its design was influenced by the supply of huge amounts of daylight for both patients and employees. The hospital's form continues to the south, forming a bridge elevated above the ground on metal stilts that connects to the next structure. The ceramic fins that cover the building's top five stories change depth in reaction to the sun's path and have been carefully manufactured with a titanium dioxide coating to disintegrate pollution particles while also conserving heat. The emergency center is located on the podium level, and a surgical building with 20 operating rooms is located below three basement levels. Seven stories of inpatient and instructional spaces are arranged above a central gap that lets light into the lower levels. For family visits, less clinical, "home-like" rooms have been constructed to provide a broader diversity of interior settings for patients, and additional lounges for visitors have been organized in the building's glazed corner portions. The inside finishes were chosen for their durability and simplicity of cleaning and upkeep, with a pastel color palette to emphasize the sensation of light. Mario Cucinella Architects had previously completed a curved, white concrete church in Mormanno with a
26.04.2022
Kengo Kuma & Associates' HC Andersens Hus opens in Denmark

Kengo Kuma & Associates' HC Andersens Hus opens in Denmark

Following a soft opening at the end of June 2021, a new museum dedicated to Danish fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen planned as a unique "fantasy world" of gardens and underground display spaces, has formally opened in Odense. The museum, designed by Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Associates, is situated near the author's birthplace in the historic center of Odense, Denmark, and has been home to the H C Andersen House Museum since 1908.
The H C Andersen Hus plan, which is set in a lovely green setting, expands the existing home with new exhibition rooms, public facilities, a cultural center, and a children's play area.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales, the museum's cylindrical, latticed timber forms are connected by meandering, maze-like pathways surrounded by green hedges, creating a trip between the "real world" and the "dream world." The above-ground parts house the reception, shop, and cafe, while the underground areas house all of the exhibition rooms. Visitors can see between the two "worlds" through cutouts in the landscape above. The upper areas are almost fully transparent and laced with timber beams, giving the impression that they are "merging" with the surroundings. Exposed concrete is used to finish the darker show halls. The exhibition halls offer a "fairytale experience" with interactive, multimedia works by twelve international artists responding to the themes and places of Andersen's stories. Some design features are inspired by specific stories, such as a Little Mermaid water pool through which visitors can see exhibition spaces below and a Giant's Garden with gigantic plants to make visitors "feel like a Thumbelina." Other fairytale-inspired projects include Kada Wittfeld Architektur's Brothers Grimm
13.04.2022
La Firme reorganizes centuries-old Montreal loft with contemporary finishes

La Firme reorganizes centuries-old Montreal loft with contemporary finishes

An apartment in an 1800s textile mill has been restructured by La Firme, a Montreal architecture firm, using cabinetry to create a new interior plan.

Studio left most of the building exposed, including tall, rough-hewn oak beams and brick walls with structural arches as hallways between rooms.

These authentic materials serve as a "counterpoint" to their intervention, which comprises white wood cabinets that define and redefine rooms while also providing enough storage.
The apartment was able to accommodate two bathrooms as part of the renovation: one for guests and the other within the main bedroom. In the ensuite bathroom, a Calcatta marble wall has been book-matched to create a subtle geometric design with the stone's veins. The long kitchen countertop is half at bar height and then transitions to table height due to a step on the apartment floor. A counter with drawers is opposite the kitchen and can be used for storage or as a workstation. A supplementary living area is a conservatory, which is separated from the combined living room and kitchen by brick arches. Except for white wood cabinetry and a few stone pieces, the architects employed a rather limited palette for the intervention. Other apartment alterations in Montreal include a 1920s unit reconstructed by Naturehumaine with curved walls and pastel green cupboards, as well as a galvanized metal-encased residential expansion.
01.04.2022
Council of Paris approves plans for the greening of the Eiffel Tower Site

Council of Paris approves plans for the greening of the Eiffel Tower Site

The Council of Paris has given final permission to Gustafson Porter + Bowman's landscape design for the Eiffel Tower site (Conseil de Paris). The designs were examined by the mayor as well as the general public through an online survey at the end of last year. The project comprises 35% extra planting, over 200 new trees, and pedestrianization of the Iena bridge. Phase One is planned to be completed in time for the Summer Olympics in 2024.
The 'OnE' design by Gustafson Porter + Bowman offers a single central axis that honors the Eiffel Tower at the focal point between the Palais de Chaillot on Place du Trocadéro and the École Militaire on Place Joffre. This backbone creates a readable landscape of revitalized spaces, including lawn terraces at the Trocadéro, expanded public space at the Varsovie Fountains, the reincarnation of the Pont d'Iéna as a green bridge, the creation of two new squares at either end of the bridge, a planted landscape beneath the Eiffel Tower, and raised lawns for the Champ de Mars.
Points of interest are generated by discovering and staging fresh viewpoints of the tower from which to appreciate the vista. The center axis landscape of power serves to highlight the Tower's sense of perspective from both ends of the site. A second landscape frames this, recalling the French 'picturesque' and its history of gardens as areas of creative experimentation and biodiversity expansion. Again, the human size is prioritized, resulting in spaces for enjoyment and pause that have their own personality. With a diverse mix of ornamental and natural flora, intimate garden areas frame the central axis, enabling temporary events and exhibits. “We are delighted that the Tour Eiffel “One” project is moving into the first phase of construction. This is an important moment for a major historical site to become more accessible to all people and be more environmental, sustainable and resilient. We have also worked on increasing biodiversity across the site, including modifications to historical lights to meet new standards. We thank the city of Paris for leading the way in their movement to a more sustainable, healthy and liveable city.
31.03.2022
2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize Goes to Diébédo Francis Kéré

2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize Goes to Diébédo Francis Kéré

Diébédo Francis Kéré, an architect, educator, and social activist, has been named the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate for 2022.

Francis Kéré, an architect residing in Berlin who was born in Gando, Burkina Faso, empowers and changes communities through design. His commitment to social justice and involvement, as well as the wise use of local materials to connect and adapt to the natural climate, led him to work in impoverished countries with limited resources and infrastructure.

Gando Primary School laid the groundwork for Kéré's philosophy. His response necessitated a two-pronged approach: a physical and contemporary design for a building capable of combating high heat and low illumination while working with restricted finances. The project's success resulted in an increase in the school's student body from 120 to 700 pupils, as well as the development of Teachers' Housing, an Extension, and a Library. His work in primary and secondary schools sparked the creation of a slew of new institutions, each displaying sensitivity to bioclimatic conditions and local sustainability. The Burkina Faso Institute of Technology's cooling clay wall's unique prices help to speed up the construction process. Overhanging eucalyptus was recycled to line the angled corrugated metal roofs, which was deemed wasteful due to its low shade properties and depletion of minerals from the soil. Kéré's upbringing and experiences have affected both his symbolically charged creations and his work in Gando outside of Africa. The Serpentine Pavilion's central design, as well as its detachable yet curved walls made up of triangular indigo modules, are inspired by the shape of a tree. The Benin National Assembly, which is now under construction in a public park, is inspired by the palaver tree. People can congregate at the base of the structure in the magnificent shade while parliament
29.03.2022
Alternative Systems opens at the Design Museum

Alternative Systems opens at the Design Museum

The Design Museum has unveiled an exhibition highlighting London-based designer Bethany Williams' waste-reducing, social-driven vision for the fashion business.

Bethany Williams: Alternative Systems, on display in the atrium of London's Design Museum, is a celebration of Williams' work that analyzes and reacts to societal concerns via the use of community-led enrichment initiatives.

A selection of the designer's influential works was exhibited across the four walls of the atrium's balcony gallery, which is open to the public.

Mannequins are presented with textile samples, photos, and raw waste materials to emphasize the studio's dedication to sustainable fashion.
"I decided to organize the display thematically rather than by collection," said Design Museum's head of curatorial and interpretation Priya Khanchandani. Williams is a fashion designer, humanitarian and artist. She graduated from Brighton University with a bachelor's degree in Critical Fine Art before receiving a master's from the London College of Fashion in Menswear. She launched her eponymous brand in 2017 and has worked to highlight and respond to social and environmental concerns via her work, which includes collaborations with local grassroots organizations and the production of collections from waste materials. Willliams' work as a member of the Emergency Designer Network is shown in one exhibit area. The project was created with designers Phoebe English, Cozette McCreery, and Holly Fulton. During the peak of the coronavirus epidemic, the group of creatives, with their textile manufacturing experience and volunteer teams, manufactured 12,000 scrubs, 100,000 masks, and 4,000 gowns for frontline healthcare personnel. Waste from packaging tape sourced from Rimini, Italy was weaved and turned into usable
28.03.2022
Angelo Candalepas and Associates set to design Australia's most prominent art and design gallery

Angelo Candalepas and Associates set to design Australia's most prominent art and design gallery

Australian studio Angelo Candalapas and Associates' winning plan for the new National Gallery of Victoria Contemporary in Melbourne has towering arches and a spherical atrium.
The skyscraper will be built on a triangular block in central Melbourne, immediately across from the National Gallery, to replace an outdated tower. The architecture of the new gallery will feature massive vaulted apertures that will function as entry points throughout the building's facade.

According to renderings, sculptural glass components punctuate each facade. The western facade will have a line of triangular windows running the length, with lantern-built cube shapes sitting atop it. Visitors will be greeted by a central hall-cum-atrium that rises 40 meters overall levels of the structure and adjoins a circular skylight as they enter the gallery. The spherical atrium will be used as a gallery for large-scale artworks. Visualizations, robbed, ribbed taper and step in a spiraling promenade, 13,000 square meters of the display distance will be available for art and design exhibitions in the gallery areas. The structure will also have a place for entertainment that will connect 2 extra spaces the National Gallery and Victoria's expanded public parkland. A multi-story portico-style veranda will run the length of the building's eastern facade, giving each notch access to outdoor spread. A vast terrace and sculpture garden on the roof will be built adjacent to the glass lantern, which will house the gallery's bar and provide guests with panoramic views of the city.
26.03.2022
Possibilities of thatched roofs in architecture

Possibilities of thatched roofs in architecture

Researching the history of the use of thatched roofing is quite challenging. As it is a natural and biodegradable material, there are very few traces of its use in old constructions, unlike stone structures or even rudimentary cement, for example. However, researchers point out that the thatched structures date when people ceased being nomadic and focused on agriculture. In addition, there are traces of their usage in the Aztec empires and the early structures of what we now call Europe and studies on their use in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, among many other places. Thatched roofing is a traditional way of creating a roof covering out of dried fibers such as straw, reeds, palm trees, and other natural fibers. These are collected and intertwined with a particular tension to generate a surface that becomes impermeable and nearly impregnable to rats and vermin via consecutive overlaps. The roof is installed from the bottom up, and the top is where greater attention and maintenance is required, as it is a vulnerable place for water penetration. Roofs with a higher slope will allow water to flow faster, reducing the possibility of infiltration. However, this does not mean that the material limits the designers' innovation. Because it is flexible, organic shapes may be easily produced. Due to many voids and surface flaws, the material composition provides good insulation when dry and packed. Straw, when properly applied, is also incredibly wind resistant. However, the roof support structure might be less sturdy because thatch is relatively light. One As it is a low-cost and relatively simple structure, its use is mostly concentrated in rural regions. In other words, we won't see thatched roofs in Manhattan or downtown So Paulo because incorporating this construction approach is especially appealing where the necessary materials and labor are accessible. This is the case of Studio Anna Heringer's project for a kindergarten in Zimbabwe, which is part of a Permaculture Education Center in Zimbabwe and is built in wood, straw, and stone in
25.03.2022
HOK co-founder Gyo Obata dies aged 99

HOK co-founder Gyo Obata dies aged 99

Gyo Obata, the co-founder of St. Louis-based architecture firm HOK, died at 99.

HOK announced Obata's death on March 8, 2022, and released a retrospective (link:
https://www.hok.com/news/2022-03/gyo-obata-founding-partner-at-hok-dies-at-99/) of his life and works on its website.

Obata is well-known for his work on the Priory Chapel at Saint Louis Abbey and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. His Houston Galleria was one of the first multi-level indoor malls to ice skating rink.

He created several structures for religious and educational institutions and airports in locales as diverse as St. Louis and Riyadh. Obata, most known for reshaping the landscape of St Louis after WWII, was an early proponent of sustainable architecture whose "work is defined by an efficient use of resources and a sense of harmony with its natural environment." "Gyo's innovative design solutions have shaped an ongoing series of important cultural and civic buildings that fulfill their functional requirements while creating memorable public spaces," said HOK. Obata, the son of two Japanese artists who immigrated to the United States, avoided internment after Pearl Harbor and attended Washington University in St Louis, one of the few architecture schools that accepted Japanese-American students at the time. Obata founded HOK in 1955 with George Hellmuth and George Kassabaum after working with architects such as Minoru Yamasaki and Eliel Saarinen and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The company accomplished projects in the United States, Europe, and
23.03.2022
Ancient Greek architecture: 3 main orders

Ancient Greek architecture: 3 main orders

Ancient Greek architects aimed for the accuracy and craftsmanship of Greek art in general. They created the formulas as early as the sixth century B.C. have impacted architecture throughout the last two millennia.

Ancient Greek architecture grew into separate orders during its early ascent in the Classical period. Architectural orders are many column styles distinguished by a mix of ornamental motifs on the entablature, base, and column. In the later Roman era, the orders were given names. The first three orders were designed by Greek architecture known as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Each of these orders was distinguished by distinctive elements in its columns, used in formal, public structures like stadiums and theaters.

Doric Order



The Doric order is the first of the three classical architectural orders. It marks a crucial period in Mediterranean architecture when monumental construction transitioned from temporary materials, such as wood, to permanent ones, mainly stone.
Doric-style columns were generally set close together, without bases, and concave curves molded into the shafts. The caps of Doric columns were simple, having a rounded part at the bottom (the echinus) and a square at the top (abacus). In early forms, the echinus is flat and spread, rising from the top of the column-like a circular cushion to the abacus, which supports the lintels.

The Temple of Hephaestus is the most complete example of Doric columns, built almost completely of marble between 449 and 415 BCE.
Ionic order The Ionic Order was founded in Ionia, a coastal area of what is now called Turkey, and got its name from there. It is distinguished primarily by the scroll-like ornaments called volutes on Ionic column capitals, and the column base supports are not present on Doric columns. Ionic columns, developed in the same era as the Doric Order in the mid-sixth century BCE, found their way to mainland Greece the next century, with many of the country's landmarks erected in the Ionic style. The bright example of Ionic architecture is the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus which was once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple was built by Croesus, King of Lydia, in 550 BCE. The temple, also known as Artemisium, was remarkable for its vastness, which stretched over 350 feet by 180 feet, and the beautiful works of art that graced it. Invading Goths eventually destroyed the temple in 262 CE. Corinthian order The Corinthian order is the most recent and ornate of the Classical architectural orders. In contrast to the Doric and Ionic orders, the Corinthian order arose straight from the Ionic order in the mid-5th century BCE. The Corinthian order, named after the city of Corinth, is differentiated from the Ionic order by its more elaborate capitals carved with stylized acanthus leaves. The frieze of the Corinthian entablature was typically ornamented with continuous sculptural reliefs,
22.03.2022
Virtual reality in architecture

Virtual reality in architecture

The importance of using advanced technologies, such as virtual reality, in the architectural scene is becoming increasingly necessary. No matter how beautiful a rendered image is, it can never sufficiently express the scale and mood of a project as a whole, reinforcing the need to embrace the usage of these technologies at a professional practice level.

Architects who choose not to include virtual reality technology in their design process are significantly disadvantaged. The issue is no longer one of accessibility, as VR is now a viable option for architects of all backgrounds.

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) have the possibility to transform how architects and designers conceive and express their ideas long before things are even created. Clients may easily be transported into three-dimensional representations of the working design to further immerse themselves, virtually similar to the sensations elicited while engaging in a virtually created world in video games. Virtual worlds aim to temporarily transport consumers to another reality, a well-constructed environment capable of transmitting subtle things such as emotions, feelings, and sensations; thus, if clients can experience the influx of those emotions before physically standing in the building, it opens up opportunities for changes to be made before committing to a build. The immersive environment in nature gives a considerably more precise portrayal of size, depth, and spatial awareness that is unrivaled in contrast to standard ways of rendering, scale models, or animations. When you, as a designer, have the means to provide the client with the immersive experience and sense of really living the place, your ability to convey design purpose becomes immediately evident and much clearer. The advantage of using virtual reality is that it can be utilized early in the conceptual stages to investigate further the interactions between different locations, light, structure, and materiality. In comparison with simply looking at a scale model or visual image, the usage of an immersive representation provides for higher quick knowledge and comprehension of key design features. Those who are not associated with the profession of a designer or architect may be unable to understand spatial
16.03.2022
ICON and Lake Flato build 3D-printed House Zero in Austin

ICON and Lake Flato build 3D-printed House Zero in Austin

ICON Construction Technology and Lake Flato Architecture have built a 3D-printed modern ranch-style home in Austin to be showcased during the SXSW festival. House Zero was designed by ICON, the first firm in the US to sell ready-to-own 3D houses. ICON collaborated with San Antonio and Austin-based architecture group Lake Flato. The house was built utilizing ICON's Vulcan building method and is located in a single-family residential neighborhood in East Austin, Texas. To create the walls of the 2,000-square-foot (186-square-meter) home, the method employs 3D printing, a technology that mechanically dispenses layers of material based on a computer program. It took 10 days to produce the 3D-printed wall aspects. "House Zero is ground zero for the emergence of entirely new design languages and architectural vernaculars that will use robotic construction to deliver the things we need most from our housing: comfort, beauty, dignity, sustainability, attainability, and hope," said Jason Reinforced by steel, the walls are printed with a proprietary material ICON calls Lavacrete – an airtight cement-like substance while also providing increased insulation. According to ICON, the home was created with biophilic design concepts in mind, with the smooth curves of the 3D-printed support walls creating "naturalistic circulation patterns throughout the home." In addition to being able to build houses faster, the technology may allow for the construction of residences like these at a
10.03.2022