Blogs

Welcome to Zlogs.
It's a new format of videos (vlogs), that we decided to create to be closer to our design community.
In this video Jax will explain the background story of Zeel Project, why we created it and how did we come up with the idea? Enjoy!

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

Within the aging interior of the centuries-old townhouse, Filips Van Marnix in Antwerp, Belgian designer Koen Van Guijze's lighting concepts is on view.
In the antique townhouse, which was home to a chief magistrate in the 16th century before becoming a hotel, Van Guijze is showing four years of characterful designs.
The structure is slated for rehabilitation and will become part of the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp hotel, but Van Guijze planned to use it as an exhibition space before the remodeling. The wedge-shaped Spy and the ribbon-like Circuit are among his amusing designs, which are displayed with peeling paintwork and ornamental moldings. Paravents, a series of handcrafted lights screens made from paper porcelain that resembles folded and folded cardboard, is one of the exhibition's highlights. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, but they're meant to wrap around it and cover a light source. They're exhibited with candles and wooden packing boxes to offer them a cozy feel. Gruyère provides a higher version of Spy by merging classic lightbulbs with a shiny base. Other items on show include Le Collier, which resembles a flower stem, and the Trapèze table lamp, which has a gridded brass design. Van Guijze describes his approach as timeless rather than trendy. His aim is to create pieces that will "make a statement for generations".

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Biotechnology and material science advances are creating new material options that have the potential to basically alter the relationship between the built environment and the natural world. Building materials and construction are responsible for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The AEC industry can help reduce climate change in the following years, and one of the most important initiatives is to re-evaluate popular construction materials. Bioengineered materials that grow, generate energy, and self-heal are the next frontier in biology and material science and might pave the way for a new type of building. Although innovation in these sectors is still far from broad commercial application, it can significantly alter the appearance of the built environment.

Living materials for the built environment is a rapidly expanding field of study that can help with a variety of objectives, including lowering carbon footprints, optimizing resource use, developing innovative properties, and improving carbon sequestration.

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,

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

Timber buildings have received much attention in recent years. As a sustainable and renewable material that absorbs a large amount of carbon throughout its development, advances in this material have enabled taller structures. However, when we talk about wood, we are talking about a vast range of species, each with its own set of strengths, nuances, potentials, limits, and recommended uses. While there are tough and heavy woods with qualities equal to concrete, softwoods are also appropriate for different purposes. Anyway, as wood is a natural substance, it is porous and adjusts to the temperature and humidity conditions of the area in which it is inserted, absorbing everything that enters, including oils, filth, and chemicals. Without a suitable finish, wood can dry up, crack, lose its natural tone and deteriorate. Although we are all aware that maintenance is crucial for the effective functioning of all types of buildings, it is essential for wood. A proper finish keeps the wood from decaying quickly, extending its usable life and retaining its inherent qualities. The availability and terminology for each type of finish may differ by country. We've prepared a list of today's most popular finishes, along with their primary attributes and uses. Varnishes The term varnish is often used in a wide variety of

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

Dutch architecture office MVRDV has developed a temporary rooftop platform on the Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam to kick off Rotterdam Architecture this upcoming June. The 600-square-meter event area titled The Podium will be elevated 29 meters and coated in a neon-pink hue, making it visible to all passersby on ground level. The project will be available to the public on June 1st, coinciding with the start of the Rotterdam Architecture Month Festival, and will be utilized for events through August 17th. The Podium will provide visitors with a fresh viewpoint of the city, panoramic views of the skyline, the Museumpark, the Het Nieuwe Instituut, and the surrounding MVRDV-designed Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. Its striking design was inspired by the building it sits on, originally designed by Jo Coenen. The building presents MVRDV's "ambition to make better use of the city’s rooftops, an important approach to densifying the city that will allow it to develop sustainably by preventing urban sprawl and creating opportunities to add greenery and water management, and much-needed building functions." The platform, which will be accessible by an outside 143-step stairway, a temporary elevator, or The Living Archive of a Studio, will be created on scaffolding with recycled floor finishes following the festival. The platform's events will be programmed by a range of Rotterdam institutions and creatives and will include lectures, tours, films, and other architecture-related activities, as well as sports courses, dinners, and children's programs.

As the floor is one of the largest coverage areas in an environment, its preference is guided by various criteria connected to aesthetic and visual identity concerns and technical resistance and maintenance difficulties. Multiple floors are commonly used for sections with different usage, and this transition is typically not indicated by walls or doors. Following that, we will bring you tips on making this transition as smooth as possible when there is no physical boundary between the floors.

We're used to utilizing various floors to separate sections with distinct functions: kitchen and dining room, living room and balcony, or even living room and hallway, for example. This separation is often followed by walls and doors that mark the boundary of each activity and floor. Therefore, the proper treatment is provided individually to the type of floor placed in each setting.
With the popularity of open plans and interconnected spaces in contemporary design, it is becoming more usual to sectorize areas and manage flows based on smoother transitions such as furniture, tiny gaps, decreased ceilings, or even shifting floors. This change can be a simple change of material and paging, but it can also be the insertion of a decorative element, called "carpet," in a portion of the floor. You should consider blending various materials, textures, and forms for both cases. The most prevalent is to highlight the transition between wet and dry areas, like in kitchens and dining rooms. In this section, we frequently find the mix of a warm floor, which may be wood, vinyl, or laminate, and a cold floor, which can be porcelain, ceramic, or even hydraulic tile or granite, in the kitchen. This transition between floors can also be used to highlight other spaces that are crucial to the project, such as the entry hall or circulation areas. Another option is to use the hard The combination of floors is not restricted indoors; it is also feasible in outdoor spaces, particularly on terraces and covered areas entirely open to the outside. However, to minimize internal flooding in these situations, the best solution is to estimate the water flow and leave a sufficient spacing for the rain flow.

Architect Ibrahim M Jaidah designed a 2022-shaped building in Doha, Qatar to coincide with the county hosting the FIFA World Cup. The Iconic 2022 building, located in Doha Sports City opposite the Khalifa International Stadium, one of the eight hosting stadiums of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, is described by its developer, Nasser bin Hamad Al Thani, as "the first building in the world to resemble a year." Jaidah, the principal architect of Arab Engineering Bureau and the man behind the gahfiya cap-shaped Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, designed Iconic 2022 for developer Nasser bin Hamad Al Thani. "The project is unique because it started with a simple idea," said Jaidah. "Sheikh Nasser said to me: 'Ibrahim, I have a challenging idea for you,' and showed me a 2022 sketch." The building is made out of four blocks, each with a stone facade organized around windows to resemble a number two or zero. A two-story podium connects the number-adorned blocks. A grocery, cafe, and restaurants are placed on the podium's main floor, while a sports center and health clubs are located on the level above. The towers house offices for a number of athletic organizations. Along with the number 2022 on the front facade, Jaidah wanted the year to be visible in aerial shots, which he

Ecodesign is becoming more and more popular, as the basis is high-quality and safe for human health materials. When organizing a space, it is essential to consider the environmental impact of all its components and apply various methods to reduce waste save energy and natural resources. Characteristics of eco-friendly design 1. Natural and safe for human health materials with a minimum of toxic substances released to the atmosphere. For example wood, wallpaper, natural stone, glass, cotton, linen. Using wicker furniture, bamboo stems, cork makes the design stylish. 2. The color scheme consists of natural tones: beige, brown, sand, sea, green. These shades convey the spirit of earth, ocean and forest. As the eco-style expresses calm and balance in the interior, you should not use bright colors in your design. 3. No single eco-style house is complete without greenery. A panel of living plants or individual representatives of the flora in large vases will look great. 4. Good Advantages of eco-design 1. Natural materials and no toxic substances in the space. 2. Abundance of free space. 3. Natural tones positively affect a person, giving a sense of calm. 4. The ability to add exclusive decorative elements to the interior. Disadvantages of eco-design 1. Natural materials, unlike artificial ones, cost higher. 2. Cleaning takes a long time. Natural materials need proper care, they are not suitable for cleaning products containing chemicals. 3. For eco-style design, you