YanPaiXi Village, designed by Regional Construction Studio, is located in Guzhang County, Western Hunan. The houses in the village are surrounded by terraces which were built along the mountain and are divided into a number of large and small blocks by channels which are generated by nature. The society is steady and the residents are sincere and honest. Inspired by this village, the device attempts to explore an inter-growth prototype by implanting this “light” model in an urban and rural space. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The SmartPlayhouse children`s houses are authentic pieces of design work inspired by contemporary architecture. A modern and comfortable space that provides the children with their own private and safe place to play, developing their creativity and ability to share. Built with the highest quality materials and very resistant to rough weather conditions, they give children their own place to play, organize themselves and invite friends over. It`s a place where they can socialize, share with others, express their creativity, mature and have great experiences. It makes a great gift for the holiday season! Check them out here. More images of playhouses can be seen after the break.

Holm Architecture Office (HAO), in collaboration with VM Studio, recently received first place in a competition for the re-design of the Coleman Oval Skate Park in Manhattan. Nine New York design firms were invited to participate in the competition, which was sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and a Gamechangers grant from Nike, a campaign encouraging community organizations to empower youth through sports programs that spur social and economic development. The project is being developed with the New York City Parks & Recreation Department’s Adopt-a-Park program. More images and project description after the break.

MASS Design Group is encourage everyone to help, in any way, in their efforts to design, build, and advocate for buildings that improve health and strengthen communities. Architects have a unique ability to affect change by producing Well-Built Environments, those that are efficient, effective, and empowering. By applying architectural thinking to the full project delivery process we can engender social and political affects that help fight social inequity. For more information and to find out ways you can help, please visit their website here.

Through an innovative redesign by Yaniv Pardo Architects, the Netanya city center will be turned into a vibrant and exciting location, befitting a large metropolis. The municipality building will act as the city’s iconic landmark, an architectural milestone supporting the city’s unique urban landscape. The concept leans heavily on the residents of the city who will be using the space for a wide range of activities and services – cultural, social, leisure, commercial etc. Their movement across the space throughout the day will create a bustling urban center. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Karres en Brands Landschapsarchitecten + Polyform Arkitekter recently won the international competition for redesigning the Museum Garden of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, with their entry ‘SMK tilbage i Parken’ (‘SMK back in the park’). The project will be realized in collaboration with Svava Riesto, Oluf Jørgensen Ingeniører and Via Trafik. The design is based on the concept of connecting the museum garden with the neighbouring park Østre Anlæg, where, in the current situation, it turns its back on. By doing so, the SMK will be embedded into the park and the Museum Garden becomes the new entrance area for both the SMK and Østre Anlæg. More images and architects’ description after the break.

‘Migrating Landscapes’ has been selected to represent Canada at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture. The project will examine how Canadians express their diverse cultural memories in the way they live and build. ‘Migrating Landscapes’ will be presented by 5468796 Architecture Inc. and Jae-Sung Chon, both of Winnipeg, who joined together to create a new entity: Migrating Landscapes Organizer (MLO). More project description after the break.

Stuttgart, Germany based architecture firm, (se)arch Architekten, shared with us their first prize winning proposal for the ongoing project selected within the framework of a competitive multiple commission. Forming part of Allmendäcker housing district, which consists of horizontal, linear-formed housing blocks, the building tries to respond to its urban context. Two linear-like volumes are implemented; the northern one, together with the ground floor level plan, accommodating kindergarten and the southern – accommodating housing. More images and architects‘ description after the break.

The winning competition proposal for the St. Pölten Technology Center, designed by AllesWirdGut + FCP, will accommodate two functions: the training workshops of WIFI Lower Austria and the New Design University, St. Pölten. The central idea that informs their proposal is to bring together these two main functions in one building. For one thing, this keeps valuable development areas free for other uses, and for another, it creates an opportunity for interdisciplinary communication between different users. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Comeandcheck.it and InTech Ltd. are releasing an international competition for designing transport-packaging. The goal of the project is to create and realize conceptual, esthetical, functional and technically sufficient or innovative packaging for transport of a hardcover book. The competition is open to all full-aged designers, artists and architects (both professionals and students) with the registration deadline December 30th and submission deadline on January 23rd. Your solution must protect the book from damage during transport and weigh less than 200g. For more information, visit the competition website here.

Olson Kundig Architects is an experimental work place for their community collaborations, pro‐bono design work, philanthropic and volunteer work, and for design research and the development of design ideas. Since its inception this summer, has served as an artist’s working studio, a dancer’s stage, a non‐profit’s arts education on workshop and outreach hub, a design festival’s pop‐up space, and more. Record Store is the latest and current iteration of . More images and architects’ description after the break.

Chyutin Architects, in collaboration with Shmaya Zarfati, shared with us their first prize winning proposal for the District Courthouse in Jerusalem. Located on a newly designed main public square in the city center, the building houses all the judiciary levels except the Supreme Court, and contains 113 courtrooms and 135 judges’ chambers. The design of the court building connects and bridges among the host of diverse design languages of the buildings around it while creating a distinctive language of its own. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Following Populous’ recent success with the redevelopment of the home of the British Formula One Grand Prix, Silverstone, the ground breaking ceremony for the next Populous Formula 1 project, the 4.7km Velociudad Speedcity circuit, recently took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 16th. More images and brief project description after the break.

The Dalian Urban Planning Museum, designed by Architects Collective, is to be the gateway to the city center redirecting several main streets to the main boulevard. The building skin consists of a careful arrangement of transparent and opaque triangular surfaces closing and revealing the interior of the museum to the urban surrounding. This simple formal strategy keeps the building from overheating in summer and allows natural light in winter. More images and project description after the break.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Diversity Recognition Program seeks submissions featuring exemplary efforts to diversify the architecture profession. The jury will select up to 12 submissions as diversity best practices meriting the following recognition: AIA Diversity Recognition Program Award, Profiled in AIArchitect and on the AIA Diversity Web page, Acknowledgment at the AIA National Convention: Diversity Recognition Program Awards Presentation and Diversity Recognition Program Exhibit. The AIA must receive all submissions by March 1, 2012. For more information, please visit their website here.

Architectural firm 10 Design from Shanghai and Hong Kong is inviting anyone of all ages – architects, students artists, all who are interested – to take part at their recently started competition, Re-thinking Shanghai 2012.

Located in front of Manila City Hall, the proposed project by HartnessVision integrates ‘water branding’ into the architecture of this Maynilad customer facility. The site is organized around 3 programmed axes (nature, access, amenities) in which pedestrians have priority. The expression of water-channeling and healthy clean water resources play important roles in their concept. More images and project description after the break.

Implementing green roofs into architecture is rapidly becoming a design principle for buildings at every scale. There are many benefits to a green roof including a decrease in heating and cooling costs, which in turn mitigates the urban heat island effect. Other benefits include a natural filter for rain water, an increase in the life span of the roof, a natural habitat for animals and plants and a reduction in dust and smog levels. In this post are four highlighted projects where a green roof is emphasized to produce successful sustainable architectural works.