OPEN Architecture recently created a new kind of school system that provides a balanced and joyful learning environment integrated with farms and gardens. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese philosophy which had always centered on the harmony between people and nature, the architects feel it is urgent to bring the ancient philosophy back to the core of our education, and put it in the context of new challenges ahead. If there is one thing that we have to put above all other issues for the 21st century, it is probably the vulnerability of nature, especially in the decades to come, and amidst all the looming environmental crisis. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The winning proposal for the extension project for the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Troyes (Troyes Management School) by SCAU Architectes provides a new image, thanks to a highly pertinent concept that marries convivial spaces, clear circulation, modern energy and, above all, a great simplicity of architectural style. The extension, necessitated by its exceptional growth, is a real opportunity to confirm the establishment’s image and assert its identity at a national and international level, among the diverse colleges in this field. In this respect, the building’s architectural expression has today become the flagship of the Troyes ESC’s dynamism and energy. More images and architects’ dsescription after the break.
One hundred years have passed since Le Corbusier’s Voyage to the Orient. Although he didn’t venture into the Far East, his influence – and that of Modernism – is recognizable across the world. This conference, hosted by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University October 18-19, looks at modernism’s significance to architecture and urbanism from Europe to India. It will explore its lasting, or fading, influence on China; and China’s influence on it. Architecture, and indeed the world, has changed massively over the last century, so this conference will explore what contemporary ideas can be drawn from different historical periods and different social circumstances. More information on the conference after the break.
With architects building globally – often disconnected from their own cultural and political contexts – what is their responsibility toward the workers who construct their buildings? Organized by the Vera List Center in collaboration with Kadambari Baxi (Barnard College), Mabel O. Wilson (Columbia University GSAPP) and curator and writer Beth Stryker, Who Builds Your Architecture?, which takes place May 3 from 6:30pm-8:30pm, examines the links between construction practices and workers’ rights; and provokes broader questions about contemporary forms of globalization where architecture takes central stage. Sociologist Andrew Ross, architects Peggy Deamer and Fred Levrat, and Human Rights Watch Senior Researcher on the Middle East Bill Van Esveld reflect on how architects imagine their role, particularly on how their buildings may transform society—not just through their physical forms, but through the ways in which they are constructed and used. For more information on the event, please visit here.
The winning proposal for the design of a stadium for Russia’s 2018 World Cup was created by the design institute “Mosproject-4″ from Russia and HKS Architects from the United States. The main characteristics of the stadium include an innovative constructive decision, increased comfort for both the audience and athletes, and sustainability strategies. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Inspired by the volcanic topography of Jeju island and the cocoon of a living organism, Seoul-based architectural practice, Planning Korea, completed their design for the Cocoon House, which is complemented with their amazing rendering techniques which is evident in their gallery of images. The cocoon, located at the center of the house, provides a space made by nature that protects and develops inner living things from outside. The first phase of the construction will be started in September 2012 and will be completed in 2015. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Leo A Daly, in collaboration with Local Design Institute WDCE, recently won a competition to design Phase 2, Plot B, of the international headquarters campus of China Mobile Ltd. in Beijing. One of the largest mobile telecommunications companies in the world, China Mobile Ltd. selected their design for the research and development office and laboratory buildings, each a five- and nine-story facility, which are organized on an east-west pedestrian axis and mirrored in their massing to establish opposite, formal entries linked to internal courtyards at the ground level. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The project for the FFS Train Station District by Dominique Perrault Architecture was born from a simple action: covering the small station of Locarno-Muralto by a large balcony platform on Lake Maggiore. So, on the infrastructure, lays a large public space, the Piazza Grande, an void space that allows to freely cross the city and create a new centrality. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Treehouses in Paradise competition, among many competitions featured on our site, unfortunately turned out to be a scam. Many architects not only lost their time, but their efforts and money as well. Many competitions arise such as these and unfortunately, the work of the architects are often gone to waste. Therefore, ArchDaily is requesting any proposals you may have so that we can conduct our own poll on our website. We are giving those who participated the opportunity to feature their proposals so our readers can vote on them, provide comments, feedback, etc. We don’t want to see all of the work invested get left behind without giving the credibility it deserves and honoring such efforts. If interested, you are encouraged to submit through our contact form.
Terreform ONE is now accepting submissions for the 2012 ONE Prize Competition: BLIGHT TO MIGHT. The competition is a call to put design in the service of disenfranchised communities, to reinvigorate deindustrialized and depressed urban areas, and to repurpose spaces for economic growth and job creation. Situated in the context of a struggling U.S. economy and the tension of stagnant unemployment, ONE Prize 2012 aims to explore the socially, economically, and ecologically regenerative possibilities of urban transformation and design. The competition is powered by the idea that social, ecological, and economic struggles can simultaneously be addressed through collaborative action and innovative planning. Deadlines for submissions is June 30. For more information, please visit their official website here.
Located in close proximity to the central zone of the Futian District in Shenzhen, China, 10 Design‘s main design concept for the Yabao Hi-Tech Enterprises Headquarter Park was to try and integrate the complex into the natural landscape. Defining a strong urban edge on the southwestern edge of the site, the buildings begin to dissolve into nature as they move northeast across the site towards the lake. This mix-used complex is designed for a multifaceted community, which includes living, working, shopping recreation, and tourism. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The iconic nature of the winning proposal for the Planetarium, Centre for Eco Tourism, and Science and Technology Centre is balanced by a rational response to the brief and the constraints of the site. By isolating the planetarium and the activities linked closely to it the design by JB Ferrari & Associates is able to exploit the strong potential for volumetric expression. This allows for a more subdued intervention to the historic buildings. Seemingly evident, such a direction is not an obvious reading of the brief but is made possible through astute reinterpretation of the district plan. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (nycobaNOMA) will be hosting the ‘Crafting the Interview 3.0′ event which will take place at FXFOWLE on May 19 from 11am – 5pm. In order to provide the necessary tools to craft a successful interview, they have planned a Portfolio + Resume Review Day for graduating college students and young professionals seeking feedback on their portfolio. A panel presentation will provide information about the job hunting process and current market trends. The event will offer constructive one-on-one feedback to participants and a panel discussion comprised of professionals representing different sectors of the architectural + design community. To register for the event and for more detailed information, please visit here.
Rialto Cinemas and Design OnScreen, a non-profit organization that produces, distributes and preserves high-quality films on architecture and design, are pleased to announce a collaboration that has secured 20 exciting films from the world of Architecture and Design to play in Auckland, New Zealand. The Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival will play from May 10 – 20 at Rialto Cinemas Newmarket and includes a number of New Zealand premieres as well as the return of some favorite films. The Resene Architecture Film Festival brings together an eclectic selection of films that showcase the best in architecture and design around the world. In addition, architects are able to apply to The New Zealand Institute of Architects (Inc) for CPD Points for movies seen in the festival. For more information on the event, please visit here.
This year’s judging yielded eight winning submissions from local design professionals and students with the grand prize awarded to Christine Chlebda, a student at The Catholic University of America (CUA). More information on the awards after the break.
Situated in the Karancs-Medves landscape area in North-East Hungary, the aim of SAGRA Architects for their design of the ‘Dance Floor’ Recreation and Memorial Park is to preserve and strengthen this special character of the place. The park would function as an exhibition for the mining memorials and as a natural recreational area. Embraced by the surrounding hills and huge hillside trees, the organising element in the park is a wall providing covered space which can be used for exhibitions and performances. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Designed by renowned architect, Santiago Calatrava, the new Innovation, Science & Technology building at Florida Polytechnic University will establish the design scheme for all other structures within the campus’ master plan, which Calatrava is also responsible. Until the other structures within the master plan are built, the new Innovation, Science & Technology building, which just broke ground in March will also need to function as the campus itself; being able to accommodate various events and functions. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Nader Tehrani, a principal and founder of NADAAA, a practice dedicated to the advancement of design innovation, inter-disciplinary collaboration, and an intensive dialogue with the construction industry, will be delivering a lecture at the ASA Forum in Bangkok on April 29. He also is a professor and the head of the Department of Architecture at MIT School of Architecture and Planning. As the founding principal of Office dA, Nader Tehrani’s work received many prestigious awards, including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award, the United States Artists Architecture and Design Award, and thirteen Progressive Architecture Awards. More information on the event can be found here.
