CARAVANSERAI SUMMER SCHOOL: Ecological Restoration of Rural Architecture. Poster and informationn
After the pandemic and empowered by the climate crisis, a new wave of natural living style far away from the overpopulated cities raised all around the world and generated a return to the countryside, giving a new hope to the rural areas. Following the participative restoration philosophy of Depo Pergamon Workshops, the Caravanserai Summer School 2022 will promote a new model of ecological restoration for rural architecture based on a circular sustainable principle: Sun, Water, Soil, Straw, Dung, and Wood. These natural materials will be used for reviving the vernacular construction techniques in the restoration and renovation of the mud plaster surfaces and the rammed earth pavements of an old architecture complex to be reuse as a new generation caravanserai, a worldwide forgotten typology during the XXI century. To complete the conservation of the preexisting buildings, the original wooden flooring, ceilings and furniture will also be restored. All the work will be led by experts in vernacular architecture and building techniques.
InnovatiON-Architecture compiles ON-A work philosophy: a constant search for innovative ad hoc solutions for each project, using the most updated technologies and design research at the service of ideas, with criteria based on their professional career, but always going beyond the conventional. The contents of the book have been organized illustrating the four conversations held between Eduardo Gutiérrez and Jordi Fernández (ON-A founders and principals) and Ricardo Devesa (editor). First one is routed on Design as a starting point to attend the control of the geometry (inspired on mineral, arboreal, and organic shapes) and encoding the information (using parametric design, BIM, and coding techniques). That methodology allows them to visualize and interact with the continuum of data and workflows of all stages of development, attending to the entire life cycle of the project. Since ON-A considered themself as a Laboratory rather than as a professional architecture office, the second conversation explored their ways of making innovative architecture throughout bioclimatic and sustainable experiments and tests done in their works and projects. In that chapter they talk about how to incorporate the ‘green’ feature through bioarchitecture —a layer of technological green that appeals to sustainability from materiality, management and maintenance— in order to re-naturalize cities and reconnect people with the natural environment in favour of an ecosystem balance. Technology is the third chapter, a key tool to enhance design and creativity, carrying out complete material, structural and installation modeling that gives them control of any layout whether they use curved glass, precast GRC, wood or another innovative material technique to build their projects. Last but not least, the fourth conversation is about how the ON-A’s projects work as a catalyst for creating positive Emotions: physical-visual, well-being, and comfort that contribute occupants’ health and flexible usability of the designed spaces. As a result of these four conversations, the book shows how to innovate in architecture from different layers with only one concern: helping to reduce the environmental impact of human intervention, improving citizens’ quality of life and seeking the emotional interactions between the inhabitants and their environment.
The cork and timber installation framing a window of the palazzo in Brera . Photo by Boito Sarno Architects
To move to net zero, the future of construction will be based on circular economy principles and the innovative use of biomaterials that are renewable and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Presented at Milan Design Week’s Fuorisalone, in the heart of the Brera Design District, KÝKLOSDÉNDRON (tree cycle) is a room within a room that offers an unexpected vantage point inside a charming Milanese apartment from the early 1800s. Designed by Boito Sarno Architects, this installation is entirely made of wood and cork showing the potential of rediscovering traditional materials in a modern idiom. The installation has a tactile element, with visitors invited to walk barefoot on a cork ‘pebbles’ walkway. Cleverly engineered with standardised modules that can be easily assembled and disassembled, it does not use metal elements.
An exciting, new exhibition opens this week at Urban art gallery BSMT in London entitled ‘POLYGONS’ featuring the abstract and architectural art of Alan De Cecco (SODA).
As spatial practitioners, we are often presented with uncomfortable relationships, forcing us to choose sides and make decisions. We are constantly challenged to rethink how we embrace the dynamics between architecture, and external forces.
The Making+Meaning summer studio program exposes participants to a wide range of techniques within a conceptual design framework, pitting the everyday against the unusual to create exploratory content and experiences.
’The Chelsea collection is something you could argue is very simple, very reductive, very minimal,’ says designer Karim Rashid. Image Courtesy of BoConcept
BoConcept‘sChelsea chair is designed by Karim Rashid, an industrial designer well known for his organically shaped products. With its rounded corners and simple format, it seems utterly natural and basic, almost like a non-design. Yet, obviously, a lot of thought and experimentation has gone into the process of creating such an unambiguous object.
Michele De Lucchi, Kengo Kuma, Eduardo Souto De Moura, and Stefano Boeri: these are just some of the names of the great Masters of Architecture whose interventions are juxtaposed to the installation of Anna Collatuzzo, Arezoo Mohebpour, and Paula Strieder, three Alumni of YACademy who designed The Journey in collaboration with the studio of Mario Cucinella.
Thirty years ago, a contemporary classic was launched by Dornbracht: TARA. The bathroom series became the brand's best selling offering, as its versatility and timeless modernism allowed for its widespread use. As the German luxury fittings manufacturer celebrates thirty decades of its most popular bathroom series, it's looking ahead and introducing new product variants and finishes to the modern classic.
The Brick Award recognises and celebrates exceptional brick architecture from around the world. It creates a platform for architects and planners to present their innovative and creative projects and designs to an international audience.
Architecture can achieve great things and unite cultures and nature, as demonstrated by the outstanding buildings that won the International Brick Award 22. For the tenth time, Wienerberger shone the spotlight on exceptional brick building projects from all over the world. The aim of the Brick Award is to act as a torch bearer and source of inspiration for architecture, planning, urban development and culture. The 50 nominated projects also demonstrate the aesthetic and functional potential of ceramic building materials.
Daylighting design is an essential aspect for creating brighter, healthier buildings for everyone. Considering that daylight has a unique ability to shape the experience of a space, it is important for architects and designers to take it into account in order to build healthier, more sustainable buildings. Good daylighting design can improve the health, mood, cognitive abilities and productivity of the occupants of homes, schools or workplaces, while reducing the energy consumption of the building.
We explore a few key factors that can influence daylight availability in buildings and how to account for them in your next project.
For Milano Design Week 2022, UniFor, a company of the Molteni Group specialized in workplace furnishing solutions, will be presenting PRINCIPLES, a new collection developed in collaboration with the international architecture firm, OMA. The unveiling of PRINCIPLES will take place in a new location with a prestigious address, Viale Pasubio, which is also home to the headquarters of Fondazione Feltrinelli and soon to become UniFor’s permanent showroom.
The fundamental concept of PRINCIPLES is to provide furnishings that can be used by anyone, at any time, to best support the flow of operations and communications required by the contemporary workplace.
When development firm Blue Heron set out to create their one-of-kind residential showpiece, Vegas Modern 001, or VM001 for short, the goal was to stretch the boundaries of design and create an immersive experience that embraced both the natural and human-made worlds.
“We like to think about the home as being appropriate to our time and place, our culture and the technology that's available,” says Founder and CEO Tyler Jones. “And so there's an energy and spirit that comes from the city … so we're talking about digital media and this playful kind of vibe that we have in some big dramatic moments.”
Architects have always been asked to breathe new life into ancient architectures inherited from the past or into historical – often monumental – artifacts that no longer respond to the customs and needs of contemporary society.
Nevertheless, ancient architecture tells our stories and therefore deserves to be restored with interventions that bring along a hint of modernity and show the trace of the design activity. YACademy's course in “Architecture for Heritage” has been created on these premises. Its aim is to train designers who will be able to understand and enhance the memory of historical architectures and take inspiration from them to carry out new interventions that both meet new needs and are enriched by the link to the past. In a close dialogue between the ancient and the modern, between existing architectures and new interventions, it is possible to comprehend what has been and what is now, redesigning – through architecture – a historical line bound to be continued by future generations.
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