Modern Architecture

5 Modern Architecture

1. ANZ Center by Hassel:
ANZ Center by Hassel studio is located in Melbourne s harbour, Australia. Probably the most accessible banks in the world, it invites the public to enter to the heart of the building. As one of the biggest commercial buildings in Australia it provides space for 6500 employees. A continuous form of the building copies a river bank,the colour scale changes with each floor. Darker tones on the ground-floor gets lighter with each floor as well as the height changes, the top floor is the brightest. The ANZ Center project provides not only large open spaces but social areas. At the entry level, a public center with a cafeteria, gallery and a center for visitors was created. This concept shows a new direction for bank buildings that connects the need of security with a will to open banks more to the public.

source and photos: home-designing.com

2. Holiday House, Jesse Judd:
The multi-award-winning holiday house in Daylesford, Victoria, Australia is a unique example of extravagantly modern living by the architect Jesse Judd. The architect was clearly inspired by plywood caravans and bus stop shelters. The structure, due to the risk of fires in the Vicoria region, has been shielded by a layer of metal and lifted on a platform. The glass block inserted into the plywood coat is the only volume of this project. Its appearance reminds us of the works of Mies van der Rohe, particularly the Farnsworth House which with its glass windows blends with the nature. The interior is freshened by red and orange coat of plywood.

source and photographs: designtraveller.blogspot.com.

3. House on a slope:
The family house built on a gentle slope in Chile is the creation of Filipe Assadi, a Chilean architect with offices in Mexico and New York. The house copies the terrain slope and with its porch made of the local wood fits in the surroundings. The volume is raised slightly off the ground and easily follows to an extensive wooden porch and a built-in pool. The steel construction of the house made possible to glass the southern façade which is beneficial not only from the energy point of view but also because of the panoramic views of the distant Chilean mountains. In this part the living space with a kitchen and dining room is located. On the contrary, the closed northern façade offers privacy for a bedroom and a bathroom.

source and photographs: dornob.com.

4. Finanz Center Raiffeisen:
The Raiffeisen Finanz Center, a project of the studio Pichler & Traupmann which form reminds us of deconstructionism has become a landmark in the city of Eisenstadt, Austria. The design had to respond to all building restrictions that a bank must have as well as the different activities distributed on all floors. The facades have been designed so that the window panes do not disrupt the people from work and at the same time allow a privileged view of the city. On the western and eastern side the building is covered in a metallic façade which is made of ALucobond panels and perforated by window openings. The fully glassed façade on the southern side offers a view of the Wulka river and regulates the sunshine.

source and photographs: abduzeedo.com

5. VH Villa, by Beel and Achtergael Architecten:
VH Villa by Beel and Achtergael Architecten was designed for a client that wanted a house that would provide peace and privacy to relax with his family and friends and a place where he could admire his large art collection. The parcel is situated in a typical villa area near by client`s workplace. The house has an U ground plan. The inner site of the ground plan is composed by glass walls and opens out the living area to the “heart” of the house. This social hub is the place where guests can admire light, space and art. From the outer side, walls are more or less encased. In order to provide intimacy of some rooms smooth finishes with white plaster complemented by a number of wide windows were created.

Source and photos: adelto.co.uk

Techniques for Creative Thinking in Architecture

1. Brainstorming
This is a group approach to a problem or avenue of investigation in which the objective is to produce the greatest possible number of alternative, potentially constructive ideas for later evaluation and development.

2. Cataloging
Cataloging refers to a listing of information sources which could lead to or assist in the generation of other ideas.

3. Checklists
Checklists also facilitate the generation of valuable ideas and further clues as a result of each item being checked on a standard checklist, in reference to the problem or issue in question.

4. Attribute Lists
Here, the attributes of an idea, problem, or issue are changed or modified in such a way as to produce novel needs or applications for the idea or improve its application to the original purpose.

5. Free Association
Free Association is used to develop better ways of representing information in terms of words, symbols, sketches, numerical ordering, and/or pictures.

6. Forced Relationships
With forced relationships, the relevant elements are isolated and listed in such a way as to facilitate the development of new elements ideas and relationships (similarities, differences, analogies, cause and effect, etc.).

7. Morphological Analysis
Morphological analysis defines the problem in terms of all relevant, independent variables present, searching for useful permutations and combinations of these variables which show promise for the development of a superior solution.

THE GLASS SAIL

The glass canopy at the New Milan Trade Fair has set new standards in architecture.

Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas's ambitious project is an impressive structure. The new complex is characterised by an undulating glass and steel roof, which is more than 30m high at some points. The new Milan trade fair is one of Europe's biggest exhibition grounds. It is a magnificent and colossal structure occupying 530,000sqm of floor space, with eight pavilions and only 12 pillars. Its construction was completed in little more than two years, which given the size and intricacy of the project is a record of sorts.

The connecting links between the exhibition pavilions are mostly covered by innovative steel-glass-structures. At the main entrance is the logo of the trade fair, which is a doubly-curved free-formed surface. The free-formed glass roof is called as the sail because of its shape. It seems to draw the inspiration for its form from the neighboring Alps. It links the individual exhibition halls along the main axis of the trade fair. The glass sail stretches to 1,300m and is composed of 100,000 pieces of glass, each one different and flat to avoid using any curved elements. The glass sail has a surface area of 47,000sqm and weighs around 9,000 tons. It is a dynamic structure and its vitality creates its own architectural landscape. The shape of the sail looks like a pulsating landscape, which continuously changes its characteristics. It generates an experience that is alive and infuses the visitors with its vibrancy.

There are 38,000 struts and 16,500 nodes in the sail. The glass for the sail is a single sandwich unit consisting of two panes of 8mm glass laminated with a 0.76mm polyvinyl butyral interlayer.The glass was then glazed directly to the structure..

The fact that it is not possible to conceal the steel underneath the glass structure because of the latter's transparency further added to the challenge of building this mammoth structure without compromising on its aesthetics. Therefore, to build the support for the sail, straight T-section struts were joined with double-disc nodes to create the surfaces. Almost all structural components were bolted to improve field operations and allow the structure to be factory-finished with minimal welding. Almost every double-disc node on the project was custom-made to create the special angles of the free-form surfaces. This was difficult to execute but finally it brought alive the architect's vision of the glass sail.

Double-glazed units with high-performance coatings were used in the logo to limit the heat gain during summer and the energy loss during winter. More than 40 per cent of the logo roof surface was covered with insulated aluminium panels, further enhancing the physical properties of the envelope and influencing the energy efficiency of the building. The engineers also conducted climatic studies to analyse the temperature conditions during summer days under the sail
canopy.

The trade fair provides a people-friendly meeting place and a forum for exchanging ideas. The great transparent cover transforms space and represents the continuity of the vision. The ability to create a single-layered, fully glazed structural grid that is alive with design pushes the technological boundary well beyond the current standards that impresses visitors and exhibitors alike.

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ANIMATED FACADE

The construction at GSW Headquaters incorporates intelligent use of glass for its faade, which also makes the structure environment-friendly

The GSW Headquarters, one of Berlin's most recognizable buildings, was renovated and extended with an outstanding architectural and urban solution while building upon an innovative mechanical engineering concept, based on natural ventilation. “This is a really exciting project. It uses high-tech and modern glass technology to create something sustainable in the context of the rooftops and textures of Berlin. Here you have an exciting façade that changes color according to the weather, the light and the wishes of the inhabitants of individual offices. The result is a very animated façade within the city. We often think of glass as transparent and even non- existent, visually. In this case the glass is playing an active role in exposing the activities of the building,” said the architect.

The design of the new structure was generated by a concern for the workplace in the city and by a commitment to an architecture that makes economical use of the natural resources and cares for the environment. This building offers a quintessential environment, which is ideal for work. It offers a receptive regulation of energy consumption and at the same time elucidates an architecture in which the value of sensuous space is re-evaluated. The double skin façade with blinds and a wind sail on top of the 81m high building are key visible features.
Its depth is designed narrow to maximize daylight use and natural ventilation; the facade is carefully shaded to reduce solar heating in summer. The most interesting device is the 'wind roof' into which the double walls feed. The roof assists natural ventilation by drawing air from the building when the wind is in the right direction, using the Venturi effect..

The overall aim of the mechanical design was to improve the building's sustainability rating by achieving energy savings of 30 to 40 per cent in comparison with an ordinary building. The western facade has a second glass skin, which ventilates and cools the building, carrying off hot and used air. The double façade also acts as a second shield for thermal and acoustic variations. The double-layered facade has been designed as deep convection element and creates a negative pressure to draw fresh air from east to west through the building. As a result, conventional mechanical ventilation is not required for most of the year.

The building's central management system (BMS) determines whether to turn on the mechanical ventilation, but occupants can select individual zones within a floor in either mechanical or natural ventilation mode by a simple wall-mounted zone controller. These comprise green and red lights which, when illuminated, indicate whether natural or mechanical ventilation is recommended by the BMS, and simple rocker switches to close and open the windows and shades. The occupants can choose either, irrespective of the BMS recommendation.

The building's high-rise facades are the most important elements of the architects' low-energy elements. The glass brings light, solar protection, aesthetic beauty and design freedom to the project. The use of glass in various hues for the façade is not only innovative and envisioning but it has brilliantly enhanced the visual appeal of the building.

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RADICAL ARCHITECTURE

The Infosys software development block in Mysore illustrate the radical design concepts of the architect.

The first time someone told Hafeez Contractor he was going be an architect, he did not even know the meaning of the word. Contractor was then in Standard III and the teacher who made this prophesy was not exactly complimenting him. Says the man, "When my friends in school would be engrossed in books, I would draw structures of forts, bikes, guns etc. It became such an obsession that once my teacher, out of sheer frustration and in a rather disgusted tone, told me 'you will grow up to be only an architect'. I did not know what it meant then.”
Cut to Today, Contractor is one of the most famous faces of architecture in India. He commenced his career in 1968 with T. Khareghat as an Apprentice Architect. In 1977 he became the associate partner in the same firm. It was in 1982 that he began with his own private practice and from that moment onwards there has been no looking back. Contractor works everywhere, constantly creating designs. My only passion is building attractive and unique structures and I hope to give Indian cities and towns my very best," he says.
Architect Hafeez Contractor designed Infosys software development block (SDB ) in Mysore using innovative materials like glass with designs, which are futuristic as well as pioneering. The brilliant use of glass not only reflects its surrounding but also reflects the architect's vision captured in its frame.

Infosys SDB, Mysore

Asymmetrical facades and fragments form the dramatic structure of the software development block situated at the existing Infosys campus in Mysore. Hafeez Contractor, the architect of the project says that the design inspiration came from the rugged profile of the landscape. The architect on his first visit to the site decided on instituting a concept that would echo the spirit of the site. The building stands on a tremendously contoured site and its architecture is in a perfect symphony with its surroundings. The architecture also draws the tenets of origami, the Japanese art of folding paper.

The architect made generous use of glass, which adds to the exquisiteness of the structure. Glass is surely the material of the future and its intelligent use in the buildings by the architect enhances its utility factor. The façade was designed with Saint-Gobain's Cool-lite ST Titanium Blue laminated with SGG Planilux (Clear Glass) for a low solar factor and better acoustic comfort. SGG Titanium Blue was also laminated in various parts of the facade with ceramic fritted SGG Planilux to bring out vibrant designs. The ceramic frit on the glass acts as a shading device without interrupting the view from inside. The frit pattern looks dynamic and appears to vary in designs when seen from far or from close quarters.

Originally, the building had an almost rectilinear form with a few jagged edges in the vertical plane. Later it progressed into its present form, which has the signs of distorted contours in all the three dimensions. These protruding uneven planes form abstract compositions with fractured geometry. The facade, in essence, moves in and out in various angles and inclines to give rise to the distorted form.
The base of the building moves along indistinct lines, which enhances the distorted nature of the structure. The five-storey structure houses 2,500 professionals. The typical open interior layout has rectilinear profiles, whilst featuring curved atrium pockets in several edges. The atrium creates an array of experiences by following the changing form of the outer skin.

Not only in the use of glass, but the magic of the design lies in the rhythmical fashion, in which the architect's vision has been perfectly transformed with the use of glass.

http://transparence.in/

Architecture prize winner "RENZO PIANO"

RENZO PIANO

1998 Pritzker Architecture prize winner Piano was born in Genoa, where he still maintains a home and office (Building Wokshop). He was educated and subsequently taught at the Politecnico di Milano. He worked with some of the all time greats of architecture viz.. Louis Kahn,Makowsky, Richard Rogers and also had a long collaboration with the extraordinary engineer Peter Rice.
His major interests lie in elegantly expressed structures which is evident in his early works such as the Centre Pompidou, IBM travelling pavilion, and Kansai International Airport. Renzo Piano was responsible for the master plan for the reconstruction of the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, and also designed a portion of the new construction on the site.Featured here are two of his well-known projects : The Maison Hermes and the recently approved The Sharp London Bridge (Shard of Glass).

Maison Hermès

In a sketch from May 1998, Renzo Piano depicts in his distinctive style, the façade of the Maison Hermès, calling it a “Changing skin”. In this formula lies the secret of the Japanese project. The glass diaphragm stands out without a crown against the sky, its volume of 2500 m2 soaring above the ground. The enchantment of this flying curtain unfolds as it displays the colors of the light at different times of day and night, ranging from white to blue,
to gold and silver.

Surprising in its hermetic effect of continuous non- reflecting mantle, the building, nullifies its natural transparency, entirely concealing its frame, making it invisible and concealed behind the luminous, glowing shield.

Constrained by the size of the lot, 45 meters in length by only 11 in width, the headquarters of the Parisian fashion house leaves the function of molding space to the particular effect of glass tiles. In compliance with the strict anti-seismic laws of Japan, the suspended facade consists of 12,999 units of reinforced concrete and glass tiles measuring 42.8 x 42.8 x 12 cm, similar to the size of a Hermès scarf, and weighing 16 kg each. Each tile was baked in a hardening furnace for 13 hours, then treated manually with a special paint designed to provide a mirror finish that increases the refraction of light. The wall, devoid of shadows, acts as a veil, separating itself from the primary structural mesh made of steel. The wall is supported by its own independent static system consisting of a second autonomous structure made of vertical paired rods.

This dual structure confers greater flexibility on the main skeleton, whose elasticity, regulated by viscose joints, attenuates telluric stress. The 22 mm joints thus guarantee a tolerance of 5 mm in case of seismic movements.
To let the light slide over the building, a curved corner solution was adopted, using special tiles of 24 x 21 x 12 cm. The entire module and its perfect mathematical reiteration govern the 6500 m2 distributed over three basement levels and twelve floors above ground, containing shops, offices, exhibition spaces, a subway station and roof garden.

The Maison Hermès distills an image of the shopping place marked by exceptional structural quality. It is a superb lesson taught by a master always attentive to the expressive capacity of glass as a building material.

Principles of Green Architecture: Energy Efficiency

• Design passive solar energy facilities use energy efficient appliances, solar panels and heat pump technology

• Use of computer sensor controlled energy saving devices; like automatic dimmers for lighting and occupancy sensors to adjust air-conditioning automatically

• Centralize plumbing, insulate cold/hot water piping

• Energy saving lighting like natural lighting by more use of glass in design

• Install Monitor Power Management Software

• Use of low power computers

What does Architecture mean to you???

What does Architecture mean to you???

A) Sustainability

B) Combination of Beauty and Form

C) Great Design to Live with...

D) Other (write as comment)

How to Encourage Creativity at architectural work place

Those who have successfully managed to encourage creativity suggest the following:

1. Gear pressure toward goals,
2. Maximize contact and flow of communication,
3. Let the subordinate know where they stand,
4. Defend the subordinate against attacks of others,
5. Give the creative professional some time alone,
6. Help the creative professional to feel secure and self-confident,
7. Show tolerance for failure,
8. Provide special direction,
9. Respect outside activities and sources of stimulation,
10. Encourage the free flow of ideas,
11. Provide a creative and challenging work environment,
12. Recognize and reward creative achievement,
13. Do not demand total creativity, either of yourself or of others,
14. When soliciting creativity ideas, evaluate them quickly,
15. Allow creative people freedom to set up their work place in a way that they
are comfortable with.

USHERING INTELLIGENT CITY 'UB CITY’

UB City is one of the largest mixed-use development projects in India. It is coming up at the heart of India's IT Capital, Bangalore. United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd, which is one of India’s largest conglomerates, is the promoter. Designed by the eminent architecture firm Thomas Associates, UB City is just 600 meters away from Bangalore's commercial hub, M. G. Road.

Its internet ready intelligent buildings will demonstrate how chrome, glass and greenery can seamlessly blend between modern edifices and serene flora. When completed, UB CITY will house the UB Group offices under one roof in the UB Tower. 'Concorde' & 'Canberra' will have retail space on the lower floors and office space in the higher levels, while 'Comet' will have service apartments. The campus will house commercial offices, banks, high-end retail stores, a five star hotel, serviced apartments, restaurants, food courts, pubs, health clubs and cafes. Multi-level parking areas will offer virtually unlimited parking spaces. Also on the blueprint is an amphitheater with food courts and landscaped gardens. UB CITY will provide parking space for over 1,100 cars. The architect has taken enormous efforts to make this landmark project environment friendly. This is evident in the earmarking of one-third of the space for landscaped gardens.

Saint-Gobain’s High Performance Products SGG Dew Drop (ST 150) and SGG Sparkling Ice (ST 167) were used in the facade to achieve the twin functions of abundant light transmission and lower Relative heat gain. These high performance products ensured that the aesthetic and performance requirements are met.

In order to ensure that traffic within UB CITY's sprawling seven acres and is properly regulated, a traffic consultant has been specially hired.
UB City will be just a stone's throw away from Bangalore's best known hotels, clubs, hospitals and amusement centers. The stock exchange, leading banks and government offices will also be within easy reach. Standing tall at the corner of Vittal Mallya Road and Kasturba Road, UB City will definitely be a signature building.