Over the next few years, architects will be challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly crowded urban environment. Many believe that the future of urban architecture can be found in the modular buildings being built today by firms like Ideabox. While prefabricated homes still have a negative connotation among the general public, the Oregon-based company sees prefab dwellings as the only way to provide sustainable, immediate housing tomorrow’s massive population.
Ideabox has devised efficient, high-tech and sustainable prefabricated homes that can be customized to a buyer’s unique needs. Best of all, these homes can be had for a fraction of the cost of a traditional home. [click to continue…]
Colombian pop star Shakira may be best known for her hip-shaking and her catchy songs, but she’s also known for generously giving back to those who are underprivileged. Her philanthropic organization, the Barefoot Foundation, recently unveiled a new structure that shields kids while adding color to a blighted community in her native Columbia.
Designed by Giancarlo Mazzanti, the structure was erected in a poor suburb of Bogotá. Dubbed Bosques de la Esperanza, the project consists of a cluster of dodecahedrons made of wire mesh and translucent green tiles and supported by tilted steel poles. [click to continue…]
The automotive industry is filled with dramatic ups and downs. Today, as some brands are building new landmarks to represent their current success, relics of the past are about to become nothing more than a distant memory.
Detroit’s derelict 3.5-million square foot Packard Plant is officially slated to be razed in about a month, following the city’s pleas to have the plant leveled last year. [click to continue…]
It’s no surprise to see that Porsche tapped HOK to design its new Atlanta-based U.S. headquarters. As one of the largest architecture firms in the U.S., HOK is well-suited to handle the needs of one of the most iconic brands in the automotive industry.
Although the 200,000 square foot structure will consist mostly of glass and steel, it will also feature plenty of green spaces, including the rooftop which will collect and filter rainwater. [click to continue…]
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has recently celebrated another anniversary. The renowned New York museum, home to one of the world’s top collections of contemporary art, first opened its doors on October 21, 1959.
The Guggenheim is a hallmark example of hemicycle design. From the outside, it almost resembles an upside-down cupcake. Inside however, an open rotunda offers views of artwork on several levels. Images below, courtesy of Randy Pertiet, show how its interior complements the museum’s dramatic artwork. [click to continue…]
A floating home isn’t a new concept, but many architects are now looking at these types of dwellings to sustain urban growth.
One of these forward-thinking designers is Donald Starkey, who has designed Ome Islands. With 1,400 metres of living space, Ome is a unique house that will give inhabitants the ability to drift between the various man-made islands of Dubai’s World Project. [click to continue…]
The zombie apocalypse isn’t upon us yet, but if it were you’d better hope you’re living in a strong enough house. “The Safe House,” designed by KWK Proems, is exactly the time of fortress you’ll need to help maintain your distance from the living dead.
“The most essential item for our clients was acquiring the feeling of maximum security,” says the designer, which created a house that’s little more than a large concrete rectangle. Even the structure’s windows are covered with movable slabs of concrete. [click to continue…]
Like Venice, Bangkok is slowly sinking. Some studies even suggest Thailand’s capital could be completely submerged by water by the year 2030. In response to this trend, Bangkok-based architecture firm S+PBA has proposed the construction of a floating city, which they’ve dubbed “Wetropolis.”
The design keeps everything above water, and all structures are interconnected by roads and walkways. By sitting just above the water, S+PBA says the ebb and flow of the tide won’t damage the city’s structures. [click to continue…]
Beijing’s iconic national stadium (The Bird’s Nest) helped make China’s capital one of the most architecturally advanced cities in the world. But a new 10-story tower that’s currently under development may become an even more renowned structure.
The Phoenix International Media Center, designed by Chinese architecture firm BIAD UFo, is due to be completed next year. Its unusual shape, almost mimicking the contours Chicago’s Cloud Gate, will house the eponymous satellite TV provider, as well as additional businesses, residences, and restaurants. A monumental glass façade helps create an atrium that rises 30 meters. And, thanks to robustness of its façade, the interior of the building won’t just be breathtaking, it will also be energy efficient year-round. [click to continue…]
Architecture transforms environments, but even ideas about architecture can be powerful. By integrating an architecture school into a downtown area, there’s potential to unleash the creativity of students and drive downtown development — at least that’s what Robert González anticipates. González was recently named the director of Texas Tech University’s burgeoning college of architecture in El Paso, Texas. He hopes that the creativity of students will be able to transform El Paso’s depressed Downtown. [click to continue…]
