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2nd Quarter 2008
Remaking Metropolis
Cities—particularly in Asia—seem to expand, morph, multiply and reinvent themselves.
In this issue, FuturArc spotlights the City: the team looked at projects that,
by scale or strategic importance, are transforming the way we see a city;
re-crafting its experience and rebranding its identity.
And nothing says 'remake' better than Singapore's new downtown. A large swath of land
surrounding Marina Bay will be home to several new developments including the
much-publicised Integrated resort, F1 circuit and Marina Barrage.
Gardens by the Bay—by far the most original of these—is close to 100
hectares of prime real estate set aside for gardens, a Central Park-like oasis that
aims to be the must-see repository of horticulture in the Tropics.
The team also found projects with considerable bite in other cities—Sydney, Macau, Hanoi, Johor and Shanghai—each with a unique spin on our theme 'Remaking Metropolis'.
In keeping with the theme, the FuturArc team has tinkered with the Journal's format, remaking its structure, just a little. Each edition now includes a Main Feature, the FuturArc Showcase, the FuturArc Interview, Feature Projects and a Commentary section.
Click here for the table of contents.
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1st Quarter 2008
Information Technology in Design / Education
We start out this edition on two tracks leading towards ecological modernity. Track one focuses on integrated design process and track two on the evolution of design tools from computer aided drawing to building information modeling. On these tracks we find some startling projects offering hope for the built environment's partnership with nature as well as a wide-ranging discourse on changing architectural design processes. The subject of change also demands that we review educational architecture, since the educational landscape has been changing over the years and is vastly different today. As such, a selection of future school and university buildings across Southeast Asia, China and Australia has been featured.
This edition will also reveal the recipients of the much anticipated BCI Asia Top Ten Architects 2008 Awards. The BCI Asia awards are bestowed each year to the 10 most active architectural firms in Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Click here for the table of contents.
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4th Quarter 2007
Green spaces bring relief—from sweltering temperatures and from the relentless concrete, steel and glass of the modern city. From large city parks to little patches of green, we seek refuge in our green spaces. In today’s world, we can find green spaces hanging from terraces, crawling up buildings and blanketing rooftops. Green roofs are an increasingly popular means of lowering a building’s energy costs; and governments are catching on, with incentives and regulations to encourage the use of sky greening. However, while green roofs are well established in Europe, Asia, particularly in parts of China, is still working out how best to utilise greenery in buildings.
This edition also marks a special milestone for FuturArc—we are launching our Australian edition. To welcome our new readers, we are especially privileged to have an exclusive view of the “Living the Modern_Australian Architecture” exhibition, showcasing the best of Australian residential architecture, at the DAZ German Center for Architecture in Berlin.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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3rd Quarter 2007
In this edition, FuturArc examines perspectives on preserving architectural heritage in our region. Laws do exist to protect historical and cultural buildings but sometimes enforcement fails when ancient neighbourhoods are swept away by mega structures. Conquering ignorance is often the first step in preserving heritage; owners may not know their buildings are heritage listed, let alone how to begin conserving them. Then there is the practical question of whether to restore, rezone or redevelop.
Despite the bleak picture, Singapore has emerged with a success story that took decades to accomplish; then there is Berlin—a city that lost so much architectural heritage last century, but has been carving a new identity in the hope of reliving its past glory.
Developing a well-appointed hotel with modern amenities isn’t easy, particularly if faced with the challenge of conserving a historical structure on site or preserving views to a historical building. The second half of this edition conveys a range of boutique hotels in China, Southeast Asia and Australia all designed to provide guests a unique experience; some brilliantly respecting heritage.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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2nd Quarter 2007
Getting around most large Asian cities, with the exception of Hong Kong and Singapore, is a trial to anyone’s patience. Bangkok, for instance, is troubled by innumerable challenges to its transportation system - traffic jams all over the city and no immediate public transportation relief in sight. Still, there might be some reason for hope. Reports on developments in China’s major cities and on innovations in the Jakarta transportation system indicate that the authorities are looking into ways to improve traffic and the worsening air pollution.
Also encouraging is the evidence of investment. FuturArc reports 15 transportation projects in this edition – six airports and nine rail stations – that are working to better link people to their own cities and vice versa.
Transportation and mobility present countless challenges to our rapidly developing cities. FuturArc aims to define those problems and find some small successes in confronting them.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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1st Quarter 2007
What makes for good indoor air quality? The generally accepted definition is comfortable air with minimal pollutants. That sounds fairly simple. Well, it turns out that it’s not. Establishing good indoor air quality means controlling the innumerable potential pollutant sources both outside and indoors while ventilating and conditioning the space, ideally in an energy-efficient manner.
This edition of FuturArc highlights some projects that show how it can be done: Australia’s Green Star green building rating system has introduced an Office Interiors rating, raising awareness of the importance of good indoor air; and the Seattle Housing Authority in the US has built homes targeted at preventing childhood asthma attacks.
To further celebrate the idea of healthy living, FuturArc looks at sports projects. With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games just around the corner (China marked the two-year countdown in August), this edition runs a special section on Olympic venues, including a tour of the capital’s new projects. But the Olympics aren’t the only thing going on in sports in Asia-Pacific. Other exciting developments are happening in China, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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4th Quarter 2006
Asian cities—home to over 1.5 billion people—are among the fastest growing in the world. Of the world’s ten largest cities, six are in Asia. As these cities become home to more and more people, they will have an even-greater impact on the country’s politics, society and culture.
How cities should be planned to optimise this influence, however, is a question of great debate. There are questions of money and power; of social justice and sustainability; of vibrancy and creativity. In this issue FuturArc looks at the challenges faced by Asian cities at this time of extraordinary growth.
FuturArc also takes a look at perhaps the most important aspect of city architecture: Housing. Housing in Asia most often means high-density. We have found a range of high-density residential projects that showcase what is happening in the region, from high-luxury to low-income; from high-rise to low-rise; from design-focused to market-oriented.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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3rd Quarter 2006
This edition of FuturArc examines buildings in Asia that work at saving energy and water. Saving energy is one of the easiest aspects of sustainable building to grasp—most of us regularly turn on lights, heaters and/or air-conditioners in our houses. We have to pay for the privilege of using those technologies and who wouldn’t like to pay less than we do now? FuturArc takes a look at some buildings that offer that opportunity: a demonstration commercial building and high-end mixed-use development in Beijing, as well as a house in Thailand.
We also look at health projects from around the region. What better theme to cover—a collection of buildings that aim to promote healthier lives through their services and their architecture.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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2nd Quarter 2006
This first edition introduces FuturArc’s green mission with a general discussion of sustainability, including an interview with U.S. Green Building Council president and CEO Rick Fedrizzi and a review of Kerry Hill’s design for the University of New South Wales’ Asia campus in Singapore.
It also explores recreational architecture throughout the region, with special attention given to the casino building boom in Macau.
Click here for the table of contents. |
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