Bali-based practice IBUKU, known for their specialty in designing bamboo buildings, has created an open-air studio with an undulating copper dome called Alchemy Yoga Center. While the design process for most of their bamboo projects were driven by physical models, this building also involved structural analysis software. “This was the first time we designed a […]
Read More… from Alchemy Yoga Center: Balancing artistry and technique
Building on SOM’s tradition of pioneering structural engineering solutions, the 158-metre-tall Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters showcases innovative applications of existing concepts of natural ventilation and diagrids. SOM inserted a floating diagrid—similar to an exoskeleton—that serves as both the building’s structure and an important solar shading system against the region’s hot tropical sun onto the […]
As modern cities sequester people off into skyscrapers and dense living quarters on land, it might be easy to forget that two-thirds of the Earth’s surface consists of water—a necessity for life, but also an increasing existential threat based on recent heavy floods that disrupted major cities. While water is running dry in some cities, […]
In Asia, most office tower designs have highly glazed façades. Yet, the building occupants hardly get to enjoy the views outside, because the over-sized windows are exposed to excessive tropical daylight and glare, so that the occupants have no choice but to engage manual blinds on a near-permanent basis. However, once the blinds are down, […]
While the process of repurposing means making use of what is already built or designed—although oftentimes cosmetic or structural—to give a new lease of life to a project, it is not common to leverage a flaw and turn it into an ecological benefit. TAPPING FREE HEAT The crux of this transformation lies in the ingenuity […]
Read More… from Cocoa Craftsman Factory: The building as a chocolate melting machine
How many worn-out objects—antiques, odds and ends of broken items—are sitting idle in one’s storeroom, neither used nor thrown away? What if they could be assembled in new and artful ways? This is the mission behind Tekuni Dua, a three-storey rentable apartment in Kuta, Bali, where roughly 90 per cent of the finishes use recycled […]
Read More… from The art of putting together idle objects in Tekuni Dua
Located about 30 kilometres away from Ho Chi Minh City, Hippo Farm’s dormitories are an expansion of a three-hectare permaculture farm geared towards children and families. It is akin to a summer camp where the visitors can enjoy activities such as horse riding, farming and gardening, learning first-hand about Nature and sustainable practices. According to […]
Read More… from A showcase of creative frugality: Hippo Farm Bioclimatic Dormitories
The Wing, a two-storey private residence and rentable villa, is located among neighbouring paddy fields in Bali. In the tropical climate, there is abundant sunlight that can be used to light up the interior spaces. At the same time, the sun’s heat cannot excessively permeate into the rooms. This is why the local vernacular architecture […]
Read More… from Joined at the ‘wing’: Smoothly merging a box and an A-frame
Pari Klegung is a community eatery in a verdant village, located in the same complex as architect Eko Prawoto’s home. This makes it a passion project that reflects Eko’s advocacy for reorienting humans as part of Nature—not the other way around. “I wanted the buildings to match their natural surroundings and avoid creating social gaps, […]
Read More… from Pari Klegung: ‘Slow architecture’ in a natural setting
In line with our ongoing student competition FuturArc Prize (FAP) 2022: Reinterpretation, we are highlighting projects that follow the theme. Click here to learn more about the FAP brief; submit your entries by 25 February 2022! Shenzen Special Economic Zone—often dubbed the Silicon Valley of China—is best known for its technology and manufacturing industries. Its […]
Read More… from A ‘maze’ of public gardens enliven the rooftop of Idea Factory
Reducing carbon emissions in buildings necessitate a two-pronged approach: through its construction as well as operation. From the design stage, architects could play an important role by specifying materials with low embedded carbon and implementing passive design to reduce the cooling/heating load. A good building would be able to operate comfortably with low energy—thus lowering […]
Read More… from The retro charm of energy-efficient Max House, New Delhi
In line with our ongoing student competition FuturArc Prize (FAP) 2022: Reinterpretation, we are highlighting projects that follow the theme. Click here to learn more about the FAP brief; submit your entries by 25 February 2022! The project’s lead architect, Hiroshi Nakamura, says: “As the word ‘pub’ comes from ‘public house’, we decided to bring […]
Read More… from A ‘public house’ at the heart of a recycling town
