In 2008 Japanese designer Kouichi Kimura created a specific property in the outskirts of Shiga, Japan. Located on foot hill area with fields surrounding the entire property, at a first glance the building looks odd, a bit minimalistic, and clean. But a deeper look and you can get a feel for the exceptionally emotional design intended to blend with nature.
Continue Reading...Thanks for the great find, Joe:
ROSO has launched a major art installation at Clark Shoes Headquarters in Street Somerset, South England. This was commissioned by Mr Lance Clark and is the first phase of two, of the art work situated in the communal court yard in the heart of Clarks office buildings.
The installation itself was developed from a single observation – Light is only seen when reflected. A light beam coming through a window is only visible because light is reflected in the millions of dust particles floating in the air.
Roso’s approach was to create a dynamic, ever changing space where the space itself would be a major part of the installation.
Two imaginary beams of light enter the courtyard from one end and travel through the space, penetrating the centre bridge building, one hitting the end wall up high, above the terrace and the other the side wall opposite this. The entire courtyard was painted white and the bottom was covered in black asphalt to turn the court yard into a canvas for the reflections and shadows from the installation.
As wind and light changes during the day and the seasons, the dynamic of the installation alters – sometimes wild, illuminating the entire space, at other times calm reflecting the colors of the surroundings on grey days.
The installation and the space is merged – one cannot exist without the other. Offices and staircases are penetrated by the light and shadows coming from the art work, extending the effect into the building themselves, making the installation an integral part of the Clark Shoes head quarters.
Each beams is made up by 7.500 shiny discs suspended from 36 vertical wires, which mounted on a structure on the central bridge building and onto the end walls.
The discs themselves reflects the incoming sunlight from the top part of the yard down into the shadowy bottom below and the walls on the side. They also reflect the colors of the surroundings, as well as have a pixilating effect as they either reflect light or are black when in shadow depending on the angle they have.
Roso was approached by Mr. Lance Clark of Clark Shoes International, to propose an installation that would bring life into the very dull and dark central courtyard in the Clark shoes international headquarters in Street, Somerset in South west England. The court yard is situated in the heart of the old Clarks factory now housing the offices of 1500 employees. This is part of the factory’s social centre – the canteen, which extends into the courtyard via an outdoors terrace where the employees can enjoy their breaks.
The physical space of the courtyard has a strong dynamic in itself – the space is 25m long, 7 meters wide and 4 storeys high with a central bridge building, connecting the two sides. This bridge building divides the court yard into two spaces, one being the terrace side and the other just an empty courtyard with no designated usage. The space is isolated from the outside world and is partially shielded from sunlight and wind, which meant that the space had potential but rendered very dull and un-dynamic in it’s original state.
A team of Philadelphia-based green building visionaries have joined efforts to build a LEED certified home for $100K. After experiencing frustration at the lack of available modern, green, affordable homes, developer Postgreen, Interface Studio Architects and building company Level 5 Construction have set out to construct a 1,000 sq ft home for $100 per sq foot, and get it LEED certified.
Continue reading and view more images on Inhabitat…
Continue Reading...From the American Institute of Architects:
It’s official: Two of the most iconic buildings in the United States—the Empire State Building and the White House—top the list of America’s Favorite Architecture, a public poll of the 150 best works of architecture conducted and released today by Harris Interactive and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This time, at least, the White House beat the U.S. Capitol building, which ranked #6.
Even the fallen World Trade Center Towers live on in the poll, ranking 19th. Other notable structures that made the list of America’s Favorite Architecture are the Golden Gate Bridge (5th), Biltmore Estate (8th), and the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (22nd).
The poll was conducted in conjunction with the AIA’s commemoration of its 150th anniversary, which occurs in 2007 and is dedicated to “Celebrating the Past, Designing the Future.” The 150th anniversary is an opportunity to focus on how AIA members can help shape the built environment over the next 150 years. The cornerstone program of AIA150, Blueprint for America has provided funding for community-service projects in 156 communities across the country. Blueprint initiatives celebrate the vital role of architects in creating a healthy, more sustainable world.
“This poll of America’s Favorite Architecture confirms that architecture resonates with people,” said RK Stewart, FAIA, 2007 AIA president. “The choice of the Empire State Building shows that when you ask people to select their favorites, they chose buildings and designs that symbolized innovation and the spirit of their community – but also, more importantly – they chose structures that hold a place in their hearts and minds.”
The Empire State Building, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the U.S., star of movies from King Kong to An Affair to Remember, and the dominant feature of midtown Manhattan, clearly rose above the rest, literally and figuratively.
Completed in 1931, the Empire State Building stands 1,454 feet tall and is second only to Chicago’s Sears Tower (#42 in the survey) as the tallest building in the United States.
Many of my favorite American structures are on the list, see if some of your favorites made the top 100.
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