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19 de junio de 2009.
Probablemente esta sea la mejor manera de proyectar una vivienda cuando lo que se tienen son 2,40 metros de ancho de fachada y 5,50 de fondo. Cada planta tiene una función diferente, está totalmente diáfana, y hay una única escalera de caracol de comunicación: estudio, comedor más cocina, sala de estar, y dormitorio (el baño está en la azotea). Así de simple, ¿para qué complicarse más la vida?
La casa está diseñada por una pareja de arquitectos belgas como vivienda propia, y está situada en Amberes. No han gastado mucho en revestimiento para las medianerías, tal vez para no perder más del escaso espacio que tienen, en cambio sí que le han dado luz natural acristalando toda la fachada, la posterior también. Los diferentes colores que se ven parecen estar conseguidos con una pareja de tubos fluorescentes a cada lado, en su interior.
El resultado final es como si estuviéramos ante una vivienda con contenedores puestos uno encima de otro, aunque eso sí, más cortos, pero la anchura es prácticamente la misma. Algunos muebles de IKEA y mucha austeridad, hacen el resto, resultando finalmente una casa entre medianeras muy singular. Los arquitectos se llaman Pieter Peerlings y Silvia Mertens, que juntos hacen Sculp(it).
18 de junio de 2009.
Work on a two-storey multi-million pound walkway at Bristol Airport, UK, began last week. The 400m extension, which will include facilities for passengers with reduced mobility, will provide eight departure lounges and also house offices for the airport and airport based companies.
Bristol Airport’s head of development, Andrew Goodenough, said, ‘The western walkway will provide an improved experience for customers using the airport, providing direct covered access between aircraft and the terminal. Currently half the airports passengers use the buses to ferry them from the waiting area to the plane.”
The lead contracting company, Kier Western, aims to complete the project by March next year. The airport will soon submit a planning application for the further development and enhancement of the airport to North Somerset Council.
http://www.passengerterminaltoday.com/news.php?NewsID=13476
17 de junio de 2009.
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that INAER of Spain will add ten new AgustaWestland helicopters to its fleet in 2009 valued at approximately 62 million euro. These latest aircraft include units from the entire AgustaWestland commercial product range and will be delivered to customer this year. Moreover, INAER will further expand its AgustaWestland products fleet in 2010 adding more units further confirming its reliance on AgustaWestland.
The AW119 Ke is the AgustaWestland’s answer to worldwide current customer demand for a high performance, modern, multi-role single-engine helicopter. As the best selling light twin helicopter setting new standard in its category, the AW109 Power is perfectly suited for various roles including EMS and law enforcement purposes, offering excellent performance, reliability, capacity and productivity. A new intermediate size helicopter with light twin economics developed to meet a variety of market requirements, the Grand provides levels of cabin space and payload that until now could only be met by larger, more expensive helicopters. With its large cabin, the wide sliding door and high payload, the Grand set a new standard in the EMS market. The EMS version of the Grand is based on a modular principle with fixed provisions and various quick change role equipment. One of the INAER’s EMS-configured Grands provided with a comprehensive equipment fit, is currently being showcased within the AgustaWestland static display at Paris Air Show. The AW139 is a new generation medium twin helicopter setting new standards against which all new medium twins are measured. The internal dimensions of the large and unobstructed AW139 cabin make it an ideal choice for EMS, search and rescue, passenger transport and scheduled services applications. The flat floor and ceiling provide maximum cabin flexibility for easy reconfiguration. Litter layout ranges from two to six in medevac configuration. In addition high speed, outstanding performance in hot&high conditions and Cat. “A” capabilities make the AW139 the leading helicopter in its class.
Grupo INAER is a leading European on-shore helicopter service provider and the AgustaWestland helicopters will be used to perform various missions including public passenger transportation, Search and Rescue, EMS and fire-fighting. INAER acts as an AgustaWestland Service Centre in various European countries also including Spain, Italy and France to offer on-site support services. Grupo INAER operates all over Europe and also on the International market through all its subsidiaries.
16 de junio de 2009.
Ravello, off South Italy’s coast, is one of the most beautiful and romantic spots on earth; and Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer’s all-white curvaceous auditorium is set amongst its luxuriant rocky hillsides and against the backdrop of the refined Amalfi coastal town’s trademark awe-inspiring brilliant blue sea and endless open skies.
Though officials were still half-heartedly touting the official June 30th inauguration date when we spoke to them in late April, completion is due in September, ready to showcase the new auditorium’s unique feature: its over-hanging canopied roof (or solaio a sbalzo in Italian). More plainly put, this means that while the amenities are set off the entrance piazza or in the floors below, a section of the 1,500m2 canopy, which contains the actual auditorium space, literally and strikingly, hangs in the air supported by nothing.
Another distinctive feature of the curving venue is the eye-shaped window, a recognizable Niemeyer-esque theme built into its southeastern facade next to the stage. Through this opening, the audience can contemplate the sea, while at the same time listen to the music or watch the performance taking place on stage. Niemeyer was adamant that the audience should have an unencumbered view of the shimmering water as they listened. The stage can be manipulated to three different levels and is “designed to blend and become one with the foyer” says Architect Rosa Zeccato, who is Technical Director at Ravello City Council.
Niemeyer is best known for doing up the brand new Brazilian capital of Brasilia in modernistic and exalted curves of reinforced concrete and symmetrical perspectives, in the late 1950s, but also for his remarkable zest for life. He is due to turn 102 this December and famously remarried (his 60-year-old secretary) aged 99 following the death of his first wife.
Niemeyer himself has actually never been to Ravello, though his right-hand man – an engineer called Susskind - has on many occasions. The architect designed the auditorium for his good friend and chairman of the famed Ravello music festival, Domenico De Masi. Niemeyer’s sketches for the auditorium, which can be seen on the Ravello festival website, are of an immense graphic beauty, imbued with sensitivity, a lightness of touch and a strong poetic force that harks back to some of the sketches by Le Corbusier (with whom Niemeyer worked with in the 30s).
The site of the 400-seat auditorium is a short walk from Ravello’s main piazza and about 200m from Villa Rufolo, whose glorious gardens have until now been the prestigious three-month long well-known local music festival’s main venue. The covered auditorium will give the festival, and other local cultural events, a new lease of life and hopefully turn Ravello into a year-round destination, as Zeccato explains.
One thing immediately noticeable however, is that the site is also quite small given that the auditorium will include a bookshop, a bar, rehearsal areas and an underground parking for 80 cars. A surrounding winding road on both sides makes the site accessible for visitors, but also potentially increases dangerously the traffic in what has been until now, a quiet and idyllic city, thus leaving the sense that a little more space would certainly have been welcome. As land- and property-owners were in fact expropriated from the spot to build the venue, there is unconfirmed talk of some refusing to cede their land, resulting in compromise regarding the site’s size. And this is not the only problem the build has encountered. From the 26,000 square metres of rock that had to be excavated and the massive steel poles that had to be fitted to secure the land and avoid landslides, to the various lawsuits and appeals filed by environmental and heritage associations, the forceful opposition from local residents and the in-fighting by political factions, the auditorium seemed at one point to be languishing in a sea of bureaucracy, political opportunism and technical obstacles.
However, now that the building is taking shape, almost completed, even though some of the controversy may remain, the excitement is certainly starting to take over. As Zeccato says, the auditorium is a “work of art” and as such it can only enrich the area’s cultural heritage.
http://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/oscar-niemeyer-auditorium-ravello/3457
15 de junio 2009.
Order Year2006Project TypeIntegrated domestic and international terminalLocationChristchurch, South Island, New ZealandEstimated Investment$208mFirst Stage CompletedDecember 2006Construction Completion2011Developer / OwnerChristchurch International Airport Limited (CIAL)
Christchurch International Airport's new integrated domestic and international terminal is an important part of a ten-year development plan to provide airport customers with improved facilities, retail offerings and services. Located in the heart of South Island, this initiative will enhance New Zealand's position as a leading tourist destination.
Airport terminal development
Building the state-of-the-art airport terminal began in May 2009 and will be complete before the Rugby World Cup, to be held in New Zealand in 2011. With the development of a new airport terminal, Christchurch International Airport Limited (CIAL) sets new standards for quality and efficiency.
Hawkins Construction Ltd, was appointed as the main building contractor; according to CIAL's chief executive officer, Jim Boult. CIAL made certain that design and functionality of the new terminal would meet all customer requirements, spending nearly four years planning and designing the new terminal. A new car-park building was unveiled in December 2006, marking the completion of the first stage of construction work.
Revamped check-in counters and retail spaces
New check-in counters and revamped retail spaces will allow domestic and international passengers to share services. The new terminal will also have a shared arrival hall with a new layout to improve passenger movement.
The new design has a turboprop gate lounge for regional passengers to check in at, while also using the main building services. The departure area on level one includes several cafes and large retail outlets in a pleasing environment.
First stage of completion
The ground floor of the new terminal has an integrated domestic and international check-in hall, while the first floor has an expansive dining and retail area. These are due to begin operation by 2011. This would mark the first stage of completion of the new terminal, after which, the existing domestic terminal would be demolished.
There will be no service disruption during the construction phase and the airport will be able to cater to the peak passenger demands expected throughout the Rugby World Cup in 2011. Seamless access between the two terminals is facilitated by the large walkways encircling the construction area.
Development plans and service improvements
A one-point integrated international and domestic check-in counters and several kiosks will be located in one check-in hall. New automatic sortation technology in the baggage handling system will also be put in place. Construction of a food and beverage and retail precinct is underway.
The new terminal will feature a large domestic departure and arrival lounge. The international level will have an expanded baggage claim hall, and an MAF / customs arrival and processing area.
There will be direct internal access from international arrivals to the domestic gates to provide a smoother transfer for transit passengers. There will also be an expanded domestic baggage claim area.
A new taxiway has been incorporated into the domestic aircraft parking apron, to make best use of its efficiency, and to avoid delay in airline departures.
Car parking
The expansion plans include a 40% increase in car parking. Undercover parking will be available in the multilevel parking building, while undercover passenger drop-off will be on the ground floor of the parking building. About 520 new premium car-parking spaces will be available in this facility. The pedestrian plaza will link the car park and terminal. A new 45m-high control tower will also be constructed.
Security
Stringent security measures have been implemented, with strict baggage screening for all passengers on domestic as well as international flights. In line with the ICAO's guidelines, the terminal frontage road will be closed for security purposes.
http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/christchurch-terminal
14 de junio 2009.
New Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects will open in June.
The museum will provide a permanent house to archaeological treasures from the Acropolis. Top image: main entrance lobby. Photo by Nikos Daniilidis. Above: exterior. Photo by Christian Richters.
Glass walls will allow exhibits to be viewed in natural light, as they would have been seen in ancient times. Above: view from the archaeological excavations, looking up to the ground level. Photo by Christian Richters.
More than 100 concrete pillars support the building over the remains of an ancient Athenian city, discovered during pre-construction. Above: outside ground level, looking down at the archaeological excavations. Photo byNikos Daniilidis.
Above: statues from the Porch of the Caryatids welcome visitors. Photo by Vasilis Vrettos.
Above: looking towards the Acropolis from the Parthenon Gallery, prior to installation. Photo by Christian Richters.
Above: view of the Parthenon from outside the New Acropolis Museum. Photo by Bernard Tschumi Architects
Above: a view of the New Acropolis Museum from the Acropolis.
Here’s some more information from the architects:
THE NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM, DESIGNED BY BERNARD TSCHUMI ARCHITECTS, TO OPEN JUNE 20
New York, NY, April 7, 2009 — The historic masterpieces of the New Acropolis Museum—from the archaeological remains of ancient Athens left visible beneath the building to the glorious Parthenon frieze installed at the top— will be displayed in total for the first time when the Museum celebrates its much-anticipated official opening on Saturday, June 20, 2009.
Designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects of New York/Paris with Michael Photiadis of Athens as local associate architect, the Museum has presented a number of temporary exhibitions in a lower-floor gallery over the past year. With the official opening, visitors will at last view the full suite of galleries, presented in a dramatic architectural experience designed explicitly for this collection.
With more than 150,000 square feet of exhibition space—ten times more than the previous Acropolis museum—the New Acropolis Museum will display surviving antiquities from the Acropolis and serve as a catalyst for strengthening international interest in the classical world. The 226,000 square foot Museum is both a defining cultural project for Greece and a key reference point for the art community around the globe.
To present the unparalleled collection, architect and lead designer Bernard Tschumi created a deliberately non-monumental structure whose simple and precise design invokes the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greek architecture.
“The form of the building arose as a response to the challenges of creating a structure that was worthy of housing the most dramatic sculptures of Greek antiquity, and doing so in an overwhelmingly historic and monumental setting,” explains Tschumi. “The site at the foot of the Acropolis confronted us with the Parthenon itself, one of the most influential buildings in Western civilization. At the same time, we had to consider the sensitive archaeological excavations, the presence of the contemporary city and its street grid, and the special challenges of the hot climate in Athens and an earthquake region.
Located in Athens’s historic area of Makryianni, the New Acropolis Museum stands less than 1,000 feet southeast of the Parthenon, at the entrance of a network of pedestrian walkways that link the key archaeological sites and monuments of the Acropolis. This location was carefully selected to enable a dialogue between the Museum’s exhibition spaces and the Acropolis buildings. Tschumi won the commission in 2001 as the result of a design competition judged by a prestigious jury of architects, engineers, and archaeologists, chaired by Santiago Calatrava.
“The design was chosen for its simple, clear, and beautiful solution that is in accord with the beauty and classical simplicity of the Museum’s unique exhibits and that ensures a museological and architectural experience that is relevant today and for the foreseeable future,” stated Professor Dimitrios Pandermalis, President of the Organization for the Construction of the New Acropolis Museum.
During pre-construction, archaeologists discovered the remains of an ancient Athenian city, excavating over 43,000 square feet. These remains have been preserved and integrated into the Museum design and are an important part of the visitor experience.
The building is articulated in three layers, with a base, a middle zone, and a top. The base hovers over the excavation site on more than 100 slender concrete pillars, which have been individually positioned with the help of experts so as not to disturb the delicate remnants. This level contains the main entrance lobby and temporary exhibition spaces, as well as openings and glass floors looking onto archaeological excavations.
A glass ramp leads to a double-height space in the middle section, which accommodates the permanent collection galleries from the Archaic to the late Roman period, and a mezzanine level with catering venues and a public terrace.
The building culminates in the Parthenon Gallery, a rectangular, glass-enclosed, sky-lit space that is rotated 23 degrees from the rest of the building so as to align with the Parthenon. The gallery’s glass outer walls allow visitors uninterrupted, 360-degree views of the ancient temple and the surrounding city. In the center of the Parthenon Gallery, the rectangular concrete core of the Museum serves as the wall on which the Parthenon frieze is exhibited, placed in the exact same arrangement and orientation as when it adorned the monument.
The route through these layers forms a three-dimensional loop, guiding visitors through the collection, which is installed in chronological sequence. Beginning with the archaeological excavations, visible through the glass floor in the entrance gallery, the sequence reaches a programmatic high point with the Parthenon Frieze, set in a gallery at the top of the building against dramatic views of the Acropolis, and then loops down to finish in the Roman Empire galleries below. The sequence of movement through the Museum’s exhibitions is designed to be of the utmost clarity and to accommodate the large groups of visitors expected daily.
The collection of the New Acropolis Museum consists principally of sculptures, many of which originally decorated the monuments of the Acropolis. These works were created to be viewed in daylight, illuminated by subtle changes in light throughout the day. Extensive use of glass in the building’s design allows the integration of natural light into the galleries, thus ensuring similar exhibition conditions. Ambient natural light floods the top-floor Parthenon Gallery and is filtered through the gallery’s glass-floored atrium into the floors below. Skylights, walls of shaded glass, and rectangular openings also help light flow through the building.
Throughout the New Acropolis Museum, glass, concrete and marble have been used to complement the simplicity of the overall design. Concrete provides the main building structure and acts as a neutral backdrop for the artwork. Circular holes have been placed at intervals throughout the concrete walls in order to absorb sound. Local marble has been used on the floors, with dark stone used for circulation and light beige for the galleries.
The New Acropolis Museum features galleries for the permanent collection, galleries for special exhibitions, a 200-seat auditorium, a multimedia space, a Museum store, a bar and restaurant, and support facilities. It is surrounded by 75,000 square feet of landscaped gardens. The overall project budget for the Museum was €130 million, or approximately $175 million.
Bernard Tschumi Architects
Bernard Tschumi Architects is an internationally-based firm dedicated to the interface between 21st-century conditions and architecture. Opened with the commission for the celebrated Parc de la Villette in Paris (begun in 1983), completed projects by the firm include Le Fresnoy National Studio for Contemporary Arts in Tourcoing, France (1997); Columbia University’s Lerner Hall Student Center in New York (1999); an 8,000-person Concert Hall and Exhibition Complex in Rouen, France (2001); Florida International University School of Architecture in Miami, Florida (2003); the Vacheron-Constantin Headquarters and Manufacturing Complex in Geneva (2004); the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center at the University of Cincinnati (2006); a 6,000-seat Concert Hall in Limoges, France (2007); and Blue Tower, New York (2008). Between 2006 and 2008, Bernard Tschumi Architects designed comprehensive master plans for the Independent Financial Centre of the Americas in the Dominican Republic and new media zones in Singapore and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Currently under construction are a cultural center in Bordeaux-Cenon and a museum and archaeological park in Alesia, France. Architect and lead designer for the New Acropolis Museum, Bernard Tschumi founded Bernard Tschumi Architects in 1983, after winning a competition to design the Parc de la Villette, a 125-acre public park containing dramatic buildings, walkways, bridges and gardens, located at the northeast edge of Paris. A renowned theorist as well as an architect, he was Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University in New York from 1988 to 2003. He is the author of ten books, including the Event-Cities series and Architecture and Disjunction, as well as numerous articles.
Tschumi is a member of the Collège International de Philosophie in France and the recipient of many honors, including the Légion d’Honneur, the Ordre des Arts et Lettres and the Royal Victoria Medal. He has been awarded France’s Grand Prix National d’Architecture and the AIA New York Gold Medal of Honor. He is an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Most recently, he was awarded membership in the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. www.tschumi.com
New Acropolis Museum Collection
The rich collections of the New Acropolis Museum, dating from prehistoric times through to the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods and up to late Antiquity (1,000 B.C. to 700 A.D.), will provide visitors with a comprehensive picture of the centuries-old human presence on the sacred site that represents the essence of classical culture in antiquity. With approximately 4,000 objects, of which at least 300 are considered major masterpieces, the opening of the New Acropolis Museum marks the first time that the collection will be displayed together in one museum, telling the complete story of the Athenian Acropolis and its foothills. At the same time, the extensive remains of the ancient Athenian city revealed on the Museum site by pre-construction archaeological excavations will also grace the museum exhibition program with rare, original testimonies of the private lives of the ancient Athenians who lived in the shadow of the Acropolis.
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/04/10/new-acropolis-museum-by-bernard-tschumi-architects/
13 de junio de 2009.
Una caja que se abre y es un restaurante, esto sin duda alguna está inspirado en la casa que aparecía al abrirse un contenedor de carga, o incluso en el contenedor-cafetería, pero en esta ocasión el sistema está más perfeccionado, es más sostenible y hasta se ha hecho sobre él un gran trabajo gráfico. Se llama Müvbox.
La idea pertenece a Daniel Noiseux, dueño de unos conocidos restaurantes de Montreal (Pizzaiolle), que ha ubicado este primer contenedor en el viejo puerto de la ciudad para servir comida rápida. El hecho de tener parte de su negocio en un contenedor le da la libertad de aprovechar cualquier evento urbano, tan sólo tiene que plegarlo, transportarlo y volver a pulsar un botón, y en minuto y medio tener todo listo otra vez para la clientela.
Este restaurante-contenedor está hecho a partir de un modelo estándar de 20 pies, adaptado con una moderna cocina, y ayudado energéticamente (40%) con unos paneles fotovoltaicos en su cubierta, para el resto utiliza gas propano. Parte del mobiliario también está plegado (o desmontado) y se termina de colocar una vez el contenedor se ha abierto, incluso hasta parte de la cocina se desliza para ganar más espacio dentro. No sólo el contenedor en sí es material reutilizado, sino que además el piso está recubierto con pavimento fabricado de neumáticos reciclados.
Noiseux está dispuesto a llevar esta idea a otros lugares del mundo, y si no lo hace él seguro que aparecerán otros que la aplicarán a éste u otro tipo de negocio.
http://blog.is-arquitectura.es/2009/06/12/muvbox-restaurante-en-contenedor-plegabl/
10 de junio de 2009.
El aeropuerto de Alicante, (código IATA: ALC, código OACI: LEAL), se encuentra a 9 km al suroeste de Alicante, ubicado en la pedanía de El Altet dentro del término municipal de Elche (a 12 km). Por su situación, este aeropuerto da servicio a una gran parte del levante español. Tradicionalmente ha tenido un importante tráfico charter, actualmente la mayor parte del tráfico es regular e internacional.
Ocupa el sexto lugar en la red aeroportuaria española según número de pasajeros, tras los aeropuertos de Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga y Gran Canaria y se sitúa entre los 50 de mayor tránsito dentro de Europa. Tras los resultados estadísticos del mes de diciembre de 2008, ocupa la cuadragésima posición en la red aeroportuaria europea según número de pasajeros. Además, representa el aeropuerto de mayor tráfico de pasajeros de la Comunidad Valenciana.
Inicios
El actual aeropuerto alicantino se abrió al tráfico el 4 de mayo de 1967 con instalaciones, infraestructura y equipos capaces para prestar servicio a un millón de pasajeros. Ese mismo día, aterriza el primer avión que procedía de Madrid, un Convair Metropolitan de la compañía Aviaco. La compañía Iberia se incorpora al tráfico del aeropuerto en noviembre de 1969 con sus líneas Alicante-Madrid y Alicante-Barcelona.
Hechos recientes
A finales de noviembre del año 2004, AENA adjudicó la construcción de un área provisional de tratamiento de pasajeros (Terminal 2), para dar respuesta al continuo crecimiento del tráfico de pasajeros y operaciones. La construcción fue adjudicada a la UTE formada por las empresas Seop y Lubasa. Por otro lado se aprobó el inicio del expediente de la Nueva Área Terminal del Aeropuerto de Alicante (NAT), donde se contemplan las actuaciones del proyecto.
Durante el año 2009, se han licitado y adjudicado diversas actuaciones vinculadas con el NAT y el campo de vuelos, así como la finalización de proyectos que se encontraban en ejecución.
El 2 de febrero, tuvo lugar la colocación de la primera de las 40 cúpulas que coronarán el NAT y que constituirán uno de los elementos arquitectónicos emblemáticos de la futura terminal. Su emplazamiento tendrá lugar a lo largo del año 2009.
Durante este pasado mes de marzo, se finalizaron las obras de la estructura auxiliar de la Torre de Control. Esta estructura de hormigón, queda unida por dos pasarelas en diferentes cotas y servirá como salida de emergencia. Para embellecer la estética del conjunto, se ha pintado la fachada de la torre auxiliar del mismo color que el de la Torre de Control.
Nueva Área Terminal (NAT)
La Nueva Área Terminal ha sido diseñada pensando en el máximo desarrollo, tanto de la edificación como del campo de vuelos, que se avanza en el Plan Director del Aeropuerto de Alicante. Esta configuración final contempla la construcción de una nueva pista paralela a la existente, y futuras ampliaciones del actual proyecto constructivo. Además, no se ha perdido de vista la posibilidad de acometer dichas ampliaciones sin suponer complicaciones en un futuro, y permitiendo la operatividad de la terminal.
08 de junio 2009.
Rwandan officials have announced plans to begin construction next year on a US$318 million state of the art airport at Bugesera. The airport will have an initial capacity to handle 1 million passengers annually and should be completed by 2013. It is hoped that Bugesera will become a regional hub.
Linda Bihire, Minister of Infrastructure said that work on the design of the project, by UK firm TPS Consult, is almost 60 percent completed. The architectural design provides room for expansion into new terminals as demand arises in future.
The government wants the construction bill to be footed through a public-private partnership, inviting investors to take up ownership in the ambitious project. Being a landlocked country, Rwanda hopes that the new airport will help establish direct flights to Europe and other busy business destinations in the hope of attracting more trade to the country. A second phase for expansion is expected in 2025 to give the airport with another runway.
Bihire said that the government was in talks with several airlines, including British Airways, Qatar, Emirates and Virgin Airways, on the possibility of direct flights to the UK or via Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta airport. Currently some of the airlines that operate in Rwanda include the country’s Rwandair Express, Kenya Airways, SN Brussels and South Africa Airways.
http://www.passengerterminaltoday.com/news.php?NewsID=13094
http://www.tpsconsult.co.uk/tps/sectors/aviation.asp
07 de junio 2009.
La firma de arquitectos Grup41 está desarrollando un proyecto de viviendas plurifamiliares utilizando el contenedor de transporte marítimo como módulo constructivo; Joel M. Karr (director y propietario del grupo) ya experimentó en el diseño de viviendas con contenedores, y fue premiado por ello, en el concurso internacional Lifecycle Building Challenge, ahora proyecta una promoción de 200 viviendas en Salt Lake City (Utah) empleando unas 1000 unidades.
Las imágenes corresponden a dos diferentes esquemas de planteamiento, pero ambas aportan un tratamiento superficial sobre cada uno de los módulos para darle un aspecto menos industrial al edificio.
Cada contenedor está diseñado para soportar cargas de 36 toneladas (el de 40 pies HC, que tiene una altura interior de 2,71m) según estas tablas, y pueden apilarse hasta 8 unidades. Tienen todas las ventajas de los módulos de casas prefabricadas a la hora de trasladarlas a otro lugar de residencia, hacer modificaciones/ampliaciones, y se reducen los materiales de obra durante la construcción, ya que los módulos pueden llegar al sitio prácticamente terminados. Su mantenimiento es mínimo y su costo es bajo, lo que supone una “materia prima” de construcción realmente barata.
Su interior puede tener cualquier tipo de revestimientos y aparentar una vivienda convencional, y por supuesto se le pueden abrir huecos o combinar varios contenedores, eliminando algunas de sus caras, para conseguir espacios mayores.
http://blog.is-arquitectura.es/2009/04/05/contenedores-para-viviendas-de-grup41/
06 junio 2009.
Blue Sky Homes es una empresa que hace una nueva generación de casas prefabricadas, con un sistema de construcción más rápido, resistente, verde y barato que la gran mayoría de sus competidores. La casa se fabrica en taller y luego se monta en obra, con estructura de perfiles de acero conformado en frío (reciclado) que se monta en cinco días!
De esta casa prefabricada se está construyendo un prototipo de 90m2 en Yucca Valley, de donde son estas fotos de obra, pero se puede ver (recomendado) todo el proceso acelerado de montaje de la estructura en la web de Blue Sky Homes, en cincos días de trabajo “de sol a sol”. La previsión es que el tiempo de ejecución para toda la vivienda sea de 7 semanas.
No han publicado aún el catálogo completo de sus modelos prefabricados, ni los precios, pero se sabe que sus diseños incorporarán una serie de elementos verdes:
Armarios de bambú.
Energía solar fotovoltaica.
Paneles solares para agua caliente.
Reciclado de aguas grises.
Pinturas de bajo VOC.
Ventanas y puertas de alto aislamiento.
Electrodomésticos altamente eficientes.
Paneles STEP (steel thermal efficiency panels). Son planchas de poliestireno expandido con perfiles de acero conformado en frío, usados en los cerramientos y tabiquería.
Como se puede ver en el plano de la casa, el prototipo tiene una distribución bastante compacta, de dos dormitorios, con el salón-cocina-comedor en única estancia, y sólo un cuarto de baño. Un programa bastante ajustado pero muy bien dirigido a un específico grupo de cliente sin mucha familia.
Toda la vivienda dispone de gran cantidad de luz natural, sobre todo en el salón con esos grandes paños acristalados (tal vez demasiados), y numerosos armarios en toda la pared que separa con los dormitorios. Las imágenes renderizadas son buenas.
http://blog.is-arquitectura.es/2009/03/21/estructura-prefabricada-en-5-dias/
