7th International Strawberry Symposium / DADA Architectural Design + Planning

16 Marzo 2012

 Courtesy of DADA Architectural Design + Planning

The 50,000 m2 complex for the 7th International Strawberry Symposium is located on the outskirts of Beijing, in an agricultural area renowned for its long tradition of strawberry cultivation and production. The event provides a forum for horticultural scientists and makers of strawberry products to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.

ground floor plan

It is comprised of a Training Center, Convention Center, and Factory. The fundamental objectives driving the design were to fulfill the program while establishing an iconic presence towards the highway, and to infuse a unifying, engaging language upon the normally plain facades found on factory and convention center building types. We thus wrapped the boxy forms resulting from the functional layout with a series of white curvilinear shell structures that refer both to the organic form and texture of a strawberry, as well as traditional chinese screen patterns.

The massing is broken down via the use of multiple shells and canted glass curtainwalls with random frit patterns, allowing the scale of the architecture to become fluid and inviting. The shells tessellate into diagrids with progressively scaled windows, upon which white frits fade towards the center, obscuring the frames and further advancing the sense of abstraction. The design thus achieves a sense of scale and differentiation yet uses a language more akin to natural textures than building.

The shells are clad with SRC, a composite concrete panel using fiberglass reinforcement. This allowed for a low-cost, double-curved faade; a critical consideration given the modest budget. Moreover, panel prefabrication allowed us to meet the extremely rapid 8 month construction schedule without compromising geometric complexity. This project marks the first time that this technology has been utilized in an exterior application in China.

 

section

We set out to achieve a high degree of sustainability, using a combination of passive and active environmental control systems. Geothermal heating + cooling systems were installed. Additional green measures include a rainwater collection system for greywater recycling, selecting of materials with long lifespans ( -e.g. SRC carries a 50 year guarantee ), use of high-efficiency solatubes which pipe multidirectional sunlight like a fiber optic, and operable windows covering over 30% of faade areas to naturally ventilate most interior spaces. Green roofs were proposed but abandoned due to budget limitations. The project is designed to meet standards for the Three Green Star certification, the highest sustainable design rating in China.

 

http://www.archdaily.com/217295/7th-international-strawberry-symposium-dada-architectural-design-planning/

Photovoltaic Factory and Offices / Quadrante Arquitectura

 15 Marzo 2012

The two storeys Administrative Building and Photovoltaic Panels Factory in Moura, located in the Tecnopolo, is all covered in metal sheet with horizontal orientation, combined with wall-building concerte block and glass.

elevation

The aim, was that this new “strange building” located in Tecnopolo, soon could give the idea of existing element, that naturally grew in the place, and at the same time intends to become a “lighthouse”, singular and unique. Specified to be a building generator of new dinamics, the use of materials of manufacter scope are taken with high formal design care.

http://www.archdaily.com/214646/photovoltaic-fabric-and-offices-quadrante-arquitectura/

Sant Pere Pescador Kindergarden / Abar + Ovidi Alum

15 March 2012

Our kindergarten is located near a future park in front a public building, in Sant Pere Pescador, by the Mediterranean Sea, in Northern Spain. It‘s a small school of one level consistent of a compact set of building and courtyard with a formal simplicity that optimizes its adaptation to the place.

The precast white concrete brick walls and large glass windows define a rational architecture combines itself with a vitalist counterpoint of painted steel enclosures and large silk-screened porch awnings.

Courtesy of Abar Architects & Ovidi Alum

5 main areas are disposed (3 classrooms, multipurpose and administration space) on the Southern Façade with access to the courtyard and totally transparent so as to enhance luminosity. The “service facilities” (kitchen, changing room, and ware house) are located on the Northern Façade and are used as a “thermal mattress” against moisture and wind.

The building has got a green roof top; geothermal energy supply associated with a radiant floor heating; thermical insulation and interior finishings made of cork (proximity material); glass enclosures with thermal break sensors, along with an awning for nature light control, functioning as a large artificial tree.

Courtesy of Abar Architects & Ovidi Alum

This is a small project, carried out for a town hall (the smaller instance of the government), with a small budget and also dedicated to “small people”. But it was born with BIG ambitions: it wants children to learn from scratch what is at stake in the world and therefore offers a building that breathes, is energy efficient and is built with proximity materials.

constructive section

Thanks to the willingness of the client and the authors (the architects team have been granted with quality and eco-design European labels -ISO 9001 and ISO 14006-) and a grant from ICAEN (Catalan Institute of Energy), achieving the highest rating – A – in energy efficiency.

Vissershok Container Classroom / Tsai Design Studio

 15 march 2012

 Located in rolling hills of Durbanville wine valley on the outskirts of Cape Town, Vissershok Primary School is a rural school dedicated to the children of farm workers and underprivileged communities living in Du Noon – a poverty-stricken township several kilometers away. Sponsored by three South African companies – Woolworths, Safmarine and AfriSam – the Vissershok Container Classroom is a 12 meter recycled container that was converted into an independent classroom for 25 Grade R (age 5-6) students. Continue reading for more.

Courtesy of Tsai Design Studio

It all started with an annual design competition called “Making the Difference Through Design”, presented by Woolworths. The competition focuses on introducing design to local high school students. This year, the brief called for creative solutions on how a recycled container can be adapted to help under-resourced schools.

Courtesy of Tsai Design Studio

Grade 10 student (age 15) Marshaarn Brink won the competition with a playful design of an outdoor jungle gym. The concept was then handed over to Tsai Design Studio who then evolved the idea into a final design that took in consideration the site conditions and environmental factors. Built with limited means and budget, the final product maximized the space as it incorporated the four following elements.

Courtesy of Tsai Design Studio

Learning Area: The container serves as a classroom in the morning for Grade R students and a small library in the afternoon for the entire Vissershok Primary School. The large roof shelters the container from direct sunlight while the gap reduces heat gain. Cross ventilation is achieved through a series of colorful windows located on each side of the container.

Gathering Area: Stepped seating extends the patio, offering a space for children to eat lunch and socialize, while also acting as an amphitheater for school assemblies.

Courtesy of Tsai Design Studio

Play Area: Marshaan Brink’s concept for the play area was to be a part of the container “like a pair of outstretched arms”. The steel frames extend outwards supporting the play equipment.

Growing Area: Once it grows, the green wall will act as a vertical vegetable garden that shelters the play area from the prevailing southeast winds. A large area adjacent to the container classroom was transformed into a vegetable garden. Besides serving as an educational tool for the children, the garden will also allow the school to have fresh produce for their feeding program.

 

 

http://www.archdaily.com/216867/vissershok-container-classroom-tsai-design-studio/

Fire Station In Sulzberg-Thal / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten

15 marzo 2012

The prominent location of the new fire station at the boundary of the village and engaged in a spatial dialogue with Gasthaus Krone (inn) required a sensitive and discreet integration of the new building into the villagescape.

© Bruno Klomfar

The building is ideally sited in relation to the topography, with forecourts forming a separate square within the village fabric. This way fortified structures are reduced to a minimum and the road layout remains intact. The square is located between the fire station and Gasthaus Krone, forming a scenario which is typical for Sulzberg Thal.

plan 01

The building features a clear separation into vehicle depot with control room and all other uses that are grouped according to room height and temperature into compact units. The radio and control room is slightly elevated, overlooking both the vehicle depot and the forecourt with the crew entrance. Parking for emergency operations is planned as gravel lawn lining the road.

The building has ground-level access from the main road, with the slightly projecting top floor marking and shielding the entrance area. The control area and locker rooms adjoin the entrance. The top floor with a classroom, village archives, an office and auxiliary rooms opens to the village boundary, thus signaling the public function of the building.

The vehicle depot is built as a solid structure, while the top floor is planned as a timber construction. The facade features silver-fir-cladding, which gives the building a uniform appearance as is typical for the village. The large continuous glazing structures the building, creating an air of lightness and transparency to all angles. External shading protects the interior from overheating. The tube-shaped tower is built as timber construction with glass on two sides, revealing a glimpse of the activities taking place at the fire station.