Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center / Cristian Fernandez Arquitectos, Lateral Arquitectura & Diseño

18 de octubre de 2010.

© Nicolas Saieh
Architects: Cristian Fernandez Arquitectos, Lateral Arquitectura & Diseno
Location: Santiago, Chile
Project Architects: Cristián Fernández Eyzaguirre, Christian Yutronic V., Sebastián Baraona R.
Collaborators: Marcelo Fernández, Carlos Ulloa, Hernán Vergara H., Loreto Figueroa A., Nicolás Olate Vásquez. Natalia Le-Bert, Nicolás Carbone, Juan Pablo Aguilera, Rodrigo Herrera, Eduardo Cid, Sebastián Bravo, Sebastián Medina, Ximena Conejeros, Irene Escobar, Ricardo Álvarez, Sebastián Bórquez, Rodrigo Carrión
Structural engineering: Luis Soler P & Asociados
Project Area: 44,000 sqm
Project Year: 2009-2010
Photographs: Nicolás Saieh

Shoring: Musante, Astorga, Arrau Ltda.
Electrical Engineering: Luis Farías
Lighting: Douglas Leonard Lighting
Services: Enrique Montoya Ingenieria
Climate: Termosistemas (Joel Toledo)/M & R Climatización (Marcela Riveros)
Security: PRY Ingenierìa
Central Control: SIDCO
Garbage Extraction: SRS Ltda.
Scenic Engineering: Enrique Bordolini Consultores Teatrales
Graphic Signs: Di. Diseño & Imagen
Landscape: Andrea Arenas Díaz
Exterior Pavements: Mavimix Ltda.
Audio & Video: Yamaimport Ltda.
Roof engineering: Fernández y Rojas Asociados
Intercom: Antonio Monasterio
Theatrical Consultor: Ramón López
Acoustics: Jorge Sommerhoff
Topography: AEV Topografia
Ground Mechanics: Musante, Astorga, Arrau Ltda.
Urban Impact: Itransporte
Ambient Studies: Itransporte
Energy Efficiency: Juan Cristóbal Pérez
Artist: Juan Guillermo Tejeda
Handicaped Access: Patricia Squella
Isolation: Ingeniería y Construcción ICC
Architecture Review: Holmes & Amaral
Structural Engineering Review: Antonio Medina

We live in time where throwing things out is easier than to repair, adapt and implement value. However, the objects and buildings that surrounded us have a hidden history that is necessary to discover or rediscover if you will. The Diego Portales building (or what’s left of it) is an ideal example. This challenge provided an exceptional opportunity, a gift if you will, transforming what was once a historical burden. The building we believe could not be lost by shortsighted political desires or less for some atavistic return of “blank slate” of an architect of the day.

Historical Context
This building, like no other, has been a major player during a period in Chile’s recent history that was characterized by political and social division. The building was built as a masterpiece a symbol of the “new man” during Salavador Allende’s government. After the coup in 1973 this building housed General Pinochet’s regime embodying the “Total Power.” During the last three decades four governments have occupied the building including the Ministry of Defense. This has led to a building not wanted by most with a “bipolar” biography.

The original building was designed and built in record time. As a strategy, the architects designed a great cover of monumental proportions to subsequently house the building’s program. From the beginning the urban impact was profound, as they installed a huge building with horizontal proportions perched practically on the sidewalk of the main street of the city , and on its other side invading a small residential neighborhood.

A fire on March 5, 2006 in the eastern sector of the building completely destroying the Great Hall. The Chilean government decided to create a future for this building calling for an international architecture competition. Over 55 proposals were received and Cristian Fernandez Arquitectos teamed with Lateral Arquitectura & Diseno provided the winning design.


Their approach to the building was to immediately address the surrounding environment, providing a new relationship to the previously unacknowledged surroundings. The architects decided to focus on four main concepts: openness to the city and its urban relationships across a large deck with loose volumes under it, the creation of new public space, the opening of the building to the community by incorporating community programs, and the legitimacy of the project through the incorporation of as many social agents in shaping a new benchmark for the city.

A building for arts and culture should always be varying degrees of transparency and share and engage your users not only directly but also to the whole community. Therefore, the architects opted for a design that provided openness with in the public spaces and transparency into the interior spaces. The halls for the performing arts of music, dance, and theater, are on display to the public as “boxes or containers.”

Horizontally the building is organized around three volumes that contain and represent the three major program areas. These are the Documentation Center for the Performing Arts and Music, a Training Room of the Performing Arts, and the Great Hall Theater seating 2,000 people. The three buildings are separate at street level providing multiple covered pedestrian spaces. At the lower levels all three buildings directly connect.

The main materials that make up the building are all possible to find in the original building with five design elements that are worth noting: weathering steel, reinforced concrete in sight, glass, steel, and wood. The use of the weathering steel (with holes) creates an immediate visual link between past, present, and future.

Given the specifics of the program each room was treated independently looking for the best acoustic comfort according to its corresponding activity. For example, the Music Hall presents a design of inclined planes and breaks that are capable of directing high quality sound to all viewers and maintaing a warm contemporary expression. The Music Hall along with the Dance Room have space for audio and lighting control located at the bottom of each chamber taking the place of the old translation booths from when it was the Building Diego Portales.
























http://www.archdaily.com/81725/gabriela-mistral-cultural-center-cristian-fernandez-arquitectos-lateral-arquitectura-diseno/#more-81725

BC Hyrdo Energy Experiment

11 de octubre de 2010.

© BC Hydro
To promote their Power Smart month of October, BC Hydro has launched an interesting public campaign for energy efficiency by converting two shipping containers into live experimental spaces in Vancouver. For fours day, actors will live in the 3×6 meter containers “to showcase how – and how not – to live and work in an energy-efficient manner.” The two containers are meant to depict the extreme opposites of energy consumption and show the simple steps people can take to increase their efficiency. As the containers are fully glazed on one side, passersby can see how the actors go about their daily routines – one completely wasteful with a constantly blasting television and all the lights on, while the other actor uses natural daylight for illumination and adds extra layers of clothing for warmth. Displays are fixed to the exterior of each container to provide simulated consumption readings, allowing the public to see the difference in the energy use when comparing energy-efficient living to inefficient and wasteful behavior.

“We wanted to make energy efficiency highly visible and get the attention of people on their way to and from work and shopping,” said Lisa Coltart, BC Hydro’s executive director of Power Smart and Customer Care. “Efficient living and working boils down to being aware of how you consume electricity and the simple behavioural changes you can make. This display will demonstrate that even the smallest changes can make a substantial difference if they are practised by everyone across the province in their homes and offices.”

“The efficient cube condo is expected to use about 80 per cent less electricity, demonstrating that being Power Smart is not about sacrificing style and comfort to save energy. It is about using energy efficiently and wisely,” said Coltart. “We have added touch screens and other interactive elements to allow passersby to learn more about the behaviours they see in the cubes and implement them when they get back to their homes and offices.”
http://www.archdaily.com/81723/bc-hyrdo-energy-experiment/#more-81723

Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility / Populous

11 de octubre de 2010.

© Andrew Lee
Architects: Populous
Location: Ravenscraig, Motherwell, UK
Engineering: Buro Happold (structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and public health services) FEDRA (fire)
Client: North Lanarkshire Council / Sportscotland / Ravenscraig Ltd / Motherwell College
Total Cost: £31.3 million
Completion Date: Autumn 2010
Photographs: Andrew Lee

PROJECT OBJECTIVE: The clients commissioned the design team to design a new Regional Sports Facility as part of Sportscotland and the Scottish Executive’s National Regional Facilities Strategy. The proposed sports facility will host local, regional and national sports and leisure events as well as cultural events.

The new sports facility will reach out to the surrounding areas by addressing the local planning strategy and creating both cultural and visual links to and from the site.

There has been a determined effort to make reference to the history of the site through the architectural language of the new facility. This influenced the choice of materials and the expression of the buildings structure which create a link to the steel industry that has had such a strong cultural presence on this site and within the local community. Its cladding has been designed as metal bands that rise from out of the ground to wrap around the structure, and are a visual reminder, reminiscent of rolled metal sheets.

The new building has a north-south orientation with the entrance at the southern elevation. This main entrance relates directly to the two most important areas of public activity in the new masterplan, the town centre and the proposed new Motherwell College. Visual links to these areas are gained from the dance studios and gym area as well as from the main entrance and public café. The glazing also acts as a shop front for the facility, enticing people into the building.

The concept behind the serrated roofs is to allow diffuse, northern light to enter the facility all year round without the glare that comes from direct sunlight, which is a hindrance to the sportswomen and men using the facility. By providing as much natural light it will minimise the inherent dependence on artificial lighting which projects that have large enclosed areas often require; meaning that the annual energy costs will be reduced, limiting the buildings carbon footprint and enhancing the ambience and tranquillity of the spaces. The building’s sustainability credentials are also increased by its combined heat and power system and large build-ups of insulation, a move aimed at reducing the acoustic break-out as well as keeping the heat in. The north elevations of the two main halls are glazed to a height of 3.5 meters, with the rest of the elevation filled with opaque polycarbonate panels; this allows for uninterrupted vistas over the nearby Prospect Hill, South Calder, Cleekhimin and Carfin areas.

The large open ends of the halls visually peel back the spaces and create the impression of a sheltered hollow within the natural landscape rather than an enclosed structure. Making the building appear to dissolve into the landscape gives the occupant a sense of being outdoors. Through the north lights and the abundant use of natural light, this atmosphere is maintained throughout. As well as the vistas created from the inside looking out there are also views constructed internally that are used to connect the different spaces across the entire facility. Access to the sports facility site is from the southern street, directly in front of the building’s main entrance. All vehicular transport is directed to the car park with only an allowance for dda, parent and child and a drop off area directly outside the entrance, with the possibility of an area for a car pool, should the users require it. The layout allows a high level of interaction between the athletes and the public through the use of common areas amidst the internal spaces and centralised gathering zones between the halls. There is also the idea that athletes can learn from each other’s disciplines.

This led to the creation of constructed views through the facility that provide inspiration for the athletes, as well as the general public. The complex is notionally divided into three main building blocks; the football and sports hall to the east, the athletics hall to the west and the central changing rooms and reception area. The changing areas are the most actively used spaces within the building and are used as the backbone of the complex allowing users to gather centrally to access their desired facility directly.

THE FOOTBALL HALL. This is the largest space in the facility, measuring 105m x 71m with an uninterrupted height of 18m at the centre and 10m around its perimeter. The orientation allows direct access to the changing rooms for athletes, and access to the entry lobby for spectators. The football hall is open to views from the café, the viewing gallery and athlete’s interaction zone. The northern façade can be opened along the glazed bottom 3.5m to allow access in and out of the hall and extra ventilation. There are approximately 400 spectator seats along the western side of the hall with access from behind the seating allowing an uninterrupted 3m buff er zone between the pitch and the spectators. The facility has been designed fi rst and foremost as a sports complex. However there is a desire to use the large enclosed area of the Football Hall for alternative events. The hall can cater for up to 5,000 people attending concerts, exhibitions or sports events with equipment and stage facilities.

THE ATHLETICS HALL. This is the second largest volume in the facility and is located on the west of the complex. It has an approximate dimension of 25m x 135m and a clear height of 9m, rising to 12.3m. It is overlooked from the reception area, café, office area and the athlete’s interaction zone, helping to enhance the idea of integration. The hall is directly accessed from the changing and reception area. There is the capability to open up the hall along the northern façade to allow further runoff for wheelchair athletes and extra air flow and machinery access. The layout has been designed for maximum diversity and flexibility throughout the daily, and annual, use of the building.

THE GYM AND DANCE STUDIOS. These are located next to the reception area at ground and first floor level, connected by a double height atrium and ‘sky-bridge’. It can be accessed directly from the reception and is a short walking distances from the changing rooms. The dance studios are linked both visually and physically to the gym area encouraging strong connections between the two activities.
THE SPORTS HALL. Located at the south east corner of the building it has a clear uninterrupted space of 54m x 27m with a height of 9.2m and has been designed specifically to allow for badminton, basketball, handball, netball and volleyball but could accommodate a range of sports. It has the ability to be divided into thirds allowing greater flexibility. Along its length it has a swath of retractable seating and a first floor viewing gallery.

The form of the building sits like a sculpture in a parkland setting, rising out of the landscape and then diving back into the site. This merging between the natural and built environment is a major theme within the overall design ethos. The external landscaping ties the building and outdoor football pitches into the ‘greenbelt’ landscape to the north of the site and accommodates the car parking in an aesthetic setting in line with the overall master plan for Ravenscraig. Within this landscape an external play and activity area for children and youths is incorporated within the facility.
THE SPORTS HALL. Located at the south east corner of the building it has a clear uninterrupted space of 54m x 27m with a height of 9.2m and has been designed specifically to allow for badminton, basketball, handball, netball and volleyball but could accommodate a range of sports. It has the ability to be divided into thirds allowing greater flexibility. Along its length it has a swath of retractable seating and a first floor viewing gallery.
The form of the building sits like a sculpture in a parkland setting, rising out of the landscape and then diving back into the site. This merging between the natural and built environment is a major theme within the overall design ethos. The external landscaping ties the building and outdoor football pitches into the ‘greenbelt’ landscape to the north of the site and accommodates the car parking in an aesthetic setting in line with the overall master plan for Ravenscraig. Within this landscape an external play and activity area for children and youths is incorporated within the facility.

RAVENSCRAIG NEW TOWN. The wider context of the Ravenscraig site is being developed as part of the Ravenscraig Masterplan. The major objectives are:
• To establish a long-term strategy for the area in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council and other relevant stakeholders.
• To be compatibile with the aims and objectives of the Masterplan and outline consent of May 2005.
• To create a high quality, recreational arena and supported facilities which will provide facilities to both local residents and people from outside the area.
• To encourage walking and cycling by providing a strong pedestrian link to the site.
• To create a strong sense of place and distinct identity for Ravenscraig.

The APB3 Concept. As part of the APB3 concept that covers the site of the new facility, any infrastructure will benefit not only the future residents of Ravenscraig and the surrounding communities but also provide a major venue for attraction of events capable of serving the whole central belt.
The landmark building will act as a focus for the new town of Ravenscraig and will create a link with the adjacent town centre.

Five key elements of the APB3 concept are:
Recreational/Event activity
Strong landscape element
Visually attractive, high quality landmark building Accessibility
Self contained parking provision

http://www.archdaily.com/81144/ravenscraig-regional-sports-facility-populous/#more-81144

Educational Centre in El Chaparral / Alejandro Muñoz Miranda

03 de octubre de 2010.

© Fernando Alda
Architect: Alejandro Muñoz Miranda
Location: El Chaparral, Albolote, Granada, Spain
Collaborators: Gregorio Morenate Navío y Nayra Fernández-Valencia Caballero
Structure: Jesús Muñoz Miranda
Construction Engineering: Patricia Muñoz Arenas
Industrial Engineering: Antonio Blas Pérez García
Artist: Jose Manuel Darro
Client: Cityhall of Albolote
Construction: UCOP
Project Area: 915 sqm
Budget: 617,078.24 €
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Fernando Alda

The project essentially consists of walls and a ceiling with a variable section; these elements create a sequence of compressed and decompressed spaces.

The changes in section are determined by use (corridor, classroom access and bathrooms, classroom, porch-outside covered corridor, garden, exterior covered playground) but also by the movement of the sun and the longitudinal slope of the plot. The compression-decompression game works for both longitudinal and transversal space sequences: corridor – classroom and access to the bathrooms – class¬room – porch – garden – outside covered playground as well as classroom – bedroom – classroom.

The orientation creates a tension that is expressed through the system of apertures. The spaces opening towards the North and the courtyard get large window panels, while towards the south and the public, light is admitted only through glazed “cracks”. The fissures corresponding to the corridor and the exterior covered playground are brightly colours, while for the classrooms only clear glass is used. The classrooms are differentiated according to age groups (two classrooms for children up to1 year with bedroom, two classrooms for children from 1 to 2 years with bedroom and three classrooms for children from 2 to 3 years without bedroom). All the classrooms on the same level can be connected for larger group activities. Even if the mobile partitions are closed, visual continuity is still present through the glazed upper parts of the dividing walls.

The whole structure evolves around the exterior covered playground, that becomes the heart of the educational centre, linking the classrooms and the interior circulation with the garden. To the East lie the kitchen and dining areas, the administration and a gym.

On the exterior, the use of white massive volumes makes for an adequate integration in El Chaparral, a district of Albolote that emerged in the 1950s as a colonization village.






http://www.archdaily.com/79913/educational-centre-in-el-chaparral-alejandro-munoz-miranda/#more-79913

Cité A Docks: residencia de estudiantes con contenedores

02 de octubre de 2010.

A principios de este año 2010 escribíamos sobre una idea de residencia de estudiantes, para la ciudad francesa de Le Havre, que iba a construirse con contenedores de carga, ahora tenemos las imágenes del edificio ya terminado, ha cambiado en algunos aspectos, hasta de firma de arquitecto.

Este complejo residencial se ha hecho montando 100 contenedores sobre una estructura metálica, donde cada escalera sirve a dos conjuntos apilados de apartamentos, con un total de cuatro pisos de altura (planta baja + 3). El esquema se realiza retranqueando grupos de ellos para dejar una fachada menos monótona, con todos los apartamentos dando a una zona ajardinada central. Cada contenedor tiene fachada acristalada en sus extremos, pero con la posibilidad de bajar un toldo vertical por el exterior de la fachada, y así controlar la iluminación natural de su interior.

Para garantizar el máximo aislamiento térmico y acústico, las paredes de los módulos se han revestido con hormigón y capas de caucho que amortigüen las vibraciones, tienen un acabado pintado en blanco, mientras que el exterior conserva el aspecto normal corrugado de los contenedores. Cada apartamento dispone de cuarto de baño, pequeña cocina y wi-fi gratuito.
La obra ha quedado mucho mejor de lo que se esperaba, resultando incluso acertado que no se hayan ‘disfrazado’ los contenedores con un revestimiento exterior, y sobre todo por el tipo de ocupación que va a tener. Aunque el arquitecto diga en su memoria que los módulos de planta baja se han elevado un poco para darles privacidad, lo cierto es que se ve insuficiente.

La residencia Cité A Docks es un proyecto realizado por Cattani Architects, un estudio del que a día de hoy no hemos encontrado su página web. Visto en Contemporist.

http://blog.is-arquitectura.es/2010/10/02/cite-a-docks-residencia-de-estudiantes-con-contenedores/