courtesy HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei \ photo by Iwan Baan

courtesy HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei \ photo by Iwan Baan

courtesy HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei \ photo by Iwan Baan

Three years after completion of the main house, the owners of the Tsai Residence approached the HHF team and Ai Weiwei to commission a guesthouse. The guesthouse brief posited three main elements: a bedroom, a workroom and a gallery for the two collectors' art. One simple and highly effective gesture – a Y-shaped ground plan – served to link these elements at isolated points and to define the overall appearance of the guesthouse. The small bathroom, kitchenette and walk-in closet – the latter of which conceals the staircase to the basement and garage – consist of compact, freestanding boxes that simultaneously constitute the rear walls of the bedroom and workroom. In contrast to the galvanized corrugated metal façade of the main house, the guesthouse is a timber structure clad in corrugated corten steel, which rusts over time and so merges unobtrusively with the landscape – particularly in fall, when the foliage of the trees turns into a riot of red and gold. The landscape also plays a major role in the interior design of the guesthouse, for each of the three main rooms offers a different perspective of the extensive grounds: the view is exalted at these points, and thus becomes a part of the house.

courtesy HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei \ photo by Iwan Baan

The relationship of the Tsai Residence to the guesthouse reflects HHF's philosophy, namely to use what already exists at a site as a source of inspiration. HHF sees every commission as an opportunity to innovate, and to deliver concrete answers to concrete problems in its signature architectural idiom.

+ Project facts

ARCHITECT HHF Architects and Ai Weiwei
PROGRAM Guesthouse
LOCATION Ancram, New York
TEAM HERLACH HARTMANN FROMMENWILER
and Ai Weiwei with Mio Tsuneyama, Madelaine Kessler, Jeff Mansfield
PHOTOS Iwan Baan

Japanese architect Naoko Horibe has completed the house in Kamihachiman. The challenge in this design was to enable a comfortable, open lifestyle despite the fact that the building site is surrounded by other homes lined up uniformly on a street running along their south side. The architects chose not to place windows on the southern side of the home, where they would look out only on neighboring houses, and instead included large windows on the northern side that take advantage of the view of a bamboo forest behind the property. In doing so they achieved even natural lighting and a feeling of spaciousness in the interior. A private walled-in terrace connecting to the living room adds to this sense of light and space. The overall result is a home that is much more comfortable and relaxing than one would guess by looking at the surrounding neighborhood.

courtesy Naoko Horibe, photo by Kaori Ichikawa

courtesy Naoko Horibe, photo by Kaori Ichikawa

courtesy Naoko Horibe, photo by Kaori Ichikawa

+ Project facts

House in Kamihachiman
Design to completion: June 2012-May 2013
Location: Tokushima-Shi, Tokushima
Primary usage: Residence
Structure: wooden construction, two stories above ground
Family structure: Couple with a child
Site area: 175.29 m2
Building area: 74.54 m2
Total floor space: 98.92 m2
Architect: Naoko Horibe
Photographer: Kaori Ichikawa

+ All images and drawings courtesy Naoko Horibe, photo by Kaori Ichikawa

Interior of the SSST University (Sarajevo School of Science and Technology) expresses our idea of balancing between institutional character of the building’s exterior, on one hand, and students' requirements for a stimulating learning atmosphere, on the other. Our principle goal was to create an identity that is inspiring and dynamic, but at the same time elegant and serious. We were looking for universal solutions that would allow great flexibility and could respond perfectly to different learning and teaching expectations.

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

Since the university building is located in one of the greenest neighborhoods in Sarajevo, one of the main design imperatives was to establish a fluid connection between outside and inside, as well to integrate common areas and classrooms. The student activity on the inside is clearly displayed on the outside through large windows. Transparent entrance lobby stimulates interaction with the surroundings, maximizing light and creating a visually attractive focal point. Building combines an interdisciplinary array of auditoriums, classrooms, laboratories, offices and wide variety of break-out areas. Two four-story atriums link different areas visually and physically giving each floor’s lobby access to daylight. The design of the cafeteria on the top floor follows the same logic and employs the same materials that have been used throughout other common areas, yet allowing some informality in the use of the space. The staircase in the centre of the floor divides the space into two separate zones: a small bar opens towards the landscaping on the west, while larger cafeteria space, connected to the roof terrace, has been thought to offer a calm atmosphere where it is possible to brainstorm new ideas or simply relax. The design pattern of the roof terrace consists of stripes applied to concrete paving and serves to give rhythm to the formal terrace layout. This theme translates into the interior of the cafeteria, with a focus on simple forms and elements of furniture, especially custom-designed benches and series of mirror stripes on the walls.

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

The selection of materials was based on the idea of contrast between the natural wood finishes with neutral, white and grey surfaces. One of the main aims of the project was to create a sense of unity in the common areas and to enlarge the space through reflective surfaces. This was achieved by multiplying mirror surfaces, thus creating a sense of unity and blurring the boundary between different zones. Furthermore, the entire space was enriched by famous quotes applied to the walls in order to create a stimulating learning atmosphere even outside of the classroom. The quotes have been disposed in asymmetrical configurations throughout the building forming dynamic graphic patterns.

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

courtesy Firma d.o.o., photo by Dzenat Drekovic

+ Project facts

SSST UNIVERSITY INTERIOR
Architects: Firma d.o.o.
Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Client: Sarajevo School of Science and Technology
Designers: Nermina Zagora, Dina Samic
Collaborators: Adis Kurtalic, Vedrana Mujezinovic
Project area: 10,000 sqm
Project Year: 2011 – 2012
Photographs: Dzenat Drekovic

+ All images courtesy Firma d.o.o.

The first phase of the NU Office building complex North of Munich City Center resulted in a LEED record score! Designed by Architect Falk von Tettenborn the complex is being built by the property developer Hubert Haupt. The first building was completed in 2012 and the qualification process by the US Green Building Council The US Green Building Council initiated the world’s leading performance standard LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for environmentally friendly, energy efficient and resource conserving buildings. Suitable buildings are qualified with “Certified’ ‘Silver’ ‘Gold’ and ‘Platinum’ awards. The ‘NuOffice’ building with its score of 94 points not only made the Platinum Award’s minimum of 80 points but attained the highest score ever worldwide in the category ‘Shell and Core’. During the last two years the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics has been intensively involved in the planning and conceptual design of the building and has been able to implement innovative solutions; for example, an absorption heat pump operated by district heating and adaptable glazing to improve thermal protection in summer. A building with an extremely high energy efficiency has been developed through a minimisation of the energy demand and the integration of technology which uses renewable energy sources in the energy concept.

The high value façade was carried out with white render and ALUCOBOND® Wood "Royal Cedar" as a rear ventilated construction. In order to meet today’s and future necessities the building is designed on the base of three principal points – functionality, energy efficiency and visual appearance. The building concept integrates ecology, economy and ambiance achieving an efficiency that is outstanding amongst office buildings. Cooling and heating is achieved exclusively by using a concrete core temperature control system (no radiators, no fancoils) with ground water and district heating as the only energy sources (no electricity). The intention has not only been to gain certification credits but to do everything that makes sense in order to produce an intelligently and rationally engineered product combined with a well-shaped environment for the benefit of all. The building concept encompassed the ecological, economical and optical aspects in a forward looking way reaching an unmatched energy efficiency standard. Currently two other buildings being part of the complex are being built.

+ Project facts

Location: Domagkstrasse, 80807 München, Germany
Façade material: ALUCOBOND Plus, 852 Royal Cedar
Construction type: Riveted / Screwed
Developer: Hubert Haupt Immobilien Holding
Architects: FALK VON TETTENBORN , München & hp-Ingenieure Heinrichsbauer & Pillmeier GbR, Münsing
Fabricator: AS Fassaden, Gars
Year of Construction: 2012