For the competition held by Ance on the redevelopment of abandoned industrial areas, the spatial analysis project started. The lot is located in the former industrial area of Cava de’ Tirreni, north of it, the area that was occupied by Co.Fi.MA, abandoned canning industry.

A Civil Community, render courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

Gone are the tobacco fields of landscape features which are linked the lives of many families. Quarry boasts famous personalities, including that Filangieri enunciated theories of civil economy.

A Civil Community - Strategies diagram, drawing courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

The project aims to create an international research center on alternative uses of tobacco, a community around the research center environmentally sustainable principles-based civilian economy and a sister community in another country that can harness the knowledge made available from the research center.

A Civil Community, render courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

It tends to create a node that can operate from residential fly-in residential and commercial investment to convert most of the areas facing the state in a decade. And Lot ‘was cut by a south east-west link to access the basement parking. It ‘was chosen to cover the entire area with a green surface.

A Civil Community, render courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

The orography of the town of Cava that from this derives part of its name, and ‘suggestion was to give the green surface the typical conformation downstream, creating assonance formal perception at different scales. The daylight allowed to make choices on the heights of the various levels residential environments day with south of the house with windows that open view of the valley, protected by brise soleil.

West were willing research center and conference room, northwest kindergarten elementary east business. The whole bring a gallery of services covered atrium that leads from the green.

A Civil Community - Section, drawing courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

+ Project credits / data

Project: A Civil Community
Location: Cava de’ Tirreni, Italy
Design: Arch. Amleto Picerno Ceraso | aramplus Architetti Associati
Program: Research, Community

+ All images, drawings and description courtesy aramplus Architetti Associati

Mjölk architects built a sauna and presented it to their city

Czech architectural office mjölk architekti made a remarkable contribution to public space utilization in Liberec, their city of residence.

During the night right after their apperance at Pecha Kucha Night Prague – which took place last Wednesday – the architects built a public sauna on a city dam. The sauna itself was built on an abandoned concrete platform, which is located only a few dozen meters away from a popular public beach and promenade.

Public Sauna in Liberec, image courtesy Mjölk architekti

No legal permit was issued and the entire happening was kept secret. The bank of the dam is in public ownership of the municipality; the abandoned concrete structure as well the dam itself is owned by Povodí Labe, state administrator of watercourses of the Labe river. Neither of the authorities had any idea of what was about to happen.

Public Sauna in Liberec, image courtesy Mjölk architekti

Mjölk architekti presented the sauna to city representatives at an opening ceremony, which took place last Thursday. The sauna opened to public completely free of charge. From now on, it is accessible by a little rowing boat and it is operated from a nearby café, where keys and firewood are available.

The meaning of this happening is to draw attention to limitless opportunities of cultivation of public space and life only through a simple idea and a little bit of enthusiasm and money.

Public Sauna in Liberec, image courtesy Mjölk architekti

+ Project credits / data

Project: Public Sauna in Liberec
Design: Mjölk architekti
Location: Liberec, Czech republic
Preparation: 5 days
Building time: 8 hours
Total cost: 2.200 EUR

French architects LAN architecture won the competition organised by ICF Novedis to design the block 4.2 of the new Cardinet-Chalabre urban development zone in Paris, France.

The major urban interest of ilot 4.2 lies in its position: it will act as a fulcrum between Boulevard Pereire and the new ZAC (Urban Development Zone), creating a kind of transition between 'black and white photograph' Paris and the three-dimensional “Grand Paris” project.

40 Housing Units and Retails, render © LAN Architecture

Ensuring this transition was the core concern underlying our strategy, which involved trying to understand the fundaments of the Haussmanian typology.

LAN regards the proposal as a tribute to Paris, to an architecture defined by the city's specificity and logic, but with the additional demand of having to provide solutions to current and emerging problems.

40 Housing Units and Retails - West elevation, drawing © LAN Architecture

The project's conception is based on the regularity of its façade.

The interplay of matter and transparency defines the envelope of the ensemble, which for urban planning reasons has to take up the entire plot, and therefore have the same ground plan.

40 Housing Units and Retails, render © LAN Architecture

Each apartment is organised around a large loggia, an extension of the interior living space outside. In winter the loggia can be closed to create an additional living room, despite the cold. In summer the loggia helps ventilate the interior.

The arrangement of the loggias creates an interplay between matter and transparency across the facade. Clad with wood, the loggias become its recognisable elements, enlivening the regularity of the windows, so that the building, seen from a distance, expresses itself from within, like a colour chart.

The regularity and size of the openings and the ceiling height render the building's definition in terms of use ambiguous, and the choice of structure reinforces this. Only the facades and circulation core are load-bearing, leaving maximum freedom for the arrangement of each floor. The building can therefore change use in the future when required.

40 Housing Units and Retails - Section, drawing © LAN Architecture

40 Housing Units and Retails - Detailed section, drawing © LAN Architecture

+ Project credits / data

Project: 40 housing units and retails
Location: ZAC Saussure Pont Cardinet, Ilot 4.2, Paris 75017, France
Date: 2010
Client: ICF Novedis
Size: 3200 m2
Time: 2010 – 2013
3D Rendering: IDA+
Architect: LAN Architecture
Structure: Bollinger-Grohmann
HEQ consultant: Agence Franck Boutté
Fluids: LBE
Quantity surveyor: Jp Tohier & Associes

+ All images and drawings © LAN architecture