ArchMedium organizes the International Architecture Competitions for Students – Paris Market Lab, is now open for registration.

+ INTRODUCTION

The contamination of our atmosphere is a problem that affects all countries of the world, without exception, and specially the big cities, due to the high concentration of combustion vehicles that are found in relatively small areas.

Brazil is without doubt one the major emerging countries of the beginning of this century, and it is here to stay! Brazil wants to make things right this time and has developed a very ambitious development plan that will allow the country to keep growing at an incredible fast pace, but also in a way that is sustainable and ecofriendly. The transformation of Rio has already begun and the city is getting ready to receive millions of visitors that will come to follow the greatest sporting events in the world THE SITE The site chosen to develop this Project is located in a privileged spot of Ipanema, one of the most representative and vanguard neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. It is famous for its beaches and seaside promenade, and also for being one the most progressive, open minded areas of the city.

Ipanema is the place to be, and General Osorio being such a strategic point inside the neighborhood, the STC will be placed here aiming to become a hub for the activity that is already happening in the area, also adding the layer of the new electric infrastructure.

+ PROPOSAL

STCenters proposes a strong bet for electric cars inside this plan, making them into one of the standard mediums of transportation, as opposed to the luxurious objects that they are usually seen as, and educating the people in terms of sustainability.

In order for this to become a successful initiative there is a huge infrastructure that needs to be build first. This is a net of charging points for these vehicles around the metropolitan area of Rio, that will guarantee the effectiveness of electric cars a way of daily transportation. This new infrastructure will need a centralized operations center, from where the whole net of charging points will be controlled and managed. This operations center will be the project that this stcRIO competition will focus on.

The overall objective of this initiative is not only to renew the fleet of the city but something much more ambitious; to achieve the total integration of the charging network with the current, and soon to be inaugurated, public transport lines. This will help the people of Rio to move from one part of the city to another quickly, safely and in a much more efficient way than they do today, making use of not one, but the various transport options and combinations that will be at their disposal.

Jury:

• President of the jury Sergi Balaguer (Alonso-Balaguer asociados)
• Local Architect: Verena Andreatta
• Especialist in movility: Manel Herce
• Urban Planning:: Adolf Sotoca

Prizes:

• 1800 Euros in cash
• Publication of the project in the WA magazine and Vitruvius
• Exposition at IaaC (Institute for advanced architecture of Catalonia)

Calendar:

February 19th 2012 Registration period ends
February 29th 2011 Submission deadline

You will be able to find more information including the complete rules of the contest, pictures of the site, etc. by following the link below:

http://www.archmedium.com/mediakit/Concursos/PMKTL_Pre.php

Guillaume Gentet was given the task of converting a 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom luxury loft apartment into a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom unit. The total area was also increased by 500SF from 2,673 to 3,073 through the extension of the upper mezzanine.

Image courtesy Guillaume Gentet

+ Project Highlights

• One bedroom, two bathroom loft apartment converted into a three bedroom, three bathroom apartment.
• Original kitchen turned into a bathroom, laundry and office space.
• New office space includes an electrical shade to conceal itself when not in use.
• Former dining area divided to create two new kids' rooms.
• New re-­?oriented kitchen and living area leaves room for entertainment.
• Expanded mezzanine and A/C system created children's play area and guest sleeping alcove; adding more than 400 SF living area.

Before and After - Layout plan, courtesy Guillaume Gentet

+ About Décor by Guillaume Gentet

With an evolving porfolio of completed work, Guillaume Gentet has conKnued to culKvate his voice as part designer-fine artist, craftsman and stylist wrapped in the sensibility of a builder.

Not only adept at direcKng construcKon, designing cabinetry, fabricaKng custom curtains and wall coverings, he possesses the clarity one needs to sort through hundreds of fabrics, wall treatments, antiques and other furnishings to make just the right choice for his clients.

Image courtesy Guillaume Gentet

The Location:

65 West 13th Street (The Greenwich) is a full service pre-war condo in a prime Greenwich Village location. This 12-floor building was constructed in 1905 as a former Macy's department store, and converted to luxury condos in 2001.

The 67 units range in size from 1 bedroom to 4 bedrooms, featuring open kitchens with high-end appliances, hardwood floors and up to 14 foot ceilings and large windows.

Image courtesy Guillaume Gentet

Image courtesy Guillaume Gentet

The Client:

A young professional couple with a toddler and twins on the way needed two more bedrooms and an extra bathroom to accommodate their expanding family.

Preserving space for entertainment and incorporating their previously purchased art into the final design were also priority.

The Renovation:

The former kitchen area was converted into a discreet office space and laundry room that opened into a third bathroom for the children. The dining area was divided to create an additional two bedrooms for the kids. The partition separating the children's rooms was designed to be easily-removable for maximum flexibility.

On the opposite side of the loft, plumbing was installed for the newly-constructed kitchen. Next to the kitchen, custom cabinetry was built along the periphery of the living room. The lofted mezzanine was doubled to make room for additional storage space, the children's play room and a guest alcove.

+ Project facts

Project: 65 West 13th Street New York City
Project: Renovated Luxury Loft Apartment
Design: Guillaume Gentet
Budget: $400,000
Original Square Footage: 2,673
New Square Footage: 3,073
Completion Date: June 2011
Contributing Professionals: Leonard Upholstery, Inc.
Target New York ConstrucKon & Fine Finishes

+ All images courtesy Guillaume Gentet

Stamberg Aferiat recently has completed the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale.

The architects, Stamberg Aferiat, are known for their bold use of color in architecture, and their ideas about color theory in design. This is their first hospitality project. The hotel’s vivid façade features hues of white, green, yellow, orange and pink, which are applied to the structure so that it highlights the natural rhythm of the building. The hotel's furniture draws on Scottsdale's cultural context, featuring simple pieces paired with traditional designs inspired by Latin / Southwestern influences like the work of Mexican architect Luis Barragán.

The Saguaro Hotel, image courtesy Stamberg Aferiat

The Saguaro Hotel, image courtesy Stamberg Aferiat

The Saguaro Hotel, image courtesy Stamberg Aferiat

The Saguaro Hotel, image courtesy Stamberg Aferiat

The Saguaro is a Joie de Vivre property (the largest boutique hotel group in California), and this is their first hotel outside of the state where they have 30 other properties. The hotel is developed by Sydell, who own the ACE Palm Springs and New York, and are known for pairing interesting collaborators together.

+ All images courtesy Stamberg Aferiat

BIG + OFF WIN THE COMPETITION TO DESIGN THE RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JUSSIEU IN PARIS

BIG + Paris-based architects OFF, engineers Buro Happold, consultants Michel Forgue and environmental engineer Franck Boutte is the winning team to design the new 15.000 m2 research centre for Sorbonne's Scientific university Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris.

© BIG

© BIG

The new multidisciplinary research centre, Paris PARC, located between Jean Nouvel's Institut du Monde Arabe and the open green park of the Jussieu Campus will become a significant addition to the campus, strengthening the international appeal and openness of the leading French University for Science and Medicine. The facility will bring together academic scholars and the busi¬ness community, while re-connecting the university physically and visually with the city of Paris. The winning team was honored as the best design among proposals from MVRDV, Lipsky Rollet, Mario Cucinella and Peripherique.

Conceptual diagram © BIG

© BIG

Paris PARC is located in the visual axis of the Notre Dame Cathedral in a dense context of university buildings from different historical periods. BIG proposes a building geometry that adapts to the specific conditions of all adjoining sides, optimized for daylight, views and accessibility. The three-dimensional envelope retracts from the neighboring facades, opens up towards the square of Institut du Monde Arabe and the park, and folds into a publicly accessible rooftop landscape, resulting in an adapted sculptural building volume situated between the emblematic architectural monuments of the university.

© BIG

As a form of urban experiment the Paris PARC is the imprint of the pressures of its urban context. Wedged into a super dense context – in terms of space, public flows and architectural history – the PARC is conceived as a chain of reactions to the various external and internal forces acting upon it. Inflated to allow daylight and air to enter into the heart of the facility, compressed to ensure daylight and views for the neighboring classrooms and dormitories, lifted and decompressed to allow the public to enter from both plaza and park and finally tilted to reflect the spectacular view of the Paris skyline and the Notre Dame to the Parisians.

Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG

© BIG

© BIG

A central canyon provides daylight and a visual connection between laboratories and offices. In the atrium a cascade of informal meeting spaces lead to the public rooftop terrace and faculty club. A public stair to the rooftop offers glimpses into the activities of the laboratories which are divided by transparent walls throughout the building to ensure visual connections between the working spaces. The upper levels have panoramic views towards the Notre Dame and the skyline of Paris.

© BIG

We propose a building that creates the optimum conditions for encounters and exchange among the academics and visitors of Paris PARC. Like a scientific incubator the new building will provide the physical environment for nurturing growth of cultures and sharing of ideas – through the internal mix of laboratories, research facilities and informal meeting spaces, and through a reunification with the public life of the city.

Andreas Klok Pedersen, Partner-in-Charge, BIG

© BIG

The Paris PARC becomes the interface between campus life and city life by reuniting the Jussieu Campus with the city of Paris. The iconic view of the Notre Dame Cathedral is brought into the daily life of the building through the large panoramic windows while the façade towards the entrance square is slightly tilted, hence, a mirrored image of the Cathedral becomes visible at eyelevel on the square, connecting the building to its iconic location.

+ Project credits / data

PROJECT: Paris PARC
TYPE: Competition
CLIENT: UPMC University
SIZE: 15.000 m2
LOCATION: Paris, France
STATUS: 1. Prize

BIG
Partners-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen
Project Leader: Daniel Sundlin
Architect: Gabrielle Nadeau
Team: Camille Crepin, Edouard Boisse, Tiina Liisa Juuti, Alexandre Carpentier

OFF
Partners-in-Charge: Manal Rachdi, Tanguy Vermet, Ute Rinnebach
Project Leader: Daniel Colin, Antonio Rovira
Team: Akram Rachdi, Olfa Kamoon

Broadway Malyan's £66 million college officially opened at launch event

The brand new £66 million Bournville College campus in Birmingham, UK, designed by global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan, and built by national contractor Shepherd Construction for developer St Modwen, has been opened at an event attended by senior officials, local government delegates and over 500 VIP guests.

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

Former UK government cabinet member David Miliband also visited new 250,000 square feet building and 4.2 acre campus, which has capacity for 15,000 students and will consolidate the College's three existing campuses.

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

He described the College as a source of inspiration to young people in the Midlands and said:

It has got a wow factor and is a real temple of learning and a source of hope for Longbridge and Birmingham as a whole.

Broadway Malyan director Aidan Ridyard said:

Our education sector experts have delivered a state-of-the-art Further Education facility that will provide students and staff with one of the most contemporary learning environments in Europe, following close partnering with stakeholders, including the College and Birmingham City Council.

As one of the last of the major Learning and Skills Council-funded projects, the College has been designed as an assertive building to redefine the image of the College, maximise the potential of the landmark site and, as the first part of a wider masterplan, ensure the campus is a bold catalyst in the redevelopment and regeneration of the wider Longbridge area.

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

The building is hinged around a dramatic linear central spine which houses classrooms. The spine links to 'The Street', which will act as the main social heart of the College, and provide a connection to the blocks around the perimeter which will be occupied by vocational study areas. The latter include glazed sections facing onto The Street, to provide 'active frontages' to passers-by.

Bournville College - Elevations, drawing courtesy Broadway Malyan

Meanwhile, a Learning and Resource Centre, which will eventually face the new town square as part of the site's masterplan, has been designed to present a strong welcoming image, with a fully-glazed façade wrapped by 34 huge glulam beams.

Bournville College, image courtesy Broadway Malyan

Norman Cave, Principal of Bournville College added:

This is a project that has been six years in the making from conception to completion. We've been waiting with anticipation for this milestone moment and are pleased about starting a new chapter in the history of Bournville College.

Bournville College - Ground floor plan, drawing courtesy Broadway Malyan

+ Project credits / data

Project: Bournville College
Architect: Broadway Malyan
Location: Birmingham, UK
Program: Education | College

+ All images and drawings courtesy Broadway Malyan