AQSO arquitectos office has designed the high density residential complex in Guangyuan, China.

Spliced Towers, render courtesy AQSO arquitectos office

The project is conceived as a strong element in consonance with the surrounding hilly scene. The buildings rise over the landscape becoming a milestone, a sober and expressive landmark solving the program requirements: archive the desired plot ratio and increase the green area by minimizing the building footprint.

Spliced Towers - Massing idea, drawing courtesy AQSO arquitectos office

Spliced Towers, render courtesy AQSO arquitectos office

The Southern side of the plot has a strong residential character, blocks orientated North-South within a park where the public facilities are located. On the other hand the Northern side is conceived as an urban atmosphere where four main towers are located on top of a commercial podium, establishing a mutual relation with the rest of the city.

Spliced Towers - Facade detail, drawing courtesy AQSO arquitectos office

The overall building façade combines a domestic and sober feeling. The residential blocks highlight the horizontal disposition of the floor slabs, between which is located a permeable skin made of sliding louvers. The vertical and monolithic presence of the towers is reinforced by an irregular wood and stone cladding.

Spliced Towers - Master layout plan, drawing courtesy AQSO arquitectos office

In contrast to the rational layout of the blocks, the green areas are treated with a flexible and organic circulation. Several roads of different character outspreading from the center connect the different entrance points emphasizing the elastic layout of the landscape. The spaces in between are designed with diverse types of vegetation depending on its use.

In order to optimize the ventilation and natural illumination of the units, the block width has been fixed to 12.5m, establishing a comprehensive structural system for the buildings and the parking located in the basement.

+ Project credits

Project: Spliced Towers
Designer: AQSO arquitectos office (aqso.net)
Local partner: GP&D (Chongqing)
Engineering and consulting: LKS Ingeniería, S. Coop (lks-global.com)
Ground Floor Area: 110000 sqm
Location: Guanyuan, China

+ About AQSO

AQSO is a multidisciplinary office composed of an international group of professionals dedicated to contemporary architecture, urban planning and cultural research. Their philosophy combines a rigorous and pragmatic approach with an innovative attitude.

Based in Spain and China, the office approaches every project with an ambitious methodology that investigates and analyzes social, economic, technical and sustainable issues. Their ability covers a wide range of types and scales, from public, commercial and residential buildings to town planning and urbanism.

AQSO understands architecture as a multidisciplinary process, a comprehensive approach beyond living spaces, a method in cooperation with different professionals and consultants to become the coherent nexus between imagination and reality.

Their team has the international vision, experience, flexibility and ability to materialize each project from concept to site supervision.

The office is founded by Luis Aguirre and is an international partnership. The practice relies on a multicultural team of experienced architects working on an open cross-disciplinary collaboration platform.

AQSO has been awarded for several international design competitions including Europan 9 and the Self-sufficient IaaC contest. The firm has received several prizes for public and restricted architectural competitions in Spain and China, where the company is based.

+ All images and drawings courtesy AQSO

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

The user-experience consultancy firm Netlife Research commissioned Eriksen Skajaa Architects to rethink their offices and create new spaces for reflection and creativity.

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

The challenge of low headroom and deep, dark office spaces inspired the architects to choose lightness as the basis for their concepts. These included white, natural rubber floors and a white ceiling as well as large glass walls and "Light boxes" to divide the different meeting rooms. The meeting rooms hover between the ceiling and the floor, while the black hall offers depth and solidity.

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

As a second concept the client was given four different "gardens" to enhance their creative working methods: The monastery garden, the park, the kitchen garden and the forest clearing; different places to relax and reflect.

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

Netlife Research, image courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

+ Project facts

Architect: Eriksen Skajaa Architects | www.eriksenskajaa.no
Project Team: Arild Eriksen, Joakim Skajaa
Size: 1000m2
Project Year: 2011
Client: Net Life Research / Thon Eiendom
Photo: Ivan Brodey

+ All images courtesy Eriksen Skajaa Architects | Photo by Ivan Brodey

L.A. DESIGN GROUP SHOWS ITS "WILD" SIDE WITH SNAIL PAVILION
COMPETITION ENTRY FOR THE CERAMIC TILES OF ITALY TRADE SHOW PAVILION

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

Snail Pavilion is a competition entry for the Ceramic Tiles of Italy trade show pavilion. The purpose of the pavilion is for the trade association to represent its member companies' products at a series of shows over a three-year term. Instead of selecting just a few sample products to feature, the scheme uses hundreds of tiles from Ceramic Tiles of Italy member companies to create giant "creatures" that bristle with the range and depth of Italian ceramic products. In this way the pavilion is more like a library with tiles stacked on shelves than it is a surface against which tiles are set in a rigid grout bed. Visitors can literally occupy the entire history and product catalog of the member companies. An innovative stacking system uses a simple assembly method to produce the appearance of feathers or scales – arraying tiles in a variety of sizes and colors into complex, visual seductive plumage, bristles, and whorls. The tiles are organized into loose color groupings that anticipate different sizes and tones, so the system can accommodate a broad diversity of sample products.

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

The creatures organize the pavilion into a diagonal shortcut path that funnels visitors to a pinch point where the tiles stick out and invite tactile exploration. Open figures in plan make the creatures occupiable for food service staging and VIP dining. To encourage the sense of adventure while patrons browse the pavilion, unfolded maps of each creature will be provided to point out the locations of tiles that member companies would like to feature. Browsing floor coverings becomes a safari!

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

+ Project facts

Size: 3,000 square feet
Status: Unrealized competition entry for the Ceramic Tiles of Italy trade show pavilion
Project Team: Andrew Holder, Claus Benjamin Freyinger, Yilip Kang, and?Noah Rubin
Materials: Ceramic Tile, MDF

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

Snail Pavilion, render courtesy L.A. Design Group

Paris-based Japanese architects ARCHIEE recently has completed the renovation project for a boutique, located in Paris, that displays and sells traditional Japanese products.

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop), image courtesy ARCHIEE | Photo by Ryo Suzuki

Bellow are the details of the concept:

• Simple grid
The project is based on a simple grid of Phillips screws that form the system for displaying the merchandise. There are a total of 377 screws, each having been individually screwed by hand in its allocated point. Each screw is accompanied by a simple clip, which allows the merchandise to be hung to the wall.

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop) - Ground floor plan, drawing courtesy ARCHIEE

• Flexibility of the layout
The grid enables the boutique great flexibility with regard to the display of the merchandise. Depending on the scale of the object to be displayed, a single screw or a cluster of screws can be utilized. The products are to be displayed in specific, yet fluid, categories in order to convey a narrative to the customer.

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop), image courtesy ARCHIEE | Photo by Ryo Suzuki

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop), image courtesy ARCHIEE | Photo by Ryo Suzuki

• Composition of the space
In order to fulfill the grid, the project comprises of expansive and continuous wall surfaces. There are twodiscernible surfaces. The first surface is a smooth undulating surface that, being placed over the strange existing shape of the boutique, plays two fundamental roles, that of creating a minimal internal surface and that of directing the customer around the space. The second surface is a planar intervention that covers an existing concrete column and a steel column which are awkwardly close to each other. This makes use of what would otherwise be wasted space and also simplifies and facilitates the circulation around the boutique. To maximize space further, the cash register for the boutique is found within this planar intervention.

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop), image courtesy ARCHIEE | Photo by Ryo Suzuki

• Facade
The façade of the boutique has been kept as minimal as possible in order to create a dialogue between the interior and exterior space. As such, the facade becomes the initial boundary of the continuous undulating surface.

• Merchandise control
In order to identify the merchandise on display, each screw has a unique identification number printed next to it. This allows the boutique to keep track of the display, stocking, and selling of each item of merchandise. This identification number is purposefully kept visible on the wall as delicate decoration.

Continuous-discrete (Japanese Souvenir Shop) - Exploded axonometric, drawing courtesy ARCHIEE

+ Project credits / data

Project: Continuous-discrete(Japanese Souvenir Shop)
Date: 2011
Area: 60m²
Type: interior
Programme: shop
Architect: Yusuke KINOSHITA (ARCHIEE) | http://www.archiee.com/
Architect: Daisuke SEKINE (ARCHIEE)
Photo credit: Ryo Suzuki

+ All images and drawings courtesy ARCHIEE | Photo by Ryo Suzuki

"Open Tap Project", image courtesy DOSUNO Design

“Open Tap Project“, is the opensource laboratory for the development of sustainable furniture, designed by DOSUNO Design. They have created the MT 01 table model, ET 01 shelf model & ST 03 chair model for the “Open Tap Project”.

We are aware that what we have in our hands is but a seed, an idea. An idea which we have had the opportunity to validate through theory and empiricism.

DOSUNO Design

MT 01 table model, image courtesy DOSUNO Design

The MT 01 table model is assembled without screws or adhesives due the angled cuts in the surface put together with the legs placed at 45 degrees. The structure of the table also gives a very definite aesthetic identity that adds aesthetic value to the proposal. The solution of the 45 degree fitting at the bottom allows for an easy conversion of height that allows the alternative to go from a coffee table to dining table.

ET 01 shelf model, image courtesy DOSUNO Design

The ET 01 shelf model is easily scalable in all directions for an easy adaptation to multiple needs and to any space due to its symmetrical design and construction method. The perforations in the pipes allow the relocation of the shelves themselves. Since the system is kept up by weight and friction while leaning against a wall it requires no complex or permanent installation allowing relocating the furniture with ease.

ST 03 chair model, image courtesy DOSUNO Design

ST 03 chair model, image courtesy DOSUNO Design

The ST 03 chair model is based on a popular weaving technique widely used in most regions of our country. It requires no technical skills or specialized tools. This solution also generates a multitude of customization options (due to the existence of an ample color catalog in the woven materials) that would suit the personal tastes of users. This aspect of customization creates a great advantage for the user since they can adapt the furniture to their personal taste and transform it easily.

+ About DOSUNO Design

Dosuno is a multidisciplinary design studio, a well tuned machine that produces integral solutions to a wide variety of market and design driven opportunities.

We Design Stuff. We specialize in product design, adding value through concept and technical development. We exist in an interesting balance between style, engineering and culture.