Architecture

At just a little over 50 years old, the University of California San Diego is one of the younger college campuses in the United States, but despite this it is one of the most architecturally fascinating universities around. In the official UCSD campus guide, Dirk Sutro emphasizes that “UCSD does not have a single example of the historical-revival styles prevalent at other University of California campuses… and at San Diego’s two other major universities”. The history of UCSD architecture is one of ambition, which has made the campus a display case of modernism in all of its forms from the last half a century. Thanks to photographer Darren Bradley, we can now share this history and a selection of the exciting structures it has produced. Find out more about the UCSD campus after the break UCSD has its roots in the 1950s, when the City of San Diego offered a large section of land to the University of California. The new campus was positioned to include the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which had occupied a site on the coast since the early 20th century. What is now known as the Old Scripps Building was designed by Irving Gill in 1910; even at this early time, Gill had eschewed historical styles and his concrete design set the tone for the approach occupied by the new campus 50 years later. The original master plan for the campus was designed by Robert Alexander. It consisted of 12 colleges, each with a distinct architectural character, joined by a grand pedestrian boulevard inspired by the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The plan was heroic in its ambition: the focal point of this grand boulevard would be a huge plaza “rivaling the Piazza San Marco”, and a 6000-seat amphitheatre with a 360-foot bell tower at its center. A library “as compelling as a Mayan Pyramid” would complete the ensemble. Alexander oversaw the construction of Revelle College, the first of the 12 planned colleges, as well as the medical school and a number of standalone facilities such as the Gymnasium, with its delicate folded roof and the deceptively simple glass Natatorium. Revelle College is particularly notable for adopting the approach of the overall master plan, designed with strong forms and a large plaza at the center of the college. In order to encourage the different architectural character called for in the master plan, the university hired architect Robert Mosher to design the second college, and got more than they bargained for. A disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, Mosher believed in humanistic design and was worried about the excessive scale of Alexander’s plan, likening it to the totalitarian architecture of the Nazis – entirely inappropriate for the progressive liberalism that characterized the student population of the 1960s. Mosher convinced the university’s administrators to ultimately abandon Robert Alexander’s plan, then designing Muir College, a more intimate collection of buildings than Revelle College. At around the same time, the university hired William Pereira to design the main library, who disagreed with Alexander’s plan to situate the library at the edge of the campus, and convinced the university that a site at the center of the campus would be better. Reacting to these betrayals of his vision, Alexander resigned from his post as consulting architect – but if nothing else, he got his wish for a library “as compelling as a Mayan Pyramid”. The remarkable Geisel Library (named after Theodore ‘Dr Seuss’ Geisel) is the focal point of the campus and the star of this architectural show. Since its rapid expansion in the 1960s and early 70s, construction at UCSD has slowed down a little, but now with six colleges and a much expanded student village near its center, there are still plenty of architectural gems to be seen, such as Moshe Safdie‘s designs for Eleanor Roosevelt College (2003), the Price Center East by Yazd

This house by Spanish architect Daniel Isern looks like a cluster of concrete cubes, stacked up on a steep hillside on the outskirts of Barcelona. The rural site faces out towards the coast, so Daniel Isern designed the four-storey residence with balconies and terraces on three of its floors, as well as a pair of glazed sunrooms. The form of the building comprises overlapping volumes that integrate several cantilevers. Isern explains: "The reduced dimensions of the plot and the desire to leave the minimum imprint on the land led us to seek out a floor plan which, matching the trees that surround it, emerges from a trunk well anchored to the land and opens up in branches on each floor." The entrance to the house is on the uppermost floor. There are no rooms at this level, so residents work their way downstairs to find a living room and bedroom on the next level down, a dining room below that and a master bedroom on the bottom floor. A concrete walls extends out from the north and south sides of the house and integrates a storage area for firewood. Other concrete houses from Spain to feature on Dezeen include a stark building with richly stained timber shutters and an X-shaped house that hangs over a hillside. See more houses in Spain. Photography is by Adrià Goula. Here's a statement from Daniel Isern: Mediterrani 32, Sant Pol de Mar 2012 "For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life - the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value." Claude Monet. The project for this house emerged from a very simple premise, to build on a very steep piece of land with a gradient of almost 100%, boasting wonderful views and on a tight budget. It was this highly complicated plot of land, surrounded by pine trees, that defined a good part of this project. The land, and its perspectives, constantly changing as the hours pass, the colour of the trees, the movement of sun and shadows... On the one hand, the reduced dimensions of the plot and its complex orography, and on the other the desire to leave the minimum imprint on the land led us to seek out a floorplan which, matching the trees that surround it, emerges from a trunk well anchored to the land and opens up in braches on each floor, in such a way that each branch becomes the terrace of the upper level at the same time as it becomes the porch of the lower one. All this helps create a very formal building, with huge cantilevers facing out to emptiness, the woods and the sea which lie before it. A structure which opens up to these views and the sun, and which thanks to the terraces and the porches confuse the interior with the exterior. A building which is equally formal in both its volume and the materials which compose it. Concrete, iron, timber and stone combining in a way that emphasises the character of each one. In the end, the whole building represents a dialogue between emptiness and fullness, between materials, between outside and inside; seeking out a balance between these highly contrasting parts. Level four floor plan - click for larger image Level three floor plan - click for larger image Level two floor plan - click for larger image Level one floor plan - click for larger image East elevation - click for larger image South elevation - click for larger image The post Mediterrani 32, Sant Pol de Mar by Daniel Isern appeared first on Dezeen.

On May 18th, we celebrate the 130th birthday of one of the most highly regarded modern architects of the 20th century, Walter Gropius.  Gropius’ contribution to architecture is that of an architect, philosopher and educator.  He was the founder of the Bauhaus, the German “School of Building” that embraced a “total art” in the arts’ production and influence in the social context. This “laboratory” was an effort to  incorporate the elements of art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography in its design, development and production. More after the break. Gropius’ ideas developed in the post-war climate of Europe; the Bauhaus existed in the years between both World Wars, greatly influencing the current of modern art and architecture.  Like many modernists of the period, Gropius was interested in the mechanization of work and the utilitarianism of newly developed factories.  He and Adolf Meyer designed the Fagus-Werk factory, a glass and steel cubic building that is thought to be the pioneering work of the style of modern architecture.  The Bauhaus in Dessau was designed in 1925 by Gropius, distilling his teachings into  architectural elements of the building. Gropius contributed with published writings, discussing the Bauhaus Manifesto, the role of the artist and the artist’s relationship to his or her work.  After immigrating to the United States, Gropius continued his teachings and exploring the Bauhaus idea.  While teaching at Harvard University, he lived with his family at the self-designed Gropius House. Bauhaus rose in popularity with an exhibition, organized by Gropius, at the Museum of Modern Art.  By the time Gropius died in 1969, his ideas on architecture and the Bauhaus itself had become a staple of modernist architecture. Happy 130th Birthday to Bauhaus Founder and Acclaimed Modernist, Walter Gropius originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 May 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Architects: Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten Location: Claude-Dornier-Platz 1, Friedrichshafen, Germany Project Manager: Frank Karlheim Project Architects: Christof Killius, Lisette Oberleitner, Ana Prikic, Kerstin Schaich, Katrin Wittmann Area: 7,000 sqm Year: 2009 Photographs: Courtesy of Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten Competition Architects: Robert Klein (Project Managment), Katharina Brunn,Uwe Ernst, Johannes Schmersahl Client: Dornier Stiftung für Luft- und Raumfahrt Total Cost: 15 million EUR Gross Volume: 61,100 m3 Structural Engineer: Werner Sobek Ingenieure Building Services: Laux, Kaiser & Partner Ingenieursgesellschaft Interior Design: Grego Exhibition Design: Atelier Brückner Facade Consultant: R+R Fuchs Energy Consultant: TransSolar Energietechnik GmbH Building Physics: Ingenieurgesellschaft für Bauphysik Thor The plot for the Dornier Museum is located in the immediate vicinity of the runways at Friedrichshafen‘s regional airport. The aim of the museum is to present the technology of aircraft construction and the history of the Dornier plant, which was founded in 1922. In addition, links to contemporary history are to be established. Among the exhibits are veteran aircrafts some of which can still fly today. The shape of the museum is derived from the di- rect access of the exhibited airplanes to the runways. Translucent, curved facades delimitate the interior space and guide the way to the tarmac. The end faces oriented towards the airport are closed by transparent gates. A box within the large hall offers space for scenographic presentations of different eras. Function and Concept This museum documents the corporate history and rich tradition of the Dornier Corporation. It is sited in connection to the Friedrichshafen Airport, thus facilitating a uniquely contextual design concept. Translating the particular site quality in reference to architectural typology, to focus the predetermined program of the exhibition within a singular building, to design this space in a restrained fashion – similar to a stage space – encompasses the basic con- ceptual decisions for the Dornier Museum. Maintaining and exhibiting the material documents of people and their environment mostly serves for the benefit of society and its development. Private institutions and individuals, among others, provide this important contribution. Thus, Dornier joins the ranks of renowned founders of private museums who make their collections publicly accessible. In order to document aerospace history, the Dornier Museum is conceived as a platform for the purpose of projection of and reflection on events of the past. On the one hand, exhibits and their historic context; on the other hand, the visitors and their individual comprehension and experience of history. Topically, exclusion and inclusion are both rooted within this concept to equal degrees. The goal of the museum’s architectural concept is to influence this process by facilitating and designing transitions, similar to an airport and its transitory function. Constellation And Gesture Museum and airport, past and present, in one location. This simultaneity manifests itself within a bowshaped runway, resembling an exit in proximity to the southern airstrip. At its apex, it is superimposed with a rectangular volume. The geometric intersection area is the basis for the museum floorplan. The exhibition space volume features curved perimeter surfaces in the north and south, projecting the contour of the runway upward to the rectangular roof structure. In the west and east, the lateral perimeter permits a transition from roof to façade to the runway. The roof elements, projecting outward from the longitudinal perimeter along the intersection of floor plan and runway, distort the accustomed, conventional image of a hangar. The hangar as recognizable type is subject to formal transformation. It thus evokes similarity and difference to the surrounding airport buildings. Material and C

STUDIO magazine just released their Issue #4: TRANSFORMATION which focuses on how the city is a place involved in a continuous Transformation where man is the main creator and user. Furthermore, this issue uses several architectural projects to demonstrate how the city withstands continuous changes in its form, generating new and different landscapes. Through various scales and facets of architecture, the magazine clearly presents to its readers, from basic to in depth analyses, this transformation process cities undergo. For more information, and to read the magazine, please visit here. STUDIO Issue #4: TRANSFORMATION originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 May 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

In this extract from Print Shift, our one-off publication about 3D printing, editor Claire Barrett reports on the growing number of medical applications for the emerging technology and asks how soon we can expect 3D-printed organ transplants. Imagine printing a human liver. Or a kidney. One day this will be possible, and with a desperate global shortage of organs for transplant, the medical industry is pouring resources into developing technologies that will make this a reality. "Eighteen people die every day in the US waiting for a transplant," says Michael Renard, executive vice president for commercial operations at San Diego-based Organovo, one of the companies that is leading the way in tissue engineering. There is a huge amount of excitement around the potential for printing human tissue. Dr Anthony Atala, director at North Carolina's Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, received a standing ovation at a 2011 TED talk where he printed a prototype human kidney live on stage using living cells. Although a fully functioning kidney for transplant is many years away, Atala's primitive organ produces a urine-like substance. Like other forms of 3D printing, living tissue is printed layer by layer. First a layer of cells is laid down by the printer, followed by a layer of hydrogel that operates as a scaffold material; then the process repeats. The cells fuse, and the hydrogel is removed to create a piece of material made entirely of human cells. This is then moved to a bioreactor, where the tissue continues to grow – as it would in nature – into its final form. "Our approach is consistent with other forms of 3D printing because it's an additive process," says Renard, "but what is unique is our application of the process in the field of cell biology and tissue engineering." Strips of printed tissue will soon be advanced enough to test new drugs Currently it is possible to print small pieces of tissue; the problem lies in scaling this and creating a vascular system that delivers oxygen to the cells and removes carbon dioxide. Without this, the cells will die. In reality, printed organs are a long way away. "In the next 10 years it is possible that [printed] supplemental tissues, ones that aid in regeneration – such as nerve grafts, patches to assist a heart condition, blood vessel segments or cartilage for a degenerating joint – will make it to the clinic," says Renard. "But more advanced replacement tissues will most likely be in 20 years or more." However, scientists believe that strips of printed tissue will soon be advanced enough to be used to test new drugs. These risk-free tests will help determine whether drugs should move forward to expensive human clinical trials. Alongside human tissue, 3D printing is being used to develop body parts. In February, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, announced it had used 3D printing to create an artificial ear for treating a congenital deformity called microtia, where the ear is underdeveloped, or for those who'd lost part of an ear to cancer or an accident. An alternative to painful rib grafts, which result in ears that neither function well nor look natural, a normal ear is scanned and a mould made by a 3D printer. Collagen is injected into the mould, which acts as a scaffold in the formation of cartilage. The hope is that human trials could take place within three years. 3D printed foetuses by Jorge Lopes Although this work is headline-grabbing, 3D printing is already common within the healthcare realm. It is used to custom-print hearing aids, and as an alternative to fixed dental braces. Every day, Invisalign – a company that offers a 3D-printed alternative to fixed braces – prints 60,000 sets of transparent custom-made moulds that the wearer changes every two weeks to realign the teeth. Additive manufacturing is also being used as a visualisation tool to pre-plan surgery. For instance, a heart or fractured leg bone can be scanned and printed to allow the surgeon to

Architects: T38 studio + Pablo Casals-Aguirre Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Project Team: Alfonso Medina, Pablo Casals-Aguirre, Lucía Arroyo Collaborators: Oscar González, Sara Díaz, Ana Darice Payan Construction: Taller38 Area: 300 sqm Proyect Year: 2011 Photographs: Pablo Casals-Aguirre, Alfredo Zertuche Single family house in Tijuana, on a site where we are developing ten other single family infill houses on sites that range from 300 sq m to 450 sq m. This is house is designed as an experimentation into weight. Juxtaposing the a solid black box, that is covered in volcanic stone native to Mexico on top of a lightweight white box that contains the public part of the house. The black box is the private part, perforated by vertical openings that are not percieved from outside, creating a set of terraces around the whole perimeter. The first floor has openings throughout as to blend the interior and exterior spaces. From the street, you enter through an axis that slices the site in two, having a view towards the city. On the right side there is a studio for the owner who is a psychologist and the main entrance to the house is towards the back of the site. The lower part of the house is an open floor plan that contains the living room, dining room and kitchen. HDJ58 House / T38 studio + Pablo Casals-Aguirre originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 May 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Connecting time and space with the ‘lucky cloud’, the Aedas designed Xuzhou Suning Plaza is interpreted as magical and delightful, bringing history to life in Xuzhou. Located in the ‘Imperial Emperor’s Town’ of China, the changing of forms inspires reverie and the oval buildings reflect the union of masculine and feminine qualities as well as power and gentleness. More images and architects’ description after the break. The ring shaped design represents the formation of atmosphere. The hard and soft lines symbolize the co-existence of strength and elegance. The project, with a site area of 44,338 square meters, comprises a five-star hotel, Grade-A office and SOHO buildings as well as serviced apartments. With construction commenced in 2012, the plaza is expected to be a keyhole to the future development of the city upon completion in 2016. Architect: Aedas Location: Xuzhou, China Client: Xuzhou Suning Real Estate Co., Ltd. Gross Floor Area: 486,550 square meters Site Area: 44,338 square meters Xuzhou Suning Plaza Proposal / Aedas originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 May 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Architects: MASS Design Group Location: Kigali, Rwanda Architect In Charge: MASS Design Group Design Team: Michael Murphy, Alan Ricks, Sierra Bainbridge, Ebberly Strathairn, Branden Collins, Andrew Brose, Marika Shioiri-Clark, Ryan Leidner, Eric Mutabazi Area: 900 sqm Year: 2010 Photographs: Iwan Baan Consultants: Ujenge Construction and Engineering, K. Dohrety Landscape Design: Sierra Bainbridge Background In 2007, UK charity A Partner In Education (APIE), as part of its mission to boost education in Africa, committed to building a new school campus in the Kigali neighborhood of Kabeza to replace dilapidated existing facilities. MASS was brought onboard to select the new site, design the new educational facility, as well as assist in building the organizational structure to support the educational programs for the Kabeza neighborhood. The school opened in July of 2011 with H.E. President Paul Kagame inaugurating the project. Contextual Design The design of the building layout and circulation takes direct inspiration from the neighborhood and the region; due to the hilly landscape, people travel across switchbacks on terraced agricultural land — and the school’s traversing walkways and outdoor classrooms mirror this context. MASS created unique settings for learning with a mix of interior rooms, exterior teaching areas, and terraced play spaces for children. Local materials such as brick and papyrus reeds were used in the construction to cut down on transportation costs, limit the use of imported and often contextually inappropriate materials, and to spur the region’s economy by encouraging local markets. MASS collaborated with local craftsmen to incorporate local expertise in the process. The design employs natural ventilation strategies, and the verendeel trusses in the roof structure create clerestory lighting in order to reduce energy consumption. Amenities 7 buildings with 9 classrooms, library, computer lab, kitchen, and administrative space, Mixed interior rooms and exterior teaching areas, Terraced play spaces Umubano Primary School / MASS Design Group originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 19 May 2013.send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Italian studio Gosplan inserted a perforated metal gate into a fifteenth century marble doorway as part of their renovation of this fashion boutique in Genoa. Gosplan was influenced by the doorways of ancient Italian palaces when designing the perforated gate that marks the entrance to the store, which is located in the city's historic centre. "The door is a free interpretation of doors of ancient Genoa palaces," explains the designer. "The small holes are a metaphor for the large ancient nails, while the large hole in the centre replaces the door knocker." Called Il Salotto, which means "Living Room" in Italian, the boutique has vaulted ceilings and large windows with a bright blue linoleum floor that contrasts with the rough plastered walls. Clothes, bags and shoes hang from white-painted reinforcing rods, which have been bent into angular formations that protrude from the walls and floors. Coat hangers and mirror frames are also constructed from the bent rods, along with a cage-like chandelier that descends from the ceiling and a large circular rail from which curtains hang to enclose dressing rooms. Brightly coloured cables are strung around the shop with bare lightbulbs dangling loosely from the ceiling. The shop counter is made from coloured MDF and features a tiled recess used to display jewellery. The same dove-grey coloured tiles are used to create a unifying band around the walls of the boutique. The shop is owned by Sara Busiri Vici and Matteo Brizio who also use the space to host small art exhibitions. Photography is by Anna Positano. Other shops we've recently featured on Dezeen include a boutique with an upside-down living room on the ceiling and a fashion boutique with glass silhouettes of male and female figures that reach out to each other across a tiled floor. See all our stories about shop design » Floor plan - click for larger image Gate detail - click for larger image The post Il Salotto boutique by Gosplan appeared first on Dezeen.