Computerlove™

July 29th, 2008

Adjaye | new site/work(Internal News)

London-based, Tanzanian-born architect David Adjaye finally relaunches his website after being down for almost two years (I've been checking). Simple, elegant layout and some new work is on display.

ADJAYE ASSOCIATES

July 13th, 2008

Zaha Hadid proposal denied

Here's a perfect example of what i refer to as an 'architecture brand'. Regardless of being a great architect, Zaha might as well put a 'ZH' logo on this construct as it has absolutely no apparent formal relation to context, and it seems the interior configuration also lacks a regard for function: the library's archive and reading room are placed behind a south-facing glass wall (think about that for a minute). Ultimately, no matter how cool the intervention (and it is), architects need to be more responsible in responding to a site and its contents.

This proposal for an extension to the Middle East Centre at St. Antony's College in Oxford has been rejected by CABE and ZH sent back to the proverbial drawing board.

via Life Without Buildings
also via The Architect's Journal

The World's Coolest Houses(Internal News)

We are on a hunt for supremely cool houses, from beach homes, country homes and city pads to holiday houses and ski retreats, we want to know where the coolest houses are for our upcoming book. We are looking for the most unique houses from Sao Paulo to Sydney. Slightly cool, standard-issue luxury won’t do it.

Follow-up to their first book, World's Coolest Hotel Rooms , now available from Harper Collins
via thecoolhunter

June 4th, 2008

Crazy Horse Memorial(Internal News)

1987


1991


1998

The carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, USA. Might be old news to some, personally i'd never even heard of this, very cool photo sequence regardless.
via StrangeHarvest

May 27th, 2008

Narrow House

"Antwerp, Belgium-based one-year-old sculp[IT] is a partnership of two architects, Pieter Peerlings and Silvia Mertens. They have recently completed a clever office, residence and studio for themselves in what they call “Antwerp’s narrowest house” located in Anwerp’s former red-light district. They took a 2.4-meter (7 feet 10 inches) wide space between two buildings, erected a steel skeleton in it and installed four wooden floors, one each for work, dining, relaxing and sleeping, plus a bath tub on the roof."
Read on...

I'm sort of partial to urban insertions so i like this project quite a bit, but I'm not too sure about bathing on the rooftop...

Biggest Drawing in the World(Internal News)

Extremely cool project by artist Erik Nordenankar. Check out the website for some more information including the travel instructions given to DHL, and a great little video documenting the piece. This strikes me as a brilliant ad campaign by DHL, which would explain why they'd go out of their way to do this; either way, very cool stuff.
via architechnophilia

BIGGEST DRAWING IN THE WORLD

UPDATE: This project may or may not be complete fiction. Either way, it's intriguing, albeit a waste of time and resources.

May 26th, 2008

Folding Facades(Internal News)

Carabanchel housing by FOA.

Great article about folding facades, illustrating use and intent over various projects.
via archidose

May 10th, 2008

Barcode(Internal News)

A shopping mall (duh!) in St. Petersburg, designed by Russian office Vitruvius & Sons.
via eikongraphia

Five Franklin Place(Internal News)

The Manhattan celebrity-architect high-rise condo orgy continues with UN Studio's entry. Ben van Berkel does the ribbon thing he loves so much...

FIVE FRANKLIN PLACE

May 5th, 2008

Crol vs Werc(Internal News)

Amazing work by San Diego/LA based artists Crol and Werc. I met these guys two days ago when they did a piece for a film project i'm working on (third pic down) in Barrio Logan, downtown San Diego. We got permission from miriello grafico to paint the side of their building :-)

CROL VS WERC

April 12th, 2008

high-tech cake toppers(Internal News)

It's about time wedding cake toppers caught up to the reality of social interaction... via geeksugar

April 11th, 2008

Leebeus Woods on the Pritzker Prize(Internal News)

"Jean Nouvel has won the 2008 Pritzker Prize for Architecture. No surprise. The lack of surprise makes it easy to view the Pritzker as establishment laurels for those who are already well-established. Like the Nobel Prizes, it is conferred on safe, already certified choices. Nouvel’s buildings are certainly of a high quality of design. At his best, he designs beautiful buildings. Who can quarrel? The Pritzker tries to remind us that the design of beautiful buildings within, or maybe—on occasion—closer to the limits of the accepted canon of beauty is the ultimate goal of architecture. People need enclosed spaces, and it is up to architects to design them in ways that satisfy the needs of body and soul. Or, at least, in ways that reassure us about what we already know. Nouvel works masterfully within the limits of what we already know.." read on...

Great article on the idea of the Pritzker Prize by Lebbeus Woods. I completely agree with his point of view on this. The prize, being the 'highest architectural honor' amounts to little more than a lifetime achievement award, rather than recognition for pushing the envelope and advancing architectural discourse. For that to happen, less well known architects, smaller firms and individuals that constantly break the mold would need to be considered. via his blog