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Brewer distribution center acclaimed as Britain’s greenest warehouse
May 1st, 2008
The Adnams Distribution Centre in Suffolk, England, instills the green approach to building throughout. By Helen Elias Designed by architects Aukett Fitzroy Robinson and structural engineer Faber Maunsell Aecom, the 90m long, 45m wide new central distribution center for the Suffolk brewer Adnams is being widely acclaimed as Britain’s greenest warehouse. The client, known across […]
Rooftop gutter and ETFE clamping assembly
May 1st, 2008
PTW Architects designed the Beijing National Aquatic Center to take advantage of ETFE’s lightweight to clad the entire building with the air-filled pillows (“bubbles”)—twice! First, for a protective exterior façade and second, for an interior “façade” of the same material with a 5m airspace between them. At the roof level, rain gutters are built into […]
New materials inspire architects
May 1st, 2008
The latest films, membranes and new materials fire the imagination of architects. By Katherine Carlson A fountain of light-filled fabric is the center of The Soft House, one of 15 architectural innovations created for the 2006 Intelligent Living by Design exhibit at Germany’s Vitra Museum. The futuristic vision by Kennedy & Violich Architecture (KVA), Boston, […]
Retractable canopy system extends outdoor service of Seattle café
May 1st, 2008
One of Seattle’s public golf ranges gets a makeover to improve outdoor dining at the club café. Part of a series of public golfing centers established by the Seattle parks and recreation department, the Interbay Golf Center is newly renovated so that patrons of the driving range café can enjoy views of the range year-round […]
Book review: Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals
May 1st, 2008
Reviewed by Jeremy Clark When I was an intern, I worked with an architect who started his career as a contractor. He used to shake his head at new designers coming out of school, who he claimed never had held a 2 x 4 in their hands. He firmly believed that one needed to understand […]
Fiber and nature inspire public artist
May 1st, 2008
By Mason Riddle Trained as an architect, Randy Walker has a keen appetite for creating architecturally inspired public art projects from woven materials. Some originate with pre-existing structures like the 1962, 7.6m high playground Spaceship in Minneapolis’ Brackett Park. About to get the heave-ho because after 45 years, people decided it too dangerous, Walker came […]
Green roofs and living walls create eco-friendly clothing shop
March 1st, 2008
Mass Studies has out done itself with a cool (literally) flora-covered multi-use building in Seoul. A blend of natural and artificial, the new Ann Demeulemeester fashion retail shop in the Gangnam district of South Korea’s capitol city brings green building to a new level. Sited on an alley in a neighborhood that has seen rapid […]
Jamestown Settlement exhibit ensconced in fabric
March 1st, 2008
Tension fabric R & D leader, Transformit, has contributed its expertise to the recently opened Jamestown Settlement Museum. Among these contributions are monolithic panels that recreate the forest environment where the settlement existed, and curved ceiling panels that integrate lighting and projection elements. The Jamestown forest is replicated as a series of towering fabric panels […]
GEI certifies several popular fabrics
March 1st, 2008
The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) recently has certified several popular fabrics as low-emitting products. The Astrup Co.—a leading supplier of materials used in the manufacture of awnings, signs, tarpaulins, tents, indoor and outdoor furniture, and related products for commercial and architectural applications—carries Sunbrella® fabrics and select SheerWeave® fabrics that have earned the Greenguard® certification, which […]
Ball-shaped building made of ETFE foil houses high-class spa
March 1st, 2008
Looking like an alien spaceship landed on earth, Oasis 1, a ball-shaped building sculpted out of ETFE foil, recently debuted as a five-star spa and wellness center in New Ross, Ireland. The high-tech membrane surface of the building serves as a projection and reflection screen for special light effects and generates a unique translucent and […]