DONAIRE ARQUITECTOS; Seville

INTRODUCTION

Founded in 1993, the AM Qattan Foundation is a registered charity in the UK which operates out of premises in London, Ramallah and Gaza. It works towards the development of culture and education, with a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists. For more information on the AMQF including its vision and values, click here.

Having outgrown its existing accommodation in Ramallah, the AMQF is planning to construct new premises in the Tireh area of Ramallah. It is running an international architectural competition for the design of what will be a major new cultural center and office building.

The competition is an opportunity to champion excellence in design, reflecting the quality of the AMQF’s work in the culture and education fields for over 15 years. As well as responding to the AMQF’s functional needs, the new building is expected to set a standard for the architecture of subsequent public buildings in Palestine.

The AMQF hopes that the competition and execution process will raise awareness about the role of the built fabric design in improving the quality of urban life in social, cultural and economic terms.

Coming from abroad, the Qattan Foundation is perceived as a lighthouse bringing enlightenment to the Palestinian people. This role as a flagship of Palestinian culture is in need of a recognizable image worthy to represent its social leadership with a physical landmark. We imagine this landmark as a light up the mountain, seen from everywhere and, although modern and contemporary in its form, it is built from the very earth and stone of Palestine. The future building will target an international audience with a contemporary language, but what it will deliver is the local vernacular and very particular qualities.

 

As a building bound to the ground, it is designed to be in harmony with its physical setting, while taking advantage of the site’s features. The main body is conceived as a stone plinth carved in terraces out of the natural soil, enhancing the interior-exterior relation through the use of lattices and natural stone permeable screenings. This innovative and contemporary use of the local stone will be used to clad entirely a tall transparent volume seating on top of the plinth. This volume will therefore perform like a lighthouse, a glittering landmark on top of the hill.

 

The distribution of uses is based on a suitable relation between public and private uses. Most public spaces and common facilities (art gallery, residence and parking lot) are located within the plinth, whereas the rest (library, multipurpose space, storage/workshop space and book cafe) are located where the tower meets the plinth. The tower will house those uses in need of privacy and certain security, like the General Management, QCERD and CAP, all conceived as open plan working spaces with enclosed private office spaces. In order to supply the building with no disruption to its normal functioning, an independent loading bay will be arranged at the multipurpose hall level from a private lane perpendicular to the main street.

 

Human scale spaces and elements are introduced in order to make the building softer and comfortable. Vegetation will grow in the courtyards like in an Arabian garden, giving a fresh feel and fragrance.

 

For instance, we would like to propose bringing the arbor space for informal meetings from the current headquarters. Although the predominant material will be limestone, we consider it important to achieve a warmer feel by introducing some colored ceramic tiles forming “frozen” carpets at the reception area, as well as some color patches at the bar, cafe library, etc.

 

Regarding the future extension, our design offers the possibility to make this possible at a very low cost. An extra terrace would be excavated further down the hill to relocate the parking lot. Depending on the budget it could be roofed by a light structure or pergola, or either another by a slab generating another volume clad in stone. The current space for parking would be perfect to house a big open-plan office space, being lit by the front facade and the rear courtyard, which links diagonally all the spaces within the plinth.

 

All the above-mentioned qualities will contribute to making the visit a rich, surprising experience from the very moment the glittering volume is perceived from the distance. As one approaches the complex, a wide deep opening shaded with a stone screen invites visually to the access towards a big square. This square will be the center of social life and events like open air concerts, and will be in close contact with the art gallery and multipurpose hall by ramps running within courtyards. These ramps make all the public use spaces highly accessible, whilst accessibility will be granted in the tower by two elevators running along rigid structural cores.

 

In terms of sustainability, we are proposing some simple yet very effective mechanisms, most of them already used by vernacular architecture long before air conditioning entered the scene. Like ancient Palestinians used the materials they could find where they lived, we propose to use locally sourced limestone and ceramic tiles, not only saving on budget, but also improving the overall carbon footprint and providing durable and low maintenance materials. In order to save energy we employ every possible way of introducing natural light into the building, like courtyards, big openings and a light well or atria in the tower. Similarly we have arranged a section which allows cross-ventilation through the courtyards and the central atria in the tower, as well as proposed to install PV panels on the technical floor at the tower´s roof. As for the solar protection we have mentioned before the stone screening which will shade the tower´s glass surfaces, in addition to the deep cantilevers shading the wide openings we have proposed for the plinth.

 

As a conclusion we would like to emphasize that we are committed with a rational functional and economical design, reconciled at the same time with local ancient qualities that vernacular architecture provides, in order to achieve a simple and yet rich environment Palestinian people will feel as their own.

 

Qatar Science and Technology Park

Qatar’s new Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is a key initiative of the Qatar Foundation in its drive to diversify the economy, create highly skilled jobs and to establish Qatar as a knowledge economy in the Middle East. In the QSTP, Qatar is building a world-class environment for companies to develop their technology, including a business incubator to help technology start-ups.

The masterplan for the QSTP encompasses 123ha of land which is integrated with the facilities of the Qatar Foundation, its new teaching hospital and its new convention centre. Phase One construction of the QSTP comprises 115,000 m² of development. At its heart is the 12,000 m² Incubator Centre, incorporating the administrative hub and Business Centre. This building is flanked by the first two Tenant Buildings,
each 20,000 m².

The architectural aesthetic is striking and contemporary, whilst respectful of the Qatari culture and designed for the desert climate. The design features the separation of motor vehicles from pedestrians. The podium provides a pedestrian-only landscaped environment, under the ‘veil’ shade structure that links the buildings. People are encouraged to move freely between the activity hubs in the tenant building atrium spaces and the Incubator Centre’s retail outlets and service facilities. It is truly a place for people; a green respite with the sound of moving water.

description via the Architect: Woods Bagot

Following the sun The Endesa Pavilion designed by IAAC

 

ENDESA Pavilion is a self-sufficient solar prototype installed at the Marina Dock, within the framework of the International BCN Smart City Congress. Over a period of one year it will be used as control room

for monitoring and testing several projects related to intelligent power management.

 

The pavilion is actually the prototype of a multi-scale construction system. A facade composed by  modular components, like solar brick, that respond to photovoltaic gaining, solar protection, insulation, ventilation, lighting … The same parametric logic adapt façade geometries to the specific

environmental requirements for each point of the building. It is is a single component that integrates all levels of intelligence that the building needs.

 

From “form follows function” (classic XX century statement) to “form follows energy”. The facade   opens reacting to the solar path, being active and becoming permeable towards south, while becoming closed and protective towards north. The behavior of this skin makes visible the environmental and climatic processes that surrounds the prototype.
Enjoy this video:

 

 

 

10 Things They Don’t Teach You in Architecture School

 

Milstein Hall at Cornell University / OMA © Matthew Carbone

 

By Linda Bennet, for Archi-Ninja

Initially, Architecture School was overwhelming. In my early assignments I struggled to learn the new design ‘language,’ to manage the intense studio hours (goodbye to mum and dad for a while), and deal with the tough criticism – with barely a passing mark, I was lucky to make it through my 1st year! Then there were the ‘super-students,’ those who appeared to achieve the unattainable: draw in plan, section AND perspective, as well as eloquently communicate and sell their ideas.

Six years on from this tough beginning I graduated with high distinction, achieving the highest overall aggregated marks of all students in the areas of History, Theory, Construction, Practice and Design.  I was the University of Technology (UTS) winner of the most Outstanding Design Student in 2010, awarded a scholarship to study in L.A. and was also nominated by UTS for the NSW Architects Medallion in 2011.

Today I reflect on my time at university (or college for my US readers) to recognize that the most important lessons didn’t come from the curriculum, but from what I discovered along the way. In no particular order, here is what I uncovered about surviving and achieving in architecture school:

#1. Forget about Winning or Losing

The rest of the 10 Things You Don’t Get Taught in Architecture School, after the break…

 

 

Masonic Ampitheatre, a design/build project at Virginia Tech University. © Jeff Goldberg/ESTO

 

10 things you don’t get taught in Architecture School:

1: Forget about Winning or Losing

Architecture is undoubtedly subjective and therefore your tutors will tend to find value (or lack of) in things that you don’t (or others don’t) and vice versa. When you stop focusing on what other people do (or think) then you will become more capable of focusing on your individual design value and agenda. Ultimately, by ruling out the process of comparison you begin to define your own standards and measures of success which, in my case, is greater than the perceived expectations that someone else will place upon me. You therefore create your own benchmark for success. Document your work well and find a good forum such as pushpullbar.com for presenting your ideas and being open for criticism and growth. Always be satisfied with your achievement, irrespective of your mark and of those around you, part of what makes architecture so exciting is the fact that everyone contributes uniquely to its perception, discourse and practice.

2: Your tutor is your client

Similar to a client, your tutor needs to see, understand and be convinced by your design process and resolution. You need to be able to convince your tutor that your design is well-considered; at minimum, addressing the requirements of the brief (see 4: Break the rules). In a design competition the firm that best communicates their idea through various mediums will often win the job, and in the same way, the student who best communicates their idea in architecture school will likely get the highest mark. It is also important to be professional, your tutors are likely to have many responsibilities outside being a teacher and mentor so show them that you respect their time by considering their advice seriously and by working hard. If you need extra help, ask for advice, visit their office or catch up in a cafe, just be present and invested.

Taking the time to know your tutor (like you would a client) will give you a greater understanding of their knowledge, values and motivations. By understanding what their methodology and interest in architecture is you can best gauge how they can help you, what you can learn from them and how to approach and pitch your design strategies.

3: Play the Momentum

Many great leaders in business (including Donald Trump) talk about the importance of establishing and maintaining momentum. With momentum it is difficult to stop, while without momentum, it is difficult to start. Tutors hope to see progress every single week and if you start developing your design from day one without stopping, it is unlikely you will feel the need to pull an all-nighter before submission time (this being the quintessential anti-momentum). The most successful projects are unlikely to be developed in just 1 night and design tutors are well aware of the students who haven’t slept based on the thoroughness of their project. Without momentum, students are not able to achieve the same kind of thought processes with consideration and continuous design iterations that the students with momentum have. Maintaining this will also eliminate the need for major last-minute design changes that often do more harm than good. Last-minute changes are usually less resolved and less likely to be communicated successfully.

4: Break the Rules

It is important to think of the design brief as your minimum expectation; tutors establish the brief to ensure students address particular challenges and important considerations relating to the design subject. There will be a number of rules which are outlined in the brief; ‘the house must be 2 stories high’ or ‘you must have 6m setback from the road.’ However, if you have a better solution, break and/or negotiate the rules – but always understand why. Curiosity will lead to discovery, which in turn will lead to questioning: so why does the house need to be 2 stories? There is never only one answer rather university is about speculating many and asking the right questions.

There is far more value in a student who strives to find solutions that challenge the status quo than in one who simply meets the rules without considering why they’ve been established (and what they do) in the first place. By doing this you think about how architecture works as opposed to how it looks. When it comes to the design brief, rules are made to be broken; and when done so successfully you will stand out from your peers, as well as generate a more valuable discussion for learning.

Many architects who have won major competitions (look no further; Bernard Tschumi) have done so by breaking and/or negotiating the rules, to communicate a design solution, or perhaps a problem (even better!) to the jury or client (in your case tutor) which stood out from the competition. By bringing unexpected agendas and obstacles into view, architectural proposals can re-order the traditional logic (see Arakawa and Gins) and allow the jury or client (or tutor, or the public) to find unexpected value.

5: Have broad influences and mentors

When studying Architecture it is quite easy to isolate all of your influences and mentors to people who directly work in the industry. While it is important to have these people available to guide you, it is important to have many influences and mentors from outside the industry. This allowed me learn from people with vastly different perspectives and considerations and to then apply this thinking back into architecture, creating a broader and more interesting forum for discussion and negotiation.

I often did self-guided subjects where I could write my own design brief to explore such topics of anarchy and architecture and social and political agendas in architecture because this is what most interested me. It is also possible to do subjects outside architecture by taking units in anthropology, biology or ceramics, for example, allowing you to naturally broaden your skill-set, personal resources, and way of thinking about architecture (think of Shigeru Ban’s unique weaving aesthetic), and even better is Architecture inspired by Science Fiction or Fantasy.

One of my favourite architects Andrew Maynard often talks about the “storm trooper detail” in his work, which is a white surface with black detailing revealed beneath. Limiting your influences can quite simply lead to producing designs that look generic because one can only imagine the reproduction of what they know or have seen. Having broad motivations and influences will allow you to constantly inform your peers and tutors and to keep them engaged in your projects and processes by showing them a perspective which is unique and outside their own.

6: Have cause and conviction

Be passionate about something to motivate you through university and into your career. Game changing Architects advocate a strong cause and with precise conviction. In their protest for what they believe they don’t stand in-front of the car, they are behind the wheel driving. Admittedly, at one point or another, every architecture student finds him or herself dragging their heels. As soon as you feel that you do not love what you’re doing, it’s time to stop, question why and re-evaluate. Redirect your process or motivation and don’t let anything get in the way of your love affair (see Louis Sullivan’s essay,“May Not Architecture Again Become a Living Art?”). Don’t feel like you are doing the work because you have to, rather you should do it because you want to and allow your energetic attitude to inspire and lift your peers. Why bother trying to drudge through any part of the process?

7: Up-skill

Your tools, techniques and methods of communication will significantly affect your ability to communicate architecture. You need to develop strong visual, verbal and written communication skills. Through concise yet relaxed storytelling – communicating, his idea, process and resolution Bjarke Ingels is a master when it comes to winning competitions, in an interview with the New Yorker he describes himself “as a true extrovert. Your capacity to communicate ideas is your hammer and chisel.” Something as simple as mastering Google search, CAD programs, or getting models laser cut can save hours!

8: Build meaningful relationships

The relationships you build, both in and out of school, represent the beginning of defining your views and finding your own path in architecture. Many successful architecture partnerships are formed between people who met in school. (see Asymptote Architecture or Hurzog & de Meuron) But beyond keeping a reliable group of go-tos, think of everyone you encounter during school as a potential connection for the future. Seek out events and happenings that will expose you to other people in the field. Having conversations with as many people in the industry as possible will open up the most opportunities for you to grow and form new professional friendships and partnerships, taking you places not possible without.

9: Learn project management

As an architecture student, one of the first things you find out (and last things you learn to figure in) is that everything will likely take three to five times longer than you expected. This is also unfortunately common in practice and generally Architects need to be better managers. I believe this is because architecture is both a qualitative and quantitative process which helps to negate the ‘finish’ line. Not ever did I feel a design project was ‘perfect’ and likewise Architects on every project wish they had done something (or many things) differently. “Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion.”- Tim Ferriss, The Four Hour Work week.

Understanding the perceived importance of a given task will effectively allow you to direct your focus on the right things, at the right time, allowing you to make smart decisions on where to spend your effort, time, money, resources and so on for maximum gain. For more guidance on study hacks and optimising the use of your time check out Cal Newport’s blog and 99U.

10: Don’t expect the outcome

Students often limit their projects by anticipating certain aspects or the design outcome far too early on in the process. If you are too focused on a fixed result, then you are denying yourself the opportunity to discover what you could not have expected. When you anticipate a given outcome, your research, equipment, processes and focus will naturally be managed in a way to best meet the anticipated solution. By contrast, if you try to set yourself up for the act of discovery, embracing what serendipitous events come up along the way, you will begin to tap into the tacit and often highly subjective insights, intuitions and hunches of individual thought and expression. I can tell you now that to be surprised by your own, idiosyncratic work is far more satisfying than any mark.

You will need to find your own way, be engaged and proactive, no one can teach you the answer, you need to discover and create. ‘A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to’ Banksy. Like I said back at number 1, there are no winners or losers – architecture is interesting because it is after all capable of surprise!

I hope everyone studying architecture, or planning to study architecture finds my advice helpful. For anyone who would like to learn more about any of my points above please feel free to email linda@archi-ninja.com. For anyone who has finished architecture school or currently learning things along the way Id love to hear your own experiences and advice in the comment section below.

Story via Archi-Ninja

BRING THE LANDSCAPE BACK TO THE CITY

 

 

Architecture value understanding differs from one country and society to another. In the Middle East generally, Architecture tends to be a pure tool for the business sector for marketing and achieving the materialized profit ignoring the social aspects, this phenomenon is increasing with the continuous commercial practice done by the Architects along the region; thus the critical practice is fading away, helping in less appreciation for the profession by the society

This project is offering a public space which can hardly be found in the city of Ramallah which – in the last 20 years- has turned to be a political and commercial hub offering nothing but hundreds of elite cafes and shopping malls for its residences. The designed project is one part of a vision that could be applied in the city center, offering completely pedestrian layers above the compacted narrow streets, public spaces and plenty of greenery areas integrated within the city center fabric.

For a further step, the project is celebrating and branding Architecture itself for the public audience. Along with the project image, additional functions such as show rooms and small open auditoriums we included in the project.

Questioning the idea of how should buildings occupy the ground, how much they weigh and the natural untouched landscape image, and interacting these aspects with the basic formal grid, produces a sense of lightness and fluidity in the visual perception as well as with the functional aspects of the project. This project could be a glimpse of strangeness and newness that meet the humankind desire.

An Office Made of Pallets

 

Dutch most architecture were commissioned by Amsterdam company brand base to design a temporary space for their new office location. the client wished to furnish the space with recyclable material which gave the architects the idea to use pallets.

The pallet structure is designed in such a way that besides being merely a workplace, the entire element invites you to stand, sit or lay down on the pallets. this open office concept was created to suit the creative advertising agency, with an additional,  informal atmosphere.

Green School Prototype – Gaza, Palestine

 

This project is an architectural proposal for a school as well as a recreational and associative center to be built for the young people of the Palestinian camps. Designed by the architect Mario Cucinella in the framework of the 1st Italy-Palestinian technical table on Eco-Architecture and renewable energies held in Ramallah in March 2010 and organized by Italian Development Cooperation and Italian Foreign Office in accordance with the Ministries of Planning and Public Works of the Palestinian National Authority.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) unveiled plans for the first of 20 zero-emissions schools throughout the Gaza Strip. The school will support 800 students and use rainwater, geothermal, and solar systems instead of water and energy grids.

At a construction cost of $2 million, the sustainable project will cost no more than other UNRWA sponsored buildings in the region. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development is providing financial support for the project.

Major design elements include thermal mass columns filled with excavated soil from the construction site, a large central courtyard, and a traditional Mashrabiya screen (a lattice like screen made of small wood pieces) for shading and ventilation. Rainwater will be harvested and recycled for sanitation and irrigation.

UNRWA claims that eventually, vulnerable communities throughout the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria will also get the green cost and energy-efficient school treatment.

 

via Green prophet

Two Norwegians’ architecture of necessity

 

Armed with a sense of purpose, two young architects travel the world to practice local architecture that is internationally relevant. And they want everything to look good too!

THINKERS think and doers do, they say. Ah, but not if you are smart, eager and embrace a never-say-die attitude like Norwegians Andreas Grontvedt Gjertsen and Yashar Hanstad.

Founders of award-winning design studio TYIN tegnestue Architects, these barely-out-of-architecture-school design wunderkinds (they graduated in 2010) are not only thinkers who do but who also create do-good designs that are enhancing people’s lives in remote Indonesia, Thailand, and Uganda, as well as back home in Norway.

A sampling of their projects, like a cluster of dwellings, a library and a bathhouse for refugee orphans along the Thailand-Myanmar border, and a community library and a playground in Bangkok’s slums, has drawn international attention and accolades. Just recently, Tyin was named winner of the European Prize for Architecture 2012.

(The annual award by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies acknowledge European architects “who have demonstrated a significant contribution to humanity and to the built environment through the art of architecture”.)

The serendipitous path

“We were getting bored in architecture school so we tried our hands at everything, like workshops and competitions,” says Gjertsen during an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently. Gjertsen was one of the speakers at the international architectural design conference Datum: KL 2012, organised by Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia in July.

Back in 2006, they won a competition to refurbish a student house based in an old building that dates back to 1920s Norway.

“We expended lots of energy to transform this ruin back into its former glory,” explains the then student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “Only to realise we spent almost US$150,000 (RM458,175) on a space for kids to get more drunk. It felt superficial!”

It was around that time the disillusioned and antsy youths bought a boat and lived on it for a year. They named it Tyin, meaning “to seek shelter” in Norwegian; that is also the name of a lake in Norway’s Jotunheimen mountain range.

“We realised the limits of the boat: its size, the cold in winter and the heat in summer. It made us very thoughtful of what we brought to the boat,” says Gjertsen. Tyin became the “shelter” where they discussed architecture, what it means to be an architect, and how to find more meaning in their work.

“We knew we needed to get out of our comfort zone and the best way to do so was to leave Norway,” he adds. “The energy from our frustrations was so explosive and invigorating that things started to happen.”

The projects

In 2008, with funds collected from T-shirt sales and solicited from architectural firms in Norway, Gjertsen and Hanstad took a break from their third year in architectural school and travelled to the remote village of Noh Bo in Tak Province, Thailand.

Their first real-life project involved building a cluster of huts for an expanding orphanage.

Rather than design a single dormitory building with institutional vibes, though, they designed six separate units to be shared by groups of up to six kids each. The idea was to provide each child with his own private space that he could call home, as well as communal space for interaction and play.

“Though we had some drawing and design skills, we had no experience in thinking about practical solutions,” recalls Gjertsen, who, with Hanstad, roped in four other friends to help out.

“We brought along our ideals, traditions and a sense of superiority thinking we could implement all the technology we’ve learned on this project,” he confesses.

“In our naive arrogance, we thought we could make a timber structure. After two days it fell apart and water seeped in!”

The local carpenters then stepped in and taught the farangs a thing or two.

Drawing from vernacular architecture and traditional bamboo craftsmanship, the architects settled on woven and slatted bamboo for the side and back walls of the houses. Bamboo was harvested nearby while the ironwood frames and beams were assembled on-site using bolts to ensure precision and strength.

The “winged” roof promotes natural ventilation for the sleeping units and rainwater can be collected via the gutter and stored for the dry season. To prevent moisture from seeping into the structure and causing decay, the houses are raised off the ground on four concrete foundations cast within old tyres. The locals named the houses Soe Ker Tie, or The Butterfly houses, after the winged roofs. The structures were completed in four months.

“It was a real collaboration between Tyin and the locals,” says Gjertsen.

But the water collection system worked “so well” that when there was a downpour, water leaked into the houses. And though the interiors originally had single beds for the kids, the architects later found out that the children prefer to sleep with their siblings.

“Our background from safe homes in Norway sometimes makes us less sensitive to these subtle issues,” Gjertsen admits. On the other hand, their “foreignness” also makes it possible for them to see new approaches and solutions.

“Luckily, we have worked on projects where the client or community is involved and enthusiastic, and there is usually a basic solution to these unforeseen complications.”

“For Soe Ker Tie, better drain pipes fixed the leaks and the children got bigger beds,” he says.

“We try to learn from the mistakes we make and hope to make fewer in future projects.”

They spent six months in Thailand and went on to build a library and bathhouse for Safe Haven Orphanage in nearby Ban Tha Song Yong. Tyin roped in Norwegian University of Science and Technology students and their mentors/tutors Sami Rintala and Hans Skotte for that project.

In March 2009, Tyin collaborated with Bangkok-based CASE Studios Architect to build a community library and gathering space in a derelict shoplot housed in a 100-year-old market building in the slums of Min Buri, Bangkok.

Working with local Thai architect Kasama Yamtree taught Tyin different skill sets.

While the guys had acquired practical skills from living and building in remote Thailand, in Bangkok, they found out that engaging the community was imperative in getting any project started.

“We realised our roles as architects is to translate the needs and wishes of the community; we don’t have to put in our ideas because there’re so many ideas coming from the community,” says Gjertsen.

Some of the local gamblers who weren’t paying attention to the project initially started getting interested after two and a half weeks because of the energy and enthusiasm from the community.

“There was a guy who would start drinking from 11am every day. But the more he got involved in the project, the less he drank,” says Gjertsen. “He was the electrician who eventually did all the wiring work. The project gave him a sense of purpose.”

Lessons learned

To date, one of Tyin’s biggest commissions is the Cassia Co-op Community project in Sumatra, Indonesia. The client, a French businessman, flew to Trondheim, Norway, where Tyin, is based to ask the duo to design and build a sustainable cinnamon school for local farmers and workers.

Based on fair trade standards, the Cassia Co-op aims to provide fair wages, healthcare programmes and access to education for local cinnamon farmers and workers and their families.

“Cassia is one of the most important works we’ve done because it affects more people. Also, we managed to combine ideas from earlier projects into this project and improve on the things we’ve done wrong before and fix the mistakes,” says Gjertsen.

They maximised the roof covering and eaves to keep the rain and sun out. And they used local materials, for example, locally crafted bricks, to find a good local solution.

“Brick retains heat and regulates the temperature throughout the day and night,” explains Gjertsen. They used bricks for the interior spaces and covered them with a self-supported wooden roof construction.

“By separating the brick construction from the wooden construction, we maximised the buildings’ earthquake resistance. If one system fails, the other can still stay upright.”

Defining Tyin

All their projects highlight elements that matter to Gjertsen and Hanstad: a strong sense of purpose, a need to engage the community, and to give new value to materials that people have overlooked.

“We’re professionally interested in the community because we know they are the resource that will make the project better. I call this ‘sympathetic cynicism’ – trying to achieve something good while being cynical and understanding what we’re doing,” he elaborates.

“If you understand, it’s easier to find the purpose, make the right choices, challenge the construction to make it simpler and cheaper, and draw on unexpected resources like people in the community.”

Of course, the duo’s aesthetic sensibilities make their works anti-utilitarian and appreciated across the board.

“For me, functionality and aesthetics are interrelated, we try to find beauty in functionality and vice versa. Aesthetics is part of making the project relevant and sustainable.”

As working partners, Gjertsen’s and Hanstad’s different personalities complement each other.

“Yes, the two of us are very different,” admits Hanstad, 29, via e-mail. “Andreas is the artist and I am more of a carpenter/worker. He’s brilliant with concepts, drawings, planning, forms and colours. I take care of the organising, preparations, on-site managing, and details.”

“One of our friends likens us to a car – Andreas is the brakes and I’m the gas (petrol). And if either of the two is missing, there is trouble!”

“Yarshad and I understand each other through the music we listen to, like hard metal band Deftones, aggressive and gritty, and Radiohead – there is emotion in their music,” Gjertsen adds. “Music is important to us, as inspiration and communication.”

Gjertsen is also inspired by his travels, encounters with other architects and teaching. His favourite quote is his role model, Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa’s take on the meaning of architecture: “Architecture is about understanding the world and turning it into a more meaningful and human face.”

“The quote doesn’t talk about materials, structures, form or the physical architecture, it talks about the reason behind all of it,” says Gjertsen, a laidback, affable chap. “Then we understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

In the media, Tyin has been labelled widely as “humanitarian architects” or “aesthetical architects” – but that is “hardly close to what we are trying to be and is completely ill-informed!” Gjertsen says.

“We are ‘building architects’ and we have tried to build for clients that actually benefit from the work we do,” he asserts. And they are equally comfortable designing residential homes in Norway and cleverly-crafted bamboo houses in developing countries. “We practice local architecture that becomes internationally relevant, based on functional needs. And we want everything to look good too so we add this aesthetic functionality.”

But despite the slew of awards, critical acclaim and international publicity, Tyin isn’t getting as many paid jobs as they would like to. When we spoke in July, Gjertsen said they hadn’t had any income from design projects for the past year. They teach, run workshops and do lectures to make ends meet.

“The big projects are usually taken by big companies while the small projects have small budgets,” says Gjertsen. “We’re caught in between – we have this reputation for being interesting architects so people think we’re bigger than we are. But things are slowly changing…”

The dynamic duo is hardly discouraged.

“We want to build things in Norway that challenge the way people think about building there. We also want to challenge the roles of architects: design, build and have more control over the project,” says Gjertsen about the studio’s long-term plans.

“We will keep on teaching. The connection with the university and students is important for us to feel alive and inspired because we get so much energy from this.”

Tunnel House Art Installation

 

 

By Andrew Liszewski

I know what you’re thinking, the neighbors must love this guy, but it’s not what you think. This isn’t one of those ‘tacky Christmas decorations all year round’ kind of house. In fact the building and an adjacent one have been used for exhibition space and art classes for over 30 years and they’re both scheduled to be torn down to make way for a new larger structure.

So as a final farewell to the buildings local Houston artists Dan Havel and Dean Ruck turned them into an art installation known as ‘Inversion.’ Using boards from the outside of the houses they created a large funnel-like vortex running between the two that ends in a small hole in an adjacent courtyard. It’s a cool effect particularly for those who always wanted to experience a black hole without the whole ‘being crushed to a quantum singularity’ end result.

Unfortunately if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Tunnel House in person you’re probably too late. The public opening for the installation was held on May 21 and the houses were set to be demolished in early June. But there’s nothing stopping you from doing this to your own home.

PLUG-In HEBRON – People Liberated Urban Gaps In Hebron

PROJECT AIM.

The proposal will investigate and counter the effects of military occupation and segregation on the Old City of Hebron. PLUG-In Hebron has been designed to transform the influence that the occupation has on the conservation, rehabilitation, current use and perception of the existing built environment in the Old City.

In cooperation with our local partners, PLUG-In Hebron seeks to actively demilitarise current military space through civilian action, in a collaborative process which matches architecture with advocacy to reengage the Old City.

The project takes place in a traditional building now abandoned in the militarised Old City of Hebron.

The proposal will address many of the issues affecting civilian life under the military occupation, such as:

/////////////// Lack of security
/////////////// Desertion of civilian spaces
/////////////// Community isolation
/////////////// Environmental degradation

The project will do so by creating through this building – a centre for public life, research activities, discourses and workshops on the future of the occupied Old City.
This will be the first of a series of hubs, beginning at points of intense interaction between military intervention and civilian life in the Old City. From these points, the hubs will catalyse site specific change and incrementally over time reclaim space for the civilian.

Architecture will become a vehicle of conflict transformation in order to protect human rights, and counter the economic and social decline of the occupied Old City.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

BACKGROUND.
The creation of a Ghost Town.

/////////////// WHERE: Old City of Hebron

The Old City of Hebron has been the site of frequent acts of reciprocal violence in the context of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict from the 1929 pogrom of Jewish residents to the 1994 Goldstein massacre of Muslim worshippers in the Ibrahmi Mosque. The Old City’s current urban morphology is heavily influenced by the fallout from this latter event; following which and under the pretence of security concerns, the city was divided under the Hebron Protocol into two sectors- H1 and H2. Palestinian Authority control of Hebron is restricted to H1, which contains around 120,000 Palestinians, whilst H2 which contains the Old City, had Israeli military jurisdiction imposed on it. Hebron is a unique city in the West Bank as it is the only one with an Israeli settlement in its centre where more than 500 settlers and 1,500+ Israeli Defence soldiers (IDF) live among 30,000 Palestinians.

/////////////// THE ISSUES.

Due to security restrictions imposed by the IDF, the architecture and urbanism of the Old City has evolved in an exceptionally volatile context and manner. This has had a decidedly negative effect on the natural environment, vernacular architecture, and the sustainable planning of the built environment; which according to Palestinian Architect Omar Yousef has created an urbanity of ‘forced ecology’. This ‘ecology’ is a reaction to necessities of life under the occupation and is characterised by an architecture of chaos, crowdedness, instability, temporariness, destruction and improvised building. Due to these military restrictions on the freedom of movement and use of space, the Old City has suffered an economic and social death over the last 20 years, which has been described as a ‘ghost town’ by many human rights organisations.

However, amongst these difficult conditions, the resilience and desire to live normal lives as expressed by Old City Hebronites has been remarkable. Their actions known as ‘Sumud’ (non-violent resistance) in Arabic are a source of inspiration to those who espouse a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

/////////////// WHY: Architecture and Human Rights Combined – A New Urban Ecology

The Old City is seen as an example of how architecture can be used as a vehicle to protect and literally build resilience within communities through which their social and human rights may be protected. Over 20 years our partner organisation within Hebron has under often difficult circumstances worked to rehabilitate the physical and social fabric of the Old City. Within this context the realms of architecture and Sumud have evolved and strengthened. However, to date much of the rehabilitation work has involved residential and sacred spaces. This has paradoxically contributed to a unique phenomenon experienced in the Old City of the internalisation of civic space within the realms of the home and the mosque due to the threat of settler violence or military harassment. Plug-In Hebron aims to invert this phenomenon in order to assist Hebronites in reclaiming their civic spaces.

As such, PLUG-In believes that extreme urban environments in conflict areas such as the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel have the potential to inform on the crucial need to link social and political dimensions to built environment concerns in order to foresee other cities’ transformations.

DESIGN.

1. COMMUNITY IMPACT.

Planting a seed.

The design proposal is an evolving process beginning with creation of a community ‘plug-in’. This is our seed and it is housed within a traditional Mamluk era (early 1800s) building in the Old City donated by our local partner. From this starting point PLUG-In Hebron aims to empower a civic-led demilitarisation and reclamation of space. It is intended that the building and surrounding public space will act as an exemplar of how to creatively and sensitively upgrade military space to civilian space in the Old City. The project consists of an architecture whose aesthetic, planning and intention matches our empowerment agenda; as such the building is designed to have a ‘strata’ of distinctive but complementary agendas through its three floors.

/////////////// The GROUND FLOOR is seen as part of the city space, where we propose an inversion of the internal rooms of the building onto the street. this Open-Space will be a public catalyst for civic activities such as traditional cooking programmes, children’s arts workshops, a recycle lab, exhibition space, waste management workshops and poetry events.

/////////////// The MIDDLE FLOOR hosts the Lab, home to an academic research centre on the architecture of the occupation and the protection of human rights through architecture. This part of the building will accommodate student interns and researchers from the West Bank and abroad. It contains, co-working spaces, architecture workshop, offices, meeting rooms, presentation spaces and living spaces for visitors. As such it is perfectly situated to learn and contribute to the activities of the open ground floor and;

/////////////// the ROOF LEVEL which is home to the Hub. This space operates as an amphitheatre embracing the Old City with spectacular views; it consists of an event space and open forum for dialogue on the future of Hebron.
The Hub is designed as a new volume which expresses the values of the project. It is constructed of a light wooden structure and is covered with layers of the traditional Hebronite fabric, onto which a distinctive pattern has been applied. This pattern identifies the project as part of the PLUG Initiative.
Colourful, soft and familiar, the volume has been designed to engage people from the surrounding areas, whilst offering secure, private and screened space within which to participate in the project. Its light modular structure can be easily reproduced elsewhere for other activities (domestic, recreational use etc.) and will complement the hard fabric of the Old City without damaging its precious vernacular architecture. This is of particular importance as it is the intention of local authorities to have the Old City inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Taken together, the three floors housing civic, academic and discourse agendas are envisaged as ‘an engine’ to power active and open community design processes that engages people, raises awareness and contributes to the transformation of military space to civilian space.

2. ECONOMIC VIABILITY

/////////////// SECURING THE BUILDING
The building, donated by our local partner requires minor conservation and structural work. Our partner has kindly agreed to repair the historic fabric and connect utilities such as water, electricity, heating and internet. Due to subsidies to encourage the rehabilitation of the Old City, properties there are exempt from paying for these services.

/////////////// INHABITING THE BUILDING
These initial works will leave us with a serviced shell, which will require a fit out on the ground and first floor, and the construction of a linking staircase and the lightweight structure on the roof. To date, local NGOs, the UN, a number of educational establishments and local government agencies have expressed interest in supporting this venture. With the backing of Architecture for Humanity, we feel that this is an opportune moment to develop this proposal to a detailed level in order to tap these resources. It is intended that the actual architecture of the building reflects the social agenda of the proposed functions; as such the construction will involve local artisans and builders and will be a showcase of local Hebronite trade and crafts.

/////////////// RUNNING THE BUILDING
At present we are developing a 3 year cost plan specifically relating to the programme and running costs of the proposal. In terms of covering the construction, running and maintenance of the proposal, we intend to:

/////////////// Fundraise extensively through parties which we have already networked and are confident that support will be granted if a detailed project and programme is created.

/////////////// Crowd-fund the proposal.

/////////////// Capitalise on the substantial pledges of voluntary contributions (pro-bono services, labour)

/////////////// Generate, where possible a limited amount of income*. *There are certain activities within the building which we may charge for such as lodgings, food, events, study space etc. However we are determined to be a catalyst and not a competitor with local businesses. As such there will be strict guidelines on charging so as any income generation does not have a negative effect on the existing local economy.

/////////////// Secure long term core funding through local bodies, international agencies and educational institutions.

3. ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
An Exemplar Building. The project architecture will broadcast the ethos of the proposal.

/////////////// Reuse
We intend that the building will be an exemplar of how to innovatively and sensitively upgrade threatened vernacular architecture, by reusing existing building stock we can immediately reduce our ecological footprint. This is an often avoided option in our project context and other rapidly urbanising places.

/////////////// Materials
The project will use local, natural materials to reduce embodied energy. For example, the cyprus wood for the Hub and stair core structure will be sourced from the Wadi Al-Quf Forest Nursery, thus securing its future existence. The building will be restored with the traditional techniques, with the use of the local stone and lime. The fabric….

/////////////// Local Trades and craftsmen
The building will act as a showcase for local trades and artisans, exhibiting their work through the structure, fabric, furniture, glasswork and installations.

/////////////// Urban Agriculture
There will be a significant emphasis on environmental (natural) and food advocacy issues within the architecture and the programme of the project. A local specialized NGO has committed to advising on the most effective integration of this agenda into the project and also to lead programmers within it.

/////////////// Energy Production and Reduction
In order to reduce the need for mains utilities for both ecological and financial concerns we aim to integrate photovoltaic for electricity, thermal solar pipes for hot water and rainwater harvesting for grey water and irrigation purposes. The project will not change the traditional plan of the building which will utilise the presence of a courtyard, half roofed half open-air. This space will be used as a thermo-regulation device, as a ventilated space in the summer and as a filter space in the winter. We propose the installation of a simple open-able roof/deck which can transform the courtyard into an internal space if needed

/////////////// Waste Management
The activities in the building will involve the teaching of recycling and waste management techniques, in order to secure the future of the local ecosystem. Waste issues are of a particular importance in Old City where the management and perception of waste is disrupted by military restrictions. For example, traditionally it is the responsibility of the youngest boy to empty trash at the designated locations, these are frequently monitored by the IDF, who under the presence of security, insist that the child must empty the contents onto the street before they reach the collection point. The child often frightened will either drop the rubbish before the security check or in a panic fail to pick everything up again. Tasks like these have affected perceptions of waste and ecological concerns in the Old City, PLUG – In Hebron through our facilities will aim to run workshops and evolve effective strategies to deal with waste management, reuse and collection.

/////////////// Awareness of Ecological Impact of Conflict
The project is aware of the critical need for sustainable environmental solutions when it comes to activities within protracted conflict areas. PLUG-In Hebron is designed to minimize the negative impact of conflict on the environment through adjusting to the local climate and situation and evolving environmentally led initiative to support civil activities. The goal is to create a platform where organizations, research groups, universities and companies can meet to present research results, demonstrate to the community more environmentally-friendly alternative products and exchange experiences.

4. CONTEXTUAL APPROPRIATENESS
The proposal, prepared in conjunction with our local partners has been designed to respond to widespread phenomena of social and spatial disintegration as a result of the architecture and policies of the occupation in Hebron and Palestine.

At a wider level, the proposal is relevant to global concerns as it represents the crux of many issues relevant to a better understanding of political, social and environmental sustainability of cities in protracted and post conflict scenarios. These issues include the re-appropriation of buildings, memory and history, contested housing and land rights, deterioration of livelihoods and traditional crafts, ethnic / religious conflict, modern urbanization, and access to resources such as water.
The proposal situated in an urbanism as extreme as that of the Old City will benefit our common understanding of the environmental, social and political (violent) dimensions of the production of urban space.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

5. EXPECTED OUTCOMES.
PARTICIPATION. CHANGE. RE-ENVISIONING. CHALLENGING. TRANSITION. RECLAMATION. INSPIRE.

The expected outcomes of the project are primarily linked to the local society. Greater local stakeholder participation will be a key result of the proposal; and as the project grows it is hoped that more interests will be aroused, spreading to more areas of the city.
Secondly, PLUG-In Hebron will catalyze positive social and environmental changes and open the way for new opportunities towards the re-envisioning of a neglected space.
Thirdly, and through the initiatives expressed in this document, PLUG In – Hebron will challenge the effects of conflict and offer a platform for the transition of military space to civic space.
Finally, opening the way to a successful transition to a civic city, PLUG-In Hebron is designed to inspire other communities and authorities with his vision of freedom and social empowerment.

Location

Dahiyyet Al-Rame

Hebron

Palestinian Territory

“House like village”

“House like village” is located in an old harbour cantina at the KNSM-island in Amsterdam, which was transformed into a residential building some years ago. Located on Levantplein square, and with totally glazed facades on both sides of the loft, it has great views over the water.

 

A Damascus School Revives Traditional Cooling Techniques

by Karim Elgendy

In late 2008 the French President Francois Sarkozy inaugurated a new French school in Damascus, Syria. The French school, known as Lycée Charles de Gaulle,  follows the french educational system and is accredited by the French ministry of education. The school was designed by the French architects Ateliers Lion together with the German environmental engineering firm, Trans-solar.

Image 1. Night view of school central courtyard showing the solar chimneys. Copyrights: Adria Goula Sarda, Ateliers Lion

The brief for the design team was to  to develop a campus for the school with a capacity for 900 students ranging from kindergarten to high school. The design team was also tasked to develop a campus that embodies sustainability by using low-technology solutions for ventilation and conditioning of the school spaces, while maintaining the thermal comfort levels required for students in an educational environment.

The design

In response, the design team’s concept is one that was not only attuned to the local climate, but which relied mostly on passive design strategies to achieve the required comfort levels. The design of the school emphasized using local materials and revived a number of passive design strategies that were common in traditional Middle Eastern architecture. The design of the school was shaped by the need to respond to Damascus’s dry desert climate with its hot days and cold nights. The project’s design goals were to optimize classroom ventilation using natural ventilation, to naturally condition the classroom spaces especially during the summer, and to develop outdoor spaces that are usable by students and teachers.

The masterplan of the school reflected these goals. The school’s complex- whose area totals to 5600 Square meters-  was made up of two clusters of small buildings, each with two stacked classrooms ( Figure 1).The building clusters are connected via small courtyards covered with light removable shading (Images 2 and 3).

Figure 1. Lycee Charles De Gaulle Floor Plans. Copyrights: Ateliers Lion

The removable shading devices above the courtyards provide solar protection during summer days and are opened for cooling at night by radiation to the sky. In winter the operation of the solar shading is reversed, opening it during the day to capture solar gains and closing it at night to prevent their loss to the clear night sky (Image 3).

Image 2 (left), shaded courtyards between classroom buildings. Image 3 (right), courtyard shading and ventilation inlet at courtyard base. Copyrights: Adria Goula Sarda, Ateliers Lion

This layout produced shaded and landscaped courtyard spaces around the classrooms, creating a walkable outdoor micro-climate connecting the classrooms and serving as an environment for social interaction between students (Images 4 and 5).

Images 4 (left) and 5 (right), student interaction in small shaded courtyards. Copyrights: Adria Goula Sarda, Ateliers Lion

Natural Ventilation and Passive cooling

The passive ventilation and cooling of the school’s classrooms is achieved through a combination of passive design strategies. These strategies include the shading and cooling of the classroom roofs to reduce the solar heat gain inside the classrooms, the moderation of the indoor temperature using the buildings’ thermal mass, and the use of a natural ventilation strategy inspired by traditional architecture.

The ventilation strategy used in the school is based on the use of Wind-assisted solar chimneys as outlet wind towers pulling warm air out of the stacked classrooms and pulling fresh air into the two classrooms to replace it. The incoming fresh air is drawn into the classrooms through their windows, bringing fresh air from the shaded microclimate of the courtyards whose temperature is moderated through shading and vegetation. Fresh air is also drawn from the courtyard into the lower classroom through miniature earth ducts embedded in the ground floor slab. The function of the earth ducts is to pre-cool the air temperature further before it comes into the classroom, by maximizing its contact with the earth, which has an almost steady temperature year round.

This ventilation strategy is very similar to that found in traditional Iranian architecture where an outlet wind tower was used to pull warm air from a house, and where fresh air was pre-cooled by bringing it through underground chambers where it comes in contact with the earth and a qanat , or an underground water canal, before it reaches the indoor spaces it is meant to ventilate and cool. During the winter the earth ducts reverse their role, warming cool winter air as it comes into contact with earth’s steady temperature. Operable louvers inside the classrooms at air intake and outlet provide occupant control of ventilation. The air intake louvers for the earth ducts can be seen at the bottom of images 3 and 5.

The school’s thick walls also respond to the local climate by making use of the high diurnal swings of the desert climate. The school’s high thermal mass structure improves indoor conditions by absorbing heat during the day and preventing most of it from making its way into the indoor spaces. During night time, cool t air flushes the classrooms , cooling down the structure’s thermal mass and providing comfort for the following day.

Figure 2. Diagram showing integrated shading, cooling and ventilation strategies. Copyrights: Ateliers Lion

Solar chimneys

As discussed above, the solar chimneys are an integral part to the school’s ventilation strategy, used to drive natural cross-ventilation through the classrooms. The chimneys, which dominate the school’s form and skyline, are oriented towards the south and are covered with black-painted polycarbonate sheet to trap solar radiation at the top of the chimney. This trapping of heat enhances the stack effect inside the chimneys, pulling warm air from the classrooms below. The chimneys are also designed to use wind to create negative pressure at the top of the chimney which further improves the stack air movement inside the chimney.

During night time, the thermal mass of the chimney releases the heat it stored during the day and thus continues to draw air through the open windows and the earth ducts, which helps cool the structure further for the following day.

Figure 3. Diagrams showing natural ventilation and cooling during the summer. Copyrights: Transsolar

Karim Elgendy is an architect and a sustainable design researcher based in San Francisco. He can be contacted at: Karim [at] Carboun [dot] com

TIMELESS IN PALESTINE !!

Float for Sancal 2012; Karim Rashid

Interior Design; In the theme of Mies van der Rohe