Month: November 2022

We have written a lot about the adaptive reuse of buildings and how this should become an even more important activity for architects in the future. Focusing on interiors, it consists of adapting spaces to new demands, promoting quality and comfort, and often incorporating new technologies into a space. Whether adding a new bedroom, organizing a home office, or transforming a historical building into an office, the architects’ creativity allows them to create interesting environments without the need for demolishing. But one thing that tends to make designers scratch their heads in concern is how to include bathrooms and all the complication that it entails. This is because adding a simple toilet usually requires breaking slabs, walls, and floors, working with thick plumbing, and, above all, spending a lot of money and time. There is, however, the possibility of using a macerating pump system – a straightforward, affordable solution for creating a complete or half bathroom practically anywhere.

First drafted by Renzo Piano and developed by RPBW and OBR, the Waterfront di Levante is a project that aims to transform what was previously the back of a port into a new urban front on the sea. The development is planned to become a new landmark on the seafront of Genoa, Italy, by bringing new urban and port functions, both public and private, to an underutilized area. By controlling the built-to-open area ratio, it also seeks to enhance the connection between the city and the sea. The project introduces functions such as the new Urban Park, a new dock, residences, offices, student housing, retail facilities, apart-hotels, and a new sports hall.

Seduced by the photographic narration illustrating the projects of Studio Jean Verville, two admirable eccentrics, passionate about art and Italian design of the 80s, invited him to design their refuge in the forest. The objective is to host their daily lives with whimsical energy, a challenge in absolute cohesion with the disruptive approach of the Studio.

KCAP won the design competition for the Coastline of Yantai, Shandong Province, south of Beijing. As one of China’s top 10 ports and a gateway city for communication between Japan and South Korea, Yantai Seafront Garden will transform the underused coastal area into an influential economic and technological development zone in Northeast China. The conceptual proposal was selected by its vision of 4 stages along the 95km of waterfront, including water conservation zones, a “sponge city” community, and a resident tidal shoreline.

Ricardo Rocha writes about the German-Brazilian architect Hartmut Thimel. Forgotten by canonical historiography, he worked with Georges Candilis, Yona Friedman, and later with Oscar Niemeyer. His work is a bridge between 1970s Brazil, addressing the international avant-garde – Team X, Metabolism, Spatial Urbanism, and Prospective, among others.

Widely recognized as being responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions, concrete should be a blacklisted material, relegated to the shameful annals of architectural history. Rapid global urbanization, however, will ensure its unequaled production simplicity and structural strength help retain concrete’s firm grip on the construction industry.

Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have long dominated the conversation around how different generations influence architecture and the built environment. From views around city planning and zoning efforts to the great debate about whether workplaces should be completely open or office-intensive, each generation has had its strong opinions about how spaces we inhabit are designed- largely shaped by the socio-economic, political, and technological influences that have shaped our lives in different ways. Looking ahead, what can we expect next? Enter Generation Alpha, the first generation born entirely within the 21st century.

La Mejicana looks for opportunities in the limitations. A project that consciously respects the existing and attempts to reduce interventions to a minimum. A special focus on reviving disregarded elements and reinventing interior and exterior spaces. This project is a renovation of an existing building. It would be impossible to build a new house in that proximity to the seafront, given the strict regulations in Spain for coast protection. The only allowed interventions for this existing building were repair, upgrade, structural consolidation, and energy improvement. Being expressly forbidden to increase the built volume. These restrictions have both strongly conditioned the development of the project and at the same time opened up unexpected possibilities. The transformation of the existing space is designed from a deep understanding of what is inherited from the original structure and its inhabitants, the conditioning factors of strict regulation, the needs of the new residents, and what the place gives.