Articles by Paula Pintos

Soft Civic, a site-specific architectural installation by Bryony Roberts Studio, responds to both the architectural geometry of the historic Columbus City Hall building and its symbolic role as the center of civic leadership in the community. Through the insertion of the custom-fabricated structures with colorful woven surfaces, Roberts activates the public space surrounding the building’s main entrance as a destination for play, performance, and participation. These new structures enhance existing activity at City Hall and additionally will host a series of community-driven events on the themes of democracy and leadership as part of the 2019 Exhibit Columbus program. Roberts is a winner of this year’s J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipient, honoring international leaders for their commitment to the transformative power that architecture, art, and design has to improve people’s lives and make cities better places to live.

CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, opens as a new breed of waste-to-energy plant topped with a ski slope, hiking trail and climbing wall, embodying the notion of hedonistic sustainability while aligning with Copenhagen’s goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025. CopenHill is a 41,000m2 waste-to-energy plant with an urban recreation center and environmental education hub, turning social infrastructure into an architectural landmark.

Located on the northern slope of an extinct volcano, the Hood River Residence rests at the transition between the agricultural valley and the forested hillside of Hood River Valley. The site was the main driver for design decisions; from the concrete wall that tucks the home into the hillside, protecting it from the harsh wind, rain, and winter snow coming from the south; to the transparent northern facade facing Mt. Adams and the valley below.