This small, 1100 s.f. sliver of space packs more punch than George Foreman (but with considerably more grace).  Using a series of light scoops and modulating baffles, the linear journey through the space is composed of a series of expansions and contractions. 

The result is a magnificently choreographed passage through pockets of activity.  The pattern you see on the wall is a highly abstracted view of the Alps, an image that invokes the traditionally alpine, rustic nature of the gourmet grub’s ingredients. 

This type of patterning is familiar ground for FreelandBuck.  A visit to their website immediately reveals the highly patterned nature of their work.  It is the type of ornamentation I find particularly compelling – a modern design, relevant through the abstraction of an image or concept that is particularly engrained in the space’s use. 

[ via ArchDaily | all images via FreelandBuck ]

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Russian architecture to me always evokes images of the late Stalinist period – cold, brutal and boxy – while a mention of Scandinavia whisks me back to Alvar Aalto’s early days – those curvy bastions of early modernism, with their rich materials and wealth of wood.

Mix those two together and, in my head at least, you might come up with something like the Biotechnical Faculty building in Ljubljana.  And perhaps that is a rather accurate depiction of what happened, as the architects had to work with the existing context of the University’s campus.

The ranges of texture in the building’s facade rescue it from what could otherwise be a rather brusque front.  Seen from afar, the concrete pillars create a somewhat playful pattern, while the wood bands just beg to be touched.

While it may not have been intentional, the building seems to be a metaphor for biotechnical work.  The lights in the lobby, in addition to creating a wonderful pattern, could be the delicate tendrils of a plant (or the embryonic sacs from a future world, if you prefer the sci fi route).  The framed views of the hallways mimic looking down through the lenses of a microscope, gazing at some miniscule portion of plant matter.

Head on over to their website to check out some of their other, even better projects.  I’m quite fond of the pilates center.

[ images via Arhitektura Krušec ]

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Check out this gorgeous Community Rowing boathouse by Anmahian Winton in Boston.  I love that the entire building opens up to create a pavilion of sorts, but in a nontraditional way.

In a blissful mix of form and function, many of the buildings components lead two lives: louvers add an experiential aspect while shielding windows and vents, glass shingles display the boats inside while providing ventilation, and giant accordion doors serve their function while creating a monumental entry point.

The hinging of the accordion doors is reflected in the angled side panels, which creates a brilliant lighting effect on the interior.  I’m not quite sure what the cantilevered walks are for, but I like them.  In a way, they feel completely disjointed from the building, as though they’re just floating next to them like hovercrafts.  But there’s something I like in that.

Although the wave pattern in the louvers is a bit too literal for my taste, I do enjoy the light patterning on the interior.  I also think it looks wonderfully textural from afar.

And, for those of you in the field:  if you ever encounter a client that needs to be convinced that design really does matter, take note of this.  Apparently membership at Community Rowing as doubled since the building opened.

[ via ArchDaily | images via ArchDaily,  Anmahian Winton Architects ]

P.S. Be sure to check out the photographer, Peter Vanderwarker’s site for some additional thrills.  The images of this project just melt my heart.  Even labradoodles appreciate good architecture.

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This submission is the first project from Hadid’s office that I have not strongly disliked.  As I usually find, though, upon closer inspection, the details tend to fall apart for me.  The facade is a wonderfully textural experience.  But I am not a fan of the interior.  Hadid’s schtick seems to be to constantly disorient overwhelm people.  I appreciate that they managed dial it back a bit here, but the interior is back to the same old tricks.  And the theaters appear to be from Star Trek TNG. 

I like the model and some of the renderings from Diller Scofidio + Renfro / Solid Objectives / Idenburg L.  But I did find some of the design moves to be a bit frivolous.

As Peter Griffin would say, some of the submissions really grind my gears.  The Aedas Limited submission feels a bit like brutalist revival, though their interior renderings are a bit more subtle.  Cruz y Ortiz made a big box with bubbles.  De architecten Cie / KPMB Architects apparently made a mountain out of a molehill and then slapped a building around it.  Henning Larsen / Grontmij’s proposal looks more like a children’s museum with a death star inside.  Neutelings Riedijk / Kirkegaard made an entire wall of boxes for Statler and Waldorf.  And OMA…  well let’s just say it looks decidedly OMA-ish.

The Ian Simpson / Jonkman Klinkhamer submission is my favorite.  It’s not overpowering, and has a well-choreographed interior organization.  It doesn’t feel schticky in the least.  It feels like a design concept that has been thought out and massaged into something that will work well for the users. 

[ images via ArchDaily ]

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For all this obsessing, I seem to rarely come across gems.  Today, I found one: the Ravine Residence by Ontarians Hariri Pontarini Architects.

The difference in stone sizing on the facade is darn near perfect, with the larger size at the forefront accentuating the difference in planes.  What initially drew me in, though, was this detail in the living area.

It’s a bit difficult to tell for certain what the effect is on the exterior, but it appears to create a stopping point for the stone of the facade – separating the massive plane with a long, thin void.  The effect on the interior is quite nice, washing the wall with light and giving an airiness to a room that might otherwise start to feel oppressively heavy in its upper portions.

The material choices of the exterior lend a comforting warmth to the hard modern lines.  Check out the rest of the project at the links below.

[via ArchDaily | photos via A-Frame]

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Integrating beautifully with a rather linear landscape of canals and artichoke fields, the thick walls are reminiscent of the old Austrian fortress that once protected the lagoon.

Functional, beautiful, and celebrating everything that is inherent to its landscape and the processes housed within, it’s no wonder it’s won several awards.

[via ArchDaily]

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