On the Boards : Blueprint Condos

Paul Raff Studio have designed a 21-unit luxury residential development set on a headland in eastern coast of Thailand. The dynamic facade of the 3500 ft² boutique residences modulate light, shade, and views over the Pattong Bay and the Andaman Sea. The modular louvered screens is inspired by local craft and will be made of light-weight wood-plastic composite to assist in reducing heat-gain.

On the Boards : Buffalo School of Medicine

(c)HOK

International architecture firm HOK has been selected to design the new University at Buffalo (UB) School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on its downtown campus. Located at the centre of the region’s emerging bio-sciences corridor, the new transit-oriented medical school development will anchor a lively, urban mixed-use district on campus and bring 1,200 students, faculty and staff downtown.

On the Boards ::: Al Ain stadium

© MZ Architects

Sunken into the cooler depth of the desert sand, the Al Ain stadium, designed by MZ Architects emerging from the ground like a hidden treasure. The mountain provides backdrop for the stadium and allows for the gathering of a large number of visitors in the heart of the vast landscape.

On the Boards : Museum of Concrete Art & Design

(c)Stanton Williams

The winning competition entry by Stanton Williams Architects for the Museum of Concrete Art and Design to be located in Ingolstadt, Germany. The museum retrofits a disused brick foundry maintaining the primary volume as an exhibition space. The in situ concrete extension contains the ancillary spaces and specialized areas – small exhibition rooms, foyer, café and services.

On the Boards : Bauhaus Museum

images Courtesy of Pedro Monteiro, Rodrigo Cruz, and Sérgio Silva

The winning competition entry for the New Bauhaus Museum proposed for Weimar, Germany designed by Pedro Monteiro, Rodrigo Cruz, and Sérgio Silva. The enclosed mass of the exhibition areas of the museum are organized around and in contrast to the openness of the courtyard. The design proposes the use of the geothermal mass to reduce the need for insulation and mechanical control of the temperature.

On the Boards : Marena

Marena apartments in Manantiales, Punta del Este, Uruguay designed by architect Martin Gomez. The 70m² units are spread over two blocks feature spacious terraces or gardens.

On the Boards: Våler Church

The competition entry by Madrid-based practice OOIIO Architecture for a church in Våler, Norway to replace the original 17th-century one that was destroyed by fire. The rooftop of the low-lying timber structure doubles as a public venue providing views to the surrounding landscape - an urban gesture that makes the church accessible and useful even those who don’t attend religious services.
via

On the Boards : Ethiopian Airlines Headquarters

Söhne & Partner and local architects BET were awarded first place in an international design competition for the new headquarters for Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa. The design of the facility is laid out similar to typical Ethiopian village with the bright open lobby serving as the central space to to commune and talk about business. The landscape is an integral part of the interiors flowing through giving the feeling of being in nature.

On the Boards : Lifeboard Station

Paul Raff Studio has won a competition for the new Lifeguard Stands for the City of Toronto, Canada. The design is both pragmatic and humanistic and marries technical requirements for storage, signage, public safety, durability and cost. The design aims to be iconic as a beacon to patrons of the beach with the material, texture, colour and proportion.

On the Boards : Strand East

Swedish homeware retailer IKEA has released images of its planned community in London called Strand East. The 11Ha mixed-use urban development of rental apartments and commercial spaces was designed by Arc-ML a car-free development serviced by buses. Construction to start in 2013. Via

On the Boards : Orphanage and Children’s Centre

The US Building Council and international architectural practice HOK have partnered together to design an orphanage and children’s centre in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The design uses biomimicry referencing the Kapok tree, native to Haiti, both in the branch-like external structural system and the cooling aspect of the second skin. Post via

Images courtesy of HOK

On the Boards : Pedestrian Bridge Competition

Spanish architects Nicolas Montesano, Victor Vila, Boris Hoppek were recently awarded announced the winners for their proposal for the Amsterdam Iconic Pedestrian Bridge competition. The proposal a central enclosed space or water plaza is defined by its circular shape partially submerged underwater to allow boats can cross through whilst pedestrians and cyclists can pass along its perimeter.

images courtesy of the architects

On the Boards : Student Housing, TU Delft

Amsterdam based practice Studioninedots with HVDN has recently won an invited competition to design a student housing facility for TU Delft Campus in the Netherlands. The proposal for 140 standardized student units, each 24m² housed in a 5 storeys high on 388m² site is part of a 1000 room expansion taking place on the TU Delft campus.

On the Boards : Balneary Centre

Located amongst the natural salty springs in Persani Village, Romania is the Balneary Centre designed by architects ArchVision Studio. The community was desirous of developing a large scale relaxation, health and rejuvenation facility in this rural area, offering spin off social, economical and cultural development of the whole territory.

On the Boards: Reuse of an Anti-Ship WWII Emplacement

A competition entry by architectural practice Vector 17, for the masterplan of a natural protected area around a former Second World War anti-ship emplacement of the Italian Navy. The proposal maintains the character and physical substance of the existing buildings, while providing an acceptable comfort and flexibility in the programme. The design is conceived as a series of small interventions at a minimum cost, adding progressively more complex functions over time to interact with each other, triggering a differential, adaptive change.

On the Boards : Dalian Library & Media Centre

The competition entry for the Dalian Library & Media Centre was conceived by 10 Design to be a transformative environment that pulls visitors into a unique landscape. The 55,400 m² building weaves to create a series of courtyards and topographic undulations forming a bold urban landmark. The mass is shaped by dynamic and expansive views toward to the surrounding sea and mountains. The metal proposed for the façade will be a dark grey brass that will develop a rich patina over time and will have natural resistance to the harsh marine conditions.

On the Boards: San Jose Convention Centre

A $120 m expansion and renovation to the McEnery Convention Centre located in San Jose, California originally opened in 1989. The renovation was designed by architects Populous and when complete will increase the convention centre to 1.3 million ft² in a creative blend of indoor and outdoor spaces.

On the Boards: Aberdeen Gardens

images courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Landscape Architects OLIN design with Diller Scofidio + Renfro and KeppieDesign have won an international design competition in Aberdeen, Scotland. The design takes reference from the City Garden with its the dramatic topography of Aberdeen by criss-crossing a series of paths across the Denburn Valley to reconnect the urban fabric creating a reinvigorated green heart of the city.

On the Boards : Training Centre

A proposal for a training centre specializing in sustainable construction to be located in Marrakesh, Morocco by German Architect Anna Heringer in collaboration with a number of architects from Austria and Morocco.

Winner of a 2011 Holcim Bronze Award