3XN has recently completed a pavilion – dubbed ‘Learning From Nature’ – as part of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art’s ‘Green Architecture for the Future’ architectural exhibition , intended to showcase design possibilities when using cutting edge, intelligent and sustainable materials.
The Pavilion has given us the opportunity to showcase the possibilities which exist in building with sustainable and intelligent materials. Our objective has been to show that Green Architecture can be dynamic and active. We often think that we need to minimize use of resources at all costs. Instead of focusing on consuming the least amount of energy, we need to focus on producing and using energy and materials in a more intelligent way than is the case today.
~ Kim Herforth Nielsen, Founder and Principal of 3XN
With a form derived from the mobius strip, the pavilion is essentially a showcase for these materials, technologies, and strategies – which I’l cover quickly here, so you can get an idea of what’s going on.
- the structure is biodegradable, so it can be decomposed after use
- synthetic materials have been replaced with biological/reusable ones, such as a bio composite made from flax fibers cast in biological resin for the outer shell of the structure, and cork sheets for the core
- 1mm flexible solar cells have been placed on the top face of the structure, which, in combination with piezoelectric materials in the floor that generate an electric current from the weight of the visitors, allows the pavilion to be energy self-sufficient [it powers integrated LED lights]
- the pavilion is coated with nanoparticles that make the surfaces self cleaning, and with a coating that adds ‘air cleaning properties’ to the structure through a chemical process called photocatalysis [air quality is improved within an 8-feet radius of air cleaning surfaces - for both effects, think titanium dioxide, altho I'm unsure if that's what they used]
- the building retains heat using phase-changing materials, which retain energy when heated by the sun, and then release this energy as heat later in the day when the air cools
This right here is what I’m talking about – fight climate change, pollution, and energy consumption issues with siiick science + technology. I mean, imagine if all buildings were coated with self cleaning + air-cleaning materials – and the floors of all public spaces [and roads, maybe?] utilized piezoelectric materials to generate some electricity. None of these will single-handedly solve any of our current problems, but I’m down for a ‘death by thousand cuts’ solution to out climate and energy problems.
I would advise actually following some of those links for the materials – some really interesting stuff there, even though the links only scratch the surface of the potential uses.
::all info, images + quoted text provided by 3XN::
Sustainable but beautiful: this is the goal I have pursued in all of my projects for years. South Face is the outcome of this constant quest for sustainable design that engages with actual production systems found on the market.
An installation designed by Iosa Ghini Associati for the 2009 Interni Design Energies, Milano, ‘South Face’ provides informal, sheltered seating for passers-by. Constructed of an insulated modular wall of hollow panels made from an eco-cement, the façade of the installation provides some thermal insulation for the small space it encloses – while using the south-facing façade as a ‘vertical garden’, intended to absorb a limited amount of carbon dioxide from the local environment.
The designers make the argument that “sustainability is usually associated with sterile forms in which aesthetics are often overlooked”, and therefore their project aims to “create spectacular aesthetic effects, making sustainability both beautiful and feasible”. While I would say that many sustainable projects are both ‘green’ and ‘beautiful’ [obviously], I think that there remains a need to push this argument that projects aren’t ‘good’ simply because they’re ‘green’. I’m slightly concerned that while sustainability will survive the economic downturn and this apparent current trend against the ‘architecture of excess’, that this new trend isn’t appropriately concerned with aesthetic value. Cameron Sinclair isn’t Mies, arguing for a form-follows-function approach that lends itself to ‘beautiful’ design – rather, we’ve entered into a conversation seemingly built upon the idea that the aesthetics aren’t important, which seems to be little more than an excuse for bad design.
[Look, if tequila and plantain chips don't help your creative process, you're probably just not a ninja]
Well, it’s official – after about 2 weeks of prep, and a marathon 12 hour push by the HNIC [AKA black octagons, the eight-sided darkness] and myself, the entire myninjaplease network has been upgraded, updated, retrofitted, and reinvented as MNP 2.0.
You’ll notice that the site as a whole is a bit crispier, and that the ’sidenotes’ in the middle column finally work [no more clicking titles of posts for links!]. We’re also using the new theme to attempt more cross-site promotion between the various MNP pages – most noticeably with the RSS feeds in the right sidebar [don't sleep on the rest of myninjaplease!].
I would say things are about 85% done – so if you could wait a week or so before you pass judgment, things should be in working order [we know how ninjas are about tossin' their opinions around]. Let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions/comments, and [especially] if you notice something that isn’t working right by dropping me an email at architecture@myninjaplease.com – or by leaving a comment.
Our ninja Ivan Hernandez Quintela of Ludens [our first 'Ninja of the Month'] contacted AMNP last week about new projects he’s worked on since the NotM feature – specifically, “The Box” @ MUAC. In addition to his own work, Ivan shared work done by student who participated in a “Guerilla Architecture” course which he taught at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
Ivan’s students were asked to produce temporary shelters that would meet the needs of one of several ‘homeless profiles’ that the class recognized, and then construct and test the design. Both designs featured here attempt to “make evident that the homeless are not inactive people, but actually are extremely mobile, nomad by nature” – creating solutions that take into account this mobile nature of many of the homeless.
The idea was that the homeless citizen would wear the kimono during the day and would remove it during the night to create his temporary shelter.
A garment that could be worn by day, and then reassembled into a tent structure – the first design uses lines to attach to nearby objects in order to create a shelter from wearable materials, rather than using poles or other rigid, harder to carry methods. The homeless citizen then wears her shelter on her person, saving the energy and space needed to transport something larger/heavier.
Next we have a design that combines this idea of mobility and need for shelter with the additional need – in some cases – for storage.
The students generated a vehicle, which was activated in a very similar manner as a wheel chair, so it required quite an athletic user, where two huge truck wheels were recuperated from a dump site and assembled in such a manner that in the middle is the navigating chair, and each wheel is used either as a resting spot or as a can container.
::all images, info, and quotes courtesy of Ivan Hernandez Quintela::
I’ve been kind of ‘on record’ as being deeply unhappy, and deeply uncomfortable about that kind of situation ['starchitect' title]… because I think every name describes a content, and the content of ’star architect’ – compared to the content of ‘architect’ – is limited. Nobody thinks the star has good intentions. A star walks over you – a star is indifferent to what people think. My hope is that also, through the current complexity, that the title will exit discreetly and disappear.
The MNP fam has decided that it was finally time we ‘officially’ went ‘green’ – even tho ninjas have obviously always lived in perfect harmony with their environment. With that in mind, AMNP was kind enough to grace the USGBC and GBCI with our membership – and my becoming a LEED AP. For us it was little more than an early morning diversion and a few hundred bucks lost – but now these LEED organizations can claim an association with the shogunate, which will surely improve public perception of both groups. You’re welcome, USGBC and GBCI – no big thing, really.
With this in mind, we’ve decided to go for a LEED rating here at MNP. For AMNP specifically, this means that I will be recycling 100% of future content from other blogs and websites within a 500 mile radius. I’ll also be creating a graphic for the top of the page advising visitors that the site is best viewed with your monitor off, to save electricity.
I’ve also presented plans to the rest of myninjaplease to take the network to LEED Double Diamond status – which is lightyears ahead of Platinum, for those that didn’t know – by constructing the new dojo in a paralel dimension that has no impact on our own, accessed from an urban brownfield site we’ll be converting to a public park.
It’s Monday! Which of course means that many of you are back at work, staring blankly at your computer screens and trying to shake off the weekend. That said, with the current state of things, many of you are probably barely aware of what day it is – staring at the 2 new job postings that went up this week and wondering just how many other people are going to be applying for them, too [I'm there also]. But hey, that’s why we have the internet – to distract us from ‘the Mondays’ and from dreary job searches [contrary to popular belief, the web is for more than porn and Youtube videos, apparently - who knew?]. So zone out and enjoy some linkage, which will hopefully occupy you through lunch.
As always, if you come across an article you think I should post a link to, or a project AMNP should feature, drop me an email at architecture@myninjaplease.com.
::Video Sundays, or VS, is a weekly feature here on AMNP. For more architecture-related videos, click on any Sunday in the sidebar calendar – or on the ‘videos’ category in the ‘archjutsu’ section. And don’t hesitate to submit suggestions for video features to architecture[at]myninjaplease[dot]com::
Steven Holl's recently completed 'Linked Hybrid' building named 'Best Tall Building' by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat [CTBUH]. .:via->Bustler
Should stimulus funding only be awarded to local firms? Or, if we're not that explicit about it - should local firms' proposals get some kind of 'preferred' status? The Architect's Newspaper reported last week that Foster + Partners has been chosen for the $121 million renovation of 50 UN Plaza, a historic federal building in San Francisco - chosen over SOM, Architectural Resources Group with HKS, and Hornberger + Worstell with William McDonough, all of which have San Fran offices. I'm not one to spout some pro-America nonsense, but the stimulus [paid for by us, eventually] seemed to be about improving the US economy by funding US projects and paying US workers. Sure, we're a part of a global economy, but consider this: they would never dream of hiring anything but local laborers for this project. It might not seem like a big deal, but a project this size will generate enough income for a firm to retain a significant amount of workers, I would imagine. What do you think? Leave a comment!
Well, we hope it's unbreakble, anyways. The NY Times looks at technological improvements in glass - in particular, the new observation deck of the Sears Tower, which projects a retractable glass box 4 feet from the building's facade. Which, by the way, looks scary as hell - but also pretty dope.
Just in case the ridiculous amount of rain that's been dropped on New England is something more serious, Boston.com gives us a step by step guide to building our own arks. I'd get started now, before all the good wood/animals are taken.
"America's obsession with supersizing has ballooned from burgers, sodas, and lattes to SUVs, houses, and now freeways. Cities including Atlanta, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., propose to widen some freeways to 24 lanes, or 400 feet—enough space for two 747s, side by side. The El Toro “Y” interchange in Orange County, Calif., already has 26 lanes. If this trend continues, you'll need binoculars to find your exit" .:Architect Magazine->
The NY Times reports that triple deckers in New England have been hit particularly hard by the recession - my guess is that it has something to do with the overinflated prices of these great buildings, which sell (in Boston) for upwards of $400 k a floor. Sure, they're big floors / apts, but still.
"As the environmental hazards of plastic become hard to ignore, a new generation of plant-based alternatives is creeping into commercial applications. Now it’s time for designers to take them to the next level." .:Metropolis->
Zaha Hadid has won a competition to design the 450,000 m2 Cairo Expo City - a major international exhibition and conference centre with business hotel.
Were we actually just straight-up tricked by Obama? Did he ever intend for his 'Office of Urban Policy' to do anything? Be represented anywhere? So far it has barely any staff, is now referred to as the 'Office of Urban Affairs', and hasn't been addressed in any serious way. Meanwhile, the administration continues to stroke 'small towns' and 'rural America', reminding them that the government loves them and will do everything it can for them. Change sure is a-comin'... more, via The Root->
Can 'urban design solutions' save suburbia from itself? Maybe so - and we all know it needs the help [read the full article at Residential Architect by clicking the title of this post].
Export your SketchUp models for first person shooter gaming! Now you can combine two things that I'm sure take up tons of your time - gaming and building digital models.
The number of scheduled LEED exams has gone through the roof, as people are trying to pass the test before the new system goes into effect. Ninjas still think LEED is a money game, making it about the wrong kind of green via the Architects' Newspaper
Well, of course they pollute - but new CO2 maps suggest that US suburbs have higher emmissions than their neighbors in urban areas. So, you're in the cut, pollute more, have to drive further to work, and probably live in a McMansion. Why do you live in the suburbs again?
Domus is available for discounted purchase as PDFs on CD, as a special collection of all the editions from 2000 - 2006 for only about $50 [35 euro]. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. Sure - it's not as nice as having Domus in print and on your shelf, but it's a LOT cheaper [and I guess kind of 'green', too].