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CONTENTS

Introduction

Howwechosethesebuildings

EXTREMELOCATIONS

REINVENTION

GETBETTER

POP-UP

SHAPE-SHIFTERS

DRIVE

NATUREBUILDING

SHELTERFROMTHESTORM

SHRINK

SOCIALCATALYSTS

FAST-FORWARD

PhotoCredits

AuthorThanks

AbouttheAuthor

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Introduction

Thisbookwantsyoutoaskmorefromarchitecture.

Youliveinahouse,youworkinanoffice,yousendyourkidstoaschool.Theseplacesaren’tjustthebackdroptoyourlife,theyshapeyourlife—theydefinewhoyousee,whatyousee,andhowyouseeit.

Architectureimpactshowyoufeeleveryday,whichisn’tsurprisingconsideringhowmuchtimeweallspendinsidebuildings.TheaverageAmerican,forexample,spends90percentoftheirtimeindoors,yetsomanyofourbuildingsleaveuswithoutnaturallight,shelteruswithlowceilings,andignoreourpersonal,social,andenvironmentalneeds.

Itdoesn’thavetobelikethis.Wecancontrolthispowerfulforce—wejusthavetostartaskingmorefromourbuildings.

Thisarchitecturalrevolutionisalreadyuponus.Theaveragepersonismorecomfortablehavinganopinionaboutarchitecturetodaythaneverbefore,mostlyduetothedialogueenabledbysocialmedia.Theworld’s1.75billionsmartphonesarefundamentallychangingthewayarchitectureisconsumed,turningeveryoneintoanarchitecturalphotographer.Photographssharedonsocialmedialiberatebuildingsfromtheirgeographiclocations,enablinganewlevelofpublicengagement.Weexperiencearchitecturetodaywithanunprecedentedimmediacy,creatingfodderforaglobalconversationaboutbuildingsandtheirimpact.

Thiscommunicationsrevolutionismakingusallcomfortablecritiquingthebuiltenvironmentaroundus,evenifthatcriticismisjust“OMGIluvthis!”or“Thisplacegivesmethecreeps.”Thisfeedbackisremovingarchitecturefromtheexclusivepurviewofexpertsandcriticsandputtingpowerintothehandsofthepeoplewhomatter:everydayusers.Wehavestarted“liking”andhatingplacesoutloud.Architectscanhearusinrealtime,whichhasempowered(andsometimesevenforced)themtopursuenewideas—tocreatesolutionsthatrespondtotoday’smostpressingsocialandenvironmentalissues.

Inthisnewworld,oneinwhichpeopleareaskingmorefromtheirbuildings,architectsarenolongerboundbyanysinglestyleatanysingletime.Peopledon’twanttheirtownlibraryinSeattletolookthesameastheirgrandmother’slibraryinNewJersey.Evenarchitecturalhistoriansdon’tknowexactlywhatisgoingonrightnowbecauseeverythingischangingsofast.Infact,theywillneverknowwhatisgoingonagain,becausethefutureofarchitectureisafreneticwhirlwindofexperimentationandareevaluationoflong-acceptedhabits.

Thisbookconsidersthepublictobeapartnerinarchitecture.Thequestionswecanaskofbuildings,andofarchitects,willcreateanewfuture—onethatwilllookalotdifferentthantheworldweknowtoday.Someofthequestionsthisbookposesmayseemsilly:Whatifacowbuiltyourhouse?Canweswiminpoop?Canweliveonthemoon?Buttwohundredyearsagoitwaswildtoask,WillIliveinthesky?Or,WillIneedasweaterinthesummer?Nowthatelevatorsandairconditioningenableustoliveinthecloudsandfreezeinaheatwave,wemustaskharder,moreimaginativequestions.

Architectshavetheknow-howtodesignbuildingsthataregreener,smarter,andfriendlier—andnowthepublicisapartnerinthisambition.Inonehundredexamples,thisbookisaprimeronhowyouandIandtheentireworldcanaskforgoodarchitecture.

Howwechosethesebuildings

Themorethanonehundredprojectschosenforthisbookareanonscientificandpurelysubjectivecollectionofthemostinterestingandrelevantworkbeingdoneinthefieldofarchitecture.Theyrepresenteverycontinentintheworldandmultiplebuildingtypes.Theyarebigandsmall,conceptualandconcrete.TheywereinitiallyculledfrommorethanfivethousandArchitizerA+Awardsentriesandsupplementedbyexhaustiveresearch,conversations,andpersonalexperience.

EXTREMELOCATIONS

Humankind’sdesiretoexploreandbuildinextremelocationsraisesacrucialquestion:How?HowwillscientistssurvivewhentheysettleattheNorthPole?HowwillnaturaliststakeshelterwhentheyobservereindeerintheNorwegiantundra?HowwillourchildrenlivewhentheylandonMars?

1CanweliveintheharshestplaceonEarth?

Forgetouterspace—scientistsarestillnavigatingunchartedterritorieshereonEarth.ThisrelocatableresearchfacilitysitsontheBruntIceShelfatthesouthernmostAntarcticstation,operatedbytheBritishAntarcticSurvey.Perchedongiantski-likefoundations,hydrauliclegsallowthestationto“climb”outofthesnowafterheavyprecipitation;whentheiceshelfmovesouttoseainwarmerweather,modulescanbeloweredontoskisandtowedtoanewlocation.Settinganewbarforclimatechangeresearchinthepolarregions,itsspaceship-likeformdrawsmuch-deservedattentiontothisgroundbreakingwork.

Yoursurvivaldependsongooddesign.

HalleyVIAntarcticResearchStation.AntarcticaHUGHBROUGHTONARCHITECTSANDAECOM,CONSTRUCTEDBYGALLIFORDTRYFORTHEBRITISHANTARCTICSURVEY

2Whatdoesarchitecturelooklikeabove10,000feet?

Accessibleonlybygondola,thisAustrianskilodgesits11,000feetabovesealevel.Itisdesignedtoworkwiththenaturallandscape’ssheervisualandphysicalpower;thestructureisperchedonthemountain’ssummittoenablenature’sunique“snowarchitecture”toaccumulateandmeltunimpeded.Anabundanceofglasswindowsallowsfornearly360-degreeviews,framedbyaspeciallyengineeredfloorandroofdesignedtowithstandtheelementsandhugetemperatureswingsofthesetting.

Natureistheultimatearchitect.

Wildspitzbahn.Tirol,AustriaBAUMSCHLAGERHUTTERPARTNERS

3Canarchitecturebeapathintotheclouds?

TheseviewingplatformshoverabovetheTrollstigenroad,amountainoustouristpaththattwistsandturnsupnear-verticalslopesandperchesonadramaticpassbetweenNorway’sdeepfjords.Humansmayonlyvisit—andbuild—thereinthesummer,whentheweatherislessharsh,buttheplatformsmustwithstandweatherconditionsyear-round.Thoughtheroutedelicatelythreadsthroughthetreacherousterrain,itreliesonremarkablestrengthandcarefulengineeringtostandthetestofNorway’sharshelements.

Thebestarchitecturemakesusforgethowharditworks.

TrollstigenNationalTouristRoute.Trollstigen,NorwayREIULFRAMSTADARKITEKTER

4Whatdoreindeerdoallday?

AhikingtrailleadstoaspectacularsiteoverlookingtheDovrefjellmountainrangeincentralNorway,hometosomeofthelastremainingwildreindeerherdsinEurope.Asinewypavilioninvitesvisitorstowarmthemselveswhileobservingthelocalreindeerpopulation.Thestructureisanexerciseinmaterialcontrast—arigidoutershellofrawsteelandglasshousesasoftwoodencoreshapedlikethenearbyrocks,whichhavebeenerodedbywindsandrunningwaterforcenturies.

Architecturerewardstheadventurous.

Tverrfjellhytta—NorwegianWildReindeerPavilion.Hjerkinn,NorwaySNØHETTA 

Tverrfjellhytta—NorwegianWildReindeerPavilion.Hjerkinn,NorwaySNØHETTA 

5Canmodernarchitectureinspirepilgrimage?

TheRutadelPeregrinoisapilgrimageroutethatwinds72milesthroughtheJaliscomountainrange.NearlytwomillionpeopleeachyearmakethearduouswalktohonortheVirginofTalpa.Thislookoutpointisoneofninepiecesofarchitecturedesignedtoprovidelandmarksandshelterforthesetravelers(andattractmorecasualvisitorstotherouteaswell).Balancedlikeaseesaw,itframestheviewatoneofthehighestpointsonthetrailandoffersamomentofrespitefromthetrail’sharshconditions.

Architecturecanmakethejourney.

RutadelPeregrinoCrossesLookoutPoint. Jaliscomountains,MexicoELEMENTAL

6CanyoudreambeneaththeNorthernLights?

ThisluxuryhotelusesIceland’sotherworldlylandscapetocreateacompletelyescapistexperienceforguests.Thearchitectschosethelocationverycarefully—locallorediscouragesdisturbingcave-dwellingelvesnearby.Withtheenvironmentinmind,thearchitectsmadeampleuseofrecycledmaterials;rubbertireswereremadeintobathroombasinsandlavaintolamps.Anearlyinfinite,yetsustainable,supplyofhotwatercomesfroma190-degrees-Celsiushotspringheatedbyanearbyvolcano.Andwhennighttimecomes,theheavensaboveputonashowlikenoneother.

Architecturerevealsouterspaceonourownplanet.

IONLuxuryAdventureHotel. ThingvellirNationalPark,IcelandMINARC

7Canabuildingstandontiptoe?

Atthisdesolateresort,thecabinsaredesignedtoencourageinhabitantstoappreciatetheisolationofthedesert.Ratherthanplantingeach20-square-meterEcoLofthotelroomonthegroundlikeatraditionalbuilding,thearchitectsdesignedthemtohoveroverthelandonthinsteelsupports.Theyarearrangedlikethebouldersaroundthesite,scatteredinapicturesquecomposition.

Ecotourismneedsecoarchitecture.

EncuentroGuadalupe.BajaCalifornia,MexicoGRACIASTUDIO

8Cananofficefloat?

TheArctiaShippingLtd.headquartersisafloatingofficebuildingwhosedesignreferencesitsneighbors:icebreakingbargesdockedontheKatajanokkashore,builttocombattheregion’sextremelylowtemperatures.Itshorizontalmassandcustomizedblacksteelfacadesmimictheblackhullsoftheships,whileinteriorfinishesoflacqueredwoodrecallearliershipbuildingtraditions.

Ifbuildingscanfloat,wholecitiescouldtoo.

ArctiaShippingHeadquarters.Helsinki,FinlandK2SARCHITECTS

9Canalandscraperhelpusreachthestars?

IntheChileanAtacamaDesertsitstheVeryLargeTelescope,aninstrumentthat’struetoitsname—it’soneofthelargestandmostadvancedpiecesofopticalequipmentonEarth.Atthisflagshipfacility,operatedbytheEuropeanSouthernObservatory,scientistsworkinginsevereclimaticconditions(intensesun,extremedryness,earthquakes)needlodgingthatwillhelpthemrestandrecoverbetweenworkshifts.Thishotelisdrapedacrossthelandscape,andhasbecomearespiteforthosemakingextendedvisitstothisbeautiful,harshenvironment.

Scientificprogressrequireshealthyscientists.

EuropeanSouthernObservatory(ESO)Hotel. CerroParanal,ChileAUERWEBER

10Canweliveonthemoon?

Whenwealleventuallyliveonthemoon,we’llneedtobeprotectedfromgammaradiation.Thisfour-persondwellingwilldojustthat,providingshelterfromhugetemperatureswingsandmeteorites.Inflatabledomesgivethestructureitsuniqueshape.Robotspoweredbysolarenergywill3-Dprintmoondust(regolith)ontoitssurface,creatingaprotectiveshellthatisultralightweightbecauseitrequiresnoglueorotherfasteners—itsparticlesbondtogethernaturally.Architectshavecreateda1.5-tonmock-upandhavetestedsmallmodulesinsideavacuumchamber.Lookforthefirststructuresoonatthemoon’ssouthpole.

Architecturalingenuityisn’tearthbound.

3-Dprintedlunarhabitations.(Concept) FOSTER+PARTNERSWITHTHEEUROPEANSPACEAGENCY

REINVENTION

It’sbadenoughtothrowoutaplasticbottle—imaginethrowingoutawholebuildingwhenyou’redonewithit!Newconstructioniswildlyinefficient,whichiswhy,forexample,90percentofconstructionactivityintheUnitedStatesoverthenexttenyearsisexpectedtobeonexistingbuildings.Agrainsilobecomesanartmuseum,andawatertreatmentplantbecomesanicon.Wecancreateanewfutureforourexistingbuildingsbyrepurposingourpast.

11Canyoushopinacathedral?

Asthenumberofbrick-and-mortarbookstoresintheworlddwindles,theonesthatremainhavebecomesacredplacestoretreat.SowhatbetterplaceforaDutchbooksellertoreimagineitselfthaninsideathirteenth-centuryDominicancathedral?Thesoaringnaveallowsamplespaceforathree-story-highbookshelf,whichspansthelengthofthespaceandcontrastswiththeGothicstonearchitecturearoundit.

Retailtherapycanbeaholyexperience.

SelexyzDominicanen.Maastricht,NetherlandsEVELYNEMERKX,MERKX+GIROD

12Canrubbletellanewstory?

Rubblefromnaturaldisastersisreborn,fittingly,asahistorymuseuminChina.Architectsusedthedebrisaccumulatedthroughearthquakestobuildthefacadeofthisbuilding,commissionedbythecityofNingbo.Builtinthisway,thearchitects’visionbecomesaniconofthepastwhileadvancingsustainableideasofadaptingexistingmaterialstocontemporaryneeds.

Bricksdon’thaveanexpirationdate.

NingboMuseum.Ningbo,ChinaWANGSHU

13Canuglybepretty?

NewtownCreekisthelargestofNewYorkCity’sfourteenwastewatertreatmentplants.Thecitycouldhaveeasilystuckwithautilitariandesign,butinsteaditdecidedtoput$4.5billionintooverhaulingtheoutmodedandenvironmentallyunsoundwastewatertreatmentfacility,followingadesignthatissensitivetothesurroundingresidentialneighborhood.Workingwithateamthatincludedlightingartistsandanenvironmentalsculptor,thearchitectscreatedacomplexthatusesform,material,andcolortocreateastrikingvisualcomposition.

Industrialarchitecturedoesn’tneedtohideanymore.

NewtownCreekWastewaterTreatmentPlant.Brooklyn,NewYork,UnitedStatesENNEADARCHITECTS

14Wouldyoueatdinnerinasewerpipe?

Justtrynottothinkaboutit—stackedprecastconcretepipestraditionallyusedforwastewaterbecomeadramatic,sculpturaladditiontoanexistingpub.Linedwithwood,theycreateintimatediningnooksforthoseinside,andasenseofvoyeurismforthosewhopassby.

Functionfollowsform.

PrahranHotel.Melbourne,AustraliaTECHNÉARCHITECTS

15Howmuchwouldyoupaytosleepinafactory?

Repurposingfactoriesintotrendyhotelsishappeningaroundtheglobe—butthisisaparticularlystrikinginstanceofupdatedarchitecturebringingnewlifetoaformerlyindustrialsetting.OntheEastRiverinBrooklyn,thearchitectsstrippedandrestoredabrick,castiron,andtimber-framebuildingtocreateseventy-threeguestrooms.AroofadditionsmartlyusescontextualfactorywindowstocreatepanoramicviewsoftheManhattanskylinewhileformingavisibleicononBrooklyn’sownskyline.

Resteasyknowingyou’recoolerthaneveryoneelse.

WytheHotel.Brooklyn,NewYork,UnitedStatesMORRISADJMIARCHITECTS

16Howdoyouturnagrainsilointoanartmuseum?

Ahistoricgrainsilocomposedofforty-twoconcretetubeswillbecomeamuseumonCapeTown’swaterfront.Thestructurehadnoopenspacetobeginwith,soarchitectscutacrosssectionthrougheightofthecentralconcretesilos(newconcrete-cuttingtechniqueswillpreservetheiredgesandaddtexturetothespace).Theeffectisanovalatriumencircledbyconcreteshaftsoneveryside.Artistswillhavethechancetocreatesite-specificartinthesilo’soriginalundergroundtunnels.

Abuildingcangofromfeedingmouthstofeedingminds.

ZeitzMuseumofContemporaryArtAfrica.CapeTown,SouthAfricaHEATHERWICKSTUDIO

17Canabunkerbecomeapowerplant?

InthelandmarkruinsoftheWorldWarTwo-eraHamburg-Wilhelmsburgflakbunker,adrasticreimaginingofthestructure’spurposehastakenplace.It’snowagreenmachinethatconvertsheattoenergyandalmostwipesoutitsowncarbonfootprint.Butitshistoryhasn’tbeenforgotten—locatedinthemiddleofaresidentialarea,thebunkerisalsopublicallyaccessibleasamemorialwithacafé.

Architectureremindsusthatourmemoriesarepowerful.

EnergyBunker.Hamburg,GermanyHHSPLANER+ARCHITEKTEN

18Cansuperhighwaysmakegoodhouses?

Wehavealldrivenonhighwayswithoutrealizingtheirenormousness.Thishouseawakensustothescaleofourtransportationinfrastructure.It’smadeusinghugeprecastconcretebeamsthataretraditionallyfabricatedforhighwayconstruction.Aseriesofseeminglyimpossiblecantileversmakeusrethinkourperceptionsofgravityandscale.Andcheckoutthatswimmingpool!

Rethinkingtheobviouscancreatesomethingentirelynew.

HemeroscopiumHouse.Madrid,SpainENSAMBLESTUDIO

19Cananewskinsaveoldbones?

Whendeveloperslookedtotransforma1960shotelintoahigh-endapartmentbuilding,theirarchitectswantedtosaveasmuchofthebuildingaspossiblewhilestillupgradingitsperformanceandoverallimage.Theydidthisbycreatinga“secondskin”forthebuilding,whichtheyinstalledontotheexistingmasonryfacade.Thenewblackaluminumpanelshostaverticalgardenanddrasticallyimprovethethermalperformanceofthebuilding(andlookgreatdoingit).

Goodfortheenvironmentcanbegoodfortheeyes.

142ParkStreet.SouthMelbourne,AustraliaBRENCHLEYARCHITECTS

20Canhistoriccitieshavefuturisticpublicspaces?

WhenSevilledecidedtoreplacetheparkinglotandbusstationatitscitycenter,officialsweresurprisedtodiscoverRomanruinsbeneaththesurface.Whattodo?MetropolParasolwasthewinningschemeinaninternationalcompetitionthatmanagestoprotecttheruins,providespaceforshoppingandcafés,andcreateagrandnewpublicsquareforthestill-vibrantcity.ThesixmushroomlikeshadingdevicesproviderelieffromtheintenseAndalusiansun,andvisitorscanclimbtothetoptotakeinapanoramicviewofthewalledcity.Yetthecraziestpartofthisswoopylandmarkisn’titsform:ItismademostlyofwoodandisthelargestgluedstructureonEarth.

Citiesarenottimecapsules.

MetropolParasol.Seville,SpainJ.MAYERH.ARCHITECTS

MetropolParasol.Seville,SpainJ.MAYERH.ARCHITECTS

21Canasubwaystationmakeyouwanttobeunderground?

ThisBudapestsubwaystationextensionwasplannedduringthe1980s,butwasn’timplementeduntilthenewmillennium.Newconstructiontechniquesallowedthearchitectstoexcavateagiantboxshapeanduseconcretebeamstostructureit.Thehapticcollectionofcolumns,beams,andescalatorsisilluminatedbythesunthroughaglassceiling,makingthissubterraneanspacefeellikeathree-dimensionaltrafficintersectionandtransformingitintoavaluedpublicspace.

Goodarchitectureisworththewait.

M4FővámtérandSzentGellérttérstations.Budapest,HungarySPORAARCHITECTS

22Canshippingcontainersbesurprising?

Shippingcontainers—uniforminsize,lowincost,availableeverywhere—offeranappealingbuildingblockforarchitects.BuilttoattractvisitorstotheAnyangwaterfront’spublicartprogram,theAPAPOpenSchoolpushestheboundariesofwhatthesemodulescando.Withonecontainerskewedataseeminglyimpossible45-degreeangleandanotherhovering3metersabovetheground,thestructurebecomesalandmarkwithinthecitywiththehelpofsomebrightyellowpaint.

Architecturecaninventextraordinaryusesforordinarymaterials.

APAPOpenSchool.Anyang,KoreaLOT-EK

23Cangoodarchitecturemake1+2=1?

TheMuseudeArtedoRioanditsadjacentschoolhadanidentityproblem.Theinstitutionsarecomposedofthreebuildings:a1910palace,amidcenturybusstation,andaformerpolicehospitalbuilding.Tocreateasingleidentity,thearchitectscreatedahoveringconcretecanopytovisuallyunitethedisparatepieces.Thankstobarely-visiblecolumns,thewave-likecanopyseemstofloatoverthemuseumcampus,abustlingrooftopplaza,andthecourtyardbelow.

Withtherightdesign,architecturecanbemorethanthesumofitsparts.

MuseudeArtedoRio.RiodeJaneiro,BrazilJACOBSENARQUITETURA

MuseudeArtedoRio.RiodeJaneiro,BrazilJACOBSENARQUITETURA

GETBETTER

Buildingsimpactourhealthandwell-being.Ifyou’veeverfeltdepressedwhilesittinginawaitingroomwithlowceilingsandharsh,flickeringfluorescentlights,thenyouknowthepowerofarchitectureoverourpsyches.Theinverseistruetoo:buildingscanhaveahugelypositiveimpactonthepeoplewhodependonthem,frommedicalpatientsanddoctorstostudentsandtheelderly.

24Canabrickbecomeahealingforce?

In2011,ButaroHospitalopeneda150-bedmedicalfacilitythatservesnearly350,000peopleinthisregionofRwanda.Inspiteofitsimpact,thehospitalstruggledtoattractdoctorstoworkthere.Thesolutioncameintheformofthesecharmingdoctors’homes,whichgiveforeignstaffapermanentresidencejustfiveminutesfromthehospital.Inbuildingthehomes,architectstookatrulyholisticviewofthecommunity’sneedsandusedtheprojectasanopportunitytoteachnewskilledtradestothelocalcommunity.On-siteworkshopstaughtlocalteamstomakecompressedstabilizedearthblocks—bricksthatareearthquake-safeandsustainable.Theseteamsalsolearnedtomakethehospital’scustomfurnitureandlightfixtures,aswellastheearth-stabilizinglandscapingtechniquescrucialtobringingagriculturetotheregion.Withatotalofninehundredskilledlaborerstrainedduringtheconstructionprocess,theeffortbroughtbetterbuildingpractices,nottomentionbettermedicine,toRwandaforgenerationstocome.

Buildingsbuildfutures.

ButaroDoctors’Housing.Butaro,RwandaMASSDESIGNGROUP

25Whatcanaspateachusaboutlight?

Adistinctivehotelbuiltin1967hasbecomeamainstayontheislandofMajorca.Itslatestrenovationincludesanewspa—onethatreliesonaninnovativenaturallightingdesigntocompletelytransformtheinteriorspaces.Inthepoolarea,thebuildingcanfinallytakeadvantageofitssunniestfacadesviaaroofandwallspunctuatedbyarraysofstrategicallyplacedwindows.Inthesparoomsandworkoutarea,hugeglasswindowsletguestsseethelandscape,whereassmalleropeningscreateadark,sereneenvironmentinquietareaslikethesauna.

Sunlightcanbeatransformativeexperience.

HotelCastelldelsHams.Majorca,SpainA2ARQUITECTOS

26Wouldyoudiehere?

ThisuniquehousingcomplexfortheelderlyreflectsPortugal’sculturalemphasisonqualityoflife.Thehumancomponentiscrucialineachpieceofthedesign,whichisbasedonaMediterraneantown—streets,plazas,andgardensareanextensionofeachresidence.Translucentroofslightupastheeveningfalls,toensurethatelderlyresidentscanmovefreelyatnight.Thislightingschemealsobecomescrucialinanemergency:triggeringanalarminsidethehousechangestherooflightfromwhitetored,signalingtheneedforhelp.

Lightsendsamessage.

AlcabidecheSocialComplex.Alcabideche,PortugalGUEDESCRUZARCHITECTS

27Canarchitecturehelpfightcancer?

Acancer-counselingcentercreatesamicrocommunityforvisitors,caregivers,andcounselors.Withajaggedrooflinethatclearlydistinguishesitfromotherhospitalbuildingsnearby,thecenterismadeupofsevensmallhousesencirclingtwograssycourtyards.Here,patientsandtheirfamiliescanlearn,eat,exercise,andrestclosetothemaincancerward,fosteringclosecollaborationbetweenthehospitalstaffandtheDanishCancerSociety.Functioninglikeasmallcommunitywithinthesurroundingneighborhood,thecenterhighlightsthevitalrolethathumancontactcanplayinthetreatmentprocess.

Architecturecangiveahealingtouch.

Livsrum.Næstved,DenmarkEFFEKT

28Canarchitecturegiveussuperpowers?

Thesecretoflongevity?Intergenerationalcontact,constantphysicalactivity,socialinteraction,fun,andhappiness.AlloftheseattributesareembeddedintheFunHouse—thecenterpieceoftheprogressiveagingcommunityinPalmSprings.KeytothisbuildingisMadelineGins’strailblazingtheoryof“ReverseDestiny”:usingstructurestochallengephysicalandmentalcapacities,andviewingarchitectureasakeyingredienttoalongerandhealthierlife.

Architecturecankeepusyoung.

ReversibleDestinyHealingFunHouse.(Concept)PalmSprings,California,UnitedStatesARAWAKA+GINS,REVERSIBLEDESTINYFOUNDATION

29Canthisschoolhelpautisticchildrenlearn?

Thisschoolisdesignedforstudentswithautismspectrumdisorder—studentswhoseelevatedsensescantriggertraumaticresponsestosuddentransitionsbetweenphysicalspaces,aswellastolarge,undefinedspaces.Nineresidencesandthreeclassroombuildingsarearrangedtofosteratherapeuticenvironmentbyallowingstudentstomovegraduallythroughthecampus.Changeindirectionissignaledbysoftturnsratherthanabruptangles,slowlyleadingstudentstothedoorwayofeachbuilding.

Architecturecancreatebeautifulchoreography.

CenterforDiscovery.Harris,NewYork,UnitedStatesTURNERBROOKSARCHITECT

30Canmudkeepussafe?

MaeTaoClinicisahumanitarianorganizationthatprovidesfreemedicaltreatment,shelter,andfoodformorethanthreethousandchildren.LocatedafewmilesfromtheBurmeseborder,theclinicneededtoexpandtomakeroomforitsincreasingnumbers.Membersofthisgrowingcommunitybuiltanewfacilitywithlocalwoodandadobe(mudbricks),whichhavebeenusedasaweather-andfireproofbuildingmaterialinThailandforcenturies.Now,thenewcenterishosttoahealthcareeducationprogramthatwillcreateanevenstrongersocialfabricinthisborderregion.

Dirtcanbethetiethatbinds.

Newtrainingcentercampus&temporarydormitories.MaeMo,ThailandA.GOR.AARCHITECTS

31Wouldyourkidsvisityouhere?

Gettingoldshouldn’tmeanlivinginisolation.Thishomefortheelderlyisahybridofahotelandaforward-thinkinghospital.Eachwhitecubeapartmentonthefacadehasaprojectingbalconydesignedtoshadewindowsbelowfromharshsun.Thisprivacyisoffsetbythegreatpublicspacethebuildingisarrangedaround:Thelongbuildingisameanderingpath(youcanliterallywalkontheroof)thatsurroundsapubliccourtyardwherepatientscangatherandmakenewfriends.

Buildingsknowthereisstrengthinnumbers.

Houseforelderlypeople.AlcácerdoSalResidences,PortugalAIRESMATEUS

POP-UPScientistshavelaboratories.Architectshavepop-ups.Thesetemporarystructuresaretinyexperimentsinformandspace.

Canarchitecturepop-up?

Off-the-shelfacrylictubesareassembledtocreatearigidpavil-ionwhoseshapeisinspiredbyaroughgemstone.

BulgariArtPavilion.ManaratAlSaadiyat,AbuDhabi,UnitedArabEmiratesNOTANUMBERARCHITECTS

Designedwithemergingchefsandfoodtruckcultureinmind,alightweight,corrugatedplasticshellcanexpandtoaccommodatedinnersfortwoorfifty.

PDU(PortableDiningUnit).SanFrancisco,California,UnitedStatesEDG

Atemporaryfloatingweddingpavilionbarelytouchestheground,thankstoaballooncanopyfilledwithheliumanddrapedindiaphanousfabric.

Floatastic.NewHaven,Connecticut,UnitedStatesQASTICLABS

AtemporarysocialhubonGovernorsIslandattheFigmentartsfestivalismadeof53,780recycledbottles—theamountthrownawayinNewYorkCityeveryhour.

HeadintheClouds.GovernorsIsland,NewYork,UnitedStatesSTUDIOKLIMOSKICHANGARCHITECTS

Designersgiveastandardwhitepartytentamakeoverwithasuspendedlandscapeofwhitevinyltubes.

DriftpavilionforDesignMiami/2012.MiamiBeach,Florida,UnitedStatesSNARKITECTURE

SHAPESHIFTERS

Canwallsbeinvisible?Canaconcerthallbeaballoon?Canaskyscraperbendoverandtouchtheground?Newtechnologyfordrawing,digitalmodeling,andconstructionmeansthatarchitectsarenolongerboundbytheshapesofthepast,andcancreateuniquespacesthatlookunlikeanythingwe’veseenbefore.

32Canabuildingzig?

Abordercrossingisthefirstthingyouencounterinacountry,andthelastthingyouseeasyouleave.Georgiahasbuiltwhatmustbethemostinterestingbordercrossingintheworld,whichisnosurprise—sinceitwasrebornasanindependentdemocraticcountryin1991,Georgiahasbeenusingarchitecturetorebranditsimagetotheworld.Cantileveredplatformsallowforviewingoftheruggedlandscape,andacafeteria,conferenceroom,andstafffacilitiesarearrangedtocreateacompositionthatpromiseswonderfuldiscoveriesinthecountrybeyond.

Thegatewaytoacountryshouldenticeandinspirevisitors.

Bordercheckpoint. Sarpi,GeorgiaJ.MAYERH.ARCHITECTS

33Canarchitectureswirl?

Aninflatableandmobileconcerthallmadeofastretchyplasticmembranebringsbothartandhopetoearthquake-devastatedJapan.Thefive-hundred-seatvenuecaninflateinundertwohoursand,whendeflated,canmovetoanewlocationonthebackofatruck.

Thelinebetweenartandarchitecturecanbeacurvyone.

ArkNova.Matsushima,JapanARATAISOZAKI,ANISHKAPOOR

34Canarchitectureswoop?

TheSovietUnionwaswellknownforitsimposingandrigidlymonumentalarchitecture.WhenAzerbaijanislookedtocreateanewculturalcenterintheircapital,theymadeanextremedeparturefromprecedent.Thebuildingrisesoutofthelandscapeinaseriesofundulatingcurvestoencloseover57,000squaremetersofspace.Thedesignrepresentsthefluidrelationshipbetweenthecityandwhathappensinsidetheculturalcenter.

Architecturecancreatenewlandscapes.

HeydarAliyevCenter.Baku,AzerbaijanZAHAHADIDARCHITECTS

35Canarchitecturedrip?

Aninternationalairportisanopportunityforacitytoshowcaseitsidentitytovisitors.That’swhythearchitectsofTerminal2inMumbai’sairportchosetoreferencethepatternsoflocaljaliwindowscreensalongits17-acreroof.(Jaliisthetermforaperforatedstoneorlatticedscreen,usuallywithanornamentalpattern,oftenfoundinIndianarchitecture.)Thecofferedceiling’spatternthatdripsintocolumnsletsinlightfromabovewithskylights,creatingastrongvisualgatewaytothenation’scapital.

Architectureletsyouknowyou’vearrived.

ChhatrapatiShivajiInternationalAirportTerminal2.Mumbai,IndiaSKIDMORE,OWINGS&MERRILL

ChhatrapatiShivajiInternationalAirportTerminal2.Mumbai,IndiaSKIDMORE,OWINGS&MERRILL

36Dobuildingswearstockings?

Inhistoricneighborhoods,newbuildingsshouldstrikeabalancebetweenpastandpresentarchitecture.ForanewgalleryinthenorthernpartofSeoul,thearchitectscreatedawhiteboxthatwasidealfortheartinside,buttoorigid-lookingwithinitshistoricsurroundings.Alittlewardrobechangedidthetrick:Wrappedinaflexiblechainmailveil,thewhiteboxchangesaslightplaysacrossitssurface,betterblendinginwithneighboringbuildings.

Awell-dressedbuildingisneveroutofplace.

KukjeGallery.Seoul,SouthKoreaSOLIDOBJECTIVES-IDENBURGLIU

37Canarchitecturebefromouterspace?

ThequicklygrowingcityofDalianaskedarchitectstocreateafunctioningconferenceandoperacenter,butalsoavisuallandmarkforthecity—somethingthatcouldbecomeaniconforthelocalcommunityandexciteaninternationalaudience.Theresultisalmostentirelyself-referential,asifanalienshiplandedonthebanksofDalian’sport.Thebuildingdoesn’tlooktocontextforitsreference,itlookstothefuture.It’sahopefulsymbolofwhatthecitywillbecome:aplaceactivatedbyvisitors,commerce,andculture.

Architecturedoesn’tpredictthefuture,itcreatesthefuture.

DalianInternationalConferenceCenter.Dalian,ChinaCOOPHIMMELB(L)AU

38Whatifanofficebuildingturnedinsideout?

Officedesigncanbehard.Columnsandpipesoftengetinthewayofthemuch-vaunted“open-plan”designthat,inturn,cangetinthewayofcubiclesandconferencerooms.NotsoatO-14,anofficetowerthatreliesonawhiteconcretebearingwallthreefeetawayfromthewindowstocarrythebuilding’sload.Thatmeanstherearenocolumnsinthespace.Thestructuralwallcreatesachimneyeffectthatpullshotairawayfromthebuilding(goodintheDubaiheat),andwith1,326holesinfivedifferentshapesarrangedartfullyalongthebuilding’slength,itmakesanelegantstatementaboutthisnewtypeofskyscraperdesign.

Aholenewwayoflookingatstructure.

O-14.Dubai,UnitedArabEmiratesREISER+UMEMOTO

O-14.Dubai,UnitedArabEmiratesREISER+UMEMOTO

39Canglitzbemorethanglam?

Whenthis40-year-oldvillawastransformedintoapartments,itwasatriskoflosingitssingularvisualidentity.Toretainitsidentityandupgradeitforbetterenvironmentalperformance,architectsinstalledareflectiveouterwallinfrontoftheexistingbuilding.Thismirroredwallprotectsthebuildingfromtheharshsun,whileunifyingtheapartmentsbehindasingle,continuousmaterial—onethatreflectsthebeautifullandscape.

Mirror,mirror,bethewall.

TrevoxApartments.Naucalpan,MexicoCRAFTARQUITECTOS

40Isprettyapublicamenity?

Incaseyouwerewondering,thisshapeiscalledarotatedrhomboid.Cladinsixteenthousandhexagonaltiles,thisRodinsculpturemuseum’smuscularstructureiswrappedinashimmeringmirroredskin.ThepatternreferencesMexicoCity’straditionalcolonialceramic-tiledbuildingfacadesand,likethosebuildings,changesinappearancewithweatherandtheviewer’svantagepoint,becomingasculptureitself.

Amuseumcanbeasimportantastheartwithin.

MuseoSoumaya.MexicoCity,MexicoFR-EE/FERNANDOROMEROENTERPRISE

41CanarchitecturebeanOlympicsport?

Skijumpingisadeath-defyingsport;athletesrisklifeandlimbtolaunchthemselvesimpossiblyhighintotheair.ThevillageofHolmenkollen,inNorway,hasbeenhometothemostlegendaryjumpsofthelastcentury,andarecentinternationalcompetitionaimedtoraiseitsreputationevenhigherwithanewsportscampusandjumpinghill.Cladinstainlesssteelmeshandcantilevered226feet,theskijumpisthelongestofitskind,makingsureitisalwaysthecenterofattention.

Architecturegivesyouwings.

HolmenkollenSkiJump.Oslo,NorwayJDSARCHITECTS

42Canarchitecturebepixelated?

Abuildingthat’sasimplecubeiscomplicatedbyafacadeofsquarepanelsintencolors—justlikeapixelatedimage.Theplayfuldesignbreaksdowntheformoftheoffice,butitalsoperformstheserioustaskofconcealingtheproprietaryresearchanddevelopmentconductedbythetechnologycompanywithin.

Architecturecankeepsecrets.

FrogQueen.Graz,AustriaSPLITTERWERK

43Canstoneflowlikeariver?

InspiredbythegeomorphologyoftheLouisianaregion’sancientriverbed,thismuseum’ssculpturalfoyeruses1,100caststonepanelstoformapathwaytothemuseum’sinteriorgalleries.Thepanelsweredesignedandassembledusingacustomautomationprocess.

Technologyisthenewalchemy,turningrocksintowater.

LouisianaStateMuseumandSportsHallofFame.Natchitoches,Louisiana,UnitedStatesTRAHANARCHITECTS

44Havewebeenthinkingaboutwindowsallwrong?

TheFrenchcallitabrisesoleil(“sunbreaker”).InEasternarchitecture,it’samuxarabi.Woodenscreenshaveauniversalappealfortheirdramaticappearanceandserioussun-shadingabilityinhotweather.AtaresidenceinSãoPaulo,twohugewoodencurtainsshelterthehomeofayoungfamily,lettingairflowthroughandcreatingaprivateenclaveamidotherhouses.Thebestpartisthemysteryofthisseemingly“windowless”house.

Everyelementofarchitectureisripeforinnovation.

BTHouse.SãoPaolo,BrazilSTUDIOGUILHERMETORRES

45Whycan’twallsbeinvisible?

Thisisamuseumforaglasscollection,andthearchitectsdecidedthatabuildingforglassshouldbemadeofglass.Thebuildingiscomposedofasolidfloorandasolidceilingthatappeartomagicallyfloatonglasswalls.

Theboldestarchitectureissometimeshardtosee.

GlassPavilionattheToledoMuseumofArt.Toledo,Ohio,UnitedStatesSANAA

46Canalibrarybeamountain?

TheilliteracyrateintheNetherlandstownofSpijkenisseisawhopping10percent,sothecitylaunchedatypeofarchitecturalpublicrelationscampaignforbooks.Nearthetownsquare,community,educational,andcommercialspaceswerestackedintoapyramid,thenwrappedwitha480-meter-longbookcase.Glassfacadesexposethelibrary’scollection,invitingeveryonewhopassestocomeinside.

Familiarbuildingscanstillsurpriseus.

StichtingOpenbareBibliotheek.Spijkenisse,NetherlandsMVRDV

47Doesabuildingneedtobetalltochangetheskyline?

InEurope,residentialbuildingssurroundcourtyards;inManhattan,theyreachforthesky.West57thisthebestofbothworlds:itswallscreateashelteredgreenspaceforoccupantswhilemaintainingthesweepingcityvantagepointofferedbyaskyscraper.Risingtoa450-footpeak,thebuilding’sshapeletssunlightdeepintotheblockwhilekeepingviewsoftheHudsonRiveropenforneighbors.

Acondotowerdoesn’tneedtobeinwardlooking(anditdoesn’tneedtobeatower).

West57th.NewYork,NewYork,UnitesStatesARCHITECT:BIG–BJARKEINGELSGROUP

48Canglassbeafortress?

ThisconcerthallisacollectionofdelicatecrystalsperchedonthepunishingReykjavikwaterfront.AcollaborationwithartistOlafurEliasson,thebuilding’ssouthfaceismadeof823“quasi-bricks”—stackabletwelve-sidedmodulesfabricatedfromsteelandtendifferenttypesofglassthatshimmerlikefishscales.Buttheyaren’tjustaprettyfaçade—theglassbricksblocknoisefromdisturbingtheperformancesinside.Thestrengthoftheglasscombinedwithitsstructuremakesthisconcerthallnearlyimpenetrablebytheroilingnaturearoundit.

Somematerialshavehiddenpowers.

HarpaConcertHallandConferenceCenter.Reykjavik,IcelandHENNINGLARSENARCHITECTSWITHBATTERÍIĐARCHITECTS,RAMBØLLGROUP,ANDARTENGINEERING,ANDOLAFURELIASSON

49Canalightmakeawarehousewarm?

Awarehouseisawarehouseisawarehouse,right?Well,notwithashapelikethis!ThearchitectsforKOPWarehousesreplacedcorrugatedmetalwithcorrugatedtransparentandtranslucentplasticsheetstoletlightinandout.Theresultisasimpletwistonthetraditionalwarehouseandproofthatnobuildingtypeisbeyondinnovation.

Asmartarchitectcanmakeagemoutofalumpofcoal.

KOPWarehouses.Puurs,BelgiumURA

50Canaskyscraperbendover?

ThenewheadquartersforChinaCentralTelevision(CCTV)combinestheentireprocessofTV-making—administration,production,broadcasting—intoasingleloopofconnectedactivities.Thebuilding’sformoffersanalternativetothetraditionalskyscraper,encouragingcollaborativeactivitiesinside,andofferinganunprecedentedamountofpublicaccesstoChina’smediaproductionsystem.

Newpublicengagementcreatesnewforms.

ChinaCentralTelevisionheadquarters.Beijing,ChinaOMA

51Canbalconiesmakewaves?

Architecturalinnovationcantakehugeamountsofresourcesandtimetobringtofruition.Sometimesthough,theanswerisinthesmallestdetails.Underneathitsexuberantform,this82-storyhotelandapartmentbuildingisreallyjustatraditionalrectangularskyscraper.Whenitcametimetodesignthebalconies,though,thearchitectbecameasculptorandcreatedcurvyandchangingplatformsthatjutoutfromthebuildingupto12feet.Fromadistance,thisminoralterationcreatesahugespectacle—asensualcloudfloatingontheChicagoskyline.

Opportunityisinthedetails.

AquaTower.Chicago,Illinois,UnitedStatesSTUDIOGANGARCHITECTS

52Howmuchdoesinterestingcost?

AsiteatabusySãoPaulointersectionofferedarchitectsanopportunitytocreateanewcitylandmark—allwhileusingtraditionalbuildingmaterialsandtechniquestokeepcostsdown.Balconiesarrangedseeminglyatrandomareactuallyasimpleextensionofeachfloorplate,grantingthedesigncomplexityandcharacterwithoutblowingthebudget.

Innovativearchitecturecanaddvaluetoacitywithoutaddingcost.

TopTowers.SãoPaulo,BrazilKÖNIGSBERGERVANNUCCHIARQUITETOS

DRIVEThereareoverabillioncarsonEarth.

Theyhavetogosomewhere.

Sometimesit’sokayjusttomakesomethingbeautiful.

Gasstation.Matúškovo,SlovakiaATELIERSAD

Nodisguisesnecessaryhere.Thegarageisashapelyiconthatisproudofitsfunction.

ParkingstructurefortheTyroleanFestivalErl.Erl,AustriaKLEBOTHLINDINGERDOLLNIG

AcollageofphotostakeninVenicewastranslatedintoafour-layereddesigntocreateamodern-daybaroquefacadeforthisgarage.

Facadeofmultistorycarpark.Skopje,MacedoniaPPGAARCHITECTS

Arecycledstainless-steelwrapperenclosesthefirstLEED-certifiedgasstationintheUS.

HeliosHouse.LosAngeles,California,UnitesStatesOFFICEDA,JOHNSTONMARKLEE,ANDBIG

It’sagasstation,arestaurant,apublicpark,andareflectingpool.Becausewhyshouldn’tgasstationsoffertrueamenitiestotravelers?

FuelstationandMcDonald’s.Batumi,GeorgiaGIORGIKHMALADZEARCHITECTS

NATUREBUILDING

Natureisanincreasinglyinfluentialpartofbuildingdesign—wearebeingguidedbytrees,ratherthanoverwhelmingthem.Newarchitectureisfindinginnovativemethodstoincorporatenaturallandscapesinto,onto,andaroundbuildings.

53Canyouliveinarock?

Withanentryandpowderroomfullycarvedfromrock,ThePierre(Frenchforstone)isahousethatcelebratestheruggedlandscapeofitssite.Stonepenetratesthestructure—excavatedrockwasevencrushedandmixedintoconcreteflooring—andconstructioninvolveddynamite,hydraulicchippers,wiresaws,andhandtools.Ratherthanconcealthisprocess,marksareleftexposedtocelebrateit.

Maybecavemenwereontosomething.

ThePierre.SanJuanIslands,Washington,UnitedStatesOLSONKUNDIGARCHITECTS

54Canyouliveonarock?

Ablackened-timbercabinbuiltoverthecourseofafewweekendsgetsalegupfromaboulder;inside,theinclineturnsintolargestepsthatdoubleasseatingandsleepingareas,withstorageunderneath.

Bumpsintheroadcanbeagoodthing.

TinyTimberForestRetreat.Bohemia,CzechRepublicUHLIKARCHITEKTI

55Aretreehousesjustforkids?

Aperfect4-metercubesuspendedmidwayupatreetrunkisasecludedlivingspacelargeenoughfortwopeople.Itsmirroredglassexteriorletsitallbutdisappearintothewoodedsurroundings,butbirdsseeandavoidcollidingwithitthankstoatransparentultravioletcoating.

Architecturecanwearcamouflage.

Treehotel. Harads,SwedenTHAM&VIDEGÅRDARKITEKTER

56Canarchitecturehugatree?

Architectshavelongconsideredthewaydifferentbodiesmovethroughspaces.Here,awomanwhoisconfinedtoawheelchairwantsherhometorevolvearoundthegarden.Thisredesignoftwo1830sbrickcottagesputsnatureatthecenterofherfamilyactivities.Evenfromherwheelchair,shecanenjoyviewsofmaturetreesfromahomethatisshapedtoembracethem.

Designshouldworkforallabilities.

Treehouse.London,UnitedKingdom6AARCHITECTS

57Canatreehousebecomeahouse-tree?

Vietnam’stropicalforestshavegivenwaytodensecities—lessthan.25percentofHoChiMinhCityiscoveredintrees.Tohelpresidentsreconnectwithnature,architectsbrokeahouseintofiveconcreteboxesandturnedtheroofofeachoneintoagiantplanter.Ifthisideaisappliedtootherhousesinthefuture,thegreenspacescouldcollectandfilterenoughstormwatertoreducefloodingcitywide.

Architecturecanhaveagreenthumb.

HouseforTrees.HoChiMinhCity,VietnamVOTRONGNGHIAARCHITECTS

58Cannewbuildingslearnoldtricks?

TheplanforthisvisitorcenterbeganwithamotifetchedonstonesuncoveredattheformerlocationofaSouthAfricantradingcivilization.Itsfree-formvaultswerebuiltwitha600-year-oldconstructiontechniquethatisbotheconomicallyandenvironmentallyresponsible:Locallaborersmadethe200,000pressedsoiltilesaspartofapovertyreliefprogram.Thoughit’sinspiredbythepast,thecenter’sdesignisathomeinthetwenty-firstcentury,withmoderngeometricformsthatcreateanewtopographyintheancientsetting.

Modernconstructioncanstilllearnfromancienttechniques.

MapungubweInterpretationCentre.MapungubweNationalPark,Limpopo,SouthAfricaPETERRICHARCHITECTS

59Doesbalancedarchitectureneedtotouchtheground?

Theshapeofthishousemaybeinspiredbyatraditionalbarn,butadramatic50-footcantileverthatletsithoveroverthegroundmakesitathoroughlymodernfeatofarchitecture;exactlyhalfofthebuildingisfloatingintheair.Arigidstructurethatusesaheavyconcretecorewherethebarntouchesthegroundmakesthispossible.Underneaththegiantcantileverisanepicswing.

Structuralinnovation,andahealthybudget,maketheimpossiblepossible.

TheBalancingBarn.Suffolk,UnitedKingdomMVRDV

60Canalawnbemorethanornament?

ThisbuildingisagatewaybetweenthebusycityandthesilenceofthebotanicalgardensinBrooklyn.That’swhyit’shalfbuilding,halflandscape.Anditsroofismorethanjustaprettyfeature—it’sconnectedtoasystemthatcollectsstormwatertofacilitatenaturalfiltration,andservesasaniconthatattractsthousandsofvisitorstothegarden.

Responsiblearchitecturereconnectsuswithnature.

BrooklynBotanicGardenVisitorCenter.Brooklyn,NewYork,UnitedStatesWEISS/MANFREDI

61Cangrasspaintacity?

Thisfive-story-highgreenwallincorporates7,600plantsfrom237speciestotransformahistoriccornerinParisintoapieceoflivingarchitecture.Beginningwithaplainconcretewall,thedesignerinstalledametal,PVC,andnonbiodegradable-feltstructurethatpreventsdamagetothebuildingwhilestillallowingplantstogrowwithoutsoil.Abuilt-inwateringsystemkeepsthewallhealthy,allowingittomatureandchangethecitylandscapeoverthecourseofseveralyears.

Plantshelpkeephistoricarchitecturealive.

LeOasisd’Aboukirgreenwall.Paris,FrancePATRICKBLANC

62Willthecityofthefuturebealivingorganism?

Inthesefantasticalrenderings(producedfortheHistoryChannel’s“CityoftheFuture”Competition),plantsbecomepowerproducersthatharnessnaturalenergyfromthesuntopoweranentirecity.Astheygrow,theplantstakeoverthecityandtransformitintoahybridplace:partcity,partforest.Atthetop,acanopyofbiologicallyenhancedplantscaptureenergyfromthesunandwaterfromtheclouds.Thecanopystayslowinopen,suburbanareasandliftsoffthegroundinthedenseremnantsofurbandowntowns.

Urbanplanningmeetsthelawofthejungle.

MEtreePOLIS.(Concept)Atlanta,Georgia,UnitedStatesHOLLWICHKUSHNER(HWKN)

SHELTERFROMTHESTORM

Changingclimatesandweathermeandanger—andopportunity—forourbuiltenvironments.Inthefaceofcataclysmicnaturalevents,architectureisoftenthefirstlineofdefense.Butarchitecturecanalsoharnessnaturetoempowerinhabitants.Withhundred-yearstormsnowcomingeverytenyears,andenergydemandsgrowingandchangingexponentially,theworldneedsarchitecturethataddressesnatureinallitsforms.

63Canarchitectureretreatfromastorm?

Toavoiddestructionduringinevitableandintensifyingstorms,structuresbuiltwithinthecoastalerosionzoneoftheCoromandelPeninsulamustberemovable.Thishousetakestherequirementasaplayfuldesignchallenge.Thestructurefunctionsalmostlikeawoodentent—atwo-storyshutterwinchesopentoformashelteringawning,andclosestoprotectthehouseininclementweather.Perchedontwosleds,thehomecanmovetothebackofitssite,oracrossthebeachandontoabargeforatotalrelocation.

TheEarthischanging,andsoshouldourarchitecture.

HutonSleds.Whangapoua,NewZealandCROSSONCLARKECARNACHANARCHITECTS

64Canwefindsalvationinpapertubes?

AfteranearthquakedevastatedtheNewZealandtownofChristchurch,citizenswerelefttogrievecasualtiesaswellasthelossoftheircentralcathedral.Onearchitectrespondedwithapieceof“emergencyarchitecture”—arapidlybuiltcathedralmadeofpapertubes,shippingcontainers,andalightweightpolycarbonateskin.Thestructurecouldnotbemoresimple.Theresultissublime.

Rebuildingafterdisasterisamomentforingenuity.

CardboardCathedral.Christchurch,NewZealandSHIGERUBAN

65Cangreeninfrastructuregiveussuperpowers?

Thishydroelectricdamproduces10.5millionkilowattsofenergy(enoughtopowerthreethousandhomes),butthatisnotitsmostimpressivefeat!Theamazingthingaboutthisdamistheregardthearchitectsshowedfortheproject’ssurroundings.Thearchitectsconsiderednoise,pedestrianpaths,andeventhewaterroutethatfishtake.Thesinewyshapemakesitmorethansimplyinfrastructure—itisaworkingpublicsculpturethatthecitycherishes.

Protectioncanbemorethansecuritybarriers.

Hydroelectricpowerstation.Kempten,GermanyBECKERARCHITEKTEN

66Canplayfulbepractical?

Ourairqualityisgettingworse,especiallyinurbanareas.Whocanwelooktoforhelp?MeetWendy.Wendymaximizeshersurfaceareatoexposeasmuchtitanium-nanoparticle-coatedskintotheenvironmentaspossible.EverysquarefootofthissurfacesucksCO2outoftheair—atotalequivalenttotaking250carsoffoftheroad.ThebestpartofWendyisthatshehasapersonality—sheisbigandblueandspiky,andsheshootsoutjetsofwater,andshehasaname.Theprojectwasasmuchasocialexperimentasitwasanecologicalexperiment.

ArchitecturecanhavepersonalityandhelptheEarth.

Wendy:2012MoMA/PS1YoungArchitectsProgramwinner.Queens,NewYork,UnitedStatesHOLLWICHKUSHNER(HWKN)

67Canwedesignfordisaster?

Inanareathatwasswamplandtwohundredyearsago,thecoastalplay-groundsofHunter’sPointarepronetofloodinginstorms.Thearchitectsworkedwiththeengineeringteamtoanticipatethis—thesunkenovalplayingfieldisdesignedtofloodandactasabufferfortherestoftheparkandtheneighborhoodbeyond.Itisalayeredstrategythatpurposefullysacrificesplayingfieldsintheeventofastorm,ratherthanharder-to-replaceinfrastructureandhouses.

Architecturehelpsusprioritizeduringadisaster.

Hunter’sPointSouthPark.Queens,NewYork,UnitedStatesTHOMASBALSLEYASSOCIATESANDWEISS/MANFREDI

68Canarchitecturesaveusfromtheapocalypse?

Thinkofthisasasafetydepositboxfortheworld’sseeds.InsideamountainonaremoteislandhalfwaybetweenNorwayandtheNorthPole,thisstate-of-the-artstoragefacilityprovideswhatscientistsbelieveisafailsafewaytoprotectfoodcropsintheeventofmanmadeornaturaldisaster.Builtunderthickrockandpermafrost,thecollectionofmillionsof“backup”seedsamplescanremainfrozeneveninapoweroutage,securingtheseedsupplyforcenturies.

Givepeasachance.

SvalbardGlobalSeedVault.Longyearbyen,NorwayBARLINDHAUGKONSERNET

69Canarchitecturebeasponge?

NewYorkhashadsomeseriousrecoveryworktodosinceHurricaneSandydevastateditscoastalneighborhoodsin2012.Sixdesignteamshavebeenchosentodevelopinnovativeplanstoprotecttheregionfromfuturestorms.PlansrangefromhugebermsthatwillprotecttheEastRiverParkcommunityfromstormsurges—whileprovidingnewrecreationalspace—togreeninfrastructurethatwillstoreexcesswaterandpreventflooding.PicturedhereistheBigU,aseriesofgreenbermsandlandscapestoabsorbstormsurges.

Badthingscaninspireustodogood.

TheBigU:RebuildbyDesigncompetition.(Concept)NewYork,NewYork,UnitedStatesBIGTEAM,INTERBOROTEAM,MITCAU+ZUS+URBANISTEN,OMA,PENNDESIGN/OLIN,ANDSCAPE/LANDSCAPEARCHITECTURE

70Howmanywayscanaroofserveabuilding?

Withtemperaturesontherise,roofsmustbeenlistedinthefightagainstclimatechange.Inthespiritoftechnologicaladvancement,thisbuildingwillhavewhatSHoPArchitectscallsan“EnergyBlanket”—aroofscapedesignedtobothcollectandconserveenergyusingarangeofinnovativetechniques,includingsolarpanels,awatercollectionandrecyclingsystem,andhugeoverhangstoshadethebuilding’sinteriors.Themissionofthis270,000-square-footresearchfacilityistosupportinnovationandentrepreneurshipinBotswana.Itincludesadatacenter,engineeringfloors,andanHIVresearchlabrunbyaninternationalconsortium.

Evenincubatorsneedshade.

BotswanaInnovationHub.Gaborone,BotswanaSHOPARCHITECTS

SHRINKBy2050,morethan80percentoftheworld’speoplewillliveincities.Thatmeansthateverysquarefootcounts.

Howcanwethinksmaller?

Apolyestershellenclosesanegglikemultifunctionalspace.Itincludesabathroom,kitchen,andnichesforsleepingandstorage.Whenthenoseisopened,thewholestructurebecomesaporch.

BlobVB3.Mechelen,BelgiumDMVAARCHITECTEN

This914-square-foottransparenthouseisinspiredbytheconceptoflivinginatree,withtwenty-onedifferentfloorsatvariousheightstoallowitsownersnever-endingvariety.

HouseNA.Tokyo,JapanSOUFUJIMOTOARCHITECTS

This19-square-meterhousehasfourroomsandwasbuiltforaquarterofthepriceofasimilarlysizedapartmentinthesamearea.

Boxhome.Oslo,NorwayRINTALAEGGERTSSONARCHITECTS

Aprefabricated,off-the-gridpodmeetstheneedforsafehousinginSouthAfrica’s2,700informalsettlements,whichhousemillionsofinhabitantsinsubstandardconditions.

MamelodiPODhousingunit.Pretoria,SouthAfricaARCHITECTUREFORACHANGE

Partartinstallation,partartist’sresidence,thishousemeasures28inchesatitsnarrowestandfourfeetatitswidestpoint.

KeretHouse.Warsaw,PolandJAKUBSZCZĘSNY

Atinyofficewedgedlikeabarnaclebetweentwolargerbuildingsallowstraffictoflowbeneath.

ParasiteOffice.Moscow,RussiaZABORARCHITECTS

SOCIALCATALYSTS

Citiesarelivingorganisms—withouttherightcultivation,theywitheranddie.Architecturehasthepowertostitchindividualsintoacommunityandenergizeforgottencornersofoururbanfabric.Communitiesusearchitecturetoplantaflagandrallytogether.Catalystscanbeyouthcenters,religiousbuildings,libraries,andevenbeehives,butregardlessofitsuse,architectureisapotenttoolforencouragingtheactofcommunity.

71Wouldyouletyourkidsplayinawasteland?

Postindustrialwastelandsdon’talwayssparkenthusiasmfromlocalcommunities,butthisprojecttransformedadefunctwarehouseandbrownfield(landpreviouslyusedforindustry)intoapublicparkandperformancespacewithanamphitheaterthatriseslikeawavefromawoodenboardwalk.Now,thiseconomicallystrainedVirginiarailtownhasanewsenseofpridethatisrootedinnature,ratherthanindustrialdecay.

Landscapearchitecturecantransformbrowntogreen.

SmithCreekPark.CliftonForge,Virginia,UnitedStatesDESIGN/BUILDLABATVIRGINIATECH

72Canyouswiminpoop?

NewYorkCityissurroundedbywater,butyouwouldn’twanttoswimthere—thecitydrainseffluentdirectlyintoitsriverseverytimeitrains.That’sallgoingtochangethankstoacrowdfundedinitiativetobuildtheworld’sfirstwater-filteringfloatingpool.ThisgiantBrita-esquepoolwillfilteruptoahalfmilliongallonsofriverwatereachday,makingtheriverscleanerovertimeandcreatingamuch-neededpublicamenitythatwillreconnectustotheurbanwaterfront.

It’syourcity.Youshouldbeabletouseit.

PlusPOOLinitiative.(Concept)NewYork,NewYork,UnitedStatesFAMILYANDPLAYLAB

73Canhoneybeesfightblight?

Acolonyofhoneybeesthathadtakenupresidenceinanabandonedbuildingneededtoberelocated.Soagroupoflocalarchitecturestudentsdesignedthemanewhomeina22-foot-tallhoneycomb-shapedtowerwithperforatedsteelpanelsmadetoprotectthehivefromwindandweather.Inside,acypresswoodboxwithaglassbottomletsvisitorsseethebeesatworkfrombelow.Thenewhabitatisaneducationalopportunityforchildrenandadultsalike,whogettoseetheeconomicandenvironmentalregenerationhappeningthroughoutthisBuffaloneighborhood.

Underusedurbanareascanbecomehivesofactivity.

HiveCity:ElevatorB.Buffalo,NewYork,UnitedStatesUNIVERSITYATBUFFALOSCHOOLOFARCHITECTUREANDPLANNING

74Canarchitecturefeedacommunity?

Sittingatopaformertwentieth-centuryfactory,a40,000-square-footfieldisthelargestrooftopsoilfarmintheUnitedStates.Partofalocalfor-profitinitiativethatnowspanstworooftopsinNewYorkCity,thegardensproducemorethan50,000poundsoforganicproduceeachyearforresidents.It’slocal,organic,andtakesadvantageofastructurethatwassittingunusedfordecades.

Jointheroof-to-tablemovement.

BrooklynGrange.Queens,NewYork,UnitedStatesBROMLEYCALDARIARCHITECTS

75Canpaintuniteacity?

Thispublicartworkprojectbeganin2010asacollaborationbetweenDutchartistsJeroenKoolhaasandDreUrhahnandalocalteaminRiodeJaneiro’sSantaMartafavela—favelasareBrazilianslumsorshantytowns—turningitintoamorevibrant,appealingplace.Sincethen,theyhavespreadtheirmovementacrosstheworld,transformingadilapidatedareainNorthPhiladelphiaandworkingwithcommunitiesinCuraçaoandelsewheretoalterdepressedpublicspacesinwaysthatwillattractpositiveattentionandeconomicimpulses.

Positivechangecancomeinafewcansofpaint.

FavelaPaintingProject.RiodeJaneiro,BrazilHAAS&HAHN

76Cancolorchangeyourmorningcommute?

JustafewmetersfromoneofBratislava’shistoricsquares,adimlylitbusterminalsatneglectedforyears.Toempowercommuters,architectsenlistedthelocalcommunitytopaint1,000squaremetersofpavementwithgreenroadpaint.Twoyearslater,theypushedthelow-costdesigninterventionfurtherwithacrowdsourcedlightingunitthatwasproducedandinstalledwith4,000metersofwhitepackingtape.Theresultingspaceisbright,cheeryandafarcryfromthedrabstationitoncewas.

Anupliftingpublicspacedoesn’thavetobeexpensive,butitdoeshavetobesmart.

Busterminalunderthebridge.Bratislava,SlovakiaVALLOSADOVSKYARCHITECTS

77Candesignhelpwomenthrive?

ThenonprofitorganizationWomenforWomenInternationalteacheswarsurvivorsmarketableskills,empoweringthemtoremaketheircommunities.Adesignercollaboratedwiththeorganizationtocreateacommunitycenterwithaninvitingpublicplaza—ameetingplacedesignedtobridgethegapbetweenurbanbuyersandruralfarmers.Thefacility’ssustainablesystemsaremaintainedbythewomenwholivenearby,ensuringastronglocalnetworkthatcansupportthecommunityforfuturegenerations.

Architecturehelpsrebuildlives.

Women’sOpportunityCenter.Kayonza,RwandaSHARONDAVISDESIGN

78Canoperaempoweravillage?

In2009,BurkinabéarchitectFrancisKéréteamedupwiththelateGermanfilmandtheaterdirectorChristophSchlingensieftobringanoperahousetotheruralareaofLaongo.Thetwoembarkedonanincrediblejourneytoheightentheculturalidentityoftheregion,whichwasalreadythecenterofAfricanfilmandtheater.Stillinprogress,this“operahouseforAfrica”andeducationalcenterisalreadybringingtogetherlocalresidentsandlocalmaterialstocreatebeautifulmusicona30-acrecampusthatincludesafive-hundred-studentschoolandahealthcenter.

Acreativecommunityisitsownoasis.

OperaVillage.Laongo,BurkinaFasoKéRéARCHITECTURE

79Canagardensheduniteacommunity?

Ahumblegardenshedtakesonafantasticformtoavoidcastingshadowsonnearbygardenplots.Madeofchemical-freematerials,thebuildingcreatesashadedmeetingspace,whilethecharredcedarsidingdoublesasachalkboardwallformessagesandtips.Theherringbonepatternofthewoodenslatsfilterlightintotheinteriorwhilecreatingatrellisforseasonalvines.

Architectureislikegardening:Youreapwhatyousow.

WoodlandsCommunityGardenshed.Vancouver,CanadaBRENDANCALLANDER,JASONPIELAK,ANDSTELLACHEUNG-BOYLAND

80Cansmallhousingbegreathousing?

DemographerspredictthatNewYorkwilladdatleast1millionmoreresidentsby2040—andmanyoftheseareexpectedtobeone-ortwo-personmiddle-incomehouseholdsthatwon’tqualifyforcitysubsidiesorfinancing.Sponsoredbythemayor’soffice,theadAPTNYCcompetitionsoughtnewhousingoptionsforthisgrowingpopulation.Thiswinningplanusesasolutionofmodularhousingunitsthatcanbestackedtocreatefifty-fivenewmicrounitssizedto250squarefeet.Theconceptcanbeadaptedtomanydifferentlocations,allowingcitydeveloperstomeetthechangingneedsofcitizensasquicklyascitiesgrow.

Citiesneedhomesforteachersandnurses,too.

MyMicroNY:adAPTNYCcompetitionwinner.(Concept)NARCHITECTS

81Canarchitecturebecrowdsourcedandcrowdfunded?

MiCiudadIdeal(MyIdealCity)isanefforttocrowdsourceanddocumentcitizens’wishesforthefutureoftheircityand,eventually,tocrowdfundthem.LaunchedinBogotá,Colombia,theprogramhasalreadydrawnparticipationfrommorethan130,000residents.Thisnew“bottom-up”approachtourbanplanningiswell-suitedtoLatinAmericancities,whereahugeboominthenumberofmiddle-classcitizensisrequiringinnovativesolutions.ThefirstexampleofthiseffortisBDBacatá,askyscrapercreatedbyProdigyNetworkandsponsoredbyBDPromotores,thatholdstheworldrecordincrowdfunding.It’sahugestepincitizenparticipationandinvestmentinacity’sevolvingneeds.

130,000headsarebetterthanone.

DowntownBogotárevitalizationscenariofromtheMyIdealCityinitiative.(Concept)Bogotá,ColombiaARCHITECT:WINKADUBBELDAM,ARCHITECHTONICSCREATORANDDIRECTOR:RODRIGONIÑOPRODIGYNETWORKSPONSOR:VENERANDOLAMELAS

82Whathappenswhenarchitecturekeepsscore?

Inlessthansixmonths,architectsofthisNike-fundedfootballtrainingfacilitycreatedaplacewheretwentythousandfootballersofallagescanplaythroughouttheyear.ThefirstofitskindinAfrica,thefacilityisdesignedtohaveanopenfeeling,butcrimeisadailyrealityinthisJohannesburgtownship.Thebuilding’stransparencywelcomesthecommunitywithinvisiblesecurityatalltimes.Thecenterhaslimitedaccesspoints,anditswoodenlouverfacadecreatesatightperimeteroutside,whilehugeexpansesofglassfaceinward,towardtheprotectedplayingfieldatthecenterofthecomplex.ArchitectsevencommissionedthelocalartistKronktoturnthesecurityfenceintoasite-specificartwork,maskingitstruepurpose.

Architectureshouldprotectandserve.

FootballTrainingCentre.Soweto,SouthAfricaRURAL/URBAN/FANTASYPROJECT

83Canalibrarybealighthouse?

ThenewlibraryofAlexandriaisbuiltonroughlythesamesiteasthelibraryfoundedbyAlexandertheGreat2,300yearsago,butthesimilaritiesendthere.Thebuildingiscomposedofagiantslantedcircle160metersindiameter.Theglazedroofletssunlightinatoptimumlevelstoprotectthebooksandwashthespacewithnaturalillumination.Likemanymodernlibraries,theinstitutionhasexpandeditsmissionbeyondjustbooks(thoughitcanhouseupto8millionofthosetoo,andclaimstohavetheworld’slargestreadingroom).Withaplanetarium,fourmuseums,aninformationscienceschool,andconservationfacilities,thelibraryhasanew,moreimportantroleinthecommunitythaneverbefore.

Anewroofcangiveanancientlibrarynewlife.

BibliothecaAlexandrina.Alexandria,EgyptSNØHETTA

84Canyougetmarriedinaparkinggarage?

Thereareover105millioncommercialparkingspacesintheUnitedStates,andtheyarenotalwaysfull.ThisMiamiBeachparkinggaragecreatesacivicamenityoutofitsthreehundredparkingspaces.Theycanberepurposedwhenempty,thankstosuper-highceilingsandamazingviews.Whenthecarsaregone,thebuildingisusedforyogainthemorningandisrentedoutforeventsatnight.

Inefficientparkingcancreategreatpublicinfrastructure.

1111LincolnRoad.MiamiBeach,Florida,UnitedStatesHERZOG&DEMEURON

85Canalibraryberelevantinthedigitalage?

AttheSeattlepubliclibrary,thearchitectsconsideredthewayweconsumemediainadigitalageandturnedthelibraryintoarelevantpublicamenitybyredefiningitasaninstitutiondedicatedtomorethanjustbooks.Allformsofmedia—newandold—arerepresentedhere.TheyevenredesignedtheDeweydecimalsystemtomaketheplacemoreintuitiveandwelcoming.Thebuilding’sshapeisadirectresultofthisrearrangement.

Librariesstillhavealottolearn.

SeattleCentralLibrary.Seattle,Washington,UnitedStatesOMA/LMN,REMKOOLHASANDJOSHUAPRINCE-RAMUS

86Canyousunbatheunderground?

Manhattan’sHighLineprovedthatanelevatedraillinecouldhaveasecondlifeasavibrantpublicspace.Now,aprojectcalledTheLowlineaimstoconvertanunusedtrolleyterminalintoasubterraneanhubforyear-roundeventsandactivities.Theplanusesacutting-edgesolartechnologycalleda“remoteskylight”tocollectsunlightanddirectitunderground,allowingplants,andpeople,tothriveinapreviouslyuninhabitablespace.

Asurbanspacesbecomescarce,weappreciatethemmore.

TheLowline.(Concept)NewYork,NewYork,UnitedStatesRAADSTUDIO

87Canflippingaswitchenlivenaneighborhood?

ThislightandslenderbuildingatParisDiderotUniversityneighborsahulkingacademicbuildingnextdoor.Thenewbuildingfacesapublicsquareandactsasabrightgravitationalcounterpointtotheexistingbuilding.Theopenfirstfloorbeckonsvisitorsin,andatnighttheentirebuildingbecomesaplace-makingiconfortheuniversity.

Oppositesattract.

M3A2CulturalandCommunityTower.Paris,FranceANTONINIDARMONARCHITECTES

FASTFORWARD

Wehavebeentaughttoexpectthesamethingfrombuildingsoverandoveragain:inertboxesmadeofconcrete,steel,andglass.Butinthenearfuture,buildingswillbewildlydifferentthananythingweexperiencetoday.Thischangebeginswithtechnologyimpactingourbuildingmaterials,becausethewaywebuildimpactswhatwebuild.From3-Dprintedhousestomushroombricks,today’semergingtechnologieslookbeyondthehammerandnailtoimagineanewwayofconstructing.

88Canabuildingcleantheair?

Welcometotheageofsmog-eatingarchitecture.Slatedtomakeitsdebutatthe2015MilanExpo,a13,000-square-meterbuildingwillbecomeanairpurifierforthecity,withaconcretefacadethatabsorbsairbornepollutantsandconvertsthemintoharmlesssaltsthatarethenwashedawaybytherain.

Architecturehelpsusbreatheeasy.

ItalianPavilion.Milan,ItalyNEMESI&PARTNERS

89Canweprintahouse?

The3DPrintCanalHouseisanexhibitionandexperimentationsitethatremakesthetypicalDutchcanalhouseintoa3-D-printedhomeforthetwenty-firstcentury.TheprocessofmakingturnsdigitalfilesintophysicalbuildingblocksusingaKamerMaker,alarge-scaleversionofadesktopprinter.Thismakesitpossibleforthedesignerstocreatedetailedcomponentsinalocalstyle.Thehouseisproducedon-site,sotherearenomaterialtransportationcosts,andthepotentialforlocalmanufacturingishigh—meaningcitiesmaynolongerhavetoseekcheapbuildingmaterialsfromfarawayas3-Dprintingtechnologytakesholdatthelocallevel.

Knowledgecomesfrommaking.

3DPrintCanalHouse.(Concept)Amsterdam,NetherlandsDUSARCHITECTS

90Canmushroomsreplacestone?

Thesebricksaremadeofmushrooms.Mushrooms!The“bio-bricks”weregrowninsideofreflectivetraysmadeoutofamirroredfilm.Thesereflectivecontainerswerelaterusedatthetopofthetowertobouncedaylightintothestructureandthespacearoundit.Thetower’sshapeisdesignedtobeefficient,too,coolingitselfbypushinghotairoutatthetop.Incontrasttotheenergy-gobblingskyscrapersonNewYorkCity’sskyline,Hy-Fioffersathought-provokingglimpseofthefuture.Hopeyoulikemushrooms.

Wecangrowthefuture.

Hy-Fi:2014MoMA/PS1YoungArchitectsProgramwinner.Queens,NewYork,UnitedStatesTHELIVING

91Canwormsreplaceworkers?

Silkdoesn’tseemlikethesturdiestbuildingmaterial,butagroupatMITturnedto6,500livesilkwormstobuildastructurethatconnectsnaturewithtechnologyinawholenewway.Theyprogrammedaroboticarmtocreateaframeworkacrossametalscaffoldthatgavethesilkwormsaroadmaptofollow.Whenthewormswereletlooseonthestructure,theyrespondedtolight,heat,andgeometry,producingpatternsthatwereareflectionoftheirenvironment.Theresultingdomecouldinspireresearcherstodesignandmakeman-madefiberstructuresneverbeforeimagined.

Architecturecanimitatethebeautifulefficiencyofnature.

SilkPavilion.Cambridge,Massachusetts,UnitedStatesMITMEDIALABMEDIATEDMATTERGROUP

92Canmetalbreathe?

Theoutsideofabuilding,itsskin,shouldbemoresimilartohumanskin—dynamicandresponsivetotheenvironment.That’stheideabehindsmartthermo-bimetal.Becauseitismadeoftwostripsofdifferentmetalsthatresponddifferentlytoheat,thisexperimentalbuildingmaterialrequiresnocontrolsorenergytoreacttochangesintemperature.Wheninstalled,itsreactivepropertyallowsthesystemtoventilateonhotdays,whileshadingitatthesametime.

Humansbreathe—soshouldourbuildings.

Bloom.(Concept)DORISKIMSUNG

93Whatifhousesweremadeofmeat?

Inthefutureyouwillbeabletoliveinsideapig—sortof.NoanimalsareharmedinthecreationofMeatHabitat,ato-scalemodelofahousemadewithmeatcellsgrowninalab.Theconceptisaglimpseatreplacingtraditionalbuildingmaterialswithpigcellsthatare3-D-printedtocreatefull-sizearchitecture.Anddon’tworryaboutpreservatives.Theskinisgrownwithsodiumbenzoatetokillyeasts,bacteria,andfungi—itwilllastlongerthanaTwinkieinitscellophanewrapper.

Wecouldgrowourhousesbyrethinkingmaterialstructures.

InVitroMeatHabitat.(Concept)MITCHELLJOACHIMOFTERREFORMONE

94Canbacteriabeyourarchitect?

A6,000-kilometer-longinhabitablewallintheSaharaDesertisn’tbuilt—itisgrown,withthehelpofabacteriathatturnssandintosandstone.ThisistheconceptbehindDune,anaturallygeneratedsandstructurethatreliesonabiologicalreaction:ThesandstoneisgrownwiththehelpofBacilluspasteurii,abacterialmicroorganismfoundinmarshesandwetlands.Onceintroduced,thebacteriamightbeabletocreateastructurallysoundandlivablestructureinlessthanaweek,openingnewpossibilitiesforrapidlydeployablerefugeehousinginthedesert.

Thedesertisalivingplace.

Dune.(Concept)SaharaDesert,NorthAfricaMAGNUSLARSSON

95Canarchitecturegowiki?

WikiHouseisasmallexperimentwithabigidea:Thatregularpeople(read:notarchitects)canbuildahouseanywherewithminimaltoolsandtraining.Theopensourceconstructionsystemmakesitpossibleforanyonetodesign,share,download,and“print”(withaCNCmill)quicklybuildablehousesfromsheetmaterialslikeplywoodthatarelow-costbutalsosuitedtolocalneeds.Continuouslyunderdevelopment,solutionsintheworksincludepost-earthquakehousingandafactoryinoneofRio’sfavelas.

Designforthe100percent.

WikiHouse.(Concept)ALASTAIRPARVIN

96Canabuildinghavereflexes?

Theattention-grabbingMedia-ITCbuildingwasdesignedasacollaborativespacefortheadvancementofnewtechnology.Itsouterwallsreflectthismission,withatranslucentskinoftemperature-regulatinginflatablebubbles.Sensorsautomaticallyinflatetheshadingcushionstoblocklightandreducecoolingcostsonhotdays,ordeflatetoletinmorelightoncloudydays.

Architecturemadeofaircanhelpkeepuscool.

Media-ITC.Barcelona,SpainENRICRUIZ-GELI/CLOUD9

97Whatifdronescarriedbricks,notmissiles?

FlightAssembledArchitectureisaninstallationbuiltbyflyingrobots.Tobuildthe6-meter-highstructure,agroupoffour-bladedhelicopterscarriedfifteenhundredfoambricksandplacedthembasedondigitaldesigndatathatdynamicallycontrolstheirbehavior.ThisvisionaryapproachtobuildingistheresultofacollaborationbetweenarchitectsGramazio&KohlerandinventorRaffaelloD’Andrea,whobelongtoanewgenerationofarchitectsseekingtopushthelimitsofdigitaldesignandfabrication.

Nocranes.Noladders.Nolimits.

FlightAssembledArchitecture.(Concept)Orléans,FranceGRAMAZIO&KOHLERANDRAFFAELLOD’ANDREA

98Canaskyscraperbebuiltinaday?

Buildingaskyscraperusedtotakeyears.ButagroupinChinaischangingeverythingweknowaboutconstruction,buildingafifteen-storyhotelinsixdays,thenathirty-storyhotelinjustovertwoweeks.Thesecretisprefabrication:Largesectionsofthebuildingwereassembledinafactory,eliminatingwasteanddelaysatthebuildingsite.AccordingtotheChinaAcademyofBuildingResearch,thetowerisfivetimesmoreearthquake-resistantthanasimilaronebuiltwithtraditionalmethods.

Evenifbuildingscanhappenintheblinkofaneye,theyshouldstillstandthetestoftime.

T30Hotel.HunanProvince,ChinaBROADGROUP

99Canskyscrapersbemadeofwood?

Theideaofawoodenskyscraperraiseseyebrows—andalotofquestions:Canitstandupinanearthquake?Whatifitcatchesfire?Butthisdesigncompetitionwinnerproposesathirty-four-storywoodenskyscraperthatwouldhavethesafetyattributesofsteelorconcrete,withlessconstructionwasteandbetteracousticsthantraditionalhighrises.Theideaismorethanspeculation;Sweden’slargesthousingassociationplanstocompletethetowerby2023.

Newideascangrowontrees.

HSBStockholmcompetitionwinner.(Concept)Stockholm,SwedenBERG|C.F.MØLLERANDDINELLJOHANSSON

HSBStockholmcompetitionwinner.(Concept)Stockholm,SwedenBERG|C.F.MØLLERANDDINELLJOHANSSON

100Whatifacowbuiltyourhouse?

Tocreatethisexperimentalstructure,cleverlynamedTheTruffle,agroupofarchitectsdugahole,packeditwithhay,andthenpouredconcretearoundit.Aftertheconcretedried,acalfnamedPaulinamovedin,eatingthehayforayearandhollowingoutasmallcaveintheprocess—allthatwasleftintheendwasthescratchesandimprintsofhowtheplacewasmade.ItisafantasticallyhideouslittlebuildingthatbecamethemostsublimeplacetowatchaSpanishsunset.It’salsoatruemeldingofthemostimportanttenetsoffuturebuilding:relianceonknowntechniques,forward-thinkingenvironmentalism,whimsy,andbrilliantsimplicity.Moo.

Thefutureofarchitecturewillsurpriseyou.

TheTruffle.Laxe,SpainENSAMBLESTUDIO

TheTruffle.Laxe,SpainENSAMBLESTUDIO

Afterjourneyingthroughtheseonehundredbuildings,hopefullyit’sclearthatthereisnoperfect,universalsolutionforthefutureofarchitecture.Allacrosstheglobe,architectsareeagerlyworkingwithclientsandskilledbuilderstodesignuniquebuildings,tailoredtochangingenvironmentalandsocialneeds.Theyarepushingtheenvelope,barrelingtowardstheunknowablefuture.Andtheyneedyourhelp.

Don’tbeabystanderandletarchitecturesimplyhappentoyou.Findanarchitect.Studyuponthelatestideasinarchitecture.Talkwiththepeopledesigningtheplaceswhereyouspendyourtime.Talkwithyourneighbors,coworkers,friends,andfamily,andtogether,insistongoodarchitecture.

Remember:Architecturedoesn’tjustrepresentyourcommunity—itshapesyoursociety.Ifyouaskarchitecturetoworkforyou,andtoreflecttheprioritiesofyourcommunityandtheEarth,youwillbeamazedbythepossibilitiesarchitecturecanbringtoeveryaspectofyourlife.

Happybuilding!

PHOTOCREDITS

1AnthonyDubberandJamesMorris

2MarcLinsPhotography

3diephotodesigner,ReiulfRamstadArkitekter

4diephotodesigner,courtesyofSnøhetta

5IwanBaan

6Minarc(TryggviThorsteinsson,ErlaDöggIngjaldsdóttir)

7LuisGarcía

8MikaHuisman

9RolandHalbe

10©Foster+Partners/ESA

11RoosAldershoffFotografie

12LvHengzhong

13JeffGoldberg/Esto

14PeterClarke

15MorrisAdjmiArchitects

16HeatherwickStudio

17JohannesArlt,laif/Redux

18RolandHalbe

19BrenchleyArchitects/ElizabethAllnutPhotography

20FernandoAldaDavidFranck

21TamásBujnovszky

22LOT-EK

23Bernardes+Jacobsen

24IwanBaan

25A2arquitectos

26RicardoOliveiraAlves

27ThomasIbsen

28ReversibleDestinyFoundation

29TurnerBrooksArchitect

30JanGlasmeier

POP-UP

BULGARIAbuDhabiArtPavilion

NANA

PDU(PortableDiningUnit)

CesarRubio,courtesyofEDGInteriorArchitecture+Design

Floatastic

NetMartinStudio,B.Lapolla&MahdiAlibakhshian

HeadintheClouds

ChuckChoi

DriftPavilionforDesignMiami/2012

MarkusHaugg

31FernandoGuerraFG+SG

32MarcusBuck

33LucerneFestivalArkNova2013

34Hufton+Crow

35RobertPolidori

36IwanBaan

37DuccioMalagamba

38leftimage:ImreSolt,rightimage:TorstenSeidel

39CraftArquitectos

40RafaelGamo

41MarcoBoella,courtesyofJDSArchitects

42NikolaosZachariadisandSPLITTERWERK

43TimothyHursley

44StudioGuilhermeTorres

45IwanBaan

46ScagliolaBrakkee

47BIG-BjarkeIngelsGroup

48NicLehouxandGunnarV.Andresson/Fréttablađiđ49FilipDujardin

50CC-BYVerdgris

51SteveHall,HedrichBlessing

52LeonardoFinotti

DRIVE

GAS-gasstationchain

TomasSoucek

ParkingstructurefortheTyroleanFestivalErl

GünterRichardWett

Facadeofmultistorycarpark

DarkoHristov,courtesyofPPAGarchitects

HeliosHouse

EricStaudenmaier

Fuelstation+McDonald’s

GiorgiKhmaladze

53BenjaminBenschneider

54JanKudej

55ÅkeE:sonLindman

56JohanDehlin/6AArchitects

57VoTrongNghiaArchitects

58ObieOberholzer

59MVRDVandLivingArchitecture

60AlbertVečerka/Esto61PatrickBlanc

62HWKN

63SimonDevitt

64ShigeruBan

65BrigidaGonzález

66MichaelMoran/OTTO

67AlbertVečerka/Esto68CropTrust/MariTefre

69TheBIGTeam

70SHoPArchitects

SHRINK

blobVB3

FrederikVercruysse

HouseNA

IwanBaan,courtesyofSouFujimoto

Boxhome

SamiRintala

MamelodiPODhousingunit

ArchitectureforaChange

KeretHouse

PolishModernArtFoundation

ParasiteOffice

ZaBorArchitects

71JeffGoldberg/Esto

72PlusPOOL

73HiveCity

74AlexMacLean

75Haas&Hahn

76PatoSafko

77ElizabethFelicella,courtesyofSharonDavisDesign

78KéréArchitecture

79DaveDelneaImages

80MIR

81Archi-Tectonics

82WielandGleich

83Snøhetta

84IwanBaan

85RamonPrat

86RenderingbyKibumPark.PhotographbyCameronNeilson.

87LucBoegly

88Nemesi&Partners

89DUSArchitects

90BarkowPhoto

91MITMediaLabMediatedMatterGroup

92BrandonShigeta

93MitchellJoachim,EricTan,OliverMedvedik,MariaAiolova

94OrdinaryLtd(MagnusLarsson&AlexKaiser)

95CCByLyntonPepper

96LuisRos

97Gramazio&KohlerandRaffaelloD`AndreaincooperationwithETHZurich

98BROADGroup

99C.F.MøllerArchitects&DinellJohansson

100RolandHalbe

AUTHORTHANKS

ThisbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheamazingworkofJenniferKrichels,whosmiledallthewayfromBuilding1toBuilding100.SpecialthankstoMatthiasHollwich,andtotheteamsatTEDandatArchitizer,especiallyCatherineFinsness,SiddharthSaxenaandLunaBernfest.ToChrisBarley,themostpatientspeakingcoachintheworld—noneofthiswouldhavebeenpossiblewithoutyoursupport.Thankstothephotographersforcapturingallofthisamazingwork.Finally,thankstothearchitectsandtheirclientsfordesigningandbuildingsuchamagnificentgroupofbuildings.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

MARCKUSHNERisapracticingarchitectwhosplitshistimebetweendesigningbuildingsatHWKN,thearchitecturefirmhecofounded,andamassingtheworld’sarchitectureonthewebsiteheruns,Architizer.com.Bothhavethesamemission:toreconnectthepublicwitharchitecture.

Kushner’scorebeliefisthatarchitecturetoucheseveryone—andeveryoneisafanofarchitecture—eveniftheydon’tknowityet.Newformsofmediaempowerpeopletoshapethebuiltenvironment,andthatmeansbetterbuildingsthatmakebettercitiesthatmakeabetterworld.

Readthebookandwatchthetalk.

MarcKushner’s18-minuteTEDTalk,

nowavailableonline:

go.ted.com/architectureMEETTHEAUTHORS,WATCHVIDEOSANDMOREAT

SimonandSchuster.comauthors.SimonandSchuster.com/Marc-Kushner

WATCHMARCKUSHNER’STEDTALK

MarcKushnerspokeattheTEDConferencein2014.HisTEDTalk,availableforfreeatTED.com,wastheinspirationforTheFutureofArchitecturein100Buildings.

PHOTO:JAMESDUNCANDAVIDSON/TED

RELATEDTALKSONTED.COM

MichaelGreen:WhyWeShouldBuildWoodenSkyscrapersgo.ted.com/Green

Buildingaskyscraper?Forgetaboutsteelandconcrete,saysarchitectMichaelGreen,andbuilditoutofwood.Greenexplainsthatit’snotonlypossibletobuildsafewoodenstructuresuptothirtystoriestall(and,hehopes,higher),it'salsonecessary.AlastairParvin:ArchitectureforthePeoplebythePeoplego.ted.com/Parvin

Whatifregularcitizenscoulddesignandbuildtheirownhouses?TheconceptisattheheartofWikiHouse,anopensourceconstructionkitthatmeansjustaboutanyonecanbuildahouse,anywhere.ThomasHeatherwick:BuildingtheSeedCathedralgo.ted.com/Heatherwick

Ashowcaseoffiverecentprojectsfeaturingingeniousbio-inspireddesigns.Someareremakesoftheordinary—abus,abridge,apowerstation—andoneisanextraordinarypavilion,theSeedCathedral,acelebrationofgrowthandlightBjarkeIngels:BuildingWithNaturego.ted.com/Ingels

DanisharchitectBjarkeIngelsrocketsthroughphoto/video-mingledstoriesofhiseco-flashydesigns.Hisbuildingsnotonlylooklikenature—theyactlikenature:blockingthewind,collectingsolarenergy—andcreatingstunningviews.

ABOUTTEDBOOKS

TEDBooksaresmallbooksaboutbigideas.They’reshortenoughtoreadinasinglesitting,butlongenoughtodelvedeepintoatopic.Thewide-rangingseriescoverseverythingfromarchitecturetobusiness,spacetraveltolove,andisperfectforanyonewithacuriousmindandanexpansiveloveoflearning.

EachTEDBookispairedwitharelatedTEDTalk,availableonlineatTED.com.Thebookspickupwherethetalksleaveoff.Aneighteen-minutespeechcanplantaseedorsparktheimagination,butmanytalkscreateaneedtogodeeper,tolearnmore,totellalongerstory.TEDBooksfillsthisneed.

COMINGSOON

FollowYourGut:TheEnormousImpactofTinyMicrobesbyRobKnightwithBrendanBuhler

Inthisgroundbreakingbook,scientistRobKnightrevealshowthemicroscopiclifewithinourbodies—particularlywithinourintestines—hasanastonishingimpactonourlives.Yourhealth,mood,sleeppatterns,eatingpreferences,andmorecanallbetracedinparttothetinycreaturesthatliveonandinsideofus.

ABOUTTED

TEDisanonprofitdevotedtospreadingideas,usuallyintheformofshort,powerfultalks(eighteenminutesorless)butalsothroughbooks,animation,radioprograms,andevents.TEDbeganin1984asaconferencewhereTechnology,Entertainment,andDesignconverged,andtodaycoversalmosteverytopic—fromsciencetobusinesstoglobalissues—inmorethanonehundredlanguages.

TEDisaglobalcommunity,welcomingpeoplefromeverydisciplineandculturewhoseekadeeperunderstandingoftheworld.Webelievepassionatelyinthepowerofideastochangeattitudes,lives,and,ultimately,ourfuture.OnTED.com,we'rebuildingaclearinghouseoffreeknowledgefromtheworld'smostinspiredthinkers—andacommunityofcurioussoulstoengagewithideasandeachother.Ourannualflagshipconferenceconvenesthoughtleadersfromallfieldstoexchangeideas.OurTEDxprogramallowscommunitiesworldwidetohosttheirownindependent,localevents,allyearlong.AndourOpenTranslationProjectensurestheseideascanmoveacrossborders.Infact,everythingwedo—fromtheTEDRadioHourtotheprojectssparkedbytheTEDPrize,fromTEDxeventstotheTED-Edlessonseries—isdrivenbythisgoal:Howcanwebestspreadgreatideas?

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