Inhabitat » Daylighting

Water Pumping Plant Renovated Into Gorgeous Living Space

Berlin is a burgeoning modern city with a compelling history, a diverse culture, abundant art, and distinctive architecture that rivals the likes of Paris, London and New York. But if there is one thing that can set the city apart from its pricey peers, it’s the unbelievably inexpensive property. Not unlike many of the uber-creative expatriates that have taken up residence there, two enterprising artists, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, decided it was time to purchase and renovate a place of their own. So what can $700,000 get you in a city like Berlin? An apartment? A loft? Maybe a small house? How about a massive water pumping station!

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Chartwell School Unveils Sustainably-Built Prefab Classrooms

by Danielle Rago, 09/24/09

Toby Long, principal architect of CleverHomes and tobylongdesign, recently led the effort to produce one of the first CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) certified relocatable classrooms in the United States. Working with the Chartwell School, Long and his San Francisco-based design/build/prefab company designed, prefabricated, and installed two green portable classroom structures, which were completed this summer in four weeks flat.

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Stunning Facade Renovation Pours in Daylight

by Jorge Chapa, 09/24/09

Harnessing daylight in the busy and narrow streets of London is a remarkable challenge for any architect. Recently ALA met that challenge in their remarkable renovation of the 10 Hills Place office. Using a bit of ingenuity and a bit of shipmaking technology, the architects created a sculptural facade that is as beautiful as it is effective. It’s been said that you can’t judge a building by it’s facade, but for this building, that is precisely what we are going to do.

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Manuel Villa’s Habitable Polyhedron – A Family Garden Retreat

by Beth Shea, 09/22/09

We’ve seen our fair share of backyard retreats, but Manuel Villa’s Habitable Polyhedron shapes up to be one of the most unique dwellings we’ve come across. Designed as an escape for young families: parents and their newborn, the Habitable Polyhedron offers respite from day to day household activities in a family’s back garden in Bogota, Columbia. One windowed side of the polyhedron opens to a teak deck leading into nature; and a skylight casts natural light on a workspace and sofa inside. Once the child grows up, the space may accommodate him in the same manner as would a treehouse or playhouse.

Herzog + de Meuron’s Hamburg Philharmonic Concert Hall Breaks Ground

Officials have recently unveiled the new design for the Elbphilharmonie, the new home for the Hamburg Philharmonic to be inaugurated in 2012. The concert hall is currently being constructed in the industrial quarter of HafenCity, an area undergoing major revitalization with the conversion of hundreds of dated warehouses. As one of the more understated German cities, Hamburg is hoping the striking design by architects Herzog + de Meuron will bring the sort of landmark cultural transformation that was seen more than a decade ago in Bilbao, Spain with the opening of Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum. But such a transformation won’t come cheap, with a price tag upwards of 323 million Euros, some are asking “Is it really worth it?”

BIG Architects Unfold Origami-Skyscraper in Shenzhen China

The very fabric of skyscrapers is being reinvented now as architects and engineers look to make these dense urban buildings more sustainable. One of the biggest dilemmas they face is allowing for visibility without overheating the interior from direct sunlight. BIG Architects recently came up with their solution to this issue, winning them the award to design their origami-folded skyscraper for the Shenzhen Energy Company. The facade is folded accordion-style, and shades the office complex from direct sunlight with integrated solar thermal panels, while simultaneously allowing for indirect light into the interior.

BIG Architects Unveil Massive Mobius Strip Library for Kazakhstan

BIG Architects have unveiled an incredible new library that will serve as a multifunctional cultural center for Astana, Kazakhstan. Named Nursultan Nazarbayev after the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the new library will encompass not just books, but space and time as well. The design comprises 4 archetypes – the circle, the rotunda, the arch and the yurt – which all merge into the form of a Möbius strip. In designing the structure BIG also used high-tech modeling to calculate the thermal exposure of the building envelope and maximize shading.

Grandma Made Village Out of Tens of Thousands of Bottles

Grandmas make some pretty awesome things – pies, sweaters, and techinically, you. But can you say that your grandma ever made a village??? Ours certainly didn’t. Between 1956 and 1981 Tressa “Grandma” Prisbrey built Bottle Village using tens of thousands of bottles in mortar. The village is “an otherworld of shrines, wishing wells, walkways, random constructions, plus 15 life size structures all made from found objects.” The 1/3 acre lot in Simi Valley, CA is literally littered with the various structures that Ms. Prisbrey created as a hobby, constructive creative outlet and playful reminder of the joy of upcycling. Unfortunately, a 1994 earthquake has left the village damaged and in need of repair, but recent media attention has helped bring in new visitors and a renewed interest in preserving this wonderful and unique place.

Bridge Homeless Shelter Cuts Neighborhood Crime by 18%

So much of the green design that we see here at Inhabitat is efficient and looks cool in renderings, but the human aspect of sustainability, and the real value of our built environment is too often a rarity. Not so in the case of this modern homeless shelter in Dallas, which recently won the AIA’s National 2009 Housing Award. Called The Bridge, the sleek shelter was designed by Overland Partners Architects in collaboration with CamargoCopeland Architects, and provides not only a visually striking addition to the neighborhood, but a safe haven for people to turn to when they have nowhere else to go. According to the press release, the shelter’s surrounding area has seen a crime reduction of 18%, which in itself is a testament to the power that design can wield when it is executed with a vision of bettering lives.

Renovated Herbert Art Gallery Fuses Modern with Medieval

The Herbert Art Gallery recently received a stunning renovation by Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects that fuses a modern extension with the walls of an ancient medieval city that once stood on its site. The £20 million refurbishment and extension incorporates an ancient vault and includes 8 new permanent galleries, spaces for temporary exhibitions and events, educational gatherings and a new History Center along with Herbert Media Studios. The most notable addition is the 500 square meter glazed glass-covered court which lets in plenty of daylight from sunrise to sunset and is supported by the new prefabricated gallery extension.

Greenbarns: Sustainable Homes for Your Horse!

Everyone knows that horses are big fans of the earth – don’t they deserve sustainable housing too? Luckily, Blackburn Architects, an award-winning design firm, has catered their services to our equine friends and recently introduced a line of sustainable horse barns called Blackburn greenbarns™. Starting with four pre-designed models, these barns maximize light and ventilation through passive principles of design and specify eco-friendly, low-VOC materials and finishes. Also offered are optional systems such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting to take Blackburn greenbarns™ to the next level in sustainability.

Foshan Pearl: China’s Energy Efficient Gymnasium Completed

Although it seems like the media often regards China as the biggest greenwasher in the world, it is hard to dispute sustainable building when pure architectural facts and innovations are involved. The Foshan Pearl Gymnasium, China’s newest addition to its green array, is an excellent illustration of this point. Designed by Japan-based firm Mitsuru Man Senda and Environment Design Institute in direct response to the sub-tropical climate of the surrounding area, the vast athletic center examines the relationship between internal and external spaces and provides further support for China’s environmentally responsible attitude towards green building and design.

Andrea Salvini’s Light Filled Modern American Cabin

The cabin is an American icon – a place of retreat, relaxation, and respite. In the past, cabins have been of rough construction and hardly efficient, however this project by New York architect Andrea Salvini updates the iconic structure with a modern twist. Her Modern American Cabin, minimizes and stylizes the traditional cabin’s lines and architectural elements, while remaining true to its original concept and spirit.

Singapore’s Energy Efficient Green Heart Center

The very heart of Singapore beats green, thanks to the new design for the National Heart Center conceived by Ong & Ong with medical planning and interior consultation by multinational firm Broadway Malyan. The ambitious 35,299 square-meter building at the center of Singapore General Hospital’s Outram Campus redevelopment plan will hopefully score high green marks with its unique design that places people first. Recognizing that the medical world advances quite quickly, the design incorporates modular building methods to ensure that the structure of the building remains flexible and adaptable both internally and externally, easily and efficiently allowing for future growth.

Modern OUTrial House Sheltered Beneath a Grassy Hill

Even when the most sustainable methods of construction are employed it’s a given that whenever you build something new there will be, for better or worse, a visual impact to the landscape. Polish architecture firm KWK Promes decided to embrace that inevitability and build their design for a new home beneath a grassy mound of land. By essentially lifting the existing land and placing it on the roof, the OUTrial house maintains a subtle presence and pays service to the surrounding landscape.

Taiwan’s Beautiful Bioshell Center for Disease Control

Inspired by the elegant form of the Nautilus Shell, the Taiwan Center for Disease Control’s BioLab conceals a dangerous riddle within its outer skin. Usually only visible to the naked eye, the structure of the outer skin is laced with geometric patterns that represent the four symbols of the DNA sequence of the dangerous bacteria being studied within. If you’re not in awe of the structure itself, you may catch on to the message that Taiwan is trying to deliver: “Epidemic prevention is a war that we intend to win”.

Wimbledon Set to Debut Innovative Retractable Roof

Soon, playing tennis at Wimbledon will no longer depend on the weather forecast, nor will spectators have to entertain themselves while they wait for the rain to stop and the courts to dry. A new retractable roof has been installed over Centre Court and the air management systems are currently being tested in preparation for its official debut in May. This new roof will is made out of translucent fully recyclable fabric, minimizing building materials while allowing daylight to stream down from above. The design will conclude the All England Club’s Long Term Plan, providing greater security for the grass courts, decreased play delays and more comfortable viewing for fans.

Passive (X) House for the Ordos 100 Village

The beautiful and expressive (X) House designed by Multiplicities is one of 100 entries that have been cleared for construction in Inner Mongolia as part of the Ordos 100 project. Conceptually designed as a white lung wrapped in a black skin, the house employs a series of barriers to filter air, light, and rain, and features a smart passive design that will allow it to weather the harsh climate of Inner Mongolia.

Singapore’s Stunning Digital Cloud Skyscraper

This incredible pixelated skyscraper by Singapore-based Design Act was a finalist in a competition to design a pavilion for the World Expo 2010. Entitled “My Dream, Our Vision”, the project uses permutated cubes to generate a spectacular modular sculpture that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Singapore as an efficient, dynamic, cosmopolitan, and forward-looking nation.

3HLD’s Marvelous “Bandaged” Medical Center

Zagreb-based 3HLD has just won an international closed competition to design a new private medical center in the seaside town of Split, Croatia. With the keen eye of design surgeons, 3HLD has taken what we think of as the typical monolithic medical structure, incised key exterior sections, implanted the voids with green gardens, and finished by wrapping the entire building in bandages of protective sunscreen. The result? A light and airy medical facility that patients may actually enjoy visiting.

Denmark Renovates Water Tower Into Green Student Housing

Water towers, TV antennas, parking garages and other structures tend to be ignored within the ubiquitous context of their surroundings, however these oft-overlooked structures can offer amazing opportunities for renovations. Take this water tower turned student housing complex in Jaegersberg, Denmark. This once practical structure was left unused until Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter ApS won a competition to renovate it into a multi-purpose building for student housing and a youth center.

Shanghai Dragon: Futuristic Office by Morphosis

On the western outskirts of Shanghai, China, a dragon is coming to life. Constructed of concrete, steel and glass, the new corporate headquarters of Giant Pharmaceutical Corp looks for all the world like something between a sci-fi battleship landing on a highway, and a steampunk dragon frozen in time. L.A.-based architectural firm Morphosis is focusing on the building’s sustainability as much as its aesthetics, with a green roof, generous use of skylights, and advanced insulation materials like cement-fiberboard paneling and a double-layer, fritted-glass curtain wall.

Vader House: Historic Victorian With a Modern Twist

In Melbourne, long before city planning regulations were set into place, houses like this Victorian took advantage and built tall boundary walls. So when the owners of this house wanted to renovate their historic home, they were able to play off the non-standard wall on the north side and build a stunning addition to their home. Maynard Architects, a Sydney based firm, set about to transform the traditional brick home and courtyard into a stunning modern home that builds upon the past while making creative use of all the available space.

PREFAB FRIDAY: B-Line Small by Hive Modular

Part of living lightly on the planet is reducing the square footage of your home and living space. We applaud home designers like Minneapolis-based Hive Modular for presenting a very practical and stylish 2-bedroom home that is only 1,410 square feet. This new home was completed on an urban infill lot and is part of Hive’s popular B-Line series. Optimally situated, this home is a great example of a solar passive home and features many green design elements that help make its environmental impact minimal.

Beautiful Dairy Barn Renovation in Somerset

This stunning home designed by Skene Catling De Le Peña was once a barn for a dairy farm. Now renovated into a 5-bedroom house with a small pool, the home re-used as much material from the original building as possible. Originally, the owner’s plan included tearing down much of the lean-to sheds to create a house with well-proportioned rooms, better circulation and more new construction. But as the design formed, the owner changed his vision and wished for a secluded retreat that would mold in with the original layout of the barn. Upon completion, the room layout and sizes may not be ideal, however the architects were able to preserve a sense of the old barn.

Monterey Bay Shores Set to be Greenest Ecoresort in the World

Monterey Bay Shores is a stunning new development set to break ground this month that will convert a desolate disused sand mine into a thriving environmental preserve and eco-resort. Replete with living walls and a five acre green roof, the development boasts an impressive list of green design elements and is working towards LEED Platinum certification. Now, saying that you’re the “Greenest Eco Resort” is quite a claim, but if the Resort builds out all that they have promised, it really will be the most environmentally friendly resort in the US, and possibly in the world.

Scottsdale’s Arabian Library Wins Smart Environment Award

Borrowing books from the library is the responsible and environmentally friendly thing to do, and this new library in Scottsdale Arizona makes us want to use the library all the time. Designed by Richärd + Bauer, the Arabian Library utilizes great green building design and innovative new thinking to encourage people to lend from the library. Not only that, but the building is gorgeous, inviting, brightly lit, and a recent winner of the 2008 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environments Award.

DT House: Bioclimatic Box That is Out of This Biosphere

Jorge Graca Costa is a prize-winning young architect whose design mantra has always been “architecture for a better future.” As his first major residential project, DT House is a resounding expression of his particular approach. This compact box is a perfect example of how smart, energy-efficient design principles can be applied practically (and beautifully) to fulfill the many requirements of human living. In this case, thinking inside the box, Costa gives us a bioclimatic beauty that is completely out of this biosphere.

Workspace of the Future: Cambridge’s Creative Exchange

These days cubicles are so passé, and we’re starting to seem some inspired green workplaces that encourage creativity and interaction. 5th Studio in Cambridge has designed and built the Creative Exchange, a shared workspace complex with some great sustainable credentials. The building features a small footprint, excellent active and passive solar systems, and a flexible interior that makes great use of natural light. Large communal areas allow people to come and go more freely, and provide more opportunity for meetings, interaction, and well, chances for creative exchanges.

China’s Miyi Tower Project Purifies Polluted River

Riding the wave of new development in China, Studio SHIFT recently won a competition to design a fantastic new landmark in Miyi County. Miyi Tower will sit on the edge of the Anning river as a symbol of the new face of Sichuan provence. The tower’s most striking feature is its whimsical latticework skin, which suffuses the structure with daylight and “evokes the shimmering surface of the river below.” This connection is reinforced by the project’s goal of filtering and transforming the polluted Anning river into a lush landscape of wetlands, lakes, leisure and agricultural areas.

Norman Foster’s Sperone Westwater Gallery Hits the Bowery

The Sperone Westwater art gallery in New York City recently filed plans for an incredible new gallery on the Bowery designed by none other than Inhabitat favorites Foster + Partners. Envisioned as a stacked set of lucid glass rectangles suffused with daylight, Foster + Partners’ design features an innovative layout that allows the interiors to change and morph to accommodate different exhibitions. The 9 story art gallery will also boast a moving exhibition hall that can be raised to any of five levels of public gallery space, and is set to be completed by December 2009.

Stockholm’s Revitalized Green City Center

A joint project between the Swedes at Nod Landscape Architects and Danes at BIG Architects is set to transform Slussen, Stockholm’s city center, with a massive pedestrian-friendly makeover. Currently Slussen is an interwoven mess of roads with no room for pedestrians or cyclists. The proposed project will transform the area into a multi-layered, multi-use intersection allowing walkers and bikers access to waterfront strolls and gas-free travel. The layered design will also incorporate shops and cafes, reviving Stockholm’s main artery.

Chicago’s Crystalline Light-Suffused Spertus Institute

This gorgeous crystalline structure is the new home of the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. Designed by Krueck + Sexton Architects, the building’s layout is focused around the use of natural light, and its contemporary design sets it apart from the surrounding 19th Century masonry buildings. A beautiful multifaceted facade symbolizes the institute’s mission and logo, which features a flame accompanied by the phrase yehi, which means “let there be light”.

The Watercube Wins Australia’s Highest Architecture Award

The Chinese National Aquatic Center, better known as the Watercube, recently won the most prestigious architecture award from the Australian Institute of Architecture! Although not officially a cube, the incredible aquatics facility is the 2008 winner of the Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture. The design and construction of the memorable facility was a collaboration between Australian firm PTW Architects, Chinese practices CSCEC and CCDI, and international firm Arup.

MVRDV’s Stackable Sky Village High Rise

MVRDV and ADEPT Architects are the masterminds behind this incredible Sky Village high rise. Designed as an acropolis of stackable green-roofed units, the structure recently won a competition to construct a new high-rise in Rødovre, an independent municipality of Copenhagen. The high-rise incorporates lots of sustainable design elements to reduce its environmental impact, and its main concept is centered around a system of individual units that can be stacked in various configurations to maximize available space and allow for easy structural changes in response to market demand.