A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Burr Elementary School in Fairfield, Connecticut by SOM For the new Burr Street Fairfield Elementary School in Fairfield Connecticut, architect Skidmore, Owings and Merrill 's objective is to bring architecture in contact with landscape at all levels of the design. This intention is facilitated by the use of curved and circular cut-outs in the building plan, creating internal courtyards and a generous entry and drop-off. In addition to the experiential and psychological aspects, SOM's design integrates "green" technology as well to go beyond aesthetics and symbolism. To be completed in 2003, the 71,000 sf elementary school is spread across two floors, with double height spaces adjacent to the courtyards. The plan at left illustrates the combination of typical school program spaces - classrooms, ...

Kolding Technical College in Kolding, Denmark by Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen, 1998 Danish architects Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen 's project for the Kolding Technical College in Kolding, Denmark consists of student dorms and educational facilities, as well as common areas for both. Rather than designing the program into a single building, the architects broke the project into five structures to emphasize the space between each and views of the surrounding landscape. The four residential buildings (above) surround a well-defined green space which contains what the architects describe as a piece of brick "multi-furniture". This piece uses a tall chimney to act as a reference point for students and a point of convergence where students can gather in warmer months. The fifth...

50 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, France by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, 1993 Although the idea of a rooftop garden is not new, it is becoming a solution for both architects and city planners in addressing sustainability concerns. Their popularity is not just new buildings, but old buildings as well, the greening of the City Hall roof in Chicago a good example of the latter. In these "green" instances, practical issues (weight, irrigation, drainage, etc.) tend to take precedence over design. When accessible and highly visible, though, a rooftop's design should ideally synthesize the architecture with the raised landscape - and vice-versa - to create a satisfying environment that becomes an oasis in the city. The garden rooftop at 50 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, France by Michael Van Valkenburgh...

Brembo Research Office in Bergamo, Italy by Jean Nouvel Last week's dose featured German car-maker BMW's attempt at creating an image for itself through architecture, not a novel idea. Coop Himmelb(l)au used computer technology to design what might ultimately become a dated design more attuned to its process (computer) than its content (car). In contrast, Jean Nouvel 's design for the automobile brake-manufacturer Brembo 's Research Office and Workshop in Bergamo, Italy uses its location, alongside the Milan-Venice Highway, as an opportunity to create a strong image that responds directly to a car's horizontal movement. Selecting the site for its visibility to drivers between Venice and Milan, Brembo...