A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

First Step Housing in New York, NY by Forsythe + MacAllen Design Associates, 2003 Common Ground Community is a non-profit organization devoted to solving homelessness through innovation in housing and community development. In the summer of 2003 they co-hosted (with the Architectural League of New York ) an open competition to find new forms for prefabricated dwelling units for individuals. One winner of the First Step Housing Design Competition is Vancouver, British Columbia's Forsythe + MacAllen Design Associates with their entry "Soft House". Based on New York's historic lodging houses, First Step Housing attempts to bridge the gap between homeless and permanent hou...

House Ray 1 in Vienna, Austria by Delugan_Meissl Architects, 2003 Austrian architects Roman Delugan and Elke Meissl of Delugan_Meissl Architects recently completed a penthouse in the Wieden District of Vienna that has become a much talked about addition to the historic city. House Ray 1 sits atop a 1960's office building in a bold manner that recalls Coop Himmelb(l)au's Rooftop Office in the same city years earlier. But while the latter uses overt structure for its expression, Ray 1 is more stealth-like, using folded planes to generate the internal spaces through external variance. Ray 1's relationship to the city takes place on the front facade and rear facade, at left. Dictated primarily by the strict building codes of Vienna, the...

High Line Competition in New York, NY by Hariri & Hariri, 2003 Starting at the Hudson Rail Yards, the High Line rail structure rises up and through the art galleries of West Chelsea toward the Gansevoort Meat Packing District, traversing 22 city blocks and traveling through two buildings at an average of 30 feet above street level. Built in the early 1930's to carry freight to the factories and warehouses in the West Side, the High Line's main intention was the elimination of over 100 dangerous street-level rail crossings. Closed in 1980, the rail structures has been demolished in sections to its present 1.5-mile length. Interest in the High Line's history and potential has led to support by the Mayor and New York's Department of City ...

Ferry Shelter in Tiree, Scotland by Sutherland Hussey Architects The appeal of small structures is undeniable. Often architects use smaller commissions as testing grounds for new ideas. The public is able to digest these "follies" easier than larger buildings, the latter of which may be controversial for their break with tradition on such an imposing scale. But small structures, like bus shelters, newspaper kiosks and pavilions, can be striking in their novelty yet unassuming in their scale. The Ferry Shelter in Tiree, Scotland by Sutherland Hussey Architects uses its scale to perfect effect as a striking object in the landscape. The long, narrow shelter is composed of three elements: white walls, a bridge, and a glass box, the latter facing tow...