A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Pro Domo by Yona Friedman, published by  Actar , 2006. ( Amazon ) The cover of this monograph on artist/architect/urbanist Yona Friedman provides two snippets of its contents: a portion of the Friedman's "Warning to the reader" that begins the book and a sketch of his proposal for a "bridge-town" over the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The text hints not only at the admittedly fragmentary nature of the numerous selections, but also the mix of the serious and levity. This also comes across in the sketch, a serious proposal for something truly fantastical that's illustrated in a cartoonish way that most architects or urbanists would not venture to share to the public. But even though Friedman admits that the bo...

Bikuben Student Residence in Copenhagen, Denmark by aart a/s Photographs are by Torben Eskerod. Situated within the new 770-acre Ørestad neighborhood south of Copenhagen's city center is the University of Copenhagen's Amager campus. Part of that campus is the Bikuben Student Residence , a building with 107 studio flats on six floors that also includes a gym, laundry room, terraces, and a party room. Like the nearby Tietgen Residence Hall, common kitchens and lounges on each floor help to create relationships among the residents. Architects aart a/s stressed that "loneliness and lack of social relations are major problems for many students." They aimed to "provide the greatest possible contact between common and private rooms, while at the same time ensuring the privacy of each residence....

The web page and office of Malaysian architect Kevin Mark Low goes by the name Small Projects, both an accurate description of his work and a sort of design philosophy where nothing is too small to be designed. Browsing the numerous small projects on Low's site -- projects that range from a mailbox to an office building -- one is impressed by the consistency of the quality and the aesthetic, a Modern one that is minimal and finely crafted. Below are five projects that illustrate these and other qualities. [dishrack | image source ] This stainless steel and wood dishrack is suspended over the kitchen sink, a common sense strategy that drips water directly into the sink, but one that is all too often eschewed in favor of inefficient countertop or in-sink types. The stainless steel is used to hang the rack, while wood is used for the rails, chosen so no damage is done to the plates and other tableware. [pittsburgh desk | image source ] This multi-tasking worktop for an architecture o...

Transmaterial 2: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine our Physical Environment  by Blaine Brownell, published by  Princeton Architectural Press , 2008. Paperback, 512 pages. ( Amazon ) Two years ago we were introduced to a catalog of materials illustrating the innovations in materials research and design. This second installment of Blaine Brownell's Transmaterial continues where the first left off, documenting about 200 more innovative materials for various architectural and other design applications. This time the emphasis is on environmentalism over technology, something observed as a general trend by Brownell, not forced by the selection of the materials and products. If anything, this emphasis is apparent but not pervasive, as if those developing and creating materials can only respond to today's "green movement" via the use of recycled materials. Naturally, more must be considered (such as energy, transport and offput, not to mention the need for such-and-s...

Here's a few shots of The Iberê Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre, Brazil by Alvaro Siza. Photos by Arqfeevale , who has many more shots of the building. To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

Here's three reasons to head outside (or head to New York, as I'm sure the Mayor and others would be happy for visits from non-locals) this summer. Iceland's Olafur Eliasson 's "New York Waterfalls" are unveiled tomorrow. Running from 7am to 10pm every day from until October 13, the $15 million installation is sited in four locations: the Brooklyn Bridge (below), at Pier 35 near the Manhattan Bridge, between Piers 4 and 5 near the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and one on the shore of Governor's Island. From the man who made the turbine hall of the Tate Modern glow , the waterfalls seem a bit subtle or timid, in relation to the East River and the urban backdrop. Maybe this is intentional; only he knows. But like his other "environmental" artworks, this surely will reveal itself only when experienced, be it the sounds of the waterfalls or the spray on the skin for those venturing close enough. ["New York City Waterfalls" by Olafur Eliasson ...

Readers, Due to at least 100 spam comments on various posts today alone, I'm disabling anonymous comments on this blog. This may be temporary, though there were about 20 yesterday, so the trend doesn't appear to be getting better. Sorry about the inconvenience. john

Some catching up after the brief hiatus. DRL 10 Pavilion (2008) in London by Alan Dempsey and Alvin Huang. Photo by jiathwee . Almere Schouwburg (2007) in Almere, Netherlands by SANAA. Photo by kwiksilver . The Contemporary Jewish Museum (2008) in San Francisco by Daniel Libeskind . Photo by fdo h . Gas Natural Headquarters (2008) in Barcelona by EMBT Arquitectes . Photo by JuanVan . Vigo University Campus (2003) in Vigo, Spain by EMBT Arquitectes . Photo by h008 . No. 1, The Triangle (1968) in Fulwood, Preston UK by Francis Roberts . Photo by stoneroberts . Mandell Weiss Forum (1991) in San Diego, California by Antoine Predock . Photo by ken mccown . "Deep Purple" (2008) by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas , at the Triennale di Milano. Photo by metamuro . Blue House in Didden Village (2007), Rotterdam by MVRDV . Photo by maurizio.mwg . St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish (2006) in Toronto, Ontario by Larkin Architects . Photo by Scott Norsworthy . Langen Foundation (2004)...

Verb Crisis edited by Mario Ballesteros, Albert Ferre and Irene Hwang, published by  Actar , 2008. ( Amazon ) After previous issues of Verb that focused on architectural change via innovation and technological progress, the sixth installment of the self-proclaimed architecture boogazine "confronts underlying questions and doubts regarding current models of urban development." The crisis of the title is seen as "a turning point, a decisive moment when tensions and instabilities peak and change becomes inescapable." Certainly the appeal of this issue will correspond to the reader's belief that we are in fact in a time of crisis, that places like Dubai, Detroit, and Tijuana illustrate ...

RSPCA Buildings in Victoria, Australia by NHArchitecture Australia' Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( RSPCA ) is an organization that aims to protect animals via a number of measures, from legislation and education to animal care and shelter. The organization is comprised of eight state/territory branches, including one for Victoria in southeastern Australia, the smallest but densest of the country's states. RSPCA Victoria 's headquarters is located in Burwood, a suburb of Melbourne. Designed by NHArchitecture , the headquarters is a three-phase redevelopment with construction complete on the first, which houses five buildings housing 200 dog kennels. By breaking the first phase into five buildings...

Pardon the week-long delay in posting to this page. My wife and I are now proud parents of a baby girl. It happened last week and has occupied all my time, energy, and thoughts. This blog just had to wait. And it will wait for at least another week, or more likely two, as we adjust to everything. [Her onesie proclaims, "it's good to be green." As it is.] In the meantime, please check out the quality blogs and other web pages linked on the sidebar. And shhhhh, the baby's sleeping!

Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes edited by Andrew Blauvelt, published by Walker Arts Center, 2008 ( Amazon ) The exhibition Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes , currently at the Walker Arts Center , aims to "demonstrate how the American suburb has played a catalytic role in the creation of new art." It further aims to challenge "preconceived ideas and expectations about suburbia (pro or con)," featuring "artwork by Gregory Crewdson, Dan Graham, Catherine Opie, and Edward Ruscha, among others, and architectural projects by firms such as Fashion.Architecture.Taste , The Center for Land Use Interpretation , MVRDV , and Estudio ...

Building Rehabilitation in El Pópulo, Cádiz, Spain by MGM Arquitectos In the historic center of Cádiz, Spain, MGM Arquitectos approached the rehabilitation of seven houses as a layering of four types of interventions: the rehabilitation of the lowest two floors, the restructuring of the courtyard (having collapsed before the project started), rebuilding the second floor; and adding an attic level. The design aims to consolidate the walls dating from the 17th-century and earlier, keeping as much of the existing as possible. Located adjacent to Cádiz's cathedral and its plaza, the project relates to the town's most famous landmark not only via proximity but by its layering of built interventions over time, as the 18th-century church is built on the site of the 13th-century cathedral that burned down in 1596. The primarily baroqu...