Dutch firm Shift Architecture Urbanism is the winner of a first prize, two second prizes and a third prize in the competition for an eco-retail development, the Groene Kamer, in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The aim of the development is to create a new type of country estate where eco-retail, nature and recreation are brought together in an innovative way; A place where city and countryside meet, both physically and programmatically. The competition’s goal was to select the designers of four different building typologies which will populate the masterplan designed by Fabric and Lola landscape architects. Shift’s design, Topos, makes use of a topographic approach that allows for a profound integration of architecture and landscape. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The proposal by Site-Specific for the Burma School competition aims at escaping from social depression, as Karen people are searching for freedom and are displaced from their homes. They are residing on a borrowed piece of land which they can never owned. They are living in a country that they are not considered parts of society – many of them without citizenship. So they believe that the right kind of architecture can create the sense of belonging and the sense of ownership in the hearts of the displaced Karen community members. They want to create a school that this community can say ‘made by us’ and ‘made for us’. Thus, this school can become the center of the community. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The design of the proposal by OODA + OOIIO was instinctively developed under basic and determinant assumptions reflected from the local. Water, rurality, urbanity and cultural habits and traditions. They have tried to form an interactive balance among all the premises and found in nature a conceptual framework that served as a starting point for the formalization of their urban housing plan. The floating water lilies. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The Polonsky Academy building, designed by Chyutin Architects, is situated on the cliff facing south towards the Jerusalem Theater. Its northern side faces the Main Garden Court which will function as the heart of the campus in the new master plan. The low horizontal appearance of the Polonsky Academy building fits in with the dimensions and design characteristics of the existing buildings with their closed stone fronts to the city and glass fronts facing the open inner garden. Other building materials to be used are exposed concrete and wood slats. The design of the building elevation respects the modernistic spirit of the existing buildings. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The new library in Dalian by Architects Collective is designed to become the center and heart for the local community with a strong relationship to the ocean and the bay. The building is placed in a park setting and aims to be a landmark for locals and visitors and a symbol for the creative and environmentally friendly future of New Pulian. More images and project description after the break.

AIA Seattle, the Seattle Chapter of American Institute of Architects, with partners BetterBricks, the City of Seattle, and Architecture 2030 present AIA+2030 Professional Series: Prepare for the New Energy Future at Seattle City Hall.

The aim of the design proposal by sam architecture for the sports facilities at Lille-Fives was to create a pure and efficient building. The clearly identifiable shape of the concrete plate, which covers the grandstand and the gymnasium, announces the sport facility from far around. It is undeniably inspired by Future system’s Lords Cricket Ground Media Stand. It truly identifies the building and is ment to become a symbol of the renewal of Lille-Fives, a former industrial and socially fragile district. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The proposal of Dreiecksplatz, designed by Artur Borejszo, Leena Cho, Jason Hilgefort, and Andreas Karavanas recently won the first prize for Europan 11 competition in Vienna, Austria. Located between the Vienna Ring and Vienna Woods, the site embraces the marks of both environment – urban and nature – as a basis for future development. Currently surrounded by houses with a large amount of private green space, what they believe is needed in the site is a generous, quality public space that will invite and sustain diverse groups of community to gather, live and work by. More images and project description after the break.

In more recent times, the importance of the changing climate and its effects on the environment are being given more attention in regard to design practices. As a result, sustainable work spaces are becoming more prominent and some may even argue that a more energy efficient building correlates to a more efficient and productive work environment. With a growing demand for energy efficient buildings comes a greater responsibility of architects today and in the future.  In turn, officer owners and managers are also placed under increasing obligations to be focused on cutting down on productivity costs and to find more sustainable ways of going about their business endeavors. Companies are coming to the realization that investing in ‘green’ principles is more profitable in the long run.

In this post we are going to present to you office buildings that offer sustainable techniques through innovative architecture.

The hotel proposal by BNKR Arquitectura aims to reproduce in material form the ephemeral process of the diffusion of sound. This is a process of vibrant outward expression and subsequent decay. It is a narrative of the loss of integrity and dematerialization in space. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Hrvoje Sedlić shared with us a proposal for a mixed use design in an industrial area in Croatia.The project site is on the east part of Zagreb`s horizontal axis. It`s located next to an industrial area of “Janko Gredelj”, but due to a ghetto type organization of that still active industry (a big wall surrounding it), these two spaces were never perceived as one. But like any other industry infrastructure being so close to the city center, it will be dislocated . At that moment, a huge amount of space (20 ha) is opened to be integrated to the city, with a size potential to house any activity and content. More images and project description after the break.

The Museum of Tolerance, designed by Bracha Chyutin, Michael Chyutin, Jacques Dahan, and Ariel Noyman is located at the heart of modern Jerusalem, in its rejuvenated city center, on the borderline between the spacious Independence Park, and the urban built environment. The location is a meeting site of three main streets which differ in character and function. Hillel street: a bustling commercial zone; Moshe Ben Israel street: a road crossing the park; and Moshe Salomon street- Nachalat Shiva’s pedestrian mall, a tourist hub, full of restaurants and shops. More images and architects’ description after the break.

At the competition’s program, the concepts square and park take turns, describing a project of multiple uses and of a mixed texture. The primary target of architects, Yannis Kizis, Costandis Kizis, Thymis Dougkas, and Gregory Patsalosavvis is the change of the scenery: a green land expanded in relieved territory, with strong character, with the dominance of nature, a new experience of a specific public space. More images and architects’ description after the break.

As the world’s largest mobile phone provider, China Mobile is seeking for a universally valid company representation. A part of china Mobiles company philosophy is the client company relationship, which is also reflected in the building configuration design by Synarchitects . The Pingdinshan China Mobile Building combines the company’s global image with local context and meaning, custom tailored for the location. The industrial and historical background of Pingdinshan is interlaced into the building and finds its representation in one of the two volumes standing for past, history and local tradition. More images and architects’ description after the break.

109 Architectes recently took home the third prize at the 12th annual ThyssenKrupp Elevator Architecture Awards with their design for for the Disaster Prevention and Education Center in Bakırköy, Istanbul. A total of 287 projects from 59 countries were submitted to the competition. Participants were required to propose an Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center on a 27,000m2 piece of land. The center will be equipped with educational resources including audiovisual equipment, simulation systems to recreate the experience of natural disasters, first aid supplies and emergency communication systems. In the center, a planetarium, library, information boards and meeting halls will serve to inform visitors. More images and project description after the break.

The main challenge of [Inter.National.Design] and Erginoğlu + Çalışlar for this project is to arrive to a proposal that could articulate not only an interesting and comfortable life for the users of the campus, but to take this opportunity to improve the urban articulation of this site located in front of the famous city wall, near the frozen zone of the tourist strip of Varosha and next to a potentially dynamic avenue. The campus should also serve as a place of social and cultural encounter open to all citizens, in that sense it should be a campus of excellence qualities of public space and accessibility. Finally, their last goal is be able to arrive to a formal scheme that can also integrate the dispersed and mixed presence of historic buildings and turning them from nuisances into assets of the university life. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The Rigshospital is well-defined by Fælledparken and Amorparken at it’s boundaries, and due to these park areas, the hospital campus exudes a unique ‘green’ potential. The buildings serve as an intermediary between the dense urban fabric on Blegdamsvej and the open natural areas to the north of the site. This interconnectedness strongly influenced the concept and form of this scheme by the team of COWI, WHITE Arkitekter, DEVE Architecture, LAND+ Landskabsarkitekter and Lyngkilde, leading to what could eventually become a hospital nestled within a lush, green, natural environment within the bustling urban center of Copenhagen. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The multi-use office complex proposed by FGMF (Forte, Gimenes & Marcondes Ferras) Arquitectos for this 32.000m² lot aims at creating not only a new architectural reference for the region, but also a new destination for the city. Adding three different uses – retail, office buildings and modular offices – the new complex creates a landmark in the landscape, values the surroundings, and establishes a new shopping destination. More images and architects’ description after the break.