Month: May 2019

The Social Project 
The city of Jishou, where the Jishou Art Museum is located, is the regional capital of Xiangxi (western Hunan), a minority autonomous zone. Initially, the municipal government considered parcels of lands in the development zone outside the city; however, we the architects proposed to build the art museum in the center of the old town because we believed that a cultural facility should be easily accessible. A river called Wanrong runs through the middle of Jishou, which makes the most central location for the art museum over the water course and the art museum then doubles as a pedestrian bridge naturally. We hope that people in Jishou would not only make a special trip to see art but will also encounter art on their way to work, to school, or to shop.  

Lauded for its wide, tree-lined streets and distinct character; North Fitzroy has emerged as a destination for innovative vertical living. Nth FITZROY By Milieu – a carefully considered collaboration between progressive urban developer Milieu, architecture practice Fieldwork and interior design wunderkind Flack Studio – finds respectful equilibrium amongst the storied architecture of one of Melbourne’s most historic suburbs.

Under rapid urbanization, cities in Vietnam have diverged far from their origins as sprawling tropical forests. In Ho Chi Minh City, for example, only 0.25% area of the entire city is covered with greenery. An over-abundance of motorbikes causes daily traffic congestion as well as serious air pollution. As a result, new generations in urban areas are losing their connection with nature.

The Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (NERD) at 1 Memorial Drive has long been a center of technology innovation in the Kendall Square community. As one of six Microsoft global R&D sites, it has a strong focus on the engineering development of new software products across multiple platforms. It was important for Microsoft to remain true to their brand of technology being an integral part of daily life, and with increasing pressure on recruitment and retention of the best talent, as well as from the tight real estate market in Cambridge, Microsoft chose to rethink its sense of place at the NERD Center.

This time the challenge was to create a house, very bold clients showed up and proposed a different objective. A house to enjoy, relax and feel relaxed, “in the countryside”. The natural situation of the land and its vegetation were decisive for the geometry and the answers to the premises. Routes, sectors of visuals, noble materials, elevations, connectivity, visual continuity, the inn, the tower, relaxing situations, were several of the design searches.