SHOW RCA 2013

 

 
Image1. The entrance of the exhibition (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

The architecture students’ works of Royal College of Art revealed at their annual exhibition ‘Show RCA 2013’ from June 20 to June 30. Except fashion design which already opened its show on May 29, there are two exhibition areas where are Kensington and Battersea for 10 departments of RCA. The department of Architecture has its own exhibition place in Battersea with Applied art, Fine art, Photography and so on.

The exhibition place looked an old warehouse, therefore, the weird tension between rough feeling of the old building and innovative works of the students generates a marvelous atmosphere.

 

Image 2. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

As I looked around six studios’ works, it was coming to me that the works of RCA students are pushing beyond the realm of architecture with the imaginary and creativeness of the students rather than being sustained in it. Some students show very architectural drawings, some works might suit to consider as fine art or sculpture, and it would be possible to meet some works at the exhibition of video art.

Image 3. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 4. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 5. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 6. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
 

 

Like the exhibition of The Bartlett which this blog introduced before, (http://networkingcity.blogspot.kr/2013/06/bartlett-summer-show-2013.html)

this exhibition gave an opportunity to clearly understand that architectural thoughts can be shown with multiple media including videos, 3d displays and installations which were set up in the exhibition place as the works and rooms for watching videos.

 
Image 7. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 8. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 9. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 10. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 11. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 12. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Alexander Turner (http://alexander-r-a-turner.tumblr.com) suggests the simple and strong ‘wall’ for East Sussex against indiscreet urban sprawl. This plan of housing and public space for 2000 inhabitants, which might fall under the influence of Dogma (http://www.dogma.name/index.html), is outstanding among many works.  
 
Image 13. The work of Alexander Turner (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Environmental issue is spotlighted here again. One student provides an interesting idea to purify air pollution of London by transforming BT tower into a filtering facility in the worst polluted area in London. This work was introduced on Dezeen last week and has been paid attention from international readers.  http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/24/synthetechecology-by-chang-yeob-lee/

 

Image 14. The work of Changyeob Lee (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
In fact, it was more impressive when we visited other exhibition areas after the department of architecture. The quality level of the works of fine art, photography and sculpture students is easily over the normal level of masters’ students, therefore, it would not be strange if we meet these works at museums in London with professional artworks. In addition, buildings and working facilities for students look very nice to do something creative.     

 
Image 15. The exhibition of Applied Art (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image 16. The exhibition of Sculpture (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image 17. The exhibition of Fine art (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

Echo Morgan’s works (http://echomorgan.com/), which were displayed in the area of printmaking, are distinctive to provide multiple and complex faces that can be variously interpreted. She intended to show the vital force of vulnerable human body when a fragile woman’s body is accompanied with brutal metal balls. Furthermore, the photo, which captured the scene of a tree with the same metal balls in ruined industrial landscape, is planned to illustrate the vulnerability and vitality of nature as well as the coupling of the human body and nature. When it comes to me, the metal balls, which were firstly close to the sight, underline the human body and the ruined landscape, which are actually the background of the photos, therefore, the tension between figure and background creates the enormous power for being these photos lively.  

 
Image 18. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)
 
Image 19. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)
 
 
Image 20. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)


 
Continue reading »

SHOW RCA 2013

 

 
Image1. The entrance of the exhibition (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

The architecture students’ works of Royal College of Art revealed at their annual exhibition ‘Show RCA 2013’ from June 20 to June 30. Except fashion design which already opened its show on May 29, there are two exhibition areas where are Kensington and Battersea for 10 departments of RCA. The department of Architecture has its own exhibition place in Battersea with Applied art, Fine art, Photography and so on.

The exhibition place looked an old warehouse, therefore, the weird tension between rough feeling of the old building and innovative works of the students generates a marvelous atmosphere.

 

Image 2. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

As I looked around six studios’ works, it was coming to me that the works of RCA students are pushing beyond the realm of architecture with the imaginary and creativeness of the students rather than being sustained in it. Some students show very architectural drawings, some works might suit to consider as fine art or sculpture, and it would be possible to meet some works at the exhibition of video art.

Image 3. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 4. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 5. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 6. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
 

 

Like the exhibition of The Bartlett which this blog introduced before, (http://networkingcity.blogspot.kr/2013/06/bartlett-summer-show-2013.html)

this exhibition gave an opportunity to clearly understand that architectural thoughts can be shown with multiple media including videos, 3d displays and installations which were set up in the exhibition place as the works and rooms for watching videos.

 
Image 7. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 8. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 9. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 10. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 11. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Image 12. The exhibition place of RCA (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Alexander Turner (http://alexander-r-a-turner.tumblr.com) suggests the simple and strong ‘wall’ for East Sussex against indiscreet urban sprawl. This plan of housing and public space for 2000 inhabitants, which might fall under the influence of Dogma (http://www.dogma.name/index.html), is outstanding among many works.  
 
Image 13. The work of Alexander Turner (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
Environmental issue is spotlighted here again. One student provides an interesting idea to purify air pollution of London by transforming BT tower into a filtering facility in the worst polluted area in London. This work was introduced on Dezeen last week and has been paid attention from international readers.  http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/24/synthetechecology-by-chang-yeob-lee/

 

Image 14. The work of Changyeob Lee (The image is taken by Networking City)
 
In fact, it was more impressive when we visited other exhibition areas after the department of architecture. The quality level of the works of fine art, photography and sculpture students is easily over the normal level of masters’ students, therefore, it would not be strange if we meet these works at museums in London with professional artworks. In addition, buildings and working facilities for students look very nice to do something creative.     

 
Image 15. The exhibition of Applied Art (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image 16. The exhibition of Sculpture (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image 17. The exhibition of Fine art (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

Echo Morgan’s works (http://echomorgan.com/), which were displayed in the area of printmaking, are distinctive to provide multiple and complex faces that can be variously interpreted. She intended to show the vital force of vulnerable human body when a fragile woman’s body is accompanied with brutal metal balls. Furthermore, the photo, which captured the scene of a tree with the same metal balls in ruined industrial landscape, is planned to illustrate the vulnerability and vitality of nature as well as the coupling of the human body and nature. When it comes to me, the metal balls, which were firstly close to the sight, underline the human body and the ruined landscape, which are actually the background of the photos, therefore, the tension between figure and background creates the enormous power for being these photos lively.  

 
Image 18. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)
 
Image 19. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)
 
 
Image 20. The work of Echo Morgan (The image is taken from Echo Morgan’s website)


 
Continue reading »

Bartlett Summer Show 2013

 

The School of Architecture, The Bartlett at University College London opened their annual exhibition ‘The Bartlett Summer Show 2013’ on June 21. In this year, around 500 students participated in the exhibition and there are hundreds of drawings, architectural models, videos and installation works in Slade Galleries where the exhibition place is.

 

Image1. University College London (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image2. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image3. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image4. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image5. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image6. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image7. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image8. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

More than previous years, lots of students and units try to show their ideas by using not only models and drawings but also multi-media tools and installations. And it could be understood that the focus of the school is shifting to the architectural-urban reactions against complex social aspects of contemporary cities from the traditional architectural studies. For example, the impacts of social media on cities, Environmental problems in the near future and the revisiting urban contexts by modern artists’ views.

 

Image9. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image10. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image11. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Among many great works, the works of Diploma unit 22 and Diploma unit 10 were mightily impressive to me. In the case of Diploma unit 22, they understood the volumes of architecture and cities as the formation of multiple layers of flat surface, and studied the meaning and the possibility of the layers and the gap between layers.   

 

Image12.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image13.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image14.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)
Image15.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)
Diploma unit 10 rethink the relationship between human and nature based on environmental problem, which is getting serious, and imagine new urban contexts adapting to the thoughts of previous architects and artists with the title of ‘Imaginarium of urban ecologies’. Particularly, the drawings of this unit are outstanding and exceptional. These made an exclamation by in detail, in depth, imaginative and implicative lines. I’m especially interested in European Union: The Gardens of Fantastica, the work of Steven McCloy who conceptualise new Paris with the view of Surrealism.  If you want to see more images of Steven McCloy, please visit the blog http://stevenmccloy.blogspot.co.uk/
 

Image16. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image17. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image18. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

The Bartlett exhibition will continue to June 29, 2013.
In this week, AA School and RCA open their annual exhibitions as well. Networking City is going to the exhibition and will update the posts for them soon.

Continue reading »

Bartlett Summer Show 2013

 

The School of Architecture, The Bartlett at University College London opened their annual exhibition ‘The Bartlett Summer Show 2013’ on June 21. In this year, around 500 students participated in the exhibition and there are hundreds of drawings, architectural models, videos and installation works in Slade Galleries where the exhibition place is.

 

Image1. University College London (The image is taken by Networking City)
 

Image2. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image3. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image4. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image5. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image6. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image7. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Image8. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 

More than previous years, lots of students and units try to show their ideas by using not only models and drawings but also multi-media tools and installations. And it could be understood that the focus of the school is shifting to the architectural-urban reactions against complex social aspects of contemporary cities from the traditional architectural studies. For example, the impacts of social media on cities, Environmental problems in the near future and the revisiting urban contexts by modern artists’ views.

 

Image9. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image10. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image11. Barteltt Exhibition place (The image is taken by Networking City)

 
Among many great works, the works of Diploma unit 22 and Diploma unit 10 were mightily impressive to me. In the case of Diploma unit 22, they understood the volumes of architecture and cities as the formation of multiple layers of flat surface, and studied the meaning and the possibility of the layers and the gap between layers.   

 

Image12.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image13.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image14.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)
Image15.The work of Diploma unit 22 (The image is taken by Networking City)
Diploma unit 10 rethink the relationship between human and nature based on environmental problem, which is getting serious, and imagine new urban contexts adapting to the thoughts of previous architects and artists with the title of ‘Imaginarium of urban ecologies’. Particularly, the drawings of this unit are outstanding and exceptional. These made an exclamation by in detail, in depth, imaginative and implicative lines. I’m especially interested in European Union: The Gardens of Fantastica, the work of Steven McCloy who conceptualise new Paris with the view of Surrealism.  If you want to see more images of Steven McCloy, please visit the blog http://stevenmccloy.blogspot.co.uk/
 

Image16. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image17. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

Image18. The work of Steven McCloy (The image is taken by Networking City)

The Bartlett exhibition will continue to June 29, 2013.
In this week, AA School and RCA open their annual exhibitions as well. Networking City is going to the exhibition and will update the posts for them soon.

Continue reading »

Review: City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data

 

Image1. The cover image of ‘City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data’

Since 2005, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona, which is a provocative architectural school and research institution, has opened architectural competition once in every two years. This competition seeks new types of architectural experiments in the fast changing urban environment and is gaining an international reputation over the world. The most recent competition was held in 2011, and 275 groups participated in from 98 countries. The themes of the competition have expected ideal projections in the future rather than current urban situations; therefore, it is a bit harder to articulate architectural ideas of the themes than other competitions.
 
The book “City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data”, which was published by ACTAR, is the outcome of the competition in 2011 and the title of the book is the same as it of the competition. 
 
High speed information and communication technologies have created more possibilities of diversity, mobility and change in the city that comparatively the speed of change is lower than the speed of the technologies by its physical nature. Therefore, urban design and urban planning in the future would claim not traditional approaches for physical urban structure but more and more concerns of immaterial and invisible urban factors based on the development of the technology. In the preface of City Sense, Manuel Gausa, Dean of IAAC, argues that new urban dynamics will emerge from interactive, synchronous and integrated information in multi-level of urban areas, not physical characteristics any more. He explains the purpose of this competition was to find innovative ways of urban design for increasing civic participation, interactive response with the urban environment and real-time information. 
 

Image 2. page 76-77. Honourable Mention- THE DATA-CITIZEN DRIVEN CITY

Image 3. Second prize winner- THE CYBORG LANDSCAPE

 

Image 4. Third prize winner- RCNHA 2030+
 


Image 5. Honourable Mention- 0kWhcity


 The publisher divided competition entry works into six categories: Sensors & Data, Adaptive & Reactive, Behavioural systems, Parametric technology, Social & Collaborative and Theories & Strategies. There are many fresh and fascinating ideas to show various approaches to architectural and urban design. For example, enhancing digital networks in urban areas by social media and applying to urban management, reducing the rate of risky incidences of Chicago through making 1/25 scale testing model of Chicago, creating on-offline network for exchanging second-hand goods and suggestion for architectural system to checking environmental pollution in the site of landfill.

Among lots of entertaining works, Francisco’s work, which is the first prize winner, is outstanding. Francisco Castillo Navarro is an architect and interactive designer. After he graduated from ETSAS and UPF, he set up his own research group: Responsive Environments and has been doing several research projects focus on the urban environment changes.
 



Image 6. pp.82-83. First prize winner– CITY DATA SENSING

 

Image 7. Panel image of CITY DATA SENSING

 
His idea is to collect invisible but influential data for urban life such as the flows of energy, transportation and economic, and to provide these data with citizen based on real-time. It leads the change of citizen activities and then new information are generated by these changes, as the result, the citizen and the information in urban endlessly foster the interaction between them.
The most participants are bound in physical architectural suggestions as the outcome of the competition; however, Francisco illustrates that integrated system for real-time information, which would stimulate sustainable interactive actions of citizen, could become an aggressive outcome of urban design in the digital era. Unlike other entry works which started from architectural ideas, his approach began from the other fields such as collecting real-time data, visualisation of big data and urban modelling. His final images for the competition could be understood as pretending to describe multiple urban data; however, his actual final work is a movie file to display collecting urban information on tidal system and visualising it.  As the result, other participants demonstrate images and systems at the moment; however, Francisco’s work suggests that the tidal changes of urban information and the visualising structure of real operating situation. Please check his movie image here.  On his blog pages, there are nice information of 3d printing and robotic fabrication as well as his works. Blog1 and Blog2. 
 
The new book of ACTAR is too full of suggestions to regard just the outcome of idea competition. Above all, this book clearly points out that new urban environment based on the rapid developing technologies pushes architects need to collaborate with other fields more than before. It reminds us to consider how the urban environment will be changed by integrated set of information from individuals and institutions, and how new technologies impact on architecture.
Secondly, all winning projects of the competition propose specific own urban system connecting with all urban area not separate buildings. Traditional design approach, which means the sequence of analysing site, finding similar cases, making concept idea, developing mass and building up 3d model, cannot be available anymore for new urban design that needs to understand and develop urban networks and its system.
 
Of course, there are some disappointing parts.
All participants submitted three panel images through the internet, but it is doubtful whether traditional panel images would be applicable to explain invisible flow of data in urban areas or not. As we regard that the real outcome of the first prize winner is a movie image, IAAC needs to revise the format of the submission. On the one hand, there are many fresh ideas and well finished projects. On the other hand, I think the most projects are not far away from pre-existing design methods and are rooted in technical optimism that the city could be effectively controlled by one system. Also, the size of the book is relatively small. It is convenient to carry, but uncomfortable to look at images.
 
But it is obvious to allow this book as a good reference to designate the influence of the technologies on the city and alternative ways of urban design in digital era.
 
The detailed contents and the entry works of last competitions are well arranged on the homepage of IAAC. Please visit there.  
1st competition- Self-Sufficient Housing, 2005http://bit.ly/YMF79q
2nd competition- Self-Sufficient Housing, THE SELF-FAB HOUSE, 2007http://bit.ly/WphN53
3rd competition- THE SELF-SUFFICIENT CITY: Envisioning the habitat of the future, 2009http://bit.ly/13zxrgk
4th competition- THE SELF-SUFFICIENT CITY: Envisioning the habitat of the future, 2011http://bit.ly/Crab7

 

Basic outcome is below.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: ACTAR / Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya (IAAC)
                 (2 Jan 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 8415391293
ISBN-13: 978-8415391296
Product Dimensions: 16 x 12.2 x 2.3

Continue reading »

Review: City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data

 

Image1. The cover image of ‘City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data’

Since 2005, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona, which is a provocative architectural school and research institution, has opened architectural competition once in every two years. This competition seeks new types of architectural experiments in the fast changing urban environment and is gaining an international reputation over the world. The most recent competition was held in 2011, and 275 groups participated in from 98 countries. The themes of the competition have expected ideal projections in the future rather than current urban situations; therefore, it is a bit harder to articulate architectural ideas of the themes than other competitions.
 
The book “City Sense – Shaping our environment with real-time data”, which was published by ACTAR, is the outcome of the competition in 2011 and the title of the book is the same as it of the competition. 
 
High speed information and communication technologies have created more possibilities of diversity, mobility and change in the city that comparatively the speed of change is lower than the speed of the technologies by its physical nature. Therefore, urban design and urban planning in the future would claim not traditional approaches for physical urban structure but more and more concerns of immaterial and invisible urban factors based on the development of the technology. In the preface of City Sense, Manuel Gausa, Dean of IAAC, argues that new urban dynamics will emerge from interactive, synchronous and integrated information in multi-level of urban areas, not physical characteristics any more. He explains the purpose of this competition was to find innovative ways of urban design for increasing civic participation, interactive response with the urban environment and real-time information. 
 

Image 2. page 76-77. Honourable Mention- THE DATA-CITIZEN DRIVEN CITY

Image 3. Second prize winner- THE CYBORG LANDSCAPE

 

Image 4. Third prize winner- RCNHA 2030+
 


Image 5. Honourable Mention- 0kWhcity


 The publisher divided competition entry works into six categories: Sensors & Data, Adaptive & Reactive, Behavioural systems, Parametric technology, Social & Collaborative and Theories & Strategies. There are many fresh and fascinating ideas to show various approaches to architectural and urban design. For example, enhancing digital networks in urban areas by social media and applying to urban management, reducing the rate of risky incidences of Chicago through making 1/25 scale testing model of Chicago, creating on-offline network for exchanging second-hand goods and suggestion for architectural system to checking environmental pollution in the site of landfill.

Among lots of entertaining works, Francisco’s work, which is the first prize winner, is outstanding. Francisco Castillo Navarro is an architect and interactive designer. After he graduated from ETSAS and UPF, he set up his own research group: Responsive Environments and has been doing several research projects focus on the urban environment changes.
 



Image 6. pp.82-83. First prize winner– CITY DATA SENSING

 

Image 7. Panel image of CITY DATA SENSING

 
His idea is to collect invisible but influential data for urban life such as the flows of energy, transportation and economic, and to provide these data with citizen based on real-time. It leads the change of citizen activities and then new information are generated by these changes, as the result, the citizen and the information in urban endlessly foster the interaction between them.
The most participants are bound in physical architectural suggestions as the outcome of the competition; however, Francisco illustrates that integrated system for real-time information, which would stimulate sustainable interactive actions of citizen, could become an aggressive outcome of urban design in the digital era. Unlike other entry works which started from architectural ideas, his approach began from the other fields such as collecting real-time data, visualisation of big data and urban modelling. His final images for the competition could be understood as pretending to describe multiple urban data; however, his actual final work is a movie file to display collecting urban information on tidal system and visualising it.  As the result, other participants demonstrate images and systems at the moment; however, Francisco’s work suggests that the tidal changes of urban information and the visualising structure of real operating situation. Please check his movie image here.  On his blog pages, there are nice information of 3d printing and robotic fabrication as well as his works. Blog1 and Blog2. 
 
The new book of ACTAR is too full of suggestions to regard just the outcome of idea competition. Above all, this book clearly points out that new urban environment based on the rapid developing technologies pushes architects need to collaborate with other fields more than before. It reminds us to consider how the urban environment will be changed by integrated set of information from individuals and institutions, and how new technologies impact on architecture.
Secondly, all winning projects of the competition propose specific own urban system connecting with all urban area not separate buildings. Traditional design approach, which means the sequence of analysing site, finding similar cases, making concept idea, developing mass and building up 3d model, cannot be available anymore for new urban design that needs to understand and develop urban networks and its system.
 
Of course, there are some disappointing parts.
All participants submitted three panel images through the internet, but it is doubtful whether traditional panel images would be applicable to explain invisible flow of data in urban areas or not. As we regard that the real outcome of the first prize winner is a movie image, IAAC needs to revise the format of the submission. On the one hand, there are many fresh ideas and well finished projects. On the other hand, I think the most projects are not far away from pre-existing design methods and are rooted in technical optimism that the city could be effectively controlled by one system. Also, the size of the book is relatively small. It is convenient to carry, but uncomfortable to look at images.
 
But it is obvious to allow this book as a good reference to designate the influence of the technologies on the city and alternative ways of urban design in digital era.
 
The detailed contents and the entry works of last competitions are well arranged on the homepage of IAAC. Please visit there.  
1st competition- Self-Sufficient Housing, 2005http://bit.ly/YMF79q
2nd competition- Self-Sufficient Housing, THE SELF-FAB HOUSE, 2007http://bit.ly/WphN53
3rd competition- THE SELF-SUFFICIENT CITY: Envisioning the habitat of the future, 2009http://bit.ly/13zxrgk
4th competition- THE SELF-SUFFICIENT CITY: Envisioning the habitat of the future, 2011http://bit.ly/Crab7

 

Basic outcome is below.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: ACTAR / Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya (IAAC)
                 (2 Jan 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 8415391293
ISBN-13: 978-8415391296
Product Dimensions: 16 x 12.2 x 2.3

Continue reading »

Having a lunch at Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower in London

Looking at Heron Tower on the street (The image is taken by Networking City)


Some days ago, I went to Heron Tower near Liverpool Street Station in London.
This 46 floors and 230meter remarkable high rise building,
which is designed by KPF with structure design by Arup, was built in 2011.
Duck & Waffle restaurant is located on the 40th floor of the building.

Looking down toward Liverpool Street (The image is taken by Networking City)

The bar on the 40th floor of Heron tower (The image is taken by Networking City)

The interior of Duck & Waffle (The image is taken by Networking City)

The ‘Duck & Waffle’ at Duck & Waffle (The image is taken by Networking City)


My friend recommended this place because I can see an incredible cityscape of London, although the menu is pricey.
Not only the beautiful scenery of London but unusual food, which is crispy fried duck and fried-egg covered a waffle with maple syrup, are there.
The interior design of the restaurant is not looking good as much as some photos on their website.
It feels like rather refined, but some materials such as yellow wave ceiling do not make a nice combination altogether.  

However, looking down 30 St Mary Axe (or Gherkin) designed by Foster and 122 Leadenhall Street (or Cheese Grater) by Rogers just beside them was a strange and exciting experience. It gives a reason to go there.

Looking at 30 St Mary Axe and 122 Leadenhall Street (The image is taken by Networking City)

I recorded a film image in a high-speed elevator of Heron Tower.
The feeling of coming down from the 40th floor to ground level by the elevator is similar to that of dreaming flying dim London air but immediately returning to desert reality.

Continue reading »

Having a lunch at Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower in London

Looking at Heron Tower on the street (The image is taken by Networking City)


Some days ago, I went to Heron Tower near Liverpool Street Station in London.
This 46 floors and 230meter remarkable high rise building,
which is designed by KPF with structure design by Arup, was built in 2011.
Duck & Waffle restaurant is located on the 40th floor of the building.

Looking down toward Liverpool Street (The image is taken by Networking City)

The bar on the 40th floor of Heron tower (The image is taken by Networking City)

The interior of Duck & Waffle (The image is taken by Networking City)

The ‘Duck & Waffle’ at Duck & Waffle (The image is taken by Networking City)


My friend recommended this place because I can see an incredible cityscape of London, although the menu is pricey.
Not only the beautiful scenery of London but unusual food, which is crispy fried duck and fried-egg covered a waffle with maple syrup, are there.
The interior design of the restaurant is not looking good as much as some photos on their website.
It feels like rather refined, but some materials such as yellow wave ceiling do not make a nice combination altogether.  

However, looking down 30 St Mary Axe (or Gherkin) designed by Foster and 122 Leadenhall Street (or Cheese Grater) by Rogers just beside them was a strange and exciting experience. It gives a reason to go there.

Looking at 30 St Mary Axe and 122 Leadenhall Street (The image is taken by Networking City)

I recorded a film image in a high-speed elevator of Heron Tower.
The feeling of coming down from the 40th floor to ground level by the elevator is similar to that of dreaming flying dim London air but immediately returning to desert reality.

Continue reading »