Organic architecture

This new healthcare centre is located in a distinctive landscape. Along with Château de la Corbière and its church it forms a new ensemble integrated within an agricultural estate overlooking Lake Neuchâtel. With its low-level volumes it respects the existing buildings and topography, opening out generously towards the lake and the Jura Mountains. The new building connects with the existing medical centre, combining with it to form a single articulated whole that engages in a dialogue with its environment. The architecture and the surrounding landscape intermesh in the folds of the building’s form, seeking balance. An interplay of privacy and openness to the landscape lies at the heart of this complex and organic ar... More

The main challenge was to capture through architecture the concept of Waldorf education in a tangible way, taking into account the guidelines of its founders and pedagogical team.   The architecture should be striking, fluid, open, with curved walls, subtle colors, and include textured surfaces and natural materials.   As a starting point we wanted to adapt the architecture to the site, and cause the least possible impact to the environment to maintain harmony in the place.   We opted for an elongated shape to focus the main view of the ocean, and adapt to the topography. We lean towards a distribution of separate modules to have that feeling of fluidity abroad, and to differentiate academic spaces according to the nee... More

Los Angeles natives Jamie Price and Brad Schlei engaged organic architecture experts Kristopher Conner and James Perry of Conner + Perry Architects to design a home that seamlessly fits their family and lifestyle, while also showcasing a world-class art collection and effortlessly blending into this beloved section of Santa Monica Canyon. Taiyo Watanabe Taiyo Watanabe Taiyo Watanabe Taking cues from the property’s surrounding Oak and Eucalyptus trees, the firm designed a residence that allows for reflection, openness, and serenity. Key design features include windows that frame the magnificent trees, extended canopy-like, cantilevered eaves and fully pocketing glass exterior walls that open to a central courtyard to of... More

Ask locals what they like most about Karrinyup, and they will say it is the unique coastal lifestyle: upmarket yet laid back, sophisticated yet relaxed. They see their version of ‘coastal cool’ as unique in Perth, and unique in the rest of the country for that matter. They are very protective of their way of life and are proud of and loyal to their shopping centre. AMP Capital has gone to great lengths to research and define the uniqueness of Karrinyup, and their brief to the designers has been based on the overarching strategy to create a unique and authentic destination, customised to suit the local market and delivering distinct experiences.   In responding to the brief and AMP Capital’s vision for Karrinyup, des... More

H303 is a residential project located at the South suburb of Athens. The site is located 800m far from the sea, in Kadmou str of Glyfada area, which is a coastal town that keeps developing. The main idea of the building is based tothe geometrical shapes and volumes of nature which istranslated in petals to the exterior of each floor, giving an organic shape to the building. The organic architecture refersto a philosophy that combines the harmonious co-habitationof the man with nature as a design and in terms offunctionality and aesthetics.   We use that approach by combing designtechniques that come in harmony with the site so that thevolumes of the building, the furniture and the atmospheresare united in one synthesis.In the perimet... More

A quarry is the evidence of man’s action on nature; a universe in which men unintentionally sculpt pleats and volumes that result in a strange and visually striking geology. A manufactured landscape*, an organic architecture created by the trace of the search for raw materials, which brings us back to the origin from which the raw materials come. The captivating and unique nature of this landscape nourishes the concept. The access through a small opening in the monolithic facade links the visitor with the central space of monumental character, the "arrival to the quarry", the Agora. It is the starting point to begin a new journey of museographic character, where the multiple exhibition halls - with materials of diverse characteristics–... More

A retail experience that embraces the history of The Bund as an important port and art-deco district. CHALLENGEFor this project, we were tasked with designing a flagship retail experience in Shanghai for fashion brand Ports 1961. The design had to embrace the history and character of The Bund, a downtown cultural district known for its art-deco style and—history as one of China’s most important ports—while creating a signature brand system that could be applied in locations around the world. INNOVATIONWe recycled the materials from a recently-demolished historic Chinese house, CNC-milling the wood to create a fluid system reminiscent of a ship’s hull that displays the fashion collection. This reduces the environmen... More

WHAT WILL SMART CITIES LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE?GAME-CHANGING, INTELLIGENT FAÇADE FOR 3DELUXE’S NEW BUILDING In recent years much has been said about smart cities and smart buildings but people rarely understand what the label can actually mean in real terms. Together with the client FC Ingenieure in Karlsruhe and the technology company Merck, the architects at 3deluxe have succeeded in coming up with an attractive building ensemble with an interesting, innovative glass façade which adds a fascinating new facet to intelligent architecture.   The FC Campus’ “Smartphone Façade” is Globally UniqueA building is intelligent if it does not just stand there but can respond not only to the require... More

Koichi Takada Architects’ scope for the National Museum of Qatar in Doha is nearing completion after 8 years in the making, after winning an international competition to design the interiors in 2012. The grand opening on Wednesday 28th March revealed the much anticipated and captivating designs by Koichi Takada Architects, including its Museum Shops and Desert Rose Café, with the anticipated opening of Café 875 and Jiwan Restaurant later this year.Located on a 1.5 million-square-foot site at the south end of Doha’s Corniche, the National Museum of Qatar will be the first monument visible to travellers arriving from the airport. The exterior of the National Museum of Qatar was designed by French architect and Pritzker prize winner, Jean Nouv... More

A triumph of biophilic, home-owner-centric design in AmsterdamEver wondered what design from the perspective of a home-owner looks like? This month, two new owners will take the keys to their very own Freebooter apartment; two residences on Amsterdam’s Zeeburgereiland, created with biophilic living in mind.Designed and developed by Amsterdam-based studio GG-loop, the development is an expression of the studio’s signature and philosophy of responding to the design brief with the experience and wellbeing of the end-user continuously in mind.“We are part of nature in a deep and fundamental way, but in our modern lives we’ve lost that connection. Our studio envisions home and city design that respects both inhabitants and the environment, recon... More

Karlin is an interesting and diverse quarter, with good urban scale and close proximity to the center of Prague. There exists here a friendly, cultivated character, full of life, diversity and culture. The quarter is bordered to the north by the Vltava River, and, to the South by Zizkov Hill, which gives Karlin even more attractive urban, European character. Karlin has been in a phase of tremendous growth and transformation for the last ten years, and is an excellent example of successful regeneration, with an exceptional number of brownfield/industrial conversions. In a transitional context of residential blocks and former factories (solitaires), we found the site for AFI Karlin BUTTERFLY exceptional in essentially three ways – it is at th... More

Restructuring and extension of the new Fontvieille site, Principality of Monaco, grouping cultural spaces, commercial spaces, public and landscaped spaces."A landscape sensitive to an extraordinary geography,To emphasize how much the existing is incredible.A hill that connects the sea to the city.A vertical park and a transparent sea.See the garden of delights while thinking of the poetry of the Song of Songs”Massimiliano and Doriana FuksasMassimiliano and Doriana Fuksas won the competition for the project of extension and restructuring of the new site of Fontvieille, intended to reinvigorate the district and the port of Fontvieille in Monaco. The project provides answers to major cultural, commercial, urban, architectural and ecological is... More

Quinta Gaby (QG) is a single-family residence built using rammed earth, a thousand-year old technique which consists of building solid walls by tamping layers of damp earth inside a wooden formwork.   The design of the house evokes a complete harmony, honoring the beauty of its natural environment. QG consists of three rectangular shapes, which are located around the central patio where the papelillo tree becomes the heart of the home. The entrance of the house is marked with a pink door, a small tribute to the transcendent work of the renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragan. When crossing the door you enter the patio, an outdoor space, which distributes, communicates and connects the rest of the rooms of the house, acting as the core of a... More