Dwell Escapes is supported by Genesis. We selected this escape because the drama of the open-plan interior picks up on the progressive, audacious aspects of the Genesis GV80and the two-story garage doubles as a gallery for showcasing art.

A little over a mile from the Pacific Ocean in Venice, California, sits a boxy house on a 5,700-square-foot lot. At first glance, its a contemporary two-story home with lots of windows and raw materials like metal and concrete. But take a closer look at the fine details, and youll notice something intrinsically primordial about the space that architect Steven Ehrlich of EYRC Architects designed for himself and his wife, author Nancy Griffin.

Nicknamed 700 Palms, Stevens home is like a love letter to his past experiences around the world. The dwellings design was influenced by his time as a practicing architect in Marrakech, Morocco, as an architecture instructor in Nigeria in the 1970s, and his involvement in a Tokyo project in the 1980s.

The homes exterior colors were inspired by the Marrakech souks Steven experienced as a practicing architect in Morocco in the 1970s. A Genesis GV80 sits outside the 700 Palms residence.

"All of those experiences led me to learn about aspects of culture and multicultural inputand thats what makes this house unique," says Steven.

The homes guiding design principle is called multicultural modernism. Coined by Steven and Nancy 20 years ago, its a practice of utilizing architectural influences and traditions from around the world, and adapting them into a more modern design style.

The homes earthy color scheme complements the exterior landscape, which is ever-visible through grand windows.

"I loved living in courtyard houses in Africa, which were very sustainable because we didnt pump the rooms up with air conditioning," explains Steven. "We actually opened up doors and had thick walls, cross ventilation, and many, many fundamental passive solar strategies."

The family courtyard is a space with luscious greenery and cozy seating where the owners can connect with their three grown children and grandson. Beyond lies the art-filled garage, where a Genesis GV80 is parked.

Drawing inspiration from these African homes, Steven designed 700 Palms with three courtyards. One courtyard houses the pool, whereas the family courtyard has bucket seating and a barbecue. The tree courtyard is home to an 80-year-old tree that Steven built the roof around.

The outdoor pool isnt just a place to take a dip; it also produces an evaporative cooling effect for the air-conditioning-less home.

The courtyardscombined with a concrete block wall with high thermal mass, and a chocolate-brown concrete floor with radiant heatingallow the house to function without air-conditioning. Huge shades on the homes southwestern facade help to dissipate heat, and the small pool provides evaporative cooling, keeping the interior and exterior environments comfortable throughout the year.

Steven describes his Havana Brown cats as "architectural accessories" that accent the playful elements of the homes design.

Inside, the home has lofty ceilings and open spaces. Large glass windows and doors can be discreetly tucked away, allowing for movement and blurring the barriers between inside and out. Japanese influences abound in the Tansu stairs, the dining areaa reinterpretation of a sunken pitand the dining room table, which is a piece of floating ash with unsealed benches designed by Steven himself.

"From architecture to cars, the essence of the design is fundamental," says Steven. "And Ive always appreciated simple, clean lines." Here, Steven interacts with the Genesis GV80 in the homes garage.

Visitors will also spy worldwide cultural influences in the impressive collection of art pieces the couple has amassed over the decades. Perhaps the most surprising place that the owners display their art collection is in the garage.

A beautiful collection of African gourds and bowls reflect on the shiny exterior of the Genesis GV80.

"I do park my car there pretty much every day, but it is also a gallery for my African baskets and gourds that I collected years ago," explains Steven. The duality of the design allows the garage to be used for displaying sculptures and colorful artwork, as well as for entertaining during pre-pandemic events.

The concrete block wall is composed of a special blend made just for this house.

This idea of "duality" also presents itself in other aspects of the homes design. Its most notable in how the space has details that relate to the past and presentand how these elements seem to work cooperatively.

The open panels of the staircase and the glass bridge create the illusion of walking on air.

Take the bridge that is made entirely of glass and suspended on thin cables. Steven connected the glass bridge with a wall that "almost looks like [it] couldve been there for 100 years," bringing two seemingly opposing design elements together to form an appeasing architectural marvel.

Clean lines are ever present in this modern homeas seen in the glass bridge, dining table, concrete block wall, and abstract art pieces.

"The counterpoint between the technical (or the futuristic) and the primitive (or the primal)that duality is an interesting dialogue as well," Steven says.

With a design that moves between the past and the present, and from culture to culture, Steven has successfully created an urban oasis he describes as "an organic organism."

Steven made sure to include a pool on the 5,700-square-foot lot for his grandson and wife, who love to swim.

"The house is my transformer that I get to play with every day," says Steven. "I can open it, close it, move the shades up and downand Im tuning it up for the time of year, and the type of weather conditions. But its also a living, breathing organism that I get to be a part of, which is just fun."

The comfortable nooks at 700 Palms have doubled as remote workspaces during the pandemic.

His wife agrees. "The house was really designed to be flexible, so we use it differently today than we might have 20 years ago. For instance, adapting to pandemic life, weve been able to take certain spaces and use them for different purposes. I use the guest house now when I need to have quiet meeting time," says Nancy.

Steven and Nancy love how their home continues to change and serve them in new ways each passing year.

With natural ventilation, flexible spaces for working remotely, a design that blurs the line between shelter and nature, and elements that transport you to places around the world, 700 Palms provides Steven and Nancy with everything we might hope for in a homenow and for the future.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Steven Ehrlich, EYRC Architects / @eyrcarchitects

Builder/General Contractor: Shramek Building Co.

This content was created by Dwell Creative Studio, the brand marketing arm of Dwell.

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An Architects Venice Home Draws Inspiration From Around the World - Dwell

Full of light and loft, the future new Frisco Public Library stands out not only for its AIA award-winning design, but as a luminous example how libraries serve communities, even during uncertain times.

Architects at Genslers Dallas office are reimagining a cavernous concrete building originally built to manufacture rocket ships as the librarys new home. Built in 1997 by Beal Aerospace, the original structures 40-foot-high ceilings and reinforced concrete slab floors were designed to accommodate heavy-lift orbital launch vehicles. The buildings journey from rockets to books seems predestined: Reinforced floors, it turns out, are ideal for supporting the weight of massive collections of books.

And as adaptive reuse projects go, the $42 million building is an architects dream or biggest challenge and maybe a bit of both.

Last year, voters overwhelmingly approved the city of Friscos five bond measures worth $345 million, including funds to relocate the public library from its current location inside Frisco City Hall. The new library, which is slated to begin construction in mid-2021, is already winning accolades. In June, Genslers design took top honors from the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at its 2020 Unbuilt Design Awards. Architects Brian Nicodemus and Justin Bashaw, who are based in Genslers Dallas office, worked closely with Frisco Public Library director Shelley Holley on the redesign.

Shelley wanted something uniquely Frisco as far as the building language and expression, Bashaw says.

Inspiration came from the areas early Blackland Prairie roots. Named for its rich, dark soil, the Blackland Prairie is a narrow grassland ecoregion that runs 300 miles from the Red River in North Texas, through Frisco and the Metroplex, ending in San Antonio. After thousands of years of buffalo grazing and wild fires, the Blackland Prairies fertile soil was prime for farming. Civilization ultimately led to the prairies demise, and less than one percent of it remains.

The Blackland Prairie is the reason we are all here, says Bashaw. Theres not much of it left, but its worth celebrating.

For the librarys design, the architects played off the concept of a dogtrot a style of log cabin common to the Blackland Prairie during the 1800s. Imagine a rectangular shoe box with a breezeway punched through the middle, like where a dog might trot through, Bashaw explains.

The design allows for two entryways, including a ceremonial one to the north toward Frisco Square. (The new library is part of a larger master plan that will include a park and trails leading to the square.) A breezeway connects the existing concrete structure with a new community event space made from UV-treated wood veneer, which subtly recalls the look of a log cabin. The event space is surrounded by a plaza designed to accommodate activities like robotics racing, science night, and stem-based learning.

Studio Outside is also taking cues from the areas original ecosystem for the librarys landscape design, and have selected plants native to the Blackland Prairie. When its finished, an interpretive nature trail leading to a park will provide library staff and teachers with another tool to educate on the prairies important history.

Of course, there are challenges in any design project and the Frisco Public Library was no exception. The original buildings wide open spaces and strong structural slab are perfect for housing a multitude of heavy books, but they didnt allow for the kind of big windows the architects wanted, explains Bashaw.

We needed to punch openings into the concrete panels to provide light but the exterior walls are also its support structure, he says. So we got creative and introduced skylights in some areas, and in others, we replaced the walls with steel, so that large windows and doors could be added. When it comes to books, too much of a good thing can also be a problem (paper is highly sensitive to the punishing effects of the Texas sun), so to protect books and other materials, the architects designed an elaborate louver system on the buildings west side to deflect heat and light at the harshest time of day.

Nicodemus and Bashaw have designed other libraries in the Metroplex, but the Frisco library is unique not only for its size in terms of contiguous square footage its one of the largest in the state but because it is designed as a single library to serve an entire city.

Thats fairly unique, says Nicodemus, who compares Friscos plan with that of Dallas, which has many small municipal libraries spread out all over the city with shared resources. Frisco took a different approach with a single library for a very large city, and that was exciting; The question was how do you put everything into one library so that it all works together seamlessly?

Thats where Frisco Public Library director Shelley Holley comes in.

Everyone has an idea of what a library is mostly they think its a place to warehouse books where the librarians shush people to be quiet but we are so far from that, Holley says. We have plenty of books, but progressive modern libraries are full of noisy activity.

When it opens, the Frisco Public Librarys state-of-the-art Innovation Lab will feature AI components sophisticated enough for both entrepreneurs and students who want to try out new technology. It will also be a place to experiment with laser and 3D printing, or learn to create anime or even make a movie.

But no mistake about it, Books and ebooks are still king, she says, and of the 2.5 million items circulating each year through Frisco Public Library, most are books. The library, which has a broad general collection of books, will need to add another 55,000 items to meet the needs of the citys growing population, Holley notes.

As the sole library in a town of 215,000 people, Holley envisions the new building will become a major destination for the community. In the library world, we talk about libraries being the third place there is your home, there is your work, and then there is that third place where the community can gather and have civic discussions, have friendships, have social and learning experiences. The new library will also be located near existing museums and theaters and feed off their vibrant energy.

In addition to Gensler, Holley called on the expertise of 720 Design Inc, a boutique design and architecture firm in Dallas that specializes in developing modern libraries. Together, they came up with a highly flexible design for the Frisco Public Library including 20 individual spaces for small group gatherings such as the casual Un-Conference Room, and spaces to handle such diverse activities as crafting and robotics.

Bookshelves are totally mobile with casters and independent lighting sources, so they can be rearranged or rolled away for large programs. Power and data connections will be available from anywhere in the library, and technology for broadcasting live from the building will be built in, because what Holley has learned from the pandemic is that people still want its services, especially during lockdown.

We have a weekly meeting with management team where we comb through data and look at whats popping, what people are using and asking for, she says. We track our usage data, and respond quickly. So when Covid hit in the spring, we introduced curbside service immediately. It went off like a rocket and has been very successful.

The new library building will continue curbside service with sophisticated, efficient drive-through and drop off systems. Many of its existing programs have already gone virtual, including story times for kids, along with its award-winning ESL and GED programs. I was just looking at stats, and one of our science programs has had 19,000 views in the last week, Holley says. People still want these things, and weve had to figure out how to give them to them in this new Covid environment.

Even when theres not a pandemic raging, librarians and architects are keenly aware that hundreds of people streaming through the doors every day bring plenty of germs with them. Automatic sliding doors are musts for new libraries the fewer touch points the better. And the types of materials furniture and other surfaces are made out of matters its hard to sanitize wood tables, for instance so the team is researching what the safest and most durable options will be. And since social distancing may become the new norm in public spaces, theyre looking at ways to make sure furniture can be quickly adapted as needed, including putting all furniture on casters, along with studying what the safest furniture groupings are, says Bashaw.

With cutting-edge design and a state-of-the-art new facility, the Frisco Public Library promises to be an inspiration for other libraries nationwide to follow.

We are revisiting the paradigm of what a library can be so all bets are off, Bashaw says.

Read this article:
With Cutting-Edge Design and Technology, Architects Reimagine the Frisco Public Library as a True Destination - PaperCity Magazine

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand and Trahan Architects, which maintains offices in New Orleans and New York City, have announced that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has greenlit their concept design for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the United States National Arboretumin northeast Washington, D.C.

The concept design for the National Bonsai Museum & Penjing Museum is the first major project within Reed Hilderbrands master plan update for the 109-acre core landscape of the U.S. National Arboretum, which dates back to 1927. As a press release detailed, the master plan update (which reexamines and reimagines a 2007 master plan) also considers the larger landscape of the U.S. National Arboretum and evaluates sustainability, accessibility, and safety within the site while also seeking to reduce impervious surfaces across the 446-acre botanical research complex operated by the United States Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service. In addition to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, other gardens and collections at the arboretum include the National Grove of State Trees, the Fern Valley Native Plant Collections, the National Herb Garden, and the famed Azalea Collections, among many other horticultural highlights.

While the master plan, which was approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts this past summer, takes the larger landscape of the U.S. National Arboretum into consideration, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum concept responds to a world-renowned collection thats decidedly more diminutive in nature. Established in 1982 as the worlds first public bonsai museum and sustained by the nonprofit National Bonsai Foundation (NBF), the museums core collectionsJapanese, Chinese, and North Americanare spread across three corresponding pavilions and other areas. The museum is also home to a collection of viewing stones, an art form related to bonsai, which populates its own pavilion.

The approved concept design, funded through a gift to the NBF and building off the renovations at the Japanese Pavilion completed in 2017, will establish a network of circulation-improving paths extending from a central courtyard, all of which lead visitors to the museums reimagined four core exhibitions, expanded classroom spaces, and administrative areas. As envisioned by Reed Hilderbrand and Trahan Architects, the collection exhibitions will take the form of gardens rather than buildings and blur their boundaries with the larger, surrounding garden to offer continuing revelation of surprise and discovery. Improved universal accessibility and wayfinding, as well as establishing a stronger connection to the arboretum core, including the adjacent Ellipse Meadow, were also key goals in the design.

I want to underscore what I really appreciate about the new site plan, noted Elizabeth K. Meyer, vice chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, in a hearing on the concept design. One is the clarity of the spatial sequence, the degree to which courtyards and gardens build rooms and thresholds as a coherent sequence. The second is that its really rare that we get a design team that isnt thinking about the building on one drawing and the landscape on another drawing. We just dont get this kind of collaboration.

The coherence Meyer speaks of within the museums gardens and exhibitions was achieved in numerous ways including a thick grove of understory trees that represent a mix of species and serve as the principal image and identity of the revitalized museum. Architectural elements, including path-flanking backdrop walls and charred wood posts and trellises that filter light and shape a sense of enclosure, will be restrained and practical as to not detract from the art forms on display.

Its about deferring to the power of the bonsai and penjing, Trey Trahan, founding principal of Trahan Architects, said. The architectural expression is subtlecomposed of elemental components that respond to the unique environmental conditions of the site. We wanted the visitor to embark upon a journey that created a sense of mystery, where the boundaries between the landscape and the architecture are blurred, inviting people to reflect upon these unique cultural artifacts within a lush garden setting.

While the U.S. National Arboretum resumed normal, pre-COVID public hours in mid-September, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum as well as the arboretums welcome center and administrative building remain closed due to the pandemic.

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Reed Hilderbrand and Trahan Architects reveal their vision for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, DC - The Architect's Newspaper

Following the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., businesses, restaurants and public spaces have had to adapt their existing layouts in order to comply with safety guidelines. Moving forward, architects and designers might have to incorporate what theyve learned so far from the pandemic into planning spaces for the future.

Julia Barksdale, a fifth-year architecture major and co-director of the Northeastern chapter of Freedom by Design, said that some businesses face greater challenges than others when working with their existing spaces.

Places like restaurants and even some office spaces are able to adapt pretty quickly because theyre already segmented in a way I think the biggest struggles right now are the spaces like community centers, libraries or even museums, where their main purpose is just to be one large shared space, and thats just not possible right now, safety-wise, Barksdale said. Its going to feel empty, its going to feel huge.

Barksdale is currently on co-op at Utile, a Boston-based architecture and design firm. She said the firm has dealt with disruptions to some of their projects, even those that were ready to move forward prior to the pandemic.

Some projects that were ready to go are now undergoing an additional chapter of design, Barksdale said. Its definitely an edit that we have to make to the design of spaces, so we are seeing that in real time now. Its hard to predict whats going to be going and whats not.

Architecture students are also starting to see some of these changes brought into their classes as they strive to create flexible designs that can be adapted to purposes beyond what the architect originally intended.

Going through the steps of scenario planning, as we did in one of our studios, thinking what if this has to turn into a school? Or what if this has to turn into apartments, or an office building or a health clinic? said Ana Leopold, a fifth-year architecture major. Then [we designed] the structure around that to allow taking out walls in the middle, rebuilding them or having an open space.

Despite some acknowledgment of COVID-19 in their courses, architecture students find that spatial versatility and planning for the future are already integrated into their education. As far as coursework, I dont really expect a huge shift. I think its just going to be more of the focus on flexibility, which is something weve already been trained to start thinking about, Barksdale said.

Teaching architecture during this pandemic involves asking students and colleagues to look at the bigger picture and reflect on the way spaces and buildings influence issues of inequity in society.

Theres a lot of conversation about how to be not just reactive to this moment, but how to be proactive. How can we think about our cities and buildings as just and equitable places? said Amanda Reeser Lawrence, graduate program coordinator and associate professor in the School of Architecture at Northeastern. I think its important that this isnt just how to make air flow adequate We have the tools, we can do that as architects. What is more important is that we ask bigger questions about how to create designs that are inclusive, and I think this is something that the pandemic has really brought to the forefront.

Concerns over the safety and importance of cities have also been introduced as people are able to work from home instead of worrying about the risks of close proximity when living and working in urban areas.

We really see architects and the profession of architecture more generally asking how we can make not just our buildings but our cities safer. One of the big conversations that is happening is about the value of cities in general. I think because theres an anxiety around density right now, theres some related apprehension about urban living and talk of people leaving the city, Lawrence said. I really believe in the city. I think theres so many positive things that the city offers, but as architects, this is really asking us to articulate what that value is.

Leopold has already started to consider how to approach the issues with housing in cities, particularly as some struggle with evictions or not being able to pay rent.

With the amount of people that are homeless, and the people that are getting evicted or cant pay rent, [the pandemic] is just emphasizing the importance of that. I hope that it leads to new [housing] typologies and more creativity for developing that, Leopold said. But I think honestly, on a more psychological, human side, people are going to be scared about being in public spaces for a while so I think there will be lasting impacts on how people move through public space after this.

While architects mostly see the ramifications of the pandemic in public spaces, its possible that home design will start to reflect some of the lifestyle changes brought on by the blending of home and work spaces. Even those categories your home and your workplace are attached to physical spaces that historically have been thought of as distinct, Lawrence said.

Barksdale didnt anticipate many adjustments to home design, but said that integrating a workspace or more ergonomic furniture into the home may become more common in the future. I think the biggest change were going to see is a more established home office, or a place where people can find comfort working from home, she said.

When considering lasting changes to design, architects have found themselves addressing the immediate issues created by the pandemic while also aiming for long-term flexibility.

We see architecture firms responding to immediate issues so, for example, making schools, workplaces or hospitals safer, and helping to establish social distancing measures through spatial or architectural tools, Lawrence said.

In the long run, Leopold believes that the pandemic will affect architecture, though she expects the need for flexibility to outlast the changes that come directly from COVID-19 safety measures.

I would say theres going to be a lasting impact on architecture, but I dont think were going to see the same attention to circulation, how many people can fit in a space and ensuring proper ventilation to the same extent, she said. I think in the future were going to be designing around public space in a different way.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the new focus on spatial planning is whether or not these changes are here to stay. The future of cities is uncertain, as urban living may either become more inclusive or people may be left feeling unsafe and disadvantaged.

Buildings outlive generations, so its difficult to say that an entire industry has to start permanently building for a distanced life, Barksdale said. We should just be focused on the design of flexibility, letting pieces be movable and allowing space for distancing.

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In addressing COVID concerns, architects are finding lasting changes to design - The Huntington News

Terry Coyne, the vice chairman of Newmark, is taking an attention-getting run on getting a footholdin the Columbus industrial market.

To that end, Derek Lichtfuss, a director in Newmark's Columbus office, has jumped to the industrial market from the office market and to Coyne's team, which now numbers seven, including both producers and support personnel.

Coyne said Lichtfuss approached him about making the move, but he had already wanted to boost his presence in the state capital.

"He's a very talented guy who wanted to leave the office market, which is slow, for the industrial business, which is strong across the country, especially in Columbus," Coyne said in a phone interview. "The attraction for me is that Columbus is a national distribution market with lots of opportunity, national developers and growth. It's a national hub, while Cleveland is a regional distribution and manufacturing center."

Coyne adds that he doesn't plan on reducing his efforts in Northeast Ohio.

Typical for Coyne who markets heavily with TV, online advertising, social networking and billboards he's taking a sharp digital tactic to boost his downstate presence. Coyne's team is producing an email and online "bulk industrial report" for Columbus that summarizes the number of projects and square feet going up or getting leased.

The imagery on the link goes to a digital map on Google Earth with details, pictures and even drone videos of various projects throughout the region. Coyne said he plans to introduce a similar graphic to Northeast Ohio soon as an addition to his weekly Coyne Report email.

Asked if he's venturing into the communications business as well as commercial real estate, Coyne said, "Yes, I am becoming the information provider" rather than being filtered by an independent publication.

Link:
Dimit Architects adds out-of-town office - Crain's Cleveland Business

Dubais breakneck development over the last three decades has been a race toward the superlative. The worlds tallest building, the largest indoor ski slope, the worlds largest mall. As it has become one of the wealthiest cities in the world, Dubai has been a playground for many things, not least of all for architecture, much of which was made possible by ground-breaking engineering and design achievements. The citys first Architecture Festival is exploring what the crop of young and emerging architects in the region are concerning themselves within that context.

The Royal Institute of British Architects Gulf Chapter mounted the festival in partnership with its landlords, the Dubai Design District or d3, a commercial development and creative hub that has drawn some of the most important design and architecture firms in the region. Dubai Design Week is also hosted by d3, at the edge of which this year lies the inaugural Architecture Festival until the annual event gains enough momentum to spin off on its own, said a d3 spokesperson.

Architects have the skills to craft beautiful spaces that can be sustainable and innovative as Gulf countries look forward to how the future could be, said RIBA Gulf Chapter Chair Andy Shaw.

If the future could be a reflection of the regions residents, it will need to have a lot of different looks, particularly in Dubai, where more than 80 percent of residents are expats. Indeed, the festival is working under the theme Identity, Context and Placemaking in the Gulf. While these conversations have never been more a part of the discourse in creative fields, watching them take place in a metropolis known for redrawing the borders of excess is engrossing.

On the heels of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial earlier this year in the eponymous neighboring Emirate, Dubai will have, for the first time, a formalized platform to communicate what we may be able to expect from emerging architects in the region.

Juan Roldan, associate professor in the College of Architecture, Art & Design at the American University of Sharjah and the festivals curator, sees a shift away from the iconic buildings the region is known for: The festival depicts a very interesting ecosystem of medium, and even very small-scale buildings that are dealing in a very sensitive manner with the heritage and also with the landscape of the region. Which is something that has been neglected just to benefit this vision of the urban as a vision for the future.

Over the last ten years, he said, a new architectural moment has emerged in the region. High-quality work with a deeper understanding of the Gulfs historical context has become part of the regions cultural and social fabric. Out of the 150 entries received for the festivals open call, the jury of eight practitioners narrowed the final show list to 40 emerging architects, established firms, and students whose work is in some cases completed, in others theoretical.

We wanted to really vindicate this new system of elements we are seeing and examine how schools of architecture look critically at what has happened in the past, in terms of heritage and new architecture, in terms of built environment in general, and appreciation of the landscape, Roldan told me in a Zoom meeting. There is a clear intention in this exhibition, he added, to analyze who the stakeholders are and the conditions that have supported its emergence. I think we are witnessing a shift in the approach to architectural design that has to do with the maturity of a generation of local architects in their 30s and 40s who have been trained here in the UAE, and in foreign architects who I believe have a deeper understanding and sensitivity to the heritage and the culture and the landscape.

Some of these projects react to the desert or to certain heritage areas using a much smaller scale than has been typical of the region. Some of them deal with very basic questions of sustainability using thicker walls, less glass, a smaller carbon footprint.

OMAs Concrete, a multidisciplinary art space, is featured for its minimal approach with a volumetric presence thats completely in tune with the boxy structures that make up the rest of Alserkal Avenues warehouse-cum-arts-district. Similarly, the Sharjah Art Foundation complex reinterprets Sharjahs urban tissue, injecting art spaces into the old neglected courtyard houses that are icons of the emirate. With an awareness of the land itself, Wasit Wetland Center by X-architects harmonizes unconditionally with the surrounding landscape, becoming an amalgam of animal and human habitat.

Mariama M.M. Kah, a student at the American University of Sharjah, submitted an urban mosque concept. A simple open peaked structure, big enough for one person to comfortably worship in is replicated in several series, recalling the minarets of classical Islamic architecture and creating a larger space by grouping smaller spaces together, giving physical form to the doctrine of religious observance as both a personal and communal act. Al Faya Lodge Desert Retreat and Spa by Anarchitect, completed earlier this year north of Dubai, repurposes a clinic and grocery store into a contemporary boutique lodge and spa. The site-responsive project considers desert conditions and exposure to the elements with locally sourced stone and concrete, a heavy thermal mass to mitigate extreme temperature fluctuations, and contextual materials like Corten steel referencing the historical presence of iron in the region.

Creating a festival to celebrate the diversity of architecture in the region, a spokesman for the Dubai Architecture Festival said, is important if we want to steer the industry towards a more sustainable future. A conversation series as part of the festival will invite architects and the public, but also clients I wanted to be sure to have clients who can tell us their story about why they are choosing a young architect or an emerging practice to do these buildings here, said Roldan. We want to make connections with entities, both public and private, who are really believing in and pushing for architecture that adds value for the economy, society, and the built environment.

He attributed this new sensitivity in younger generations to place and identity in the emerging architecture scene to younger clients who want to see that become part of contemporary architecture, and to the 2008 financial crisis, which got people thinking about how to do more with less, and to do it with imagination. The market is saturated with these older models responsible for our iconic buildings. The examples in the festival are a good look at how architecture is working in the region.

Though its run is only three days, the Architecture Festival suggests an ambition. It can sometimes be difficult to get people to talk about architecture and design, but Roldan seems to believe public perception is changing, and the impact design can have on our urban experience is becoming more appreciated. The exhibition shows a greater awareness of how people live in cities and that government entities may be more willing to adapt construction practices and the urban landscape to make it more specific to users.

I think people will be able to see a trend in these last few years and how it will be moving into the future, and I think we are able to give a good example of how that care for the details can spread throughout the urban realm.

The Dubai Architecture Festival runs November 11 through 13 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

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The first Dubai Architecture Festival reflects on emerging dialogues in the region - The Architect's Newspaper

Two Houses on the Mont Vully / jomini & zimmermann architects

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Text description provided by the architects. As a contribution to the climate debate, the two houses on the Mont Vully were built with the natural and low-emission materials timber and loam. The client and the architects wanted to create rooms with a good atmosphere and a good indoor climate.

All the interior walls are made of adobe bricks, the pillars and ceilings are in massive timber, the floor is of loam and casein. Instead of plaster only loam rendering with earth colors and without color pigments were used.

We think architects and planners should break new ground, time is ready for a Terrestric Architecture: Terrestric Architecture engenders spaces, buildings, settlements, and cities that fulfill the physiological, social, and cultural needs of its users and considers the needs of the fellow human beings and the environment and the long-term habitability of the Earth.

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Two Houses on the Mont Vully / jomini & zimmermann architects - ArchDaily

One of the greatest gifts an architect can be given is a blank canvas. But imagine that beneath the clean slate lies deep roots that were planted by former slaves who settled in the neighborhood after the Civil War, historic walls touched by visionaries like automobile pioneer Henry Ford and cotton gin manufacturer Robert S. Munger, and a soul intertwined with iconic musicians and artists. That was the opportunity the Dallas studio of global architecture firm Perkins and Will was given when it was tapped to design The Epic, a mixed-use development from Westdale Real Estate and KDC in historic Deep Ellum.

Considered a game-changer for the neighborhood on the eastern edge of downtown Dallas, the project has already secured a huge office lease from Ubernot bad for an area that had been predominantly known for its quirky shops and active nightlife.

The Epic consists of a 251,000-square-foot office building (Epic I) and The Pittman Hotel, both of which were designed by Perkins and Will, and a 26-story apartment tower, developed by Westdale and Streetlights Residential and designed by LRK. Perkins and Will also designed the Epic II, which will house Uber. The company is subleasing out some of its temporary space as it battles through the pandemic but still plans to occupy the 25-story Epic II and two floors in Epic I.

The Richards GroupWhen Stan Richards approached the firm to design his advertising agencys global headquarters, he made it clear that his goal was to preserve and enhance the companys egalitarian culture. It was achieved with a transparent, open office. Elevators were shifted to the side, allowing a soaring atrium to be at the buildings heart.

Hope LodgeDesigned to be a home away from home for cancer patients and an office for the American Cancer Society, Perkins and Will used natural and healthy materials to create a warm, inviting, and non-toxic environment.

Baylor Scott & White HealthThe 300,000-square-foot, $70 million administrative office is being built by KDC on the eastern edge of Deep Ellum. The design incorporates light monitors and light wells within the roof to bring natural light into the buildings core areas.

Ron Stelmarski, design director at Perkins and Will, says the process began by asking: How do you pose this much square footage onto a space without undermining the integrity of whats already there?

In most urban centers, developers will take a prime piece of real estate and build right in the center of it, he explains. Those behind The Epic wanted to create density around the edges to preserve the neighborhoods center.

But I see this project as a real fulcrum, Stelmarksi says. It is showing that you can do both. Its a hinge between connecting to the broader sense of the city. Many master-planned developments become all about the edges, and [developers] like people to walk around it but not through it. This one is very permeable, and I think thats something that hopefully can be learned from.

Ron Stelmarski, design director at Perkins and Will

Stelmarski, who moved to Dallas in 2001 after spending about a decade at Perkins and Wills Chicago office, says being somewhat of an outsider allowed him to look at Deep Ellum with fresh eyes.

He immediately latched onto the idea that The Epic could mend back together what had been bisected in the neighborhood over the years.

We used this almost scientific understanding that place keeps things woven together, he says.

For example, 80-foot-wide cuts were made through Epic I to allow for sightlines from the DART line through the development to Elm Street, where the historic Knights of Pythias Temple was recently redeveloped into The Pittman Hotel, which carries a Kimpton flag.

The structure was seen as a jewel, says Kristin Winters, senior architect at Perkins and Will.

It offered us the opportunity to not have to tear down any of the existing fabric, she says. We were able to preserve whats great about Deep Ellum and build around the edges.

Originally designed in 1916 by prominent Black architect and son-in-law of Booker T. Washington, William S. Pittman, the hotel serves as a hinge point that links the older one- and two-story buildings along Elm Street and the 16-story glass Epic I.

Standing Tall The 16-story Epic I serves as a gateway to Deep Ellum from downtown Dallas.

Courtesy of Perkins and Will

Although most structures in Deep Ellum were built of load-bearing masonry, the Pythias Temple is supported by steel, with wood construction as a backupjust like Epic I.

Kristin Winters, senior architect at Perkins and Will.

Its part of the lineage of taking advantage of whats been there, which was always a sense of straightforwardness, and that was the beauty of it, Stelmarski says.

Perkins and Will highlighted Epic I by lining the building blocks undersides with lights, using softer colors on the towers fins to evoke depth and movement and low-reflective glass to keep it transparent.

Epic II, which is still under construction, will continue the districts evolution and blend in more with buildings in the central business district.

At Epic I, it was shifting and moving to create a scale relationship between Deep Ellum and downtown, Stelmarski says. Epic II, because it is much taller, is carved and shaped so that when youre standing down by the hotel and looking through the slot between the residential and Epic I, youll still see the downtown skyline. We always wanted you to get a sense that you were in the city.

Although Stelmarski couldnt reveal specifics about whats next, he did hint at potential plans. We have this really interesting map we made. If you take the [DART] Green Line from our office, which is the beautiful Dallas High School on Bryan Street, right next door is Bryan Tower, which will be workforce housing. If you keep taking the train, you will arrive at The Epic, pass Hope Lodge, go by the Baylor Administration Center, and then arrive at Fair Park. For us, were seeing a whole range of project types that are influencing this part of town.

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Meet The Dallas Architects Behind A Reimagined Deep Ellum - D Magazine

The National Native American Veterans Memorial was officially unveiled to the public today on the grounds of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C. It is the first national landmark in the United States capital to pay tribute to the countless American Indians, Alaska Natives, and native Hawaiians who have served in the U.S. military throughout the decades.

Unlike the museum itself, which reopened on September 25 and is admitting guests via a timed-entry pass system during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Mall-adjacent memorial, which was commissioned by Congress to give all Americans the opportunity to learn of the proud and courageous tradition of service of Native Americans in the Armed Forces of the United States, is publicly accessible 24 hours a day with no advance ticketing required.

Taking the form of a large stainless-steel circle atop a low-slung carved stone drum, the memorial was designed by Harvey Pratt, a multimedia artist, Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, and member of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribes of Oklahoma. Based in Oklahoma, Pratt is also a nationally renowned retired forensic artist whose expertise has been tapped for a number of headline-grabbing murder cases (and Bigfoot research).

Oklahoma City-based Butzer Architects and Urbanism served as design partner alongside Pratt on the project, which has been in the works since 2015 following the establishment of a memorial advisory committee formed by the museum alongside the National Congress of American Indians and other Native organizations. Following 35 input-seeking community consultation sessions held across the country, an international design competition was hosted by the museum in 2017. Pratts memorial proposal, Warriors Circle of Honor, was ultimately selected from a shortlist of six concepts the following year by the competition jury.

Encircled by benches for a contemplative congregation and quiet respite, Pratts design also incorporates a water element that flows continuously from the drum for ceremonial purposes. Small fires can also be lit at the base of the circle for ceremonies. The memorial is approachable from four different directions via a walkway dubbed the Path of Harmony, which itself is accessible via a larger walkway, the Path of Life, that curves around a tranquil, tree-studded landscape just east of the museum building. The circular site also features a quartet of spears where family members, fellow veterans, and tribal leaders can affix prayer ties. An audio component with a loop of thirteen Native American veteran songs from the Ojibwe, Menominee, Blackfeet, Ho-Chunk, Kiowa, and Lakota Nations can be heard playing at the memorial.

The memorials opening was marked by a virtual message shared on the NMAI website and Youtube channel honoring the sacrifice of Native American veterans and their families. An in-person dedication ceremony as well as a veterans procession will be held at a later date.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial will serve as a reminder to the nation and the world of the service and sacrifice of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian veterans, said Kevin Gover, director of the NMAI, in a statement shared by the Smithsonian. Native Americans have always answered the call to serve, and this memorial is a fitting tribute to their patriotism and deep commitment to this country.

Coinciding with the opening of the memorial, the NMAI has published Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces. The 240-page tome explores the Native American communitys long and rich history of service. Designed by Seattle-based Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects along with SmithGroup, Polshek Partnership Architects, Lou Weller (Caddo), the Native American Design Collaborative, and a number of Native American design consultants, the NMAI opened in 2004 in a five-story curvilinear building resembling a wind-worn rock formation.

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National Native American Veterans Memorial opens on the National Mall - The Architect's Newspaper

Bayou Blue Retreat House, ThibodeauxCATEGORY: Residential

The owners primary desire for this retreat house was to have a secondary residence where the family could withdraw from their everyday life in an informal, relaxed setting with the potential to downsize from their current primary residence during their retirement years.

The project site is within a very rural area of bayou country, deep into south Louisiana. Lushly grown tree canopies and natural waterways are commonplace. The climate is hot and humid for most of the year.

The owners also live a very private lifestyle. As such, the design challenge was to take advantage of the beautiful natural setting while maintaining a high level of privacy. Additionally, several passive and active strategies were deployed to mitigate and manage the difficulties of the south Louisiana climate with a goal of achieving net-zero.

This retreat house is located on an approximately 3.75-acre site adjacent to a waterway that ties into nearby Bayou Blue in south Louisianas Bayou Country.The landscaped entry courtyard serves as a quiet buffer from the outside world. A simple pallet of landscape and ground textures surrounded by a 6-foot-high western red cedar enclosure creates a microclimate that is different from the exterior approach just off the highway.

The house is divided into two programmatic pods that contain the private and public functions of the house. The two are connected by a central foyer and screened-in porch that aligns with an axial view to the rear of the property. The public pod is comprised of one large open space that contains the kitchen, dining, and living areas. The private pod contains the bedrooms and other private support spaces for the home. The garage anchors it.

The aesthetic of the house is one of modern, clean, and simple design. The limited material palette on the exterior, comprised of fiber cement siding and panels, western red cedar, and standing seam metal panels, along with the roof forms, creates a contemporary look while responding to the regional south Louisiana vernacular and climate.The interior of the home continues the modern aesthetic through a minimal palette of finishes that is contrasted and enhanced by the wood tones of the contemporary millwork and furniture.

Read about the rest of the 2020 AIABR Rose Award winners.

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Rose Award: Holly and Smith Architects - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report