This photo shows the software in use; although this shot was taken in an office, many architects are currently working from home. Courtesy of Spacemaker

The coronavirus outbreak isnt halting some architects from plunging ahead on early-stage design concepts. In fact, Norwegian company Spacemaker has seen an increase in the use of its software since lockdown took place in European countries. Find out how its AI-based software is not only a solution in times of crisis but for the future of design.

Many countries in Europe are currently mandating either semi or total lockdown, forcing citizens to remain at home. Before the outbreak, certain companies were already allowing employees to work from home but many companies were still resisting the home-office trendexcluding industries in which it is impossible. Now, companies who can enable home-office are finding its the only way to maintain progress.

Were undergoing an interesting time in history, where Artificial Intelligence and Robotics are pulling through as essential tools. As many professionals are homebound, its the perfect time for Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has already taken over a number of industries and disciplines, to spread faster in the field of Architecture.

Although the use of AI in architecture is still in its infancy, a few companies are providing AI-tech solutions for project design.

Spacemaker, for example, has developed a game-changing AI technology that helps users discover smarter ways to maximize the potential of a building site. Users can generate and explore a multitude of site proposals for which the software provides a detailed analysis. The software is also a platform for collaborative workflow among architects, engineers, real estate developers and municipalities.

We developed a self-service software for our subscribers. The users are expertsthe architects, urban planners, engineers, already working on urban projects. AI will never replace these experts, only help them complete their tasks quicker, Spacemaker CEO and cofounder Havard Haukeland told ArchiExpo e-Magazine in an interview via video conference.

As most mistakes occur during the early stages of building design, only to be realized six months down the line or during construction, the software focuses on that phase. The original version relied perhaps too much on AI technology, according to Haukeland; users would plug in the details of their needs and the software would provide smart proposals, making it less flexible for the creative mind of an architect.

Architecture and the exploration of design is about collaboration and using intuition, which cannot be handled mathematically. For our second version of the tool, we decided to combine architecture intuition and artificial intelligence. AI becomes a proactive support without running the show, so to speak.

The first version had only been available for six months when the team at Spacemaker expanded the product, doubling the amount of code in eight weeks to combine data automation with AI-driven design, real-time analysis and a collaboration platform. The software is also made compatible with other drawing tools such as ArchiCad and Rhino.

[When we published our second version], we really saw a major increase of use. Weve also found that users tend to start with our software first, then move to drawing software because [ours] is more specific and its easier to set up a sitethe software can generate a 3D model in several minutes.

Were still at the beginning of the journey, according to Haukeland. Riding the AI wave in all its excitement is precisely the moment to take caution. We can get too distracted by the amazement of AI, he said.

We need to put importance on the customer value of technology instead of saying AI should be used for everything. If we dedicate our work to the opportunities of AI, we might miss the real objective: helping people.

Our software will continue to evolve but we will focus on the end users needs.

At the current moment, the Spacemaker software is a hybrid AI systemusing AI to manage workflow and generate faster results while maintaining human intuition. The company plans on building new products in the future to be more dedicated to the value chain and mix-use projects such as offices, hospitals and schools. At this time, its software is mostly used for residential projects often located in urban settings. Architects and urban planners are the main user types, exploring design options the software generates that meet city requirements and client needs, such as avoiding noise pollution from traffic.

Architecture professionals embracing AI software are several steps ahead of those who dont, according to Haukeland.

Our belief here at Spacemaker and what our customers tell us is that once youve seen the opportunities of AI and other technologies, like the Cloud, but the architects who use AI will surely replace the architects who dont. AI will never replace the architect. Those who embrace will get a step ahead of those who dont.

Read a similar interview we published recently: AI Software by Habx Generates Personalized 7-minute Floor Plans. Both Habx and Spacemaker are a part of the Intelligence Artificielle et Architecture exhibition in Paris, currently closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The video below is in French only.

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Interview. Homebound Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak, Architects Use AI Software to Progress - ArchiExpo e-Magazine

Steel stilts elevate Narula House, a British dwelling on banks of a River Thames tributary that has been designed by John Pardey Architects to endure flooding.

The wood-clad Narula House is intended to evoke an abstract object beside the river Loddon near Wargrave, which is identified as a flood zone.

John Pardey Architects (JPA) completed the house for a client who wanted a striking property that overlooked the river and offered plenty of space to entertain guests.

It is raised on stilts to keep the house and its services well above predicted flood levels, while allowing the clients to "enjoy life as if on a cruise liner" during times of flooding.

"The client had been dreaming for some time of building their own 'wow' house, a comfortable modern home to enjoy as a couple and a great place for entertaining large gatherings of family and friends both inside and outside," JPA's Chris Gray told Dezeen.

"The new house and all servicing has been raised well above predicted flood levels which allows the client to embrace flooding as part of the life on the river," Gray continued.

"During the days floating above the flood water, they enjoy life as if on a cruise liner!"

Narula House is the third dwelling completed by JPA along the banks of the Loddon, and so it was familiar with the challenges and demands that came with building in the flood zone.

According to the studio, the potential flood depth for the site is recorded as 1.17 metres so the dwelling is positioned 2.2 metres above ground to accommodate the potential threat of increased water levels caused by climate change.

"It is very much a response to this particular site and client brief, however many aspects of the design would be familiar to anyone looking to build in a flood zone," said Gray.

"The basic approach is for the house to sit lightly on the ground, keep the house and services well above predicted flood levels and allow the free-flow of floodwater across the site."

Narula House has a slender steel framed structure that is raised on piled foundations. Its site has been landscaped to allow the free flow of floodwater across it.

It is distinguished by a single, linear form that aligns with the north and south cardinal points contrasting with the meandering river over which it looks.

"The logical placement of the house might have been to align it with the river's edge, so it would face south-east however we chose to align it so as to play off the diagonal path of the river with accommodation facing south," said JPA.

"The rectilinear house aligned with the cardinal axes counterpoints the meandering river beautifully, reinforcing both."

Narula House's materiality was intended to evoke an abstract object hovering above the meadow, and features sweet chestnut cladding with a translucent preservative coating that offers a light, white finish.

This is teamed with fibre cement panel infills around its glazed areas, and an earthy grey brick chimney structure that extends up from a ground level barbecue area.

The dwelling is accessed by an open tread staircase, which leads onto an entrance deck with a sheltered front door made from natural iroko wood.

This opens into a generous lobby area and central courtyard, which features a second staircase down to the grassy riverbank.

On the westside of the courtyard is a large open-plan living space, which has unbroken views of the river.

It is enveloped by a balcony sheltered by an overhanging roof, which JPA designed to offer solar shading.

The same roof overhangs the east side of the house, which contains the residence's private living spaces.

Branching off a linear hallway that runs the length of the house, these private living spaces include a study, utility room, cloakroom, and three ensuite bedrooms.

Throughout the home, the interiors feature deliberately simple, light finishes to help create the feeling of openness.

They are lined with timber flooring and decorated with the client's own furnishings including many 20th century design classics in a bid to create a "wonderful autobiographical feel".

Narula House is complete with an annexe for guests accessed from the home's main entrance via a glass-lined corridor.

The annexe takes the form of a freestanding pavilion and has a lift for access.

JPA is a Lymington-based architecture studio founded in 2000 by John Pardey.

In December 2019, Narula House's site flooded after a period of extreme rainfall that raised the water table significantly. This was captured in a photo by the client.

Other recent projects on Dezeen that are designed to endure flooding includes Bates Masi's Kiht'han house on Long Island, which is lifted above the ground and features lower-level screens to let water pass underneath.

Photography is by James Morris and drone footage is by Electric Blue.

Go here to see the original:
Narula House raised on stilts over River Thames flood zone - Dezeen

Mario Cucinella, Grimshaw, Archi-Tectonics, WORKac, Ennead, FXCollaborative, Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, SHoP Architects, Behnisch Architekten, 3XN Architects, GCA architecture: these are the 12 architectural studios featured in The Architect Series, the event format SpazioFMGperl'Architettura has been offering to the public since the spring of 2018.At this suspended time, when the rhythms of our working day have changed and the populations of countries all over Europe and the world are living under lockdown, web portals and corporate web sites have been making their content archives available to the general public via streaming, and online entertainment has become a valid way for people to enjoy interesting and educational content in their free time. SpazioFMGperl'Architettura offers users of the Floornature portal the complete series of 12 events in The Architect Series, the exhibition format created by The Plan magazine for the gallery and showroom of Iris Ceramica and FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti, top brands in the Iris Ceramica Group. While waiting for the thirteenth event in the series, cancelled in compliance with the Italian regulations for containment of the covid-19 virus, everyone can take a peek behind the scenes of selected well-known architectural practices through the documentary films in the series. Each episode is a double event, as video interviews conducted by The Plan in SpazioFMG per l'Architettura during meetings with the architects and extracts of their lectures in Milan are now also available online.

The series began with a look at an important Italian architect, Mario Cucinella, and his studio MC A. The event offered the audience at SpazioFMG per l'Architettura a sneak preview of the exhibition Archipelago Italia for the Italian Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, as well as introducing the theme of sustainability and the work of SOS - School of Sustainability.Sustainability is the cross-cutting key concept also present in other architectural studios projects, from the Sustainability Pavilion for Expo Dubai 2020 by Grimshaw and presented by Andrew Whalley, the studios Deputy Chairman, to the digital crafting and innovative approach of Winka Dubbeldam, the architect of Dutch origin who founded Archi-Tectonics. As well as the work of architects Amale Andraos and Dan Wood, founders of WorkAC, through integration of functions combining architecture, landscape and ecological systems. Complete, sustainable projects made possible by the discussion, collaboration and cooperation underlying major international studios and collectives such as Ennead, presented by founding Design Partner Tomas Rossant; FXCollaborative, presented in SpazioFMG by senior partner Dan Kaplan; SHoP Architects with co-founder Corie Sharples, Behnisch Architekten with Stefan Behnisch and 3XN Architects with founder Kim Herforth Nielsen. Multidisciplinarity and research are the key themes of the presentation by architects Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi of WEISS/MANFREDI, Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, founded in New York in 1989, and Kai-Uwe Bergmann, partner in BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group. The last episode in the series before this obligatory break, only recently made available online, is a documentary film focusing on GCA architecture, presented by its founder Josep Juanpere with Andrea Navarro and Juan Velasco (associate members).br />(Agnese Bifulco)

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All the events in SpazioFMG's The Architect Series now available via streaming - Floornature.com

Nathan Kipnis was recently the national co-chair of an effort to achieve carbon-neutral construction by the end of the decade.

Editors note: This article has been updated throughout for clarity.

More than a decade ago, the American Institute of Architects in Chicago challenged members to make a commitment to achieving carbon-neutral building construction by 2030. The campaign has since gone national, with hundreds of firms signing on and helping to prevent more than 17 million metric tons of carbon emissions in 2018 alone, according to its most recent annual report.

Nathan Kipnis, FAIA, an architect in Evanston, Illinois, has been involved with the AIAs 2030 Commitment since the programs outset. Kipnis had served as the national co-chair in 2018 and 2019. He recently spoke with the Energy News Network about the campaigns progress and the challenges it faces as members seek higher efficiency levels.

The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

A: When we first started we thought getting to 50% more efficient (than a 2003 baseline) was very difficult. Now every part of a house has gotten to the point where you can pick up a 70% reduction from heating, cooling, refrigeration, and lighting. With 80%, it gets very difficult. Moving forward, 90% and 100% is going to be [very challenging].

A: When we talk about something thats better, it tends to cost more. Theres four things that tend to make an increase in cost in high-performance homes. Thats the mechanical system, the electrical system, the insulation, and the windows. Everything else is pretty much the same.

A: You want to look at the home as a system and not just individual parts. When people replace their windows in their 1950s home, [that is great]. They could put windows that are twice as efficient but if they have the same insulation, the heat goes right around them. You need to also be thinking about your insulation. And you do that before you paint the interior of the house or youre never going to do it, because then youve just painted the walls, youre gonna wait 15 years. [Then when your mechanical needs to be replaced, hopefully you can replace it with an all-electric system, like an air source heat pump]. At the same time, you want to add a smart control system. Now that youve made the house really tight, you need outside ventilation brought in a controlled fashion. And thats generally an air-to-air heat exchanger. So those are the things you need to do all at once, or at least logically planned out.

A: When you get new appliances like an electric induction cooktop, this may mean that you need to upgrade your electric service coming into the house. Some people might have 100 amps and might need 200. Some people have 200 and might need 400.

Most of our clients have electric cars now. On any project we wire for electric car charging, solar panels, and for battery backup systems. A backup battery takes significant room in a mechanical room; generally four or five feet of wall space. And then in the garage, just getting the conduit there from your circuit box. I would say in the last seven or eight years, every garage, weve done that capability.

A: Right. It tended to be that the people that could make a really efficient building didnt know anything about design. And people that were really smart on design didnt want to get bogged down in the technical aspects of high efficiency. One of the things we really thrive on and have always done is what we call High Design, Low Carbon, which is actually trademarked.

A: Your options get very limited, but it doesnt mean that it cant work at affordable housing levels.

A: Buildings last a very long time and the climate is going to change enough to impact how we layout and design a home. Ive seen studies that show every 10 years that (the climate zone for) Illinois is dropping 400 miles south. In three or four or five decades, were going to have the same climate that Texas currently has. And the houses and buildings need to respond to that.

Original post:
Q&A: Illinois architect on the growing challenges of maximizing efficiency - Energy News Network

27th World Congress of Architects - UIA2020RIO is Postponed to July 2021

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Following the recommendations of public authorities and the WHO general guidelines towards the COVID-19 pandemic, The International Union of Architects, UIA, the Institute of Architects of Brazil, IAB and the Executive Committee UIA2020RIO have decided to postpone the 27th World Congress of Architects to July 2021. The announcement echoes several other events related to architecture that had to be postponed, including the Venice Biennale and the Salone del Mobile.

According to the organizers, registration fees will be automatically applied to the new Congress dates. In addition, the lectures and projects accepted for this year's Congress willstill to apply to the new program in 2021.

The UIA2020RIO will take place between the 18th and 22nd July 2021.

Excerpt from:
27th World Congress of Architects - UIA2020RIO is Postponed to July 2021 - ArchDaily

As the new coronavirus continues to spread, cities and countries around the globe have ordered citizens to retreat to their homesand stay there. As we shelter in place, the rooms where we once spent few waking hours now encapsulate our entire existenceand this short-term recalibration may have long-term effects. We spoke with eight architects and designers to find out what the COVID-19 pandemic means for the future of home designread on for their thoughts, and check back as we update this story.

Smith House by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple has always questioned consumption, and in a way all of this is reinforcing business as usual for us and our work. Were interested in economy as a democratic ideahouses should be economically accessible. Its the same way Frank Lloyd Wright thought about his Usonian homes, and how Ferdinand Porsche thought about the Volkswagen.

People think sustainability is a new thing, but traditional cultures have always operated this wayin terms of economy. Economy is what you do when you cant afford to get it wrong. Thats how we look at vernaculars. As architects were in the aesthetics business, and economy is universally an aesthetic idea. Were doing more with less. Its "frugal chic."

Maybe the pandemic is underlying whats always been important, and weve become decadent and forgot. Its about connecting interiors to outer landscapes. Its about the idea of prospect and refuge. We need that in our dwellings and always did, but especially now. We need that sense of looking out at the landscape and into the future.

I also want to mention urbanity. Weve gone a long ways away from making good communities. When you design a dwelling, its about privacy and community at the same time, which is what weve been focused on. Were making villages where homes feel private but also give a sense of community, like what were doing in Shobac. Its essential to have eyes out on the world, because you want to see whats coming. Thats a basic human comfort. Its timeless and universal. Im not a fashion guy, Im more interested in elegance and timeless principals. The crisis is making us rediscover that essence.

Off-Grid Guesthouse by Anacapa Architecture

Like millions of others, everyone in my company is now working from home. Video calls from home give us a very intimate window into each others lives. We see kids in the background bouncing on the couch, dogs barking, people in their pajamas, significant others...its been a bonding experience. Almost everyone has been loving it, and most of us have said that we feel more productive due to fewer interruptions than normally happen in our open-office environment.

However, this level of total isolation is extreme. We need to be around each otherwe need to draw together on paper, build models, walk to the coffee shop, print things, throw things, look at books, hug people, and do normal human things. When this ends, we will recalibrate, but it wont go back to the way it was before.

This experiment, especially if it lasts a long time, is going to completely redefine our ability to work from home. Companies, including us, are being forced to learn how to accommodate this, and we will find the silver lining. I think this is going to allow us more flexibility to enjoy our homes that we spend so much time creating, while still holding ourselves and our teams accountable for being effective and productive.

I can imagine, with millions of employees all working remotely, that after companies learn how to effectively work from home, they will start to reevaluate how necessary their physical office spaces are, and how much money can be saved if employees work from home at least part of the time. Some may find that they only need half as much space as they did before, and that they only need a physical office for staff meetings and in-person client meetings. But in order to make this work, there will need to be serious changes to the "home office" idea. This health crisis could possibly have a long-term effect on how important a home officeor at least a working nookis in residential design.

Amagansett Modular House by MB Architecture

Were already seeing some short-term effects: people are now spending more time at home, and finally focusing on long-overdue improvements (bigger pantries, more defined work spaces, and adding/upgrading guest bedrooms). More generally, I see a very dramatic surge in interest in our prefab buildings, from all over the country (and in fact, the world, based on our web stats). And finally, theres a surge of city residents whove moved out to the country and are looking for a permanent second home. My own sense of how this affects future home design is that the fundamentals of domestic lifecentered around life at home versus perceptions of luxurywill prevail. And that would be a very good thing.

Walk Street House by Ras-A Studio

The pandemic has given people (who might not already have experience with it) a large dose of working remotely. This might offer businesses and employees alike a glimpse of its potential and staying power. It could have us rethink what a home office isand its priority in the program of a home.

False Bay Home and Writers Cabin by Olson Kundig and Geremia Design

In times where people are resourceful and want to be connected to others, there are really beautiful things that can happen. What are the opportunities that come out of times when people have economic restraint? Or fear? I think creativity is attached to being resourceful and I live for these times because right now is when people are open minded. Instead of throwing money at something theyre being bold and thoughtful with their ideasIm hoping thats on the horizon.

I feel like people have a lot more space to dive into conversations because theyre not distracted by getting into the next meeting. People and corporations have been way more attentive to design, and more thoughtful and immersed in conversations, which will have a great impact on the projects. Clients have more bandwidth, honestly. Tuning in on a deeper level has positive results.

A lot of my clients in the bay area tend to have minimalist and modern style. But Im hoping people will be more sentimental and will be more open to bold choices. I know a lot of people that have called me to say "Im ready to paint my room." Its kind of low hanging fruit but people are bored and want to do home improvements. People are feeling a little less hesitant about experimenting. Im hoping color is something thats big time.

Theres no reason to procrastinate and theres a feeling of satisfaction in doing things like painting a room or hanging art thats been sitting in the attic. Its like a marriage. When you stay in a marriage long enough you start to shake out things and work on things that you wouldnt normally have time for. I think when your faced with living with something for long enough, you learn how to work with it and you learn how to love it in a different way. I think thats one positive thing to come out of this.

Carraig Ridge House by Young Projects

"Well design" standards will incorporate new criteria for the residential market. This will inspire architects and designers to consider new ways we can think critically and creatively about domestic environments. For example, the importance of green roofs might be completely reconsidered...which, in turn, may necessitate structural retrofitting for existing buildings, and increased standards for new residential buildings.

Millennium House by Joel Sanders Architecture

Retro futurism. I see a return to a high-modernist aesthetic championed by architect Le Corbusier at Villa Savoye: sparkling white rooms, tile, and porcelain fixtures that convey a visual sense of health and hygiene. Think of a sink that greets visitors at the entrance to Villa Savoye.

In regards to the home office, over the past decade digital technology has already transformed homes into live/work spaces where, over the course of a day, people assume a variety of personal and professional roles. The pandemic now requires almost all of us to work from home, putting pressure on all of us to retrofit our homes with technology.

Sackett Street residence by Frederick Tang Architecture

There are 8.55 million people living in NYCthe largest amount in any city in the United States. The average space per person in the city is around 531 square feet. This opens our eyes to problems with affordable yet available housing, and how we can resolve space in an efficient way so residential living does not feel crampedone of the reasons why New Yorkers leave their spaces and go out. We are human and still need connection and social activity. There will always be a need for communal spaces, but personalizing each home will be very important. This approach will make sure that people are comfortable in their own space without the anxiety of wanting to leave.

Park Avenue Prewar Apartment by Michael K. Chen Architecture

In previous crises, the home was a refuge, a place to retreat to. Now, its quickly becoming a place that people are looking forward to leave on a regular basis. I wonder if private space will take on some of the dimensions of the public space that so many of us are missing. At the same time, I think that the crisis has laid bare the shortcomings of our social fabric and safety net. Certainly in New York, there is the near-universal awareness that public schools not only educate our children, but also feed them. I hope that this awareness informs how schools are resourced and designed in the future

Arc Village Studio by Sim-Plex Design Studio

As more and more people work from home, we need to find ways to combine living areas with work spacesbut we should be careful not to decrease the quality of either space. Since space is limited in most homes, flexibility is keyfor example, a dining room table can be transformed into a work space using flexible partitions. Our Arc Village Studio project is an example of how rooms can suit different functions without degrading the quality of those spaces.

Lead illustration by Arunas Kacinskas

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8 Architects on How the Pandemic Will Change Our Homes Forever - Dwell

In an effort to support the COVID-19 response, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has launched a task force to help inform public officials, healthcare facility owners and architects on adapting buildings into temporary healthcare facilities.

On a daily basis, I am hearing from our architects who feel a deep sense of moral duty to support our healthcare providers on the frontlines of this pandemic, says AIA 2020 president Jane Frederick. As our communities assess buildings to address growing surge capacity, we hope this task force will be a resource to ensure buildings are appropriately and safely adapted for our doctors and nurses.

AIA encourages federal, state and local government to adapt appropriate existing buildings to meet the growing healthcare and quarantine needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The task force is charged with developing a COVID-19 Rapid Response Safety Space Assessment for AIA members that will include considerations for the suitability of buildings, spaces and other sites for patient care. The assessment will be developed by architects with a wide range of expertise, including healthcare facility design, urban design, public health and disaster assistance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic public health response there is an unprecedented need for the adaptive reuse of buildings to serve a variety of functions, says environmental health scientist Dr. Molly Scanlon, who is the director of standards, compliance and research at Phigenics. Architects and our allied design and construction professionals are in a unique position to leverage our advanced problem-solving skills to bring forth ideas for community implementation.

The task forcechaired by Dr. Scanlonplans to release its report in early April in an effort to help inform decisions to address the pandemic.

This is a race against time for healthcare facilities to meet bed surge capacity needs, says AIA Academy of Architecture for Health president Kirsten Waltz, who is the director of facilities, planning and design at Baystate Health. This task force will help inform best practices for quickly assessing building inventory and identifying locations that are most appropriate to be adapted for this crisis.

Waltz and other members of the task force are helping bridge the needs of healthcare providers by modifying hospitals and smaller facilities to meet the growing bed surge demand and to increase areas for medical screening, triage and other patient care.

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Architects Take Action to Support COVID-19 Response - USGlass Metal & Glazing

Architects have turned to shipping containers to make everything from pop-up shops to co-working spaces, and even teetering towers of student housing. But now the humble corrugated steel box might have found one of its most useful reincarnations yet, in the hands of an international network of architects and engineers who have come together to convert them into two-bed intensive care units for the coronavirus pandemic.

A group of us started talking a week ago, wondering how could contribute our skills to this emergency, says Carlo Ratti, an Italian architect based in Boston, where he teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We all know there is a massive need for more intensive care units across the world, but there are problems with the two existing solutions as an official report from the Chinese government found, based on their experience of the virus.

One current solution, he says, is to take a convention centre and fill it with lots of beds, creating a field hospital overnight, as is now planned for the ExCel centre in east London. There is efficiency in the numbers, but Chinese authorities found that problems were caused by the intense concentration of contaminated air, with the result that many more of the medical staff became infected. The second solution is prefabricated hospitals, kitted out with the full mechanical ventilation and negative pressure systems needed for bio-containment, but which take several months to complete.

We thought, is there any way that you can get the speed of convention centre or tent hospital, mounted in a few hours or a couple of days, says Ratti, but at the same time have something that is as safe as the prefab hospital?

Their solution is Cura (Connected Units for Respiratory Ailments), a plan to pack all the features of an intensive care unit, complete with extractors to create negative air pressure, inside a 20-foot shipping container, able to be transported anywhere and deployed in just a few hours.

Working with fellow architect Italo Rota, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan Polytechnic, Jacobs engineers, and a pool of leading European physicians and experts in emergency management, Ratti has got funding from UniCredit to develop the first prototype, which is being manufactured in Turin. It will be deployed at a hospital in Milan, one of the epicentres of the pandemic. The designs are being made available as open source plans online, and the team hopes that it will be copied around the world. They are talking to several automotive manufacturers who might be able to mass-produce the units.

The key thing is the ease with which you can move these pods around, says Ratti. The waves of the virus travel to different regions so quickly, so we need to be able to deploy the intensive care units wherever they are needed most. The advantage of the shipping container is that the infrastructure for moving them already exists.

The pods have been designed to work as standalone units, or they can be connected by an inflatable corridor structure to create larger, multi-bed clusters. Ratti imagines the units being set up alongside existing hospitals, taking over car parks and leftover space, or being deployed as self-contained field hospitals. He estimates that each two-bed pod can be produced for around $100,000, including all medical equipment, around a third of the pre-bed cost of an emergency prefabricated hospital.

Read more:
Architect in Italy turns shipping containers into hospitals for treating Covid-19 - The Guardian

Grafton Architects Wins Competition to Design the Anthony Timberlands Center at the University of Arkansas

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Grafton Architects was selected as the winning firm to design the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation at the University of Arkansas. In collaboration with Modus Studio for the planned campus design research center, the design on the project is scheduled to begin this summer.

Part of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the new applied research center will be located on the northeast corner of the universitys Windgate Art and Design District, along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in south Fayetteville. Envisioned by Grafton Architects, co-founded by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, the 2020 recipients of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the project will serve as the epicenter for the Fay Jones Schools multiple timber and wood design initiatives, house the schools existing and expanding design-build program and fabrication technologies laboratories, and serve as the new home to the schools emerging graduate program in timber and wood design.

We are very excited about building our first building in the United States in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This building helps us think about the future optimistically, where the use of timber with all its possibilities, becomes real, useful and hopefully loved. -- Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara.

Conceived as a Story Book of Timber, the new Anthony Timberlands Center showcases the versatility of timber, both as the structural bones and the enclosing skin of this new building. In fact, Farrell expresses that the building itself is a teaching tool, displaying the strength, color, grain, texture and beauty of the various timbers used. Responding to the local climate and local needs, the building opens up to the general public and offers its students a state-of-the-art educational facility. The jurors described the winning project as a set of valid pragmatic ideas with a poetic solution. Simultaneously complex and simple, it expresses a high aspiration. It creates a memorable institutional landmark for the urban landscape of Fayetteville.

The selection of the design team comes after a months-long process. Grafton Architects was chosen after a first selection that narrowed down the count to 6 shortlisted teams. The other finalist firms were WT/GO Architecture of New Haven, Connecticut; Dorte Mandrup A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark; Shigeru Ban Architects of Tokyo/New York/Paris; Kennedy & Violich Architecture of Boston, Massachusetts; and LEVER Architecture of Portland, Oregon.

The University of Arkansas has been a leader in showcasing all the benefits of mass timber architecture. We are looking forward to the results of a leading architectural university working with this years Pritzker Prize winners to take wood-based architecture to new heights. -- Carlton Owen, CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

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Grafton Architects Wins Competition to Design the Anthony Timberlands Center at the University of Arkansas - ArchDaily

PBDW Architects recently completed 'The Egg,' as it is affectionately known to students, faculty, and families - the new community room at the Riverdale Country School in New York City that juxtaposes art and technology.

The design is a smart use of space for an educational institution trying to maximize its physical assets. It engages the inside corner of the 1,200 sf, L-shaped lobby that was once used for storage.

The striking community conference room features faceted, low-iron glass panels composing an inverted oval cone. The volume provides a protective yet highly transparent shell around the space within, mimicking an 'egg' shape.

Its glass walls reflect the ongoing flow of students and collaboration throughout the space, while the back wall of the room hosts a large LED monitor array-integral to the design-transmitting information and images to passing students and faculty.

Photography: 2020 Francis Dzikowski/OTTO

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PBDW Architects Completes The New 'Egg' in Riverdale Country School's Basket - Dexigner