Group items tagged

Lifescale - When we come across profound thinking in architecture and design, it opens up new avenues of action…Check out acclaimed Ar. Jaisim's views on architecture and share with us your feedback...Click on the link to read more>>

In 2008, Marita Cheng identified a problem: too few girls in engineering, the field of her passion. Deciding to do something about it, Cheng and a number of her peers formed Robogirls, a student club which would set up and run LEGO robotics competitions for girls' schools around Melbourne, with teams receiving training and support in the lead up to the completion. What started from there has now grown into an organisation introducing girls to engineering in schools not just across Australia but also in England, Ireland, Holland and New Zealand.  Robogirls' success has now earned Marita the 2012 Young Australian of the Year.

With the release of the federal government's newest Urban Policy Forum the green building community will feel a new found sense of confidence in the future plans for urban development in Australia. Planning for a sustainable urban community has come as a priority in the new policy, which has been influenced by a wide range of experts across different industry sectors including Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) Romily Madew. Upon his latest announcement, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese has assured the future planning processes will come as a culminated effort between the green building sector, government and the community in what has been labeled as an 'ideas generator'.

Towers are marketed as iconic places to work, live, visit and simply experience. It is important that they keep up their appearance. But the maintenance and cleaning of tall buildings can be a complex and costly business for building owners. Conversely, the integration of large and unsightly building maintenance units (BMU) can potentially compromise the architectural design integrity. Modern BMU designs combine the integration of efficient, cost effective cleaning and maintenance procedures with a solution that maintains the aesthetic ambitions. The cleaning technology options are numerous; from traditional abseiling techniques to self climbing cradles and davit arms, through to monorail systems and BMU machines.

Rather than plunder resources, however, the Romans set about using them wisely. One such resource was the hot springs to feed public baths and underfloor heating.  Back then, the result was a beautiful form of bathing on a chilly winter's day. Nowadays, the result is tourist drawcard in the English county of Somerset known all over the world as a place called Bath. Sitting in a lovely warm bath on a cold winter's day back then, few Roman citizens would have contemplated the idea that the same concept used to heat their baths - a concept now called geothermal energy - would be widely used around the world and would be considered a serious part of a solution to stop the whole world from getting too hot. Today, however, such is the reality. In 2005, according to a GeoHeat Quarterly Bulletin published by Origin Institute of Technology, a total of 73 countries around the world produced a total of 273 petajoules (PJ) of energy using geothermal techniques. With the renewed push to achieve carbon emissions reduction in Australia, some engineers believe geothermal technology should be used more widely here.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has been ardently backing a complete retrofit of all 'brown' or sustainably unfit operational buildings in this country. Which is only logical, as these buildings, particularly in the commercial sector, join together to become the largest carbon emitters in Australia. Their move to transform these unfit buildings has received a huge boost recently, with the support of Australand for their Green Star - Performance rating tool. The rating tool will become the backbone of the GBCA's work moving forward, as it will most precisely "help building owners, operators and occupants to measure and monitor the environmental impact of their buildings and take practical action to improve their buildings' performance".

In the construction and design industry, architecture is one of the most complex and multi-faceted sectors. As we have stated previously, it encompasses a whole range of broad and varying components, from mathematics to the currently trending biology. At its most basic root though, architecture deals with form. It is for this reason that architecturally designed buildings are able to become art forms as one of the industry's most artistically based facets. It only makes sense then, due to the crossover and widely varied field, that some buildings would share these sculpturally formed aspects more than others. One such building that is due for completion this year and is an example of the aforementioned form is architectural firm Zaha Hadid's Performing Arts Centre in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Helsinki's Vantaa airport is taking the saying 'making yourself at home' to heart with the interior design for their newest travellers' lounge. No matter how hard airport designers try to make these international, heavy trafficked areas romantic and luxurious, there is no doubting the dread that most of us feel on a 6 hour lay over or extended visit. While there can be no denying the luxuriousness of this interiorly designed space, what the designers have cleverly done is steer away from the clinical coolness of traditional airport lounges and thrown a knowing look back towards creature comforts. The aptly named 'Almost @ home' lounge features interior aspects that have been chosen to most correctly reflect a Finnish, or any, home.

By Pari Syal Photography: Courtesy Dwar Eco Design Who says that chic is synonymous with glamour? Who says that a modern lifestyle cannot co-exist with the earthy scent of our roots? Who says that reuse and recycle is mundane?

A constantly ticking brain cohabiting with a continually seeking mind makes the body agile and inspired. Profiling Ar. Jim Olson has been like meeting 'dynamism' in person and understanding that where vocation is passion, there is no delineation between the man and his work...Click on the link to read more>>

Architecture in China can so often be polarising. In fact, the entire industry seems to have that affect on the world. There are those who applaud the Chinese for their extensive and rapid construction work, which includes the world's fastest apartment construction, the creation of entire cities in just five years and of course the developments in Shenzhen, one of the world's fastest growing cities. And then there are others who critique the country for having a 'fake' and 'blood soaked' GDP due to high levels of what some have labeled 'dangerous and unnecessary' industry work. Well, the design debate has been sparked yet again with the unveiling of China's latest industry venture.

The architecture industry has been in recent times exploring the growing world of artificial organisms. We have continuously covered this increasing trend, with examples of man-made organics in China and Singapore, varying from artificial islands, to trees and most recently coral reefs. It is no surprise that through the heightened levels of toxins and rubbish now running into our oceans everyday that certain sections of incredibly valuable, and aesthetically stunning underwater environments are dying. This is caused by various reasons including: the everyday home owner chemical run offs, the larger oil spills and natural disasters, but the fact is, we are killing it faster than it is able to grow back.

The idea that the environment can aid healing is not a new one. In her book 'Healing Spaces", Dr. Esther M. Sternberg has explored the health benefits to patients on both a mental and physical level when exposed to plants and larger organic environments. Australian industry giants Brookfield Multiplex and HASSELL are taking on these principles and shaping their design and construction processes with environmental healing as a key foundation of their latest Perth healthcare development.

One major green belt that has seen the devastating results of deforestation is the Amazon jungle. From 1991 until 2001 the total area cleared jumped from 415,000 km2 to 587,000 km2, proving that this massive, unsustainable deforestation effort has not been just a thing of the past. In fact, it was only last year that deforestation figures slowed to their lowest numbers yet. For many in the green building industry, that is how they would like it to continue. Offering to lead this conservation effort is London-based architectural firm Marks Barfield. Who have impressed architecture and environmental communities worldwide with their £6.4m proposal for a research centre in the Amazon, which will include a central, tree-shaped observation tower and 6 miles of tree top canopy walkways. Due to the nature and function of this tower, in addition to the limitations that the rural, fragile Brazilian environment holds, a sustainable building ideology forms the foundation of the proposal.

The Cube is a design marvel with the lightness and versatility of an exhibition stand and the design complexity of a building; adapting to its various locales with minimal physical adjustments, whilst the original exterior and interior flavour of the structure is still intact...

Photography: Nigel Young; Hufton & Crow; Courtesy: Foster+Partners Foster & Partners incorporate ambitious environmental strategy in a new sculptural addition to the city of London... Wrapped in a grid of highly reflective cast- aluminium brise soleil, shimmering in the bright sunshine, casting intriguing chiaroscuro effects on the street side, the Walbrook office building stands tall, distinctly individualistic, yet contextually alluding to the historical fabric of its neighbourhood .

Ar. Abraham John proposes a truly 21st century Mumbai city in terms of green space and connectivity, with the 'Bombay Greenway Project' - an infrastructure project that will harvest a green corridor over the city's existing 166 km. stretch of railway lines. Read more…

Architectural Modeling India offers complete Architectural 3D Modeling Services with the assist of innovative, talented modelers attached with promising technology to facilitate the design, planning and idea phase of the projects.

Foster+Partners' design of the Alen68 motor yacht uniquely combines the elegant social spaces of a cruising yacht with the fun of a day boat. Set sail here...

Working hand-in-glove with Mother Nature, LSDA design the non-intrusive landscaping across 3 acres of the beauteous resort, 'Aloha on the Ganges'. Check it out and leave us your views…