Ciguë uses steel foundations to elevate lightweight home in rural France

French studio Ciguë has elevated this timber-clad home in Saint Julien le Petit, France, above its rural site using slender, removable steel foundations.

Looking to contrast the area's traditional stone country homes, the Paris-based studio drew on the lightweight Case Study Houses built in California in the 1960s to create a simple structure that sits lightly in its surroundings.

The Wooden House is a residential project in rural France designed by Ciguë

"The Wooden House scrupulously chooses its land, its exposure, its height and its references to revisit the archetype of the country house," said the studio.

"[It is] a place in which you live carefree and unconfined, in direct contact with the landscape, surrounded by bare necessities," it continued.

The structure is clad in blackened timber

The almost-square central form of the home, clad in black timber planks, sits atop an area of raised wooden decking. The deck wraps the southern edge to create a variety of seating areas surrounded by a black timber balustrade.

A roof has a large overhang and is supported by thin steel supports. It shelters a south-facing section of full-height glazing, which provides the L-shaped living, dining and kitchen area with dramatic views across the landscape.

A covered terrace wraps around the structure

Two bedrooms, a bathroom and a study space create a more private L-shaped section of the home, which north and east with small windows framing views.

A stepped roof line creates higher ceilings at the front of the home, while the bedrooms at the rear are slightly more intimate-feeling spaces.

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In the study, a small mezzanine level sits atop a wooden frame accessed by a ladder, leading to an elevated space with a small window.

"Benefiting from large window openings, [the home] is flooded with light and lives to the rhythm of the seasons according to its bioclimatic principles," said the studio.

Large full-height windows frame views out to the landscape

Internally, the walls and ceilings have been given a crisp white finish. Simple furnishings, window frames and fittings were made using wood sourced from the local area.

Much of the framework and structure is left exposed, with a grid of black timber battens supporting corrugated plastic forming the roof. The junctions between the foundations and house are also left visible.

Ciguë applied a simplistic material palette througout the interior

"Floating lightly above its field, the house imprints its unique Neo-vernacular spirit on the landscape, having chosen wood from the surrounding forests that have gradually replaced the regions agricultural land," said the studio.

Previous projects by Ciguë include several retail interiors including a store in Nottingham for skincare brand Aesop organised around distillation apparatus and a store in Bangkok for fashion brand Isabel Marant with woven bamboo screens.

The photography is byMaris Mezulis.

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#all #residential #architecture #france #blackenedwood #houses #ciguë #frenchhouses #woodenarchitecture #timbercladding

RED Arquitectos builds Casa Numa from coconut-palm wood

Mexican studio RED Arquitectos has created a screen-wrapped house made almost entirely out of wood from coconut palm trees, which was designed to blend into its surroundings on a small island off the Yucatán Peninsula.

Located on Holbox Island in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Casa Numa is a 160-square-metre home that the client will use as a summer house and vacation rental.

The structure is notable for being entirely made from coconut-palm wood – a material that despite being naturally abundant in the area is rarely used for housing, RED Arquitectos founder Susana López González told Dezeen.

Casa Numa is built from coconut-palm wood, a locally abundant material. Photo is by Jag Studio

"In Quintana Roo and [nearby state] Tabasco, there is an abundance of coconut palms," López González said. "Some are thrown away by hurricanes and also because they have a short natural life, getting old quickly."

She said the wood was not available industrially and could only be sourced through the artisans who use it in their practice, despite Mexico being one of the world's top coconut palm tree-growing nations.

"In the southeast of Mexico, traditional housing was based on coconut palm," she said. "Unfortunately it was lost, causing the lack of awareness of this integral construction system."

A screen made of vertical wood slats provides privacy and helps to minimise light pollution at night. Photo is by Jag Studio

With Casa Numa, López González aimed to use the coconut-palm wood to create a "visually striking" sculptural object that would be integrated into the island through its materiality.

The two-storey house is wrapped with a lattice-like wall of vertical timber slats, which allows partial glimpses into the house during the day and creates a lantern-like play of light at night.

While coconut-palm timber from the mainland forms the structure and walls, a harder wood, from the island's zapote trees, features in the house's pilings and stairs.

The coconut-palm wood is supplemented by local zapote for elements such as the stairs

Inside, there is a dining room, bathroom, master bedroom, terrace and pool on the first level, and a further two bedrooms, a bathroom, and terrace on the top floor. They are joined by an exterior staircase.

The interior is finished using chukum, an ancient Mayan stucco technique created with the bark of the native chukum tree, as well as white sand aggregate from the site.

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The use of these materials and the avoidance of paint and ceramics helped to reduce the building's carbon footprint.

Casa Numa also has a biological sewage treatment system and was designed to avoid excess light pollution.

The interior is finished using chukum and soil aggregate from the site

Casa Numa took six months to build, inside and out, which RED Arquitectos estimates is less than half the time for a house of the same size made with a traditional construction system.

To be readied for construction, the coconut-palm wood was treated with a water-based acrylic sealant to prevent dehydration, and will need to be retreated at minimum every six months. The treatment is also a fire retardant.

RED Arquitectos expects Casa Numa to have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years and to leave a minimal carbon footprint.

There is no paint used in the environmentally-minded house

López González said she hoped that Casa Numa would provide a template for future building on Holbox Island, which has a delicate mangrove ecosystem that has been damaged by commercial construction.

"Casa Numa seeks to be an example that with common palm it is possible to generate architecture, employment and the use of a raw material that is available to everyone," she said.

"We hope that this construction system could be used in the region for the construction of comfortable, decent, environmentally friendly and low-cost housing."

The house was intended to be a sculptural object that integrates with its locality

López González founded RED Arquitectos in 2010, and has a masters in Sustainable Design and Development for the City from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.

Another recent project from the studio was Casa Calafia, a grand holiday home with arched doorways and windows on the Baja peninsula.

The photography is by Miguel Calanchini unless otherwise stated.

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#all #architecture #residential #mexico #mexicanhouses #woodenarchitecture #redarquitectos

Shigeru Ban designs meditation retreat overlooking Awaji Island mountains

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban has designed a wooden meditation retreat named Zenbo Seinei, which is nearing completion on a verdant site on the Awaji Island in Japan.

Slated to open in spring, Zenbo Seinei will take the form of a long and slender wooden structure elevated on one side by steel columns.

It is being designed by Ban for Japanese company Pasona Group, which oversees a number of facilities on Awaji Island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea.

The retreat will focus on healthy food and mindfulness and is aimed at tourists who want to escape from cities to a natural environment.

Retreat will allow visitors to "experience zazen"

Ban's elongated building is now under construction on a leafy spot in the northern part of the island.

Once complete, it will measure 90 metres in length and 7.2 metres in width. It will also feature a 100-meter-long wooden deck, designed as an open-air platform for zazen, a form of sitting meditation.

Shigeru Ban has designed a wooden meditation retreat for Awaji Island

"We planned an accommodation facility where you can experience zazen on a small site with abundant nature on Awaji Island," explained Shigeru Ban Architects.

Pasona Group said it has been developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led "to major shifts in people's attitudes and values towards life and work".

"Amidst this, there has been a growing interest in opportunities to reassess one's own contentment in environments rich in nature, and in lifestyles that promote physical and mental well-being," the company added.

Restaurant forms part of design

Alongside the meditation spaces, Zenbo Seinei will contain guest accommodation and a restaurant serving dishes made from local vegetables as well as foods enjoyed by Buddhist monks.

On the surrounding 3,000-square-metre site, Ban is also designing an open-air bath and a cafe with a series of wooden huts for use in the future.

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Ban founded Shigeru Ban Architects in Tokyo in 1985. He was named the winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014 and was selected as an ambassador for the EU's New European Bauhaus in 2021.

His studio also recently completed the Tainan Art Museum building in Taiwan and a boutique hotel that winds through Japanese woodland.

Other retreats featured on Dezeen include a series of cave-like brick-clad pods in China by Studio Avoid and a proposal for a boutique eco-resort in the USA by Jendretzki Design.

The visuals are courtesy of Pasona Group.

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#all #architecture #publicandleisure #news #japan #japanesearchitecture #shigeruban #woodenarchitecture

LUO Studio completes intricate wooden bridge in Chinese water village

Hundreds of wooden elements are bolted together to form Timber Bridge in Gulou Waterfront, the latest project by Chinese architecture office LUO Studio.

The 25-metre-long bridge is located in Gulou, a water village in Jiangmen, China. This unusual manmade landscape, formed of a network of waterways and ponds, once provided an infrastructure for fishing and farming.

The bridge is arched to allow room for boats to pass underneath

With the area now being rebranded as an eco-tourism resort, Gulou Waterfront, LUO Studio was tasked with creating a new pedestrian bridge in the heart of it.

The Beijing-based studio chose to predominantly use wood, paying tribute to the traditional construction techniques employed in rural villages of southern China where the material is in plentiful supply.

Its structure is made from simple wooden lengths

It was essential for the bridge to allow enough room for boats to pass underneath. This led to the design of an arch shape, with four metres clearance between the underside of the bridge and the typical water level.

"During the fishing civilisation period, roads were poorly developed, so water systems became the key route for transportation and logistics," said the studio, which is led by architect Luo Yujie.

"Since bridges need to be walkable while also ensuring more space for boats underneath to pass through, traditional bridge construction techniques in China adopted arches to create space for the passage of boats under bridges, and enhance the effectiveness of the structure."

Metal panels provide integrated rainwater drainage

Despite the shape of the bridge, very few of its components are curved. Apart from the three arched beams that form the underside, the structure is almost entirely made from small, regular lengths of pine.

"Small wooden components are interlocked and anchored to the three main arched beams, functioning as sub-beams on upper and lower levels," said LUO Studio.

"In addition, the two ends of these sub-beams are combined with upward components to form a stable triangle of forces."

The bridge span is 25 metres

Metal plates are slotted into the wooden framework, which create shelter and provide natural rainwater drainage.

The result is a structure with an intricate structure. Not only does it provide a walkway across the water, but also provides shelter to those crossing.

Wide staircases create an inviting route for pedestrians

On both sides, the wooden bridge's entrance is a wide staircase with open treads. A smaller staircase is set into the centre of each one, leading up to viewing platforms slotted within the bridge's structure.

"This project inherits the construction wisdom of ancient covered bridges," said LUO Studio.

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"The covered corridor enhances the overall structural stability and protects the arched wooden structure beneath from exposure to sun and rain."

Steel-strengthened bolts give the structure an additional layer of strength.

Viewing platforms are slotted into the structure at both ends

Timber Bridge in Gulou Waterfront is the latest in a series of innovative projects designed by Luo Yujie, a rising star of the Chinese architecture scene.

His studio won a Dezeen Award for Party and Public Service Center, a community centre built over existing foundations in Yuanheguan, while other projects include the geodesic canopy, Luotuowan Pergola.

With this project, he hopes to inject new interest into an area whose fishing heritage is gradually disappearing.

The area is being rebranded as an eco-tourism resort

It is one of several new bridges that are planned as part of the Gulou Waterfront development, with the aim of making the area accessible for pedestrians without causing disruption to fishing boats.

"While passing through the platforms from two ends to reach the centre of the bridge corridor, visitors can fully experience the light and shadows from the top, feeling calmness and openness in the mind," added the studio.

The photography is by Jin Weiqi and the video is by Jin Weiqi and Xiao Shiming.

---

Project credits

Client: Jiangmen OCT

Design studio: LUO studio

Design/construction instruction: Luo Yujie, Lu Zhuojian, Wang Beilei

Structural consulting: LaLu Structural Consulting

Construction firm: Shenzhen Zhenhui Architectural Engineering

Wood material suppliers: Shengtehaosen, Kingspine-House

Lighting fixture supplier: Meteor Shower

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#all #architecture #infrastructure #instagram #chinesearchitecture #china #wood #bridges #woodenarchitecture #luostudio

MAD designs cluster of wooden museum buildings to evoke bronze age masks

Chinese architecture studio MAD has released visuals of The Eyes of Sanxingdui, a scatter of wooden buildings it has designed for the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan City, China.

The Eyes of Sanxingdui will contain new exhibition spaces and a visitor centre for the complex, which is officially called the Sanxingdui Ancient Shu Cultural Heritage Museum.

MAD has designed a series of exhibition spaces for Sanxingdui Museum

As the project name suggests, MAD's design evokes the almond-shaped eyes of bronze age masks excavated from the ancient Sanxingdui archaeological site where the museum is located.

These masks were created by the Sanxingdui civilisation between 4500-2800 years ago and are now on display at the museum alongside many other artefacts discovered in the area.

The cluster of structures will be made from wood

"The Sanxingdui site laid host to a number of cultural relics, including longitudinal bronze eye masks and large bronze standing figures, many of which adopt exaggerated, strange, ornate shapes," explained MAD.

"After sunset, the six buildings are enlivened as torch-like eyes behind the bronzeware and golden masks of Sanxingdui, uniting the spirits and forms, allowing people in the museum to wander between history and the future."

The Eyes of Sanxingdui will run alongside a body of water at the museum

The museum campus is located at the northeast corner of Sanxingdui's main protected area and covers an area of 90,000 square metres.

The Eyes of Sanxingdui will consist of a cluster of six wooden buildings scattered in an east-west direction alongside a body of water and dense greenery on the site.

They are designed to evoke the eyes of bronze age masks found in Sanxingdui

Its easternmost structure will contain the 5,830-square-metre visitor centre. Beyond this will be five exhibition spaces.

Externally, the exhibition spaces will be connected by an undulating green roof, which will be publicly accessible and provide visitors with views of the surrounding landscape.

A skylight will run along the roof of each structure

The decision to divide The Eyes of Sanxingdui into a series of buildings was made to help blend the structures in with the landscape and preserve nature on the site.

They are intended to appear as though they are emerging out from this landscape, with their timber finishes and structures echoing the surrounding trees.

The Eyes of Sanxingdui is designed to complement its natural surroundings

"The scheme respects and preserves the site's natural trees and water features where possible, weaving these natural features into a landscape strategy that remains in harmony with the new pavilion building," MAD explained.

"The intersection of artifacts, atmosphere, and nature will encourage people to experience the Sanxingdui civilization's inscribed influence on contemporary civilization and the human spirit."

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Visitors to the site will begin their journey at The Eyes of Sanxingdui's visitor centre before proceeding through the exhibition halls via an underground corridor.

The exhibition halls will be connected to each other via a south-facing glass corridor, which will frame views of the surrounding landscape.

The skylights will naturally light the interiors

MAD has designed the buildings' timber structures to allow for open column-free interior spaces, accommodating various exhibition layouts.

Natural light will be provided through the rooftop skylights, which evoke the opening of the almond-shaped eyes from above.

The structures will be linked by glass corridors

MAD was founded by Ma Yansong in Beijing in 2004. Elsewhere in China, the studio is currently developing a "futuristic" cruise terminal modelled on gantry cranes and a white cloud-like science museum on the coast.

It recently completed Yabuli Entrepreneurs' Congress Center in the mountains in northeast China and a kindergarten in Beijing with a red rooftop playground.

The visuals are courtesy of MAD.

---

Project credits:

Architect: MAD

Principal architects: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano

Competition design team: Tiffany Dahlen, Liu Zifan, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Ma Yiran, Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Luo Man, Chen Hao, Chen Shijie, Wang Shuang, Xiao Yuhan

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#all #architecture #cultural #news #chinesearchitecture #china #mad #culturalbuildings #woodenarchitecture #chinesemuseums

NJF Design creates thatched resort surrounded by dunes in Mozambique

Thatched beachfront bungalows overlook the Indian Ocean from this hotel named Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique, which was built in tandem with a marine conservation centre.

The Kisawa Sanctuary occupies 300 hectares of forest, dunes and beachfront on the southern tip of Benguerra Island, which lies 14 kilometres from the Mozambique mainland.

The Kisawa Sanctuary sits at the southern tip of Benguerra Island

It is the first hospitality project created by entrepreneur Nina Flohr, whose studio NJF Design collaborated with skilled local weavers, thatchers and carpenters to realise the project.

Opened in November 2021, the hotel comprises 22 suites in 12 thatch-topped villas arranged within the dunes.

The residences were built along the beach and in the dunes

"Some lie on the calmer cove side, others shelter in the dunes on the ocean side, yet all are carefully positioned within their own secluded plot; providing maximum privacy and optimum appreciation of the natural environment," said the hotel's team.

Built without the use of heavy machinery, the wooden structures across the site are thatched and clad in a variety of styles based on the regional vernacular.

The bungalows feature woven doors that slide to open up the rooms

Guest bungalows are shaped like long villas and covered with wavy patterned roofs, echoing the form of waves.

Inside they have mottled plaster walls and wooden floors covered with large rugs. Colourfully printed textiles add warmth and variety to the neutral decor.

Neutral decor is accented with patterned textiles and African artefacts

Woven-grass door panels slide across to open up bedrooms and bathrooms to living areas and the outdoors, allowing breezes to pass through.

Timber decking wraps around the bungalows, and forms paths to further terraces that support cabanas and surround swimming pools.

Each bungalow has access to a private beach

Locally made contemporary furnishings are mixed with crafts and artefacts from across Africa to lend an authentic feel to the interiors.

The communal dining spaces across the resort have a similar design treatment, and serve traditional cuisine made from fresh seafood and produce, with a zero-waste policy and using no processed ingredients.

The property includes a wellness centre formed from a cluster of conical volumes

A wellness centre hidden in the dunes is formed from clusters of thatched round volumes with conical tops.

Alongside the hotel, Flohr also launched the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies – a research hub for ocean conservation.

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"Their parallel operations create a new, symbiotic business model whereby for-profit hospitality contributes directly to non-profit marine science and research," said the team.

Resort guests are able to participate in the research efforts through activities like excursions on the research vessel, which is used for tagging and monitoring local shark populations.

"The pairing of cultural celebration and environmental conservation at Kisawa presents a new, forward-looking narrative for both Mozambique and island escapes," the team said

Local thatchers covered the building using a traditional regional technique

Located in the south-east of the African continent Mozambique is growing in popularity as a tourist destination. Sussurro, a series of private bungalows in the southern part of the country, took home three prizes at the AHEAD MEA 2021 awards.

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#hotels #all #architecture #interiors #thatch #woodenarchitecture

Strand Design creates Lake Placid A-Frame in northern Wisconsin

American firm Strand Design has created a pointy cabin wrapped in metal and wood that is intended to blend with its forested, lakefront site in Wisconsin.

The project, called Lake Placid A-Frame, is owned by a couple from Minneapolis who love outdoor activities and wanted a year-round retreat.

The distinctive cabin sits on a wooded shoreline along Lake Placid in Hayward, Wisconsin. The owners have friends with properties in the area.

Strand Design has completed an A-framed cabin in New York

The goal for the architects – Minneapolis-based Strand Design – was to create a modest-sized cabin that embraces the natural landscape.

"The footprint of the cabin was sited specifically to a lower elevation on the rolling property in order to minimise its visual impact and to feel more fully integrated with the surrounding woods," the architects said.

The team conceived a 2,075-square-foot (193-square-metre) dwelling composed of an A-shaped volume with boxes protruding from its sides. The property also has a separate building that houses a garage and workshop.

The A-shaped cabin is wrapped in wood and metal

"Classic meets modern in this refreshing take on the vernacular Northwoods A-frame cabin," the team said.

Framed with glue-laminated timber, the home is clad in a mix of materials.

The studio wanted the cabin to blend into its lakeside surroundings

For the long sides of the A, the team used standing-seam bonderised steel in a light grey tone. Other walls are wrapped in corrugated steel panels and wooden lap siding, both coloured black.

The front door is set within an alcove covered in warm-toned timber.

An open-plan kitchen and dining area is located on the ground floor

"Utilising a variety of steel panels, darkened clapboard and hints of bright natural cedar, this cabin blends seamlessly into its forested lakefront surroundings," the architects said.

Inside, the home feels both airy and cosy.

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In the A-framed portion, the ground floor encompasses an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room, along with a mudroom and mechanical space. The kitchen extends into a small box that protrudes beyond the triangular volume.

A Douglas fir staircase leads to a loft, where a bedroom and powder room are located.

Other materials inside include polished concrete

In an adjoining box at ground level, the team placed another bedroom, a large closet and a bathroom. Up above is a rooftop terrace.

Interior finishes include yellow pine and polished concrete. In the kitchen, cabinets are made with beech and topped with granite. Much of the home's wooden decor was made by the client, who has a passion for woodworking.

Exposed beams were left visible and span the full height of the A-shaped building.

Warm-toned timber is used throughout the interior

Large windows and glazed doors enable the occupants to take in the ever-changing scenery. Outside, a pathway leads down to a fire pit and metal dock, where the owners can set off in their canoe.

Other A-framed buildings in North America include a 1960s dwelling in New Jersey that was converted into a cosy rentable cabin by designers Chad and Courtney Ludeman and a Quebec cottage by Jean Verville that has an all-black exterior and light-toned interior.

The photography is byChad Holder Photography.

---

Project credits:

Architect: Strand Design

Design team: David McKay, David Strand

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#residential #all #architecture #usa #blackenedwood #woodenarchitecture #cabins #newyorkhouses #newyork

"Largest wooden building in Iceland" to occupy landfill site in Reykjavík

Architecture studios Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark have designed a low-carbon cross-laminated timber building called Living Landscape that will transform a landfill site in Iceland's capital city.

Slated for completion in 2026, the 26,000-square-metre mixed-use building is set to become the "largest wooden building in Iceland" once complete.

Living Landscape has been developed by French studio Jakob+MacFarlane and local studio T.ark to give new life to the polluted landscape and offer a prototype for similar future developments in Reykjavík.

"The project recreates a fragment of authentic natural landscape on top of polluted land to compensate for years of pollution and heal the man-made damage to what has once been a beautiful coastal landscape," Jakob+MacFarlane told Dezeen.

Project is a Reinventing Cities winner

Once complete, the project will contain a mix of housing for students, elderly people and families, alongside workspaces, daycare facilities and local shops.

It is among the 49 winning projects of the Reinventing Cities competition, which was organised by global network C40 Cities to encourage the transformation of underused urban spaces into "beacons of sustainability and resiliency".

The projects strive to help urban areas meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change by minimising carbon emissions.

Above: Living Landscape will be a low-carbon cross-laminated timber building. Top image: it will transform a landfill site in Iceland

The Reinventing Cities programme encourages projects to minimise both embodied carbon – emissions generated during material production and construction – and operational carbon, which are emissions caused by the building's usage.

Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark are aiming for net-zero emissions, which involves eliminating all possible emissions and offsetting any that cannot be eliminated by removing carbon from the atmosphere.

CLT will reduce embodied carbon "by almost 80 per cent"

According to Jakob+MacFarlane, this will be achieved in part by using a prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure.

"The CLT construction reduces the embodied carbon of external walls by almost 80 per cent compared to a typical concrete structure used in Iceland," the studio explained.

"The [remaining] embodied emissions will be offset through either wetland recovery or forestry, making the building effectively carbon neutral."

Among the other materials used in the building will be Panoblocs, a type of prefabricated and insulated wall panel with a wooden exterior, which can be easily removed and adapted.

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Living Landscapes' operational carbon emissions are expected to be minimal, due to high levels of insulation and use of waste-heat recovery systems and thermostat-controlled underfloor heating.

However, the energy it will require will be sourced from an existing district electricity and heat network powered by renewable hydropower and geothermal energy sources.

Nature to be reintroduced to site

Reintroducing nature to the old landfill site will also be a key part of the scheme. There will be an undulating roof garden and farm, alongside a large central courtyard designed as a communal park for the residents.

"The idea of living with and around nature is key to our project," said Jakob+MacFarlane.

The courtyard will be modelled on Icelandic landscapes, incorporating a mix of rocks, water and plants, which is hoped to encourage insects and birds to occupy the site.

"We aim to enable a fully functioning local ecosystem composed of earth and rocks, water and plants, insects and birds," the studio explained. "Protected from freezing by geothermal heat, this green oasis will develop its own microclimate and, hopefully, become a new generator of life."

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Living Landscape is now being continually developed by Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark with landscape architects Landslag and environmental experts EFLA.

Another winner of the Reinventing Cities competition was architect Arney Fender Katsalidis, who is developing a low-carbon neighbourhood in Rome. The mixed-use project will transform a disused railway site, make use of biomaterials and will feature reversible buildings.

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#residential #publicandleisure #all #architecture #iceland #reykjavík #jakobmacfarlane #woodenarchitecture #crosslaminatedtimber #masstimber #reinventingcities #carbonneutraldesign

Verstas Architects evokes island landscapes with Helsinki Biennial Pavilion

Finnish practice Verstas Architects has created a circular timber pavilion at Helsinki's South Harbour, forging a connection between the city and the nearby island of Vallisaari.

Verstas Architects built the pavilion to serve as an entry point to the Helsinki Biennial art festival, which was held on Vallisaari island from June to September 2021, and it has now become a permanent addition to the city.

The Helsinki Biennial Pavilion is a circular timber structure located at the city's South Harbour

Tickets for the Biennial are sold from the pavilion, which sits at Lyypekinlaituri, South Harbour, and the ferry to the island of Vallisaari departs from an adjoining pier.

The pavilion's shape and materiality reference the natural landscape of Vallisaari as well as the sea between it and Helsinki.

The pavilion is made of timber and was assembled in situ from prefabricated modules

The circular shape is a nod to Vallisaari's ponds and "giant's kettles" pothole formations, while the timber walls are meant to recall the island's cliffs as well as the hulls of old wooden ships, some of which can be seen moored at South Harbour.

The pavilion features an inner courtyard paved with what looks from a distance like stone but, on closer inspection, prove to be crosscut logs.

The pavilion's inner courtyard is paved with silver-hued crosscut logs

"The curved shape echoes the island cliffs that were rounded during the ice age," Verstas Architects partner Ilkka Salminen told Dezeen.

"The centre yard is paved with greyed crosscut logs and white quartz sand that mimic the effect of raindrops rippling on water."

The pavilion's roof slopes down to the ground, providing a deck for visitors to climb

Around it is a partially enclosed space with curved dark pine walls that slope down in one section to form an outer deck that visitors can climb.

"The centre of the pavilion is where you can rest and take a break from the noisy and constantly moving city," added Salminen.

"You are closed off from the city life and you experience only the sea and the sky, enclosed by a huge wooden surface to lean your back on."

The exterior of the pavilion is clad with pine battens that are stained dark with a mix of tar and linseed oil

The pavilion is made from prefabricated modules constructed from glue-laminated timber frames, with steel ties and laminated veneer lumber cladding.

These are clad in fine-sawn pine battens that have been steam-bent into curving shapes and stained dark with a mix of tar and linseed oil.

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Inside, the natural light wood colour is maintained with an oil treatment, and a series of triangular frames at different angles form a curved corridor with a pitched roof.

Verstas Architects chose to build with wood because, as well as being the traditional material for buildings and boats in the area, it is environmentally sustainable and long-lasting in the northern climate.

Visitors can take shelter, rest and wait for ferries inside the pavilion

The modules were built in a carpenter's workshop in a nearby harbour town where the fabrication process was guided by a digital 3D building model, before being shipped to the site for installation.

The interior of the pavilion contains a ticket sales and visitor information desk, while a simple rectangular volume next to it houses ancillary spaces.

The open-air courtyard provides a place for gathering and reflection

The Helsinki Biennial Pavilion was commissioned by the City of Helsinki's Urban Environment Division as part of a strategy to make the city's archipelago more accessible.

Spanning 187 square metres, the pavilion provides a visible anchor for the Biennial in the city.

The wooden exterior of the pavilion resembles the hull of an old ship

Although the original intention was to dismantle the pavilion in between Biennials and store the modules at Vallisaari, the City of Helsinki and Verstas Architects have decided to leave it at South Harbour for the foreseeable future.

"It was quickly realised that the pavilion has a much bigger role to play if left to stand in place all year round," said Verstas Architects.

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"It provides a place for people to hang out by the sea," the studio added.

"One can rest on the sloping auditorium-like space observing the colourful marketplace or seek shelter under the tent-like roof."

The pavilion was built for the Helsinki Biennial art festival but will remain in place year-round

The pavilion is located near the forthcoming Makasiiniranta port development at South Harbour, which will include a new architecture and design museum.

It was also the site of the scrapped proposal for a Guggenheim museum, with the City of Helsinki deciding to instead support a local institution for the site.

Verstas Architects was founded in 2004 by Salminen with Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva and Riina Palva. The practice has recently been nominated for the Finnish Wood Award and EU Mies Award for the Helsinki Biennial Pavilion.

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#pavilions #all #architecture #finland #wood #helsinki #woodenarchitecture

UK rules on building with timber are a "policy car crash" says Andrew Waugh

Rules restricting the use of wood in UK buildings are hampering the switch to low-carbon building methods, according to timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh.

Waugh attacked recent government legislation and new funding rules for affordable housing in London, both of which make it harder for architects to specify timber.

Timber architecture expert Andrew Waugh

"It's a car crash," said Waugh, describing the restrictions as "pseudo common sense not based on any expert opinion."

Last month, London mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled rules governing the allocation of funds worth £3.46bn to build 29,456 homes in the capital.

The rules include a "ban on combustible materials being used in external walls for all residential development, regardless of height."

The rule goes further than recently introduced UK-wide regulations, which outlaw the use of combustible materials on the external walls of any building over 18 metres tall.

Rules introduced after Grenfell fire

Both rules have been introduced in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster, in which 72 people died after the plastic-and-aluminium cladding on the London housing block caught fire.

Waugh described the rules as a "politicised knee-jerk reaction" that confuse combustibility with fire performance and contradict efforts to tackle carbon emissions from construction.

"Carbon taxes on building materials are an inevitability," Waugh said, referring to the fact that construction accounts for around 40 per cent of global emissions.

"Carbon will have to be accounted for and as soon as that happens, then we will need to be building in low-carbon building materials."

Waugh Thistleton is building an all-timber structure office in Shoreditch

"At the same time, there's a politicised knee-jerk reaction against anything combustible, meaning that you won't be able to build in low-carbon materials," he added.

"That is going to create a policy car crash where they're legislating against something while at the same time legislating for it."

Waugh said that the London mayor's office has been unable to explain whether the ban applies to window frames and lintels, which are commonly made of timber.

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Embodied carbon, which describes emissions caused during the construction process, has come under the spotlight recently.

These emissions account for around half of all emissions from the built environment but have been neglected when compared to operational carbon, which is the term for emissions caused by buildings in use.

"This needs to change," Waugh said. "I think governments are still wrapped up in talking about operational carbon [emissions caused by the building in use] but actually the western world is already really efficient at building efficient buildings."

Green certification schemes "meaningless"

In an interview with Dezeen earlier this year, Waugh described green certification schemes such as BREEAM and LEED as "meaningless" since they focus on reducing operational emissions while overlooking embodied carbon.

"They're meaningless," he said. "They are awards that prop up the existing systems."

Interest in biomaterials including timber, hemp, cork and mycelium has surged recently as architects explore ways of reducing the embodied carbon of their projects.

Several countries and cities have introduced legislation to encourage the use of biomaterials. Natural materials must now make up at least half of all the raw materials used in new public buildings in France.

In New York, the city council just approved the use of mass timber for the construction of buildings of up to 85 feet (25.9 metres) tall.

The studio claims it is London's first multi-storey timber office to since the 17th century

Waugh is co-founder of London timber specialist Waugh Thistleton Architects. London projects by the studio include a demountable office block featuring a hybrid frame made of steel and cross-laminated timber, and a nine-storey timber residential building that was at the time of construction the tallest of its type in the world.

The studio is currently building a five-storey office building in Shoreditch, London, which features an all-timber structure. The architect claims it is the first multi-storey timber office to be built in the city since the 17th century.

A member of the Architects Declare steering committee, Waugh contributed to the RIBA's Built for the Environment report on how to decarbonise architecture. This was published last month ahead of November's COP26 climate conference.

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#interviews #all #architecture #wood #waughthistletonarchitects #woodenarchitecture #climatechange #biomaterials #andrewwaugh

Three vaulted volumes form remote Chilean retreat by Edward Rojas Arquitectos

A trio of vaulted wooden structures connected by an exterior walkway make up this house on the island of Chiloé, Chile, by local firm Edward Rojas Arquitectos.

Casa Abovedada, which means "Vaulted House", sits on a sloped site in Nercón – a small community outside the city of Castro, the capital of Chiloé province and the architect's home base.

Casa Abovedada comprises three wooden volumes with vaulted roofs

The island of Chiloé is known for its unique style of wooden buildings, known as Chilotan architecture, and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The style is influenced both by indigenous Chilean buildings, and the wooden houses and churches built by Jesuit missionaries as early as the 17th Century.

Corridors connect the house's three volumes

In reference to this vernacular, Edward Rojas Arquitectos separated Casa Abovedada into three similar volumes, each of which is topped by a vaulted roof and covered in wooden shingles typical to the region.

To make the most of the home's picturesque setting, the blocks are splayed out to face in different directions.

Arched windows add a contemporary twist to the island of Chiloé's traditional architecture style

"Abovedada House is located on a high-rise terrain with good sun and extraordinary views of the landscape," said the firm.

"[Its] volumes are interconnected by corridors – galleries and terraces that look at the landscape that draws on the horizon the Chilean Patagonia."

Wood is also used throughout the interior, also referencing the local Chilotan architecture

Each end of the home contains bedrooms, with the parents' quarters in the northern block while their children sleep on the opposite side.

The central space is occupied by the communal areas, offering an intermediate area for the family to come together.

The vaulted tops of the blocks are each used for different purposes.

Above the owners' bedroom, the architects included a library and home office. In the children's wing, there are two guest bedrooms on the upper floor.

Stained glass windows enliven the home's central area

"In the central area, enriched by stained glass windows, a mezzanine emphasises the height and the vault as protagonists of the house," said Edward Rojas Arquitectos.

Although the home draws heavily from the influence of the area's traditional architecture, its simplified shape and details like arched or even circular openings lend the project a contemporary appearance.

The central volume acts as a family gathering space, between the bedrooms on either side

The home is almost entirely built of wood, including its structure, exterior cladding, and interior finishes.

According to Edward Rojas Arquitectos, the use of wood and traditional building materials is a central focus of the studio.

The upper level of each volume is designated for a different use

"The architecture that we make, must be born from the context of the work, interpreting the ancestral values of the architecture of the South, and through them projecting contemporary works," the firm said.

Other projects on the remote and rugged island of Chiloé include a self-built retreat for architect Guillermo Acuña with striking red interiors and a hotel by Mobil Arquitectos.

The photography is by Antonella Torti.

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Project credits:

Lead architects: Edward Roja Vega, Esteban Uribe Mansilla

Project team: Carolina Vidal, Valentina Riquelme Quintanilla, Andrea Mansilla Barra

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#residential #all #architecture #wood #houses #shingles #chile #woodenarchitecture #chileanhouses