Cafe-style seating and muted interiors outfit this New York office that local studio Format Architecture Office has designed with places to mingle, eat and work.

Called Midtown Office, the project spans an entire floor of a high-rise building in New York City's Midtown area. Close to Bryant Park, it was designed for a global tech company that occupies several floors of the building.

Brooklyn studio Format Architecture Office designed the renovation of one floor for the company's executive and sales teams.

Interiors feature white walls and many different floor materials, ranging from pale wood in a herringbone pattern to polished concrete, white tiles and grey carpet. The flooring changes to signal different areas acting like a "code social and work zones," the studio explained.

"Polished concrete and bespoke wood flooring differentiate circulation and gathering space from more utilitarian work zones," said Format Architecture Office.

Other details like white panelled walls of ash wood veneer, nooks with cabinets in different colours, terrazzo and dark accents to offer further distinctions between the different spaces.

The middle of the floor is filled with volumes that house individual pods with glass doors, other meeting areas, private offices, stairwells and restrooms.

A walkway wraps around the centre structure to connect to the meeting rooms and open offices that are arranged around the perimeter of the floor plan, culminating in a long room with a kitchen and dining areas.

"The design approaches the layout of the space from two distinct angles – one, by creating a variety of collaborative and private work zones that maximise efficiency without sacrificing personal space; and two, by anchoring the plan with 'jewel-box' social zones that imbue the project with a boutique sensibility and help to break down the large scale of the floor," the studio said.

Furnishings that add to this "boutique sensibility" include a series of small, black cafe tables and rattan chairs, curved wood booths and a built-in bench that runs across a wall.

Round terrazzo tables attach to the built-in structure with rods in a hooked shape for support.

Pale green cushions add colour, and a geometric mural with soft blue, orange and mustard hues anchors another area with a white high-top table and black barstools. Nearby is a prep station constructed from a free-standing, pale wooden volume.

Rows of white desks, black office chairs and desktop computers can be seen through an archway.

The office spans 30,000 square feet (2,787 square metres) and is complete with a large boardroom.

Swedish studio Halleroed has also designed a floor for an office that has multiple storeys in a building in Manhattan's Garment District with moody details evocative of a David Lynch movie.

Other New York offices include Glossier's headquarters with curvy pink couches, BIG's architecture office in Brooklyn, and the home base of Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global.

Photography is by Nick Glimenakis.

Project credits:

Engineering and lighting design: Cosentini Associates
Consruction management: AECOM Tishman

The post Format Architecture Office imbues Manhattan office with "boutique sensibility" and cafe seating appeared first on Dezeen.

US architecture firm Studio Dwell has stacked a rectangular volume clad with black zinc on top of a pale brick structure to form this residence on a corner lot in Chicago.

Hermitage Residence is located in the Bucktown neighbourhood of Chicago on a residential and commercial street. The clients, a professional couple, asked local firm Studio Dwell for a house with privacy and natural light.

In order to withdraw the 6,800-square-foot (603-square-metre) home from the busy road, the studio installed raised plant beds around its perimeter which reduced the area the brick volume could occupy.

An overhanging structure clad with black zinc is stacked on top of the brick structure to form the second floor.

"In order to provide a buffer from the busy street corner to the home, a deep landscaped relief region was established by drastically carving back the first floor of the residence," the studio said.

"This was further expressed by cladding the first floor in this area with a lighter brick, which produces the effect of a lighter volume supporting a heavier cantilevered volume above."

Rectangular windows of various sizes are cut into each of the structures and outlined with black frames that contrast against the pale bricks.

A grouping of windows on the south elevation flood natural light into the interiors and offer a glimpse of a glass and metal staircase situated in the centre of the house.

Studio Dwell designed the staircase to act as the "epicentre" of the house. It comprises a black steel stringer that is paired with a tempered glass enclosure, steel railing and wood steps. A bed of rocks and plants form a small garden underneath the geometric structure.

"The epicentre of the house is the cantilevered glass and steel staircase that unites the floors," the studio added.

Main living areas, the kitchen and a guest room occupy the ground floor, while the basement houses recreational space. Four bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms are located on the top floor.

All of the walls are painted white and the floors are covered with hardwood. A number of wood accents throughout the houses contrast against the plain walls, including a custom-built teak bench in the master bathroom, a row of cabinets in the dining room and a built-in study unit.

In the kitchen, the cabinetry is finished with white lacquer that matches the white quartz countertops. Three bulb-like pendant lights hang over the kitchen island.

Other details of the house are the grey striped porcelain tiles that clad the walls and floor in the master bathroom and shower and the abstract splatter artwork hanging on the living room wall.

Studio Dwell is a Chicago architecture firm led by Mark Peters. It has worked on a number of projects in Illinois including a house hidden by brick screen and an aluminium clad structure with cantilevered terrace.

Photography is by Marty Peters.

Project credits:

Principal in charge: Mark Peters
Project manager: Jonathan Heckert
Engineer: Louis Shell Structures
General contractor: Allianz Construction Inc

The post Studio Dwell stacks black volume onto brick structure to form top-heavy Hermitage Residence appeared first on Dezeen.

The architecture and design industry has spoken out against racism in America with Bec Brittain, Jessica Walsh and The Future Perfect posting a black square to Instagram, and Harriet Harriss calling for an "an end to this right now".

Others including Yves Behar, Yinka Ilori and Donna Wilson called for racial justice as George Floyd's death in police custody prompted protests across the US.

"Black lives matter"

New York designer Brittain posted an uncaptioned black square.

New York graphic designer Walsh and design gallery The Future Perfect posted the same image. The Future Perfect added in the caption that it was pausing marketing activities so it could "express our solidarity with and support of those voices that need to be amplified".

"We want to step back as a visible commercial body while stepping up as citizens, friends and allies," the gallery wrote. "Black lives matter. The police are rioting."

"Why is it so hard to understand that racism hurts us all?"

"Why is it so hard to understand that racism hurts us all? Only when all members of a society are treated equally and fairly will the country prosper culturally," San Francisco designed Yves Behar wrote on Instagram.

"It's our job to own up to our privileges and biases and times where we let racism slide because it didn't affect us directly," wrote Asian-American architect Dong-Ping Wong.

"It's our job to own up to our privileges and biases"

New York lighting studio Apparatus highlighted racial inequality by reposting a list of activities that white people can enjoy "without thinking twice".

It begins with "I can go birding," in reference to Amy Cooper, a white woman who called the police pretending to be in fear of her life when Chris Cooper, a black man who enjoys birdwatching, asked Cooper to put her dog on a leash in accordance with the park's rules.

"We need an end to THIS right now"

Pratt Institute dean Harriet Harris tweeted a link to a document called "Anti-racism resources for white people".

Including books, articles and podcasts, the resource was created after the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman that Louisville Metro Police shot dead in her bed on 13 March during a search.

"Sharing this brilliant educator resource," Harriss tweeted. "And frankly, because we need an end to THIS right now."

"Care about how black people are treated"

Designers outside America voiced their solidarity. "If you love me, love my work and care about how black people are treated and want to see change then you will fight with me and us for what is right," wrote London designer Yinka Ilori.

"If you don't please unfollow me, I'm not here for your fake love." The message accompanied an image of The True Crown, an artwork by Richard Rawlins depicting a clasped black hand rising from a teacup, which symbolises colonialism.

British architect Adjaye reposted a photograph by Nathan Hibbert showing a blazing Minneapolis housing block set on fire during the 29 May protests.

"We are proud to have such diverse mix of friends and colleagues young and old and appalled that anyone should be treated with a different set of rules in today’s multicultural world," added British textile designer Donna Wilson, alongside a quote from Nelson Mandela.

"I can't breathe"

Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on Monday 25 May when a white officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds while pinning him to the ground. Video footage captured Floyd repeatedly saying "I can't breathe".

His death sparked protests that spread from Minneapolis to cities across the country, including Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City.

"We are mindful of this nation's dark history of racial inequality"

Architecture organisations joined the calls for racial equality. "As Americans, we are mindful of this nation's dark history of racial inequality," said American Institute of Architects president Jane Frederick.

"We are appalled by any actions that further threaten the universal respect and human dignity that everyone deserves," she wrote in a statement titled Everyone deserves universal respect and human dignity.

"The fact is that architects and AIA, in our more than 160-year history, have not always felt compelled to share our perspectives," Frederick said.

"But the times we live in, the horrific nature of the events we witness, and the role we see for every member of our society demands that we speak out."

"We are all horrified by the events that unfolded over the last several days"

American Society of Landscape Architects president Wendy Miller issued a statement saying she was "roiling with emotions".

"We are all horrified by the events that unfolded over the last several days," Miller wrote. "I am personally roiling with emotions, watching in real-time the injustices and inequitable treatment of people and communities who are in anguish because of centuries of racial discrimination."

Black Females in Architecture, a community for black women in the architecture, planning, landscape, urbanism and construction industry, shared a 10-step guide that Mireille Charper created to educate white people on how to be anti-racist.

"As an anti-racist university it is vital that our community's platforms and voices speak up against bigotry and discrimination – to actively listen, educate and advocate for real change," said London design school Central Saint Martins.

Other figures from the fashion industry, including designers Claire Waight Keller, Roksanda Illincic, and Edward Enniful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, also posted support for racial justice issues.

The post Architects and designers declare that "black lives matter" and call for racial justice after George Floyd's death appeared first on Dezeen.

Italian architect Antonio Citterio has completed an apartment building with stone and glass balconies that overlook Miami Beach.

Marking Citterio's first project in the US, Arte is a 12-storey residential tower with 16 units located on a one-acre (0.4-hectare) plot in Miami Beach's Surfside neighbourhood.

Citterio, co-founder of Italian studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, worked with Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design on the project, and first unveiled the design in 2016.

Arte has an unusual shape, which widens towards its centre and then narrow at its top, and is accentuated by glazed balconies with Roman travertine bottoms. The terraces form expansive outdoor living areas for each unit, which are in turn shaded by the floor above.

"The most iconic feature of the building – extruded horizontal terraces – are stacked in a visionary but also highly functional way," the studio said on its website. "They create exceptional outdoor spaces and lounge areas, extending the exquisite interior design to the outside."

Arte, which is named after the sculptural facade, joins a number of housing projects with bold balconies where residents can enjoy fresh air. Others include an apartment block in Austria with zigzagging terraces and a skinny building in Mexico with angled outdoor areas.

The walls of the residences are glazed and detailed with bronze mullions that form a grid pattern across the surface.

A model apartment in the building was furnished by Hallock Design to add to Citterio's design. Finishes in the unit include travertine walls and tiling in the bathroom, a marble backsplash in the kitchen and wood-panelled walls and cabinetry.

Large windows wrap around each of the apartment's main living spaces to provide views of the ocean and city landscapes. Indoor living spaces extend to the outside through large glass doors that open to the wood decks that extrude from the building's exterior.

Amenities of the building include an outdoor swimming pool and beachfront meditation pond. Inside there is a 75-foot-long (23-metre-long) swimming pool, several lounges, fitness centre, yoga studio and sauna room.

American artist Robert Indiana's "ART" sculpture is situated outside the building's front entrance and work by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson composed of coloured spheres hangs in the lobby.

Several seating areas separated by monolithic black volumes are located along the lobby corridor. Each of the lounges features a yellow carpet and beige sofa accented by bright orange cushions and stools.

Gridded windows span the lobby walls to reveal the lush greenery around the property curated by international landscape architecture firm Enzo Enea.

Arte follows the completion of a number of other residential towers in the Miami area, including Renzo Piano's Eighty Seven Park and One Thousand Museum designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Photography is by Kris Tamburello, courtesy of Arte.

The post Stacked balconies wrap Antonio Citterio's Arte tower in Miami Beach appeared first on Dezeen.

The National Organization of Minority Architects has called on the architecture profession to "condemn racism and take an active role in eliminating racial biases" following the death of George Floyd in police custody.

The organisation and profession must do more to bring an end to the "deadly virus" of racism in America said Kimberly Dowdell, the president of National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), in the Public Statement Regarding Racial Injustice.

"As an organisation, we must be more"

"We struggle to grasp for air as we all navigate a global pandemic coupled with the deadly and pervasive virus called racism that has plagued America for over four centuries," Dowdell said.

"Today, NOMA must call for more. As an organisation, we must be more."

Dowdell said tackling the racist treatment of black people and other people of colour (POC) formed part of the architecture industry's professional responsibility to ensure the safety of people.

"Take an active role in eliminating the racial biases"

"As the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), we are calling on our members and our broader professional community to condemn racism and take an active role in eliminating the racial biases that account for a myriad of social, economic, and health disparities, and most importantly, result in the loss of human lives – Black lives," Dowdell added.

"As architects, we are professionally responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The tragic execution of Black Americans at the hands of people infected by racism has plagued our nation for generations."

NOMA was established in Detroit in 1971 by 12 black architects to tackle the effects of racism on the architecture profession.

Recent events prompted Dowdell to enact a new mission statement developed "to better equip our members to be the change that we seek to design for our society".

It promotes for members to NOMA for ALL, an acronym for diverse Access, Leadership and Legacy, and calls for five actions under BRAVE, which stands for Banish racism; Reach out to those who are grieving; Advocate for the disinherited; Vote in every American election; and Engage each human that you meet as you would want to be engaged.

"NOMA's mission, rooted in a rich legacy of activism, is to empower our local chapters and membership to foster justice and equity in communities of colour through outreach, community advocacy, professional development and design excellence," she said.

"Right now, our members are hurting. This is traumatic"

George Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on Monday 25 May when a white officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds while pinning him to the ground. His death has sparked days of protests across US cities including Minneapolis, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City.

Dowell said the first focus of the organisation's first focus was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of members following the recent events.

"Right now, our members are hurting. This is traumatic," Dowdell said. "Before we can confidently advocate for greater economic opportunities for architects of colour, we need to ensure that those very people are first able to breathe."

Members of the architecture and design industry have spoken out against racism in America since his death. Today, architects and designers joined over a million people around the world in posting a black square to Instagram in solidarity with those protesting for racial equality.

Read on for the full statement NOMA published 31 May 2020:

The air in our nation is thick with a profound sense of grief and despair. Our collective air is so very thick that it's literally hard to breathe. We struggle to grasp for air as we all navigate a global pandemic coupled with the deadly and pervasive virus called racism that has plagued America for over four centuries.

As the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), we are calling on our members and our broader professional community to condemn racism and take an active role in eliminating the racial biases that account for a myriad of social, economic, and health disparities, and most importantly, result in the loss of human lives – Black lives. As architects, we are professionally responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The tragic execution of Black Americans at the hands of people infected by racism has plagued our nation for generations.

On this day 99 years ago, the racially motivated burning of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma claimed the lives of over 300 Black residents who were thriving independently in their own community. Just this week, our nation is grappling with the senseless murder of George Floyd, and all of the countless names of Black men and women who have recently lost their lives as a result of hatred, sparked by the color of their skin.

As architects, how can we protect the health, safety and welfare of the public if our country is not properly including Black Americans as full members of our society? Black Americans and other people of color have been subjected to injustice and inequality for far too long. NOMA was founded in Detroit by twelve Black architects in 1971 on the heels of one of the most racially challenging eras in American history. Born out of the Civil Rights Movement, NOMA was formed for the purpose of minimizing the effect of racism on our profession. Today, NOMA must call for more. As an organization, we must BE more.

Over NOMA's five decades of existence, we have borne witness to the seemingly endless tragedies perpetrated against Black Americans and people representing other communities of color. After careful consideration, NOMA has determined that this moment is ripe for us to take a far stronger stance. We have been advocating for justice throughout our history and now is the time to clearly articulate what matters to us the most.

Mission

Our existing mission is to champion diversity within the design professions by promoting the excellence, community engagement, and professional development of our members. While these issues remain important to us, we acknowledge that those words feel hollow in times such as this. Unfortunately, these trying times of racial unrest occur too frequently. While the recalibration of our mission has been in the works for quite some time, our national board has voted to enact NOMA's new mission statement, effective immediately:

NOMA's mission, rooted in a rich legacy of activism, is to empower our local chapters and membership to foster justice and equity in communities of color through outreach, community advocacy, professional development and design excellence.

To be clear, there is power in words and we did not simply rush to react to the current state of affairs. We have been in the process of adopting a new strategic plan for the past several months. In the near future, we will engage our local chapters to establish a revised set of aims and objectives to support our updated mission. NOMA's mission had not changed in over a decade, and we are doing so today in order to better equip our members to be the change that we seek to design for our society. We are taking a stand, and we hope that you will stand with us.

With just over half a year left of my two year term as NOMA's president, I am asking everyone to dig deep and help us battle the circumstances that not only result in racially motivated violence against people of color, but also prevent people of color from entering into and thriving in the profession of architecture. As a professional organization, our primary focus should be on supporting and serving our members. Right now, our members are hurting. This is traumatic. NOMA is here to address this pain in the best ways we know how. Before we can confidently advocate for greater economic opportunities for architects of color, we need to ensure that those very people are first able to breathe.

It so happens that my NOMA presidential platform for 2019-2020 is ALL in for NOMA. ALL is an acronym to promote diverse Access, Leadership and Legacy in the context of the profession of architecture. The other reason for using the word ALL is to signal that this is an effort that we need ALL people to join in. Broadly speaking, we should ALL be struggling to make sense of how our fellow humans are being mistreated. I encourage our White members and allies to take the lead in dismantling racism whenever you see it emerge.

B.R.A.V.E.

We must all leverage our positions of privilege to help our most vulnerable citizens, neighbors and colleagues strive for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I urge you to consider what's happening right now as an American problem that we must all face together. Can we collectively be ALL in for NOMA? More importantly, can we all be BRAVE, as in committing ourselves to the list of items below for which BRAVE is an acronym?

If we can promote these basic ideas in our firms, our organizations and in our communities, our nation will be better for it. Perhaps then, we can all breathe a little bit easier. Only then, can we target our energy and creativity towards designing a better world for all.

In solidarity,
Kim

Photo of Black Lives Matter protest in Miami Downtown, Florida, courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post National Organization of Minority Architects demands end to "deadly and pervasive virus called racism that has plagued America" appeared first on Dezeen.

Dallas artist Jammie Holmes has flown banners showing the last words of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody last week, above American cities.

Holmes flew five different banners showing Floyd's final words over Detroit, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and New York City on Saturday 30 May.

He created capitalised versions of the phrases, "Please I can't breathe", "My stomach hurts", Everything hurts" and "They're going to kill me" in black font so that they could stand out in the sky. The fifth phrase: "My neck hurts" was in red text.

In addition to spreading the words physically, he hopes that photos of the banners in flight are shared widely on social media.

"Airplanes with banners presenting Floyd's final words connected these places across the United States to support Minneapolis in a national protest against police brutality within the African American community," Holmes wrote in an Instagram caption of the images.
⁠⠀
"This presentation is an act of social conscience and protest meant to bring people together in their shared incense at the inhumane treatment of American citizens," he continued.

"The deployment of Floyd's last words in parts of its whole across the country underlines a need for unity and the conviction that what happened to George Floyd is happening all over America.⁠"

African-America Floyd died in Minneapolis on Monday 25 May after white police office Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds while pinning him to the ground. Video footage captured Floyd repeatedly saying "I can't breathe".

His death sparked protests that spread from Minneapolis to cities across the country, including Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City, that have taken place daily over the past week.

Holmes' sky banners form part of a wider response from the creative industry that demands racial justice after Floyd's death in police custody.

The National Organization of Minority Architects has called on the architecture profession to "condemn racism and take an active role in eliminating racial biases" following Floyd's death.

Architects and designers joined over a million people around the world on Tuesday 2 June by posting a black square to Instagram in solidarity with those protesting for racial equality.

Alongside these images, some included links to support funds established for Floyd and those impacted by the protests. These include the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund along with numerous funds to pay the bail of those arrested during the protests.

Graphic designers are also supporting the current protests and the wider Black Lives Matter movement by sharing illustrations and links to resources that people can use to help others and educate themselves.

Photography is courtesy of Jammie Holmes and Library Street Collective.

The post Banners of George Floyd's last words including "Please I can't breathe" are flown over US cities appeared first on Dezeen.

In the light of the murder of George Floyd, architects must accept they have not done enough to tackle racial inequality, write Karen Lu and Mary-Margaret Zindren of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

We grieve and protest the murder of George Floyd. We see the soul-deep exhaustion and pain of the black members of our architecture community and of our broader communities.

We own our responsibility for doing too little in the past

And we realise the weight of this hurt is not just because the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer was so inhumane, so merciless – it is because of the ever-evolving and unrelenting racism in daily life; the layers of disrespect, discrimination, and degradation built up over years, decades, generations, and centuries.

As a predominantly white profession and organisation, and as individuals, we recognise that through our own actions and inactions, through our own lack of care and courage, we have contributed to this exhaustion and pain.

We own our responsibility for doing too little in the past and needing to do so much more in the future to address the systemic inequities that pervade all aspects of life and work in Minnesota, including the practice of architecture.

People matter more than buildings

People matter more than buildings. This must always be so. We are also saddened by the destruction happening in the cities we love. We know, better than most, that buildings are extensions of people. Buildings are designed – by architects – to serve particular human needs. Buildings are designed – by architects – to protect the health, safety and welfare of those who enter them and those whose neighbourhoods they become woven into.

Nearly 300 businesses have been damaged so far, some of them destroyed completely. We know Lake Street. We know University Avenue. They are the connective tissue of the Twin Cities – vital and vibrant in the way "Main Street" is for smaller towns.

We know that the areas of West Broadway, Penn Avenue and other affected sites in our neighbourhoods include the restaurants, bars, barbershops, convenience stores, grocery stores, nonprofits, health clinics, libraries and cultural centres that are as much a part of our home as our own front steps.

Our brokenness is on display to the world

We are angered by the mounting evidence that many of the violent actions and indiscriminate destruction of the past week appear to have been led by white instigators, some from outside our state, whose intentions are to leverage the righteous fury of Minnesotans for the purposes of fueling broader chaos and extremist causes.

Our brokenness is on display to the world. Peaceful and sustained appeals to our shared humanity and our moral compass following the deaths of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark and so many others did not change us enough. If the video showing five excruciating minutes of George Floyd dying and the destruction of the built environment we feel such responsibility for does not change us, what will?

We need to be ready to learn, unlearn, and adapt

"Architects believe they can change the world." When this is said, it is often with cynicism. Yet, there is another way to say it: "Architects believe we can change the world."

What comes next in the wake of all that has happened depends upon us shedding our cynicism and lifting up what we already know: that the best of the built environment, the best of any product, system, or community, has always been the result of deep collaboration; and that the more diverse, equitable and inclusive the collaboration, the more creative and lasting the solutions.

Instead of architects assuming we know what is right and jumping in to assert our experience, expertise and good intentions, we need to step back, listen and be ready to learn, unlearn, and adapt.

We can change our communities and ourselves for the better

Rebuilding what's been lost is impossible – and it's the wrong goal. The buildings, systems, and relationships that existed before came about through design and construction. Before rebuilding, the architecture community must join with others in rethinking, reimagining, and redesigning what's next.

Together, we can change our communities and ourselves for the better. But this will only be true if we reckon with our shared history, if we keep our hearts from hardening, and if we move forward with resolve and humility.

The post "As a predominantly white profession, we recognise that we have contributed to this pain" appeared first on Dezeen.

Concerns about the impact of coronavirus on businesses have begun to "soften", according to a survey by the American Society of Interior Designers, which found many professionals expect work to return to normal within six months.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has released its most recent findings from the Pulse survey it sends every other week to monitor the industry in the US and reactions to Covid-19 from designers, their clients and businesses.

The data reflects the community's perceptions of coronavirus by comparing this survey with the prior one on 12 May.

Impact of coronavirus on designers begins to ease

Half of the respondents reported that the pandemic had made no impact on their work, which is an improvement from 40 per cent found on the previous poll. Five per cent said their business faced a significant impact, also down from 14 per cent from the prior survey results.

"In this pulse survey, the level of concern from the impact of Covid-19 on professional life among the interior design community continues to soften," ASID said. "We have softened our level of concern; however, are cautious in projections for business performance recovery time," it added.

The survey is sent every other week to ASID members, and 175 people participated in the latest online poll that was open from 26 to 27 May. Business owners comprised 77 per cent of pollers, and 35 were employees of manufacturers and retailers.

Respondents were also more positive in this survey about the length of time needed for businesses to recover in response to the question, "If Covid-19 were to end today, how long would you estimate it would take for your company to get back to business performance of February 2020 (prior to widespread Covid-19 impact)?"

Thirty per cent of respondents said three to six months, and another 30 per cent said one to three months, both outweighing predictions for longer recovery periods. ASID said these results are higher than the prior poll "showing industry resiliency".

ASID community eager to reopen but still cautious

The series of charts and graphs outline how work has changed, sentiments on business recovery time and challenges like working in a virtual environment.

Designers expressed thoughts on their home states' reopening timelines in another chart, which compares results from 26 May on the right with those from 12 May on the left. The metrics show the ASID community's eagerness to reopen.

"We experience the impact of Covid-19 differently as some states and businesses begin to re-open, having mixed views on recovery time," ASID said.

"Over half of the respondents (54 per cent) thought their state's reopening timeline was early (18 per cent indicating it being too early), and these respondents most likely indicated higher levels of concern."

Businesses are slowly going back to normal on a state by state basis and many have begun to reopen. US states announced shutdown and stay-at-home measures individually, with the earliest being California on 19 March and the rest in the following days and weeks after.

"State restrictions continue to ease with more businesses and venues gradually reopening," ASID added. "A third of the interior design community indicated never closing their physical space of business operations and almost a quarter have already opened their space,"

"Within three months, 93 per cent of the interior design community expects to be working from their pre-Covid workplace."

ASID survey predicts US design industry recovery time

The survey was created by ASID director of research and knowledge management Dr Susan Chung, who said it is a tool for predicting how long it could take for the US design industry to recover from coronavirus.

"Now is the time to take stock of where the industry and profession stands," Chung said.

"By finding these touchpoints throughout and after COVID-19, we will be able to offer a holistic view of the health of our interior design community and develop new best practices to assist the industry at an individual and organisational level."

The data is used to inform the industry and to help identify best practices, and also guide potential research and provide opportunities the industry needs to move forward.

A number of trend reports have been gathered to speculate on the impact of Covid-19 on various fields. They include Bompas & Parr's Fluid Landscapes report and a restaurant report by Dubai-based studio Roar. Trend forecaster Li Edelkoort voiced her concerns early on about the pandemic, while Ukrainian architect Sergey Makhno predicted homes will change once the pandemic is over.

The post American Society of Interior Designers reports "industry resiliency" as lockdowns ease appeared first on Dezeen.

Grimshaw has revealed the design for an arts complex on the Santa Monica College campus that will comprise three volumes linked by open-air plazas.

The 21,000-square-foot (1,950.9-square-metre) educational facility will replace an existing car park on the western end of the California community college. Grimshaw's Los Angeles office worked closely with faculty at Santa Monica College (SMC) to design the building with the aim to promote experimentation across disciplines.

"Working alongside the arts faculty of SMC to design a building that bolsters their visionary take on the importance of the arts in an evolving entrepreneurial landscape has been inspiring and energising," said managing partner of Grimshaw LA Andrew Byrne.

Featuring walls made from white perforated metal screens and exposed structural beams, the building will be separated into three rectangular volumes connected by a central covered patio and several walkways.

Each of the structures will house a specification of arts education, such as a dedicated area for studios, workshops and staff offices.

Visuals show a white steel structure enclosing the open-air event space and outdoor classrooms that occupy the building’s entry area.

The metal walls wrap around the peripheries of the communal space and also serve as a backdrop for displaying artwork. The perforations will also create dappled light projections across the floors and walls.

Staircases fronted with wood panels lead to the classrooms and workspaces, as well as to the wraparound balconies that overlook the public plaza below.

By leaving part of the roof open to the outdoors, Grimshaw intends to reduce the complex's need for air conditioning. Covered portions will be topped with skylights to offer natural light and solar panels.

The entire structure will be set back from the street and edged with sidewalks and green spaces to reduce the amount of sound entering the surrounding neighbourhood.

The design also features exposed industrial pipes, wood bleacher-style seating and a number of plant boxes.

Santa Monica College was founded in Santa Monica, California in 1929. Other recent additions to the college include a media centre that Los Angeles architecture studio Clive Wilkinson Architects designed with bright yellow siding and angular lines.

Grimshaw was established by architect Nicholas Grimshaw and has offices across the globe including in Los Angeles, New York, London, Sydney and Dubai. Its New York office recently unveiled a design for a coronavirus testing facility. It is also currently working on transforming the Herman Miller factory into a university building in Bath.

The post Grimshaw unveils arts complex for Santa Monica College appeared first on Dezeen.

American firm Feldman Architecture has inserted a glass pavilion between two white stucco volumes to form this residence in San Jose, California.

The Pavilion is situated on a portion of flat land that was cut into a hillside during a fire on the lot several years ago. Feldman Architecture constructed the house hoping to use the site's irregular topography and to accommodate the client's growing family.

It comprises two volumes covered in white stucco and linked in the centre by a glass pavilion. Each of the structures was built to make use of the site's level and inclined terrains and conceal it into its natural landscape.

"Our design team, upon initial visits to the site, aimed to construct a home that both made whole the scarred terrain and benefited from the unusually flat land," the studio said.

"The result provides sweeping views of San Jose and elevated privacy levels – the house is hidden from public view from all but a few spots, organically blending into the surrounding geography."

Black window frame stand out on the pale facade and a series of stone steps at the front of the house. Natural light enters the house through windows and large expanses of glass walls, which are intended to blend the buildings into its grassy surroundings.

"The glass walls disappear into the hills, eliminating visual barriers between the home and the valley below," it added.

The horizontal glass structure houses the open-plan living and dining spaces and kitchen. It is framed with black steel and has large glass doors and windows that open to a rear patio covered by the roof overhang.

Two bedrooms and the master suite are located inside the low-lying wing that extends from the glass pavilion.

A subterranean garage forms the lower level of the taller volume attached to the pavilion's other side. An additional bedroom and sitting room occupy the structure's ground floor and an office loft is situated above that.

Wood panels and crisscrossing track lights cover the ceiling in the pavilion and polished concrete with bluestone inlay is used as flooring.

A fireplace clad with bluestone is placed in front of the windows in the living room and reaches up to the ceiling. A white shelf cuts across the hearth connecting it to a wall of wood cabinets.

In the kitchen, an L-shaped white island doubles as a space for cooking preparation and eating. A wood bookshelf attached to the front of the counter matches the kitchen cabinetry and bluestone forms a wall behind the stainless stove.

Each of the four bedrooms has windows that look out towards the green valley and city landscape beyond.

Feldman Architecture was founded in 2003 it has completed a number of projects in California on grassy lots, including a cedar residence topped with a green roof and a house in Silicon Valley organised around lush gardens and courtyards.

Photography is by Joe Fletcher.

Project credits:

Architect: Feldman Architecture
Landscape architect: Arterra Landscape
Builder: Groza Construction
Structural engineer: FTF Engineering
Civil engineer: TS Civil Engineering

The post The Pavilion by Feldman Architecture has glass walls designed to "disappear" into California hillside appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture firm ODA has designed a residential building in downtown Seattle that splits in half to create an elevated private park.

The proposed design called Seattle Tower would see the construction of a 1,185 foot (361 metre) tower with 1,080 residential units and retail, parking garages and co-working spaces located on its lower levels.

Designed for developer Crescent Heights, the tower has a slender profile that features a gridded white facade marked by equally sized rectangles.

Halfway up the building, each of the four faces has an irregular opening to reveal the outdoor courtyard situated in the middle of the building. The green space is designed as a shared park space for residents and also as a lookout point for viewing the nearby Mount Rainier.

"The void in the middle of the tower serves residents two fold – in placing a shared amenity space outdoors, while offering stunning views provided by Seattle's natural beauty," ODA said.

According to the firm, the design provides an example of a way to create a private outdoor area, which have become invaluable for people to safely get fresh air as they self-isolate in their homes to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

ODA founder Eran Chen was among a number architects that said the pandemic highlighted the need for finding ways to design housing with outdoor space in dense cities.

"There must be a better way to arrange our homes in our increasingly dense cities where we can enjoy our privacy while acknowledging our neighbours, where we can all access outdoor spaces and feel the sunshine on our face," he said.

Renderings of Seattle Tower show an expansive deck furnished with couches and benches and a number of trees and other plants for socialising and enjoying nature. Tiered structures attached to the tower would wrap around the outdoor space providing different vantage points and numerous areas to enter from.

"These elevated amenities offer views of the sea or mountains in the distance, new places to connect with neighbours in spaces big enough to sit outside and feel the wind blow through your hair," the studio added.

Founded in 2007, ODA has completed a number of residential buildings in the United States, including an apartment complex in Brooklyn with colourful window frames and a top-heavy building on New York's Lower East Side.

The post ODA carves high-rise park into residential tower proposed for Seattle appeared first on Dezeen.

New York designer Athena Calderone has renovated her mid-century home in the Long Island town of Amagansett with plaster walls, linen fabric, marble and second-hand finds.

Calderone originally redesigned the house when she purchased it in 2009 with the help of her neighbour, Paul Masi, the founder of local firm Bates Masi Architects.

Ten years later, she has decided to revive the interiors with a pale palette and a combination of contemporary and vintage pieces. Walls are covered in plaster by Kamp Studios, which also added a fluted plaster design on a kitchen island.

"I wanted to choose new materials and new surfaces, and clad things differently and also brighten things up because everything was just feeling a little bit dark, dated and heavy," Calderone told Dezeen.

"The walls were just crisp white, and I wanted to make them plaster and a bit warmer and creamier, so that really changed the house a lot."

In the kitchen, Calderone has replaced reclaimed wood cabinets and shelves with hacked IKEA cabinets featuring doors and drawer-fronts by Semihandmade.

Calderone painted the cabinetry a pale green tone, Ash Grey by Farrow & Ball, that pulls from the veining on the new Calacatta Monet marble counters. "From the marble, the palette of my kitchen was born," said Calderone.

Brass hardware is intended patina over time and vintage finds include the Spanish 1970s woven rattan stools as barstools and a decorative lamp. Calderone has continued this combination of old and new across the home.

"Design is always about a balance," she added. "It's about the yin and the yang. It's about the elevated being pulled down with something that feels a little more artisanal with the touch of a hand."

In the dining area, there is a farmhouse table surrounded by 1960s Italian Sapporo chairs made of walnut with brown leather seats. Overhead is a white, sculptural light fixture by Calderone's friend and sculpture artist Rogan Gregory.

"I love a clash of materials," she said. "I love a clash of periods. I love the tension and the friction that it creates because I think that's what makes beautiful design, and that's what causes people's eye to linger just a little bit more."

Vintage furniture and accessories are a major aspect of the design. "I would say probably 80 per cent of this home has vintage furniture," Calderone added.

"I love what vintage does to home. It adds an unknown history and a timeworn patina."

Linking the dining area to the living room is a custom-made walnut console by Green River Project, two white stools and contemporary art above by Ethan Cook. A column, bulbous pieces of French pottery and Median wall sconces by Apparatus round out the arrangement.

The living room has two cream-fabric vintage chairs of contrasting designs, a pale marble coffee table and a Pasha sofa by Caravane covered in outdoor linen fabric, which is also used on a couch in a den and the kitchen stools.

Calderone said she chose the durable fabric so her home could feel comfortable but still look fresh and clean.

Other pieces in the home are Apparatus sconces on the kitchen ceiling, and an Apparatus Drum table and a rug from Morocco by Beni in the master bedroom. The den has a rug that New York designer Tali Roth did with Empire collection rugs, a sconce by Calderone with Simone Bodmer-Turner, a 1960s French walnut table and a wooden block by Milo Baughman.

The low-slung house is single storey and contains four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Wood floors, clerestory windows and ceilings covered in rope round out the interiors. The residence is complete with a patio, grassy lawn and outdoor swimming pool.

Amagansett is on the far tip of Long Island on the Atlantic Ocean and is home to a number of residences.

Other designers and architects based in New York that have designed their houses include Camp O by Maria Milans del Bosch, a  dark cabin by IDS/R and a concrete block house by the husband-and-wife team behind J_spy.

Photography is by Nicole Franzen.

The post Athena Calderone revitalises her Long Island home with plaster walls and vintage finds appeared first on Dezeen.

US architecture firm William Kaven Architecture has stepped a black house with expansive balconies down a wooded ground to overlook an Oregon forest.

Two stacked rectangular volumes clad with black siding by Aspyre and large windows comprise the geometric 4,352-square-foot (404.3-square-metre) house, which is set on a concrete foundation.

The house called Royal is situated on one of nine plots owned by the local studio and its partners that extend into Forest Park, an urban forest with hiking trails, near downtown Portland.

"Royal is the first of a series of homes to be nested within an epic location deep in Forest Park," William Kaven partner Daniel Kaven said. "The thesis of the design was to live among the trees."

Large expanses of glazing and 735 square feet (68.2-square-metre) of exterior deck wrap the house to overlook the deciduous site and its natural flora, which includes Douglas fir trees and vine maple. In the summer, the tree canopy is intended to mitigate the sun heating the interiors.

On the residence's all black front, an attached garage unit is fronted with glazed doors and a grouping of clerestory windows run along the top of the one-and-half-storey foyer.

Inside, the entry hall opens up to the main living area featuring white oak floors with walnut border inlays. Large windows and sliding glass doors in the room flood light into the interiors and provide views of the natural landscape.

Two box-like spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows jut out from the open-plan living area to form a cantilever over the planters and terraces that edge the house.

The living area has a grey dual-fuel fireplace is paired with a number of wood furnishings custom-made by local studio The Good Mod. The wood pieces include a long dining table, kitchen stool and chairs.

Each of the four bedrooms is oriented towards the east where the sun rises and has an attached balcony for enjoying the outdoors.

William Kaven is Portland architecture studio founded by brothers Daniel Kaven and Trevor William Lewis in 2004. The firm also designed a concrete and blackened timber residence that overlooks Lake Michigan.

Photography is by Jeremy Bittermann.

Project credits:

Partner-in-charge: Daniel Kaven
Partner-in-charge: Trevor William Lewis
Director of architecture: Mike Perso
Director of interiors: Katy Krider
Project designer: Joel Dickson
Project designer: Max Taschek

The post Black wood and glass volumes stagger down Oregon woodland to form Royal house appeared first on Dezeen.

Architects should stop designing jails and prisons, which are representations of systemic racism in the US, if they want to really impact the fight for racial equality, says Michael Ford.

Ford told Dezeen that designing buildings for confinement conflicts with an architect's role to protect people.

He said these buildings particularly represent an unjust system in America, where African Americans are incarcerated at over five times the rate of white people, according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"If architecture is honestly concerned with the health, safety, and welfare of the public, we can not agree to have our professionals designing prisons!" Ford said.

"The future is now! Architects can immediately stop working on spaces which disproportionately impact the lives of African Americans, and inhumanly treat people in general, such as prisons and jails!"

Hip-hop is "saturated with critiques of the built environment"

The architectural designer, who brands himself as the "hip-hop architect", runs free Hip Hop Architecture camps to teach children in minority communities about architecture, urban design and planning through music. He told Dezeen in a 2018 interview that his aim is to spread the word about architecture, which is commonly "represented by white males", to underrepresented groups.

Ford spoke to Dezeen following the death of African American George Floyd in police custody, which sparked protests against police violence across the US. He said hip-hop lyrics offer "visions for better communities" that have defeated racism.

"The lyrics are saturated with critiques of the built environment and when juxtaposed with visions of architects and urban planners, the lyrics provide the urban reality of urban renewal," Ford said.

"The lyrical dexterity of hip hops' emcees not only critique the built environment but simultaneously provide visions for better communities to those who are able to hear and understand the double entendres found within the complex rhyme schemes."

Competition launched for Just City that has "dismantled racism"

Following on from this, and in light of Floyd's death, Ford launched the Hip Hop + Architecture as Design Justice competition calling for city designs based on hip hop.

"We are teaming with hip-hop artists to challenge people to use hip-hop tracks about protests, to visualise new places and spaces for a Just City," Ford said, "A city which has defeated and dismantled racism."

Ford has also established #DesignasProtest with designer and activist De Nichols, and architect Bryan Lee Jr.

The initiative is described as a "black-led organising effort, in solidarity with the Black Lives Movement to marshall creative design strategies to dismantle the privilege and powers structures that use #architecture and #design as a tool of oppression".

Support those "actively working to diversify" the profession

The architectural designer said others in the profession can immediately create change by supporting those protesting and donating to organisations including the George Floyd memorial fund and Justice for Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead in bed by police officers on 13 March.

"Some immediate actions include donating money to people who are on the frontlines of the protests and those who are actively working to diversify the design profession," he said.

Floyd died in Minneapolis on 25 May after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Architectural organisations have responded by expressing guilt about and the profession's responsibility for creating racial inequality. "As a predominantly white profession, we recognise that we have contributed to this pain," wrote leaders of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The National Organization of Minority Architects also demanded an end to the "deadly and pervasive virus called racism that has plagued America".

Read on for Ford's list of organisations to support:

Organisations focused on diversifying the design profession:

Request a Hip Hop Architecture Lecture
Host a Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Donate to Hip Hop Architecture Camp

Support those on the front lines fighting for justice:

Help The Family of George Floyd
Fight for justice for Breonna Taylor
Help the family of Ahmaud Arbery
Donate to one or more community bail funds to help protestors

The post "Stop working on spaces which disproportionately impact African Americans" says architectural designer Michael Ford appeared first on Dezeen.

Architects and designers have created a public Google Docs spreadsheet to highlight design, architecture, engineering or planning studios founded by black, indigenous and people of colour.

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh, architects Dong-Ping Wong, Tei Carpenter, Dominic Leong, Preeti Sriritana, Oana Stănescu, Joey Swerdlin, Naïla Opiangah, critic Esther Choi, artist Hassan Rahim, and designer Mahfuz Sultan made the spreadsheet to document minority studios that may have job opportunities.

Called BIPOC Studios, the acronym for black, indigenous and people of colour, the spreadsheet was made public on 4 June following the death of George Floyd in police custody. It currently lists 108 studios and the group intend to update it continually.

BIPOC studios listed with job openings 

"A live and growing list of BIPOC architecture, industrial design, landscape, graphic design, urban planning, fabrication... studios from around the world," said architect Dong-Ping Wong in a photo posted to Instagram.

"About half of them black-owned and led."

Among the main aims of the project is to raise awareness of jobs available at studios and encourage emerging architects and designers to apply for them.

"If you own, run, work at or know of BIPOC-owned design, architecture, engineering or planning studios please DM me with info," said architect Dong-Ping Wong in a photo posted to Instagram. "I'm compiling a public google doc to make it easier to find jobs at these studios."

Columns highlight black- or women- owned studios

Contributors fill out a series of columns in the spreadsheet that include name, location, type of work, whether the business is black- or women- owned, and whether they have job opportunities. Dong-Ping, who runs New York firm Food, has encouraged users to send their portfolios to the studios either way.

"For the young designers looking to apply to offices and seeing a ton on the list that aren't labelled as hiring, send them your portfolios anyway," Dong-Ping said. "It doesn't mean they aren't hiring and trust me you never know where an office is at week by week, including mine."

Architecture institutions respond to racial inequality

George Floyd died on 25 May when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, setting off protests against police brutality and racism across the US.

Architects, designers and institutions responded to the unrest after Floyd's death by accepting the profession's responsibility for racism and calling for it to be proactive in creating racial equality.

Leaders of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects admitted they had done "too little in the past" to address the systemic inequities, while the National Organization of Minority Architects amended its mission statement in a bid to "take an active role in eliminating racial biases".

The post Architects and designers create Google Docs spreadsheet listing black-owned studios appeared first on Dezeen.

Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture at Taliesin will change its name and move its campuses to the Cosanti and Arcosanti sites Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri designed in Arizona.

School dean Chris Lasch told Dezeen it was in the process of moving from Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona and Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The Cosanti residence and studios will serve as the main campus, while the experimental town Arcosanti will be an additional site.

First reported by the Architect's Newspaper, the news comes as the school severs ties with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation after the two failed to come to a financial agreement.

The split means the school, which Wright established in 1932, needs to leave the buildings that are owned by the foundation, and find a new name.

"Paolo Soleri's architecture can also be a valuable teaching tool"

Lasch, who is serving as interim president following the resignation of Aaron Betsky, said the Soleri-designed sites owned by the Cosanti Foundation would allow the school to continue the hands-on approach to teaching architecture that Wright established.

"Being able to find a place where we can continue our kind of immersive architectural education experience and having the space to do these experimental design, build projects on campus make these places a really good fit," he told Dezeen.

"They are kind of similar places, designed around the idea that learning and practicing architecture would happen in a hands-on way that is the foundation of the work at Taliesin and Taliesin West."

Late architect Soleri, who studied at Taliesin West, set up Cosanti on a five-acre site in the 1950s. Designated as an Arizona Historic Site, it comprises structures that he built with students including his residence, a student dormitory, outdoor studios and a performance space. Many are earth-cast, a process that involves setting concrete over earthen structures.

Soleri began work on Arcosanti in the 1970s, with the intention to explore his concept of arcology, a term he coined to merge the terms architecture and ecology.

Cosanti and Arcosanti offer "room for experimentation"

The school will begin by using the two sites as a base for online summer classes, following a number of educational institutions that have gone virtual as part of regulations during the coronavirus pandemic. The move will be made permanent if the state of Arizona and the Higher Learning Commission approves the sites for in-person classes.

This will also mark the second name change for the school, which was originally called the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and funded by the foundation that Wright set up in 1940. It was renamed School of Architecture at Taliesin in 2017 as part of the start of its break from the parent organisation.

Wright, who is considered most of the most important architects from the 20th century, established the school to teach the Taliesin Fellowship apprenticeship, which allowed 50 to 60 students to study under the architect. Following his death, the school programme continued to teach with his experimental ethos.

Lasch said that the move to Cosanti and Arcosanti could offer more opportunities for students.

"Paolo Soleri's architecture can also be a valuable teaching tool, especially when it comes to methods, material experimentation and a kind of different view of urbanism that Arcosanti especially offers in a way," he said.

"In a way to Cosanti and Arcosanti are less precious than Taliesin," he added. "They are living and working sites, so there is a lot of room for experimentation."

"Moving away from the historic Wright campuses was not our choice"

The move comes in the wake of uncertainty about the future of the school, which announced it would close in January because it could not come to a financial agreement with the parent organisation. The school board then voted to keep it open after a public outcry allowed it to secure additional funding allowing it to function independently.

"Moving away from the historic Wright campuses where we've been housed the last maybe 88 years was not our choice, and certainly we would have preferred to stay there," Lasch said.

"When it became clear that the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation was unwilling to renew our memorandum of understanding (MOU), we needed to leave Taliesin and Taliesin West but it was important to us to keep our programmes going and be able to deliver the same programme that our students have signed up for."

"We're very grateful and excited about our new collaboration with the Cosanti Foundation."

Aaron Betsky announced his resignation as president afterwards following a bitter fight to save the experimental institution. "The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has done its best to stymie our vision and spirit," he wrote in an Opinion for Dezeen detailing the behind-the-scenes battle to save the school.

Architect Ben Aranda, who runs firm Aranda\Lasch with Chris Lasch, was among those against anticipated closure, calling it a "tragedy", while Blair Kamin described it as an "End of an era" on Twitter.

Photo of Arcosanti is by Carwil, courtesy of Wikipedia.

The post Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture at Taliesin is moving to Paolo Soleri's Cosanti appeared first on Dezeen.

The Los Angeles film producer behind American Psycho has created a cantilevered mirrored house near Joshua Tree National Park, designed to look like a New York skyscraper on its side.

Producer Chris Hanley completed Invisible House on a remote site 10 minutes from Downtown Joshua Tree, California, that he chose with the advice of British architect David Adjaye. The property is available to rent for filming, photography and events.

Hanley then worked with architect Tomas Osinski to develop a long and slender steel-frame house clad in mirrored, tempered glass typically used for skyscrapers. It is elevated above the ground on cylindrical concrete columns, forming a cantilever at one end.

Inside, the mirrored glass walls offer expansive views of the private 90-acre surrounds, while the metal structure is left exposed in the ceiling.

The 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) house is designed as one long, continuous entertaining space around a 100-foot-long (30-metre-long) indoor swimming pool.

The living room and dining area are arranged on the concrete floor around the pool. They include different setups of sofas and chairs. Sliding glass doors also form a large portion of the wall on the west side to open the interiors up to the outside.

The pool ends at a white wall designed as a projection screen for movies, while at the other end is a kitchen designed to be suitable for catered events.

The remaining areas, including four bedrooms and bathrooms, are separated by white partitions rather than doors with views of the desert. Furnishings continue the aesthetic of the house, including a glass bed frame and an exposed glass shower.

Other details include a series of photovoltaic panels on the roof that are used to created energy for electricity and water heating.

Hanley is an LA-based producer behind films including American Psycho, The Virgin Suicides​ and Spring Breakers​. He also has plans to build another house from splayed shipping containers in nearby Joshua Tree National Park.

Called Container House, and designed by London architect James Whitaker, the proposal was one of Dezeen's most popular stories in 2017.

A mid-century home that Los Angeles studio Mini Inno recently renovated into a holiday home, a weathering steel cabin by Cohesion Studio, which is also available to rent, and a black house Oller & Pejic designed to look like a shadow are among other houses in the US national park.

The post Mirror-clad Invisible House reflects its desert surrounds appeared first on Dezeen.

Six pine buildings form this storm-resilient marine research centre in Mississippi designed by US architecture firm Lake Flato Architects.

The Marine Education Center (MEC) is an educational facility that is part of The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

It is located in Ocean Springs on a 500-year-old floodplain that has recently been affected by three major storms, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Lake Flato Architects was tasked with designing a research lab that could withstand future catastrophic weather events without infringing on the site's natural environment.

"Considering natural disasters and durability, the design focused on using and maintaining the land to serve as the first line of defence," the studio said.

The complex comprises 29,700 square feet (2,759 square metres) spread across six pavilion-like pine structures that house classrooms, laboratories, offices, and assembly and exhibition space.

Resilient Design Institute, a non-profit organisation that helps communities affected by climate change and natural disasters, worked with the studio to choose construction materials that would not contaminate water in the case of a major storm.

Each of the buildings is clad with locally sourced southern yellow pine wood and features exposed wood beams and trusses that strengthen the structures. The administration building and exhibition space are connected to one another via a covered walkway.

A metal pedestrian bridge forms a pathway across the forested bayhead to connect the laboratories and classrooms to the lower campus. An additional pavilion located at the shore of the bayou is lifted above the water level by a series of concrete pillars.

The studio consulted with biologists and coastal ecologists to identify ideal building lots. The aim was to find high elevations to avoid flooding and areas with that would result in minimal impact on the existing natural environment, while providing access to the nearby bayou.

All of the buildings are situated on land where old, damaged trees have been removed and where groups of strong trees able to withstand winds up to 180 miles per hour (289 kilometres per hour) are planted.

"The buildings were sited within the existing tree canopy, allowing the trees to serve as a natural wind buffer," it added.

Inside the buildings, walls are panelled with white oak and the ceilings feature crisscrossing wood rafters and joists.

Marine Education Center was recently named one of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) top 10 projects.

Founded in 1984, Lake Flato Architects has designed a number of educational facilities across the United States including Josey Pavilion and a petal-like pavilion for Confluence Park, which are both in Texas.

As changing climate and rising sea levels affect waterfront constructions across the globe a number of architects are designing structures that can withstand natural disasters. Examples include The Water Institute of the Gulf, a waterfront building in Louisiana that can remain open during floods.

Photography is by Casey Dunn.

The post Pine pavilions form Marine Education Center in Mississippi by Lake Flato Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Boston architecture firm Machado Silvetti has been selected to preserve an 18th-century home in Virginia once owned by a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The work is for Francis Lightfoot Lee's home in northeast Virginia near Warsaw. Also known as the Menokin house it has fallen into ruin over the decades, and it will be revitalised with a glazed addition by Machado Silvetti.

Lee was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence that was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on 4 July 1776, in which 13 colonies declared themselves independent of the British Empire, and claimed themselves to be the United States of America.

Lee was one of seven men from Virginia who signed the declaration, and his house was declared a US National Historic Landmark in 1971. Built in 1769 with stone, brick and timber, it is an example of 18th-century residential architecture in the US.

Machado Silvetti was selected to design the preservation project by the Menokin Foundation, which was established in 1995 to protect the remains of Lee's house. Called The Glass House Project, the design will use a gridwork of glass and steel to rebuild portions of the home's missing gabled roof, walls and floors.

The glazed addition will be on the front right corner of the 18th-century home, allowing for views from the outside in, and expansive views of the surrounding countryside while indoors.

The house sits on 500 acres (202 hectares) on the outskirts of Warsaw in northeast Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay, and was once a tobacco plantation.

"The remains of the Menokin Plantation challenged our imagination to develop a design that, while preserving and restoring what exists, would provide the visitor with an innovative, distinctive experience," said Jorge Silvetti, co-founding principal of Machado Silvetti.

"Without resorting to reconstruction or re-enactments of past actions, the work we developed together with the Menokin Foundation and the extraordinary professional team of consultants, advisors, and supporters, will engage the visitor in an immersive experience provoking not only their curiosity but their active imagination," Silvetti added.

Remaining portions of the home will be also preserved, and new steps and railings will be added on top of the original stairs outside.

Machado Silvetti's glass construction will enclose portions of the home that have fallen into disrepair and left exposed to the elements. Portions of the interiors will be rebuilt and feature white walls and minimal detailing.

"It will allow visitors to fully understand the original house, re-establish its overall configuration, its footprint and its functions, and from both the outside and the comfort of the inside, highlight its relationships to the natural environment," said the studio.

"At the same time, it will reveal, at close range, what is usually not seen: the work of restoration and conservation, the materials used and the methods and craftsmanship involved in local construction."

Construction has begun, and the project is expected to complete in 2023.

Machado Silvetti was founded by Silvetti and Rodolfo Machado in 1985, and has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The practice has also designed an extension for a museum with green tiles in Sarasota, Florida and the renovation of the Denver Art Museum by Gio Ponti.

Images are by Machado Silvetti.

Project credits:

Glass design: Eckersley O’Callaghan
Historical architect: Encore Sustainable Architects
Preservation technology: John Fidler
Landscape architect: Reed Hilderbrand
Construction: Consigli Construction Co Inc
Archaeology: DATA Investigations LLC
Lighting design: Tillotson Design Associates

The post Machado Silvetti designs glass enclosure for Virginia home of signer of Declaration of Independence appeared first on Dezeen.

Architecture firm Olson Kundig has designed five pavilions with overhanging roofs to form this residence situated on a lava field in Hawaii.

Hale Lana is a 17,200-square-foot (1,598-square-metre) house designed for a couple who wanted ample space to host large gatherings on Hawaii's Big Island.

Its name translates to "floating home" as each structure is lifted slightly above the lava bed – a plain of flat lava flows. Piles of the red and black rocks are situated around the grassy property and form a cascading hill at its edge.

"The intention was for the home to feel like a canopy on the Hawaiian landscape, transparent between inside and outside," said Olson Kundig design principal Tom Kundig.

Glass walls and open walkways face the lush greenery and monolithic rock walls that enclose the property.

Corrugated metal covers the house's double-pitched roofs, which are modelled after traditional homes on the island. The expansive covering spans across each unit to cantilever over the wood decking edging each structure.

"Hale Lana's roof picks up on the local Hawaiian vernacular, where large canopy roofs gather prevailing trade wind breezes and keep them moving through the building,"Kundig added.

"However, this project takes that idea to a new level structurally with a very long cantilever and an extremely precise leading roof edge."

Each of the five wood volumes is fronted with sliding glass doors that open onto the covered terraces wrapped around each of the units.

A series of adjustable wood shutter screens attach to a track installed in each building to allow for control over changing environmental conditions, such as sun exposure and wind direction.

The largest structure is encased with sliding glass doors houses the kitchen, main living area and several bedrooms. A covered lanais, or veranda, connects it to the other four buildings: a master suite, guest suite, utility space and cabana.

Inside, the ceilings are clad with wood planks seamlessly continued from the underside of the roof canopy.

A full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a black bar counter and seating furnish the cabana, which faces a long swimming pool situated in the backyard.

Wood benches, outdoor dining tables and couches are arranged on the deck spaces between the connecting units.

Since Olson Kundig was founded in 1966 by architect Jim Olson the practice has completed a number of projects, including a residence nestled into the Brazilian rainforest and a large house in Los Angeles overlooking West Hollywood's Sunset Strip.

Walker Warner Architects has also designed a house in Hawaii that comprises several structures and designer Will Beilharz also constructed a tiny wood guest house on a lava field on Big Island.

Photography is by Nic Lehoux.

Project credits:

Design principal: Tom Kundig
Project manager: Todd Matthes
Project architect: Katherine Ranieri
Architectural staff: Gregory Nakata
Interior design: Debbie Kennedy
Interior design staff: Amanda Chenoweth, Kathy Hanway, Maresa Patterson and Crisanna Siegert
General contractor: Schuchart/Dow
Civil engineer: Kona Wai Engineering
Structural engineer: MCE Structural Consultants
Mechanical and electrical engineer: WSP
Landscape architect: David Y. Tamura Associates
Lighting design: Niteo Lighting
Pool consultant: Kai Pono Builders
Steel and timber fabrication consultant: Spearhead Inc.

The post Olson Kundig Hale Lana house rises above lava field in Hawaii appeared first on Dezeen.