World's Largest Suspension Bridge Planned in Italy

The controversial plan to build the world's longest suspension bridge are moving forward, connecting Calabria and Sicily across the Strait of Messina. It will span around 2.5 miles and cost in the neighborhood of $6 billion.


via Telegraph UK
more info here

HHF architects - Ruta Peregrino Pavillion

Swiss architects HHF are one of eleven artists and architects that have been commissioned to design rest stops along the Ruta Peregrino (Route of the Pilgrim) pilgrimage path near Guadalajara, Mexico. The trek brings 2 million pilgrims annually, and stretches from Ameca to Talpa de Allende. Looking at google maps that appears to be a distance just over 50 miles!

I can hardly find any info about the walk/route itself or the history. Let me know if you can!

Productora - Ordos 100 House

I posted a few weeks ago on the Ordos 100 Project, and Arch Daily has recently featured the design by Productora. The Mexico City based firm cut up a square structure diagonally to create stepped outdoor breezeways and put most of the building underground. Its simplicity attracted me.

Lowest Level Plan:
Basement Level Plan:

First Floor Plan:

via Arch Daily

Architecture Billings at An All TIme Low

An AIA article has reported that Architecture Billings are at an all time low. Data goes back 13 years, not that far but it still sucks bigtime.
AIA article link here

Hiroshi Kakuchi - Architectural Book Shop + More

Whilst searching for modern furniture inspiration I found this little architectural bookshop in Japan designed by Hiroshi Kakuchi. I loved the simplicity of the cabinetry and millwork.

What really blew me away was their model for the space. They even cut the books! Cool as all hell, but I feel bad for the intern!
Below is another project that caught my eye. Digging the details.


via 2Modern Design Talk

Siftables

MIT gras student David Merrill shows us his invention Siftables. These thing will do wonder for child learning.
Siftables page here

Nendo - Climbing Wall

Japanese designer Nendo has created a clever undulating climbing wall that used mirrors, picture frames, a birdcage, and other items found on walls in a home re-purposed as climbing hand holds.

via IMprinttalk

Nendo has tons of neat work on the website. Some are shown below:

Virginia Tech Arch Program Ranked in Design Intelligence

As a VA Tech alumni I was stoked to see our architecture program ranked in Design Intelligence's 2009 America's Best Architecture & Design Schools.

Undergrad Arch came in No. 2
Grad Arch came in No. 6
Undergrad Industrial Design No. 13 (of 47)
Undergrad Interior Design No. 9 (of 148)
Grad Interior Design No. 6

via VT News

Spite Houses & The Ultra-Small Rowhome

Earlier this week I was heading into Georgetown to deliver a large order of custom made Obama prints I'd put together for a client, and figured I'd spend a few hours walking around and seeing if I could find the smallest, narrowest rowhouse. I purchased a rowhouse shell in Baltimore last year that I turned into a 4BR/4Bath, 2,500 sq ft rental that measures approximately 12'-6" wide on the first floor, and yet doesn't feel that cramped; I began to wonder how small they get!

Doing some googling beforehand turned up some interesting results:

A Washington Post article spotlights an '11 Foot Wide Wonder' that Marilyn Stern of Myres/Stern Architecture/Design purchased two years ago and remodeled.
11' wide... a little narrower than my 12'-6" house, but I kept looking....

This Washington Post article pointed me towards a house on 30th St. NW that was jsut shy of 11' wide, image taken from google maps' street view here... still looking for a smaller one...


While walking down P St in George town I happened upon this ugly little thing that couldn't be more than 8' or 8'-6" wide. Small, hideous, loud.... like a dirty moped screaming down your street at night. It's pictured here on google street view with a for sale sign and an original Mini Cooper out front. likely the owners. Can it get any narrower?

Back at home I found an article telling the tale of a 7' wide 'spite house' in Alexandria, VA, a 10 minute drive from my house. This house is 2 stories, 25' deep for a total square footage of 350.
Article and images from apartmenttherapy.com:

A photo of the house circa 1924:
What is a spite house?
According to wikipedia, its a structure built to annoy someone, blocking out light or access to a neighbor; flamboyant symbols of defiance. We have found the architectural equivalent of the middle finger. Love it!
They are usually built on narrow lots, what was formerly thought of as 'leftover space' or alleys, even access ways.
I'll be looking for these in every city I go to now!

Division One Architects - The Lacey

Division One Architects is a local DC firm that is leading the modern front in the area. This week I went into the Shaw neighborhood in the city and had the chance to check out The Lacey, their newest project at 11th & Florida Ave, NW, which according to the on site superintendent of Eichberg Construction is about 2 weeks away from completion.
The Lacey rounds at at about 24,000 sq ft total, and includes 26 units, starting in the low $300k's.
Four live/work units are included and can be seen on the front with private entrances for customers or clients. Very smart. The floorplans can be seen in this pdf.

Some photos I took while there:

At the south end of the block Division One also has the W Street Residence which was completed a few years ago:
I had first seen Division One's work in Baltimore, in the Patterson Park area at their Hopkins Row project. They were a very modern, luxury rowhouse concept that I assume was aimed at the doctors and high-income professionals at nearby John's Hopkins, but never sold as well as was hoped, and I think the project was shut down. One still stands at about 80% completion.

Letter to Build - From Build LLC's blog

I read this letter and felt it should be shared with all architects. It inspired me. It is a letter from a young architect to them and their response.

click this link which takes you to Build, LLC's blog, and read this post. Reading time approx. 5 minutes. They are great architect, builders, and have been very nice guys to me.

"Architecture is a lifestyle, not a job – keep designing and building whether or not you’re on somebody’s payroll."

L. McComber Architects

I found Montreal's L. McComber Architects in a snippet on Kanye West's blog, and after looking through their site, was incredibly impressed. Most of their work is interior residential remodels, but they have a keen eye for detail and have quite a few sleek, modern interiors shown on their website. Here are a few:

A suspended sleeping loft for a couple with a newborn baby. Douglas fir plywood and tubular steel structure:


Another loft project, which features a translucent floor and digital-like pattern on rails.

Visit their website for more well-detailed work!

Sebastian Brajkovic - Lathe

Designer Sebastian Brajkovic has a new display of work at the Carpenter's Gallery Workshop in London. The idea of the stretched furniture came from a Photoshop function that allows you to stretch a row of pixels. Very cool work.
via Dezeen

Harmon Hotel Las Vegas Suffers Major Construction Error

In another piece of unfortunate news today, The Harmon Hotel & Spa, part of the Las Vegas City Center, was originally planned to rise 49 stories, with 207 condos and 400 hotel rooms, but will now be only 28 stories tall.

A photo I took of the site in early January from my MGM Grand hotel room (building pointed out):
Errors in rebar placement in the structural concrete over 15 floors have forced the developers to limit the height of the structure, completely ommiting the condos. Ouch. 90 of the units were already sold, unfortunately the sales will have to be cancelled, and the deposits are being refunded. The opening has been moved to late 2010.

Photo illustration by the Las Vegas Sun:

The City Center is the largest commercial construction job in US History, coming in at a whopping $9.2 billion, covering 16, 797,000 square feet. Imagine bidding that thing out!

City Center website

via Las Vegas Sun

Koolhaas designed Mandarin Hotel Building Burns

What a huge bummer.
The Mandarin Hotel building in Beijing, part of the CCTV Complex caught fire on Jan. 9 and burned. It was scheduled to open sometime this year, but will obviously be largely delayed.

Image from flickr user 'Ai de ke'

Reuters photos here
Flickr set of fire by user fuzheado here

It is the building in the foreground here:

Case Design, Inc. featured on Archinect

Case Design, Inc. is currently featured on archinect.com, and it just so happens principal Steve Sanderson is an old friend from school (Virginia Tech). It was great to see someone I know doing well and being recognized. Steve was always a badass with regards to his work so it comes as no surprise that he's achieving so much at an early stage.

Case a design technology consultant, they "help clients identify and implement technologies that enable more effective coordination, communication, collaboration and information exchange."

Some projects of theirs:

Case did a geometric rationalization for PARA on their PS.1 proposal.

Case worked with Grimshaw Architects on the Miami Museum of Science to devise a full integration of renewable energy sources to achieve optimal energy efficiency.


While at SHoP Architects (where at least 2 of CASE's members have worked) they managed the 290 Mulberry project. See my previous post on this project here.


Keep it up guys, I look forward to seeing your future work!