Pyrmont Fire Station Restoration
Building: Pyrmont Fire Station
Location: Pyrmont, New South Wales
Address: 147 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Original Construction: 1906
Renovation Completion: 2016
Square Footage: 13670 sq ft
Original Architect: Walter Liberty Vernon
Renovation Architect: GroupGSA
Structural Engineer: Birzulis Associates
Acoustic: Acoustic Logic
Contractor: Artel Construction
Systems: Erbas
Project Manager: NSW Public Works
AE Interests: Renovation and restoration, upgraded structural integrity using moment frames, state of the art materials used alongside original building connecting old and new. Original architecture is in the Federation Free style.
Javits Center
Building: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Location: New York City, New York, USA
Address: 455 11th Avenue, New York, NY, 10001.
Architect: James Ingo Freed
Completion: 1986
Associate Architect: Lewis, Turner Partnership
Structural Engineer: Weidlinger Associates (Thornton Tomasetti) and Salmon Associates
Mechanical / Electrical Engineer: Syska Hennessy Group, Pierre A. Dillard Associates
Client: New York Convention Center Development Corporation, Subsidiary of New York State Urban Development Corporation
Square Footage: 1,600,000 square feet
AE Interests: The Javits Center transformed the idea of a convention center from a windowless box to welcoming public building through an exposed structural system and space frame components. The Javits Center harmonized steel, concrete, and glass. The green roof serves as a sanctuary for wildlife, stores rainwater, and reduces heat flux into the building.
Original post by Stacy Chu on September 1, 2009
Tower of Light – Manchester, UK
Building: Tower of Light
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Address: Lower Mosley St, Manchester M1 5HA, United Kingdom
General Contractor: Vital Energi
Architect: Tonkin Liu
Structural engineer: Arup
MEP Engineer: Vital Energi
Lighting Consultant: SEAM Design
Facade Contractor: Axis Envelope Solutions
Planning Consultant: Turley
Steelwork Fabricator: Shawton Engineering
Tile Manufacturer: Darwen Terracotta
Completed: February 2022
Building Use:
Tower that supports and encloses flues for a low-carbon energy center
AE Interests:
biomimicry, 37m tall sculptural chimney, minimal material usage, light and thin single surface structure, largest built shell lace structure inspired by mollusk shells formation, Manchestor’s historic district, energy landmark, improves energy efficiency by 45%, saves 1,600 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, tailored laser-cut stainless steel sheets welded together, 6-8 mm thick base that tapers to 4mm thick at the top, geometry optimized facade
Kudadoo Maldives Private Island Resort – Lhaviani Atoll, Maldives
Building: Kudadoo Maldives Private Island Resort
Location: Lhaviani Atoll, Maldives
Area: 6500 m²
Year Completed: 2018
Architects: Yuji Yamazaki Architecture
Manufacturers: Pimet Rouge Lighting, Togama Mosaic, Warisan
Solar Energy Consultant: Solarwork
Environmental Consultant: CDE Consulting
AE Interests: Use of solar panels; producing 320kWp of electricity, which suffice to operate the entire island without diesel fuel, integrated into the design instead of trying to hide them as if it is something to be ashamed of or shy about, a great example of singular language throughout the whole project with heavy use of timber, artificial ventilation systems well integrated as well.
[Essay]
Lijia Smart Hall – Chongqing, China




Building: The Lijia Smart Hall
Location: Chongqing, China.
Architect: MAD Architects
Engineer: Gensler
Client: Chongqing Lian Iiang New Area Development & Investment Group
Constructed Area: 12,500m2
Site Area: 20,000 m2
Completed: 2022
AE Interests: Y-shaped structural parametric design and its use of sustainable materials on the facade
Casona Sforza – Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: Casona Sforza
Location: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
Client: Ezequiel Ayarza Sforza
Architecture Firm: Taller de Arquitectura X
Principle Architect: Alberto Kalach
Contractor: Efrain Salinas
Site: 4500 m^2 or 49000 sf
Completion: 2021
AE Interests: Sustainability, Locally sourced materials, Millinery architecture, Seismic design, Air circulation through arches, Wastewater treatment plant, Harmonious integration
IKEA West Station Vienna – Vienna, Austria
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Building: IKEA West Station Vienna
Location: Westbahnhof, Vienna, Austria
Client: IKEA
Architect: Querkraft Architekten
Structural Engineer: Thomas Lorenz ZT GmbH
Electrical Engineer: TB Eipeldauer + Partner GmbH
Area: 21600 m^2 or 232500 ft^2
Project Manager IKEA construction: Robert Charuza
Retail and Real Estate: Sandra Sindler-Larsson
Project Manager: Carmen Hottinger and Ursula Konzett
Completed: 2021
AE Interests: Sustainability, Green Roof, Structural system above subway below, multi-use building design
Botswana Innovation Hub – Gaborone, Botswana
Building: Botswana Innovation Hub
Location: Gaborone, Botswana
Completed: 2021
Area: 270,000 sqft
Architect: SHoP Architects
Structural Engineer: Arup
MEP Engineer: Buro Happold
Civil and Geotechnical Engineer: Langan
Landscape Architect: Hood Design
Virtual Design and Construction and Integration Service: SHoP Construction
AE Interests: The surrounding topography impacted the design of the building’s form; the main spinal corridor facilitates interactions; solar panels cover the parking for space-efficient renewable energy; construction intended to minimize disruption of the surrounding environment.
[Essay]
Athenæum – Univ. of Texas, Dallas Texas
Building: Athenæum, UT Dallas Arts and Performance Center
Location: Richardson, TX, USA
Client: The University of Texas at Dallas
Completed: To be completed in 2025
Cost: Phase 1: $10,337,851
Area: 56,600 ft² / 5,258 m²
Parking Structure: 1,100 cars
Construction: 2021-2024
Structural Engineer: Datum Engineers
Design Partner: Arne Emerson
Project Architect: Carolyn Ng (Morphosis)
Project Designer: Daniel Pruske
Local Consulting Architect: GFF
Landscape Architect: Talley Associates
Civil Engineer: Pacheco Koch Design
MEP Engineer: Buro Happold
MEP Engineer of Record: Campos Engineering
AE Interests: The museums and performing arts hall are approached as volumes “carved” out of an overall two-story mass, with sympathetic forms and outdoor spaces opened up between the structures. The buildings are clad in intricate, striated facades of light-colored precast concrete, with large lobbies and glazed atriums linking interiors to the activity of the plaza and inviting visitors in. Thematic gardens offer more peaceful outdoor spaces in contrast with the liveliness of the central plaza. Overall, the design of the O’Donnel Athenæum is meant to create a sense of holistic identity for the arts district, making it a new public-facing presence for the University at the major southern gateway to the campus.
[Essay]
House of Dior – Seoul, South Korea
Images [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Building: House of Dior
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Address: 464 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Architect: Christian de Portzamparc
Local Architect: DPJ & Partners – David-Pierre Jalicon
Interior Design: Peter Marino Architect
Structural Engineer: CS Structural Engineering
Facade Engineer: GFRP
Metal Facade: Iljin Unisco
Lightning: L’Observatoire International
Main Contractor : Kolon Global
Completed: 2015
AE Interests:
Glass Facade, Molded Resin Facade, Fiberglass panels, Facade imitating fabric, High performance glazing, complex geometry
Diamond Island Community Center – Saigon, Vietnam
Building: Diamond Island Community Center
Location: Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Area: 1450m2
Date of Completion: 08/2015
Client: Binh Thien An JSC
Principal Architect: Vo Trong Nghia
Design Team: Le Thi Anh Huyen
Contractor: Wind and Water House JSC
AE Interests: Use of bamboo as a construction material, prefabricated structural units for ease of assembly, sustainability in natural ventilation and passive cooling system
Sky Boat – Baise, China
Building: Sky Boat
Location: Baise, China
Started: 2019
Completion: 2022
Architect: Zhong Huaying Studio
Structural Engineer: XinY & Yuanlizhu
Principal Contractor: China Railway 25th Group 6th Company
AE Interests: china, steel-frame, mountain building, glass structure, beam supported, restaurant, club, 34 meters cantilevers, intricate steel structures, truss structures, glass glazing
[Essay]
Sluishuis – Amsterdam, Netherlands




Building: Sluishuis
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Client: BESIX, VORM
Started: 2017
Completed: 2022
Area: 46,000 m2
Architect: Barcode Architects, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Structures: Van Rossum
Building Physics Consultant: Buro Bouwfysica
Sustainability Consultant: Klimaatgarant
AE Interests: Incredibly energy efficient building through use of extensive insulation, heat pumps, and roof-mounted solar panels, built upon the water and incorporates that into its design, double-cantilevered corner of building forms gateway to the water, floating islands surround the building which hold gardens, jetties, and general areas for recreation
Articles [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
[Essay]
Gilder Center – New York, NY




[1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: Gilder Center
Location: New York, New York
Address: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Developer: American Museum of Natural History
Architect: Studio Gang
Executive Architect: Davis Brody Bond
Landscape Architect: Reed Hilderbrand
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Acoustic and Audio Visual Consultant: ARUP
MEP Engineer: Buro Happold
Facade Consultant: Buro Happold
Civil and Geotechnical Engineer: Langan
Lighting Consultant: Renfrow Design Group
Sustainability Consultant: Atelier Ten
Theatre Design: Tamschick Media + Space & Boris Micka
Size: 190,000 Sq ft
Year Completed: 2023
Budget: 431 million
AE interests: Advanced cavern and bridge system connecting 10 different building at the heart of the AMNH to accommodate the annual attendance of 5 million people. Targeting LEED gold.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church – New York, NY
Images [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Building: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Location: New York, NY
Address: 130 Liberty Street, New York, NY
Client: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Cost: $58 million
Area: 4500 sf
Groundbreaking: October 18, 2015
Completed: December 6, 2022
Architecture: Santiago Calatrava
Structural Engineering: Thornton Tomasetti
General Contractor: Skanska USA
Lighting Design: DLR Group
Blast Engineering: AVRO Consult Engineering
Iconographer: Father Loukas of Xenophontos
AE Interests: Reconstruction after tragedy, religious iconography, symmetry, reverent lighting, Byzantine geometry, reinforced arch, open interior
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
35 Hudson Yards – New York City, U.S.A.
Building: 35 Hudson Yards
Design Completion: 2015
Construction Completion: 2019
Height: 1000ft
Cost: ~$2 Billion
Floor Area: 1,130,000 ft^2
Architects: SOM, Kohn Peterson Fox Associates
Structural Engineer: SOM
Contractor: Tishman Realty & Construction Co.
Essay
Cellophane House – New York, New York
Building: Cellophane House
Location: New York, United States
Time of Construction: 16 days
Time of Dissasembly: 2 days
Area: 1,800 ft²
Architect: KieranTimberlake Associates (KTA)
Lighting Designer: Arup
Building Integration Assembly: Kullman Buildings Corp.
Watts Per Square Foot: 1.3
Commissioner: Museum of Modern Art
AE Interests: Construction for Dissasembly, Prefabricated/Manufactured architecture, integrated assemblies, modular construction, sustainability, energy conservation, aluminum frame, flexible building systems, built in 16 days, temporary exhibit at MoMA NYC.
See also: Loblolly House
[Video]
Eastgate – Harare, Zimbabwe
Building: Eastgate Centre
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Address: G13 Eastgate New Complex, Zimbabwe
Developer: Old Mutual Properties
General Contractor: Constain Sisk Joint Venture
Architecture: Mick Pearce
Structural Engineer: Arup
MEP Engineer: Arup
Civil Engineer: Arup
Quantity Surveyors: Hawkins Leshnick & Bath
Started: January 1993
Completed: April 1996
Cost: $30 Million
Area: 9313m sq
AE Interests:
biomimicry, natural ventilation inspired by termites, passive cooling, Zimbabwe’s largest commercial office and shopping development, energy-efficient sustainable building design, exposed thermal mass, two narrow nine-story reinforced concrete building masses connected by glass-roofed atrium with steel bridges, suspended glass skywalk, ventilated concrete floors, low-level grilles on external wall, air enter at the bottom using fans and pushed through the central spine to branch into small vents to create stack effect
Video [1]
Chaohu Natural and Cultural Center – Chaohu, China
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Building: OCT Chaohu Natural and Cultural Center
Location: Chaohu, China
Address: N/A
Design: 2019
Completion: 2022
Area: 1500 m2
Architect: Change Architects
Structural Engineer: Anhui Fuhuang Construction Co., Ltd.
Landscape: Masters’ Architectural Office (M.A.O)
Interior Consultant: Ipoletz Architectural Consulting Services (Shanghai) Co,. Ltd. IFGROUP (Germany)
Steel Structure Construction: Zhongyuan Xiongshi Enterprise Development Group Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Construction: Shanghai Kaixiang Curtain Wall Co., Ltd.
Roof Construction: Shanghai Hainner Oxygen Technology Development Group Co., Ltd.
Interior Construction: Anhui Zhenfan Decoration Co., Ltd.
Lighting Design: Jiehan Lighting Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
General Contractor: Zhongxing Construction Co., Ltd.
AE Interests: Steel Frame, Terracotta-colored concrete, green roof, concrete poured in situ, glass curtain wall, anti-slip surface finishes, undulating landscape, curving pathways and circular openings symbolize a worm-like movement throughout the center with the idea of reflecting the surrounding environment
[Essay]
Suanphlu Office – Bangkok, Thailand
Building: Suanphlu Office
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Design: 2016
Completion: 2020
Size: 2290 m²
Architect: IDIN Architects
Structural Engineer : C-Insight Company Limited
System Engineer : Eakachai Hamhomvong, Panot Kuakoolwong
Contractor : Sorawee Karnchang, Inblock Group
AE Interests: Solar shading system; Solutions for sunlight reflection; Double skin aluminum façade; Pocket courtyards and green spaces; Community considerations; Energy efficiency; Minimizing solar heat gain; Green roof
Quzhou, Stadium – Quzhou China
Building: Quzhou Stadium
Location: Quzhou, China
Completion: 2021
Size: 33,731 square meters with seating for 30,000 people
Architect: MAD Architects
Landscape Architect: PWP Landscape Architecture
Structural Engineer: Schlaich Bergermann Partner
MEP Engineer: SC Consultants Limited
AE Interests: Building is designed to be a fluid shape to blend in with the surrounding rolling landscape, it has sixty sets of concrete column walls with exposed wood-grained fair-faced concrete sheet walls to introduce an element of warmth and go along with the natural theme, glowing halo-like canopy structure is supported at nine drop points and has 95 foot long spans, and the largest earth-sheltered structure in the world.
[Essay]
Zentralmoschee – Cologne, Germany
Name: Zentralmoschee
Location: Cologne, Germany
Design Architect: Architekturbüro Paul Böhm
Project Architects: Martin Amme, Paul Böhm and Miriam Berndt
Structural Engineers: IDK Kleinjohann
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Brandi Ingenieure GmbH
Lighting Consultant: Zumtobel
Facade Engineer: Scheffer Metallbautechnik
Building Owner: Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs
Opened to Public In: 2017
Construction Cost: $32,000,000
AE Interest: use of lighting and scale to elevate place of worship, combination of concrete and steel structural shell to support large spans
Embassy of Finland, New Delhi
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: Embassy of Finland, New Delhi
Location: New Delhi, India
Address: E-3, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021, India
Originally Constructed: 1986
Renovation Started: 2013
Renovation Completed: 2018
Area: 4437 m2
Original Architect: Raili & Reima Pietila
Renovation Architect: ALA Architects
Engineering: Sitowise
Project Manager: WSP Finland
Local Architect: CP Kukreja Architects
Landscape Design: Jasleen Waraich Landscape Architecture
AE Interests: sculptural roofs resemble natural landscape of Finland and India, modernization of buildings technology (energy efficiency), use of local sandstone for façade, use of architectural theory to inform building design (united spatial massing)
[Essay]
Museum of the Second World War – Gdansk, Poland
Name: Museum of the Second World War
Location: Gdansk, Poland
Completed: 2017
Client: Ministry of Culture
Area: 57386 m²
Architect: Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat
Structural: PG PROJEKT Paweł Gębka
General Contractor: Warbud S.A., Hochtief, Soletanche Polska
Landscape Engineer: Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat
AE Interests: Subterranean clad steel and concrete building that also utilizes glazing to bring in light, silent design
Ishigaki City Hall – Ishigaki, Japan
Building: Ishigaki City Hall
Location: Ishigaki, Japan
Completion: 2021
Area: 13921 m²
Architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Structural Engineers: Ejiri Structural Engineers,
Facility Engineers: P.T. Morimura & Associates
Construction: Taisei Corporation,
Quantity Surveyors: Futaba Quantity Surveyors
Landscape Architects: Placemedia Landscape Architects
AE Interests: Multi-use building for both office space and hub for social activities, traditional red-tile roof, lush greenery, overlapping roof reflects elements of traditional landscape
Times Eureka Pavilion – London, United Kingdom
Building: Times Eureka Pavilion
Location: London, United Kingdom
Completion: June 2012
Total Cost: £70,000
Size: 26 m2
Architect: NEX Architects
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Landscape/Garden Design: Marcus Barnett
Project architects: Alan Dempsey, James Chung, Michal Piasecki, Paul Loh, Tomas Starczewski
Client: Royal Botanic Gardens, The Times Newpaper
AE Interests: The design of this project was developed using algorithms that replicate leaf capillaries. Rainwater runs through the capillaries of the pavilion roof to the ground of the structure. This pavilion is made using entirely recycled materials and sustainably sourced spruce wood.
[Essay]
The Retreat at The Blue Lagoon
Images: [1],[2],[3],[4]
Building: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon
Address: Norðurljósavegur, 241, Iceland
Start of Construction: 2014
Completion Date: 2018
Cost: $48,123,195
Area: 10400 m2
Cost/m2: $4,627/ m2
Architect: BASALT Architects
Engineer:
Interior Design: Design Group Italia
Lighting Design: Liska
Sound Engineering: ELFA Consulting Engineers
General Contractor: Javerk
Project Management: Blue Lagoon Company
AE Interest: This location is considered a UNESCO Global Geopark. The Silica-rich waters of the lagoon prevented the lava from absorbing some of the water in the surrounding area, thus forming the geological formation. Some of the water flows underneath the building, resulting in geothermal heating that can substitute for a mechanical heating system. Similarly, this project uses geothermal seawater to feed “photosynthetic microalgae,” reducing their carbon footprint. The resort’s structural integrity consists mainly of concrete shear walls and columns. The same structural systems are also often exposed to the audience as if attempting to assimilate into the geography of the surrounding area. The architects wanted the project to convey the belief that humanity and nature have an architectural bond which one can see by the usage of local timber and metamorphic rock from the surrounding area.
Articles: [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]
[Essay]
Mérida Factory Youth Movement – Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
Building: Mérida Factory Youth Movement (Mérida Factory)
Location: Mérida, Spain
Started: 2009
Completed: 2011
Cost: £1.200.000 or $1,279,200
Area: 3090 m2
Canopy Thickness: 1 meter
Client: JUNTA DE EXTREMADURA
Architect: Selgas Cano Arquitectos
Contractor: PROCONDAL
Structural Engineer: BOMA, LANIK
Skatepark: GESTALTSKATE
AE Interests: Space Truss Systems (or Space Frames) are used to span the length of the cloud-like canopy. These systems are structural frames with spheres for connections that are better accommodating for point loads. Lighting within the canopy illuminates during the night with white, orange, and green colors, which also provide safety at nighttime, unlike most skateparks. The site also features an integrated skatepark within the foundation, a 30ft tall climbing wall, restrooms, interior spaces, and a huge variety of activities outside.
[Essay]
Morland Mixité Capital – Paris, France
Building: Morland Mixité Capitale
Location: Paris, France
Construction Start Date: 2015
Project Completion: 2022
Cost: €90 Million
Site Area: 90,000 Sqft
Architect: David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin
Executive Architect: Calq Architecture, Paris
Structural Engineer: Bollinger & Grohmann
Façade Consultant: Bollinger & Grohmann
Landscape Designer: Michel Desvigne
General Contractor: Bouygues Bâtiment IDF
Art Installation: Studio Other Spaces
AE Interests: Reuse of an existing structure, urban vertical farming, sustainability, arcade columns, urban revitalization, enhancements to the local community, and low-income housing.
[Essay]
Battersea Power Station – London, UK
Building: Battersea Power Station
Location: London, UK
Construction Start Date: 2012
Projected Completion: October 2022
Cost: site cost: £400 million ($485.5 million); project cost: £9 billion ($10.9 billion)
Ground Area: about 27,200m2
Site Area: 42 acres
Height of Chimneys: 109m
Owners: PNB, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and the Employees’ Provident Fund
Architect: WilkinsonEyre
Specialist Architects: SimpsonHaugh and Partners(Phase 1), De Rijke Marsh Morgan(Phase 1), Foster + Partners(Phase 3), and Gehry Partners(Phase 3)
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Developers: Battersea Power Station Development Company
Main Contractors: Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine
Energy Design: Vital Energi
Water Technologies: Vareo Blu
AE Interests: restore/renovation, multi-use building, pile foundations, basement energy centre, tree-like column structures to reduce column plan, phase construction, sustainability, recycled rainwater,
Tao Zhu Yin Yuan/Agora Garden Tower – Taipei, Taiwan
Name: Tao Zhu Yin Yuan/Agora Garden Tower
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Completed: 2017
Area: 42,335 m²
Architects: Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Local Architect: LKP Design
Structural Engineer: King-Le Chang & Associates
MEP: Sine & Associates
AE Interests: A Carbon-Absorbing Vertical Forest, Highly earthquake-resistant & Column-free structure, Twisting, plant-filled tower, Eco-friendly structures.
Toranomon-Azabudai – Tokyo, Japan
Building: Toranomon-Azabudai Pergola
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Construction started: August 2019
Projected Completion: March 2023
Cost: 580 billion yen
Ground Area: 687922 sq. ft.
Site Area: 871,877 sq. ft.
Height of Pergola: 43m, 6 floors below ground, 7 floors above ground
Owner: Mori Building Company Ltd
Architect: Heatherwick Studio
Urban Landscape Development: Mori Building Company
Retail Architect: Sou Fujimoto
AE Interests: Sustainability, Plant-filled pergola, Landscape and Urbanism, Urban Regeneration, lower-level podium architecture, landscaping, and retail
SKP Chengdu – Chengdu, China
Building: SKP Chengdu
Location: Chengdu, China
Completed: December 2022
Area: 370,000 m2
Client: SKP
Architect: Sybarite & UDI
Landscape Designer: James Corner Field Operations
Structure Consultant: CABR
Feasibility Studies: Buro Happold
Fire Protection Engineering: Arup
Advanced Engineering: Eckersley O’Callaghan
Water Feature: The Fountain Workshop
Lighting Design: Speirs Major Lighting Architecture
AE Interests: 99% of the building is 30 meters below ground, six 39 meter tall water towers, glazed central cube, integrated subway station entrances, 33 landscapes that cover tops of structures
[Essay]
Office Building in Attica – Attica, Greece
Name: Office Building in Attica
Location: Attica, Greece
Originally Constructed: 1972
Renovation Started: 2017
Renovation Completed: 2020
Area: 145,313 ft2 (13500 m2)
Original Architect: Alexandros Tombazis
Renovation Architect: Georges Batzios Architects
Structural Engineer: A. Karanikolas & Associates SA Vasilis Kapotis
Civil Engineer: Firfilioni Tzovanna
General Contractor: Redex AE
Landscape Design: H. Pangalou & Associates Landscape Architects
AE Interest: one of the few examples of brutalist architecture in Greece, modernized building while staying true to the original design, reinforced concrete design clashes with surrounding forest
Amare Home of the Performance Arts – Den Haag, The Netherlands
Building: Amare Home of the Performance Arts
Location: Den Haag, The Netherlands
Year: 2021
Project Area: 50,000 sqm
Architect: NOAHH, JCAU, NL Architects
MEP: HOMIJ Technische Installaties
Structural Engineer: Aronsohn raadgevende ingenieurs (Rotterdam)
Acoustic Engineer: Féderico Cruz Barney | Studio DAP (Parijs)
Sustainability Advisor: LBP | Sight (Nieuwegein)
Contractor: Bouwcombinatie Cadanz (Boele & van Eesteren | Visser & Smit Bouw)
AE Interests: BREEAM Excellence Certificate, Multiversum, Pre-Cast Concrete, Acoustic Wood Panels, Dynamic Space, Moveable Walls, Solar Power
[Essay]
One Park Drive – London, England
Building: One Park Drive
Location: Canary Wharf, London, England
Started: 2017
Completed: 2022
Cost: £100 million
Area: 57,615 m2
Stories: 58
Height: 215 m
Architect: Herzog and De Meuron
Contractor: Canary Wharf Contractors
Structural Engineer: AKT II
AE Interests: three distinct geometric segments featuring wraparound terraces, a rotating appearance, and an ascending stair-like façade respectively as well as a planning grid rotated 45 degrees from true North which optimizes sunlight for each apartment, an orthogonally stepped unit plan that protects apartments from cross views, and energy efficient lighting, heating, and solar shading systems
[Essay]
Al Janoub Stadium – Al Wakrah, Qatar
Building: Al Janoub Stadium
Location: Al Wakrah, Qatar (5H5F+WP7, Al Wukair, Qatar)
Started: 2014
Completed: 2019
Cost: € 587.3 million
Area: 585,000 m2
Capacity: 44,325
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Lead Consultant: AECOM
Project Director: Jim Heverin
Project Architect: Johannes Hoffmann
Project Manager: KEO International Consultants
Operable Roof Design: Schlaich Bergermann Partner
AE Interests: Includes an operable retractable roof designed with pleated fabric and cables to create a sheltered environment, a cooling system to provide comfort to the spectators and players, and a unique structural design meant to capture the culture and spirit of Qatar.
EAA Foundation Tents – Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen
Images [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: EAA Foundation Tents
Location: Currently being delivered and placed in Turkey, Yemen, Pakistan, and Syria
Timeline: 2015 – TBC
Project Area: 11m x 4.5m (dimensions of one tent)
Cost: Undisclosed
Client: Education Above All Foundation (EAA)
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
AE Interests: Infrastructure made as efficiently as possible to be used as classrooms, temporary housing, or medical centers. The tents can be easily moved and reassembled, containing recyclable materials. A durable fabric membrane combined with a light aluminum arch structure makes natural sunlight and ventilation possible.
Articles: [1, 2, 3]
[Essay]
[Time-Lapse Construction Video]
The Garden Art Museum of Nanning International Garden Expo






Building: The Garden Art Museum of Nanning International Garden Expo
Location: Nanning, China
Status: Completed 2018
Area: 25570 sm
Awards: Building of the year 2022 Cultural Architecture Award (archdaily), 2020 International Architecture Award by Chicago Athenaeum
Architect:ArcStudio and China Architecture Design & Research Group
General Contractor: China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd.
Structural Team: Jie Shi, Shule Wangm Hongwei Zheng, Hong Shi, Bingyin Zhu
MEP Design Team: Lei Li, Haiprng Jiang, Suyang Wang, Junmin Li
AE Interests: curvilinear steel-structured roof, passive design, vernacular architectural materials, materials with sound and thermal insulation performance
La Nube Children’s Museum – El Paso, Texas
Building: La Nube – El Paso Children’s Museum
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
Timeline: 2017 – Present (Expected 2023)
Project Area: 70,000 sq ft
Cost: $50 million
Design Architect: Snøhetta
Architect of Record: Exigo Architecture
Structural/Mechanical/IT Engineer: Arup
Project Manager: Broaddus & Associates
Construction Manager at Risk: Jordan Foster Construction
Exhibit Design Firm: Gyroscope
Landscape Architect of Record: Greenway Studio
Art Canopy Design: Futureforms
AE Interests: Barrel-vaulted roof, mechanical exhaust system, two-scope project, site-conscious design, multi-level climbing structure, 60 ft atrium, accessibility features
[Essay]
Tenjin Business Center – Fukuoka, Japan
Building: Tenjin Business Center
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Started: 2015
Completed: 2021
Area: 640,300 ft2
Architect: OMA
Structural Engineers: Nihon Sekkei, Maeda Corporation
MEP Engineers: Nihon Sekkei, Maeda Corporation
Façade Engineers: Maeda Corporation, Arup Japan
Interior Design: Curiosity Inc.
Exterior Lighting: Lighting Planners Associates
General Contractor: Maeda Corporation
AE Interests: Carved outer facade features a six-story lobby that draws sunlight to the lower levels that are linked to the region’s pedestrian, business, and public transit system. The 272ft building is separated into three-dimensional pixels to break it down to a human scale. The pixelated façade displays a sequence of soffit surfaces above that are illuminated with warm lighting to create a sense of place at a central atrium. Setbacks at opposite façade allow for green terraces. With respect to the Naka River and Hakata Bay, the pixelated edges are rounded and illuminated in a mix of warm and cool lights to make the building look like a melting ice cube.
[Essay]
T3 – Minneapolis, Minnesota


Images: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: T3
Status: Completed 2016
Area: 220,000 sf.
Awards: LEED Gold, NAIOP Minnesota – Award of Excellence, AIA Chicago – Distinguished Buildings Award
Design Architect: Michael Green Architecture (MGA)
Architect of Record: DLR Group
Engineer-Build: StructureCraft
General Contractor: Kraus Anderson Construction
AE Interests: GluLam (GLT), Nail Laminated Timber (NLT), Mass Timber, Structural Timber
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Essay
Dijing Jingcaixuan Restaurant — Shanghai, China

Building: Dijing Jingcaixuan Restaurant
Location: Shanghai, China
Completion: 2021
Architects: V2GETHER Design
Lead Architect: Rui Zhao
Design Team: Fangyuan Liu, Longjun Li, Jingyun He, Zhibin Huang, Guanwei Ling, Qunying Qu, Wenjun Miao, Jierong Liang, Huangjing Luo
Area: 2260 meters squared (24,326 feet squared)
Engineering: Yuehui Rong
Lighting: PROL
Client: Shanghai Jingdi Catering Management Co., Ltd
Articles [1]
Essay
AE Interests: Design of the restaurant contrasts the buildings old aesthetic/ history – Large marble slabs, spiral staircase connecting floors 29-31, large glass panels surrounding the exterior, natural light, renovation at the top of an existing high-rise.
House Zero – Austin, Texas
Building: House Zero
Location: Austin, Texas
Completed: 2022
Cost: $450,000
Area: 186 m^2(2,000 ft^2)
Architect: Lake Flato
Structural Engineers: WJE
Construction: ICON
MEP: Integral Group
Landscape Architect: Word + Carr
Lighting Design Consultant: Studio Lumina
AE Interests: Sustainability, use of 3D printing and how it can evolve more, new material lavacrete that lets 3D printing be utilized to the fullest, the movement for buildings to be net-zero in energy use.
[Essay]
Maison Owl (Restaurant and House) – Ube, Japan
Building: Maison Owl Restaurant and House
Location: Ube, Japan
Address: Japan, 〒755-0086 Yamaguchi, Ube, Nakaube, 字西山1677-1
Completed: 2022
Size: 2,900 square feet building and 9,800 square foot property
Architect: Junya Ishigami + Associates
Structural Engineering: Jun Sato Structural Engineers
Lighting Design: Junya Ishigami + Associates
Interior Design: Junya Ishigami + Associates
Lighting Advisor: Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design
MEP Contractor: Echo Mechanical Plumber
Landscape Contractor: SOLSO
General Contractor: Masato Akita
AE Interests: floating roof, complex building envelope, entirely below-grade structure, use of mud and steel, spatial organization, sustainable design, passive heating and cooling, central courtyard, enhancement of daily experiences, retaining wall, open-plan dining area
Changchun Community Sports Complex – Changchun, China
Building: Changchun Community Sports Complex
Location: Changchun, China
Architects: GBBN
General Contractor: Jilin Galaxy Construction
Landscape: PDS Landscaping
Client: Vanke Co.
Area: 25,800 ft²
Completion: 2021
AE Interests: Design of the sports complex reflects the site’s power plant history – simple rectangle, sawtooth roof smokestack, nod to power (represented through light). Perforated metal panels, terracotta panels with lights reflecting through the perforations.
Louvre Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Building: Louvre Abu Dhabi
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Started: 2007
Completed: 2017
Cost: $1.4 billion
Area: 24,000 m^2(260,000 ft^2)
Architect: Jean Nouvel
Supervising Architect: KEO International Consultants
Structural Engineers: Buro Happold
Geotechnical Engineers: Buro Happold
Water Engineers: Buro Happold
Construction: Bauer Group
Acoustics: Studio DAP
AE Interests: dealing with flooding when open to the sea, having to figure out the path of the sun and manage geometry to manipulate light, dealing with unique structural systems, passive cooling where there aren’t clear walls
[Essay]
*Original Post by Marcus Allen on August 31, 2009
FIH (Finance for Danish Industry) – Langelinie, Denmark
Building: FIH Domicile
Location: Langelinie, Denmark
Completion: 2002
Size: 12,000 square meters
Architect: 3XN Architects
Shutter Design: Art Anderson & Copenhagen
Client: FIH
AE Interests: This building has a unique, ever-changing facade, consisting of a pattern of red brick tiles and large glass windows. Shutters move back and forth in front of the windows or the bricks, depending on the amount of sunlight desired inside. These shutters are the only sliding shutters in the world where the same electric motor drives both the frames and the tilting slats.
Laban Dance Centre – London, England, U.K.



Building: Laban Dance Centre
Location: London, England, U.K.
Architect: Herzog and de Meuron
Structural Engineer: Whitby Bird and Partners
Main Contractor: Ballast Construction
Acoustic Engineer: ARUP Acoustics
Project Management: ARUP Project Management
Client: Laban Centre
Completed: 2003
Site Area: 88,264 sf
Construction Cost: £23.8 million
AE Interests: Created with large fluid spaces, perfect for dancing. Designed with two exterior facades, one of polycarbonate and one of glass that allow for viewing into, while still maintaining privacy. Has the first ever brown roof in the area, which helps with sustainability.
The original article for this building was posted on August 31,2009 by Chris Krenek.
Saїd Business School, Oxford University – Oxford, U.K.
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Phase 1 Completed: 2001
Phase 2 Completed: 2012
Architect: Dixon Jones Architects
Client: University of Oxford
Structural engineer: Alan Baxter and Associates
M&E consultant: Hurley Palmer Flatt
Quantity surveyor: Gleeds
Acoustic engineer: Sandy Brown Associates
Landscape consultant: Grontmij
Interior design: Nina Campbell
Catering consultant: Coverpoint Foodservice
Project manager: Oxford University Estates
Project manager: Gardiner & Theobald
CDM coordinator: HCD Management
Approved Building Control Officer: HCD Building Control
Main contractor: Chalegrove Properties
AE Interests: The two phases of this building reference classical and traditional features with elements such as a copper-clad ziggurat tower. The first phase of the building contains impressive noise reduction features given the high density of large capacity lecture halls. The second phase of the project matches the finish styles of its predecessor.
Original post by Cristina Calderon on January 26, 2010
Saxon State and University Library – Dresden, Germany
Images [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Building: Saxon State and University Library
Location: Dresden, Germany
Address: Zellescher Weg 18, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Client: City of Dresden, Free State of Saxony
Started: 1999
Completed: 2002
Cost: €3,250,000
Area: 42,000 m2
Cost per Area: €77.38 / m2
Architecture: Ortner & Ortner
Structural Engineering: Gmeiner | Haferl
Project Management: Achammer-Tritthart & Partner
Landscape Design: Burger + Tischler
AE Interests: Central space is underground; sunlit atrium; symmetrical site layout; grooved façade reminiscent of bookshelves; blending traditional and contemporary styles; conversion of a football field into public greenspace; central space functioning as the “heart” of the building with hallways and footbridges serving as arteries; effect of architecture on visitor experience.
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Essay: [pdf] [doc]
The original article for this building was posted by Mina Akhavan on January 25th, 2010.
Bodegas Protos Winery – Peñafiel, Spain
Images: [1,2,3,4]
Building: Bodegas Protos
Location: Peñafiel, Valladolid, Spain
Address: Cam. Bodegas Protos, 24-28, 47300 Peñafiel, Valladolid, Spain
Cost: £15,000,000 (around 17,195,910 USD)
Started: Design began in 2004, but construction did not begin til Spring 2005
Completion: September 2008
Size: 19,450 m2
Client: Bodegas Protos
Architect: RSHP and Alonso Balaguer and Arquitectos Asociados
Structural Engineer: Arup
Services Engineer: BDSP, Grupo JG, and Agroindus
Project Manager: CEM Management
Quantity Surveyor: Tecnics G3 and Agroindus
Lighting Consultant: Biosca y Botey
Awards: RIBA European Award, Shortlisted for RIBA Stirling Prize, Chicago Atheneum Award, World Architecture Festival – Production, Energy, and Recycling, Civic Trust Award, Conde Nast Traveller ID & D, Gourmet Category – IStructE Award.
AE Interests: Use of local materials, timber parabolic arches, simple and modular form, function, natural lighting, thermal groundmass, nighttime cooling, recycling of stone for walls.
Articles: [1,2,3]
Sources: [1,2,3]
*Original post by Ashley Pietzsch on September 1, 2009
MoMA QNS – Queens, New York, U.S.A
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Building: The Museum of Modern Art, Queens
Location: Queens, New York, USA
Address: 45-20 33rd Street Long Island City, Queens, New York
Executive Architect: Cooper Robertson
Design Architect: Michael Maltzan Architecture
Structural Engineer: De Nardis Engineering, LLC
MEP Engineer: Goldman Copeland Associates
Construction Manager: Turner Construction Company
Interior Design: Lori Weatherly LLC
Lighting: George Sexton Associates
Building Envelope: Associated Construction Services, Inc.
Client: The Museum of Modern Art
Completed: 2002
Site Area: 163,700 sf
Construction Cost: $35 million ($214 per sf)
AE Interests: Designed for flexible gallery space — 21-ft-high ceilings in the galleries and only the perimeter wall is fixed, temporary walls can be custom-made for specific exhibitions. Blue stucco exterior, polished concrete floors, exposed ductwork on the ceiling. Double height and extra wide corridors in spaces for moving art.
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Essay
The original article for this building was posted on January 26, 2010 by Joyce Chiu.
Library of Birmingham – Birmingham, U.K.
Building: Library of Birmingham
Location: Birmingham, England
Address: 309 Broad Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Completed: 2013
Cost: £188 million
Size: 39,000 square meters
Architect: Mecanoo
Civil Engineer: Buro Happold
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Building Services Engineer: Buro Happold
Lighting Designer: Happold Lighting
Acoustics Consultant: Buro Happold Acoustics
Design Manager: Davis Langdon Schumann Smith
Project Manager: Capita Symonds
Main Contractor: Carillion
Client: Birmingham City Council
AE Interests: largest library in Europe, multi-use building with exhibits, 300 seat auditorium, lounges and terraces, large cantilevers, complex aluminum façade that creates interesting interior shadows, multi-level rotundas, BREEAM excellent rated building, gray water systems and ground source heat pumps.
*Original post by Stacy Chu on September 1, 2009
Mercedes Benz Design Center – Sindelfingen, Germany
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Building: Advanced Design Center Sindelfingen
Location: Sindelfingen (Stuttgart), Germany
Completed: 1998
Site Area: 5 acres
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Structural Engineer: Arup, IFB Dr. Braschel & Partners
Acoustic Engineer: Müller BBM
Client: Mercedes-Benz
AE Interests: Complex Geometries in an industrial setting, Delicate roof structure without center columns. Unique lighting solutions
[Essay]
*Original Post by Alec Gagnon on August 31, 2009
School of Architecture – Marne-la-Vallee, France
Building: École d’architecture Marne-la-Vallee (School of Architecture – Marne-la-Valle)
Location: Marne-la-Vallee, France
Address: 12 Avenue Blaise Pascal, Champs-sur-Marne, France
Architect: Bernard Tschumi – Bernard Tschumi Architects
Client: University of Marne-la-Valle
Started: 1994
Completed: 1999
Area: 275,000 sq. ft.
Cost: 15,000,000 USD ($54.55/sq. ft.)
Materials: steel, concrete and glass
AE Interests: Uses concepts such as the “box inside a box”, cantilever and open spaces. The “box inside a box” concepts can be seen in the 400-eat amphitheater covered in extruded metal which is situated in the center of the building elevated fromthe ground creating a sort of floating box. Additionally the circulation of the building is possible through staircases and walkways to get from point A to point B. The amphitheater can also be accessed by several of these stairs and walkways. Wood was used to absorb much of the sound.
[ Essay ]
Original post by Matt McCarthy on January 26, 2010
56 Leonard Street – New York City, New York, U.S.


Building: 56 Leonard Street
Location: 56 Leonard Street New York, New York 10013
Started: Initially designed in 2006
Completion: Scheduled for 2010 but final details were finished in June 2017 (4 year delay)
Architect: Herzog and de Meuron
Structural Engineer: WSP
Mechanical Engineer: Cosentini Associates
Lighting Engineer: Schwinghammer Lighting
Facade Engineer: Gordon H. Smith Corporation
Construction Management: Lend Lease
AE Interests: permeability, customized residences, staggered progression, pixelated, apartments, high-rise, central core
[Essay]
The High Line – New York City, New York, U.S.
Name: High Line
Location: New York City, New York
Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street) Completed: 2009
Section 2 (20th Street to 30th Street) Completed: 2012
Section 3 (30th to 34th Street) Completed: 2014
Overall Cost of the Sections: 228.3 million USD
Park Length: 1.45 miles
Design Project Lead: James Corner Field Operations
Architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Structural: Buro Happold
MEP Engineering: Buro Happold
General Contractor (Section 1): KiSKA
General Contractor (Section 2): CAC
Construction Manager (Section 3): Sciame
AE Interests: elevated steel rail system turned into a linear park, over 500+ species of plants and trees, historical significance, blending of man-made structure and nature
*Orignal Post by Zaid Arzate on September 1, 2009
Diamond Ranch High School – Pomona, California


Building: Diamond Ranch High School
Location: Pomona, California
Design and Construction: 1994-1996; 1997-1999
Architect: Morphosis Architecture
Project Architect: John Enright
Structural Engineer: Arup
MEP Engineer: Arup
Civil Engineer: Andreasen Engineering, Inc
Landscape Architect: Fong & Associates
Construction: Bernards Brothers
AE Interests: The surrounding topography impacted the design of the building’s form; the main spinal corridor facilitates interactions; solar panels cover the parking for space-efficient renewable energy; construction intended to minimize disruption of the surrounding environment.
[Essay]
*Original posts by Paul Carr on August 31, 2009 and Megha Murthy on October 31, 2018
Biosphere and Flower Pavilion – Potsdam, Germany
Images [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: Biosphere and Flower Pavilion
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Address: George-Hermann-Allee 99, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Client: Stadt Potsdam (City of Potsdam)
Started: 2000
Completed: 2001
Area: 11,000 m2
Architects: Barkow +Leibinger
Construction Management: Assmann Beraten + Planen
Structural Engineer: Hörnick-Hock-Thieroff
Mechanical Engineer: Planungsgrupe M+M
Landscape Architect: Büro Kiefer
AE Interests: A large indoor botanical garden that includes a roaring waterfall, two lakes, an aquarium, an hourly artificial thunderstorm, and tropical wildlife. The low-rise building is formed by a series of concrete beams along the roof covered with skylights. The curtain glass wall adds more natural lighting to the environment inside. The indoor climate is kept warm and comfortable all year long.
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4]
[Essay]
Aurora Place – Sydney, Australia
Building: Aurora Place
Location: Sydney, Australia
Started: 1998
Completion: 2000
Area: 49,500 m²
Architectural Height: 218 m
Roof Height: 188 m
Cost: $485 million
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Structural Engineer: Arup Group
Developer: Lend Lease Development
AE Interests: Unusual geometric shape, use of double-skin to regulate temperature, multi-use luxury building with large amounts of natural lighting
King Power Mahanakhon – Bangkok, Thailand
Images: [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ]
Building: King Power Mahanakhon
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Started: June 2011
Completion: April 2016
Area: 150,000 m2
Height: 314 m
Architects: Ole Scheeren
Structural Engineers: Arup
Facade Engineers: Front, Inc.
Owner: King Power Group
Developer: PACE Development Corporation
AE Interests: mixed-use skyscraper, 77-story high rise, the building features a three-dimensional pixelated ribbon that swirls around the exterior, and the glass walls are divided horizontally and vertically, adding to the building’s “pixelated” and “unfinished” appearance, glass skyboxes with sweeping views and generous indoor/outdoor spaces with plunge pools and oversized terraces.
Articles: [ 1, 2, 3]
Essay
*Original post by lindseylohberg2009 on August 31, 2009
Burj Al-Arab – Dubai, UAE
Building: Burj Al-Arab
Location: Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, UAE
Client: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum
Started: 1994
Completed: 1999
Area: 111,500 m2 (1,200,000 ft2)
Height: 321 m (1,050 ft)
Cost: $1 Billion (US Dollars)
Architect: Tom Wright
Supporting Architect: W.S. Atkins & Partners
Structural Engineer: W.S. Atkins & Partners
MEP: DSE Engineering Group
Developer: Jumeirah Group
AE Interests: The whole building is made on an artificial island which took three years to develop. The builders drove 230 40-metre-long (130 ft) concrete piles into the sand by drilling method. Among many luxuries, it also has one of Dubai’s highest helipads. Additionally, it used to have the worlds largest atrium at 180 m. The hotel was specially designed there to avoid covering the beach with its shadow. Additionally, the shape of the structure is designed to resemble dhow‘s (a traditional Arabic ship) sail to reflect Dubai′s seafaring heritage combined with a modern aspect moving forwards into the future.
*Revised by Zahra Bhora on September 2, 2009
Hangar 14 – Bordeaux, France
Building: Hangar (Agora) 14 Location: Bodeaux, France
Address: Rue Jean Samazeuilh CS 20088 33070 Bordeaux Cedex France
Start of Project: 1930 (Building was retrofitted)
Completion: 1999 Client: City of Bordeaux
Owner: Bordeaux Events and More
Architects: Lanoire & Courrian
Project Management: Sarl Lanoire & Courrian – Eurl Flint, agent – ECCTA, technical design office
Director General of Planning: Michèle Laruë-Charlus
General Commissioner: YTAA – Youssef Tohme Architects and Associates
Cost: €3.35 M
Area: 6754 m2 (Ground floor: 3,000 m2 – 1st Floor: 2,400 m2 – Patio: 600 m2 – Other: 754 m2)
Cost per square meter: €558/m2
AE Interest: Frost glass facade covering the majority of the main entrance, 8 identical steel staircases allowing access to the top and bottom floors, Terrace facing the Garonne river creating a panoramic view of the landscape, Building was once used for harboring storage, Some of the building’s original facades were kept to highlight that it was converted into a venue hall.
[Essay]
*Original post by Kristin Wall on January 26, 2010*
Allianz Arena – Munich, Germany
Building: Allianz Arena
Location: Munich, Germany
Address: Werner-Heisenberg-Allee 25, 80939 München, Germany
Started: 2002
Completion: 2005
Cost: €340 Million
Max Capacity: 75,000 Spectators
Architect: Alpine Bau Deutschland GmbH, Herzog and de Meuron
Structural Engineer: ARUP
AE Interests: Luminous ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) pillow Facade, dynamic building appearance, lightweight roofing system, procession through natural landscape, crater-like exterior and interior
Douroux House – Venice, California



Building: The Douroux House
Location: Venice, California, USA
Architect: Antoine Predock
Completion: 1991
Builder: Robert Douroux
Owner: Robert Douroux
Square Footage: 3,356 SqFt
AE Interests: The 9 x 13ft, one-ton bright red cantilevered window pivots horizontally to foster interaction between the beach and the home. Structural design intended to withstand seismic activity. The structure consists of only concrete, glass, and steel.
Original post by Maggie Lawson on September 1, 2009
Euskalduna Conference Centre – Bilbao, Spain
Building: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Completed: February 1999
Owner: Euskalduna Jauregia
Architects: Federico Soriano & Dolores Palacios (Soriano y Asociados)
Area: 58,200 m2
Contractors: Construcciones Lauki, Jose Antonio Olabarri SL, Grupo Inbisa, Chemtrol
Steel Engineer: Goros S. Coop
Consulting Engineers: IDOM and SENER
Fit-Out Specialist: Frapont
Acoustical Consultant: Higini Arau
AE Interests: corten steel, patterned glazing, one of the largest reciprocal frame structures in the world, multifaceted and multifunctional, 1st infrastructure to implement a digital twin
*Original Post by Ben Ash on January 25, 2010
Essay
Masdar City – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates


Images [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Building: Masdar City
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Client: Masdar-Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company
Started: 2008
Expected Completion Date: 2025
Area: 6,000,000 m2
Cost: between $18.7 and $19.8 billion
Architect: Foster + Partners
Masterplanning, Sustainability Engineer: Arup
Landscape Architect: Gustafson Porter + Bowman
Environmental Engineer: WSP Group, E.T.A
AE Interests: Masdar City is a carbon-neutral, zero-waste city. It is self-sustaining using solar panels, biofuel, and wind towers. They also provide community pods that remain underground which are necessary for eco-friendly transportation across the city.
Articles: [1, 2, 3, 4]
*Original post by Stephen Mathai on September 27, 2009
Cartier Foundation – Paris France
Building: Cartier Foundation
Location: Paris, France
Completed: 1994
Cost: $100 million
Habitable Area: 6,505 square meters (about 70,000sqf)
Architect: Jean Nouvel
Structural Engineer: Ove Arup & Partners
Facade Engineer: Arnaud DE BUSSIÈRE et Associés
Landscape Architect: Lothar Baumgarten
Project Leader: Didier BRAULT
Thermic: Sefca
AE Interests: 650 tons of steel and 5,000 square meters of glass, emptiness, transparency, the unity of interior and exterior, dematerialization, removable glass panels
*Original post by Marcus Allen on August 31, 2009.
GSW Headquarters
Name: GSW Headquarters
Location: Berlin, Germany
Address: Charlottenstraße 4, 10969 Berlin, Germany
Size: 50,000 m2, 22 floors
Architect: Sauerbruch Hutton
Structural Engineer: Arup
Landscape Architect: Strauma
Acoustic Engineer: Akustic- Ingenieiuro Moll GmbH
Construction: Bilfinger and Berger
Client: City of Berlin
Completed: 1999
AE Interest: GSW headquarters was the first skyscraper built after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Natural Ventilation Systems, double skin glass, solar chimney, sustainability, sustainable renovations, low-energy
Original post by Jimmy Principe on October 11th, 2009
Federation Square – Melbourne, Australia
Building: Federation Square
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Completed: 2002
Cost: $450 million
Site Area: 38,000 square meters (7.9 acres)
Joint Architects and Interior Designers: LAB Architecture Studio with Bates Smart
Principal Architects: Donald L. Bates, Peter Davidson
Landscape Architect: Karres en Brands
Structural Engineer: Hyder Consulting
Façade Engineer: Newtecnic
Environmental Design Consultant: Atelier Ten
Services Engineer: Waterman Group
Builder: Multiplex Constructions
Client: Government of Victoria, Australia
AE Interests: Urban renovation by building civic center on top of active rail yard; thermal cooling labyrinth to support passive-cooling system; pinwheel triangle grid façade; strategic urban design.
*Original post by Maggie Lawson on August 31, 2009
New Synagogue – Dresden, Germany

Name: New Synagogue
Location: Dresden, Germany
Architect: Wandel Hoefer Lorch + Hirsch
Structural Engineer: Schweitzer Ingenieure
Acoustical Engineer: Zibell Willner & Partners
Lighting Designers: Wilms GmbH
Client: Jewish Community, Dresden
Completed: 2001
AE Interests: Built on the same site as the Semper Synagogue, which was designed by Gottfried Semper and consequently destroyed in 1938 during the Night of Broken Glass. Exhibits the polarity of stability and fragility through material dualism with an exterior structure of precast concrete and an interior structure of metallic, brass textile. Stone structure employs a curvilinear form that twists to the Jerusalem, the direction for prayer in Judaism.
Original post by Mina Akhavan on January 24, 2010
DZ Bank – Berlin, Germany
Name: DZ Bank
Location: Berlin, Germany
Design Architect: Gehry Partners
Project Architects: Marc Salette and Tensho Takemorie
Structural Engineers: Fischer und Friedrich, Ingenier Buero Mueller Marl GmbH, Schlaich, Bergmann & Partner
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Brandi Ingenieure GmbH
Lighting Consultant: Wilfried Kramb from AG Licht
Construction: DG Immobilien Management GmbH
Completed In: 2001
AE Interest: mixed-used building, design is focused on site around it, organic/sculptural shell for conference hall, natural lighting is used to highlight organic forms and materials
*Original Post by Matt McCarthy on August 30th, 2009*
Cathedral of Christ the Light – Oakland, California, U.S.
Building: Cathedral of Christ the Light
Location: Oakland, California
Completed: 2008
Size: 2.5 acres, 136 feet tall, 250,000 ft2
Cost: $190 million ($760 per ft2 )
Client: Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merril
General Contractor: Webcor Builders
Civil Engineering: Korve Engineering
AE Interests: Very light ecological footprint using fly ash and slag to decrease cement paste content in concrete. Cathedral is lit entirely by daylight creating luminosity with the exception of evening activities. Uses the advanced method of ancient roman technique of thermal inertia to maintain an appropriate building climate. Built to withstand earthquakes implementing laminated wood timbers and a matrix of friction pendulum base isolators.
*Original post by Jillmon Holland on September 1, 2009
Shanghai Grand Theater – Shanghai, China
Building: Shanghai Grand Theater
Location: Shanghai, China
Address: Located at the intersection of Central Boulevard and Huangpi Road South
Completed: 1998
Size: 600,000 ft2, 131 ft tall
Cost: 1.3 billion yuan (Around $186,610)
Client: Municipal of Shanghai
Architect: Jean-Marie Charpentier
Acoustics: Kirkegaard Associates
Interior: Studios Architect
AE Interests: Laminated Curtain glass facade suspended by cables, 7000 tons of steel structure, inverted arched steel roof, six reinforced concrete columns to hold up structure.
*Original post by Cristina Calderon on January 26, 2010
College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Images: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Building: Rapson Hall; College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota
Status: Completed 2002
Awards: 1990 Progressive Architecture Award, 2002 AIA New York Chapter Design Award [5]
Design Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Associate Architect: Vincent James Associates Architects (VJAA)
Engineer: Ellerbe Becket (now AECOM)
Structural Engineer: Guy Nordenson & Associates
Lighting Consultant: L’Observatoire International
Contractor: Knutson Construction Services, Inc.
AE Interests: Library, Auditorium, Multi-use spaces, Renovation, Geometric Design, Natural lighting, Translucent material.
Essay
*original post by Sophia Kim on August 30, 2009
Usera Public Library – Madrid, Spain
Name: Usera Public Library
Location: Madrid, Spain
Address: Av. de Rafaela Ybarra, 43, 28026 Madrid, Spain
Architects: Juan Herreros, Iñaki Ábalos (formerly of the firm Abalos & Herreros)
Project Architect: Ángel Jaramillo
Collaborating Artist: Peter Halley
Structural: José Manuel Sierra, Juan Gómez
Services: José Cruz, Pedro Blanco
Construction: Dragados, S.A.
Client: Comunidad de Madrid
Completed: 2003
Area: 3500 sq m
AE Interests: Organization of space for user function, integration with surroundings, simplified construction, and creation of an atmosphere of delicate airiness. A structure concreted in the core and perimeter, with open, column-free middle, contributes to this airiness.
The original article for this building was posted on January 25, 2010 by Zaid Arzate.
Casa da Música – Porto, Portugal
Name: Casa da Música
Location: Porto, Portugal
Address: Av. da Boavista 604-610, 4149-071 Porto, Portugal
Completed: 2005
Architect: OMA
Structural Engineer: Arup / AFA Lda
Acoustics: TNO Eindhoven / DHV
Local Architect: ANC Architects
AE interests: Avoiding the shoebox Auditorium design, Turning a design originally for a house to an auditorium, glass auditorium walls, optimizing acoustics, corrugated glass, angular geometry, unorthodox material choice
*Revised by Thomas Almendra on 9/29/2022
Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center – Noumea, New Caledonia
Images: {1, 2, 3, 4}
Building Name: Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center
Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
Completed: 1998
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Landscape Architects: Desvigne & Dalnoky
Area: 8,188 sqm
AE Interests: sustainability, relationship with nature, culture, natural building materials, low maintenance, termite repellent iroko wood, ten multifunction pavilions of different sizes separated into 3 categories, integrated tree filled spaces, which are all interconnected with a footpath, cooling and passive ventilation obtained through a double façade
*Original post by Alec Gagnon on 08-31-2009
The Galleria Luxury Hall West – Seoul, South Korea




Name: The Galleria Luxury Hall West
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Address: 343 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu
Design Architect: Ben van Berkel, UNStudio
Facade Design: RAC – Rah Architecture Consulting Executive architects
Construction: Hanwha Engineering & Construction Corp., Dongshin C G E Co. Ltd
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Lighting Design: Arup Lighting, Eon/SLD
Completion: 2004
AE Interests: Everchanging facade with limitless capabilities, and seamless integration of overlapping panels around a curved surface.
leave a comment