AEWORLDMAP.COM (3,000+ posts)

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Building: Ford Foundation Headquarters
Location: New York, New York
Architect: Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates
Structural Engineer: Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates
Landscape Architect: Dan Kiley
Completed: 1968

AE Interests: The offices only take up a portion of the space on site, the remainder is used as an indoor garden atrium. Structure is a hybrid of concrete and weathered steel, with steel beams spanning 84 feet. Concrete is clad in granite, so the colors of the stone and reddish-brown steel blend in with the natural colors of the garden. Structural design was influenced by highway and bridge construction techniques, where concrete is used as a bearing element to bring forces into the ground and steel is used as a spanning element. Also one of the first office buildings to combine indoor public spaces and community atmosphere with private individual office spaces. This is achieved by orienting the office levels in a step-back formation resembling the letter “C”. Occupants can see each other across the atrium, but still have the privacy of an individual office.

Articles: [1, 2, 3]

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Building: Baker House
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Architect: Alvar Aalto
Renovation Architect: Perry Dean Rogers Architects
Completed: 1948

AE Interests: Site is located along Charles River, the curved shape gives a unique view of the river for each student. The curve also maximizes exposure to southern sunlight for each room, minimizing heating loads and electric costs. Plan is oriented around a single corridor, all rooms are along the south edge with the stair system running on the north side of the building. Structural columns in the lower sections give way to timber-clad framing in the higher sections to form a relationship with the trees around the building.

Articles: [1, 2, 3]

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Building: Riviera TwinStar Towers
Location: Shanghai, China
Architect: Arquitectonica
Structural Engineer: Arup
MEP Engineer: J. Roger Preston Limited
Completed: 2011

AE Interests: 708 feet tall (216 meters), both towers feature curved facades. Serves as headquarters for two separate banks, so symmetry and order was needed in the design. Inner curves are lit at night to emphasize shape and scale. Features a removable slab to accommodate needs of the tenant. Utilizes high performance Low-E glass with solar control coating. All facade materials are recyclable. Concrete frame system, inclined columns in curved sections, uses steel-reinforced columns in lower sections of the tower to minimize column size and maximize floor space. Located in historical shipyard site, the shape of the towers forms a gateway towards the river in the shape of a ship’s hull.

Articles: [1, 2, 3]